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Saturday, March 3, 2012
CHSWFF: Sinful Soul
Food made with Love
Posted by Eric Doksa on Sat, Mar 3, 2012 at 11:33 AM
“I hope nobody ate breakfast,” were the initial words of food writer and City Paper contributor Jeff Allen on Friday morning as he addressed a group waiting to be schooled on Charleston’s Gullah and Soul food cuisine. The tour started at Marion Square where Jeff gave a brief overview of the area and the five restaurants on the agenda.
After a nice historical stroll through the neighborhood between King Street and St. Philip Street, the first stop was Dave’s Carryout. We could smell the fried food from about a block away. Everyone crammed into the small joint run by Sandra McCray and two family members. Small brown bags filled with fried shrimp, hush puppies, and tartar sauce were handed out to each guest. The shrimp was flavorful enough that it didn’t require any sauce.
Jeff then led the group over to one of Charleston’s best kept soul food secrets, Ernie’s. A nice spread was setup that consisted of cornbread, a gelatinous okra soup, and butterbeans so good you could hear everyone in the room hum “mmmm” in unison. Ernie’s doesn’t advertise, the bowl of butterbeans speaks for itself.
A shuttle then took everyone up to “The neck” of Charleston, which is basically the border of Charleston and North Charleston, where the sisters of Bertha’s Kitchen cooked up a crispy fried pork chop, cabbage, and rice.
At that point everyone was getting full and in need of a nap but two of the most important stops were still ahead, including the kitchen of a Charleston legend, Martha Lou.
Tables were setup outside and Martha Lou herself started carrying out trays of food that became part of a full-on buffet of rice, baked chicken, butterbeans, and mac n cheese. Word got out that Martha’s fried chicken is the best in town so she ended up bringing out a tray of that as well. It was agreed by everyone that Martha Lou was not messing around — this woman can cook.
Finally, the group was shuttled through some of the rough parts of Charleston on the way to Alluette’s holistic café for dessert. The good news was that Alluette uses almost all organic ingredients. We started off with a cup of decadent dark chocolate mousse followed by a plate of pound cake, bread pudding, and apple pie, which Jeff calls “the best apple pie I’ve ever had in my life.” I tend to agree.
After Alluette and Jeff made some closing comments the group applauded to the close of such a wonderful event. The stories about the rich soul food history that Jeff was able to share with everyone were truly amazing, and all of the food was cooked with pure love. The only thing that could make the event even better is a final stop at the battery where a spread of hammocks are lined up for an afternoon slumber.
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.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Next Door impresses with first wine pairing event
A deal of a tasting
Posted by Eric Doksa on Thu, Oct 6, 2011 at 7:00 PM
With humidity taking a backseat and the fall air coming in, I can't think of a better way to spend an evening than sipping stellar wine and noshing on great food with some fine people in a cozy environment. Ben Berryhill and Charlie Chance provided just that opportunity at Next Door in Mt. Pleasant on Wednesday night.
For the first time since opening, an eight-course wine and food tasting was made available for only $25 a person, or $40 a couple. Take a look at the menu and tell me that's not a steal.
While the sun was still gleaming, guests started rolling in to claim seats in the beautiful patio in front of the restaurant. The weather was mild and Charlie Chance had all hands on deck to assure an amazing evening.
A crisp prosecco was poured upon arrival and soon after came Deep Bay oysters out of Vancouver that were very clean, sweet, and not too briny.
As guests sucked down their oysters, wine glasses were replaced with a small cup of sweet Thai coconut soup. The creaminess of the coconut and the strong presence of ginger made for a delightful pairing with an acidic, earthy Pinot Gris. The soup was so good I found myself setting down the spoon and drinking straight from the cup.
Next we were served crispy shrimp and scallop spring rolls with sweet chili sauce, paired with sparkling wine. What a great presentation.
The pairing of the night came next. A stunning hand-crafted spinach and butternut squash ravioli was complemented with a lush, nutty, and buttery chardonnay. The ravioli was delicious, but a whole new array of flavors were brought out with the wine.
Though I was sad to see my empty plate, it wasn't long before I was staring down the pork cheek with creamy polenta and crispy leeks. The savory dish was paired with a lighter, vibrant Pinot Noir from Germany. A wine with a little more tannins would have gone well with the pork, but the minerality of the wine was complex and offered a completely different flavor profile for a pinot noir, which was refreshing.
At this point guests were chattering about what a great deal it was to have all this food and wine at such a small price. And to think, we still had two more courses to go.
The mini "smothered" burger came out open-face with onions, mushrooms, and 10-month aged white cheddar. Tender, juicy, and piquant. I can see myself eating the bigger version of this dish. It paired beautifully with a spicy malbec.
In the midst of all this food, a couple — Josh and Paisley — were celebrating their recent engagement. Nice party. Congrats.
The night was capped off with a 10-year port from Portugal paired with panna cotta with salted caramel and a silky Saint Nectaire Brie.
There's no question that the tasting was a huge success. It's worth noting that everything at the tasting is available on the full dinner menu, in larger portions of course. If you missed out, don't worry, there will be more events like this in the future. As the main menu changes, tastings will be offered. Will you be at the next wine paired dinner? I know I will be.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
First Look: Bull Street Gourmet on King
Posted by Erica Jackson Curran on Thu, Aug 11, 2011 at 2:00 PM
Bull Street Gourmet is moving to King Street, but they're keeping their original location — and their name. The gourmet corner store has earned a devoted following over the years thanks to well-crafted salads and sandwiches and a thoughtful wine selection.
The new location, right next to Berlin's in a former antique store, is bigger, brighter, and newer, but retains the heart of owner Justin Croxall's original eatery. It includes a market area stocked with local and organic goods ranging from fresh produce and bread from Normandy Farms to Seventh Generation paper products. There will also be gift items available from companies like Gullah Gourmet.
The wine selection has been greatly expanded, with close to 500 labels available ranging from the affordable to the bank-breaking. Croxall pulled out a few of his most prized bottles, kept under lock and key, that he assures us can't be found anywhere else in town, or anywhere else, for that matter. Priced up to $300, these are bottles you'll want to save for those super special occasions.
As for the food, you'll see a lot of familiar items on the menu, plus some new ones. The sandwich menu includes a Banh Mi, roast beef, Castro, and smoked duck club, and there are 10 items on the fresh salads menu, averaging around $8. Breakfast is still available too, with choices like a Croque Madame, duck confit hash, and build-your-own omelets. We're also told they'll be stocking prepared entrees, and they'll eventually offer delivery options. Derek Falta is serving as chef of the new location and the new catering program. Falta, a Johnson and Wales grad, most recently worked as executive chef at Barsa and also spent time at Chai’s and 39 Rue de Jean.
- These tables are only temporarily topless.
Bull Street Gourmet is an exciting addition to the sleepy Lower King neighborhood. Joining other young businesses like Heirloom Book Company, Sugar Snap Pea, and Bin 152, it's sure to kick things up a notch. They're opening officially on Mon. Aug. 15. They'll be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Vickery's robbed last night
Posted by Stephanie Barna on Tue, May 12, 2009 at 8:36 AM
From the P&C's website:
Vickery's Bar and Grill on Beaufain Street was robbed at gunpoint shortly after 2 a.m. Monday, Charleston police said.The robbers put two employees into a walk-in cooler, a police report said.
The employees freed themselves after about 10 minutes and called police, the report said. The amount stolen during the robbery was not released by police.
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