Top Banner
Nate Thurston Playing with Fire Tap in at Bowens Island Dine or Dash Mexican Standoff Ah, Sweet September Let Oyster Season Begin in the Lowcountry CHARLESTON Charleston’s Premier Culinary Magazine FALL 2012 | eatthischarleston.com
48

Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

Mar 08, 2016

Download

Documents

Eat This

Charleston's Premier Culinary Magazine
Welcome message from author
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Page 1: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

Nate ThurstonPlaying with Fire

Tap in at Bowens IslandDine or Dash Mexican Standoff

Ah, Sweet SeptemberLet Oyster Season Begin in the Lowcountry

THIS

eat

CHARLESTON

Charleston’s Premier Culinary Magazine

FALL 2012 | eatthischarleston.com

Page 2: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

SUSHI BAR & GRILL

DAILY SPECIALS

Chefs from New York’s Finest Sushi Restaurants

FOOTBALL SPECIAL Mon,Thur $10 Domestic Buckets of Beer SaT & Sun during football games

Mon Single Lady 1/2 Price on house Wine, house Champagne & house hot Sake

TuES haPPY hour aLL nIGhT

WED 1/2 Price Bottle Wine night

ThurS $15 Pitchers of Margarita

FrI $5 Martini

SaT $5 Martini

SaT & Sun $10 Mimosas & BrunCh $5 Bloody Marys

Sun $2 off Sappora

Happy Hour7 Days a week 4:30 - 6:30 pm$2 All Domestic Beers

$2 off Japanese Beer & Wine$3 Well Drinks1/2 off Sake

644Q Long Point Rd., Mt. PleasantInside the Belle Hall Shopping Center Across from Brixx

843-856-5798 • fujisushibarandgrill.comM-Th 11am - 10 pm • Fri 11am - 11 pm • Sat 12 - 11 pm • Sun 12 - 10 pm Fuji Sushi Mount Pleasant

Come join us for our

3-year anniversary Celebration

September 15

all you Can Eat Sushi & Drinks

only $75 per person*

restaurant Week Special

September 5-16

3-course mealonly $20 per person*

*Call for details and reservations.

Page 3: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

Catering for your office or Special Event Plenty of Patio & Outside Seating

Cappuccino Blasts ShakesSundaes

ConesCups

Soft ServeSmoothies

DRIVE-THRU WINDOW

All Day Every Day

Mini Parfait Only $2.00

Hours: Mon-Sat 10-10Open Late Sunday 12-10

NOW OPEN

FREE Dog Treats

(with purchase)

CHARLESTON 1798 Ashley River Rd.

(next to Skatell’s off Sam Rittenburg)843-225-3131

MT. PLEASANT 280 West Coleman Blvd.

(one block from Ravenel Bridge)843-881-6741

843.416.8290 • briccobracco.net 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).

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.

Welcome to our famiglia, Bon Appetito!

Visit briccobracco.net to view our new menu.

Buy one of our Specialty Entrees and get the second at half price.

Dine-in only. Not valid with any other offer promotion or discount. Mozzarella Bar, soups, salads, or pizza not included. No cash value.

Limit 1 per table per visit. Must present coupon. Valid at Bricco Bracco, 1161 Basketweave Dr., Mt. Pleasant, SC. Expires 11/1/12

fall 2012 | 1

Page 4: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

EditorFrom the

Our mission at Eat This! has been to highlight

those very people that make Charleston

such a fascinating foodie destination. I

think it is safe to say that great food is not

indigenous to our town alone. Food is a

celebrated aspect of popular culture, no

longer exclusive to the metropolitan.

As the remnants of summer linger, it is

time for us to celebrate the “R” months.

In this issue, Eat This! pays homage to an

oyster farmer and his craft, Jeff Spahr of

Bulls Bay and the harvested, delicious bi-

valve mollusk. I admit that I never truly paid

attention to the “R” month rule. Until this is-

sue, I thought it to be urban legend of some

sex-crazed oyster-lover ending up in the

ER. The “D” in my name must clearly stand

for Danger for each July, I return to my

hometown of Pensacola Beach and belly-

up to the bar at Peg Leg Pete’s. I order a few

dozen on the half shell, from the shallow

oyster paradise of Apalachicola Bay and

wash ‘em down with a Bushwacker. Spahr

may not approve but then again, he does

not know that they use Barcardi 151 in that

cocktail. (If that proof cannot kill any potential

bacteria, I do not know what will).

We also invite you to kick back on your

porch with a high-ball glass of Virgil

Kaine Ginger-infused Bourbon as you

watch the light outside begin to change

and leaves begin to fall. Let our Nates

capture your hearts in our Chef and

Server Spotlights. Tap into your appre-

ciation for local craft beer out at Bowens

Island, enjoy a little wine in reverse, and

dive into some Mexican fare whether it

be North or South of the Ravenel. We are

dishing out the goods this fall — can I get

an AMEN (Street) to that?

And don’t forget, ‘tis festival time. Be

sure to check out Southern Ground as

Zac Brown and friends return with South

Eastern Chefs and a musical line-up that

is sure to make you sing for your supper

as well as Taste of Charleston, Music to

Your Mouth and Make a Wish Founda-

tion’s Wine, Brew & Wishes Too.

Dee Lambert

Editor

It is not just quality and local ingredients that make great food in the Lowcountry — it is the people.

2 | Eat this! CharlEston

Page 5: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

Contents

Cover Photo by Stacy Howell Jeff Spahr on Bulls Bay

In This Issue30 Reader Recipe

Lemon Thyme Vodka Three-Way K. Culver of Mount Pleasant

32 Chef Recipe Cumin Scented Confit Lamb Belly Josh Keller of Two Boroughs Larder

36 Dining Map

40 Restaurant Directory

42 Events Culinary Happenings in the Lowcountry

44 Foodie Quiz

Features6 From the Cellar

Movia “Puro” Rose A Disgorgement Delight from the Hills of Slovenia

8 From the Tap Hidden Beer Behemoth Bowens Island Restaurant

10 Restaurant Spotlight Raising the (Raw) Bar Amen Street makes the oyster their world

14 Chef Spotlight When Opportunity Knocks Nathan Thurston of Stars

16 Server Spotlight One is Not Like the Others Nate Alton of Pearlz

18 Bartender Spotlight Virgil Kaine - Bourbon, the All-Inclusive Version Jake Johnson & David Szlam

21 Follow This! Chasing Aphrodite Harvesting Nature’s Aphrodisiacs in Bull’s Bay

26 Dine or Dash A Tale of Two Cities Santi’s

28 Do This! Southern Ground Music & Food Festival Wine, Brew & Wishes Too!

fall 2012 | 3

Page 6: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

1130 Ocean Blvd. Front Beach, Isle of Palms

843-886-6772 www.huckslowcountrytable.com

Beautiful Ocean View DiningIndoor & outdoor seatIng

serVIng LunCH & dInner Tuesday - Saturday

sundaY BrunCH 10:30 am - 2 pm

Featuring Award Winning Bloody Mary’s

1/2 PrICe BottLes of WIne Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 5:30 - 8 pm

CHARLESTON

Editor Dee Lambert

[email protected]

Art Director Craig McLaughlin

[email protected]

Photography Stacy Howell

[email protected]

Contributors Patrick Graham

Antonia M. Krenza Lauren Levine

Timmons Pettigrew Laney Roberts

Chris West

Online Contributors Kathleen Curry Patrick Graham Lauren Levine

Meg Pitts

Advertising Nick Mead

[email protected]

Heidi Hein [email protected]

Publisher Nick Mead

[email protected] Eat This Now, LLC

1121 Park West Blvd Suite B #108

Mount Pleasant, SC 29466 (843) 225-0470

eatthischarleston.com4 | Eat this! CharlEston

Page 7: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

AUTHENTIC ITALIAN RISTORANTEFive Star Dining at Three Star Prices.

717 Old Trolley Road | Summerville843.873.9339 | tomatoessummerville.com |

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEKMonday: 11 am - 2 pm

Tuesday-Sunday: 11 am - 9 pm

Enjoy Our Conversation Bar where you can engage in quiet conversation without interruption.

There’s MORE in your

AIR DUCTS than just AIR …

such as DUST, DIRT and other

HARMFUL CONTAMINANTS.

Air Duct Cleaning

HVAC Installation / Repair

Electrical Installation / Repair

Plumbing Installation / Repair

Gas Line Installation

Crawlspace Encapsulation

HEALTH BENEFITS FROM DUCT CLEANING.Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems have been shown to act as a collection source for a variety of contaminants that have the potential to affect health, such as dust mites, mold, fungi, bacteria, dust particles and pet dander. The removal of such contaminants from your HVAC system and home should be considered as one component in an overall plan to improve your indoor air quality.

843.425.9858CarolinaClimateMasters.com

Heating | Cooling | Refrigeration | IAQ | Plumbing | Electrical | Crawlspace Encapsulation | Air Duct Cleaning | Gas Line Installation |

Mention this ad

for FREE video

inspection

fall 2012 | 5

Page 8: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

Next Door | 843.881.8817

819 Coleman Boulevard | Mount Pleasant | SC

Wine tasting dinners held the first Monday of each

month. Call for reservations.

Check it out!

He placed the

wine into my

hands very gen-

tly upside down.

“Handle this with

care. Do not turn it right side up

and do not let it get warm.” I took

the dark, heavy bottle from him

and rushed this wine directly to

the cellar. I checked on it every

day until the day of it’s fate, the

day of it’s disgorgement.

Sparkling wine goes through quite a ride

before landing in our hands. Beginning as

still wine, the juice is bottled and a small

dose of sugar, wine and yeast is poured

into the still wine, initiating the secondary

fermentation. These yeast cells convert the

sugar into alcohol, causing carbonation.

Slowly, the yeast cells begin to die and cre-

ate a cloudy looking wine. The tedious ac-

tion of riddling takes place, slowly turning

the bottle into an upside down position, pre-

paring it for disgorgement to remove these

expired yeast cells.

The event that was about to happen is not a

common one that consumers experience. Ben

Arnold Beverage Company carries Movia’s

undisgorged sparkling wine, along with the

outstanding tasting line-up for the Next Door/

Red Drum wine dinner. With only two thousand

bottles produced, it is extremely difficult to get

your hands on this sparkling wine.

Movia “Puro” Rose 2004 hails from Slo-

venia, right along route E55. This very route

also glides through Italy and Austria as well.

The man who placed this wine into my hands

upside down was John Julius. John, along

with Jason Freeman, would be exposing this

wine post disgorgement.

The Next Door/Red Drum wine dinner

aroused excitement with an all-star 8-wine

line-up. The lyrics from Scenes from an

Italian Restaurant play in my mind, four

bottles of red and four bottles of white. The

By Lauren Levine

Movia “Puro” roseA Disgorgement Delight from the Hills of Slovenia

FROM THE CELLAR

6 | Eat this! CharlEston

Page 9: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

Stadt Krems 2010 Gruner Veltliner from

Kremstal, Austria shone brightly, paired

with Beusoleil oysters, a delicate gruner

veltliner granita iced concoction. The most

decadent red wine, Cottanera Fatigione

2006 Nerello Mascalese from Sicily was

rich and dense, giving off elegant mineral,

red fruits, raspberry and blueberry. The

wine complimented the roasted pork loin

with ricotta salata in such a way that the

flavors melted in your mouth.

Just as dessert was coming to a close, a

small spotlight lit up the grand finale … the

disgorgement of Movia “Puro” Rose 2004

from Slovenia. The room came to a silent

halt as cameras and phones emerged to

turn Next Door into a concert of sorts. Ev-

ery eye was set on the always upside down

bottle, now held under a clear tub filled with

water and ice. In one quick motion, the cork

was popped. Pieces of water jumped out

towards the dining room and the tub wa-

ter transformed into a light orange color.

The bottle finally turned upright just as an-

other bottle flew open on the opposite side

of the event. Glasses were passed of this

pale salmon/light orange colored unusual

sparkling and toasted between each other

as guests tasted their first undisgorged

wine, filled with hints of apple cider, nut-

meg, raspberries and cinnamon. I picked

up two glasses myself and headed towards

the kitchen as Chef de Cuisine Nathan Hood

was walking out. I handed him a glass. We

smiled as our glasses touched each other,

anticipating the first Monday of the next

month, excited about the upcoming Next

Door/Red Drum wine dinner.

with our flavor enhancing wood fired pizzasGET FIRED UP

www.brixxpizza.com

Open 7 days a week 11-11

656 Long Point Rd. | Mt. Pleasant | 843.971.2120

fall 2012 | 7

Page 10: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

Bowens Island Restaurant

Hidden Beer Behemoth

Bowens Island Restaurant

should need no introduction.

The seafood landmark, situ-

ated on a tiny namesake is-

land near Folly Beach, has

been in “top” lists of national magazines,

profiled on national television, and even

earned itself a James Beard American

Classic Award. Most people equate the joint

with heaping plates of deliciously prepared,

local seafood. Their oysters are their real

claim to fame, harvested by hand from their

surrounding waters for decades. Unfortu-

nately, the bar selection that goes along with

a menu like theirs is often lacking at best.

Check your expectations at the dock, be-

cause Bowens Island sports the Charleston

area’s best local tap selection.

Six years ago, the original restaurant

tragically burned down. After a rough

sixty years in business,

there was no ques-

tion that

owner Robert Barber would rebuild. The

tragedy turned into opportunity, as the new

Bowens Island Restaurant would have more

room, including room for an eight-tap draft

system and a ten-by-ten beer cooler at

the bar. They carried the typical American

light lager at first, but soon our local brew-

ing culture was growing all around them.

Robert, being a soul truly dedicated to the

area, formed relationships with our brewers

over time, perhaps culminating in Holy City

Brewing using his oysters for their Bowens

Island Oyster Stout last fall.

A few months ago, Robert doubled down

on his taps, bringing his count up to sixteen.

In the meantime, they installed a huge re-

frigeration unit, mainly for housing their

By Timmons Pettigrew

from the tap

8 | Eat this CharlEston!

Page 11: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

oysters. The BMC (Bud, Miller, and Coors)

bottles were moved into the unit too, al-

lowing them to dedicate the beer cooler to

kegs. Since it wasn’t being opened at the

bar constantly, the draft selection could be

kept there at a consistent temperature, and

smaller kegs could be changed out more

easily. Couple that new system with Robert’s

love of all things local, and you get the sur-

prisingly excellent selection they have today.

Though I’d heard of their local focus, on

one recent visit I found all sixteen taps dedi-

cated to local beer, equally spread amongst

our four breweries. Sixteen simultaneous

local taps during the regular course of busi-

ness is, without a doubt, the best local selec-

tion in these parts. Even our forty-odd-tap,

beer-centric bars don’t have that kind of lo-

cal coverage.

Don’t expect style-specific, beer-clean

glassware, or anything fancy for that matter.

Your pint is going in a plastic cup, and you’re

going to like it. That goes with the territory,

however. In a place that lets you write on the

walls, you should be okay with suspending

a few standards. The incredible view on the

back deck, and of course the food, should

more than make up for any misgivings.

Local is certainly not everything when

it comes to beer. But in a budding brewing

culture like Charleston’s, dedication to the

cause is a fun, refreshing thing to

run into, especially in unexpect-

ed places.

Timmons Pettigrew is the author of Charleston Beer: A High-Gravity History

of Lowcountry Brewing, and co-founder of CHSBeer.org, an extensive online

resource for local beer, with Chrys Rynearson, his book’s photographer.

Follow him on Twitter @CHSBeer.fall 2012 | 9

Page 12: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

Sometimes unexpected long

rains give restaurants fits,

because precipitation doesn’t

lend itself the kind of pre-

dictability that management

craves. Showers can bring mad rushes on

a lazy Tuesday afternoon, bringing in the

dampened masses that ordinarily would

wander the streets of our fair city, or they

can kill off a seemingly steady lunch shift

free of surprises, turning a dining room

into a ghost town.

The former of the preceding sentence

was indeed the case at Amen Street on

East Bay Street the day I came to visit.

General Manager Don Goodemote was

behind the bar, helping out as managers

do in a pinch, mixing drinks and expedit-

ing orders. Ah, the bar. The lovely white

marble bar. I digress. Chef Stephen Ol-

lard joined Goodemote to chat about the

mission of Amen Street, a mission that

is laden with the fruits of the sea, and in

particular, the oyster. There were three

dozen points of origin on the menu, from

Alabama Gulf waters to Cape Spear in

New Brunswick. Chincoteague, Virginia

and Fanny Bay, British Columbia are

also represented, and based on avail-

ability and freshness, a handful of these

choices made up the Huitres du Jour. This

was looking suspiciously like a wine list. I

205 East Bay Street | Charleston SC

(843) 853-8600 | amenstreet.com

Amen Street

Raising the

(Raw)BarAmen Street makes the oyster their worldby Patrick Graham

RESTAURANT spotlight

10 | Eat this! CharlEston

Page 13: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

asked Chef Ollard if this was on purpose.

“We treat it like wine. Each oyster has a ter-

roir (native locale) as each wine does. We let

people sample oysters like they would sample

wine…the oyster list that we carry, most people

have not tried these oysters.”

Curious patrons are in for an education as

the list changes. Goodemote noted that, as with

wine, the region where an oyster is harvested

has a lot to do with its characteristics.

“A lot of [customers] come in and just think

an oyster is an oyster is an oyster, as something

from northern Virginia is going to be different

from southern Virginia, even something from

Georgetown (SC) is going to be different from

the Folly River.”

Could wines and oysters be paired? “Oh, I

think that could certainly happen,” said Ollard.

“Other than the South (re: the Gulf oysters), the

wine-producing regions are oyster-producing

regions; in Oregon, some are produced in Cali-

fornia, and Washington, so, yeah, you could pair

wines and oysters from the same regions…

some of the oysters have such complexity that

not only can the wine enhance the oysters, but

the oysters can enhance the wine.”

Back to the bar aspect. If the oysters provide

the “raw” in raw bar, the seemingly endless

white marble and wooden platform is but one

facet of the essence of the establishment that

puts the “bar” in raw bar. There is no shortage

of televisions, a full complement of liquors (in-

cluding the locally produced Virgil Kaine ginger-

infused bourbon) and craft beers are available,

and an uncompromisingly casual feel to the din-

ing room validated my hypothesis that a dozen

oysters on a bed of snowy ice had supplanted

the role that a dozen chicken wings would play

at any sports bar on the peninsula.

Given its address on East Bay Street, the ver-

itable epicenter of Charleston cuisine, I asked

Ollard about the execution of a possible dual-

Shop local.Save local.

And support local charities, too!A portion of the proceeds from each iShopLocalAndSave card benefit local charities.

Doing good just got a whole lot easier.

Reserve your savings card today!

iShopLocalAndSave.com

fall 2012 | 11

Page 14: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

Do you know of a great restaurant? Email your suggestion to [email protected]

RESTAURANT spotlight

12 | Eat this CharlEston!

Page 15: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

ity of Amen Street’s plan: can you keep up

with the Joneses in the immediate vicinity

while carving out a niche of your own?

“I think we’re doing both…seafood is

something that is a staple in Charleston

anyway, and that’s what we do, so we

have to…on not just a quarterly, monthly,

yearly, but on a daily basis, not just keep

up, but pass them and raise the bar, and

make them keep up with us.”

With the surging interest in the “farm-

to-table” concept around Charleston’s

kitchens, a parallel was drawn between

farm-to-table and Ollard’s preference for

his restaurant, only the key words there

were “sustainable” and “fresh”.

“We are a fish and raw bar — we want

the fish to shine, we want the oysters to

shine. I don’t adulterate the food that

much … it’s just fresh.”

Simplicity like that will get you every-

where. Then this question: is it more im-

portant to reinvent the seared red snapper

or black grouper dish in a unique fashion,

or would you rather use a unique fish that

few have heard of (today it was orange

marlin) to drive the originality of the menu?

As expected, Ollard approached the fork in

the road, and took the fork:

“It’s both. I personally get more excited

about a fish I’ve never heard of before. [Or-

ange marlin] is a fish I had never heard of

until a few years ago, and now I can’t get

enough of it … I’m also very classic in tech-

nique and my mindset, and there are staples

that when people come to Charleston, they

want … a menu that will stay inside the box.”

Amen, indeed.

Serving Full Lunch & Dinner Menu ‘til 1AM215 E Bay Street • Downtown(843) 793-4653 • macsplacecharleston.com

A Chicago Fan’s home away from home …

Wednesday burger & pint special

$10

LiveMusic

ThursdayTrivia

COLDEST BEERIN TOWN13 drafts • 41 botles • 8 cans

fall 2012 | 13

Page 16: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

When Opportunity Knocksby Laney Roberts

To be a chef is to court creativity. It is to imagine a

marriage of flavors and textures and then produce it

on a plate. Success is dependent upon the preferences

and palates of their guests. It is a daunting and yet

welcoming challenge that chefs face everyday. There

are chefs that are happy to take an existing menu and add

their own nuances of taste and quality. There are also chefs

that desire to create their own menus, to take a concept from

scratch and make it their own. This is an opportunity that doesn’t

present itself as often as some chefs may desire. Yet, when it

does, a chef’s whole world can change …

Stars Restaurant Grill Room & Rooftop Bar495 King Street | Downtown843.577.0100 | starsrestaurant.comOpening August 2012

Check him out @

chef spotlight

14 | Eat this! CharlEston

Page 17: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

SuBjECT: Nathan Thurston

Executive Chef - Stars Restaurant

Grill Room and Rooftop Bar

ORiginS: Greensboro, NC

EDuCaTiOn: Johnson & Wales University,

Business Culinary Arts. Last class to

graduate at Charleston campus.

EvOluTiOn: At 15 Nate took a restaurant

job washing dishes. He noticed that the

cooks always seemed to be having more

fun, so decided to give cooking a try. By

18, Nate was the Sous Chef at Josephines

in Marion, NC. It was at that point that

he decided to go to culinary school.

The journey that followed includes The

Biltmore Estate (Asheville, NC), The White

Horse Inn (Madison, WI), The Vineyards

(Winston-Salem, NC), Fish (Charleston, SC)

and The Atlantic Room (Kiawah Island, SC).

His last position was the Executive Chef of

The Ocean Room, a member of the culinary

team since the opening of The Sanctuary

(Kiawah Island, SC).

PROFESSiOnal SiDElinE: Nate

teaches at the Arts Institute of

Charleston. Classes have ranged from

Regional Cuisines such as European

and Southern American to professional

Competition classes. Nates feels

teaching is an organic process that

occurs both in the classroom and in any

successful kitchen.

PaSSiOnaTE DiSTRaCTiOnS: Nate

loves hanging with his two gorgeous

Weimaraners, tinkering with his Jeep CJ7

and as all chefs, exploring the dining scene

in Charleston.

(gOTTa aSk) WHy lEavE SuCH a

PRESTigiOuS POSiTiOn? Nate felt an

isolation on Kiawah. Though the job was

amazing, there was a disconnect from

the energy and dynamic among farmers

and chefs in the downtown scene.

Opportunity knocked, Nate answered,

and Keith Jones and partners entered

with an interesting concept that is Stars.

WHaT THE FuTuRE HOlDS: Live fire

kitchen. In greater Charleston, only Heart

Wood Fire Kitchen on James Island has

explored the concept‘s potentials, Now,

after the 20th draft of their menu, Nate

feels that he and his staff have finely

honed the dishes that will showcase this

trending restaurant concept. He is ready

to bring the “live fire” kitchen to new

levels on Upper King. Incorporating local,

quality ingredients with a “from scratch”

culinary discipline, he is sure to succeed.

PERSOnal PHilOSOPHy: Nate feels that

a kitchen functions at its highest level when

there is shared learning and ideas. To develop

and educate your staff while fostering mutual

respect is to nurture potential talents and to

create an environment that engenders loyalty

with a sense of ownership. Nate is well on

his way toward creating that collaborative

kitchen at Stars Grill Room and you can bet

that Charleston will be tasting the difference

that a philosophy can make. fall 2012 | 15

Page 18: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

SuBjECT: Nate Alton- Master Shucker

Oyster Sommelier at Pearlz (Downtown)

ORiginS: Rhode Island

EDuCaTiOn: College of Charleston

Business Administration

F&B EvOluTiOn: Although Nate worked

briefly in a hospital cafeteria and as a bus boy

at Joe’s Crab Shack in his youth, it was working

on a farm that brought him fully into the

culinary industry. An oyster farm, that is. After

his stint at CofC, he returned to Rhode Island

in need of a job. He started as a box packer at

the largest shellfish company in the United

States- American Mussel. In three years time,

he moved up the ranks to Quality Assurance

Manager and discovered his life passion-

the oyster. It was Charleston’s wild oyster

population, along with the city’s fascinating

cultural and historical connection with these

succulent aphrodisiacs, that brought him back

to the Lowcountry and landed him at Pearlz.

That was 7 years ago!

One is not like the Others by Antonia M. Krenza & Laney Roberts

Diversity is what makes the F&B industry so

amazing, from fast food to fine dining, raw

sashimi to a fish fry; the possibilities are endless.

These culinary complexities and dining styles

have forced the server to evolve and diversify

as well. No longer is a server simply an order

taker; he or she is also a table side entertainer

and an educator. As the patrons’ food and wine

knowledge have matured, so has their demand

for more inspired and specialized service.

Therefore, we, as a public have brought a whole

new cadre of “servers” into the limelight.

server spotlight

16 | Eat this CharlEston!

Page 19: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

FavORiTE OySTER: “Belon”- European flat

oyster typically found in France, England, &

Ireland. In the US, there is a single spot in

Maine, a unique micro-aquaculture, in which

this oyster varietal is cultivated. The “Belon”

possesses a bright metallic taste with a long

finish that at first surprises and then addicts.

FavORiTE CulinaRy TOME: “Sex, Death and

Oysters” by Robb Walsh

BiggEST SHuCkER nigHTMaRE: Carpal

Tunnel. Shucking hundreds of dozens of

oysters each week can take its toll.

naTE’S HOly TRiniTy: Oysters/Guiness/Pork

PEaRlz SignaTuRE COCkTail: Oyster Shooter

- Pearlz Cracked Pepper Vodka, Housemade

Cocktail Sauce, Freshly Shucked Oyster.

PaSSiOnaTE DiSTRaCTiOnS: Red Sox,

Patriots, Bruins, Celtics. Dining at Wild Olive,

FIG, The Macintosh and Heart Woodfire Kitchen.

WHaT THE FuTuRE HOlDS: Aquaculture.

Nate and friends are cultivating oysters on

Folly Beach creating what they hope to be one

of Charleston’s first producing oyster farms.

Oh and attending the penultimate oyster

shucking contest in Ireland, someday!

PHilOSOPHy: “Merrior”. Nate approaches

oysters like sommeliers approach wine - with

an understanding that “place” (terroir) lends

uniqueness to individual species. He is part of

an international brethren of shuckers who pride

themselves on expert knowledge and amazing

speed. He wants everyone to know that their

palate can travel the world without ever leaving

their seats. With the right oysters and a skilled

shucker, no passport is required.

Belle Hall Shopping Center 664-G Long Point Rd • Mt. Pleasant

Follow us on & for Weekly Features M-W 4-11pm • THR-SAT 4pm-12am

Happy HourMon-Fri, 4-7 pm

$4 Glasses of House Red or White Wine

$3 Craft Beers$2 off Cheese

Du Jour

Live MusicSee our website

for details

Wine TastingsHeld the 1st & 3rd Wednesday & last Saturday of each month, 5-7 pm

THE Mt. Pleasant Wine BarTHE Mt. Pleasant Wine Baroffering more than 100 incredible wines, 25+ wines by the glass, craft beer selection, 13 artisan cheeses,

artisan Charcuterie & 15 gourmet chocolates

uncorkedwine.net

killer grassfed beef craft beers & jumbo cocktails

cool outdoor patios environmentally conscience

charleston’s BEST sunday brunch

West Ashley828 Savannah Hwy

843.377.1300

Mt Pleasant1440 Ben Sawyer Blvd

843.606.2900

if you

like ou

r

burgers,

you’ll lo

ve

our tac

os

trianglecharandbar.com

fall 2012 | 17

Page 20: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

If simple desire is the mother of in-

vention, then all Jake Johnson and

David Szlam wanted was a good,

stiff drink. Harkening back to the

nights they would wind down after

a long shift on the line, the former chefs

set out to revisit their college love of a

simple bourbon and ginger ale. And out of

that simple desire, Virgil Kaine was born.

“We’ve been friends for about 15

years,” Jake said. “I was Dave’s sous chef

and we just started thinking about ways to

get ourselves out of the restaurant busi-

ness. We always drank Makers [Mark]

and ginger in college, it was sort of our

drink. So we started thinking about ways

we could replicate that, but in a bottle.”

Rooting the product in the South, the

pair chose lyrics from The Band song

“The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” to

give the bourbon a name. In the song, Vir-

gil Cane was a railroad conductor tasked

with supplying Civil War troops with sup-

plies. Taking a bit of historical liberty,

Johnson and Szlam’s “Kaine” smuggled

his homemade hooch to thirsty troops via

his train line.

The initial batches of the ginger-in-

fused whiskey were cooked on Dave’s

stovetop. “Dave is the mastermind be-

hind the recipe,” Jake said. “He literally

took some bourbon and infused it with all

these flavors. Later he called me over,

we tried it and tasted it with a friend and

we said: ‘We may be on to something

here’ so we just went with it.”

The small-time, stovetop operation soon

became full force when the pair brought

on third partner Ben Capa and fortuitously

met with Terressentia, a local spirit making

and bottling company and arranged con-

tract distilling through them. Batches of

two-year old, “baby bourbon” are sourced

from Kentucky and infused with local

John’s Island ginger and other recipe ingre-

dients. Then the infused spirit is “treated”

using Terresentia’s patented technology,

which not only removes impurities (in the

case of bourbon, the tannins imparted from

barrel-aging) from the liquor but also adds

an aged taste to the final product.

The whiskey is a deep brown, much the

color of a tawny port. The infused ginger

hits the nose immediately and tames any

boozy aroma from the whiskey. The sweet

bourbon and the natural ginger add a

sweet flavor profile to the whiskey, but it

doesn’t sip cloyingly sweet. Think more

a complement to the bourbon’s natural

sugar content. The straight shot does

drink more like a mixed drink simply over

ice and I’ve found that is arguably the best

way to enjoy it. As the ice begins to melt, it

continues to mellow into a smooth sipper.

Virgil Kaine started a year ago and this

past January saw the full product launch

Virgil Kaine Bourbon, the All-Inclusive Version by Chris West

bartender spotlight

18 | Eat this CharlEston!

Page 21: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

through local distributors, Ben Arnold. But

the fledgling company is by no means think-

ing of keeping it only local. “We are mov-

ing into Georgia next, Tennessee and then

probably North Carolina,” he said. “We’re

thinking the southeast and SEC football. A

lot of college kids drink bourbon and ginger

ale so we’re trying to push towards that.”

While Johnson and Szlam are con-

tinuing to push Virgil Kaine into the lo-

cal market, they aren’t putting all their

eggs in one basket either. “We’re going

to launch a few new products this coming

year, maybe not a bourbon but different

brands,” Johnson said. “But I can’t really

talk about them because they are just in

the development stages right now. But

we certainly want to get more products

out into the market.” CHARLEST

ON

For more information visit www.virgilkaine.com

fall 2012 | 19

Page 22: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

Happy Hour 4-8 M-FMonday - 50 cent wings

Taco Tuesday- $2 tacos all day

Wednesday- $2 sliders

Thursday - Buy 1 appetizer, get 1 free

Friday - Half price burgers

213 B East Bay Street | 843-297-8704 | www.thebrickcharleston.com

American Cuisine with an Asian Influence

Fresh | Local | Seasonal Executive Chef | Rob Knox

915 HOUSTON NORTHCUTT BLVD. | MT. PLEASANT | 843-606-2616 | www.eurasiasc.comIN THE CORNER NExT TO WHOLE FOODS

MondAy – FRIdAy HAppy HouR 4-6:30 pM

TuESdAy vISIT uS on FACEbooK®

FoR WInE TASTIng SpECIALS

WEdnESdAy HALF pRICE WInE!

THuRSdAy LIvE MuSIC 6-9 pM

CATERIng LET uS CATER youR

nExT EvEnT oR pARTy

20 | Eat this! CharlEston

Page 23: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

Chasing Aphrodite

Harvesting Nature’s Aphrodisiacs in Bull’s Bay

Perhaps the myth of the oyster arose

from the sea with the birth of Aph-

rodite, the goddess of love, beauty

and sexual rapture. The goddess

was said to have possessed the ad-

miration of both gods and mortals. Her image

has been immortalized in paintings, poetry and

stone - most famously at the hand of Botticelli

in the depiction of her birth, delivered from the

waves upon a cockle shell. It is said that Aph-

rodite, also known as Venus in Roman mythol-

ogy, held certain animals sacred, among them

shellfish - mussels, clams and oysters.

by Antonia M. Krenza & Laney Roberts

follow this!

Page 24: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

Somehow it was the oyster, not the clam

or mussel, that took on the persona of the

goddess. Oysters are a food of seduction.

Actually, they are the cliché of all culinary

aphrodisiacs. The myth of Aphrodite may

have lost its power through the centuries,

but her sacred progeny has not. Whether it

be Apalachicola oysters, Malpeques, Blue

Points, Kumamotos, Olympias, or Belons,

their briny promise of passion and flavor

still tempts discerning diners to the plate,

and lures the more ambitious men and

women into the sea.

Jeff Spahr is a devotee of Aphrodite. He

probably wouldn’t call himself that, but he

is. As he works his lease on Bull’s Bay, he

is helping to preserve a natural sanctu-

ary for her sacred animals. Jeff is one of

many local oyster harvester operating in

the coastal Carolina waters. He has grown

his business over the years from one boat

to two and from a solo enterprise to a team

of four. Still, this past season, he honestly

admits, is the first to have seen a real mar-

gin of profit. It is a fact that he is proud of

and one that validates his choice to become

an oysterman.

Jeff Spahr was not always headed to the

sea. He chose to major in Business Admin-

istration and soon after graduation moved

into a marketing position with AT&T. It was

a position in which he excelled. There were

promotions and ever increasing salaries.

Jeff married his childhood sweetheart,

Carrie. Success courted him. Though he

was happy, there was something missing.

Passion and profit are rarely good bedfel-

lows. In the halls of corporate America,

Jeff was smelling the briny sea air and lis-

tening to the wind whisper through the sea

grass. It was not long before his heart led

him back to Bull’s Bay.

So what makes Bull’s Bay oysters so

unique? Writer Antonia Krenza, Photogra-

pher Stacy Howell and I went out on the bay

with Jeff Spahr in early June. Under his tu-

telage, we began to understand the special

nature of this body of water. The bay itself

stretches from Awendaw, SC to McClel-

lanville, SC and, though large, is still very

shallow. It is completely open to the ocean

creating a perfect habitat for oysters. The

“I do not weep at the world. I am too busy sharpening my oyster knife.” Zora Neale Hurston

follow this!

22 | Eat this CharlEston!

Page 25: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

incoming tides flush the bay and surround-

ing creeks with high salinity waters and

outgoing tides purge the bay of low salinity

rainwater and runoff. To the oyster, a sed-

entary creature which filters the water for

food, this tidal yin and yang in Bull’s Bay is

like an aquatic meals on wheels.

To be on the water with Jeff is to bet-

ter understand his passion. The day was

swelteringly hot on the shore, but once on

the boat the ocean breezes made us for-

get the heat index. It was high tide when

we departed shore, but that would change

soon, exposing the oyster beds we had

come to see. It was peaceful on the water,

with the expanse of sea grass and open sky

spreading out around us. Motoring in and

out of small creeks among the grasses, we

encountered orange billed oyster catch-

ers, dolphins, fiddler crabs, elegant white

egrets and a Bonnet Head shark. With the

hypnotic lapping of bay water against the

hull of the boat, the experience was a ma-

rine zen — one that could seduce even the

most devout landlubber.

The idea of the ‘R’ months actually

originated in Europe. Oysters are har-

vested worldwide and seasons and water

temperatures vary widely. Oddly enough

the ‘R’ concept fits perfectly into season-

ality of the calendar right here in the US.

Just to clarify this age old adage, truth is,

winter oysters taste better than summer

oysters. In late spring with warmer water

temperatures, oysters begin to lose their

sweetness and become more fishy. It is a

matter of converting glycogen to gonad or

reproductive material. In the early sum-

mer, oysters spawn and after spawning

they lose body weight and any flavor. Why

would anyone want to harvest then?

Most people obsess with the bacteria

factor, swearing off oysters when water

temperatures rise. There is wisdom in

that philosophy for, in water temperatures

below 65 degrees, little or no potentially

deadly bacteria is detectable. It would be

easy to attribute this bacteria to pollution,

but they are actually a naturally occur-

ring phenomenon. Truth is, this bacteria

has no affect on most healthy people. Still

the choice to err on the side of caution is

one even Jeff Spahr adheres to. Though he

opened several of his oysters for us on that

June day, he would not let us try the tempt-

ing morsels. He also knows, like Robb

Walsh author of Sex, Death and Oysters,

that … “Summer oysters, like winter toma-

toes, are out of season foods.”

This very seasonal-

ity poses a dilemma

for local oyster har-

vesters. How do you

generate income

fall 2012 | 23

Page 26: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

during the ‘R’ months? Loyalty and trust.

Though Jeff may not be cruising the cor-

ridors of corporate America anymore, he

is sagely putting his business degree to

work. He has developed commercial ac-

counts like Fleet Landing, Amen Street and

Highway 17 North Roadside Kitchen, as

well as an established private client list. He

manages and markets to his accounts via

his website — localoysters.com. He builds

relationships not only with the quality of

his product, but also with service. With an

unconcealed smile of pride, Jeff told us of

his “oyster education” for the staff at Fleet

Landing. Within a restaurant, there is a

trickle effect when a vendor extends him-

self in this way. There is a positive impact

on not only owners, but chefs, servers and

ultimately the guests. On the private side,

he provides personal delivery of his product

and offers catering services for his clients.

Jeff has also developed relationships

with colder water Atlantic oystermen. Dur-

ing the months when he cannot harvest his

own lease, he is able to offer his accounts

oysters still in season despite the lack of

an ‘R’ in the month. Restaurants and oyster

lovers alike do not suddenly lose their de-

sire for oysters in May and suddenly redis-

cover their desire in September. By meeting

demand year round Jeff is re-invigorating a

traditionally seasonal business with ancil-

lary streams of income. Seems someone

hasn’t lost his marketing chops.

Most of us would love to have a sea-

sonal job and lay back during the off sea-

son. That’s not the way it works in reality

though. Oystering is no exception. There is

a responsibility in the ownership of his oys-

ter bed lease, that of preserving the marine

environment and the future sustainability

of Bull’s Bay oysters. Jeff and his lease

partner are required to seed their leased

beds in the off season. The day that we met

with him, the Department of Natural Re-

sources was loading thousands of pounds

of empty Louisiana oyster shells onto a

barge to be distributed along the beds in

the bay. In the early summer when oysters

are spawning, their “spat” seeks a shell

upon which to anchor its succulent life. By

seeding the bay with empty shells, DNR is

cultivating South Carolina’s oyster popula-

tion. The bill for the seeding is being paid by

Jeff and the other lease owners.

The fiscal responsibility of seeding is not

the only requirement of lease owners. There

is a more laborious responsibility. During

the off season, Jeff and his crew are con-

stantly raking down the beds, breaking the

clusters and creating individuals that will

develop into the selects that restaurants

follow this!

24 | Eat this! CharlEston

Page 27: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

desire. They also do this by hand which is

called culling. Donned in heavy duty galosh-

es (which he replaces monthly), waders and

gloves, Jeff moved from the boat onto the

beds. Though the novice, might worry about

the threat of sharks or even alligators from

Bull’s Island, the oyster shells themselves

are more of a menace to those who harvest

them. Their edges are razor sharp and of-

fer the promise of nasty consequences to

the careless and clumsy. Jeff handled the

clusters like old friends, with equal parts of

respect and affection. He revealed to us the

pluff mud covered complexity of the clus-

ter, bringing to mind weekend oyster roasts

and cheap beer. He spoke of how they would

grow in size over the ’R-less” months. He

broke away the more promising oysters,

tossing them to deeper water to develop into

prized selects.

When the intense heat of summer begins

to wane, Jeff and his crew will once again

begin to harvest. The process is tedious

when harvesting selects. Clusters are har-

vested by hand or brought in by using a tool

which resembles an oversized salad tong.

The process is actually called ‘tonging’. On

a makeshift table on the boat, the clusters

are sorted, gathering the “keepers” into

bushels and throwing undersized oysters

back into the bed to continue their devel-

opment. In order to harvest those deeper

water selects that have been hand culled

during the off season, Jeff will use a small

mechanical dredge. He has invited us to

join him in September to have a hands on

harvest experience.

In consideration of the aphrodisial quali-

ties of the oyster, well, few actual studies have

been done. Some say it is only the “power of

suggestion” that lends this salacious shell-

fish its provocative reputation. Even Aphro-

dite had her detractors. One fact, however,

supports the myth. Oysters are loaded with

zinc, a mineral which controls progesterone

levels. Higher progesterone levels have been

linked with healthier libidos.

As for the local oystermen and women

on Bull’s Bay, and those locals in coastal

communities world wide, debates over the

libidinous nature of this shellfish are ir-

relevant. The cultivation of oysters is more

than a living, it is a way of life. It is hard,

honest work that requires an understand-

ing of the ocean’s rhythms and respect for

the delicately balanced cycles of life that

flourish there. It is an ageless homage,

however unintentional, to a goddess whose

beauty was born in the waves and whose

legend lives on in these amazing shellfish.

We are all chasing Aphrodite in every briny

sip that we take from the oyster shell.

fall 2012 | 25

Page 28: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

The original Santi’s, on Meeting

Street, has been around for

quite some time. It took them

opening their newest location,

in Mount Pleasant, to reinvig-

orate my curiosity. So, on a mission, I ven-

tured out in the summer heat to the beloved

Santi’s on the South Side of the Ravenel.

In an eager dash to hit both spots before

the dreaded witching hour of work, I arrived

at 11 a.m. on the dot. Their sign was still

off, and for a brief moment I feared my plan

had been shot to hell. I made my friend “hop

out and tug on the door”, but as she obliged

a nice young man assured her, “We are

open!” I loosened a belt notch in preparation

for the two lunch gustation that was ahead.

Once inside, it was time to decide how

to launch a fair compare/contrast Dine or

Dash that would feature not one, but two

spots. I didn’t feel that having two totally

different meals would really showcase

their consistency, but I was also torn about

the fact that … well if its good, it should all

be good.

As we sat with the menus before us,

and no decision in mind … we sprung for a

couple lime margaritas on the rocks … they

couldn’t hurt the process. The lunch menu

featured twelve to fifteen items. We debated

back and forth until I finally knew what had

to be done. Tamales.

I have not ordered a Tamal since I left

Birmingham, Al. I cooked side by side with

a guy named Javier who had a friend that

made the most incredible Tamales, fresh

every week. There were two options, red

or green-both would have pork. I always

Santi’s A Tale of Two Cities

DINE orDashFollow the Eat This! Critic at www.eatthischarleston.com

Page 29: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

requested the green … with its slow serrano heat

and vibrant cilantro flare. Once I saw that Santi’s

offered these in three different styles: ranchero,

green, or red and also with the option of chicken

or pork, my mind was made up. I opted for what

I knew best … green and pork, hoping I would get

a slight glimmer of my old home. Within minutes

our dishes arrived. Lunch #1 had begun. The Ta-

male’s outside “masa”, (a corn dough typically

steamed in a corn husk wrapper) was moist and

fork tender, while the pork insides poured out of it

the way it should. The verde sauce that accompa-

nied it was full of that spice and effervescence that

I described earlier. I was a happy girl.

My friend decided upon Beef Flautas. The clos-

est thing she’d ever had to this particular dish

was “taquitas” from the freezer aisle of the Piggly

Wiggly. Needless to say, the dish was a revelation

for her. As much as she enjoyed the food, I actu-

ally think the ambience of the place ran a close

second in captivating her. She kept babbling about

a retro-chic Mexicano feel. It was her first time

at Santi’s and I got what she was saying. There

is a sort of funky, authentic vibe in the place that

leaves you a bit off kilter, yet oddly comfortable.

Neither my friend or I were as enthusiastic on

the other side of the Ravenel. The ambiance was

pleasant but you knew it was something else be-

fore. Sometimes changing restaurant concepts

in a single space is like fitting a square peg in a

round hole. The staff was more inviting-with an ob-

vious “we just opened” attitude. The manager even

swung by and apologized for the heat and said it

would be under control by the following week. I po-

litely replied with a, “It’s July in Charleston.”

Admittedly my friend always orders tacos at

Mexican restaurants. The American way - crunchy

shell with all the trimmings. She stepped outside

the box and tried a Mexican taco — soft tortilla,

spiced beef, cilantro and fresh lime. It was simple

and fresh and each ingredient shone brightly. She

felt that maybe the beef was a little dry, but she

would definitely try it again.

I stuck to the Tamal agenda and ordered a sin-

gle Ranchero, again with pork. This time it came

to me by the third, maybe fourth server. It was

clear that it was not going to be the same as my

previous experience. The Ranchero was deflated

and stiff and crumbled like overcooked cornbread

at the touch of my fork. This Ranchero was just,

‘eh, okay.

While I appreciated their positive energy (that

even made me forget about my wobbly table) at

the new comer in Mt. P, I was undoubtedly miffed

by their lack of consistency. For those Santi’s afi-

cionados and those that have yet to try either, I

definitely suggest sticking to the South Side of the

Ravenel until the crew over in Mount Pleasant has

had a chance to work out their kinks.

Downtown: two Green Sauce Pork tamales

Five Tomato Scale

Santi’s (rating average for both locations)

Downtown1302 Meeting St.843-722-2633

Mount Pleasant1471 Ben Sawyer Blvd.843-388-3146

FOOD

aTMOSPHERE

SERviCE

PRiCE

OvERall

fall 2012 | 27

Page 30: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

The charitable organization that

grants kids the biggest favors they can

think of is appealing to the over-21 crowd

to help them raise money for their foun-

dation. Mt. Pleasant’s Memorial Water-

front Park on Henry Hallman Boulevard

will be the site for a twilight tasting of

wines from the Wine Shop. Debbie Mar-

lowe from downtown Charleston’s Lock-

wood Drive vino merchant is prepared to

bring a heckuva lot of adult grape juice

to this event — more than 100 bottles’

worth. Marlowe and her staff has had

plenty of experience in throwing tastings

like these, as the porch adjacent to the

Wine Shop has been the site of weekly of-

ferings for some time now, and the shop

recently celebrated its seventeenth an-

Southern Ground’s Table

Wine, Brew & Wishes Too!

Memorial Waterfront Park, Henry Hallman Blvd.

Saturday, October 13

by Antonia M. Krenza

What do you get when

you put multiple,

South Eastern chefs

together at one event?

One hell of a music

festival, if you can believe it. In this case, one

hell of a “Southern Ground Music and Food

Festival” hosted by The Zac Brown Band and

Daniel Island’s Blackbaud Stadium.

Last year, Eat This! Charleston had

the amazing opportunity to get be-

hind the scenes with the very innova-

tive and highly-praised food Lords of

the day. With welcoming aprons and

come hither hoe cakes, chef R.J. Coo-

per of Rouge 24 in Washington, D.C.,

chef Rusty Hamlin, Exec chef of the

Zac Brown Band, and pastry chef Da-

vid Gaus of Bayou Bakery in Arlington,

VA lured us into their kitchen to sneak

Blackbaud Stadium, Charleston, SC

Visit southerngroundfestival.com for

ticket and pricing information

Saturday, October 20 & Sunday, October 21

DO THIS!

28 | Eat this CharlEston!

Page 31: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

niversary. Come taste dozens of wines

that will include some of the favorites

from previous outings, like the south-

ern French selections (Bonjour, y’all!),

the wines of Tuscany, and dry rosés from

around the world.

Don’t forget the special beers that will

be celebrated, as Bottles of Mount Pleas-

ant will be helping out by bringing out the

local breweries’ samples to the park.

Palmetto, Westbrook, and Holy City will

all be represented. The Coleman Bou-

levard beer, wine, and spirits merchant

that has

grown a

loyal follow-

ing east of the

Cooper River

(and elsewhere)

will be pouring the

suds for what should

be a beautiful weekend gathering. Local

pickers Yeehaw Junction will provide the

sounds of bluegrass that will carry the

day. Tickets are $25.00, for more infor-

mation, call (843) 853-7880.

by Antonia M. Krenza

Southern Ground & Food Festival Musical Lineup Zac Brown Band

The Avett Brothers

Grace Potter & the Nocturnals

The Charlie Daniels Band

Michael Franti & Spearhead

The Wailers

Jerry Douglas

Los Lonely Boys

JJ Grey & Mofro

Clay Cook

Coy Bowles & The Fellowship

The James Arthur Band

John Driskell Hopkins & Balsam Range

+ Southern Ground ArtistsBlackberry Smoke

Nic Cowan

Dugas

Sonia Leigh

Levi Lowrey

The Wheeler Boys

The Wood Brothers

a peak at how world class chefs get down

and dirty on southern ground. Their passion

for food and the uttermost dining experience

shown through as much as The Zac Brown

Band’s desire for their fan’s to have an epic

music encounter.

Stay tuned to eatthischarleston.com for

a list of participating South Eastern Chefs

and other local food vendors that will break

bread and jam when Southern Ground re-

turns to Charleston October 20-21, 2012 at

Blackbaud Stadium.

MaY 2012 | 29

Page 32: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

1. Cocktail: Combine vodka, lemon juice, and sugar in a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well, and strain into a martini glass, garnish with thyme and enjoy!

2. Granita: Place sugar, basil and zest in food processor and pulse until thyme is ground. Transfer to bowl and add pepper, 2 cups water, lemon juice, Vodka, and salt. Whisk Let mixture stand until sugar and salt are dissolved, stirring occasionally. Pour mixture into 9 inch square metal baking pan and place in freezer. Stir mixture, pulling a fork back and forth every 45 min. or so for 4 hrs. or until frozen. Mixture should be fluffy and icy. Garnish with thinly sliced peppers for color and texture.

3. Oyster Shooter: Let Granita chill your oyster and once fully melted- bring the shell to your lips, tilt and slurp. Repeat.

What better accompaniment to a quiv-

ering oyster on the half shell than ice-

cold Vodka. K. Culver was inspired to

create a light and uncomplicated cock-

tail that would not compete with the tex-

ture or taste of oysters. Here is a simple

recipe. If you are feeling more adventur-

ous, we invite you to create the cocktail

as a granita. A spoonful of this intensely

flavored ice keeps your oysters chilled

and as it melts — pools in the shell to

create an excellent pairing. And lastly, if

you can channel your patience and allow

the granita to melt in the half shell-viola

— gourmet oyster shooter, a miraculous

ménage a trois.

Lemon Thyme Vodka

Three-Way by K. Culver of Mount Pleasant

1 c superfine sugar

4 tsp Lemon Zest

¾ c Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

1 tsp Freshly Ground Pepper

¼ tsp Salt

¾ c Maverick Citrus Vodka

3-4 Sprigs of Thyme

Email your dish! [email protected]

Reader recipe

30 | Eat this! CharlEston

Page 33: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

Free Haircut with purchase of highlights or any chemical service Dianne’s Hair Salon • 840 Coleman Blvd. Mt. Pleasant, SC • 843.388.8155New customers only. Must present coupon. Not valid with any other offers. Expires 11/1/12 IC

Hair Driving You Crazy?

We’ll drive the crazy out!

843.388.8155840 Coleman Blvd. • Mt. Pleasant Next to Skoogies and Dunkin Donuts

See our daily specials, daily homemade soups,

gourmet sandwiches, and salads at

www.ladlessoups.comWITH FIVE AREA LOCATIONS TO SERVE yOu.

James Island • KIawah • mt. Pleasant nORth ChaRlestOn • west ashley

“Hot soups for cool people!”

fall 2012 | 31

Page 34: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

Josh Keller grew up in North Eastern

Pennsylvania. It is a place he would not

exactly say has good food but the cor-

ners are lined with Irish bars, simple red

sauce Italian restaurants and a tradition

of family largely influenced by the Penn-

sylvania Dutch. While Josh did have an

Italian grandmother who passed off

hard rocks as gnocchi, his family was

not a foodie family. Scrapple and grits

were an every other day staple. It was

not until he was older that he discovered

the wonders of Pennsylvania cuisine in-

cluding fries with brown gravy and corn

beef hash.

Is Northeast PA a culinary mecca?

No. But a great place to grow up. When

Cumin Scented Confit

Lamb Bellyby Josh Keller of Two Boroughs Larder

186 Coming Street

CHEF recipe

4 Border Springs Lamb Bellies, cleaned

1/4c Cumin (ground and toasted)

1/4c Coriander (ground and toasted)

1c Kosher Salt

1/4c Sugar

12 Padron peppers

1 Pint Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes

1 Quart Rendered Duck Fat (or clear liquid frying oil)

1 Quart Heavy Cream

1T Buttermilk (Cultured)

4 Sprigs Thyme

1/2c Whole black peppercorns

1 Head Garlic (split)

1 T Extra virgin olive oil

6 Leaves Mint

1 Lemon (Juiced)

1. One Day Before - Make Crème Fraiche Take one quart of heavy cream and mix in 1 tablespoon of buttermilk. Mix together until incorporated. Place in a container with a vented lid (Cheesecloth securely placed on top works the best.) Set aside for 24 hours in a room with a temperature of 70 degrees.

2. Make Cure for the bellies Take the bellies out of their packaging and pat dry any moisture. Combine the cumin, coriander, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Once it is well mixed together, use it to season the bellies on both sides, and place them on a sheet tray with wire rack in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

3. The Next Day/Meal Day Make sure that the crème fraiche has thickened. If not just keep letting it sit until you have to use it.

32 | Eat this! CharlEston

Page 35: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

Welcome to DeRoMa’s

843.972.1780www.DeRoMasPizza.com

1948 Longrove Dr. Seaside Farms Next to TargetDELIVERY NOT AVAILABLE IN ALL AREAS

ORDER ON-LINE @ blackbeanco.com

“BEST HEALTH FOODin Charleston” – DESTINATION GUIDE

BREAKFAST • LUNCH • DINNER • CRAFT BEER & ORGANIC WINE

HEALTHy WRApS • SALADS • GyROS • ALL NATURAL FRUIT SmOOTHIES CATERING FOR ANy SIzE GROUp • VEGAN/VEGETARIAN FRIENDLy • INDOOR/OUTDOOR SEATING

DELIVERy AT BOTH LOCATIONS • FULL SERVICE DINNER ON jAmES ISLAND

noW THRee aRea locaTIonS

JameS ISlanD 869 FOLLy ROAD FAST DRIVE-THRU 843-277-2101

DoWnToWn 116 SpRING STREET FREE DELIVERy 843-277-0990

mT PleaSanT 1600 mIDTOWN RD INSIDE mUSC 843-416-8561

fall 2012 | 33

Page 36: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

Pull the bellies out of the refrigerator. In a skillet on medium high heat add 2 tablespoons of blended oil. When the pan is hot place each belly gently in the pan and brown on both sides. Sear the bellies one at a time (unless you have a pan large enough to hold them all). Once they are browned, transfer into a Dutch oven (it is fine if they overlap). Add the thyme, peppercorns, and garlic. Cover the bellies with duck fat (or the liquid frying oil), put on the lid and place in a 300-degree oven for 5- 6 hours. It is important to check the bellies ever so often so they don’t burn and depending on your oven it may take more or less time. The bellies should be fork tender but not broken. Let them cook.

4. Prep Veggies Cut the pint of cherry tomatoes in half lengthwise and set aside, while keeping them at room temperature. Inspect the Padron peppers to make sure there are not soft or wilted and trim the stem, leaving about ¼ inch on. Set aside, but do not combine.

5. Remove Lamb Bellies from the oven and Cut Let cool in the fat to keep the meat as moist as possible. When cool, transfer to a sheet tray with a wire rack, so liquid can drain. Cut the bellies into approximately 4 ounce portions (we like small equal squares for presentation).

6. Sear the Bellies In a cast iron skillet on medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon of blended oil and sear the lamb on both sides to get the outside crispy but not burned. Place the pan in a 300 degree oven to finish cooking.

7. Char the Peppers & Tomatoes Heat a large cast iron pan on high with no oil. Once the pan is hot, add the Padron Peppers, charring them with some nice color but not burning them. About halfway through, when they are browning, add the halved tomatoes and char as well. Once the tomatoes have some color, add 1 tablespoon of EVO, salt to taste and continue to cook, about 2 minutes. Turn off the flame and add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice (approximately 1 Lemon)

8. Serve & Enjoy Place a spoonful of crème fraiche on the plate. Arrange the peppers and tomatoes with the pieces of lamb belly. Garnish with a chiffonade of mint leaf and a pinch of sea salt. Bon Appetite!

Eat This! asked for a Chef Recipe and

a story, Josh was lost. There are no

pigs in Northeast PA. Infact, there is

no cattle either. What they did have

was goats, lamb and dairy cows. The

summer after his junior year in high

school, Josh and two friends got sum-

mer jobs working on a sheep farm

a few miles from his home. It was

an amazing summer of fixing fenc-

es, sheering, feeding and caring for

sheep, but it was also the first time he

realized that someone raises the food

we eat. He watched animals he had

become attached to- go to slaughter.

At first, he struggled with this and then

came to realize that this is where meat

comes from. In honor of that summer

on the farm, Josh chose a lamb dish to

emphasize who and what defines him

as a chef. This simple recipe is full of

flavor. While this cut of meat may take

a little longer to cook, it represents

true lamb flavor with his own North-

east, PA panache.

Chefs, email your recipe to: [email protected]

CHEF recipe

34 | Eat this! CharlEston

Page 37: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

1050 E. Montague Park Circle

843.225.2899 Fax 843.225.2920

[email protected]

“like” us on facebook

Dig Into More Eat This! Online

Feature Events

Online Articles

Restaurant Spotlights

Local Bites Online Series

Restaurant Directory & More!

eatthischarleston.com

716 S. Shelmore Blvd. | Mt. Pleasant843-856-1156 | crushedfinewine.com

At Crushed Fine Wine we carry more than 550 different wines and display them the proper way (horizontally) on our ‘Wall of Wine’ organized by style and character rather than by region or varietal to allow you the opportunity to discover new and exciting wines.

All our wines are competitively priced and our vast selection guarantees something for everyone from the beginner to the collector.

Scan our QR Code for

specials and Friday Night

Tasting information!

Find what you know, or try something new.

fall 2012 | 35

Page 38: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

Seewee Outpost — 6 miles

Walmart

Coosaw CreekCountry Club

WholeFoods

SC Aquarium

Fresh Fields

RIFLE RANGE ROAD

RIFLE RANGE ROAD

LONG POINT RD.

LONG POINT RD.

COLEMAN BLVD.

COLEM

AN

BLVD.

ISLE OF PALMS CONNECTOR

VENNING RD.

LONG GROVE DR.

HUNGRYNECK BLVD.

SWEETGRASS BASKET PKWY.

SIX MILE RD.

MATHIS FERRY RD.

HO

USTO

N N

ORTH

CU

T BLVD

McG

RATH

DAR

BY

JOHNNIE DODDS BLVD.

JOHNNIE D

ODDS BLVD.

PARK WEST BLVD.

AIRPORT RD.

NATIONAL RD.

ASHLEY PHOSPHATE RD.

DORCHESTER RD.

DORCHESTER RD.

DORCHESTER RD.

LAD

SON

RD.

LADSON RD.

S. MAIN

ST.

N. MAIN ST.

CENTRAL AVE.

W. RICHARDSON AVE.

LINCOLNVILLE RD.

E 5TH N ST.

W 5TH N ST.

BERLI

N G. M

YERS

PKWY.

OLD

TROLLEY RD.

OLD

TROLLEY RD

.

OLD TROLLEY RD.

BOONEHILL RD.

ORAN

GEBU

RG RD

.

BACO

NS

BRID

GE

RD.

SEVEN FARMS DR.

DAN

IEL ISLAND

DR.

RIVER LAN

DIN

G D

R.

EAST BAY ST.

CO

NC

ORD

ST.

CALHOUN ST.

COM

ING

ST.

WENTWORTH ST.

BEAUFAIN ST.

MARKET ST.

KING

ST.M

EETING

ST.

BETSY KERRISON

PKWY

KIAWAH ISLAND PKW

Y

SEABROOK ISLAND RD

MAYBANK HWY

FOLLY RD

MAYBA

NK H

WY

526

41

Seewee Outpost — 6 miles

Walmart

Coosaw CreekCountry Club

WholeFoods

SC Aquarium

Fresh Fields

RIFLE RANGE ROAD

RIFLE RANGE ROAD

LONG POINT RD.

LONG POINT RD.

COLEMAN BLVD.

COLEM

AN

BLVD.

ISLE OF PALMS CONNECTOR

VENNING RD.

LONG GROVE DR.

HUNGRYNECK BLVD.

SWEETGRASS BASKET PKWY.

SIX MILE RD.

MATHIS FERRY RD.

HO

USTO

N N

ORTH

CU

T BLVD

McG

RATH

DAR

BY

JOHNNIE DODDS BLVD.

JOHNNIE D

ODDS BLVD.

PARK WEST BLVD.

AIRPORT RD.

NATIONAL RD.

ASHLEY PHOSPHATE RD.

DORCHESTER RD.

DORCHESTER RD.

DORCHESTER RD.

LAD

SON

RD.

LADSON RD.

S. MAIN

ST.

N. MAIN ST.

CENTRAL AVE.

W. RICHARDSON AVE.

LINCOLNVILLE RD.

E 5TH N ST.

W 5TH N ST.

BERLI

N G. M

YERS

PKWY.

OLD

TROLLEY RD.

OLD

TROLLEY RD

.

OLD TROLLEY RD.

BOONEHILL RD.

ORAN

GEBU

RG RD

.

BACO

NS

BRID

GE

RD.

SEVEN FARMS DR.

DAN

IEL ISLAND

DR.

RIVER LAN

DIN

G D

R.

EAST BAY ST.

CO

NC

ORD

ST.

CALHOUN ST.

COM

ING

ST.

WENTWORTH ST.

BEAUFAIN ST.

MARKET ST.

KING

ST.M

EETING

ST.

BETSY KERRISON

PKWY

KIAWAH ISLAND PKW

Y

SEABROOK ISLAND RD

MAYBANK HWY

FOLLY RD

MAYBA

NK H

WY

526

41

SUMMERVILLEFuji Sushi

Brixx Pizza

Seewee Outpost — 6 miles

Walmart

Coosaw CreekCountry Club

WholeFoods

SC Aquarium

Fresh Fields

RIFLE RANGE ROAD

RIFLE RANGE ROAD

LONG POINT RD.

LONG POINT RD.

COLEMAN BLVD.

COLEM

AN

BLVD.

ISLE OF PALMS CONNECTOR

VENNING RD.

LONG GROVE DR.

HUNGRYNECK BLVD.

SWEETGRASS BASKET PKWY.

SIX MILE RD.

MATHIS FERRY RD.

HO

USTO

N N

ORTH

CU

T BLVD

McG

RATH

DAR

BY

JOHNNIE DODDS BLVD.

JOHNNIE D

ODDS BLVD.

PARK WEST BLVD.

AIRPORT RD.

NATIONAL RD.

ASHLEY PHOSPHATE RD.

DORCHESTER RD.

DORCHESTER RD.

DORCHESTER RD.

LAD

SON

RD.

LADSON RD.

S. MAIN

ST.

N. MAIN ST.

CENTRAL AVE.

W. RICHARDSON AVE.

LINCOLNVILLE RD.

E 5TH N ST.

W 5TH N ST.

BERLI

N G. M

YERS

PKWY.

OLD

TROLLEY RD.

OLD

TROLLEY RD

.

OLD TROLLEY RD.

BOONEHILL RD.

ORAN

GEBU

RG RD

.

BACO

NS

BRID

GE

RD.

SEVEN FARMS DR.

DAN

IEL ISLAND

DR.

RIVER LAN

DIN

G D

R.

EAST BAY ST.

CO

NC

ORD

ST.

CALHOUN ST.

COM

ING

ST.

WENTWORTH ST.

BEAUFAIN ST.

MARKET ST.

KING

ST.M

EETING

ST.

BETSY KERRISON

PKWY

KIAWAH ISLAND PKW

Y

SEABROOK ISLAND RD

MAYBANK HWY

FOLLY RD

MAYBA

NK H

WY

526

41

SUMMERVILLE

Perfectly Frank’s

Roma Tomatoes

Eurasia

Richard’s Coffee 10 miles

Black Bean Co.

Crushed Fine Wine

Baskin Robbins

Taps

ladles Soups

36 | Eat this! CharlEston

Page 39: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

Seewee Outpost — 6 miles

Walmart

Coosaw CreekCountry Club

WholeFoods

SC Aquarium

Fresh Fields

RIFLE RANGE ROAD

RIFLE RANGE ROAD

LONG POINT RD.

LONG POINT RD.

COLEMAN BLVD.

COLEM

AN

BLVD.

ISLE OF PALMS CONNECTOR

VENNING RD.

LONG GROVE DR.

HUNGRYNECK BLVD.

SWEETGRASS BASKET PKWY.

SIX MILE RD.

MATHIS FERRY RD.

HO

USTO

N N

ORTH

CU

T BLVD

McG

RATH

DAR

BY

JOHNNIE DODDS BLVD.

JOHNNIE D

ODDS BLVD.

PARK WEST BLVD.

AIRPORT RD.

NATIONAL RD.

ASHLEY PHOSPHATE RD.

DORCHESTER RD.

DORCHESTER RD.

DORCHESTER RD.

LAD

SON

RD.

LADSON RD.

S. MAIN

ST.

N. MAIN ST.

CENTRAL AVE.

W. RICHARDSON AVE.

LINCOLNVILLE RD.

E 5TH N ST.

W 5TH N ST.

BERLI

N G. M

YERS

PKWY.

OLD

TROLLEY RD.

OLD

TROLLEY RD

.

OLD TROLLEY RD.

BOONEHILL RD.

ORAN

GEBU

RG RD

.

BACO

NS

BRID

GE

RD.

SEVEN FARMS DR.

DAN

IEL ISLAND

DR.

RIVER LAN

DIN

G D

R.

EAST BAY ST.

CO

NC

ORD

ST.

CALHOUN ST.

COM

ING

ST.

WENTWORTH ST.

BEAUFAIN ST.

MARKET ST.

KING

ST.M

EETING

ST.

BETSY KERRISON

PKWY

KIAWAH ISLAND PKW

Y

SEABROOK ISLAND RD

MAYBANK HWY

FOLLY RD

MAYBA

NK H

WY

526

41

mountpleasant

CHARLEST

ON

Bricco Braccouncorked

Triangle Char & Bar

ladles Soups

Huck’s lowcountry Table

Fuji Sushi

Brixx Pizza

SEa SiDE FaRMSDeRoMa’s Pizza Tasi Bites and BlendsFear no Easel Crave kitchen and Cocktails

17 north Roadside kitchen 4 miles

Black Bean Co.

fall 2012 | 37

Page 40: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

Seewee Outpost — 6 miles

Walmart

Coosaw CreekCountry Club

WholeFoods

SC Aquarium

Fresh Fields

RIFLE RANGE ROAD

RIFLE RANGE ROAD

LONG POINT RD.

LONG POINT RD.

COLEMAN BLVD.

COLEM

AN

BLVD.

ISLE OF PALMS CONNECTOR

VENNING RD.

LONG GROVE DR.

HUNGRYNECK BLVD.

SWEETGRASS BASKET PKWY.

SIX MILE RD.

MATHIS FERRY RD.

HO

USTO

N N

ORTH

CU

T BLVD

McG

RATH

DAR

BY

JOHNNIE DODDS BLVD.

JOHNNIE D

ODDS BLVD.

PARK WEST BLVD.

AIRPORT RD.

NATIONAL RD.

ASHLEY PHOSPHATE RD.

DORCHESTER RD.

DORCHESTER RD.

DORCHESTER RD.

LAD

SON

RD.

LADSON RD.

S. MAIN

ST.

N. MAIN ST.

CENTRAL AVE.

W. RICHARDSON AVE.

LINCOLNVILLE RD.

E 5TH N ST.

W 5TH N ST.

BERLI

N G. M

YERS

PKWY.

OLD

TROLLEY RD.

OLD

TROLLEY RD

.

OLD TROLLEY RD.

BOONEHILL RD.

ORAN

GEBU

RG RD

.

BACO

NS

BRID

GE

RD.

SEVEN FARMS DR.

DAN

IEL ISLAND

DR.

RIVER LAN

DIN

G D

R.

EAST BAY ST.

CO

NC

ORD

ST.

CALHOUN ST.

COM

ING

ST.

WENTWORTH ST.

BEAUFAIN ST.

MARKET ST.

KING

ST.M

EETING

ST.

BETSY KERRISON

PKWY

KIAWAH ISLAND PKW

Y

SEABROOK ISLAND RD

MAYBANK HWY

FOLLY RD

MAYBA

NK H

WY

526

41

Seewee Outpost — 6 miles

Walmart

Coosaw CreekCountry Club

WholeFoods

SC Aquarium

Fresh Fields

RIFLE RANGE ROAD

RIFLE RANGE ROAD

LONG POINT RD.

LONG POINT RD.

COLEMAN BLVD.

COLEM

AN

BLVD.

ISLE OF PALMS CONNECTOR

VENNING RD.

LONG GROVE DR.

HUNGRYNECK BLVD.

SWEETGRASS BASKET PKWY.

SIX MILE RD.

MATHIS FERRY RD.

HO

USTO

N N

ORTH

CU

T BLVD

McG

RATH

DAR

BY

JOHNNIE DODDS BLVD.

JOHNNIE D

ODDS BLVD.

PARK WEST BLVD.

AIRPORT RD.

NATIONAL RD.

ASHLEY PHOSPHATE RD.

DORCHESTER RD.

DORCHESTER RD.

DORCHESTER RD.

LAD

SON

RD.

LADSON RD.

S. MAIN

ST.

N. MAIN ST.

CENTRAL AVE.

W. RICHARDSON AVE.

LINCOLNVILLE RD.

E 5TH N ST.

W 5TH N ST.

BERLI

N G. M

YERS

PKWY.

OLD

TROLLEY RD.

OLD

TROLLEY RD

.

OLD TROLLEY RD.

BOONEHILL RD.

ORAN

GEBU

RG RD

.

BACO

NS

BRID

GE

RD.

SEVEN FARMS DR.

DAN

IEL ISLAND

DR.

RIVER LAN

DIN

G D

R.

EAST BAY ST.

CO

NC

ORD

ST.

CALHOUN ST.

COM

ING

ST.

WENTWORTH ST.

BEAUFAIN ST.

MARKET ST.KIN

G ST.

MEETIN

G ST.

BETSY KERRISON

PKWY

KIAWAH ISLAND PKW

Y

SEABROOK ISLAND RD

MAYBANK HWY

FOLLY RD

MAYBA

NK H

WY

526

41

Downtown charleston

james island

johns island

west Ashley

Seewee Outpost — 6 miles

Walmart

Coosaw CreekCountry Club

WholeFoods

SC Aquarium

Fresh Fields

RIFLE RANGE ROAD

RIFLE RANGE ROAD

LONG POINT RD.

LONG POINT RD.

COLEMAN BLVD.

COLEM

AN

BLVD.

ISLE OF PALMS CONNECTOR

VENNING RD.

LONG GROVE DR.

HUNGRYNECK BLVD.

SWEETGRASS BASKET PKWY.

SIX MILE RD.

MATHIS FERRY RD.

HO

USTO

N N

ORTH

CU

T BLVD

McG

RATH

DAR

BY

JOHNNIE DODDS BLVD.

JOHNNIE D

ODDS BLVD.

PARK WEST BLVD.

AIRPORT RD.

NATIONAL RD.

ASHLEY PHOSPHATE RD.

DORCHESTER RD.

DORCHESTER RD.

DORCHESTER RD.

LAD

SON

RD.

LADSON RD.

S. MAIN

ST.

N. MAIN ST.

CENTRAL AVE.

W. RICHARDSON AVE.

LINCOLNVILLE RD.

E 5TH N ST.

W 5TH N ST.

BERLI

N G. M

YERS

PKWY.

OLD

TROLLEY RD.

OLD

TROLLEY RD

.

OLD TROLLEY RD.

BOONEHILL RD.

ORAN

GEBU

RG RD

.

BACO

NS

BRID

GE

RD.

SEVEN FARMS DR.

DAN

IEL ISLAND

DR.

RIVER LAN

DIN

G D

R.

EAST BAY ST.

CO

NC

ORD

ST.

CALHOUN ST.

COM

ING

ST.

WENTWORTH ST.

BEAUFAIN ST.

MARKET ST.

KING

ST.M

EETING

ST.

BETSY KERRISON

PKWY

KIAWAH ISLAND PKW

Y

SEABROOK ISLAND RD

MAYBANK HWY

FOLLY RD

MAYBA

NK H

WY

526

41

KIAWAH IslAnd

ladles Soups

CHARLEST

ON

CHARLEST

ON

Black Bean Co.

avOnDalETriangle Char & BarThe Roost

MaRkET aREaMac’s Place

The Brickamen Street

Sunrise Bistro 4 miles

ladles Soups 3 miles

See Downtown Charleston Map above

Black Bean Co.

ladles Soups

Baskin Robbins

38 | Eat this! CharlEston

Page 41: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

Check out our New Menu Now Serving Beer & Wine

Catering Available

Let Us Be Your Personal Chefs For All Your Catering Needs

1797 Main Rd. • Johns IslandCorner of Main Rd. & Maybank Hwy.

www.sunrise-bistro.com

Breakfast Lunch & DinnerBeach Food • Coffee & Crepe Brunches

Deli Wraps • Fruit SmoothiesNOW Serving Wholy Cow Ice Cream

843-856-4264 •tasifresh.com1948 Long Grove Drive, Mt Pleasant

Just off IOP Connector, next to Target. Minutes from the beach.

Bring out your inner artist while enjoying

a glass of wine with friends.

843.284.FEAR (3327)1960 Riviera Drive • Mt Pleasant

www.FearNoEasel.com

Sign Up Online. Grab Some Wine. It’s Paintin’ Time!

“TOP 10 dATE nIGhT”

Charleston Living Magazine

www.pfranksandmore.com

118 N. Main Street Summerville • 843-871-9730

As featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins

and Dives”!

Because life is more

than ordinary!

fall 2012 | 39

Page 42: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

17 north Roadside kitchen3563 N Highway 17 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464(843) 606-2144 roadsidekitchens.com

Baskin Robbins280 West Coleman Boulevard Mount Pleasant, SC 29464(843) 881-6741

1798 Ashley River RoadCharleston, SC 29407(843)-225-3131baskinrobbins.com

Black Bean Co.116 Spring StreetCharleston, SC 29403(843) 277-0990

869 Folly RoadJames Island, SC 29412 (843) 277-2101

1600 Midtown Road Mount Pleasant, SC 29466(843) 416-8561blackbeanco.com

Bricco Bracco1161 Basketweave Drive Mount Pleasant, SC 29466 (843) 416-8290 briccobracco.net

The Brick213 B East Bay Street Charleston, SC 29401 (843) 297-8704 thebrickcharleston.com

Brixx Wood Fired Pizza656 Long Point Road #G Mount Pleasant, SC 29464(843) 971-2120brixxpizza.com/locations/mount-pleasant

Crave kitchen and Cocktails1968 Riviera DriveMount Pleasant, SC 29464 (843) 884-1177cravemtp.com

Crushed Fine Wine 716 South Shelmore Boulevard Mount Pleasant, SC 29464(843) 856-1156crushedfinewine.com

DeRoMa’s Pizza1948 Long Grove Drive #201Mount Pleasant, SC 29464(843) 972-1780deromaspizza.com

Eurasia915 Houston Northcutt BoulevardMount Pleasant, SC 29464(843) 606-2616eurasiaSC.com

Fear no Easel1960 Riviera DriveMount Pleasant, SC 29464(843) 284-FEAR (3327) fearnoeasel.com

Fuji Sushi644 Long Point Road #QMount Pleasant SC 29466(843) 856-5798fujisushibarandgrill.com

Hucks lowcountry Table1130 Ocean BoulevardIsle of Palms, SC 29451(843) 886-6772huckslowcountrytable.com

ladles Soups1164 Basketweave DriveMount Pleasant, SC 29466(843) 606-2711

3125 Bees Ferry RoadWest Ashley, SC 29414(843) 769-9800

190 Gardners CircleJohns Island, SC 29455(843) 243-9881

8400 Dorchester RoadNorth Charleston, SC 29420(843) 412-6780

1175 Folly Road James Island, SC 29412(843) 225-8810ladlessoups.com

Mac’s Place215 E Bay StreetCharleston, SC 29401(843) 793-4653 macsplacecharleston.com

Perfectly Frank’s118 North Main Street Summerville, SC 29483(843) 871-9730pfranksandmore.com

Richards Coffee1050 E. Montague Park Circle, N. Charleston, SC (843) 225-2899

Roma Tomatoes717 Old Trolley RoadSummerville, SC(843) 873-9339tomatoessummerville.com

The Roost Bar and grille 825 Savannah Highway Charleston, SC 29407(843) 718-2285theroostavondale.com

Sunrise Bistro 1797 Main Road Johns Island, SC 29455(843) 718-1858sunrise-bistro.com

Taps Brews9770 Dorchester Road #104 Summerville, SC 29485(843) 821-0888 tapsbrews.com

Tasi Bites and Blends1948 Long Grove Drive #5Mount Pleasant, SC 29466(843) 856-4264tasifresh.com

Triangle Char & Bar 828 Savannah Highway Charleston, SC 29407(843) 377-1300

1440 Ben Sawyer BoulevardMt. Pleasant, SC 29464(843) 606-2900trianglecharandbar.com

uncorked664 Long Point Road, Suite GMount Pleasant, SC 29464(843) 849-5185uncorkedwine.net

Restaurant Directory

Email restaurant information to: [email protected]

40 | Eat this! CharlEston

Page 43: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

Email restaurant information to: [email protected]

Scott Walker | [email protected] | scottwalkeragency.com

867 Houston Northcutt Blvd | Patriots Plaza | Mt Pleasant

Auto | Home | Life | Bank

Being there is why I’m here.

Ready for another Serving?

eatthischarleston.com

Feature Events

Online Articles

Restaurant Spotlights

Local Bites Online Series

Restaurant Directory & More!

Come enjoy Football SeaSon with uS

& watCh all the GameS on our 12 tVs

MonDAY: 1/2 Price ‘Build Your own Burger’

TuesDAY: steak night (Filet or TBone)

WeD & Fri: Happy Hour Appetizers

HAPPY Hour: Mon-Fri $1 off all Beer & Liquor

open Mon-Thur 4 pm - Close

Fri-sun 11 am - 2 am sunday Brunch

West Ashley’s Premier sPorts BAr

825 Savannah Hwy. | Charleston | 843.718.2285theroostavondale.com

9730 dorchester rd. North charlestoN 843-821-0888 oakBrook Walmart shoppiNg ceNter

BottledBeers500

8 draftsgroWlerrefill statioN

restaUraNt opeNiNg

fall 2012

fall 2012 | 41

Page 44: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

SEPTEMBER

5-16 CHaRlESTOn RESTauRanT WEEk

20-23 EuPHORia gREEnvillEGreenville, SC

25 RiCE HaRvESTMiddleton PlaceWest Ashley

28 iROn CHEF COMPETiTiOn6-9 pmCulinary Institute of Charleston Palmer CampusDowntown Charleston

29 SingER –SOngWRiTER SHOWTime TBAThe Lighthouse on Shem CreekMount Pleasant

30 TaSTE OF CHaRlESTOn10:30 amBoone Hall PlantationMount Pleasant

OCTOBER

13 WinE, BREW, anD WiSHES TOOMemorial Waterfront Park Mt. Pleasant

20 FaMOuSly HOT CHEF SHOWDOWn EvEnTSC State FairColumbia, SC

20-21 SOuTHERn gROunD MuSiC anD FOOD FESTivalBlackbaud StadiumDaniel Islandsoutherngroundfestival.com

nOvEMBER

13-18 MuSiC TO yOuR MOuTHPalmetto Bluff, SC musictoyourmouth.com

OngOing

SaT SiPPin’ SaTuRDaySaturdays, 1-5 pm through November 1Irvin House Vineyards, Johns Island

Daily BEER TaSTingS aT HOly CiTy BREWingMonday & Tuesday4 p.m. - 6 p.m.Wednesday, Thursday & Friday4 p.m. - 7 p.m.Holy City Brewing, 4155- C Dorchester Road, N. Charleston

MOn Bin 152 TaSTingSMondays 4 p.m. - 2 p.m.Bin 152, 152 King Street Downtown Charleston

TuES MT. PlEaSanT FaRMERS MaRkETTuesdays at 3:30 p.m.Mt. P Farmers Market Pavilion645 Coleman Blvd., Mt. Pleasant

TuES RaRE BEER TuESDayTuesdays at 5 pmCharleston Beer Exchange, 14 Exchange Street, Downtown

TuES S.i.n. (SERviCE inDuSTRy nigHT)Tuesdays 7 p.m. - 12 p.m.Social, 188 Bay Street Downtown Charleston

THuR n. CHaRlESTOn FaRMERS MaRkETThursdays 12 p.m. - 7 p.m.Park Circle, N. Charleston

THuR DaniEl iSlanD FaRMERS MaRkETThursdays at 4 p.m.Island Park Drive, Daniel Island

TH&F WESTBROOk BREWing TaSTing ROOM & TOuRSThursdays & Fridays 4 p.m. - 7 p.m.Saturdays 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.

SaT CHaRlESTOn FaRMERS MaRkETSaturdays 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.Marion Square, Downtown Charleston

SuMMERvillE FaRMER’S MaRkET8 a.m. - 1 p.m.200 S. Main Street, Summerville

Events

42 | Eat this! CharlEston

Page 45: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

2349 Black Pond Lane

Wadmalaw Island, SC (843) 559-0988

www.stonomarket.com

Visit the Farm or the Stono Market.

We’re the same family!

Ambrose Family Farm CSA • Pick Your Own • Wholesale

Certified Naturally Grown

fall 2012 | 43

Page 46: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

50 Shades of Sexy Food Kiss Summer Goodbye and Embrace FallWhat happens when you mix black and white? Grey. Various sultry shades. The shell of an oyster can easily be described as gray in addition to red, purple, and white. Food has evolved in such a way that it can seduce and inspire. Chefs often describe the tastes and textures as sexy, hot and inviting. In this issue, Eat This! offers an oyster cabaret to show you the sensual side of one of our favorite zinc-laden aphrodisiacs. We invite you to jump into our oyster bed, tease your senses and unleash your imagination and curiosity to other feisty foods that tickle your taste buds and awaken your libido.

1.Whatsexygreenstalkisagreatsourceofpotassium,fiber,vitaminsA&Candfolicacidandissaidtoboosthistamineproductionnecessaryfortheabilitytoreachorgasminbothsexes?a.Broccolib.Rapinic.Asparagusd.Celery

2.Thisnutwaslongregardedasafertilitysymbolwhicharomasaidtoarousepassioninfemales:a.Peanutb.Walnutc.Pistachiod.Chestnute.Almond

3.ThisfruitwasforbiddenbyCatholicpriestsinSpainduetoit’sobscenelysexualshape.Itisalsosaidtoboosttheimmunesystemandisrichwithfolicacid,B6andpotassium.a.Bananab.Pomegranatec.Avocadod.Applee.Fig

4.Thisbrightfruitcontainschelatingmineralsandthebromeliadenzyme,saidtoenhancethemalelibido.a.Orange d. Bananab.Mango e. Papayac.Strawberry

5.Inadditiontothebenefitsonthehumanbody,thisherb’saromaissaidtohaveanaphrodisiaceffectandisalsostimulating.a.Thyme d. Rosemaryb.Parsley e. Basilc.Sage

6.Thisdelightcontainscompoundsincludinganandamideandphenylethylamine(akathe“lovechemical’).Itissaidtohelpinducefeelingsofexcitement,attractionandeuphoria.a.Strawberriesb.Champagnec.RedWined.Chocolatee.Jello

7.Chockedfullofallicin,thisstrongfoodissaidtoenhancebloodflowinmen.a.Garlic d. Shallotsb.Onion e. Rakkyoc.Leek

8.Thisfoodhelpsthebodyuseandmetabolizeestrogenandmayalsoenhancetestosteronelevelsintheblood.a.Peachpreservesb.AgaveNectarc.Honeyd.ElderflowerExtracte.FigPreserves

9.GeorgiaO’Keeffemayhavebeeninspiredbythisbuddingfruit.Asanarousingstimulant,adissectioncanrevealsomethingbelievedtoemulatethefemalesexorgans.a.Persimmonb.Papayac.Kumquatd.Fige.Peach

Visit eatthischarleston.com to submit your answers for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate.

Foodie quiz

Page 47: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

www.roadsidekitchens.com find us on facebook®

{ MT. PLEASANT 3563 Highway 17843.606.2144

Sun-Thurs: 4 pm - 10 pmFri-Sat: 4 pm - 11 pmHappy Hour daily: 4 pm - 7 pm

A modern roadside kitchen featuring classic comfort foods such as fried chicken, collards, mac and cheese and bone-in pork chop. Charleston native, Chef Brannon Florie, focuses on fresh, seasonal and local ingredients and utilizes the sustainable garden on premise. Voted best outdoor patio in Mt. Pleasant, enjoy a delightful evening under the oaks draped in twinkle lights with a fire place, live music and cornhole.

Page 48: Eat This! Charleston | FALL 2012

REDEFINING EXCELLENCE IN APARTMENT LIVING.

greystar.com

Atlantic Palms | 2510 Atlantic Palms Lane | Charleston | 843-797-3336The Courtyards at 411 Meeting Street | 411 Meeting Street | Charleston | 843-723-2057Greystar Daniel island Village | 455 Seven Farms Drive | Charleston | 843-849-1849Gregorie Ferry Landing | 1240 Winnowing Way | Suite 101 | Mount Pleasant | 843-225-7515Woodfield Long Point | 335 Stonewall Court | Mount Pleasant | 888-355-2602Woodfield Southpoint | 1000 Bonietta Harrold Drive | Charleston | 843-789-4676Woodfield St. James | 900 Channing Way | Goose Creek | 843-771-0870