Passion8 became one of my favorite restaurants years ago when we visited their Fort Mill location to celebrate our anniversary. Every part of the meal was spectacular. We loved the intimate setting, the farm-to-table food, the service, the creativity of the drinks, and of course, dessert. So, I was a little hesitant when I heard they were moving to Elizabeth and found out that they weren’t going to be in a stand alone house like they were in Fort Mill. But I’m here to tell you today that I was once again, blown away with Passion8 and their new location.

From the moment we walked in, I loved the new space. While it’s TOTALLY different than the old location, it still is full of charm.

A long bar awaits you just around the corner from the entrance. The old location had a much smaller bar which agreed with the restaurant’s intimate seating plan, but the new location is more open and airy and needs a bar like this one!

The cocktails are just as spectacular as ever, and they serve a variety of local and NC craft beers, which is always a plus in my book! We attended for their first ever brunch and my husband was the first to access the bloody Mary bar.

This is no ordinary bloody Mary bar. Items like jalapeno salt can be found here. The only thing I thought was missing was olive juice, but I was told that they would be adding and changing items up until they found the right items to be offered. If you order the house bloody Mary, it comes with a special lobster roll attached (like I said, they do it right at Passion8). The food didn’t disappoint either.

My in-laws dined with us and absolutely fell in love with the place. My mother-in-law ordered the trout and broccoli and was pleasantly surprised. We also split a side of cheese grits. Upon asking Chef Luca’s wife what the cheese was in the grits, we were told there were THREE kinds. That news just made me love the grits even more!

I opted for the brisket and poached eggs. Ah-mazing. Seriously. I’m drooling thinking about it. It was so delicious (and filling!). I could not have picked a better dish!

My father in law also got brisket, but he got it on top of the salad he ordered. While the salad seemed like the least interesting thing to order, it was actually quite beautiful and delicious according to him!

My husband got the roasted vegetable flatbread. If you like colorful food, this is the dish for you. Oh, and it was super tasty!

While everyone else had coffee after our meal, I couldn’t resist ordering dessert. I mean, come on, I have NEVER been disappointed with dessert from Passion8 and this brunch outing was no different.

I don’t remember what it was called but it was a heavenly combination of peppermint, bread, white chocolate, dark chocolate and beet foam. Completely delicious. I can’t wait to go eat this again. And to of course try all the other desserts.

The dining area is much larger at the new location and they can fit at least double, if not triple the amount of people inside. There’s also an upstairs! I’d love to go back with a group and dine at the private table looking into the kitchen.

I also think it would be incredibly fun to go for a cooking class that they’re offering. Learn how to make those amazing dishes from Chef Luca himself? Yes, please! They also have a ton of other events going on, like a fun Gatsby themed New Year’s party with 3 dinner seatings. If you haven’t been, check it out. It’s in Elizabeth, right by Visulite theatre and in great company with other restaurants like Carpe Diem and Custom Shop.