Foodmancing the Girl™

Tonight's Episode: My Last Supper

2013-03-24T16:59:00.000-04:00

Work in the Food and Beverage industry long enough and there is one conversation that will inevitably arise. No, I don't mean "whoever said the customer is always right never met a customer", or "how the girl who orders a frozen margarita in the middle of a busy Friday service should be taken outside and shot" (though both are valid). It usually happens at the house of the new stodge, around 3am, after a few shots of Grand Ma. If you were on death row, and had one final meal, what would it be?

Apparently Chef Josh Keeler of Two Boroughs Larder and I attended the same after parties, because he nailed my meal.

Located on the line between Cannonborough and Elliotborough, the aforementioned pair of boroughs, Chef Keeler has been churning out the kind of meals that leave chefs weak in the knees. Focused on bringing the meals chefs want to eat, as opposed to what customers expect, Two Boroughs has won a loyal following in the F&B community, and has begun to see the national acclaim he deserves (see his recent semi-final nomination for a James Beard Award). It took me many months, but I finally convinced The Girl to pop in for dinner, to join in with The Foodess and our newest friend from the Twitterverse, Lady Samsonite.

The ever-changing menu features small and large plates, sides, noodle bowls, and breakfast sandwiches (The best scrapple around!). I highly recommend ordering as a table and passing plates around. That is the only way to avoid having your plate stolen during a bathroom break.

The Foodess picks the Tuna Conserva ($12) with shishito pepper and sofrito. This is a big-boy take on tuna salad, with an amazing balance of spice.

The Roasted Brussels Sprouts ($8) with salumi vinaigrette was a big hit for The Foodess and myself as well, though I think The Girl's Brussels sprouts aversion has reached manic proportions.

No, she would rather go with the Chicpea soup with prosciutto and dukkah. What a deep, rich, soup with rich flavor and the spice of the dukkah brings a balance that explains why The Girl tried to break my hand with her spoon when I went in for a second bite.

Speaking of prosciutto, Lady Samsonite's plate of Prosciutto Rosa ($11) with wild watercress and agrumato turned out to be a plate piled high with paper-thin slices of meat goodness that threatens to overwhelm you with thoughts of the Italian countryside.

The Foodess and The Girl both devoured the Wagyu Coulotte ($26) with sweet onion, Brussels sprouts, cape bean, and bordelaise (More sprouts for me!). The Girl loved how savory and rich the beans were, and how they held on to their firmness. The meat itself, well, perfection. No other word for it.

The Larder denotes more than just the food, but the provisions as well. From the Jack Rudy Cocktail mixers, to craft beers, local farm eggs, MEAT, SC milk, imported pasta.....so many great items for your pantry and for gifts.

Oh, yeah, my meal. Almost forgot.

Roasted Bone Marrow ($10) with turnip, chorizo, and herbs. The buttery, mineral rich taste of this 'butter of the Gods' is counterbalanced beautifully by the crispy chorizo. This is a simple dish, using what has long been discarded, and gives some of the richest flavors imaginable.

Which brings us to the second half of my Final supper, Fried Veal Sweetbreads ($22) w/jowl, beet, carrot, coffee, dukkah. No, sweetbreads are not monkey brains, they are the misunderstood mystery meat whose appeal lies in the creamy, sweet, juiciness and rich subtle flavors.

Yes, my final meal would be two types of offal, Bone Marrow and Sweetbreads. Chef Keeler delivers them with such aplomb, such deftness, that I am now truly scared that my days are numbered. The Girl, who finally overcame her fear of the menu, wishes they would expand beyond the few tables (maybe even move to James Island ::hint::hint::) but says you should get down there and see if you might have a new Last Supper.

The Scores:
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Food: 9/10
Service: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Overall: 19.5 out of 25, Your best chance to see what chefs want to eat

Tonight's Episode: Charleston & Chicago, Paired Perfection

2013-03-16T21:52:00.000-04:00

The highlight of the Charleston Wine + Food Festival for me is always the Perfectly Paired dinners. This event brings together local Charleston chefs with accomplished culinary masters from around the nation, and bring in wineries to provide from their cellars the liquid accompaniment to enhance every dish.

As with last year, we chose to do our dinner with the über-talented Chef Nate Whiting of the excellent and under-rated modernist gem Tristan. Joining him this year is Andrew Zimmerman (not the bald guy who eats testicles in mud huts). This is the Iron Chef American champ and genius behind Chicago's Sepia, a product-driven fusion of tradition and modernism. Providing libations is Washington's Hedges Family Estate.

Crab is King

Joining The Girl and I are Vino Suave, Argentinian lord of the Vine, and his lovely wife, Iron City Tipsy, whose severe shellfish allergy has led to a retooling of her menu to avoid a repeat of the Dancing With Lobster incident of '09.

Chef's Compliment: Chef Andrew Zimmerman

Hamachi cured with the flavors of an aviation cocktail ~ fennel, juniper, zest, violet, cherry

This is a clean and subtle dish, invoking the taste of a dry martini. Simple preparation, but delightful.

First Course: Chef Nate Whiting

King Crab, sea urchin pana cotta, avocado, vanilla, bronte pistachio, ruby grapefruit

2010 CMS Sauvignon Blanc

To the right, top, we see our dish. This is a combination of the most delightfully balanced spring roll you have ever tasted, paired with a perfectly creamy and savory-sweet pana cotta. The playfulness of this dish is so typical of Chef Nate's style. Below is IC Tipsy's veggie take on the same dish. Balance seems to be the goal of all of Chef Nate's dishes.

Second Course: Chef Andrew Zimmerman

Glazed Veal Sweetbreads, blood sausage, celery root, ciabatta, hazelnuts

2011 HIP Unoaked Chardonnay

The Sweetbread, buttery and decadent, was of great appeal to both Vino Suave and myself. For him, this was one of the best sweetbreads he has had outside of his native land. For me, the simple treatment grounds what could have been a flawed dish. The blood sausage crumble added little flavor, but that was hardly important with this beautifully savory dish. The sweet apricot flavors of the unoaked wine are a perfect counterpoint.

Third Course: Chef Nate Whiting

Acquerllo Risotto prepared from scratch, eel kabayaki, local mushrooms, ponzu, crispy duck tongue

2010 Hedges Red Mountain

Though far from the most visually appealing dish, this risotto is beautiful and rich, perfectly executed, and with an umptousness that makes it hard to go back to those "fauxsottos" you usually get at a restaurant. The crispy duck tongue gives a good textural counterpoint, but brought little to the table in the way of flavor.

Fourth Course: Chef Andrew Zimmerman

Wagyu Bavette w/maitake mushrooms, cippollini, sunchoke custard, coffee soil, béarnaise

2009 Goedhart Syrah

Deep, rich, flavorful. Gorgeous plating. How do you argue with an amazing cut of meat like this?

Fifth Course: Pastry Chef Amanee Neirouz

Quadrello di Bufala, buffalo butter biscuit, San Marzano and rosemary condiment

2010 DLD Syrah

Imagine the greatest croque monsieur and the greatest Parisian cafe. Pales in comparison to the cheese offering from Pastery Chef Amanee!

Sixth Course: Pastry Chef Amanee Neirouz

Chocolate Milk; caramelized Valrhona Ivoire pudding, malted milk crumbs, Dragon's Milk stout

shake, chocolate brioche

2006 Hedges Fortified

Last year's dinner at Tristan ended with a tart pastry, much to The Girl's dismay. This year, a regal and amazing tribute to chocolate with one of the most thoughtful desserts we have ever enjoyed. Chef Amanee wrapped up this meal with a perfectly executed dish.

The four of us reflected on the meal with cigars and single malt at the Rooftop Pavilion Bar, and the consensus was Chef Nate wowed us, Chef Amanee's two courses were a revelation, and Sepia would be top of the list when we next make it to Chicago. Do yourself a favor, and next year jump in the pool and try one of the Perfectly Paired Dinners!

Tonight's Episode: Eau du Pork, Or Smoke under the Bridge

2013-03-05T14:41:00.000-05:00

When I walked into the restaurant to meet up with The Girl and Captain Awesome, their reaction was the same. Pork smoke rolled off me like cheap cologne. To find out how this happened you have to back up a few hours on this freezing cold Sunday to the start of the BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival Rigs, Pigs, and Swigs BBQ event ($85).

This Sunday event, bringing together 10 fantastic pitmasters, promised more pork than you can shake a hunk of cornbread at. I made the brutally poor tactical decision to dress light on what would be one of the coldest days of the year, but the free pouring Canadian Club Dock 57 did a great job warming me up. Please don't lecture me about the quality of whisky, it was free and I was freezing.

That sign above, proclaiming the presence of Rodney FREAKING Scott, made the cover price worth it. Free alcohol and I don't have to drive to Hemingway SC? Winning! Why am I so excited? Mostly because Rodney Scott is one of the true heroes of the South. Whole hog, a dying art, is the center of his culinary universe. There is nothing fancy about his BBQ, but what it has is love and authenticity. There is a timeless nature to the meat that comes from his pits. Oh, and when he hands you pork rinds, you eat every one of them.

The most surprising, and amazing, dish was the Brunswick Stew from Southern Soul BBQ. This tomato based staple of coastal cuisine was perfect for such a cold day, and Southern Soul's version may be the best Ive ever had. If you want the recipe, check out our friends at Garden & Gun Magazine.

From BlackJack BBQ's amazing brisket to the surprisingly tasty jalapeño cornbread from Smoky Oak Taproom, one would be hard pressed to leave this event any less then 10 pounds heavier. The other fun reason to show up for the closing event of the CW+FF, meeting Twitter friends in real life. Those people on the internet are real!!!

My two big take aways, though, were on the negative side. I am officially over pork belly. The last five years of increasing appearance on menus everywhere has all but destroyed the power pork belly has on me. The other take away, I still HATE mustard based sauces. Seriously, you can tar and feather me and run me out of South Carolina, but no.....just no.

Tonight's Episode: Charleston Wine + Food Culinary Village, a study in day drinking

2013-03-04T21:31:00.001-05:00

I was lucky enough to score a media pass to this years Grand Tasting Tent ($100 per person). Sadly I had a conflict. So, In my place I sent the talented writer of The Foodess Files. What follows are her adventures. I apologize in advance for all those injured in the writing of this post.

To be greeted by a lamb making slow, drippy revolutions over a pile of coals, is to know that this day will be very very good.

The Charleston Wine and Food Festival this past weekend in Marion Square was in fact a series of very very good days, strung together and served up by the most talented and buzz-generating chefs from around the country. Charleston’s own keepers of cuisine convened along with food writers, editors, chefs, foragers, distillers, and vintners from cities with extremely legitimate food cred.

The CW+FF is a whirlwind of events, and ideally, one could experience each and every one. Cooking demonstrations, films honoring America’s classic tastemakers, bites and sips from restaurants and vendors, and hosted paired dinners made this weekend in Charleston one of the greats.

I was fortunate enough to have access to the Culinary Village on Saturday, where I was greeted by the Border Springs lamb you met in the first sentence. Charleston hero Sean Brock works with Border Springs Farm regularly, and as I downed a tiny cup of lamb ceviche with peanuts and Peruvian corn, it was immediately clear why. In all honesty, I would probably never order lamb ceviche off a menu. I would assume it was a misprint, and go right on scanning.

And I would be missing out. The smooth and silky texture of the lamb, while unexpected, made for a hearty, very clean-tasting ceviche. The crunch of the peanuts added textural familiarity, and a bit of clam juice gave it the salinity it needed. I’m not saying you could do this with any lamb, but it is an effectively original way to showcase such a pure product.

The Grand Tasting Tents, sponsored by JetBlue and Piggly Wiggly, were next.

At 11:04 a.m. I entered the tent, and landed in the greatest location a person can hope for at that hour: The Bloody Mary Corner. No less than three brands of bloody mary mixes for the trying, and I did not shirk this duty. My favorite of the triumvirate was Fat & Juicy, and a single portion laid the ugly groundwork for me to crave bloody marys all day long. Vegetal and ripe-tasting, I found this one to be the freshest tasting, and with the most peppery kick. In the interest of full disclosure, I want one right now.

Full of tomato and vodka, I knew I needed to add some food into the mix, and soon. Coconut cake counts as food. It definitely counts.

Lined up in little boats, wearing swirls of frosting, the coconut cake from Sugaree’s bakery in New Albany, Mississippi was rich, on the right side of sweet, soft and tender, and quite frankly, everything.

Everyone knows that coconut cake should be followed by an oyster shooter.

So I had my first oyster shooter. I had heard about the oysters from St. Jude Farms from someone who spoke rapturously about them. This is a city in which people know what farm their favorite oyster comes from, and sometimes shake the hand that harvests them. Charleston City Paper finally supplied me with a shimmering St. Jude oyster, plunked into the bottom of a shot glass, cocktail sauce spooned on top, and then sloshed with a clear cold layer of vodka. One-and-a-half swallows later, I decreed oyster shooters to be my favorite thing in all the land, and teetered over to a chorus line of beef cheeks bourguignon from The Library restaurant at Vendue Inn. They were a perfect meaty bite, served with soft diced root vegetables, and a slick of sauce that made you wish your fork was a spoon, or straw.

I decreed braised cheeks of any kind to be my favorite thing in all the land, and hopped on over to the other tent.

Of all the things that Charleston grows and harvests, specialty food entrepreneurs might be the most inspiring crop. From Brooks Reitz making Jack Rudy Tonic in his kitchen, and packing up shipments in his living room, to Callie of Callie’s Charleston Biscuits managing great drifts of flour and blocks of butter her very self, this is a made-by-hand town. I personally adored the texture of these fluffy biscuits, a bit on the drier side. All the better for soaking up whatever sauce situation comes their way.

A swing by the Heirloom Book Company rewarded me with the infamous and gentlemanly Lee Brothers, and with a few sweet samples made from the lowcountry cuisine Charleston Receipts cookbook. As a romantic when it comes to book stores, I think we are all fortunate to have an Heirloom Book Company to visit, and I miss the days when stores like theirs were not quite so rare.

The Southern Foodways Alliance tent filled a multi-media niche, and from the documentary shown about legendary Nashville establishment Prince’s Hot Chicken, many sterling quotes could be extracted. My favorite: “This chicken is PERSONAL.” The matriarch of thousands upon thousands of near-prohibitively spicy chicken orders, Ms. Price-Jeffries, was speaking of the fact that human hands touched each piece, and the difference that made to her patrons. Again, this town appreciates a by-hand venture like no other place quite can.

On a personal note, I did get to meet John T. Edge, the courageous bespectacled leader of the Southern Foodways Alliance. He has written some of my very favorite sentences, and a cookbook of recipes derived from food trucks. So when I die, I have left him everything. The whole Frances empire. Which consists of a Juan’s Flying Burrito t-shirt, and a crème brulee torch.

No fighting over my estate is anticipated.

I decreed John T. Edge to be my favorite thing in all the land, and went to finish off the day with some peach moonshine from Firefly Moonshine, and a gin and tonic made with Cardinal Gin. Cardinal Gin is small-batch, and made in North Carolina by these here brothers, and is the first gin I have ever liked. I don’t particularly like drinking a Christmas tree, which is what most gin tastes like to me. Not this one. Clear and crisp, and not overwhelmingly junipered, they have worked hard to make the best-tasting gin that they can, and I can’t thank them enough.

And as for moonshine, yes it was delicious. And yes, it was my first moonshine. And yes, this picture is blurry. Because at that exact moment, so was my vision.

The Charleston Wine and Food Festival succeeds in putting a tent around a food culture that is a constant celebration anyway. I have had some of the best dishes and meals of my life here, and in Charleston there is never an excuse or ticket required to have a perfect oyster, or a dozen of them; or the Wagyu beef you will describe consistently and irritatingly, as being “like butta.”

A lovely bonus to the tent city housing all of this activity, is that throughout the day you never quite forget where you are-as the city’s architectural touchstones neatly overtop even the tent peaks. An ever-present visual reference of stone and steeple.

How To: Weekend in Charleston like a food writer

2013-01-27T19:45:00.000-05:00

Saturday: 1130 AM

Angel Oak Tree, John's Island

"Biggest tree South of the Mississippi"

The Girl prefers sushi and salad for her picnic choice. With it being a chilled January day I go chili and a grocery store sandwich. Kentucky Fried Muffy and her man Stone Crab go full on picnic basket with table cloth. Friend D prefers Subway. It doesn't matter how you do it, there is no wrong way to picnic at this iconic, ancient, and provocative tree.

#8 on Charleston Magazine's Bucket List, picnicking at the Angel Oak is a chance to reflect on the natural beauty and history that is prevalent in Charleston. At 1500 years old and 66 feet high, it is an impressive sight. Almost as interesting as the tree is listening in on tourists misinform each other about the history of the tree. Free, beautiful, and relaxing.

But don't forget the Charleston Tea Company Sweet Tea.

Saturday: 500 PM

Our House, In the Middle of Our Street

"Liquid Bacon, I'm telling you, liquid bacon"

The Foodess (Of The Foodess Files fame) brings over a present, Sugar Bob's Finest Kind Smoked Maple Syrup. This isn't pancake syrup; this is an assertive and smoky addition to any savory dish. Mix 1/4 teaspoon syrup with 3/4 oz sweet vermouth and 2 1/2 oz Bulleit bourbon to make a Smoked Manhattan.

Saturday: 630 PM

The 'Wich Doctor, Folly Beach

"It's like liquid pork chop in a bowl"

The Foodess, Big Sky (Of Garden & Gun), The Girl and I make our way to this funky little slice of Bohemian Folly Beach to begin our version of the progressive dinner. Not that it was our intention, it just happened. Big Sky jammed on the Jerk Pork Sandwich ($9) while The Girl chowed down on the Pimento Cheese, Bacon, and Fried Green Tomato Sandwich ($9). The Foodess and I rip into bowls of Tonkotsu Ramen w/ pork belly, soft boiled egg, corn, love, effort, and a broth of 9 million ingredients. The smoke of the broth, with its rich pork flavor, will cure whatever ails you.

Drinks: BYOB but featuring a small selection of craft sodas and beers. PBR is always an option.

Saturday: 800 PM

The Lot, James Island

"Making Poutine Routine"

Intending on grabbing a quick dessert, ending two hours later, we start by splitting a salted caramel torte and Meyer lemon crêpes. Big Sky and I love the bright fresh zing of the lemon filling. The ladies love the candy bar flavor and texture of the torte. The band starts firing up next door at The Pour House, filing the space with a funky jam vibe.

What better way to finish a dessert course than with a little poutine? This Canadian delight uses The Lot's mind bending fries, gravy, and cheese curds to bring a little Cold White North bar food down South.

Drinks: Small but strong list of craft wines and beers, specialty cocktails. The Ladies love the Crispin Cider. $3 PBR tall boys and Westbrook Seasonal are other options that are always worth your time.

Saturday: 1030 PM

The Bar At Husk, Queen St

"Make it Weaver's choice"

Freestanding bar next to the acclaimed dining room, make your way upstairs to a table. Order the fried pickles and burger, cut into quarters, and spread amongst the masses. The burger is a double patty with 10% Benton's bacon ground in, smoke flavor coming through with power but not overwhelming.

The true reason to show up at the bar are the drinks. Rosco Riso Punch, The Swingles Club, The Copperhead - the list of innovative drinks is impressive, but it is nice to just relax and tell one of the master mixologists to mix up whatever they want.

Sunday: 1220 AM

Butcher & Bee, Upper King St

"A Prada store in the middle of no where?"

The Foodess and Big Sky load up on the fried egg sandwich, The Girl and I split a Banh Mi. We beat in the food service crowd, but I spot a table of friends and sip a little of their vino. Conversation is travel and quickly a plan is made to visit Cuba via Marfa, Texas, so we can see that damn Prada store.

Prices are low, and open til 3 on the weekends, B&B is a lot like the Marfa Prada store. An oasis of amazing in the middle of no where.

Drinks: BYOB so $140 wine and 40s of High Life are acceptable, but the Jarritos Grapefruit Soda is my go-to.

Sunday: 1230 PM

The Green Door, East Bay St.

"It's magically delicious!"

Brunch isn't just a meal in Charleston; it is a cultural imperative. Big Sky sets us all to shame with the pastel red pants, classic tie, and old school blazer, but you should try to step it up on Sundays. We add the Queen of Rutledge to our entourage, and dig in to the most schizophrenic brunch in town. Braised short ribs with kimchi and creole mac n cheese. Chicken and waffle tacos with Sriracha syrup. Fried pork belly Benedict. The food is crazy, but everything is delicious and thoughtful. This will make you rethink brunch.

Drinks: The Kimchi Bloody Mary is a savory and delicious way to shake off last night, but the Lucky Charms Adult Milkshake with vodka and Kalhua is guaranteed to sneak up on you and knock you down if you aren't careful.

Time can seem to go a little slower in Charleston, so use that to your advantage. Linger over your lunch, and speak to a stranger. Wander down an ally. See a new restaurant, pop in even if you just ate. Explore more than just where you live or are staying. Ask questions. Look to the sky as you walk the streets. Whatever you do, remember this most of all: when you get in your car, get out of that parking space as fast as you can, because someone as been looking for that spot for a half hour.

Tonight's Episode: The South Has Risen; Where Do We Go From Here

2013-01-17T23:52:00.002-05:00

I'm going to let you in on a little secret: I hate Southern cuisine. Stop, don't tar and feather me! My mother is Scottish so I didn't grow up with grits (in fact my first taste of that particular Southern staple was in a county lock-up, but that's a story for another day). My experiences with Southern food either ranged from the lard on lard fried evil that Paula Deen (and anyone else who over saturates the drawl) has been hawking on the gullible masses, or the bland and overcooked, under-seasoned mush that seems to pass for food in large parts of the South. But change has been in the wings. A New South has been gaining momentum. Young, dynamic chefs with a passion for the ingredients and techniques of REAL Southern cooking are pushing their way to the front. If you have watched any Food TV in the last two years you would know that the man at the absolute forefront of that movement is Husk Executive Chef Sean Brock.

Scallion BBQ Glazed ribs-JUST PICK THEM UP AND EAT THEM

Now Chef Brock has been at the top of my list for a while now, at the helm of über-modernist McCrady's , but his jump to national acclaim came with the opening of Husk, a restaurant where the Mason-Dixon line isn't just an abstract concept, but an absolute demarcation line. Every ingredient is sourced from the confines of the South, from the Manchester Farms quail, to the Keegan-Filion farms beef, to the Texas olive oil. The techniques used are a blend of the cutting edge, global inspired and the super-traditional. His famed corn bread recipe is a hand-me-down from his Appalachian heritage. Where some restaurants may be an ode to Southern cuisine, Husk is a psychotic, mentally deranged stalker whose entire house is a shrine to the staples of Dixie.

Husk is located in the heart of Charleston on Queen Street. I recommend parking just around the corner on Chalmers if you have good shocks, since this cobble stone street is one of the most beautiful in the city at night. Walking up Queen you find Husk next door to Poogan's Porch. The dichotomy of the two restaurants couldn't be any more stark. On one side you have the long established favorite of society and the tourist sect. This is Martha Stewart and Southern Living. This is the South that bores me to tears. On the other side is the trailblazing young pup, the favorite of Damn Yankee foodies and young Southern locavore hipsters. This is Anthony Bourdain and Garden & Gun. This is the New South.

Take the humble pig ear. I've only had it two ways: boiled until tender on a sandwich or crispy like a cartilage pork rind. At Husk you can see it prepared as a lettuce wrap....in many different preparations based on the day. Today it was with a charred scallion BBQ glaze with toasted peanuts and shaved apple. The crispy pleasant pop of the pig ears with that sweet and subtly Asian glaze is a thoughtful, balanced, and totally unexpected bite. The Girl, not usually the most adventurous of people, found them delightful.

What is more classic than potato soup? How about ramping up the spice level, then cooling it off with a pork belly marmalade. Okay, maybe someone should tell me what the heck a pork belly marmalade is other than FREAKING DELICIOUS. The Girl is a spice sensitive person, and the spice is to the nose running level. She cleans the bowl.

The wonderful thing about Husk, and the biggest headache, is never knowing what the menu will be. It's changed twice a day and based on whatever product is available. In the entryway is a massive board of the farms Chef Brock sources. That is how The Girl ends up with a petite waygu sirloin with smoky beef sausage (pictured right). It just happened to be the best product available that day. This is the kind of dish that will roll your eyes to the back of your head. I honestly think it was better than my Tennessee pork shoulder with crispy belly, though the smoky butterbean "Hoppin' John" may have been the single best bite of the night.

Now I'm not saying Husk is perfect. The acclaimed corn bread isn't our cup of tea, far too dense. The portion sizes are, in all honesty, TOO big. This place needs a gluttony couch for you to lay on as you slip into a meat coma. What I am saying is Husk fully embraces the farm-to-table ethic, places the South on a pedestal, and dares you to say a damn word about how polenta is so much more refined than grits. And it does so with a smile and a glass of Pappy van Winkle in hand.

The bigger question Husk raises is; what is next for Haute Dixie? Can this cuisine translate to a global scale the way other cuisines have? The inevitable variations and bastardizations will change the ingredients and the presentations, the flavor profiles and techniques, but will the SOUL remain? Will the integrity remain the farther true Southern cuisine is removed from its African slave roots? As long as we look to chefs who embrace the South heart and soul such as Sean Brock to lead the movement and not just exploitative hacks like Paula Deen, there is a chance.

The Scores:

Ambiance: 4/5
Food: 9/10
Service: 5/5
Value: 5/5 (This was during the Charleston Restaurant Week 3 for $30, not regular pricing)

Overall: 23/25

Recipe: Hawaiian Glazed Chicken with Mango-Avocado Salsa

2013-01-16T23:18:00.000-05:00

Hawaiian Glazed Chicken with Mango-Avocado Salsa

Marinade:

This super tasty take on teriyaki is fresh and bright, and is fantastic not only on chicken but fish and tofu as well. This recipe will make enough marinade for 10 portions and can be stored for later use.

Ingredients:

3 cups Bragg Liquid Amino (Can be replaced with Low Sodium Soy sauce)

1 Cup pineapple juice

1/4 cup fresh grated ginger

1/4 cup diced garlic

1/4 cup diced red onion

3 tablespoons black sesame seed

3 tablespoon sesame oil

Directions:

1. Sweat the onions and garlic in a large stock pan in sesame oil. Add sesame seed and continuously stir for two minutes.

2. Add Liquid Amino and pineapple juice, bring to a boil, and ginger and remove from heat.

3. Allow to cool before use.

Mango-Avocado Salsa:

This bright tropical salsa can brighten up many dishes. This recipe will make 2.5 cups, and can keep for up to three days. I recommend also using on fish tacos especially.

Ingredients:

2 Avocados, pitted and peeled

1 cup mango, diced

1/4 diced red onion

1/4 cup cilantro

1 small orange, peeled

1 lime, peeled

salt to taste

Directions:

If using a Vitamix-

Add ingredients in order listed. Begin blending on 1, slowly move to 4, and blend for 20-45 seconds.

If using a food processor-

Add orange, lime, cilantro, and onion to processor. Pulse till citrus is broken down. Add the remainder of ingredients and continue to pulse until proper consistency. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes

Bringing it Home:

Marinate chicken for 12-24 hours. Remove from fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking to come to room temperature. Place chicken on grill set to high at a 45 degree angle for 3 minutes. Do not flip chicken, merely rotate it so it achieves grill markings. Flip and repeat. Cook until 160 degrees. Place on a rack for 5 minutes to cool. Top with salsa and serve with rice pilaf (or in this case lemongrass-garlic haricot vert).

This also makes a great sandwich. Serve on a toasted bun with smoky white cheddar.

Tonight's Episode: O Paparico, the door to heaven

2013-01-15T22:36:00.000-05:00

The cab driver's English is nearly non existent. I break out Google maps to show him where we are headed. He sets out across the streets of Porto at speeds not recommended outside of Formula 1. The cool Portuguese rain has kept a lot of the traffic off the streets, or perhaps it should be attributed to the New Year's Eve preparations. We arrive in a distant part of the city, no sign of our restaurant. The cab driver motions to an unmarked door. No, not that one, the one next to it. We knock. The door opens. We step into what will, 5 hours later, be one of our most beloved restaurants.

We arrived at 8 pm, as per our reservation. Silly us, this is Portugal. 8pm means 8:45-ish. The only other couple to arrive before then was....another American couple. No matter. The first thing the incredibly welcoming staff of O Paparico would stress is that we are entering their home. That means have a course. Get up, walk around. Sit on a couch and watch TV. Chit-chat with your neighbors. Enjoy the space. And what a space! Imagine walking into a 14th century castle's wine cellar. Heavy stone, rustic wood, a giant straw thingy The Girl names George. One of the most beautiful spaces we have dined in.

First Course

Cod Fish Ceviche with corn bread,
onion, and cerefolium

Paired with

White, Soalheiro Old Vinyerads, 2011, Vinhos Verdes

Bright, light, and subtly meaty cod with touches of garlic and cilantro. Paired with a beautifully floral wine. Clean and subtle dish with balance and easy elegance. The Girl and I begin the smile that will last all night. The easy drinking Vinhos Verdes is now one of The Girl's favorites.

Second Course

Grilled Scallop
w/ coral butter and chorizo vinaigrette

Same pairing

Have you ever had that one perfect bite? That one, simple dish that you could spend the rest of your life reflecting on? For The Girl, this may be it. Using her fork to cut her scallop in ever smaller pieces, allowing her to linger over each bite. This perfectly cooked scallop, with a the unique flavor profile, paired with the wine show notes of smoke and bourbon. End result is a truly magnificent dish.

Third Course

Veal Terrine
w/ port wine sauce and fennel seed

Paired with

Sparkling, Vertice Millessime, 2007, Douro

This ultra creamy and decadent terrine has rich, deep flavor. Constancy is perfect, and the port wine sauce adds a sweet note that mellows the taste. Combined with the sparkling wine, the effect is rich and cool, and both of us make short work of our dishes.

Fourth Course

Sea Bass
w/ quail egg and salicórnia and traditional Acorda

Same Pairing

First let me address the acorda. This traditional side dish is made from bread and fish stock, almost like a bread soup. The constancy is similar to mashed sweet potatoes. The taste is divine. The fish is expertly done, skin crisp, temperature perfect. The char of the green onion gives a backbone to the dish. The Girl is surprised; she likes charred green onions.

Fifth Course

Octopus
w/ baby onions and tomatoes in port wine sauce
aka The source of The Girl's nightmares

Paired with

Red, Conceito Bastardo, 2010, Douro

Watching the look of surprise develop on The Girl's face was well worth the price of admission. An octopus tentacle, done properly, is tender and mild, with a brine flavor that is refreshing. The only complaint would be a wish for more of the delightful sauce, nearly a caramel.

Sixth Course

Veal
w/Bone marrow and wild mushroom sauce, black truffle

Paired with

Red, Quinta do Mouro, 2006, Alentejo

See Second course. Change out The Girl for me. Cry when plate is empty.

Cheese Course

Cheeses from South, Central, and North Portugal
Goat, w/herb syrups

Same pairing

This course was fantastic for me. The Girl DOES NOT LIKE GOAT CHEESE!!!!! I love it. So, six slices of beautiful cheeses, beginning with a soft brie-like cheese with a coriander sage syrup. Moving to a slightly firmer cheese with roast paprika and parsley. The final cheese, with a nice firmness, and a vinegar and thyme syrup

Pre dessert

Ricotta cheese with pumpkin jam
carbonated candy

Paired with

Porto, Krhon Harvest de 83, Douro

Fun. This dish is fun. And so tasty. Every bite delicious and creamy. The Port......Truly amazing. This may not be a '61 but what beauty and depth.

Dessert

Chestnut cake

Same pairing

I wish I could tell you what this tasted like. I truly do. But there was NO WAY IN HELL either of us would be getting another bite down. Just not happening. Somewhere among all of this, we had a champagne toast and 12 raisins in the Portuguese tradition and made friends with those around us. We compared notes and shared in our marvel of the dinner this talented staff sent out.

.........But wait.....There is more to the story. How can that be? Well, it is now two AM and we need to get back to our hotel in city center. We call for our cab. And we wait. And we wait. And we wait. Finally, the owner grabs his keys and says, "Let's go!" He would just take us back himself. Turns out this isn't so out of character in Portugal. Need directions? Don't be surprised if the person you asks just stops what they are doing and takes you there. Oh Portugal, you GET hospitality!

I have spent two weeks reflecting on this meal. I wanted some distance to see how it would look in retrospect. I try not to gush, or be overly bombastic, to temper my reviews knowing that every experience may differ. Here are our feelings: O Paparico deserves to be recognized as one of the most incredible dining experiences on Earth. Michelin Stars WILL be in their future. Portugal, long overlooked for both it's food and wine, will soon be a major player on the international food scene. This restaurant will be in the forefront.

The Scores:
Ambiance- 5/5
Food- 10/10
Service- 5/5
Value- 5/5
Overall: 25/25 A Mind-blowing, once in-a-lifetime gastronomical experience that will leave you weak in the knees
.

2012: A Foodmantic Odyssey

2013-01-06T23:16:00.000-05:00

Well, another year in the books, time to look back and give some Foodmancing awards to our favorites in the Greater Charleston area:

Best Summerville Restaurant:

Perfectly Frank's - The little hot dog joint that could keeps on chugging with a diverse and exciting menu.

Best North Charleston Restaurant:

Cork Neighborhood Bistro - The Girl's favorite shrimp & grits keeps this restaurant at the top of North Chuck dining.

Best West Ashley Restaurant:

Riso Noodle House - The Asian-German fusion, combined with the pictorial secret Chinese menu, make this strip mall restaurant tops in West Ashley.

Best John's Island Restaurant:

Angel Oak - The fried chicken alone makes the trip worthwhile, but the entire menu is loaded with favorites.

Best Mt. Pleasant Restaurant:

The Girl has told me we don't go to that side of the bridge enough to make a legitimate decision.

Best Folly Beach Restaurant:

The 'Wich Doctor - From the noodle of the day, to a pork belly sandwich the size of your face, the eclectic and inspired (and cheap) menu will blow you away.

Best James Island Restaurant:

The Lot - We may have lost El Bohio, but the farm-to-table excellence that replaces it makes the world a little sunnier.

Best Charleston Restaurant Under $20:

Co Restaurant - The Vietnamese inspired fare (especially the pork belly buns) will take you straight to happy town.

Best Charleston Restaurant Over $20:

The MacIntosh - Chef Bacon's King Street masterpiece always brings the flavors.

Best Food Truck:

AutoBanh - The Curry Tofu. Nuff said.

Best Food Trend:

Asian Invasion - From Banh Mi to Vietnamese to Southeast Asian street food, Charleston is finally getting the ethnic diversity it deserves.

Best Chef 2012:

Jeremy Holst, Anson - We trust in this man, and all that he does. So should you.

Best New Restaurant:

Co Restaurant - The Girl truly madly deeply loves everything they do.

Saddest Closing:

The Woodlands - The Summerville institution, and perennial 5 Star, was sold and shuttered in a move that absolutely disgusts me. BOOOOO!

The Ultimate Frankenmeal

This is a five-course tasting menu designed by The Girl. The courses are selected from different restaurants to show you what her ultimate dinner would be.

Amuse

Scallops at The MacIntosh (Or anywhere Chef Bacon makes them). Best scallops in town. Period.

Appetizer

Pimento Cheese at Anson

Fish Course

Fish of the day with grits at Anson (seeing a trend?)

Meat Course:

The Deckle at The MacIntosh

Side Dish:

Lobster Mac & Cheese at Oak Steakhouse

Dessert:

Creme Brûlée at Circa 1886

Thank you so much to everyone that made 2012 such an incredible year. The local farmers, incredible chefs, supportive friends, you my wonderful readers and most importantly The Girl for putting up with me for yet another year. I wish you all Good Dinning in 2013!

Tonight's Episode: Park yourself in Flavor Town

2012-12-21T23:12:00.001-05:00

James Island has long suffered a lack of credible restaurants. With so many farms so close you would expect a few strong farm-to-table joints with a talented back of house. Sadly, finding a chef-driven meal is pretty hard. Into that void comes Chef Alex Lira and his baby The Lot.

Located on Maybank Highway, adjoined to The Pour House (in the space that housed the sadly departed El Bohio) The Lot is a total immersion introduction to farm-fresh menu planning. There is a small bar menu that stays static, but the main menu changes constantly based on what Chef Alex receives from his suppliers such as MiBek and Caw Caw farms.

This post will cover two trips, partly to get more dishes in, partly because I botched most of my photos. First trip out was myself, The Girl, and Captain Awesome. The decor is warm and slightly retro in a VERY eclectic way. The Girl and I both ADORE the music (lots of James Brown, early Motown). But be warned, when the band does sound check or plays (later in the night), it can get loud.

When you get to the white paper covered tables, your waiter will write out the menu while explaining each dish. This is a slow process and with the constant changes can lead to extended pauses. Bare with it, though, as you get great information.

Captain Awesome went with the house made cavatelli. I also had this dish tonight,(our second trip) which came with lardo and an egg over the top. I don't know how to describe the incredible flavors built into this dish. The pasta has that beautiful toothiness you want from this handmade pasta. The lardo and shaved parm have a nice nutty flavor and blend beautifully with the egg. This dish is filling without being at all heavy.

The Girl went with the always on the menu MiBek Farms burger, both times. A wonderful medium rare burger, tasty as hell. The second time the seasoning was just slightly less wonderful, still a great burger but not as great. The real star, however, are the fries. Cut between thin and steakhouse, they are crisp and perfectly seasoned. On the bar menu is the Canadian classic poutine, which features fries, gravy, and cheese curds. I can't wait to try it.

For myself, during our first visit, I had the braised chicken leg with field peas in a baked bean style. Tender and juicy, and perfectly cooked all the way to the bone. I can't do this dish justice at all. Just flat-out delicious.

Also during our first visit, we opted to dessert share since there were three of us. The first of the two desserts we went with was a crêpe. This crêpe was filled with apples cooked in apple pie style, then creamed smooth. WOOOOOOOOW. What the heck! This thing is amazing! The Girl and I were fighting forks over this one.

The other dessert was a simple chocolate torte. Simple it may be, but that does not take anything away from the amazing flavor. Captain Awesome and I were fighting forks over this one. Thankfully, the ladies did let me have a few bites.

Tonight, The Girl suggested our return trip. She so rarely suggests a restaurant. That, to me, speaks volumes about the excellence of execution Chef Alex is brining to the table. The only negative that I have found so far is the portions of the entree. They are rationale sized, which means smaller than the two-meal portions you get at most restaurants. That being said The Lot, as of this moment, and by a large margin, is the best restaurant on James Island.

The Scores:

Ambiance 3/5

Food 9/10

Service 4/5

Value 4/5

Overall: 20 out of 25 Well executed farm-to-table fresh food that blows away the competition on James Island, though with the occasional headache-inducing band next door.

Recipe: Candied Bacon and Pear Pizza

2012-12-21T20:55:00.002-05:00

Okay, so The Girl was having a ladies night and wanted some good eats. We had some pears on hand, and some pizza crust, so from that we get this tasty sweet pizza good for any occasion:

Makes 10-12 appetizer servings

Ingredients:
5 slices bacon (Thin sliced works best)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon Ancho Chili pepper
2 Bartlett pears, sliced into strips and cored
1 teaspoon lemon juice
8 oz tub cream cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 teaspoon Coconut nectar or agave
1 teaspoon dried lemongrass
1 12 inch Thin crust pizza shell
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup fresh basil

Directions:

Preheat to 400 F. Take a baking pan, line with aluminum foil, and grease with cooking spray. Lay out your bacon so they lay edge-to-edge. In a bowl mix the brown sugar and chili pepper. Coat the bacon liberally. Bake until brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside on a plate. DO NOT PLACE ON A PAPER TOWEL!!!!

At this time, if you intend to cook the pizza in the oven increase the temp to 450 F. I use a granite pizza stone on a grill. If you have a stone/grill option, fire it up to high and let it roll.

Using a small glass bowl toss the pear slices and lemon juice. Cover and place in the fridge.

Using a medium bowl combine cream cheese, green onions, coconut nectar, and dried lemongrass. Place pizza shell on clean baking sheet (Or peel if using grill). Spread cream cheese mixture out on the crust, take almost to the very edge of the crust. Dice the bacon and distribute evenly. Add pears on top of the bacon. Finish it off with feta and pecans.

I should have gone closer to the edge

Bake 10-14 minutes. Add the basil around 8 minutes in. Feta cheese should just begin to brown. Cut into bite-size squares and enjoy!

Tonight's Episode: Take a Peek behind the Green Door

2012-12-07T22:37:00.002-05:00

Oh where to begin with this one. Should we start with the fact one of Charleston's most beloved food trucks (Roti Rolls) has decided to open a brick-and-mortar location? Or should we begin at the location, the storage room/pool room in the back of Charleston's dive-iest dive bar (Big John's Tavern)? Or should I start with the fact that "eat the eyeball" was said during dinner.....by the chef?

Guess I should back up to the beginning. First there was nothing. Then a big bang created the universe. Then Chef Cory created Roti Rolls food truck. And on the fourth day he devised The Green Door, an ultra funky street food joint filling the extra space of the cheapest place to drink. The Girl and I were lucky enough to score seats at the preview pop-up dinner to see what magic he would create. (Special note: these dishes are only representative of his style and are not guaranteed to be on the final, changeable menu.)

The dinner had a cocktail/wine pairing that we did not opt for (I was still recovering from the previous night, The Girl kept it real with PBR). First up was what in my mind is the ULTIMATE bar food: spiced chickpeas. The spicing is deft and well balanced, and the chickpeas have a pleasant crunch to them. I would sit on the couch and eat these by the bucket full. The Girl thought they were amazing, and DEMANDS that they become a permanent part of the menu. Even with her distaste for spicy, these hit the mark DEAD ON.

The next course was a crudo of local porgy with spiced chilled noodles. The light, bright fish stands up well to the spice on the noodle, with fresh citrus notes, but it could have been colder.

Next up was a curried pumpkin & butternut squash soup with cilantro-ginger yoghurt, with a beautiful little bacon biscuit dropped in the center. The biscuit/bun/whatever it is was freaking delicious, the soup the perfect temperature. The flavor: amazing. There is a good heat of spice on it, but the flavor is so deep and rich The Girl keeps eating until her lips hurt. That means it is a 3 out of 10 on the spicy scale.

Now we get to a fun idea, the to-go salad. Take a Mason jar. Put dressing in the bottom. Add ingredients. Shake and eat with a spork. Return the jar for a discount on your next order. Genius. This one was a fantastic little arugula and pickled beet salad. Fresh, light, and beautiful.

Next is the scary dish for most everyone. This is the dish The Girl has a hard time even looking at. Fish head curry with roti paratha. This is the whole head of the porgy in a beautiful curry. The fish is flaky and light, though I wish the curry had more heat. To me a fish head curry should hurt. This would be the point where Chef Cory comes out to talk the crowd into eating the eyeballs. My recommendation, if you have an issue with texture, then DON'T DO IT.

Now we get to the dish I was most looking forward to - braised MiBek beef tongue, quail egg, grits and kimchi. Sadly, this was the least successful, but only from an easily fixed execution mistake. If you have never had tongue, it is the most umptious...tender....flavorful piece of meat you will find. In this preparation they are treated like short ribs, slow braised in what SHOULD be a beautiful pan sauce. Sadly, it is over reduced and too salty. The Girl and I are both sad for how close this was to a brilliant dish.

To end the dinner we get buffet inspired Chinese donuts with a strawberry sriracha glaze. The sweet and the heat compliment each other so well. The Girl was beyond happy with these as the finishing touch to the meal.

So, what have we learned today? First, Chef Cory has found more balance with his spicy heat than I expected. Two, The Girl draws the line at food that looks at her. Three, now there is a reason to go to Big John's other than really cheap booze. Four, since The Green Door will be open til 2 am we all have a new place to chow down well at the end of the night!

The Scores
Ambiance: 3.5/5 (Though we love the design, and love it being in a dive bar, it isn't for everyone)
Food: 9/10
Service: 5/5
Value: To be determined
Overall: Will have to update when they open for business

Tonight's Episode: You have to DishCrawl before you walk

2012-11-16T11:51:00.001-05:00

I hate opening night. Having opened restaurants and seeing from that end the growing pains, I try not to be judgmental. Execution can vary, communication can be spotty, the rhythm of the kitchen hasn't developed yet. This fear of opening night tempered my expectations for the first ever Charleston DishCrawl. There were hits and misses, and some outright drops, but I think there is an opportunity here, if properly executed.

DishCrawl is a concept that has evolved from the growing culinary scenes in larger cities around the country. An opportunity to go from restaurant to restaurant, pub crawl style, to try smaller bite versions of signature dishes and meet with the culinary minds behind them. Very much in the style of a progressive dinner. At least thats how it is supposed to work.

Joining The Girl and I is the Birdwatcher, who was excited to explore some places she had never been. We started the night at the venerable Carolina's. This upscale southern bistro harkens back to long-time favorite Perdita's, even featuring some of the original menu items. Now, I have to admit I haven't been in this restaurant since my good friend Chef Gavin was the exec there (he was already in New York by the time he won a season 1 episode of Chopped). I don't remember it looking so upscale or so well appointed. The space is actually very lovely, but things unraveled fast.

The missteps that would plague the first stop were all organizational. No direction was given on, well, what was going on. People mingled, people sat, people ordered drinks. Out comes two tables worth of food. People stared, afraid of what to do. Would every table get food? Finally, word was passed to go to the tables and take as you will. No description, no chef, no explanation. So, it was up to us to decide what we were eating.

The first of the three dishes was an open faced Rueben, we think. It was tasty, with a nice pickle and a tasty pastrami (we think). Nothing inspired, but tasty. Next was a homemade potato chip with a...um...French Onion dip maybe? The photographer from Art Institute and I had a spoon licking competition to try and identify the flavors. The dip itself was actually tasty, with an almost relish quality to it. Toss that on some hotdogs and I'd be happy. The chips were crispy, which I love, but so salty and thin they overpowered the little bit of dip you could get on them. The third app was a hush puppy that had some sauces that we were not able to get to. The bite was nice, very sweet, but lacked a textural element such as corn or bell pepper that would break up the monotony of the puppy. Overall, nothing said "You need to come back." We were ready to move on

Next up, 'Cesca, the Italian trattoria filling the old Buccaneer (or City Bar) space. The interior is actually very attractive. The main dining room is very elegant and an example at how far the design in Italian restaurants has come from the cheesy portraits of the Italian countryside. 'Cesca was a little better organized, with tables ready for you to grab plates and go, but the food was a little cold. Also, again, no one to come out and explain what we were eating. So, the first dish was some kind of fritter. I'm sure there was cheese involved. If hot, I think it would have been fantastic. The second dish, The Girl's least favorite of the night, was a ravioli with goat cheese maybe? The filling was actually pretty good to me, but the pasta was cold and the olive oil was super aggressive, not only making it greasy but covering most of the plate. The oil also made it difficult to eat the third dish, a crudo of salmon? The oil made the lettuce leaf useless and also stole the brightness of the fish (a dish I really wanted to like). Overall you could see the flavors, but early plating and arranging the overuse of oil doomed the dishes. We will have to make a trip in to do a seated dinner to better judge 'Cesca.

Third stop was the one I had the least amount of hope for. Lowcountry Bistro comes from the 82 Queen family. It's location on the Market (In the old Garibaldi's) and its menu of Southern staples seemed aimed at the black sock-and sandal tourist crowd. If they had crow on the menu, I would eat it. Expectations were not only surpassed, they were blown away. The truth of Lowcountry Bistro is that it is a love letter to Southern ingredients. The care of preparation, and the focus on the beauty of the ingredients, shines through. It is that ingredient-driven cuisine that gets my heart pumping.

The experience at Lowcountry Bistro is what we were promised DishCrawl would be. Sous Chef Victoria (engaging and passionate advocate of locally sourced produce) came out to explain her dishes, which were delivered hot to the table. What wonderful dishes they were!

First up, the shrimp and grits. Parmesan chive grits with a tomato bacon sauce make a strong dish start. Luckily we started there, because the next two dishes were the favorites of the night. The Girl's favorite was the fried green tomato with white cheddar and country ham grits with herb aioli. The grits were actually a star on their own (even given my own hatred for them), showing yet again that hand milled is the way to go. The tomato was perfectly breaded and seasoned, and every bite held together without loss of breading. Five star take on a classic. For myself, the chicken and waffle was the star. A sweet potato bacon cornbread waffle with crispy chicken and a bourbon reduction that hit on every mark. The pecan butter didn't work on this smaller portion (lacked enough waffle to spread/melt) but was very tasty. The bourbon reduction is a decadent and delicious syrup that beats the pants off of Mrs. Butterworth. Home runs across the board. It is also about this time in the DishCrawl the socializing really found its stride, as people began making friends. I think everyone was finally getting into it.

We finished out the night where I've finished many nights downtown, Kaminsky's , for one of their typically delicious deserts. Like LB's before, they had tables set up for us and someone to explain what we were having. This time it was an apple-cranberry strudel crisp with vanilla bean ice cream and apple cider. This would have fallen flat if not for the tart of the cranberry. The cranberry ABSOLUTELY sells the dish. The portion was actually well more than enough to feed two. Excellent way to end the evening.

The Girl, the Birdwatcher, and I agree that there is potential here. The issue is both organizational and expectational. I'm not sure what, exactly, Carolina's and 'Cesca were expecting, but it wasn't what we were expecting. There also needs to be a firm hand guiding and informing us from the very beginning. I would be interested in seeing how things are working 3 months from now, and if the kinks have been worked out.

Recipe: Low Cal, no Carb Shrimp Stir Fry

2012-10-23T12:07:00.002-04:00

As I go through the HCG diet, I have been looking for more ways to pack flavor into my meals. Going off the recipe book I was given, I knew there was no way I could keep on this diet. Boiled chicken just ain't my bag. So, here is the first of my HCG meals.

This recipe is built for a 1 person serving on the HCG diet. This recipe actually gives a full enough serving that I wouldn't alter portions once I am off the diet plan

Ingredients:

3.5 oz Shrimp (about 7 large shrimp)
1 cup shredded cabbage (I use the coleslaw cut pre-bagged to save time)
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1/4 cup diced shallot or onion
2 Cloves diced garlic
1 inch of fresh ginger, grated
1/2 bag Miracle Noodles Rice
1 Egg
Braggs Liquid Aminos
Ground dried lemongrass
Huy Fong Garlic Chili Sauce (Optional)
Diced Scallions (garnish)
1 pinch Salt
Total Calories: 224

1st empty the Miracle Noodles into a colander, rinse thoroughly to remove any smell, pat dry, place in a bowl, and toss with 2 Tablespoons Liquid Aminos. Quarter the shrimp, place in a separate bowl, toss with 1 tablespoon of Liquid Aminos and 1/2 tablespoon lemongrass.

In a wok or large skillet add two tablespoons coconut oil (Or coat with coconut spray). Once heated add shallots, bell pepper, and ginger. Stir fry for about a minute until fragrant. Add cabbage and pinch of salt. Stir fry until cabbage is tender and wilted, about 8 min. Remove mixture to a bowl, and wipe wok dry with paper towel.

Add more oil to wok. Toss in garlic and sauté gently. Add shrimp, cook 2-3 minuets until pink. Set aside in bowl with the veggies.

Crack the egg into the center of the wok, scrambling gently. Toss in the Miracle Noodles, mix thoroughly. Add back in veggies and shrimp. At this time if you are not on the HCG protocol you can add in peas if you wish. If adding Chili sauce, do so now. Season with Liquid Aminos, and heat through.

Serve with diced scallions as garnish (and peanuts if not on diet) and enjoy

Win Tickets to Charleston's first DishCrawl

2012-10-19T18:54:00.003-04:00

Have you ever heard of DishCrawl? The concept is like a Pub Crawl, except you move from restaurant to restaurant, sampling dishes, meeting new friends, and chatting with great Chefs and owners. Wednesday, Nov 14th will be Charleston's first DishCrawl, working it's way up East Bay, to restaurants that will be revealed 2 days before the event. The Cost: $39........Unless you win a pair of tix from Foodmancing The Girl.

Here is the contest: The first one two answer the three questions below correctly will be put on the list for DishCrawl Charleston's Inaugural event, Wednesday, Nov 14th. The event begins at 7pm. Please only respond if you are certain you can attend. You can find all the answers simply by perusing the blog.

Question 1) What is the name of the Celebrity Cook-Book Author and Next Iron Chef Judge whom The Girl and I dined with at Anson?

Question 2) What is the name of the Chicago restaurant that blew me away with a 20 course Molecular Gastronomy dinner that included such treats as an edible Cuban Cigar and an ACME bomb?

Question 3) In the First Ever Charleston Food Blogger Awards, what restaurant took home the prize for Downtown's Best American Food?

There you have it. 3 questions, first to answer wins a night to remember.

AND WE HAVE A WINNER!!!! Congrats to Virginia for winning a night to remember! #chseats

Tonight's Episode: I'd Stick With the Pig if it Was Like THIS

2012-09-27T20:03:00.001-04:00

With The Grocery, Chef Kevin Johnson's north King St eatery, Charleston has yet another example of a brilliant chef with a firm grasp of seasonal, fresh, local ingredients. This isn't news to anyone who remembers him from his days at the helm of Anson, but I must admit being shocked at how much I enjoyed his cooking.

For the space, Chef Johnson has renovated the old Altman Furniture store at the corner of King and Cannon. The space has been divided into more intimate areas, though it is a study in minimalist restraint. No embellishment to clutter the space. The entirety of the decoration consists of the original floor safe at the front door, and the canned and pickled produce made in house lining the wall. The effect is pleasant without being distracting.

For this trip, enjoying the benefit of the 3 for $30 Restaurant Week menu, The Girl and I have a couple of guests. First is her sorority sister and longtime friend The Birdwatcher. Second is new friend, and Los Angeles's own Foodess. She has left the Big City for some decompression and gluttony here in the Low Country, and we figured this was a good place to start.

The way the regular menu is set up needs a little mention. They have snacks which are best shared among everyone; bites which are more like small apps; tastes which are either large apps or small entrees; plates which are traditional entrees; and table....which are for the table. We split both the crispy pimento cheese bites (served on melted coke bottles) and a charred onion dip with kettle chips that has to be the best junk food ever.

The Birdwatcher started with a Shaved Squash Salad, with cherry tomatoes, pecorino, pine nuts, and crispy blossom. Overall a well-balanced, composed and light dish. Both The Girl and The Foodess went with the Ricotta-Herb gnocchi with wood roasted tomato and green olive fondue. Pleasant and fluffy pillows in a lightly acidic red sauce that hits on all the marks.

I went with the Three Little Pigs meat board. If you like meat, order this. If you don't like meat, stop reading this Blog........sooooo, ordered it yet?

The Foodess and I both went with the tagliatelle pasta for our mains. Perfectly cooked pasta with house-made pancetta, topped with pecorino and a spot-on soft farm egg. Though delicious, this dish could have used a touch of red pepper to offset the richness.

The Girl and The Birdwatcher settled in on the Grass Fed Beef Pot Roast with summer farro salad. This is a perfectly executed dish. The grilled okra is a star, and so is the Bar-B-jus, a great sauce for a fork-tender piece of meat.

The deserts were both tasty, Peach tarte tatin for me, s'mores with house-made marshmallow for The Girl. Nothing inspiring, but very delightful.

All four of us found the entire meal to be fantastic. The service was spot-on, the dishes were well conceived and executed, and the entire setting promotes sharing and conversation. This may soon become one of our favorite spots, and we are excited to come back for the regular menu.

The Scores:
Ambiance: 4/5
Food: 8.5/10
Service: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Overall: 21.5 out of 25. A very inviting space with sharable, high-quality dishes.

Tonight's Episode: 1886 Reasons to love the Guerrilla

2012-09-08T17:28:00.000-04:00

If you follow us on Twitter or Facebook (which you should), then it is no surprise to you how much I love Chef Marc Collins's cooking. The dishes he turns out at Circa 1886 are always elegant, thoughtful, and balanced, blending local fresh ingredients with high-end technique. Getting a chance to see him at work during a Guerrilla Cuisine dinner was a no brainer!

If you haven't heard of Guerrilla Cuisine yet, go back and check out our first dinner here. Okay, you're back? Pretty cool, huh? Well this dinner not only has a great chef, but a great location, The Property Owners Beach House at Dunes West, on the Isle of Palms. There is something about eating fantastic food while watching the ocean lap at your doorstep that I find rather inviting.

Joining the Girl and I are two of our friends, Florida transplants Wife Thrilla from Manilla and Husband the Jellyfish Kid (picked the wrong sea creature to wrestle with), and it is their first Guerrilla rodeo. The four of us, and 20 more of Charleston's coolest people, wander about before the dinner, conversing, and taking turns glancing at the microscopic kitchen they would be working in. Think of the kitchen at your average Extended Stay Suites. Eesh, glad Chef Marc is talented, I could barley make popcorn in that kitchen.

The cramped quarters in no way cut into the quality of the dishes presented. Starting off with a Scallop Ceviche with mango noodles, and raspberries. The clean, bright, super refreshing taste make this a perfect summer dish. The use of mango as noodles was both fun and beautiful.

The second dish was mildly controversial at our end of the table. A Blue Potato Vichyssoise with smoked salmon caviar, goat cheese mouse, prosciutto, and blue potato crisp. All four of us agree the grey color that it came out was a little odd. I, personally, would have played with that more, maybe finishing with some black sea salt. Some of the others found it off-putting. The Girl and I both enjoyed the dish, especially the interplay of the smoke on the caviar with the goat cheese. Thrilla did not care for the fact it was a cold soup. I blame her lack of faith in cold soups on the schools, failing our children again.

For the third course out comes a Braised Chicken Thigh with Carolina Gold broken rice, chantrelle mushrooms, and a cherry coulis. This was the consensus best dish. The rice almost had a rice-pudding quality to it The bone-in chicken was succulent and paired with the cherry coulis it was beyond delicious. The best part, however, were the mushrooms. Heaven on a plate. If I was still having trouble convincing The Girl to like mushrooms, all I would need to do is give her these.

For the final meat dish, Chef Marc sends out a sous-vide tenderloin with hollandaise grits, and a red wine reduction. If you are not familiar with the sous-vide technique, it is a method that originated in Paris by which you cook food in vacuum sealed bags, in water, at a constant and lower-than-normal temperature. When done right you are able to perfectly season, and perfectly cook, the meat. Chef Marc does it right every time. The meat is tender and rich, with a beautiful mouthfeel. For me the grits are amazing, and we all know how much I hate them. The Girl doth protest that the grits are too rich, and need to be cut so they don't overpower the dish. We stare at each other, knowing the other is wrong. Luckily desert comes before it turns ugly.

And what a desert it is. Imagine banana pudding....as an ice cream sandwich.....the size of your face....with salted caramel.....and caramelized pop rocks (yes, the carbonated candy)....oh and there is a super-rich chocolate truffle, too. This may seem a simple dish, and since I suck at pastry it might be, but what it also happens to be is amazing. The entire table looks like a class of Fifth Graders as we eat our sandwiches. Bite, dip in caramel, dip in pop rocks, bite again. SOOOOO FUN!

Tonight's Episode: A Foodmantic Anniversary, eh?

2012-08-19T21:29:00.000-04:00

It has been one year since The Girl and I wed. 12 months. 365 Days. I couldn't be happier. Life is fantastic when shared with someone you truly love. To celebrate, we hopped on a plane for Montreal, that bastion of French culture and food. For the meal marking our year together, we chose Garde Manger, the always packed restaurant of the host of TV's Chuck's Day Off. Chuck Hughes, the tattooed rock star chef whose French inspired seafood lead him to become the first Canadian to top Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America in Battle Lobster, has established himself as a front-line culinary star.

Located in the Old Town of Montreal, Garde Manger is not only difficult to get a reservation for, it is difficult to find. Everything begins to hum along nicely once you are in the door. The space is beautiful, hip, and vibrant. The staff is professional but clearly having fun. And by fun, I mean this is the most relaxed, accessible atmosphere of any fine-dining restaurant I've ever been in. There is a definite reflection of the chef's personality, with the music pumping loudly and with a genre-jumping schizophrenia. From Beach Boys to Foster the People to NWA, don't expect to come here for a quiet evening.

Before I get into what we had, let me show you a couple things we didn't have. The first is the seafood platter. Pretty damn impressive, no? The second is the Lobster Poutine ($19). Garde Manger has their menu on a chalkboard, reflecting the constantly changing dishes, but this is a standard. A take on the classic of fries, gravy, and cheese curds, made instead with a lobster gravy, topped with more lobster. Wish I had a bigger stomach to include it in our dinner.

Before the meal I had one of their specialty drinks. No, not the caesar which comes garnished with crab legs. I had a blueberry Manhattan that was refreshing and bright, and not too sweet.

Okay, enough with the teasing and on to our meals. After a half dozen oysters on the half shell (with the best mignonette I've ever had), I let our incredible server Maude talk me into the Jerk Crab ($29) (a Chef Hughes favorite). The heat level on these crabs is very high, but the jerk flavor is deep and resonant. The hard work and dirty hands are SOOOOO worth it.

For her starter, The Girl went with what may have been the dish of the night, the Salmon Tartare ($17). So light and bright, with beautiful citrus notes, cubed into larger pieces than I am used to in a tartare. The Girl attacked it with such relish that you would hardly know how much she hated fish a few scant years ago. In all honesty, both of us could have been happy just eating on this dish.

My main was delicious, though I found the plating somewhat hap-hazard. Skate wing lightly fried with a fennel salad ($28). Very light and buttery, a beautiful summer dish. If you have never had skate, it is very mild and reminiscent of sole, and accepts flavor beautifully.

The Girl's dish was NOT Lobster Risotto. That is what I thought it said. Turns out I'm short a few words of French. What it was: Rock Shrimp Risotto ($36). Turns out rock shrimp taste....just like lobster, lucky me. This was a decadent and rich dish, though Chef Hughes prefers his risotto a little more toothsome than we are used to. Still a fantastic dish, with beautifully layered flavors.

For desert we stayed away from the inspired, and went with the just plain yummy, a deep-fried Mars bar with ice cream. The State Fair inspired dish is warm, gooey, and satisfying in a whimsical manner.

After Maude cleared the table she took us into the open kitchen for a picture, capping the evening. I can not stress how much FUN we had, to go along with the fantastic food. My only complaint has to be the plating, which just didn't measure up to the quality of the ingredients, or the skill of the actual cooking. The Girl LOVED the dinner, and has agreed to stay with me another year. Guess I need to start planning the next anniversary meal right now.

The Scores:
Ambiance: 5/5 (as long as you love loud, very modern music)
Food: 9/10
Service: 5/5
Value: 3.5/5
Overall: 22.5 out of 25 A fantastic special occasion restaurant in the heart of Old Montreal

Tonight's Episode: Angel Oak Restaurant First Take

2012-07-30T22:29:00.002-04:00

We were lucky enough to be invited to the Media Dinner for the new Angel Oak Restaurant, brainchild of Mississippi native and Culinary Institute of America graduate Jay Kees, and his lovely wife (and proud New Yorker) Nicole. Located just past Main Road on Hwy 17 South, the restaurant is in a charming house with a decor that highlights all the great things you can find in an attic, or on Craig's List. They will be focusing on local ingredients and blending New Southern with some Big City technique. During lunch they will feature a buffet for $8.95 (with tea). They will also be doing brunch (which we will be trying this coming week).

We started with a cocktail hour of three tastings. First was a cornbread muffin with bacon that had a great taste, and is normally served to order. Having sat a little it had become somewhat dry. Next was a sesame crusted tuna that was slightly spicy and tasty. The star, though, were the deviled eggs. I LOATHE deviled eggs, and The Girl isn't a fan either. These were so smooth and creamy, so incredibly mousse like. The white of the egg was perfectly cooked. Superb!

To start the dinner we were given four appetizers. The first was delightful pork belly steam buns with pickled onion ($6). These are a must-order if available.

I really wanted to like the Port Wine Paté ($8), served with green tomato chow-chow, and those insanely good pickled onions. I desperately wanted to like it. The platting (on a slate dish) was fantastic, the accouterments were fantastic. I just couldn't get past the sweetness, and the way it plays off the gaminess of the liver. I ate half the dish trying to figure out just what I would change, and I am still lost.

The house made Ricotta, with honey and toast, was delicious, a perfect example of joy in simplicity.

The fourth app was Buffalo Fried Hickory Smoked Bacon ($6) with Blu Cheese. In this dish we find an example of the need to think through your menu for a large seating dinner. The flavor profile was there, with the heat of the buffalo sauce playing off the bacon beautifully, but with the dish sitting for a while before going out the breading became soggy, and the bacon became limp, leaving a dish muddled in mushiness. I would like to try it again as a made-to-order dish, because the flavors were there.

For my entree, I settled into the Country Fried Steak ($16) with herbed sawmill gravy, smashed potatoes, and I swapped my white corn on the cob (which was sweet and delicious) for The Girl's collards. The smashed potatoes were very good, and once I hit the collards with the house made pepper vinegar, they were fantastic. The steak itself was delicious, with beautiful flavor, but lacked salt to round it out.

The Girl went with the Buttermilk Fried Chicken ($17) with mac 'n cheese and the collards that I swapped out. The mac 'n cheese needed more salt in the water as well, but still had a great flavor. But then you turn to the five-spice honey drizzled chicken. The clouds part, the sun shines, the angels sing. THIS is the way fried chicken should taste. As I type this I am licking my fingers clean from the leftovers. The skin-PERFECT. The moistness-PERFECT. The portion-HUGE. This is the dish that will establish Angel Oak's reputation.

With dessert you must get coffee, the delicious, wonderful coffee with fresh cream. I went with the creme brûlée, while the girl chose the beignets, and both were solid renditions. Also available was the banana pudding served in delightful mason jars.

As with any new restaurant there are growing pains, and this is the first week of being open. The miscues I think are easily fixable, and Chef Jay spent time asking what worked and what didn't. The overall meal was actually very pleasing, and we are both excited to give brunch a shot. And to bring home some more of that chicken. Fresh ingredients show through on every dish!

The Scores:
Ambiance: 4.5/5
Food: 7.5/10
Service: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Overall: 20 out of 25 A real possibility of being THE fried chicken destination in Charleston!

Recipe: Bread & Butter Pickles

2012-06-26T16:40:00.001-04:00

Many of us enjoy a home garden. There is just something special about growing your own food. If your as lucky as we are, and live in a very fertile area, then you are up to your ears in produce already. My most abundant crop? Cucumbers. Now while The Girl can eat them raw with a little pimento cheese, I prefer pickling. Here is a recent recipe that has proved to be a bid hit!

What you will need:
2.5 pounds pickling cucumbers (Fresh from the garden or market)
1 pound white or yellow onions, THIN sliced
1/4 cup pickling salt (Can substitute Kosher, but NEVER table salt)
1 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar (5% acidity)
1 cup apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 Tbsp mustard seeds
1 Tbsp dried ground lemongrass
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (omit if heat adverse)
3/4 teaspoon celery seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon tumaric
Whole allspice
Whole cloves
Canning equipment

Method:
After cleaning the cucumbers, slice the ends off and discard. Slice the remainder into 1/4 inch thick slices and place in a large bowl. Add sliced onions and pickling salt, stir to ensure equal coverage. Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel, and fill with several inches of ice. Place in refrigerator to chill for 4 hours. Discard ice, rinse and drain twice.

If you are planning to store your pickles outside of the refrigerator for any length of time, you will need to sterilize your jars before canning, and heat the filled jars in a hot water bath after canning. If you are planning to eat the pickles right away and store them the whole time in the fridge, you can skip the water bath step. It's still a good idea to sterilize the jars first, you can do that by running them throughout the dishwasher, or place them in a 200 F oven for 10 minutes. To sterilize the jars for canning, place empty jars on a metal rack in a large, 16-qt canning pot (jars must rest on the rack, not the bottom of the pot). Fill with warm water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to warm to keep jars hot and ready for canning. Remove with tongs or jar lifters one by one as you can the cucumbers.

In a 4 or 6 qt pot, place the vinegar, sugar, and all the spices. Bring to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the sliced cucumbers and onions. Bring to a boil again. As soon as the sugar vinegar solution begins to boil again, use a slotted spoon to start packing the hot jars with the cucumbers. First pack a jar to an inch from the rim with the vegetables, then pour hot vinegar sugar syrup over the vegetables to a half inch of the rim. Wipe rim clean with a paper towel. Place lid on jar and secure with screw band

If you are planning to store pickles outside of the fridge, process the filled jars in the hot water bath for 10 minutes. Water level must be at a least one inch above the top of the cans. Bring to a hard boil for 15 minutes. Remove from water and allow to cool to room temperature, which will take several hours. The jars should make a popping sound as their lids seal.

Best served chilled, and a meat-and-cheese board helps!

Tonight's Episode: Gonna sip Bacardi like it's your 150th Birthday

2012-06-15T20:43:00.000-04:00

What better way to spend a random Tuesday night in June than celebrating with the Bacardi Cocktail Classic? This event, proceeds of which go to help the Special Olympics, pits the talents of some of Charleston's best bartenders in a winner-take-all Mixology battle for the PERFECT Bacardi Cocktail.

The location couldn't be better, the South Carolina Aquarium. Tables set throughout the space allow you to enjoy your cocktail while wandering through the exhibits, such as the new Madagascar section.

The crowd was definitely on the younger side, dressed for a Miami cocktail party. The live Latin jazz and hand-rolled cigar bar helped with the effect.

The award for embracing the spirt of the competition has to go to the crew of Hall's Chophouse. Do they look the part of Bacardi slingers or what? Hugh Lloyd's San Juan Collins was pretty damn delicious, too!

The award for best centerpiece goes to the Aqua Terrace, which may be one of the least known but greatest bar settings in Charleston, with amazing views of the Ashley River from the Marriott Rooftop. Their Squall Heart Sour, featuring Bacardi Oakheart rum was good, but read more fall in flavor profile, which sat it in contrast with the much more summery offerings by other tables.

If you have ever been Upstairs at the Icehouse in Summerville, it is no surprise who was the most entertaining. Pete Nickel, the man behind Charleston Flair Bartenders, puts on a show that reminds you of the movie Cocktail, except without the beach, and horrible shirts, and bad acting, and lame bar tricks, and crappy drinks, and Hobbit that married Katie Holmes. His Smokin' Cherry Blaze had a great, though spicy, flavor.

Evan Powell, formally master mixologist of Fish, manned the table for his not-yet-open venture Republic. His Farewell to Arms Cocktail seemed to be a big hit, though I must admit it wasn't my personal favorite. Then again it was cocktail number 13, so take that with a grain of salt.

The Judges choice for best cocktail went to Mt. Pleasant's Eurasia. Mike's Changes in Latitude mixed Bacardi Silver, St. Germaine, lemon basil sorbet, ginger beer, lemon, and star anise. Very tasty, very fun.

The People's Choice winner went to the aforementioned Fish, with their Liquid Sunshine, a blend of Bacardi Silver, elderflower syrup, Sauvignon Blanc, Lemon, Lime, orange slices and soda.

The Girl and I went a different direction with our vote for best cocktail. We both went with the Honeydew and White Tea Fizz, courtesy of Bryan Voss at Vendue Rooftop. Light, fragrant, refreshing, and a perfect Summer sipper.

Photo curtesy of Keannnete Perez of CarolinaNightLife.com

The Girl, who by the way is allergic to rum and therefore the perfect DD for this event, and I both had a fantastic night. Between the great cocktails (of which she had a few sips), the good food catered by Tristan, the great conversation of Boomer and Jonah from The Becket Agency, and the fun on the deck with Ramses the Great (Chef Jonathan of the Woodlands), this was a great way to spend an evening.

Ramses the Great, unafraid of the cigar I can't keep lit

Now thats some good Jazz

Pretty sure he wanted to eat my face

Lemurs...hehehe

Tonight's Episode: The Girl's Birthday, a Play in 3 Acts

2012-05-20T18:16:00.002-04:00

Thank you for indulging me as I play at a play, just for fun......

Act 1: The Romantic Intrigue

Setting: Oak Steakhouse, Broad Street

In a dark and rich room, full of heavy wood beams and dark brick, lit by flickering candlelight we find our protagonists, staring into each other's eyes, glasses of Argentinian Malbec held loosely in their hands

Enter the Waitress with the amuse, smoked trout, delicate and light with an umtpus flavor

The plate is quickly dispatched, our heroes appetites barely whet

The Waitress, antagonist of this act, sets before our intrepid duo entrées, daring them to do battle. Grasping their forks and knives, off to war they go. The Girl faces a fearsome plate of scallops, while her valiant knight does battle with 29 gargantuan ounces of ribeye

Her champions defeated, The Waitress concedes defeat, and pays tribute to our Hero and Heroine with cakes of chocolate and cakes of cheese

Act 2: Seeking a Master for Guidance

Setting: Iacofano's, a modern Italian bistro in an unassuming strip mall

Enter The Master. He imparts his wisdom and knowledge, teaching our brave couple the ancient art of pulling mozzarella

Our heroes are not alone, though. Joining them are Deal Mavin GoLightly's trusted aide, GoPher, and her trusty sidekick, Instagramless. The four listen with rapt attention, gaining ancient wisdom, then feasting on traditional Italian fare, with wine overflowing their chalices. The evening culminates with the four wondrous desserts of old

Act 3: An Operatic Conclusion

Setting: Anson Restaurant, a study in Nuevo French classical elegance. Dim and vibrant, with an energy that can be felt by all

Enter our Heroes, accompanied by a retinue of 16 celebrants, among whom is year another celebrating the day of her birth Venus de Nennifer.

The Chorus: These rolls of cheese, resplendent meat, how grand are thee!

The Girl: But what is this you lay before me? Is it a smorgasbord of meat?

The Kickball Pelé: This waffle, this egg, this meat....Breakfast it may be, but it is AHHH-MAY-ZING!

The Boy: Paté.....how I love thee

Mr. Heed: Damn that name but it is TAY-STEE

The Chorus: Look at our meals! So Beautiful! So Fantastic!

The Boy: Never in the world has grouper ever tasted so perfect!

The Chorus: Come Maestro take your bow!

Maestro Jeremy: It is not about me, just happy to please such a wonderful family!

Desserts are shared, wine is passed, victory is declared!

Retire now our two Heroes, to their castle, to share their love forever and always

Curtains Fall

Tonight's Episode: Banh Maniac UPDATED

2012-05-15T14:31:00.000-04:00

They roam the streets, day and night. They search high and low, seeking out their targets. When they finally find the perfect spot, they camp out and wait for the unsuspecting people to stumble upon them. I mean Food Trucks, of course.

Charleston has seen a real Food Truck Renaissance the last two years, with some real winners such as Hello, My Name is BBQ, Strada Cucina, and Roti Rolls (check out Charleston Food Truck Federation for more). The newest edition to the family is AutoBanh, a Banh Mi truck. Banh Mi is the Vietnamese street food, and current Charleston up-and-comer, that blends French and Asian cuisine into a hand-held flavor bomb. With Butcher & Bee and Co both featuring the sandwich on their menu, I was excited to see how this one stacked up.

Whats big and purple and full of Yum?

So off their current menu of 4 sandwiches (With more promised to come) I went with the Grilled then Fried Garlic Pork (All Sandwiches $7). This comes on a 7"Normandy Farms baguette that is dug out to get the bread-to-awesome ratio in line, topped with pickled carrot and daikon slaw, spicy sriracha garlic mayo, cilantro, jalapeño, and what tastes like a very mild nuoc cham. The balance of flavor was fantastic! Bright, sweet and salty at the same time, with the pork retaining a nice crispness. If that is nuoc cham, I would prefer more of it as I am a fish sauce fanatic. The jalapeño and Sriracha mayo provide such little heat that I almost thought I had been ripped off on that point, so if you are spice adverse don't worry, it is mild. My one complaint was that the roll was a lithe too dug out, and split on me, making for a little bit of a mess

Grab extra napkins, just n case

For a side I grabbed one of the local shrimp spring rolls ($3 for one, $5 for two). This is a true, traditional Vietnamese spring roll, no grease need apply as these are not fried. In the heat, sitting on the tailgate of Alfred the Rover, this was a refreshing and bright bite, and would be wonderful for a party tray.

Perhaps my favorite part of the meal was the Vietnamese iced coffee ($3). This sweet and mild concoction is usually made with condensed milk, which eliminates any bitter taste. I would buy this by the jug, and I am confident it would make a great Vietnamese-Irish Coffee.

~~The Girl is down with serious crude, so she couldn't come with me this time, but she promises to give it a try and weigh in on the newest member of the rolling food army.~~

So finally took The Girl and she had the Crispy Chicken with Sriracha Glaze, and she LOOOOOVED it. My new favorite is the Curry Tofu....OMG. Autobanh is my New Crack. Sorry Crack Classic, we had a good run.

The Scores (Food Truck Rating System:

Facebook/Twitter location updating: 3/5 (No Twitter yet)

Food: 7.5/10

Ease of spotting the Truck: 4/5

Selection: 3/5

Price: 4/5

Overall: 21 out of 30 Tasty street food begging for more spice

Tonight's Episode: Huge taste, small bites (UPDATED)

2012-05-08T14:14:00.001-04:00

One thing has alway troubled me about Charleston's culinary scene. It lacks ethnic punch. I'm an ethnophile, from Ethiopian to Malaysian to Filipino (but never Norwegian). Perhaps my favorite ethnic cuisine is Vietnamese. Not much to choose from around the Holy City. Queyen is gone, and Pho #1 is, well, limited. Into that void steps Co Banh Mi -Noodles- Bar.

Co, which means feast, occupies a skinny multi-level spot in the heart of King Street. The vibe, with the pretty people and bass-heavy club music seems more fitting in Dupont Circle than laid back Charleston, but the very friendly and engaged (and eye-catchingly attractive) waitstaff make you feel right at home.

We sat right up front in the chic bar area, where I immediately order a Singapore Sling ($9), a classic cocktail of gin, benedictine, grenadine, pineapple and coconut. I have to admit I am glad some of the more passé drinks are making a comeback, as this light, fruity, and sweet concoction does hit the spot.

Jumping Jesus on a pogo stick these are good

For first course The Girl orders Pork and Crab Spring Rolls ($6). If you have never had a Vietnamese spring roll, they are so much lighter, with less grease, than their counterparts from farther north. Great balance in flavor, and a wonderful sauce. My only complaint was the clunky and hap-hazard plating. This could be due to the fact we came in in the middle of their first ever Friday dinner service.

Drink the sauce. Do it! Do it!

I am a pot sticker (or dumpling if you wish) fanatic. For the last two months I have had them at LEAST once a week from our local cheapy Chinese take-away. Seeing a choice of three delicious pouches of tastiness made my heart palpitate. I went with the Pork and Ginger gyoza ($5) with soy scallion sauce. Tasty Tasty Tasty is the only way to describe them. When eating them I suggest a quick dip in the sauce followed by a small bite at the end to open the dumpling up. Then dip the open end back into the sauce and let it sit, soaking in the sauce the same way you dunk an oreo in milk. Then plop the whole thing in your mouth, close your eyes, and enjoy. When you are done, check to make sure no one is looking and shoot the sauce like it's tequila.

Tight little buns

I stayed on the small plate menu (but for some idiotic reason only ordered one) and went with the Pork Belly Buns ($6). These buns are fantastic little bites of wonderfully seasoned pork belly. The only downfall of this dish was the cilantro, which were just whole sticks of herb tossed on top. More focus would have taken this dish over the top.

The original French-Asian fusion

The Girl hit a home-run with her main, the Caramel Pork Banh Mi ($8) with traditional fish sauce, sugar cane, cucumber, pickled carrots, sriracha mayo, jalapeño, and cilantro on a crispy baguette. Banh Mi, a culinary remnant of the French occupation of Indo-China, has long been one of my favorite sandwiches (with Katz Deli's Beef Tongue and a great Italian Beef). This one is an absolute winner, with a sweet and umami balance that leaves such a wonderful mouth feel. If you don't order this than you are an absolute fool.

Not your typical Flied Lice

I am kicking myself for not ordering another small plate, or a bowl of Pho, or Ramen, or noodle, but we did get the Com Chien ($12) to go for lunch the next day. It didn't make it through the first episode of Big Fat Gypsy wedding after we got home. This take on fried rice has a lemongrass sauce that completely alters the flavor profile, and the meat version has sweet shanghai sausage, pork, chicken, and shrimp that makes a highly addicting dish.

The overall meal at Co was fantastic, and it has leapfrogged to near the top of my list. Yes, there were plating issues, and yes, the service was slow. But the service was friendly and knowledgable, and I feel confident that they will iron out these issues. The Girl LOVED her food, and she agrees that you should go there, right now, immediately. Heck, they even started lunch service, so you can go twice today.

UPDATE:
So we went in on Memorial Day, and they were slammed. Had a chance to chit-chat with the owner, Greg Bauer, and business has been so good that he is unable to take phone-in to-go orders at this time. This trip in we tried the Lemongrass Tofu spring roll with peanut sauce ($6), a light, cool, mild tasting roll with beautifully crunchy tofu. We split an order of the pork belly buns that I didn't share last time. The Girl about kicked me after eating hers, for not sharing or for some other slight, I'm not sure which.

For our mains The Girl had the Grilled Steak Banh Mi ($8), beautiful steak perfectly grilled and tasty as hell. I had the Five Spice Pork Belly Banh Mi ($8) which would have tasted SOOOO much better if we had not had those little bacon donut buns just before. The Buns are such perfection that everything else pork belly just pales in comparison. While there, we had the chance to catch up with MacIntosh and Oak Chef Jeremiah Bacon and his new wife (Congrats you two!), and he, too, was suitably impressed with the job Greg and crew are doing.

The Scores: UPDATED

Ambiance: 3.5/5 (4/5 They found a better balance on the volume of music)

Food: 9/10

Service: 3.5 out of 5 (4/5 When we lasted visited, it was their first Friday dinner service, they seem to have worked out most of the kinks)

Value: 5/5

Overall: 21 out of 25 (22 out of 25) Bringing ethnic food and a big-city vibe to the heart of King

Interlude: I give up my Man Card

2012-05-08T12:11:00.000-04:00

So The Girl's birthday was coming up. What did she want? Simple tastes, thankfully. Just a hair cut and pedicure from her favorite spa. I've never understood the appeal of the pedicure. Why would anyone take time out of their day to have a stranger mangle your feet? Why would you want a stranger touching your feet PERIOD? You know what, screw it, I need to see for myself. That's right kids, this has nothing to do with food. It is all about me getting a Manly Pedi.

Before I set off on this mission of metrosexual pampering, I took to my Twitter account (@Foodmancing) to run a poll of my faithful Twitterati as to the acceptance of men in the Pedibaths. WCIV's Laura Harris promised me it wouldn't be submitting myself to the Spanish Inquisition. I had my doubts, but off I went like Daniel into the lion's den.

The Girl took me to Bellezza in West Ashley. We are greeted by a charming young lady, and The Girl is whisked away for her trim. I am left to amuse myself in the waiting area.

5:30-5:35 pm: Thumb through Southern Living, learn how to lay out the perfect Derby Day spread

5:35-5:41 pm: Play solitaire on my iPhone, wonder why I never get the Two of Clubs when I need it

5:41-5:52 pm: Check ESPN Fantasy Baseball to see if Zimmerman is coming off the DL yet

5:52-5:57 pm: Re-deal solitaire until I get three Aces to start, fail to win game

5:57-6:05 pm: Find out Ben and Courtney are still engaged

6:05-6:08 pm: Search web to find out who Ben and Courtney are

6:08-6:15 pm: Thumb through Southern Living, find the ways that their Derby Day spread is flawed

6:15-6:30 pm: Engage in staring contest with Victoria Beckham, claim moral victory

FINALLY The Girl comes bouncing through with a fun new do. Yup, she got her hair done did, and it's fun and flirty, and I am way too engaged in her hair at this point due to shear boredom.

Her stylist, Dime (Think Penny from Big Bang Theory, with only half the ditz) leads us to the Throne Room. I lose my Top Siders, roll up my linen pants, and climb up onto a chair that looks equal parts Captain Kirk's command chair and ancient Chinese water-torture device. The lovely Dime starts up the Jacuzzi jets as I sink my battered and mangled feet into the hot water. Next thing I know I have a glass of wine in one hand, and what is left of my masculine self-respect in the other. Oh who cares, PAMPER ME!

The process in someways is very relaxing. The scrubbing of the scales on my heels lulls me to near catatonic trance. Then she clipped my nails (which was odd) and began filing my nails (CREEPY), then more scrubbys, followed by a foot and calf massage (Lubbly!).

After she pats my feet dry I feel light, almost bouncy. Sure, I may have forfeited all claims to masculinity, but damn my tootsies feel good. First day of The Girl's Birthday bash ends with me having pretty feet and buffed toes. I do believe I might just make it back before my feet look like Frodo's. Just don't expect me to start watching Real Housewives or debating the merits of Dooney vs Coach.