Are you looking for the perfect beach book?  Look no further.  You've found it.  The Girl on the Train is a delicious book that reminds me of a tall slice of Hummingbird Cake.  Stuffed full of seemingly unrelated ingredients, it only takes a few bites, or in this case, chapters, to realize that all of the tasty ingredients fit together nicely.
     As The Girl on the Train is a mystery, I will not share many details.  What I will say is that the characters are finely drawn, the style fun and engaging and the outcome quite surprising.  I didn't guess the answer to the mystery until about twenty pages from the end, and even then I really wasn't sure until the very last page.
     Hit the pool or the beach, settle into your chair, adjust your sun hat and enjoy the ride with The Girl on the Train.
 

     The Macintosh, located at 479 King Street, ranks high on my list of "Go To" restaurants for creative, locally sourced cuisine.  Executive Chef Jeremiah Bacon and his talented staff combine taste, texture and presentation with a twist, offering something for everyone on their daily-changing menu.
     As they are supplied by all of my favorite purveyers of quality meats, fish, vegetables and grains (Kennerty, Ambrose and Keegan Filion Farms, Clammer Dave, Mepkin Abbey,  Geechie Boy Mill and Evo Bakery, to name a few), dining at The Macintosh is like having a long conversation with your best friend: comfortable, satisfying and invigorating.
     With service that is personal and friendly and food that is meticulously and thoughtfully prepared, Macintosh chefs please the palate and nourish the body.  That said, they also have fun with their dishes, throwing caution to the wind with their Bone Marrow Bread Pudding.
     A crispy, brown outside that surrounds a pillow-soft inside, and a taste that is both buttery and earthy, Macintosh's Bone Marrow Bread Pudding almost defies description...
                                                                                                                  in a word, it is sinful.

   The Macintosh offers complimentary valet service in front of their sister restaurant O-Ku.  But as it was a beautiful night, we parked at the Visitor's Center parking garage and strolled down Ann Street to King Street instead.   Arriving before our reservation time, we enjoyed the lively atmoshere in the bar area, where we chatted with a lovely couple from California and cheered loudly with the excited crowd as the horses thundered around the track at the Kentucky Derby.  My dining partner celebrated his horse's nearly last-place finish with delicious Woodford Reserve mint juleps, which took the sting out of his loss.
     Our server, Ben, was very helpful.  He gave us detailed menu item descriptions and entree suggestions and seemed to be everywhere at once, checking on us, filling our glasses, and clearing used plates.  We tried three starters, two at his suggestion.  The Sautéed Scallops with spring onions, arugula, ground pistachios, rhubarb and oxtail tortellini were my dining partner's favorite.  The scallops were nicely grilled and the oxtail tortellini were rich and savory.  The pistachios added the texture contrast.
     The Spring Vegetables were a chef's choice that we particularly enjoyed.  The radishes and beets were sliced paper thin, the asparagus and sugar snap peas were appropriately crunchy,  and the pickled spring onions were a tart foil for the salty Feta cheese sprinkled throughout.  A delicate, edible blossom made the dish esthetically pleasing, as well as tasty.
     My choice for a starter was the deep-fried Sweetbreads, dotted with Benne seeds.  Also served with sugar snap peas, the generous portion of sweetbreads were crispy outside and smooth inside.  Maitake mushrooms and a fish sauce caramel finished the dish and made it my favorite of the three starters we tried.
     We asked our server what the house specialty was and were pleased to hear it was the CAB Deckle, a tender and delicious cut of meat that is prepared differently each night at The Macintosh.  Our deckle was sliced and served over hominy with okra, fava beans (quite nice), and mushrooms.  A Bordelaise reduction sauce swept around the plate and added a hearty finish to each bite.
     My entrée was the Seared Snapper, two buttery pieces of firm fish that were so perfectly prepared that they reminded me of the delectable fish that used to be served at Carolina's.  (Charlestonians will know what I mean!)  The Snapper was easily my favorite part of the meal, surrounded as it was by chunks of roasted beets (very good), smoked potatoes, celeriac, barley and baby raab.  Also in the mix were pickled clams which added a sharp, tangy edge to the dish, while dipping each bite in the saffron vanilla sauce brought out the sweet.
     Speaking of sweet, we had a tiny bit of room left for dessert and chose the Candy Bar in a Jar and the Banana Bread Pudding.  I enjoyed the Candy Bar in a Jar, a thick layer of hot fudge, topped by a roasted peanut nougat and crumbled vanilla shortbread.  This dessert was served in a half pint canning jar, which was the perfect size for a dessert that sweet.
     The Banana Bread Pudding was pleasing for two reasons.  First, it actually had a deep, rich banana  flavor, something that banana dishes often advertise but rarely deliver.  Second, the pudding was topped with a creamy, malted milk chocolate ice cream which was a delight.  Add crunchy, toffee-cocoa crumb and you have a home-run dessert.
     Many thanks to The Macintosh for a tremendous dining experience.  We will be back soon.
   
   

The bar at Cypress 

     Hungry for the best $5.00 burger on the peninsula?  Head over to the second floor bar at Cypress on Monday nights.  An example of a very clever business idea, Cypress, located at 167 E. Bay St., took a typically quiet Charleston restaurant night and turned it into a standing room only event.

     Beginning at 5:30pm, $5.00 Burger Night at Cypress is a fun, lively and delicious way to start  the work week.  Tables are first come, first served.  (Reservations to this part of the Cypress experience are not accepted. )

     The second floor bar area is large, with seating options that range from typical bar stools and cocktail tables to white tablecloth seating for four and comfortable banquettes.  The tables fill up fast, so plan on arriving early, before 6:00 pm.  We arrived at 5:40 and were seated immediately but the line stretched down the stairs when we left at 7:00 pm.  (The space is handicapped accessible but taking the elevator does not mean that you can advance in the line!)

     And, oh my goodness, the burgers are so good.  Cypress serves their burgers hot and juicy with a delicious "mystery" sauce spread on the soft brioche bun.  There are four burger choices, all prepared at medium temperature.  My burger choice was a cheeseburger served with pickled onions.  The beef patty was flavorful and slightly crisp on the edges, just the way I like it.   I added steak fries for an extra $3.00 and they were crunchy and cut generously but not too wide.  My dining partner enjoyed the korean mustard and fried egg burger, with a side of deep fried macaroni and cheese.  I had never tried fried mac n cheese and, after begging a bite, was won over by the crunchy, breaded outside and the creamy inside.  I'll switch my fries for mac n cheese next time!

     Our bill for two burgers, two sides, a glass of Stellenbosch Cabernet for my dining partner and ginger ale for me was only $29.00, including tax. 

     The Cypress staff is always friendly, skilled and efficient, both upstairs and in the main dining room, but I give kudos to the hostess and our server who provided gracious service during a very busy night.  Both ladies remained cheerful while whisking guests from the long line to available tables and delivering burgers with surprising speed.  

     I will return to Cypress for Monday Night Burgers soon.  After all, I still have two more burger offerings to sample along with my very own order of fried mac n cheese.

      

More Minute Reviews...

Lady Love to Read’ s Minute Book Reviews

Eric Larson's Dead Wake, The Last Crossing of the Lusitania

Fascinating, Well-written, Sad

Dinner Conversation:

We would discuss the policies that preceded WWI and the hindsight that illuminates how easily Lusitania's sinking could have been prevented.

Mr. Larson would provide a seven course meal, reminiscent of the meals served on the Lusitania.

 
     The 23rd Annual Spring Book & Author Luncheon was held today at the Charleston Marriott's Crystal Ballroom.  The guest speakers, authors all, were interesting, informative and entertaining.  Our only disappointment was that Ron Rash, author of Saints at the River and Serena, was absent due to an airport weather delay.  We hope to hear Mr. Rash speak at a future Post and Courier event as it is always nice to hear a speech by a Pen/Faulkner Award finalist.
     Produced by Master of Ceremonies Robie Scott, and benefitting local literacy causes, the luncheon featured three authors and co-host Dorothea Benton Frank, the prolific writer of Lowcountry novels and local gal extraordinaire.  We enjoyed her introduction of the day's speakers, as well as the treat of an exclusive reading from her newest book, All the Single Ladies, due to be released on June 9, 2015.
     Our first speaker was Lisa Green, author of On Your Case.....Legal Guide for Every Stage of a Woman's Life.  A lawyer, journalist, author and legal analyst for NBC and MSNBC, Ms. Green gave a witty and enlightening speech.
     Following Ms. Green was Rita Mae Brown, the NY Times bestselling author of both the Mrs. Murphy mysteries and the Sister Jane novel series.  Ms. Brown was an engaging and enthusiastic speaker, expressing her appreciation for newspapers, journalists and readers.  "Books are a roadmap of your inner life," was Ms. Brown's mantra and I think all readers would agree with that.
     Jim Defelice, co-author with Chris Kyle of the bestseller American Sniper and more than fifty other titles, regaled us with tales of learning to read in Catholic school, complete with nuns armed with rulers and "Look, look, look" from the Fun with Dick and Jane reading primers.  Mr. Defelice also stressed the importance of reading, although in a room of book club members and bibliophiles, he was certainly preaching to the choir.  With an easy delivery and an accent like Woody Allen, Mr. Defelice wrapped up the speaking pool nicely.
     The food served today was delicious, as usual, and the company at my table was friendly and interesting.  I look forward to the next Book & Author luncheon and hope to see a few of my tablemates there.

     Published more than fifty years after her death, Irene Némirovsky's Suite Francaise is a literary work of art.  

She skillfully crafted a conglomerate of finely wrought characters, characters that become more deeply engraved on the reader's heart with each page turned.  Suite Francaise is one of those stories whose ending leaves the reader bereft, missing each character like a lost friend.  When I read the last page, I wished that Lucile could remain my neighbor.  I wanted to sit by the fire and comfort Madeleine and to applaud the Michaud family's courage. And the loss of painfully naive Father Phillippe so filled me with horror that it shook my psyche like an earthquake.  Throughout the book, Némirovsky's astute description of the German occupying forces, their clueless rigidity, their delusional assumption that the conquered French people's welcome was completely benign, never ceased to amaze me.

      Némirovsky intended to continue her characters' stories through the anticipated end of World War II and beyond, but her death in 1942 while a prisoner at Auschwitz silenced her stories.  Hers was a great literary talent, a voice pointlessly lost to the brutality and hatred of war. 

     The manuscript for Suite Francais was discovered in Némirovsky's personal papers early in the twenty first century.  It was published in France in 2004, then translated into English and published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf in 2006. 

     This portrait of ordinary and extraordinary people, facing the loss and heartbreak of war, each in their own way, is a must read and a wonderful addition to my home library.

   

Charleston Grill

     It's hard to believe that we have lived in Charleston since 1996.  Time flies when you live in such a  beautiful city.  After all of the sights and sounds we have experienced here, the friends we have made, the meals we have enjoyed, the places downtown that we've visited, it's really quite amazing that we have not, until recently, dined at Charleston Grill.  
     Located at the Belmond, Charleston Place, between King and Meeting Streets, Charleston Grill is more than a restaurant; it's a dining experience.  And although we expected our evening to be rather stiff and formal, it was not.  The adjectives that more effectively describe Charleston Grill are friendly, comfortable, lively, and above all, welcoming.
     We were served by a skilled team of wait staff, led by our waitress, Nika.  From the moment the hostess cheerfully greeted us, our every need was met.   Charleston Grill's manager, Mickey Bakst, made it a point to greet each guest tableside as well, and clearly oversaw every detail of the evening, right down to the volume level of the live jazz trio playing in the dining room.    
    The seating at Charleston Grill is varied and comfortable, a mix of round tables with creamy, leather chairs and rectangular tables with banquettes.  There is a small bar area as you enter the restaurant where guests may order appetizers and drinks, as well.
   
     The restaurant's menu is divided into four categories:  Pure, Lush, Cosmopolitan and Southern.
Each category offers three appetizers, three entrees and one side dish.  As all of these catagories and the choices within them looked tempting to us, we decided to let the culinary experts in the Grill's kitchen decide our choices for us, opting for Chef Michelle Weaver's Six Course Tasting Menu.  Our server explained that we would be served five savory courses and one sweet course, (excluding the caviar) then asked us if there was anything on the menu that we did not want included.  As octopus is not our favorite food, we excluded it but agreed to enjoy whatever else the chef wished to prepare.  The six choices came from all four catagories of the menu and you can also add wine pairings to enhance your dining experience (but we did not).
     Our first course was Maroma Aguachile, a chilled Ahi tuna filet garnished with avocado chunks, yellow and purple tomatoes, cilantro and paper-thin sliced radishes.  This was an excellent first course as its' taste was light and clean.
     The tuna course was followed by a Charleston Grill Crab Cake, a delectable grilled cake loaded with lump crabmeat and surrounded by chunks of creek shrimp swimming in lime, tomato and dill vinaigrette.  Not only was the crab cake delicious but the dill vinaigrette was good enough to swirl the whole grain bread, ciabatta and corn muffins in.  Not a bit of the second course was left on our plates.

      My favorite offering was next, Pan Seared Foie Gras.  Served over a hearty, sherry bourbon reduction sauce, with a slice of baked apple and a crispy apple hand pie, my dining partner and I agreed that the sweet and robust flavors were perfectly matched.  The crowning touch of the dish was a dollop of marscapone cream, which, when added to each forkful of foie gras, gave a smooth, sweet finish to every bite.
     The fourth course, Seared Flounder, was served with lump crabmeat, field peas, zipper beans and yellow corn in a light, tomato vinaigrette sauce.  This was another table favorite.  The fish was flakey and buttery, the beans and peas had just the right amount of crunch, and the tomato vinaigrette added a tangy zing.
     By now, I was slowing down a bit (although each course served was medium in size, large in taste),  but my dining partner was more than ready for our fifth course, a perfectly prepared, medium- rare, Prime Beef Tenderloin.  Accompanied by a lovely, little baked potato topped with truffled creme fraiche and roasted, local carrots and pearl onions, the tenderloin lived up to it's name.  It was a rich tasting cut of meat, tender enough to cut with your fork.  The bourguignon sauce enhanced the flavor of both the beef and the vegetables and the crumbled, fresh horseradish sprinkled over the tenderloin was a real treat.
     We decided to take a break between our fifth and sixth courses.  We savored the myriad flavors and textures we had sampled so far while we sipped our coffee.  When we agreed that we were ready for our sweet course, the servers brought out two plates of Carrot Cake Fritters.  
      These small, sweet doughnut holes were served with a scoop of cream cheese ice cream, crunchy carrot granola, and a garnish of slivered, candied carrot.  It must have been funny for the staff to see our delighted faces when the plates of fritters were placed on our table- after two hours and five courses we still had room, and enthusiasm, for doughnuts!
     Although we could barely eat another bite, our serving team brought us another treat, a small plate of Lowcountry sweets, along with our meal's check.  We "forced ourselves" to try a chocolate peanutbutter truflle and a praline; they were very good.
     Satiated and happy, we trotted to our car with the gift of mini blueberry muffins for the next morning's breakfast tucked snugly in my purse.  Thank you Charleston Grill for a memorable evening.  I hope there will be many more like it!