A Great Way To Spend the Day in Charlotte: DIY Terrariums, Mimosas, & Italian Food

These two spots located across from each other make for an exciting and enjoyable time with your friends or family without the hassle of driving around the city. You definitely do not want to miss out on the fun of this unique and awesome place as well as the delicious Italian food right across the parking lot. Combining these two places is a great way to spend your day in Charlotte!

Plant Bar is a premium plant store that offers anything and everything you can think of about plants. You walk into their beautiful store and can browse through their large selection of plants, try to choose between a llama or dinosaur pot, buy a book that tells newbies everything they need to know about taking care of plants, and so on. What really makes Plant Bar exciting is that they have a workshop area where you can make your own terrariums while you sip on a mimosa.

I don’t own any plants and I went with my mom who kills all types of plants so we were really unsure of what to do but the staff was amazing. To make a terrarium head over to the shelves with the empty glass vases and select the size and shape you want. Prices are clearly displayed along with how many succulents or air plants you can put in your terrarium. Due to Covid, you can only work at a table with the people you come with so if all the tables are taken go ahead and order yourself a mimosa while you wait. The tools and everything you need to put in your terrarium is at your table. The staff walked us through the type of terrarium we could build depending if we chose succulent or air-dry plants. Displays are placed at every table for inspiration and then the rest is up to you!

We had a great time doing something we have never done before and I will definitely go back with friends when they’re visiting Charlotte. It can be a bit expensive but for the overall experience, quality and the fact that you can take it home with you is worth it.

You’ll probably be hungry from all the planting (and shopping) but no worries just cross the parking lot and head over to the Italian restaurant, Fiamma.

Before you get seated your temperature is taken and tables are closed off in order to socially distance. We first ordered wine and then started off with the appetizers. We had quite a few such as fresh pesto with bread and breadsticks, calamari e gamberi fritti, fiochetti di pera, and beef carpaccio. All of these were delicious but I recommend the fiochdtti de pera or the calamari.

Before our entrees were served, we were given a complimentary palette cleanser which is a lemon sorbet to prepare you for your entree. It’s so good that I joke that this is my favorite dish.

For our entrees we ordered vitello porcini which is veal with mushroom sauce and homemade gnocchi, taglionili ai gamberi a seafood mixed pasta in white wine and I had the tagliolini allo zafferano con polpa di granchio which was a homemade pasta sautéed in saffron and tomato sauce with crab meat. To be honest, I do not like the taste of veal so I was not a fan but my saffron crab pasta was absolutely delicious. The crab meat was very soft and juicy and the tomato sauce was not overpowering.

For dessert, my favorite was the panna cotta a vanilla bean cream with berries and a cookie on top. It was very light and not too sweet which was perfect for me. And the classic tiramisu was delicious as we had this at my graduation party a couple of years ago. The other honorable mentions are the tortina al fiamma and torta di formaggio.

If you come to visit one you have to visit the other! Plant Bar and Fiamma are perfect if you are looking for things to do in Charlotte. You will leave with your very own terrarium and full of scrumptious Italian food!