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Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Park Circle gets a new coffee shop
Richard's Return
Posted by Joshua Curry on Wed, Apr 11, 2012 at 11:08 AM
Ever since Park Circle Coffee n' More closed back in 2009, Park Circle locals have been without a proper coffee shop. Now, Richard Campbell is back with a new shop aptly dubbed Richard's Coffee n' More.
Located behind the now closed Aunt Bea's in the village, the small white building boasts a tree shaded patio with lots of tables and has room for four 4-tops inside. The building is owned by North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey and Campbell credits his help with making the shop a possibility.
"When I started Coffee n' More, I did with a lot of money and by myself. Now, I'm starting again on a shoestring with the help of many many friends and Summey's support. I couldn't have done it without them", said Campbell.
The kitchen is smaller than before, but he's still going to serve up a variety of deli favorites as well as breakfast fare like waffles, egg sandwiches, bagels and muffins. His former cook Gloria is back, to the delight of many regulars.
He'd like to serve Sunday brunch soon, but is just focused on the opening for now. The shop will be open Monday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. The official address is 1050 East Montague Suite D, but keep in mind it's off the main road.
Monday, October 24, 2011
First Look: Vino Burgerz in Mt. P
With Wine Pairings!
Posted by Eric Doksa on Mon, Oct 24, 2011 at 1:34 PM
Surprise, surprise there's another burger joint in town. Vino Burgerz quietly opened at the corner of 17 and 41 in Mt. Pleasant about a month ago. But why the name Vino? The quaint little restaurant is attached to favorite local wine and beer shop Wine-A-While.
After hearing about how great the burgers are on multiple occasions, I decided to stop into Vino Burgerz for lunch to see what they have to offer.
The decor is warm and inviting with a handful of high and low-top tables with a direct view of the kitchen. A giant chalkboard displays the entire menu, including specialty beers on tap.
Right away I ordered the roasted pork belly and spinach artichoke dip. Adding pork fat to anything is a win in my book.
As I munched on the sinful dip I browsed the burger selection. According to the menu, all the burgers are ground in-house daily with a special blend of chuck, brisket, and short rib, cooked to order with your choice of fresh-cut russet or sweet potato fries, or a side salad. Besides the beef, there are four other patty options including: lamb, turkey, salmon, and a portabella cap.
If you can't find a burger you like out of the 15-plus options, you can build your own, but VB creations are very intriguing. The Spanish Harlem is a beef patty with garlic-roasted pulled pork, sofrito, and queso fresco. There's even a burger that's topped with bacon, foie gras, and quail eggs.
Each burger is listed with wine and beer pairing suggestions. Cool idea.
I opted for the Sunshine Burger: "VB grind, heirloom tomato salad, apple smoked bacon, crisp red onion, bibb lettuce, a sunny-side-up egg, and cracked black pepper."
The burger was huge and after eating an appetizer I was full and had leftovers take home.
The only downfall of the meal was the bun. I've said it before and I'll say it again: the bun can make or break a burger. While the bread was strong enough to hold all of the toppings, it was a bit too airy and bready. I found myself tasting more of the bun than the fresh ingredients resting on top of the patty itself.
Putting the bun aside, I do think Vino Burgerz has a lot of potential. With a fresh, creative menu and easy access to Wine-A-While this could turn out to be a lunch/dinner destination for hungry shoppers. I'm already looking forward to stopping in again in the near future.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Octobachi slings pho, sushi, hibachi on Spring
An eight-armed delight
Posted by Alison Sher on Fri, Jun 3, 2011 at 1:43 PM
We recently got a sneak peek at Octobachi — the new hibachi, sushi, and pho restaurant on Spring Street. The owners, Israeli-natives and brothers, Sahar and Idan Klein, did a great job renovating the space, which formerly housed Wali's Bean Supreme. The restaurant has a clean and modern feel. White tile walls with black accents frame an industrial ceiling. Cooks work away in a small open-air, chrome kitchen.
At the moment, Octobachi serves wine, sake, and beer on tap (that include Kirin Ichiban — yum). Customers can chomp on wasabi peas at the bar while waiting for food. And by the way, the food is cheap. The motive behind Octobachi was to provide everyone in Charleston with affordable sushi. (Yes, affordable sushi.)
For $3.99 at Octobachi, you can get a festive plate of seaweed salad, garnished with Icelandic caviar. Or chicken pho for $5.99. American Kobe steak hibachi for $9.99. And a variety of simple sushi rolls, both Maki and Nigiri, for under $7.
Hewitt Emerson, who helped conceptualize the restaurant, say he doesn't want people to start flocking to Octo right away. Emerson would rather the Japanese restaurant build clientele with steady momentum.
Octobachi’s executive chef Adam Jones makes the shrimp sauce from scratch along with the green tea ice cream. Soon, he'll be experimenting with molecular gastronomy, creating foam-based pickled ginger, soy sauce, and wasabi for sushi condiments.
Emerson and the Klein brothers seem to have carved out the details — from the menu, to the staff, to the logo and décor — necessary to create a restaurant with staying power.
Our first impression says that Ochtobachi will provide patrons in Elliotborough with a high-end Asian inspired dining experience at bottom-of-the-barrel prices. And who wouldn't love that? Check out Octobachi’s official opening is tonight, Friday, June 3. They are located at 119 Spring St. (843) 789-3406.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Reviewing The Gin Joint
The critic's perspective
Posted by Signe Pike on Wed, Oct 13, 2010 at 8:00 AM
The Gin Joint was my first full-length review for The City Paper, and though you can always count on me to write without bias, it has me thinking about our attachments to restaurants. For instance, it’s hard not to be fond of a place you’ve known since it was born. Granted, The Gin Joint is only about two months old. But restaurants are like kids. I should know — not because I have kids, cause I don’t — but because I’ve been lucky enough to staff a lot of newborn restaurants myself.
As a 16-year-old with a passion for cooking, I managed to talk my way into kitchen for what would be my first restaurant job. Little did I know it would be the beginning of a nine-year career where I’d work every job from prep cook (I was absolutely the worst) to bus girl (“Why don’t we try you in front of house, hmm?”) to waitress, hostess, bar-back, bartender, head bartender, and finally, manager. I’ve worked in restaurants everywhere from upstate New York to Manhattan and Nantucket, five of which were newly opening, three of which are still around today.
The passion, excitement, and possibility present when opening a new venue is addictive, and it’s a drug I miss. Getting to attend the soft opening of The Gin Joint, I was able to relive the energy of those start-up days — when the menu is constantly in flux, when front-of-house is still learning the menu and the staff is surreptitiously watching the customers first bite, first sip, out of the corner of their eyes.
Soft opening, the food and service were flawless, and on my recent visit the food was reliably delicious once more — the biggest bone I had to pick (ha-ha) being that so many menu items that had been listed online were nowhere to be found on the real menu. I had the opportunity to talk with the chef, MariElena Raya, after turning in my review (quite irregularly, she and husband Joe had been away from the restaurant), since none of the employees had quite known why, either, so many items were out of stock.
“It’s hard to keep that full of a menu when we’re trying to make everything in house, and when our ingredients have to be so fresh,” she explained. “So we’re making some adjustments to the menu that reflect what’s been most popular.”
The success of a new venue centers on the restaurant’s ability to flex, and the public’s approval and acceptance as new changes are made. MariElena is thinking about going more of the charcuterie route, a la Daniel Boloud’s DBGB in New York, and I certainly think, given the restaurant’s straddling of the dinner/drinks line, it could be an interesting development. In any case, The Gin Joint is one restaurant I’m looking forward to watching as it continues to grow up.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Edisto's Old Post Office gets a speedy new delivery
Posted by Stephanie Barna on Fri, May 1, 2009 at 10:10 AM
For nearly two decades, the Old Post Office on Edisto Island had people lining up around the block, waiting to get inside for modern Southern fare like corn and crabmeat chowder or Orangeburg onion sausage. Over the years, Chef Philip Bardin accumulated a legion of fans and was well-liked for his winning personality in addition to his tasty food.
The restaurant first took over Edisto's old post office (literally) in the late 80s. By the time I arrived in the Lowcountry in the late 90s, the place was legendary. We wrote stories about its popularity and sent writers to visit. The last time we reviewed the restaurant — in 2005, I think? — our critic praised the food but complained about the dated dining room. It was still decked out in the teal and mauve colors of the 80s.
It wasn't too long before the restaurant closed, leaving Edisto without a serious dining option. In 2007, locals Adam and Toniann Morris took over the space and have spent the last two years renovating and updating it. Gradually, the big hair and shoulder pad look gave way to a sleek, modern silhouette. The thoroughly updated dining room features dark wood floors and soothing blue walls, a perfect backdrop for the new menu. 
The Morrises are not restaurant people by trade. They have both had careers in education, but they tapped Phil Bardin to return to run the kitchen. With his help, they've created a new menu that hews close to the old — local ingredients, traditional southern dishes, modern flair. The menu looks great: crispy duck livers, fresh smoked fish, shrimp paté, and grilled quail legs are just some of the appetizers. The entrees range from Firecracker Flounder (with jalapeno tomato sauce) and Veal Edistonian (pecan-coated cutlet) to crispy Grand Marnier chicken and pork ribeyes in country ham gravy.
They reopened on April 21st, and if their phone message is any indication, they've already got lines out the door. We'll be visiting them soon to get a full report. They're open for dinner Tues.-Sat.
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