Whisk, 209 Meeting St., Downtown

On a recent trip to the Shops at Charleston Place 

I took a small detour to Whisk, a lovely little liquid oasis located on an adjacent corner, just north of the Meeting Street entrance.

Whisk serves coffee, espresso, fresh juices, fruit smoothies and some very appealing pastries.  

I took a break from shopping to sit and sip an East Bay Breeze Smoothie.  Made from cranberries, strawberries, pineapple and apple juices, it was light and refeshing.  My shopping partner enjoyed the Tropical Twister, a smooth combination of bananas, pineapple and mango.

The folks behind the counter were helpful and cheerful, something I prize in waitstaff but don't always find.

On my way out, I noticed that their display case was full of delicious looking pastries, but I was on my way to lunch and had to resist the temptation.  

I will definitely return soon to sample one of their cream puffs or croissants, 

or maybe another smoothie, or a fruit and yogurt parfait, or Ginger Zinger juice, or a creme brulee coffee, or.........

The dining room at Circa 1886 at the Wentworth Mansion

No one in Charleston presents a themed dinner like Circa 1886.  Their recent Beer and Blue Jeans Dinner, a four course dinner featuring Freehouse Brewery beers, was a real treat.
The evening began in the courtyard with passed hors dourves and tray after tray of 4 oz. glasses of Ashley Farmhouse Ale.  Guests mingled outside in the courtyard, while listening to live music, and gathered inside the bar, where it was a bit cooler.  I love when hors dourves are passed on a tray, as you don't have to interrupt your conversation to get a tasty bite to eat. The bite sized fried green tomato chunks and the romaine wedge salads on a stick were certainly tasty and were passed in abundance.
The seating for Circa 1886's themed dinners is varied, with some tables seating four guests, some six and two large tables for ten guests.  As we made last minute reservations, we were seated at a table of ten.  Although sitting with eight complete strangers can be tricky, we found the company delightful and the conversation lively.
The wait staff at Circa 1886 is friendly, professional and efficient.  We never had to wait a second for a water glass to be filled, a tray of beer to miraculously arrive just as the last glass was emptied or a course to be cleared.  With that said, it's importat to note that you are never rushed.  We arrived at 6:15 and didn't leave until after 10pm.
The four courses were veal, fish, chicken and a sweet finish, all paired with a different Freehouse Brewery Beer.  A gentleman from the brewery talked to each dining room about Freehouse beer's organic leanings and his quest to make a fine beer out of healthy ingredients and I think he made a fan out of every beer drinker in the room.
Our first course, paired with the same beer served during the social hour, the Ashley Farmhouse Ale, was a Spiced Veal Slider.  Served on a toasted brioche bun, it was accompanied by pickled okra and crispy chunked steak fries.  The veal was delicious, spiced just enough to enhance the flavor of the meat.
Our second course was, as the nice guest to my left noted,  deconstructed shrimp and grits.  Two large, firm shrimp were deep fried in a corn batter, served over succotash, garnished with pea shoots.  The coconut custard sauce complemented each bite to perfection.  The shrimp course was paired with a Belgian golden ale.  The beer drinkers at the table were split evenly on which beer they liked better, the Belgian or the Farmhouse Ale.  They remarked that both were so good, it was hard to choose a favorite.
 The Coq La Biere was a tender, generously proportioned chicken breast from Ashley Farms.  There were many comments on the presentation, over a bed of green basil bamboo rice.  The cautious among us approached the green rice dish with hesitation but were delighted and, I think, surprised by the light, moist taste.  Surrounded by grilled, glazed baby carrots and a whole roasted onion, the dish more than satisfied, accompanied as it was by tray after tray of Folly's Pride bitter blonde session ale.
The "Sweet Finish" to the meal caused a noisy, chattering crowd to become completely silent.  When the glazed Carolina Gold Rice donut holes were served, on plates swirled with local berry coulis and a center scoop of vanilla bean ice cream you could have heard a pin drop.  Not a crumb of dessert was left on the close to one hundred plates.  As our server noted, "Who can resist warm donut holes, fresh from the fryer?"  Who, indeed.  Certainly not me!
The final beer, paired with the donuts, was a London 2014 India Porter, a dark beer with a creamy head that all at our table seemed to enjoy.
Congratulations to the Circa 1886 chef and kitchen staff, as well as Freehouse Brewery, on another night of culinary perfection.  When is the next dinner?  I'm ready, with fork in hand.

Burwell's Stone Fire Grill

For casual elegence and high end food,  Burwell's Stone Fire Grill is the place to be.   This new age steakhouse is located just east of Charleston's busy,  City Market, at 14 N. Market St., with both metered parking and a valet lot available nearby.  The dining room's warm earth tones and the bar's classic grand piano tunes greet you as you enter.  The hostesses are cheerful, the wait staff efficient and friendly.
Seated comfortably in a booth with a great view of their hot stone grill, we ordered Burwell's Signature Salad.  A modern twist on the wedge salad, this thick slice of Bibb lettuce is sprinkled with sunflower seeds, white raisins and chunks of Cave bleu cheese, and zig-zagged with a deliciously light dressing.
The Deviled Eggs, garnished with wild boar bacon, are worth ordering, as well.
After enjoying an Allegash White beer and fruit juice, garnished with lime, we were ready for our main course,
the Wagyu beef filet.  There were many cuts of prime and wagyu beef available - the hanger steak, however, was not available that night, but we were more than pleased with our choice of filet.  Served on pureed turnips and parsnips, and garnished with grilled Brussells sprouts, the filet was seared perfectly on the outside, tender and pink on the inside.   The savory root vegetables,  bold Brussells sprouts and flavorful beef were a great flavor pairing.  My dining partner was very happy with the creamy, garlic bearnaise sauce he added to his filet.  I enjoyed mine plain.
After steaming hot coffee served in large mugs, our dessert arrived- a trio of house-made ice creams.
The three flavors (which are changed often) were lemon ginger, white chocolate strawberry and toasted marshmallow caramel.
The lemon ginger was definitely my favorite; sweet and tangy at the same time.  The strawberry white chocolate ice cream was full of strawberry bits and the caramel ice cream was topped with a tiny, toasted marshmallow.  I look forward to trying more flavors on a return trip to this lovely restaurant.

The next time you head downtown for dinner, I encourage you to take a detour from Upper King, and try this gem of a steakhouse on N. Market.

Lunching at 39 Rue De Jean, on John St., was the perfect way to celebrate National Happy Day.

How can you not be perfectly happy when you are served delicious french food, at a lovely little restaurant on a quiet side street, on a sunny day in Charleston?  

We were a very large group, taking up the entire right side of the restaurant.  The wait staff cheerfully served us, even though each of us needed separate checks.  They promptly filled our glasses of sweet tea (delicious, by the way), served us carafe's of chllled water, and baskets of warm french bread and soft, creamy butter while we waited for our lunch orders to arrive.

39 Rue De Jean offers weekly and daily lunch specials, along with an extensive luncheon menu that is available every day.  Those around me ordered, and were very pleased with, thick slices of quiche, pomme frites, enormous cheeseburgers, and heaps of mussels in white wine broth.  My table partner and I ordered the weekly special; soup or salad and Basque Shrimp.

The salad was quite large, full of chunks of leaf lettuce and huge croutons, dressed with a flavorful vinaigrette.  The soup, served in a large bowl, contained white beans, chorizo and wilted spinach, in a thick, lightly seasoned tomato broth.  I wanted to finish every bit of it, but after seeing the size of the entrees being served around me, I decided to save some of my appetite for the next course.  I was lucky that I did.

My generaous portion of Basque Shrimp offered eight lightly breaded, fried prawns, on a bed of jasmine rice pilaf.  The Basque tomato sauce, ladled into the center of the dish, did not overpower the flavor of the shrimp, allowing me to savor the separate flavors of shrimp, rice and tomato in each bite.

I hope to return to Rue de Jean soon, to sample more offerings on their luncheon menu.

After lunch, while strollig back down John St., towards King, I stopped into a tiny sweet shop for dessert on the go.  The Macaroon Boutique,  at 45 John St., is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 11am to 6pm.  Their pastry cases were full of fresh croissants, madeleines and, of course, macaroons.

Even though the package of six macaroons cost the same as the lunch I just completed, they were worth every single penny.  They were slightly crispy on the outside, sweetly chewy on the inside, and filled with flavored cream.  My favorite was the lemon one, although the milk chocolate filled ones were not to be missed, either.  I also purchased a package of madeleines, which were equally as good.  They were rich, buttery, great with jam, or a dot of ice cream.  

All in all, a perfect National Happy Day on John St.

Sarah Grimke

Angelina Grimke

The Invention of Wings

Sue Monk Kidd

As a fan of Sue Monk Kidd's books, The Secret Life of Bees and The Mermaid Chair, I anxiously awaited the publication of her newest book, The Invention of Wings.  Ms. Kidd is a skilled storyteller, as evidenced in her historic treatment and compelling fictionalization of the daily lives of Charleston abolitionist sisters, Sarah and Angelina Grimke.  Related to the Draytons (of Magnolia and Drayton Hall Plantations) the Grimke girls were raised on East Bay Street in Charleston, SC.  Their anti-slavery views made them pariahs in their own city and heroes to northern abolitionists.  A contemporary of Elizibeth Cady Stanton, William Lloyd Garrison and John Greenleaf Whittier, Sarah Grimke discovered and embraced the northern abolitionist movement soon after she moved to Pennsylvania in the 1820's.  Sarah's younger sister, Angelina, who shared her anti-slavery views, traveled north to join Sarah in the 1830's.  Angelina became a spirited writer and speaker for the abolitionist cause.

Ms. Kidd's description of the lives of Charleston house slaves in the early 1800's adds depth and a sense of purpose to the Grimke narrative.  The Invention of Wings is a great read. It illuminates the story of the Grimke sisters for history lovers and especially for those Charlestonians who have had to be satisfied with mere snippets of information about these brave sisters.

THE LOT

At the risk of being trite, The Lot has a lot to offer...for anyone who enjoys an expertly prepared meal, genial atmosphere and skilled waitstaff.  

Located at 1977 Maybank Hwy, James Island, next to the Pour House, and directly across from the best little movie theater in SC, The Terrace.  Could you choose a better location?  

I think not.

Our group arrived at 6:30 on a Wednesday night, and had our choice of tables.  By the time our meal arrived, every table was full of animated diners.  It was an eclectic mix, one that added to the festive mood.

The Lot is a sustainable restaurant, with each item utilized fully, snout to tail; consequently, the menu changes daily. 

Our server described each menu offering in detail- one chicken dish, one beef, two pork, one fish, and so on.  Our starter choices were varied- Pickled Vegetables (slightly crisp, thin sliced radishes were my favorite among the green beans and farro- also quite good), New England Clam Chowder, Chicken Pate' (Which, I'm sure, went hand in hand the the other parts of the chicken we would order for our meal.)and a lovely Pork Trotter Cake served beneath a creamy-yolked local fried egg.

The table favorite was the pate', served with grilled bread.  Our server was kind enough to bring us extra bread, so that not a dab of pate' was wasted.

Two of us chose the smoked Keegan Fillion Farms chicken for our main course.  Served over a bed of my favorite Geechie Boy grits, surrounded by crispy edged, braised kale, the meat was moist and full of smoky flavor- Delicious.

The other choices served at our table were Pork Croquette and Gnocchi in Bolognese meat sauce.  The first, prepared with flaky pork, was amazingly light and the second, the Bolognese Gnocchi, was quite rich.  All of our meals were prepared with a minimum of interference with their natural flavors and textures.

We finished with two perfectly portioned desserts- Toasted Hazelnut Pots de Creme and a tart and tangy Lemon Curd Pudding cup, served with a delectably buttery shortbread cookie.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the drink menu, which offers a wide variety of beer, wine, cocktails and non-alchoholic choices.  My spouse's favorite craft beer brand, Frothy Beard, a locally made and hard to find variety, was happily available.  The Palmetto Espresso Porter was also tried and enjoyed, as was a lovely, bubbly Italian Prosecco wine.  I was tickled pink to find Goya's Ginger Beer on the menu, which had a sharp bite of ginger...just the way I liked and remembered it from my youth, many years ago.

All in all, The Lot offers lots of culinary treats, tied up in a local package.  

We WILL be back.

  

THE GROCERY

I recently revisited The Grocery for a celebration dinner, and what a feast it was.  Located at 4 Cannon St.,  The Grocery prides itself in house-made pickled vegetables, local produce and meats.  This restaurant is one of my favorites on the peninsula.  

At The Grocery, you enjoy expertly prepared, delicious food, and great  service from their friendly staff.  Our waiter, Zachary, assisted us with menu choices, answered questions about each dish and chatted with us like an old friend.

The hi-lite of our meal was the incorporation of winter vegetables into each dish.  The Salad of Wood Roasted Carrots was a delicious mixture of flavors and textures.  The roasted and glazed carrots were served over Greek yogurt and sprinkled with pistachio crumbles, feta cheese, and dates.  

The vegetable side dishes here are large enough to share with the table, or enjoy with dinner and take home in a "doggie" bag.  We ordered roasted cauliflower, brussells sprouts simmered in vinegar and creamy farro, as additions to our meals.  Our favorite was the farro, which had a pleasant, nutty taste and the consistency of risotto.  

All of the main course choices were delicious, and have been reviewed by me in the past, so I will move on to the desserts.  Our server found it amusing that I ordered ice-cream during an ice storm, but I couldn't resist their Coconut Lime Ice Cream, with graham cracker crumbles- creamy and crunchy, with a nice coconut flavor and lime scent.  We also tried the Banana Pudding Parfait.  Layered with thin slices of banana, the pudding was light and tasted of both banana and vanilla.  The average sized portion was just right, as this dessert tends to be quite filling.  

Another wonderful meal at The Grocery, where local ingredients rule.