L’Ostrica

The afternoon I met with Cat Carter and James Beard Award-winning chef Eric Ferguson at their Montford-neighborhood bistro was typical of summers in Charlotte: It was unseasonably hot and humid. I felt relieved by the air conditioning and the glass of water Cat offered me as we settled into a sitting area across from the dining room. L’Ostrica, the couple’s unpretentious-yet-elevated bistro, is seemingly too new to be considered a neighborhood staple, but the warm and approachable eatery is on the fast-track to become just that. 

“We had a couple come in three or four times last week,” Ferguson said. Carter countered his number. “They came back for lunch that week. So, it was four,” she confirmed. 

That’s their way, Carter and Ferguson: better together.

A Brief History

Ferguson, who was born and raised in North Dakota, eating fresh produce from his grandparents’ garden and helping his mom around the kitchen, moved to Charlotte where he neatly packed his University of North Dakota business school education away to pursue his culinary dream at the Art Institute of Charlotte. Experience would later take him to Italy—where he learned deeply about food, culture, and the limitless possibilities of cuisine shaped by geography, history, and people—as well as New York and San Francisco before eventually returning to Charlotte where he and Carter met as friends first.

Carter, the opposite of Ferguson, grew up on the other side of the world. Born to a Korean mother and US serviceman in Okinawa, Japan, she was raised in a bicultural household and lived everywhere from Germany, Italy, and Korea to West Texas, California, Vegas, and Florida. Her mother, who cooked constantly and generously, was among her earliest influences in the kitchen. And though she always loved food for the flavors and the stories, she initially studied English in college, later working in consulting and banking before founding Edible Charlotte, a magazine focused on the local and sustainable food system. The two met through mutual friends at local chef and restaurateur Bruce Moffett’s Good Food on Montford, where Ferguson was executive chef at the time.

L’Ostrica Lately

Though the restaurant was closed on this particular afternoon, staff fluttered about the space, busying themselves with projects at nearby tables. They took inventory in the open kitchen, worked on table settings, accepted deliveries, and readied the bar in the bright glow of large, floor-to-ceiling windows. Known for masterful wine and cocktail pairings and a seasonal, chef-driven tasting menu, L’Ostrica opened nearly three years ago, and is rapidly growing in popularity.

But for Carter and Ferguson, achieving popularity isn’t necessarily the goal for what they’ve built and are continuing to refine; it’s hospitality, curiosity, and community that matter most.

“Our entire staff, from the front of house to the back, are very knowledgeable and work together to deliver a real delicious and laid-back experience,” Carter said. “We just really want you to leave feeling taken care of,” she added.

That philosophy has shaped L’Ostrica’s latest evolution—a return to the couple’s original spirit. In June, the restaurant expanded its à la carte offerings and hours to welcome more flexibility around its tasting menu, giving diners more ways to experience the restaurant. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, guests can choose the six-course tasting menu, order à la carte or combine the two. On Fridays and Saturdays, the tasting menu remains the dining room experience, while à la carte options are available at the bar and patio (weather permitting). The current menus are available to be viewed online.

And these days, Ferguson and Carter note seeing longtime guests more frequently, while new and adventurous diners steadily trickle into the restaurant. 

Growth in Many Forms

Before L’Ostrica had a dining room of its own, Carter and Ferguson cooked tasting menus in people’s homes under the philosophy, “Always seasonal, always evolving.”

And, they’ve stood by that—inspiring staff and guests to grow as well. 

“Through our tasting menu, some may find that they are not a fan of everything, and that’s ok,” Carter said. “What matters most is that you could stumble upon something you like,” she added, recalling a memorable guest dining experience. 

“I’ll never forget this couple. They came in to celebrate the husband’s birthday and, though the wife was much more guarded in her dining habits, she said ‘for your birthday, I’m going to try something new’ and she did. She discovered she loved oysters!”

For Carter, food has long been a form of storytelling, and even a snapshot of the times. 

“Food is a delicious artform,” she said “[It] has this place of allowing for community and storytelling and it’s history that’s evolving in real time.”

That belief, embedded in L’Ostrica’s dishes, is also how the couple want people to experience it. That, perhaps, is the heart of L’Ostrica: not insisting that diners understand everything, but inviting them to explore right where they are.

And now, as the summer slowly fades to fall, Ferguson invites TLP readers—skilled cooks and the curious alike—to try their hands at something new: a winter squash recipe thought up just for you. The winter squash “carbonara” is a comforting spaghetti dish built around roasted winter squash, pancetta, garlic, cream, and parmesan. 

The recipe, perfect for an easy weeknight, is proof that the kind of creativity L’Ostrica champions doesn’t have to stay inside the restaurant. Great culinary exploration can happen at home, too.

Reservations were highly recommended. Visit L’Ostrica’s website for current menus, hours and reservation details.