Fast food done slow - Grateful Growers launches food cart downtown

Lunch-goers in downtown Charlotte try Harvest Moon
Grille. Photo credit: Taylor Blanchard

On July 4, Grateful Growers Farm debuted a food cart known as Harvest Moon Grille at the Charlotte Regional Farmer’s Market. Since then, the bright orange cart has offered a “slow food” – sustainable, fresh and local – breakfast and lunch for hungry market-goers looking for a quick, delicious bite.

Now Harvest Moon Grille tempts uptown visitors and workers with lunch two days a week. Located at Trade and Tryon streets at the Bank of America Plaza, it is open Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

What is so unique about this endeavor is that it offers high-quality, locally-sourced food at a great value to the downtown Charlotte lunch crowd. Patrons will also gain an education about how the Harvest Moon Grille's food is different from the food they'll get at one of the area's many fast food restaurants or other street vendors.

Through a network of local farmers, Harvest Moon Grille serves seasonal and fresh food – no canned tomatoes or meat from animals raised and processed thousands of miles away. The menu is updated weekly based on what is available from Grateful Growers Farm and the other local farms from which they source the ingredients.

“We base the menu on what farmers tell us they have available, as well as what customers suggest they’d like to see,” says Cassie Parsons of Grateful Growers Farm.

An example is the meatball sub feature this week. “Amy of Gilcrest Farm told us that she had some of her local grass-fed ground beef available, and Maria from Fisher Farms mentioned that she had an abundance of tomatoes. A natural menu choice was a meatball sub with marinara sauce,” said Cassie. The meatballs also include Grateful Grower’s ground pork.

Next to the cart, a sign lists all of the producers and farmers who have supplied product for that day’s meals. Grateful Growers Farm also staffs people next to the cart who can answer customer questions and explain how the food featured is sustainable and local.

Harvest Moon Grille also offers a vegetarian option, and occasionally a dessert.

But how about the taste? First time Harvest Moon Grille customer Tate Austin ate a pork belly spring roll last week and was impressed. “I liked the friendliness of the staff and the quality of the food… the pork tenderloin was of a quality I haven't experienced in some time,” said Tate.

Grateful Growers Farm is a small, diversified farm in Denver, N.C., where they primarily raise Tamworth hogs along with a small number of chickens and ducks. All the animals are pasture-raised.

Find Harvest Moon Grille:

• Saturdays at the Charlotte Regional Farmer’s Market for breakfast and lunch from 7:30 a.m. -2 p.m.
• Tuesdays and Thursdays uptown at the Bank of America Plaza (Trade and Tryon) for lunch from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

For more info: Email info@ggfarm.com to receive the weekly newsletter with updates on menu and location of Harvest Moon Grille.