The Spread // Tastemaker
Southern Fare and Flare
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Restaurateur Chad Hutcheson plants new roots in an old Belmont house words ELEANOR MERRELL photos JAMEY PRICE
Nestled near the shoreline of Lake Wylie and neighboring the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, the McLean House, previously known as Seven Oaks, occupies a uniquely beautiful setting, one that befits its status as a historical building. Diving into the wave of development that has swept through the Lake Wylie region, the McLean House underwent renovations in 2014 that equipped the building to offer a restaurant on the bottom floor of the house. The restaurant, named Seven Oaks Cafe, opened spring of 2018 under the watchful gaze of owner Chad Hutcheson, who is also the proprietor of a popular downtown Belmont restaurant called The String Bean. Hutcheson has designed a quaint, laid-back, indooroutdoor space where he can host Lowcountry boils and dish out lighter Southern fare for lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch.
78 • QCEXCLUSIVE.COM • MARCH 2019