Roasted Duck at Chez Nous

     I don't usually take pictures of my food.  I rely on the photos taken by the restaurant, or don't use them at all.  I usually let the food's flavor speak for itself.  Not this time.  The Duck Breast with Roasted Grapes and Mushrooms, on turnip pureé, (which made the dish as perfect as God's original creation in the Garden of Eden...do I rhapsodize too much?) served at Chez Nous on Friday looked like a still life in a Dutch Masters painting.  It was just that perfect.  I almost didn't want to disturb it.  Almost.
     What would your first bite of this masterpiece be?  Mine was a grape.  On the surface, roasting grapes seems odd.  Once in my mouth though it was anything but odd.  The grape's flavor was enhanced by the roasting and its' texture was still firm.  My next bite was a piece of roasted duck whose edges crackled in my mouth and center melted on my tongue.  The mushrooms were King Trumpet, and according to my server, perhaps originated from Mepkin Abbey, perhaps not, which added mystery to the dish.  When swirled in the creamy turnip pureé, I wondered if anything else could taste as good as these mushrooms?  The answer is yes, if it's another dish served at this tiny pearl of French cuisine, just off busy Coming Street in Downtown Charleston.
     With only street parking available, you must plan your attack at Chez Nous.  A small sign just before the intersection of Spring Street alerts you to the restaurant which is set back from Coming St. on Payne Court in a small, Charleston single house. My dining partner and I arrived at twelve thirty for a one o'clock lunch reservation and found two parking spaces out front.  Landing a parking space there was a good sign of great things to come.

     Our second entreé, Pan Grilled Swordfish, was equally enticing as the duck entreé.  And again, the dish was so beautifully presented that you almost hated to disturb it with your fork.  Almost.

     The Grilled Swordfish with Gem Lettuce was another masterpiece.  The colors, orange, green, golden yellow, cream, all combined to create another culinary painting.  The aroma drew me in and  then the flavor held me captive.  Buttery, firm fish, pleasantly bitter gem lettuce, and tart tomatoes bracketed by golden chunks of potato beckoned me to another flavor wonderland.  Again, I may rhapsodize, but all of my flowery praise falls short when you sample the dish.  The flavors cannot be captured by the pen.  They must be experienced, bite by bite, at a shaded table covered by a white tablecloth, in a cobbled courtyard, with a chilled bottle of water and a crust of French bread, and the sound of traffic gliding past on Coming Street.
     And, oh yes, the finish is just as glorious as the rest of the meal; Mousse au Pamplemousse, Grapefruit Mousse, is fun, French and creamy beyond description.  While grapefruit and mousse don't sound like they go together, they do.  Light in texture and gentle in flavor, the mousse was the perfect end to our dining experience, especially when accompanied by a tiny cup of espresso with thick cream and a lump of sugar plopped into the cup, stirred and sipped very slowly.
     My suggestion is to order one of everything on the Chez Nous daily menu.  They offer two appetizers, two entreés and two desserts each day, depending on what locally sourced, fresh ingredients are available each morning.  My advice to you is try them all, share with your dinner partner, enjoy each bite and forget the rest of world for a few pleasant hours at Chez Nous.
   
   
   

     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.