Copyright Charleston Post and Courier
WAXHAW, N.C. — Drink glasses will clink at the opening for a new restaurant in North Carolina next month, but the celebrations at the Sip & Cinder, a combination barbecue joint and cocktail bar, won’t just be the embrace of something new. The toasts will honor the progress of the work restauranteurs Jon and Amy Fortes have put into their four restaurants and catering business, the Flipside Restaurant Group, scattered across York County and now venturing across state lines with a fifth venture. Sip & Cinder is expected to open Nov. 12 at 1325 N. Broome St. near downtown Waxhaw in Union County, N.C. That’s about 24 miles from the Flipside Restaurant in downtown Rock Hill, or 19 miles from the Flipside Cafe in Fort Mill. The Fortes own all of those, plus the FM Eatery and Salmeri’s Italian Restaurant, both in Fort Mill. “We were looking for a place for catering in the Waxhaw area,” Jon Fortes said. “When we got here, we realized there weren’t a lot of barbecue places or sit-down, upper dining experiences available in the area. There’s a couple of nice places on Main Street, but not a lot.” Sip & Cinder will emphasize the barbecue and cocktail offerings, while including some staple dishes from existing Flipside menus. “We've taken the most popular items that have really made us successful over the last 12 years, but we’re also trying to do something a little different,” Jon Fortes said. “The barbecue is the cinder part of the name, obviously wood smoked barbecue, and the ashes represent the cinder on that. We’re hoping people will see these are chef-driven meals that we’re serving, and these chefs are putting their heart into it. ” Pulled Duroc pork butt, chili-rubbed pork loin, beef brisket and dry rub St. Louis cut ribs are the featured barbecue items on the Sip & Cinder menu, along with Flipside favorites like pecan-crusted Carolina trout and the OG shrimp and grits.
