Taste the World, meet East Charlotte

Taste of the World has been doing restaurant tours of the East Charlotte area around Central Avenue and Plaza-Midwood for 11 years now. If you've never gone, it's a fun evening -- you start with a reception at the VanLandingham Estate on The Plaza, then get on a bus to ride around with other food fans, stopping and eating several times, and eventually end up back at the estate for dessert.

Guides come along to talk about the cuisine and the stories behind the restaurants. So you get to learn and eat without the hassle of driving and parking.

This year, 23 restaurants are expected (some are still signing up), and you get taken to  three based on which bus you're on. Tickets are $40 and they're on sale now. The event is Thursday, Oct. 3. For tickets, details and the rest, go to www.CharlotteEAST.com.

The restaurants so far (more are expected):

Ben Thanh

Bistro La Bon

Carnitas Guanajuato

Dim Sum

Euro Grill & Cafe

Intermezzo

Jamile's

Lang Van

Letty's on Shamrock

Mama's Caribbean Grill

Mily & Lalo

Motherland

Queen Sheba

Three Amigos

Woodlands