FR EE
JUNE–JULY–AUGUST 2011
CHARLESTON
Charles
Arena
Jr., Full Speed Ahead
Cocktails
From creation to consumption
Farm to Table
Viewing the Charleston Food Scene
Reader Recipe
A Magical Strawberry Shortcake
Dine or Dash?
Souri’s Italian Bistro — Hit or Miss?
Food Fight
Two Chefs vie for the Best Dish
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From the
Publisher If someone had told me ten years ago that I would be putting together a food and beverage magazine, I would have laughed and then asked them to pass me the ketchup for my meat and potatoes. Yes, I was that guy. Cheeseburgers and Chicken Fingers were my staple entrée order. Maybe some salt or pepper but no fancy sauce. I never wanted to think about my food, I just wanted to eat it. It actually took 4,265 miles and a language barrier to get me to step outside of my “comfort food zone”. I traveled to Europe a few years ago without an inkling of any other language than my native English. My limited but mastered vocabulary for these foreign lands consisted only of the essentials; “bathroom”, “beer” and “thank you”. Reading the menus was not an option and so I threw caution to the wind, ordered my beer, simply pointed and said thank you. What I ate on that trip is anyone’s guess but the result was the awakening of my budding palate. What better place to unleash a curious, newly liberated “foodie-in-
2 | EAT THIS CHARLESTON
the-making” than here in the Low Country? Charleston is a mecca for those who appreciate great food, wine and hospitality- whether they be a connoisseur or novice. I wanted to put together a magazine that celebrated the culinary face of this storied seaport and the creativity of the food and beverage community that shape that ever alluring visage. Bless your hearts and bellies that here in the Low Country, the restaurants deliver and will charm you into cleaning that plate and ordering dessert simply because you cannot resist. Vanity Fair coined Charleston, “the Paris of the United States”. Life has come full circle. I am back in Europe it seems, but this time I’m ready. Bon Appétit!
Nick Mead
CHARLE
Contents
Inside This Issue
30 Beautiful Babies Bigger Isn’t Always BetterMiniature veggies make major impact 36 Dining Map 40 Restaurant Directory
Recipes
42 Events Culinary Happenings in Charleston
32 Chef Recipe She Crab Spoonbread by Chef JJ Kern of Hucks Lowcountry Table
45 Launch Party! Join us June 29 at Crave Kitchen and Cocktails for an evening of food and fun
33 Reader Recipe Magical Strawberry Shortcake by Liza Ward & Elizabeth Benton of West Ashley, SC JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2011 | 3
STON
CHARLE
STON
Contents Editor
Dee Lambert editor@EatThisCharleston.com
Contributors
Chris Saxon Koelker Antonia M. Krenza Timmons Pettigrew Amy Porter Laney Roberts Chris West
Art Director
Craig McLaughlin mclaughlin-design.com
Photography
Terrance Antonio terranceantonio.com Stacy Howell stacyhowellphotography.com Nick Mead Chrys Rynearson
Advertising
Nick Mead sales@eatthischarleston.com
Publisher
Nick Mead nick@eatthischarleston.com Eat This Now, LLC 1121 Park West Blvd Suite B #108 Mt. Pleasant, SC 29466 843-225-0470
EatThisCharleston.com 4 | EAT THIS CHARLESTON
Features
6
From The Cellar Organic Wines of North America
8
From The Tap Invasion of the Tap Snatchers
10 Restaurant Spotlight The Zen of Dining Eurasia Café and Wine Bar 12 Chef Spotlight Chef Charles Arena Jr. of The Rice Market 14 Server Spotlight Amanda Hardwick of Sette Mt. Pleasant 16 Bartender Spotlight Cocktails: From creation to consumption with Speakeasy’s Jonathan Calo of Charleston, SC 20 Do This! Charleston Culinary Tours 22 Dine or Dash Souri’s Italian Bistro 24 Food Fight JJ Kern of Hucks Lowcountry Table vs. Landen Ganstrom of Crave Kitchen and Cocktails 26 Follow This! Culinary Trends Plating Terroir: Viewing the Charleston Food Scene from Farm to Table
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CELLAR
Organic Wines of North America By Amy Porter
“Organic grape growing and wine making are approached as a partnership with nature instead of an exploitation of the land. This takes patience, requiring more time in the vineyard. There are no short cuts or quick fixes with organic farming, but the care invested creates healthy soil, balanced grapes, and elegant wines that are expressive of place.� — Paul Dolan 4th generation winegrower and father
Levels of Organic Farming Certified Organic: Organic farming without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. Biodynamic: A holistic approach to farming where the farm is looked upon as a living organism. Sustainability: Farming that promotes the preservation of the land so that it continually provides for all current and future generations. The farm is never depleted. 6 | EAT THIS CHARLESTON
O
ur feature wine for the summer is from Paul Dolan Vineyards in Mendocino County, California. The 2009 Chardonnay is made from 100% organically grown grapes from the cool climates of the Northern Benchlands, allowing for crisper acidity, and from the lush grapes of the warmer climate vineyards in Hopland. Since the wine matures mostly in stainless steel fermenting tanks, only 9% of the Chardonnay is aged in American oak barrels. There are no added malo-actic acids to promote flavor or maturation. The crisp and ripe flavors are char-
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acteristic of orchard fruits such as pear and red apple with hints of winter citrus and vanilla spice. The wine is recognized and labeled as CCOF organic-based on the California organization’s levels of practice for organic and bio-dynamic farming and is best served with salmon or chicken. CCOF was founded in 1973 as a mutual assistance and certification organization for organic farmers and was one the first organizations to perform organic certification in North America. Since then, the CCOF seal has been your assurance of certification with integrity. Today, CCOF maintains one of the most consumer-recognized and trusted seals in the organic marketplace.
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from the
tap
Invasion of the Tap
Snatchers By Timmons Pettigrew
W
hether you know it or like it, craft beer is invading your personal space. It’s on tap at your favorite watering hole. It’s in a bottle at your favorite restaurant. It’s also at your grocery store, in your friend’s refrigerator, and its sights are pointed squarely at your pie hole. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why and how craft beer has come so far. The slog out of obscurity has been long and hard since the first American craft breweries, then more commonly “microbreweries,” cranked up in California in the late 70’s. Those pint-sized pioneers started a trend that waxed and waned, but these days it’s all wax. The U.S Brewers’ Asso-
8 | EAT THIS CHARLESTON
ciation reported over 1,750 breweries operated in our borders in 2010, and craft beer sales continue to grow each year. South Carolina lagged the cultural trend (shocker), but once the state’s limit on alcohol content in beer tripled in 2007 things started really moving. The novelty of “high gravity” beer has since passed, but the larger craft segment is bursting at the seams. The Lowcountry alone has a dedicated retail beer Mecca in The Charleston Beer Exchange, a killer beer festival in Brewvival, breweries of varying sizes and ages in Palmetto, COAST, and Westbrook, and more coming soon like Holy City. Beer-centric bars are numerous, with more popping up all the time. All signs point to the growth continuing. A few things set craft beer apart from the fizzy yellow pack. It’s designed to be delicious, for one. At its best it should be a revelation, at its worst it should make you angry, but whatever your reaction, you should wonder why you feel that way. It’s not designed to be chugged, shotgunned, or bonged into your gullet, but if you’re paying attention to the party in your mouth you shouldn’t want to do those things. If I’m making craft beer sound like wine, I apologize. Both are often-tasty alcoholic liquids, but that’s about it. The range of drinking experiences under the beer umbrella is much wider. Alcohol content could range from 3% to 15%, with lower and higher extremes. The color could be pale yellow to lightsucking black, with any level of clarity or cloudiness. The flavor profiles are so wildly varied that there’s something for
every interested palate. If you can’t find something you like amongst sweet, sour, bitter, roasted, acidic, creamy, biscuit-like, fruity, chocolaty, or the zillions of other taste descriptors, then stick to mashed potatoes. The styles run the gamut, but the price tags are relatively stable. Unlike wine, the best (sometimes just the most expensive) beers on Earth top out around $40 a bottle. Most best-in-class examples are only a fraction of that. This means one can have a full bore geek-out without a trust fund or second mortgage. Huzzah! That brings me to the community, which might be the best part. Beer is the ultimate social beverage. It has brought people together in merriment for centuries, but craft beer tends to bring a cer-
tain brand of people together. If you appreciate life’s little pleasures and have an open mind, you’ll fit right in. Sure, there are some secret code words and insidejokes as with any passionate group, but we need new recruits! We want to turn you on to something new. We want more people drinking craft beer, because when that happens, we all win. So next time you’re out and about, order something new and different. Something that sounds off-the-wall. If you love it, you may find yourself squinting over bottled-on-dates and beer forums in no time. If you hate it, at least you have a beer. Timmons Pettigrew, TheDigitel Charleston. Follow him on Twitter via @CHSBeer.
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bartender Restaurant spotlight
Zen of Dining The
at Eurasia Wine & Cafe
by Antonia M. Krenza & Laney Roberts
Tangled Up in Bleu Wedge
S
ometimes, when you least expect it, you find it — that perfect place where time slows down and your mind expands. Most seek and find this place through meditation, while others discover this peace through dining. Dining Zen is not just about transcendence through food, it is also about the positive auras of ambience and service. Not all restaurants achieve this spiritual trifecta and the last place that you’d expect to find this restaurant Nirvana is in a strip mall. Visualize polished gray-black river stones. Bamboo leaf green interior walls, minimally adorned. Honeyed wood tones of custom built tables…
10 | EAT THIS CHARLESTON
The colors and textures wrap you in a harmonious cocoon of well-being that is contemporaneously relaxed and upbeat. Designed by Dan and Tom Sweeney of Stumphouse Productions, the décor possesses a funky elegance that might be described as Asian chic tempered by American sensibility. This is Eurasia. Located in the Whole Food shopping center in Mt. Pleasant, Eurasia is the third and most recent incarnation of a Virginia-based café and wine bar concept. Executive Chef Meredith Adams, an originating partner, teamed up with Andy Fallen, whose local restaurant heritage included Samos Taverna and Peninsula Grill. Today the two feel that they are looking at what may be the “flagship design” to their proven and viable concept. Perhaps the choice of minimalistic décor is to focus on the art gallery that is Eurasia’s menu. Chef Adams is an artist and the plate is her canvas. Flavors are the pigments she uses to create her artful menu selections with detail in taste and composition. Chef Adams comes from a background of Southern and Asian culinary influences. Realizing that “everyone does not eat from the same page”, she strives for an eclectic line-up of offerings. Though the menus are regionally specific, their focus remains the same throughout their locations — fresh, local, seasonal ingredients respectfully present with a nod to worldwide culinary traditions. And the Zen continues … Eurasia’s
entire menu is available Monday through Saturday from 11 am until 10 pm. Order whatever you want, whenever you want. There is no dress code. Whether in shorts and flip-flops or tuxedo and dress shoes, the service and the food remain the same. Whoever you are in the moment is welcomed. Chef Adams is as gracious in her kitchen as any Southerner and is as flexible in her culinary sensibilities as any yoga master is of limb. In Eurasia, the guest is also an artist, painting the perfect dining experience. To compliment your dining experience, Eurasia also offers an eclectic array of beers and new world wines (30 by the glass), as well as a full bar.
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chef
spotlight
CHEF CHARLES ARENA, JR. As a 1998 graduate of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, Executive Chef Charles Arena brings sixteen years of experience in the food and beverage industry to Rice Market. Jean Jacques Rachou at La Cote Basque in New York is just one of the highly rated chefs Arena studied under before coming to Charleston. Once in Charleston, Arena became the Sous Chef of Tides at the Beach Club, a Tom Colicchio Consultant Project where he quickly formed strong relationships with local farmers and fisherman and began to participate in the Sustainable Seafood Initiative. Today he continues this tradition and supports local initiatives in his diverse menu. Since 2007, Arena has been sharing his talents as an Adjunct Professor at The Culinary Institute of Charleston at Trident Technical College. Those who have dined at Rice Market have said he has stepped up with some very daring and flavorful combinations. That alone is worth the attention.
EAT THIS! Have you always known that you wanted to be a chef? CHEF CHARLES ARENA: Always? No. At first I wanted to be a farmer. It was probably around 14 that I realized I wanted to be a chef. ET! If you weren’t a chef, or in food and beverage, what would you be doing now? CA: Something with numbers like an accountant or a stock broker. ET! What is the best compliment you have ever received in regard to your cooking? CA: “That’s the best thing I’ve put in my mouth!” ET! How does the kitchen at Rice Market compare to other kitchens you have lead? CA: The menu is diverse and incorporates many local ingredients. With us being a new restaurant watching the staff come together has been exciting. 12 | EAT THIS CHARLESTON
ET! What do you think attracts so many people to eat at Rice Market? CA: The concept being so unique for Charleston and using local ingredient with international flavors. ET! What would you eat if you were dining at Rice Market? CA: Tough call. The roasted scallops are one of my favorites, along with the paella, jambalaya and our local grass-fed beef. ET! Is there a dish on the menu passed down from your family? Who taught you to make it? CA: The risotto balls are a variation from grandma’s recipe and the base for the calamari is similar to my mom’s scungilli recipe.
ET! How have the tastes of diners changed throughout your career? Do you see this change as a positive one? CA: The whole sustainability, local first change has been great. Especially for us chefs who strive to source so many products that are local and environmentally friendly. ET! Is there an ingredient you have never worked with that you would like to? CA: Geoduck, lionfish, and horsemeat (it’s huge in France, but I just couldn’t bring myself to try it). ET! What is your best cooking tip for a novice? CA: Read your recipe through three times before starting. Learn and understand the basic cooking techniques — speed will come with experience.
ET! What would you say has taught you the most about running a successful restaurant? CA: My first two chefs, Gunther Schanker and JJ Rachou. Their work ethic was amazing. It was their advice along with my business degree that has helped me. Stay current but not all trends will succeed. ET! What is the best advice you could give to an aspiring chef? CA: Absorb, absorb, absorb. There are so many talented chefs at culinary schools and in the business. Pick their brains. This business isn’t for everyone, there are long hours and stress. It’s not a picture perfect reality show.
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server
spotlight
AMANDA HARWICK … is a Senior at the College of Charleston, majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Entrepreneurship. She is a Lowcountry native. When she is not studying, she is a Food and Beverage workaholic. When she is not working, you can find her at the beach, daydreaming about her future business ventures.
EAT THIS! What is the #1-selling item on the Sette menu and what is your personal favorite dish? AMANDA HARDWICK: Blackened Salmon Salad. My Personal Favorite? It’s a toss-up between Chicken Piccatto and Eggplant Parmigiano.
ET! What is your biggest pet peeve in your work as a server? AH: Aside from awful tippers (jokingly)? Servers who forget to look at their restaurant from the customer’s perspective. They need to sit down at a table and see what their guests see.
ET! What do you think makes your restaurant excellent and unique and separates Sette from other restaurants in the area? AH: That we cater to a small amount of people, so each dish gets more attention. All details from start to finish for a complete dining experience.
ET! Do you find that — due to your line of work — you are extremely evaluative of service when you go out to eat in your personal life? AH: Yes, to a fault! I find myself working (stacking dishes and cleaning the table) when I dine out.
ET! Which cocktails and types of wine are most popular right now? AH: Rocca della Mace, “Sasyr”, a Sangiovese-Syrah blend and Luna di Luna, a Chardonnay-Pinot Grigio blend are our top selling red and wine wines. Great picks for these hot summer nights. Martinis are also top sells.
14 | EAT THIS CHARLESTON
ET! Some people say that everyone should work as a server for a little while in their life because it is a valuable experience … do you agree? AH: Yes, it makes you appreciate the work that goes into any dining experience.
ET! Do you think most servers would rather work at a restaurant where they make decent tips and have great management or work at an establishment where they make outstanding tips but have to deal with management they do no not care for or respect? AH: Definitely better management! I’ve been at Sette for seven years for great management and I have known people in the industry who’ve left great paying jobs due to bad management.
ET! Do you aspire to own your own restaurant or manage a restaurant someday? AH: YES! (enthusiastically and with an ear to ear grin). ET! If you did have your own restaurant, what would the concept be and what would the menu look like? AH: A swimming pool bar. No utensils, finger foods-tapas style with great entertainment and special events.
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bartender spotlight
Cocktails from creation to consumption
with Speakeasy’s Jonathan Calo by Chris West
Jonathan Calo of Speakeasy.
I
t’s almost funny how one of Charleston’s best-kept secrets is hidden in plain sight. But then again, that was always the motif of the speakeasy. Illegitimate parlors behind/above/outback of legitimate businesses that provided what the American people wanted and what the American government told them they couldn’t have. And Charleston has had a long, torrid and creative relationship with circumventing alcohol law. From the Blind Tigers of the State Dispensary era to the hundreds of operating speakeasies during prohibition-come hell or high water, Charleston was never going to be separated from strong drink. However, in 1933 when prohibition was repealed, the clandestine drink-
16 | EAT THIS CHARLESTON
ing spots were allowed to come out of their shadows and the speakeasy was relegated to the historical lore of America’s love affair with alcohol. Fast-forward to the present and it seems the aforementioned love affair is giving a contemporary nod to the illegitimate parlors of old. Period décor, off-the-beaten-path locations and bow-tied barkeeps are fashionable. But more so than anything else “ago” is the renewed interest in the cocktail. Within the past few years, the alcohol landscape has changed in Charleston. We (finally) turned our backs on the archaic and outdated use of the mini-bottle. We saw the beer market flood with previously unattainable craft beers with higher alcohol and we have also seen the
proliferation of the art of the classic cocktail. With insight, musings and a slight history lesson from Speakeasy’s resident front man, Jonathan Calo, we traveled to the bottom of the glass together. “I guess it started for me about a year and a half ago,” Calo said of his delving into the art of cocktails. “I cook a lot in my time off and you know, that’s all about flavor profiles and I was really into wine for a long time. Well, the thing about wine is it’s all terroir-driven. The thing about cocktails is you’re the guy behind each creation.” For Calo, it began as small meetings with a smaller cadre of mixologists who would come together to bounce ideas and recipes off each other. “We would come get together and we would have these things tucked away especially for each other… mixes, tonics, bitters and we would make off-menu drinks and talk about them.” For what began as a humble group of guys with a passion, that passion grew into providence and cocktail-centric establishments like The Gin Joint, The Belmont, Husk and Speakeasy found a home and a clientele amongst the myriad of mixed drink bars on the peninsula. “Once these places started opening-people started opening their minds to the concept of a personal creation,” he said. “You’re starting to see people come out that don’t mind paying $10 for a craft cocktail rather than seeking out happy hour deals on a vodka tonic.” Much like the introduction of craft beers to the Charleston market and the interest they have garnered, so too have the emergence of specialty liquors. And while older generations of Charlestonians have long enjoyed a proper Manhattan or Old Fashioned, it’s the addition of things like Faler-
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num, Crème Yvette and St. Germaine to bar arsenals that have opened the proverbial floodgates of cocktail creation. “There were a bunch of us that approached our reps and asked for these things. We literally had to petition them to bring in the things we needed and wanted,” Calo said. “There are still things we don’t have yet, but new stuff is coming into the market all the time. The distributors have to keep up because we (mixologists) are going full steam ahead into this movement.” But Calo doesn’t just rely on others when crafting his creations; his own palette and imagination are driving forces behind recipe building. From making freshly brewed ginger honey tea to infusing liquors of his own, it seems the sky is the limit when it comes to cocktails. “You know that liquor Fireball (a cinnamon-infused whiskey) that came out awhile back?” Calo asked. The Great Escape.
18 | EAT THIS CHARLESTON
“Well, I made my own. Sugar, cinnamon and I added Red Hots and let it all infuse.” You did read that right, folks … Red Hots, as in the little red candies. And while Calo admits there is a method to the madness of making cocktails, he adheres to a very basic recipe and relies on his memory of flavors to make his imagination come to fruition. “Basically you need four elements: sweet, bitter, a citrus component and your basic spirit.” While this article is a base representation of what Calo has up his sleeves (and behind his bar), the best way to walk the path into the world of cocktails is to simply plod ahead. Just know that when you do, Calo will be there serving as your guide. “I like the interaction with people. I enjoy the relationship that can be built around something like making drinks for someone. I enjoy going through a person’s like and dislikes and crafting something specifically for them. I like the fact that cocktails can be very, very personal,” he said. “Back when I worked at (bar name omitted) it was so busy and hectic and I couldn’t talk to people about what they were drinking. Speakeasy is different in that it gives me the environment to make those personalized drinks and make sure my patrons are going to get what they like.” Calo is at Speakeasy most nights, metering and measuring, shaking and stirring, talking and tasting. If you want to broaden your horizons and try something new, go in with an open mind and order the Bartender’s choice. Whatever that happens to be and whatever happens to get put in front of you… make sure it has St. Germaine in it. You can thank me later. Happy drinking!
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JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2011 | 19
DO THIS! Charleston
Culinary Tours With so many great options, where should you dine in Charleston?
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ant to make your best decision about where to dine in Charleston, but not satisfied with just reviewing menus or reading reviews? Charleston Culinary Tours was created to help solve this problem. Combining a walking tour of downtown Charleston with an appreciation for fine food, Charleston Culinary Tours allows the discriminating visitor to sample some of Charleston’s finest restaurants while enjoying an informative, and fun, historical tour of the downtown historic district. All our restaurant partners are se-
20 | EAT THIS CHARLESTON
lected based on their commitment to high quality, innovative cuisine. Restaurant stops vary on each tour, making every tour unique. All Charleston Culinary Tours are limited to no more than 12 guests in order to deliver an intimate, personalized experience. Over the course of 2 hours, each tour stops at four restaurants. The relaxed pace of our tours allow guests the time to savor the dishes prepared specifically for that tour group. Each of our restaurant partners provide an array of appetizers and entrees, from the signature items of each kitchen, to specialty or seasonal dishes that are one-of-a-kind! Water and other
non-alcoholic beverages at each stop are included in the tour, and alcoholic beverages are available for purchase. Since the tours are between the lunch rush and dinner service, chefs and managers are available to discuss the dishes provided with guests, explaining their methods, the sourcing of ingredients, and the philosophy behind the incredible food they have prepared. “With so many truly great restaurants in historic Charleston, and since walking is the best way to enjoy the charms of this beautiful city, we thought a combination culinary and historical walking tour seemed like a perfect idea” explains Glenn Morehead, one of Charleston Culinary Tour’s founders and guide. Approximately half of each tour is spent walking. For this reason, guests should wear comfortable shoes and clothing. Tours are held rain or shine. All Charleston Culinary Tours start and finish at the Southend Brewery located at 161 East Bay Street, Charleston. The Southend Brewery is located within easy walking distance of all
“… a culinary and historical walking tour … the perfect idea.” downtown Charleston hotels and is in close proximity to several public parking garages. Tours start at 2:15 p.m. “I’ve lived in Charleston a few years now and each time I walk down the streets and alleys of the historic district I discover something new” says Oscar Hines, tour co-founder. “It’s much the same with our culinary tour. Every stop is a surprise, every visit reveals something new – a new dish, a new ingredient, a new interpretation of a classic recipe. Charleston has a special, almost magical quality and it is a pleasure to share that with the guests on our tour.” We take great pride in showing our city to guests whenever they come to visit or to remind the locals of what we may take for granted.
For More Information see our ad on page 19 or visit us on our website at www.charlestonculinarytours.com.
JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2011 | 21
DINE
Dash or
Spaghetti with Meatballs in Bolognese sauce
Is Souri’s Italian Bistro a Good Hit (or a Near Miss)?
U
p Highway 17, across from Park West and tucked away in a small shopping center next to Charleston National, sits Souri’s Italian Bistro whose slogan is “Passion for Great Italian Food”. I have come to Souri’s on the recommendation of a friend, who tells me the Italian food here is fabulous. The store front is unassuming and the dining room is
softly lit and intimate. After perusing the quaint menu, we order the Lobster Ravioli as an appetizer. After taking our order, our server returns with warm, fresh bread and seasoned olive oil. The Lobster Ravioli includes four plump al dente ravioli filled with tender and moist lobster smothered in a sweet marsala cream sauce and topped with crawfish and sautéed spinach. We order the Shrimp Anglio e Olio and Spaghetti with Meatballs in Bolognese sauce. The medium-sized shrimp, fresh, firm and tender, are sautéed in white wine, garlic and
The Hidden Critic 22 | EAT THIS CHARLESTON
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of $20 or More
Shrimp Anglio e Olio
herbs and served over thin spaghetti. The dish is light with delicate flavors over a nicely cooked al dente pasta. The Spaghetti with Meatballs in Bolognese sauce is adorned with two meatballs over thin al dente spaghetti with a smattering of sauce. The meatballs are firm and hearty but lacking a signature spice combination to make them memorable. The portions are large, leaving no room for dessert. The service is friendly and attentive, the food is carefully prepared and the atmosphere relaxed and cozy. The passion at Souri’s permeates. Off the beaten path, but worth the trip, I recommend ending your next search for Italian at Souri’s Italian Bistro. www.sourisbistro.com 3369 S. Morgans Point Road Mount Pleasant, SC
Mt. Pleasant 1055 HWY 41 • 856-7800 suMMerville 205 Grandview Drive • 873-6606
www.nypizzaonline.com
Breakfast Lunch & Dinner Smoothies • Wraps • Crepes Coffee and more
843-856-4264 •tasifresh.com 1984 Long Grove Drive, Mt Pleasant Just off IOP Connector, next to Target. Minutes from the beach.
JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2011 | 23
FOOD FIGHT
D O FO
FI
CHEF’S NAME
JJ Kern
AGE
31
HOMETOWN
MT. PLEASANT, SC
Here’s how the Eat This!
RESTAURANT
HUCKS LOWCOUNTRY TABLE
BIOGRAPHY
Growing up in the Old Village of Mt. Pleasant and having family deeply rooted in Charleston ignited JJ’s passion for food and hospitality. Being among the marsh, oyster beds, fishing and crabbing at the ‘old bridge’, watching the shrimp boats on Shem Creek, and daily visits to the old vegetable bin fostered his love for Charleston’s bounty of culinary delights. JJ started cooking with his grand mother around the age of six. After working through high school in kitchens on the ‘creek’, JJ pursued a degree in Architecture, but was drawn back to Charleston and his love for cooking. 24 | EAT THIS CHARLESTON
Food Fight works:
Two
Chefs square off by creating the same dish at our Launch Party (see page 45 for details) ~ Guests at the Launch Party conduct a blind taste test (the tasting is blind, not the tasters) ~ Afterward the guests will cast their vote based
CHA
GHT CHEF’S NAME
LANDEN GANSTROM
on taste and presentation ~ The
AGE
32
HOMETOWN
KAYS, KS
RESTAURANT
winning Chef will move onto round two and host the next FOOD FIGHT at their restaurant ~ Each month is a new round and a fun-filled social for all of our readers.
CHARLES
TON
Launch Party! See page 45 for Launch Party details and location. For the next FOOD FIGHT venue visit EatThisCharleston.com
CRAVE KITCHEN & COCKTAILS
BIOGRAPHY
Landen entered culinary school at 18 and worked as an apprentice under Andre Yusef, Executive Chef at Argosy Casino. Upon graduating in the top five of his culinary class, he went on to work under Master Chef Hieko Bendixen of Foxwoods in RI. Landen’s culinary experience is not shy to any particular size or style kitchen. From large casinos to intimate tapas bars on the beach. As the Executive Chef of Crave Kitchen and Cocktails, Landen’s focus is fusion gourmet coupled with comfort and innovation. JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2011 | 25
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follow
THIS!
Plating Terroir
Viewing the Charleston Food Scene from Farm to Table By Antonia M. Krenza & Laney Roberts
Shade - Sun - Slope - Soil. That’s an easy-to-remember, simplification of terroir. The concept, however, is more complex than climate and geology. It encompasses a unique sense of place — of cultural history, viticultural practices, and the passion of the people making the wine. Yes, terroir is THE ubiquitous wine term. It is an earthy word and the best winemakers will tell you that they are farmers first. So why isn’t this term applied to all farmers, onshore and offshore, those who grow, raise and harvest the food we eat? Terroir is about pride of place and there is no place on the east coast showcasing its unique flavor as proudly as Charleston and her barrier islands. The terroir-driven philosophy known 26 | EAT THIS CHARLESTON
as “farm to table” is no stranger to the Low Country. This passionate movement was born out of concern for the health of our children and our environment. It is a spirited advocacy for and a validation of the plight of the small farmer. It is a reaction to the ecological, biological and sociological ramifications of industrialized, genetically manipulative agribusiness. (That’s not only frightening, but hard to articulate.) Farm to Table, as a movement, is a relatively young one with a rather large thumbprint on the mediaattuned psyche of American consumers. There is, however, a quieter conceptualization of farm to table here in Charleston — more a way of life really — and its been happening without
CHA
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terroir (t rwar) 3
noun: wine making the combination of factors, including soil, climate, and environment, that gives a wine its distinctive character [literally: soil] comment for quite some time. In her infancy, the colonial seaport of Charleston was just beginning to define its food culture, a gastronomic discovery that is still strongly present after hundreds of years. The Gullah were people of African ancestry that inhabited the Sea Islands and coastal areas of South Carolina. They found a similarity in the terroir of the Low Country and that of their home on Africa’s West Coast. As they adapted to a foreign land, they integrated their West African cooking traditions, recipes, even non-indigenous seeds into the culture. What had been passed down from generation to generation in these West African families, had now found a place in the culinary heritage
of South Carolinians. Charleston’s restaurant scene has certainly garnered a great deal of media attention and deservedly so. The James Beard Foundation has recognized many of the city’s restaurateurs, chefs and bakers. Perhaps that acknowledgement is not only the result of the talented individuals working here, but the by-product of how the city’s pride of terroir is reflected in its cuisine. Nowhere is the concept of farm to table applied as stringently as it is at newcomer, Husk, directed by James Beard award winner, Sean Brock. He is dedicated to sourcing everything they plate, seasonally and JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2011 | 27
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regionally. Brock even grows some of the produce himself. Faced with the challenge of seasonality, Husk is creating an uber pantry, taking the excess of a season and preserving, pickling, and smoking it. Meanwhile, just a few streets over at Fig, another James Beard award winning chef, Mike Lata is following his own terroir-driven imperative. Perhaps not as strictly, but certainly with the same great passion. Charleston’s celebrity chef scene has some of the most recognized gatekeepers of the farm to table movement, but locals also know that this culinary celebration of our land is found in hundreds of fine, casual, and divey restaurants here in the Low Country. It is not unusual to see the names of neighboring farmers or fisherman alongside a sumptuous of-
ies packing the pathways between the booths — it is also tourists and families. There is something liberating about paying the farmer for your produce rather than the grocer. More importantly, it is a communal experience meeting area farmers, local artisans, and food vendors. This year welcomes back local and organic producers like Owl’s Nest Plantation, Joseph Fields Farm, Chucktown Chicken, Thackeray Farms, Giddy Goat Cheese and Sea Island Savory Herbs to name a few. Happily, the market has grown since last year, with booths wrapping even more territorially around Marion Square. The most stand out addition to this year’s participants, however, is the food cart featuring “not your average” ice cream. “Roots” Ice Cream is an earthy frozen treat that is, by design, local and sea-
There is something liberating about paying the farmer for your produce rather than the grocer. fering on any of these menus. If there is no name beside a menu item, don’t assume that it is not locally sourced. It’s there. Terroir. You may not always see it, but you can taste it. Perhaps the most tangible way to see “farm to table” at work in Charleston is on a Saturday morning in Marion Square. Mimi Sheraton, veteran New York Times food critic, listed Charleston’s Farmers Market as one of the best in the country. The market, which runs April through mid-December, is eagerly awaited and sorely missed when it closes. It’s not just local food28 | EAT THIS CHARLESTON
sonal with flavors such as strawberry/ cilantro, beet swirl, and sweet tea. Adventurous and delightful. Strategically sandwiched between “Roots” Ice Cream and the pet adoption booth, near the joyously noisy jump castles, is the Lowcountry Local First booth. Lowcountry Local First (LLF) is the voice of the farm to table movement in Charleston and the backbone of the movement, supporting an organizational infrastructure and providing the muscle and sinew to connect our consumers to our farms and the local businesses that sup-
CHA
port those farms. LLF developed the “Growing New Farmers” program that has mentored the likes of Matt Frye, creator of “Roots” Ice Cream, and other aspiring farmers. While encouraging business and consumers to THINK, BUY and BE Local, the initiative also publishes a directory of local independent businesses who do just that. Lowcountry Local First, it seems, could make “locavores” of us all. “Farm to table” is not reinventing the wheel. It is about celebrating the place in which you live - the soil, the weather, the waters (fresh or salt) and the history. If you examine any city in America, you will probably find this same understated celebration of place. It is a passion for shared family recipes, fresh, seasonal food, and support of that nice guy who runs that produce stand every Saturday. Oh, yeah, he’s a farmer! There is a large part of the American public that is not even aware of the “movement”, yet, they are quietly there — at the Farmer’s Markets, at their dinner tables, and at the restaurants who showcase
local products on their menus. Looking at Charleston and her barrier islands through wine goggles, you can taste its flavor. The city and its resources are vinified everyday and consumed by tourists and locals alike. That consumption is sometimes a revelation, other times the beginning of a journey. During the first Saturday at Charleston’s Farmers Market, a father offered his daughter a taste of Root’s beet ice cream. She was young, perhaps better suited to the fresh strawberry/cilantro offering, but the slow dawning smile that lit up her face as she savored the creamy, yet earthy flavor of the beet ice cream signaled her delight at this new discovery. Nothing says terroir like beets. A friend once described the taste of beets as “like eating dirt“. Kids enjoy eating a lot of dirt until grownups tell them that it’s a bad thing. Perhaps the revolution that is desired by the “farm to table” movement will be won in the evolution of our palates. Maybe we should take a lesson from our kids and eat a little dirt. JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2011 | 29
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Beautiful Babies!
Bigger Isn’t Always Better By Chris Saxon Koelker
Miniature vegetables are making a major impact.
I
n America, we tend to want to find a bargain. As we stroll down the produce aisles in the grocery store, we just naturally look for the biggest vegetable in the bin. Bigger is better. More for your money. Right? In some cases those perspectives are true. But when it comes to vegetables, if you just have to quote an old saying, “it’s
pick them early, but their customers actually prefer their “babies” to their overgrown cousins. Baby fruits and vegetables have been staples at farmer’s markets throughout California for over a decade. There’s hardly a zucchini or a beet to be found there that’s over six inches in length. Restaurant owners and chefs were the first to be enamored with the
“…it’s the size that matters …” the size that matters” would probably come much closer to the truth. South Carolina is just beginning to see a few farmers start to make a bold change. They’ve discovered for themselves that, not only is the taste of their carefully grown vegetables more vibrant and rich when they 30 | EAT THIS CHARLESTON
miniature types of many popular vegetables. Initially, the smaller greens showed up on their salad plates, accompanied by mini radishes, carrots and onions. They soon began to discover the flavors of the larger versions tasted almost watered-down when compared with their tiny counterparts.
Recipes began to spring up in magazines such as Bon Appetit and Food and Wine praising the surprising enhancement of flavor when baby veggies were used as opposed to the regular size ones. Baby okra is a whole new adventure when they’re simply sauteed in a bit of olive oil with chopped garlic. Natural and speciality groceries quickly followed suit. But these outlets noticed something about miniature vegetables that made them reticent to stock them. Baby fruits and vegetables, it turns out, are very much like real babies. They need more care and they don’t hold up for very long without special attention. Obviously, this is one of the reasons baby vegetables pack such a mighty flavor punch. They must be used very soon after they’re harvested. If they stay on the grocery shelf for too long; they’ll shrivel and wilt. Shelf life is maybe the only advantage their larger counterparts can claim. Ambrose Farm owners Babs and Marshall “Pete” Ambrose have been growing vegetables on Wadmalaw Island since 1976. This year, more than 850 members of their CSA (community supported agriculture) members look forward each week to a share of their freshly picked produce. Babs explained that she and her husband started to experiment with baby veggies when local restaurant chefs from Husk, Blossom and Slightly North of Broad Street (S.N.O.B.) began requesting them. “First it was baby greens with mixes like spring mesclun, young arugula and Asian braising greens. Then we started getting into baby turnips, beets, carrots and it went on from there.” Now the farm supplies both baby veggies and their other seasonal produce to over twenty restaurants throughcontinued on page 41
Open Air Bar & Patio HOURS Open Mon. @ 4 Open Tues. - Sat. @ 11:30 a.m. Open Sundays @ 10 a.m. SUndAy BRUncH On THe PATiO 10:30-2:30 Bottomless Mimosas $10 Live Music cALL US fOR cATeRing • 654-7296 440 coleman Blvd. • Mt. Pleasant Visit www.finzbar.com for our daily specials!
Your Neighborhood
Pizza Place
Delivery • Take-Out • Dine-In JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2011 | 31
Chef recipe
She Crab
Spoonbread I wanted to recreate a traditional Charleston staple dish like she crab soup and give it a new forum. In the South we all love and eat cornbread If you are a chef and would like your recipe to be featured, send an email to ChefRecipe@eatthischarleston.com.
by Chef JJ Kern
and when there is some left over, spoonbread is made. Like any Southern home, nothing ever goes to waste and so the food from the day before becomes the treats for tomorrow. Spoonbread is something I always looked forward to at my grandmother’s house. These practices cultivated my passion and imagination for creative thinking with food.
She Crab Spoonbread 1 lb. 8 oz. cornbread 1 t nutmeg 1 T thyme 5 T crab roe ¾ t baking powder ¾ t baking soda 1 T salt 2 T sugar 1 t cayenne pepper -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1.5 C cornmeal 4 T butter ½ C heavy cream 4 C buttermilk 3 C chicken stock 1 T Tabasco ½ C sherry 4 each - beaten eggs 1. 2. 3. 4.
Combine first 9 ingredients in large mixing bowl Have the eggs beaten separately in another bowl Have the cornmeal in a separate container All the wet together in saucepot and bring to boil, add cornmeal, whisk constantly until thick and boiling 5. Mix into dry, add eggs 6. Put in hotel pan and bake at 350 convection oven until barely baked but does not jiggle 7. Should be very loose, but not browning. 32 | EAT THIS CHARLESTON
Reader Recipe
Magical Strawberry Shortcake
A
by Mother Daughter Duo, Liza Ward & Elizabeth Benton of West Ashley, SC When I turned five, my mom asked me what kind of cake I wanted for my birthday. Without skipping a beat, I exclaimed, “Strawberry Shortcake!” It was after all my favorite cake, and I was oblivious to the impracticality of such a request (it was December in 1978). Finding strawberries in December back then was nearly impossible, not to mention ridiculously expensive. However, on my birthday, a strawberry shortcake appeared before me as if by magic. And it was. It may have been the best strawberry shortcake ever made. A few weeks ago, I asked my mom over for Easter lunch knowing that
she’d ask me what she could bring. My response, of course, was “Strawberry Shortcake.” I offered to provide the strawberries because on top of loving to eat strawberry shortcake, I also loved picking strawberries as a child. So, my husband, five-year-old daughter and I visited one of the local u-pick strawberry fields. In return, I again had a delicious dessert for the memory books. Admittedly, there have been a few tweaks to the recipe over the years, but to me, it’s still magic.
Strawberry Country Cake The Cake 1 cup butter, softened 2 cups sugar 3 cups sifted cake flour 3 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt 4 eggs 1 cup milk
Do You Have A Great Recipe? Submit your story, head shot, food photo, and recipe to ReaderRecipe@eatthischarleston.com ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon almond extract ½ teaspoon orange extract
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 9” cake pans. Make cake: In a mixing bowl, cream butter and gradually add sugar, creaming until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, sift flour (a second time) with baking powder and salt. (Note: sifting the flour two times really makes a difference with the texture of the cake, so don’t leave out that step). Add flour mixture alternately with milk and flavorings (extracts) to creamed mixture, beating after each addition until smooth. Pour batter into cake pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans and finish cooking on racks. Make sure the cake is completely cooled before assembling. (continued on next page)
JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2011 | 33
DRI V WINE-THRU
DOW
EE FoRg Treats
e) has urc p th (wi
D
Mt. PlEaSant
280 West Coleman Blvd. (one block from Ravenel Bridge) 843-881-6741
Cappuccino Blasts Shakes Sundaes Cones Cups Smoothies Soft Serve
Hours: Mon-Sat 10-10 Open Late Sunday 12-10
All Day Every Day
Mini Parfait Only $ 2.00
Catering for your office or Special Event Plenty of Patio & Outside Seating
Email Your Recipe To ReaderRecipe@eatthischarleston.com
The Strawberry “Filling” 5 pints (2 ½ quarts) strawberries thinly sliced 2/3 cup superfine sugar 1/8 cup Peach Schnapps Mix sugar with strawberries and let sit until sugar is completely dissolved (about 30 minutes). Immediately before cake assembly, add the Peach Schnapps. The Whipped Cream Topping 3 cups whipping cream 1 T Peach Schnapps 1/8 c. superfine sugar Mix together all ingredients and whip until stiff peaks are formed. Do not use a store-bought whipped cream. Homemade whipped cream really makes the cake taste like you are eating a bowl of strawberries and cream.
34 | EAT THIS CHARLESTON
915 HOUSTON NORTHCUTT BLVD. MOUNT PLEASANT (843) 606-2616 | www.eurasia.com In the corner next to Whole Foods Wine Wednesday, half price wine!
JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2011 | 35
LONG POINT
MATHIS
FERRY
RD.
NIE JOHN
Papa Murphy’s
DA ATH
Baskin Robbins VD T BL
Mc GR
U THC NOR
RB Y
N STO
H OU
Eurasia
LVD.
DS B
DOD
Finz Bar and Grill VD. AN BL
M COLE
Skoogies
36 | EAT THIS CHARLESTON
Giu
T RD.
LONG POINT RD.
Fuji Sushi Bricco Bracco M . RD ILE
N
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DO
SIX
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. VD BL
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FL
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Ladles Soups
E NG RA
AD RO
Palmetto Pig
Oil and Vinegar EO
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Tokyo Bistro
Tasi Bites and Blends OR CT
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ER NG
ON SC
DeRoMa’s Pizza
M
AL FP
Crave Kitchen and Cocktails
D OA
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FL
ueseppis
Hucks Lowcountry Table
. LVD
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Wholesale Liquor
Mad River
Fat Hen
Papa Murphy’s
Brett’s Roadside Kitchen
17 North Roadside Kitchen
41
Matt’s Pizza Dept. Souri’s Italian Bistro
LONG POINT RD.
SIX
D . 38 | EAT THIS CHARLESTON OA VD ER ILE
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Welcome to our famiglia, Bon Appetito!
From Italian to English, “Bricco Bracco” translates to “This and That.”
“This”
menu is derived from many years of Italian cooking and building layers of flavor combinations.
“That” brings
a taste of Italy to your plate.
843.416.8290
1161 Basketweave Drive, Mt. Pleasant
Behind Harris Teeter on Hwy. 17 & Six Mile. Open 7 days a week. 11am until. Happy Hour 4-7 Mon. - Sat. (bar only).
JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2011 | 39
Restaurant Directory 17 N. Roadside Kitchen 3563 North Highway 17 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 (843) 606-2144 roadsidekitchens.com
Fat Hen 3140 Maybank Highway Johns Island, SC 29455 (843) 559-9090 thefathen.com
Baskin Robbins 280 West Coleman Blvd. Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 (843) 881-6741
Giueseppi’s 1440 Ben Sawyer Blvd. Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464 (843) 856-2525 giuseppispizza.com
Brett’s Roadside Kitchen 951 Folly Road Charleston, SC 29412 (843) 277-2410 roadsidekitchen.com Bricco Bracco 1161 Basketweave Dr. Mt Pleasant, SC 29466 (843) 416-8290 briccobracco.net Crave Kitchen and Cocktails 1968 Riviera Dr. Mount Pleasant, SC 29466 (843) 884-1177 cravemtp.com DeRoMa’s Pizza 1948 Long Grove Dr. #201 Mt Pleasant, SC 29464 (843) 972-1780 deromaspizza.com
Hucks Lowcountry Table 1130 Ocean Blvd. Isle of Palms, SC 29451 (843) 886-6772 huckslowcountrytable.com Ladles Soups 1164 Basketweave Dr. Mount Pleasant, SC 29466 (843) 606-2711 ladlessoups.com 3125 Bees Ferry Rd. # C Charleston, SC 29414 (843) 769-9800 190 Gardeners Circle Johns Island, SC. 29455 (843) 243-9881 8600 Dorchester Rd. North Charleston, 29418 843-412-6780
Eurasia 915 Houston Northcutt Blvd. Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 (843) 606-2616 eurasiasc.com
Mad River 32 North Market St. # B Charleston, SC 29401 (843) 723-0032 madrivercharleston.com
Finz Bar and Grill 440 Coleman Boulevard Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 (843) 654-7296 finzbar.com
Matt’s Pizza Dept. 1055 South Carolina 41 Mount Pleasant, SC 29466 (843) 856-7800 nypizzaonline.com
Fuji Sushi 644 Long Point Rd. # Q Mount Pleasant SC 29466 (843) 856-5798 fujisushibarandgrill.com
205 Grandview Dr., Suite H Summerville, SC 29483 (843) 873-6606
Oil and Vinegar 1329 Theater Dr. Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 (843) 881-2208 mountpleasant. oilandvinegarusa.com Papa Murphy’s 923 Folly Rd. Charleston, SC 29412 (843) 573-7358 papamurphyssc.com 2 Avondale Ave. Charleston, SC 29407 (843) 789-3336 1107 Johnnie Dodds Blvd. Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 (843) 971-6242 216 Saint James Ave, Goose Creek, SC 29445 (843) 576-4133 Palmetto Pig 1795 HWY 17 North Mount Pleasant, SC, 29464 (843) 284-8920 thepalmettopig.com Skoogies 840 Coleman Blvd. # C Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 (843) 884-0172 originalskoogies.com Souri’s Italian Bistro 3369 South Morgans Point Rd. Mount Pleasant, SC 29466 (843) 388-2323 sourisbistro.com Tasi Bites and Blends 1948 Long Grove Dr. #5 Mount Pleasant, SC (843) 856-4264 tasifresh.com Tokyo Bistro 1501 N. HWY 17 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 (843) 971-0277 tokyo-bistro.com
List your restaurant Email directory@eatthischarleston.com
Beautiful Babies! continued from page 30
until the exact day you’ll be preparing them. Or, second best, use them within 48 to 72 hours. Otherwise, they just don’t hold up. There are also a great variety of speciality seeds developed specifically for the cultivation of baby fruits and vegetables. The ones most people are familiar with are cherry tomatoes. These have been around so long, hardly anyone even considers them “baby”, but they definitely fit into that category. Another little fruit that’s been vying for a place beside its great, big relative has been dubbed “the personal watermelon” since it’s a much more manageable size for most refrigerators. Visit www.seedman.com/baby.htm for a list of seeds available for home gardeners to try. Plant-water-grow-enjoy!
out the Charleston area, with more coming aboard all the time. You can indulge in their weekly bounty yourself at their own Stono Market on John’s Island and learn more about their fascinating enterprise at www. stonofarmmarket.com. You might be asking, “what if I can’t buy mini produce?” How does one grow baby vegetables at home? Certainly you can plant the very same vegetables you normally would and simply pick them at any point before they reach their largest size. “Crowding” the plants, by placing the seeds closer together, will naturally result in smaller vegetables and because there are more plants per foot - there are more baby veggies to harvest. The trick Chris Saxon Koelker is to keep them on the vine, bush or plant www.storylinemedia.com
“Hot soups for cool people!” 10-14 daily homemade soups, gourmet sandwiches, and salads
MT PLEASANT 1164 Basketweave Dr 843-606-2711 WEST ASHLEy 3125 Bees Ferry Rd 843-769-9800 FRESHFiELDS ViLLAgE 190 gardners Cir 843-243-9881 NoRTH CHARLESToN 8600 Dorchester Rd 843-412-6780
Visit www.ladlessoups.com for the daily specials at the Ladles near you. JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2011 | 41
Events FARMERS MARKETS Charleston: Saturdays through 12/18 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Marion Square, Calhoun and King St. North Charleston: Thursdays through 10/13 from 12-7 p.m. Park Circle, North Charleston Mt. Pleasant: Tuesdays through 10/18 at 3:30 p.m. Mt. Pleasant Farmers Market Pavilion,645 Coleman Blvd., Mt. Pleasant Daniel Island: Thursdays through 9/29 at 4 p.m. Island Park Drive, adjacent to Publix Shopping Center
RARE BEER TUESDAY Every Tuesday at 5 p.m. Every week the guys at CBX tap an extra-special keg on the growler station. Charleston Beer Exchange, 14 Exchange St., Downtown
BIG CHEF LITTLE CHEF Thursday, June 16 from 6:30-9 p.m. Ten “little chef” contestants, participants of the Louie’s Kids program, will be paired up with their “big chef” as part of a friendly cooking competition. Lowndes Grove Plantation 266 St. Margaret St., Downtown More info visit www.louieskids.org
AVONDALE WINE TASTING Mondays, Thursdays, 5-7 p.m. Regular weekly tastings. $5. Avondale Wine and Cheese, West Ashley
GUERRILLA CUISINE WITH SEAN PARK Sunday, June 19 from 6-10 p.m. O-Ku Chef Sean Park will host this installment of Guerrilla’s underground supper club.
FLIGHT NIGHT/STEAL THE PINT NIGHT Mondays from 6 p.m. Flights of beer are $7. The steal the pint night drafts vary from week to week. Mellow Mushroom, 3110 Hwy. 17, Mt. Pleasant
POUR IT FORWARD Wednesday, June 22 from 5-8 p.m. Monthly Wine-tasting Fundraiser Square Onion Too and Earthly Artifacts, 411 Coleman Boulevard, Mt. Pleasant
WINESTYLES WINE TASTINGS Thursdays & Fridays from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and Saturdays, 3-7 p.m. Stop by for something different each week. Taste four-five different wines and learn about them. Appetizers provided. WineStyles, Mt. Pleasant Towne Centre 1628 Palmetto Grande Drive, Mt. Pleasant
GUEST BARTENDING NIGHT Thursday, June 23 Alan Cabadin will bartend. Graze will donate 10 percent of all sales to Camp Happy Days. Graze, 863 Houston Northcutt Blvd., Mt. Pleasant
42 | EAT THIS CHARLESTON
FOODIE TRIVIA NIGHT Flaunt your gastro-knowledge. Foodie Trivia Night at Ted’s will take place on the second Wednesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at Ted’s Butcherblock, 334 East Bay St., Downtown
FAMILY STYLE DINNER Mondays from 6-10 p.m. Four courses of the chef’s choice served family style. $36 Trattoria Lucca, 41 Bogard St., Downtown
View more events at EatThisCharleston.com
Have a Culinary event you’d like to promote? Email your culinary event to events@eatthischarleston.com.
Come share our
Passion for Great Italian Food!
Catering & Take Out Available
9
$ .99
Pasta Bowls
Tuesday – Thursday —All Night Dine-in or Take-out
Half Price Bottles of Wine 5-7pm
find us on
®
SOURI’S ItalIan BIStRO
Tues - Thurs: 5 - 9 pm • Fri - Sat: 5 - 10 pm: Sun 5-9 pm 3369 South Morgans Point Rd. • Mt. Pleasant
843-388-2323 • sourisbistro.com
PapamurphysSC.com
Handmade fresh. Home baked GREAT. Every Papa Murphy’s pizza is made fresh before your eyes exactly how you want it, using only the finest ingredients. Then you take it home and bake it in your oven whenever you’re ready, so it’s always served piping hot and delicious. It’s a difference you can taste, and it’s part of what’s made us the #1 Rated Pizza Chain. — Zagat 2010 National Restaurant Chains Survey
Mount Pleasant 1107 Johnnie Dodds Blvd. Next to Stuckey Furniture 843-971-6242 James Island Next to Walgreens 843-573-7358
West Ashley At Savanah Hwy & Avondale West 843-789-3336
Goose Creek Near Dunkin Donuts 843-576-4133
JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2011 | 43
Foodie
QUIZ
Are you a Gastr onaut?
Foodies are peop le who love to ea t, discuss and sa not be the best livate over all th date for a Lowc ings food. They ou nt ry boil or potluck have impressiv may dinner, but the e palates that ca best among them n appreciate th whether it’s a jui e sim pl es t cy hamburger or and most intric ate flavors, seared foie gras test your tastes . So whether yo or a foodie in th u’re a foodie wi e m aking looking to shing to your fork and dig expand your cu into our Eat Th linary horizons, is! Foodie Quiz. grab No napkins requ ired. 1. Which creamy, nu tty bean with deep pinky-red flecks is in its prime from late July-August? a. Tarbais b. Borlotti c. Fava
2. Which pungent ing redient has its own festival on the Isle of Wight every August with all mann er of specialities, from chutneys to ice -cream, showcasing its end less potential? a. Chilli b. Garlic c. Mustard
3. A Gastrovac is … a. a cutting edge pie ce of kitchen kit, which does someth ing spiffy with vacuums. b. a killer move in Scr abble. c. like a Popemobile, but for protecting very high profile and controversial chefs. 4. Agar jelly is … a. the new name for Cillit Bang. b. the answer to all chefs’ dreams, because it stays sol id when hot. Woo hoo! c. an ‘intimate’ lubric ant for those seeking an organic alternative to KY. fun foodie facts and
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5. A Michelin star is … a. all sparkly. b. an award given by The Michelin Guide, the oldest and bestknown European hot el and restaurant guide, wh ich is revised and re-publish ed annually. c. A nice alternative to the Michelin Christmas Fairy. 6. Which of the follow ing is the most expensive preserved ham product? a. Proscuitto di Parm a b. Proscuitto San Da nielle c. Jamon Iberico 7. Which of the follow ing is considered the highest grade of beef? a. Prime b. A5-12 c. Kobe d. Mishima 8. Which of the follow ing is considered a citrus? a. Buddha’s Hand Cit ron b. Rangpur Lime c. Cara Cara d. All of the Above
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Join us for the
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Launch Party — June 29 from 5-8pm
Wine & Beer Tastings | Live Music Food Fight Tasting | Prizes & Giveaways Crave Kitchen and Cocktails 1968 Riviera Drive | Mount Pleasant JUNE - JULY - AUGUST 2011 | 45
Where food is love, local, and seasonal first. Ocean View Dining Indoor & Outdoor Seating 1130 Ocean Blvd. Isle Of Palms 843-886-6772 www.huckslowcountrytable.com
Lunch: Tue - Sat 11:30 am - 2:30 pm DInner: Tue - Thu 5:30 pm - 9 pm Fri & Sat 5:30 pm - 10 pm SunDay Brunch: 10:30 am - 2 pm Tue WeD Thur: half price bottles of wine