A few months ago, I took a road trip specifically for a good meal. I drove four hours to check out a new-to-me restaurant—only to find it closed.
Like any good food reporter, I’d checked the restaurant’s website (including operating hours), social media pages, and reviews before I went. I perused the menu and knew what I wanted to order. On a rare free Saturday, I loaded up my dog, queued up my favorite podcasts, and drove from my home in Charleston, West Virginia to Charlotte, North Carolina. When I arrived, a typed note taped to the food hall stall’s POS system said the restaurant was closed so staffers could attend Charleston Wine + Food 2024.
