There’s a reason everyone at the party always gathers in the kitchen. It’s about more than just the food. It’s about community and connection. We invite you to pull up a chair and stay awhile around our wood-burning oven as we share our craft and our stories with you. It’s like one big dinner party—and you don’t even have to clean the dishes at the end of the night.
From the Hearth
Kitchen
If the gleaming bright-red heritage Berkel flywheel meat slicer on our countertop doesn’t say we’re serious about food, we don’t know what does. Watch us slice country ham and charcuterie to order as you peruse the chalkboard for our plates of the day. Our double-entry wood-fired oven is blazing from dawn ‘til dusk, stoked with different kinds of wood for subtle smokiness and maximum control over the cooking process, making us one of the best Charlotte restaurants in uptown. Feast your eyes on signature offerings like our slow-roasted whole lamb shoulder or Berkshire pork shank that we cook overnight—we’re in no rush. Or nourish your cravings with leafy greens, wholesome grains, and charcoal-grilled seafood and chops.
Bar
We’ve got an independent streak: We source our suds seasonally from dozens of local limited-production Charlotte breweries that brew less than 2 million barrels a year. Which of our 24 craft beers on tap will you try first? Each one’s precisely poured into the perfect glass for maximum enjoyment. Come cocktail time, art meets science during our daily bar ritual as we carefully concoct small-batch libations just a few liters at a time. Each premium drink is decanted into a canister, tapped, shaken, and garnished to order. Red, white, and bubbly are tapped in full or half pours so you can sample a few—now that’s the spirit.
David Sears, Executive Chef
David Sears is our new executive chef of Stoke and all culinary offerings at Charlotte Marriott City Center. Chef Sears is an accomplished chef who was has worked in kitchens and trained culinary professionals around the world.
Prior to joining our team in May 2022, Chef Sears where he worked as Area Executive Chef for Viceroy Hotel Group in Washington, DC. Chef Sears’ culinary background also includes the Marcus Samuelsson Group, Terranea Resorts and Hotel in Southern California, Waldorf-Astoria Orlando, Mandarin Oriental Washington, DC, and serving as a culinary trainer for the global brand Sushi Samba. Even more notable, he won Food Channel’s Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell in 2013, landing him the grand prize of Executive Chef for the NYC restaurant, Zengo, but Chef Sears declined and opted to take a job at Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach to be closer to family.
Chef Sears’ expertise in an immense range of cuisines and shaping young culinary talent brings new flavors and influential leadership to Stoke Restaurant and the hotel’s other culinary offerings, including banquets, private dining, and Coco & the Director coffee shop.
JORDAN JOHNSON, Senior Food & Beverage Operations Manager
Jordan Johnson ensures expectations are exceeded for each and every guest we welcome to Stoke. Your experience is her number one passion and priority.
She fell in love with the world of food and beverage during college, when she got her first job as a server at a restaurant near campus. She loves that each day in a restaurant is different, with new people coming through the doors and new ways to brighten their day.
Upon graduating from University of North Carolina-Charlotte in 2017, she moved into managing food and beverage concepts at hotels. In 2021, Johnson became Senior Food & Beverage Operations Manager at Charlotte Marriott City Center, overseeing Stoke restaurant, Coco & the Director coffee shop, our on-site Marriott Elite Member Club (M Club), and private dining bookings. Johnson’s expertise, attention to detail, and outgoing personality allow us to maintain our high quality food and beverage offerings, attentive service, and our overall distinctive dining experience.
Contact Jordan if you’d like to book a large party at any of our venues, Stoke, Coco & the Director, and The Dock.
Grab an Apron
If you’ve got the chops, we want to hear from you. Search careers at Marriott Careers – Charlotte Marriott City Center to get cookin’.