Bonterra Dining and Wine Room

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John Duncan (JD) Owner / Managing Partner

Duncan had spent six years with the Houston’s restaurant group in Nashville, TN and Atlanta, GA as well as 12 years with the Buckhead Life Group in Atlanta, where he worked at Pano’s & Paul’s, Buckhead Diner, The Fish Market and Nava.

While in Charlotte, NC, he’s worked with Dean & Deluca prior to opening Bonterra in 1999. Since then, he’s opened 2 sister restaurants, Mac’s Speed Shop, and Las Ramblas JD is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America – Napa Valley, CA

Blake Hartwick Executive Chef

Executive Chef Blake Hartwick of Bonterra Dining and Wine Room & Las Ramblas Cafe has been a presence on the Charlotte dining scene for over 10 years. Brought up in a family that owned a catering business in New York, Hartwick became inspired by food at a young age. Blake attended Johnson & Wales in Charleston before moving to Charlotte in 1993. Hartwick worked at some of the areas best restaurants including Bistro 100, Carpe Diem, and Sonoma, where he was the Sous Chef for over a year, before becoming the Executive Chef at the award-winning Bonterra in 2000. In 2006, Bonterra’s owner John Duncan opened Las Ramblas and asked Hartwick to preside as Executive Chef there, as well.

John Duncan (JD) and
Blake Hartwick

More About Bonterra

Our state-of-the-art kitchen features a wood-burning brick oven designed and built by Aztec Indians in the Southwestern U.S., however you'll find no pizza on this menu. We use the intense heat and flavors of the wood-burning oven to enhance our products above and beyond a normal commercial oven. A full battery of wood-burning grills and professional cook tops was designed especially for us by the Montague Company of Hayward, California. This equipment is used in many of the top restaurants of San Francisco and Northern California but seldom seen on the East Coast.

Imagine if you can a fresh filet of Northern Atlantic Salmon laid out on a fresh cut piece of Cedar Plank and roasted at 500 degrees in our wood-burning brick oven. The crispy outside yet succulent interior with the flavor from the cedar plank will blow you away! Or perhaps, tenderloin of lamb grilled over live hickory, with a Zinfandel/Mint reduction. Maybe pan sautéed rainbow trout, wrapped in pancetta with artichoke-cornbread stuffing.

Bonterra features over 18 appetizers and small plates at the bar or on the patio from 4:30 until midnight Monday - Saturday. All can be paired and matched with 100 red wine and 100 whites by the glass. This is a great way to enjoy upscale dining, wine and service after work or following any event held in Downtown Charlotte or the surrounding areas.