Culinary Stars Shine Bright

Skyline

Lodge’s Under the Stars, On the Rocks

brings a taste of the Lowcountry at its finest on August 22.

In the past two years, some of the brightest shining culinary stars have made their way to the Skyline Lodge’s Oak Steakhouse to participate in the guest chef series Under the Stars, On the Rocks.

Featured on August 22 are two of the Lowcountry’s brightest – Mashama Bailey and Trevor Elliot of The Grey in Savannah, Georgia. Here, at the restaurant that was built from the ruins of a once-segregated bus station, the duo attracts diners from around the world for singular dishes that fuse Lowcountry tradition with innovation.

Executive Chef Mashama Bailey may be a household name in Savannah, but her influence has spread far beyond coastal Georgia. Named “the most important chef in America” by the Financial Times, she’s charmed audiences on Netflix’s Chef’s Table, co-written a book – Black, White & the Grey with her business partner John Morisano and made history in 2019 as the first Black woman to win the coveted James Beard Award for

Outstanding Chef. In 2022, her story was featured on the Today show as part of a series on inspiriting women alongside the likes of Michelle Obama.

Bailey’s ascension to the culinary stratosphere is the stuff of legends. Born in the Bronx, she went back and forth between New York and Georgia until the age of 5. There she remained until age 11 when the family eventually returned to New York. After culinary school in New York and France, she worked in multiple New York City kitchens, ending at Prune, where she rose to the rank of sous chef under culinary icon Gabrielle Hamilton. Ultimately, she decided to return to the South and accepted an offer to partner with entrepreneur and venture capitalist John Morisano, opening The Grey Restaurant in 2015.

Chef de Cuisine at The Grey, Trevor Elliot works alongside Bailey, boosting the vision of Port City Southern Cuisine. Trained in New York and San Francisco at acclaimed restaurants Ai Fior, Houseman, and Marcos, Elliot focuses on sourcing local produce meat and seafood.

Along with her co-founder and business partner John Morisano, Bailey and their Grey Spaces hospitality group opened two new restaurants in 2022: the Diner Bar and The Grey Market in Austin, which was lauded by the Austin American-Statesman and Austin Monthly Magazine as one of the city’s Best New Restaurants, for its distinct take on Port City Southern fare.

Tickets are $175 per person and include a signature welcome cocktail and fourcourse dinner with beverage pairings. Additional a la carte drinks are available for purchase. Limited availability and advanced reservations required.

Next up in the series are Ryan Prewitt of

Peche New Orleans on September 12 and Joe Kindred, of Kindred, of Davidson, North Carolina, on October 3.

For reservations or more information, visit oaksteakhouserestaurant.com/event/ under-the-stars-on-the-rocks-august/

by Marlene Osteen

Thirsty Thursdays

Highlands Wine Shoppe’s wine tastings are an enchantment of the palate and a deep dive into exquisite vintages. For more information, call (828) 526-4080. Better yet, stop in –269 Oak Street.

Have you checked out the wine tastings at the Highlands Wine Shoppe?

Just about a year ago, owner and Certified Sommelier Stephanie Miskew, started the popular #ThirstyThursday wine tasting series.

Each week focuses on a timely, seasonally-inspired topic – a region, producer or varietal – with an assortment of bottles and an infectiously unrestrained enthusiasm. Occasionally they’ll feature a guest, or discuss a wine related issue, but by design the format is interactive and engaging. There’s always a rapt and enthusiastic audience of regulars and visitors enjoying the wine, conversation, and education.

The Wine series is held every Thursday in August from 4:30 to 6:30 P.M. and costs $25 per person. Accompanying the wines is a selection of charcuterie. The series is informal, and reservations are not required. For the wine-obsessed, the tastings qualify as crazy entertainment.

Thursday, August 3: Rosé Soirée: It’s not summer without Rosé. This is a deep dive into how to raise your rosé game with wines that are refreshing, carefree and worthy of more than a solo cup. From the classics made in Provence to an exploration of the less well-known wines produced in Spain and elsewhere – these are the rosé wines to drink this summer

Thursday, August 10: Organic, Biodynamic + Vegan: For years, wine lovers only had to decide between red and white wines. Now the question is whether the wine should also be green. Stephanie and Annelize will help you navigate the confusing differences and distinction between the designations and decide for yourself how they taste.

Thursday, August 17: She’s Got Legs: What does a wine’s “legs” really mean? Are they really a thing, and are they an indication of the quality of the wine? Let’s find out!

Thursday: August 24: A Study in Sauvignon Blanc: Much as rosé, grassy, zesty Sauvignon Blancs evoke summer. Discover how these savory characteristics can be found in a variety of wines and styles from Bordeaux to New Zealand and the Loire Valley.

Thursday, August 31: Golf Wines: Enjoy selections from some of the world’s best golfers. Why do some of the top golf clubs in the world also have some of the finest wine cellars. The combination really isn’t a surprise – the British Open trophy is in the shape of a claret jug and top golfers like Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, and Ernie Els have their own wine labels. Let’s taste!

by Marlene Osteen

Gabbard’s Cheesecake

Andrea Gabbard has spent countless hours in the kitchen perfecting this cheesecakiest of cheesecakes.

Andrea Gabbard, one of the powerhouse brokers at Highlands Sotheby’s International Realty brought this recipe for the classic cheesecake to me just in time for August celebrations.

Some years ago, Gabbard set out to become a culinarian. After graduating from the acclaimed Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, she worked stints behind the stoves in the Cayman Islands, the Florida Governor’s mansion and at a top security clearance operation in Connecticut.

Ultimately, she opened her own restaurant in Tallahassee in the late 1980’s. She called it The Grilled Tuna. Gabbard sold that restaurant in 1995 and in 1998 moved to the Plateau, or as she described it, “We drove up here from Tallahassee with all our stuff hanging out of the car and found home.”

For this spin on the traditional decadent dessert, Gabbard drew from the most popular dessert at her former restaurant. A recipe she developed, as she told me, after much trial and error. It is a recipe of distinction, a definitive rendition of the classic dessert – simple and rich with a smooth creaminess and contrasting crust, it’s easily accessorized with ripe fruit or flavors.

Gabbard warns that to bake the cheesecake without a water bath is to tempt faith – to risk curdling the filling. Make it yourself as soon as you can. It is to die for.

Andrea’s Cheesecake

Ingredients

For the Crust:

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs

⅓ cup unsalted butter or margarine, melted

For the Filling:

4 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

1 ¼ cups sugar

½ cup sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 large eggs

For the Topping:

½ cup sour cream

2 teaspoons sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475°F. Place a large pan filled with 1/2 inch water in oven.

2. Make crust: Mix graham cracker crumbs and cinnamon; add butter or margarine. Press crust onto bottom and 2/3 of the way up a 9-inch springform pan lined with parchment. Wrap a large piece of foil around bottom of pan. Freeze until filling is prepared.

3. Make filling: Use an electric mixer to mix cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and vanilla. Blend until smooth and creamy. Scrape down sides of bowl. Whisk eggs in a bowl; add to cream cheese mixture. Blend just until eggs are incorporated.

4. Remove crust from freezer and pour in filling. Carefully place cheesecake into preheated water bath. Bake for 12 minutes; turn oven to 350°F and bake until top of cheesecake turns golden, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove cake to a wire rack to cool.

5. Make topping: Combine sour cream and sugar; spread over cake. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

by Marlene Osteen