Tonight's Episode: Don't Worry, Eat Chorizo

         Tune into the Travel Channel or Food Network, and if you're lucky, they might have a trip to Charleston for you to enjoy. It doesn't matter what show, what host, what schtick they are doing, there is one stop that seems inevitable. At some point the host will be in front of that venerable restaurant on the corner of Rutledge and Cannon, Hominy Grill. Just once I would love it if that celeb chef, home grown cook, or whatever vacuum headed mouth-piece with a microphone is talking would take the time to turn around and point the camera at the old filling station across the street. Inside is the Caribbean inspired restaurant known as Fuel Cantina.
         The 50's era fueling station facade is complimented inside with a blend of classic filling station signage and equipment. The space itself is small but has a large outside area. Depending on the time of day you arrive, the bar/dining area can be VERY loud, so don't expect a quiet evening.
        

          For starters we began with the anguillan beef kabobs ($6.50). These turned out to be three medium sized tenders of beautifully grilled beef, served with a cilantro mojo. While I would have loved a spicy sauce to go with the kabobs, they were very satisfying. As a second app, we went with the chips and queso carne ($6.50), which is a blend of fried and grilled soft tortillas with a house made chorizo queso. While the flavor was fantastic and the grilled soft tortillas especially so, the portion size is rather small considering the price.

         For a main The Girl decided on the BBQ buffalo burger ($13.95) with grilled bison, a mango ketchup, and french fries. I went another direction, choosing the House made chorizo burger ($13.95) with green chili horseradish aioli, smoked tomato ketchup, and shoestring potatoes, served with plantain fritters. Her burger was juicy and smoky, the mango ketchup adding just the right hint of sweetness. The chorizo burger was a damn good burger. The fat and hint of spice just give you an incredible mouthful, bite after bite. The size and heft of these burgers lessen the pain of the price tag and leave you feeling full. Not too full for those plantain fritters, though. Those were heavenly, especially the end bits. These are halved plantains deep fried to give a nice crunch with their banana like sweetness. I could polish off an entire plate in three minutes flat.

              The other reason I like Fuel as much as I do is the outdoor patio area. Come in, order a mojito, and enjoy a beautiful outdoor area. The crowd you will find there is very reflective of a transitional area, college kids and older families, all enjoying service from a young and energetic staff.
             I wouldn't say everything is perfect at Fuel. The service, while friendly, can be slow. If you come in too late at night, especially on the weekend, the place will be filled with college kids - loud, drunk college kids. I can not stress enough that inside can be VERY loud. The final complaint would be the rather limited parking. I have a great secret fix for that, but I can't tell you. Wouldn't be a secret anymore.
           Overall I have to say I have enjoyed my trips to Fuel. The relaxed atmosphere, good drinks, and great food more than compensate for any negatives. As the days get warmer, why not consider a trip to the Caribbean?

The Scores:
Ambiance: 2/5
Service: 3/5
Food: 8/10
Value: 3/5
Overal: 16 out of 25, An excellent taste of the Caribbean at import prices.

Tonight's Episode: May I have the pork, with a side of pork

           There are some restaurants that seem to exist outside of time. Walking through the door takes you back decades, often to a simpler time. When you share a common history, the simple act of picking up a fork may take your emotions on a wild ride through time and space. For some it dredges up fond memories of work on the weekends for cash, large tables of friends and family, and a view of the world outside that you would be entering someday soon. For others, it might force you to remember the reasons you wanted to leave home as fast as possible. Time may mellow some feelings or sharpen others to a razor's edge, but the restaurant doesn't care. Sometimes you have to bury your feelings, pick up a plate, and go back in time.
          The Girl, her parents, and yours truly decided to take our dinner out in Ridgeville at the restaurant that was once the symbol of why I wanted to leave the South. Duke's BBQ has always seemed to have been there.  Situated just across the railroad tracks in a town slowly fading out of existence, Duke's still draws the weekend crowd from miles in every direction. This is the classic cafeteria style BBQ joint that at one time was in every town in the state. In the fall, expect to be sitting shoulder to shoulder with friends you've never met debating which local high school has the best shot at the state title. I'm almost certain every movie set in a small southern town has a scene filmed at Duke's.
        Well, that's two paragraphs, and we haven't even walked through the door. I warned you I had mixed feelings about eating here. You step through the door and the inside is almost as shabby and depressing as Ridgeville itself. Everything seems to be a shade of yellow. The walls are some kind of yellow. The table is some kind of yellow. The tea urns that are as old as my soon to be in-laws are some kind of yellow.  I wouldn't fault you for turning around and walking out at this point. Only when you look close do you see past the depressing and see the resilience of the South. There is a smile on everyone's face. A wave and a head nod quickly turn into handshakes and hugs. Simple tasks are conquered with a whistle and a song. Time may have passed Duke's by, but that doesn't mean you can't stop and smell the hash.
         That hash is the first thing to hit your nose. Not the pulled pork, not the fried chicken. The liquid BBQ just hangs in the air. As you get closer to the self-serve bar, you see more of the classics. Pulled pork, BBQ beans, rice for your hash, fried corn bites, hush puppies, and a range of veggies from rutabega to green beans. Remember, your $7.50 is for all you can eat; you don't have to load up on your first trip.

         After you fill your plate, you have three choices in beverage: sweet tea, unsweet tea, and something pink. (The Girl assures me it's pink lemonade.) Pull the 30 year old tap on some sweet tea and pray that all that sugar killed anything that might be growing in there. Next to the drink station are three pumps and a bottle of sauce. The bottle is a spicy vinegar that I love. In the pumps are Red, Sweet Red, and the evil God-awful mustard based sauce. I'm not sure if mustard sauce or Mark Sanford make me more embarrassed to be a South Carolinian. I prefer a mixture of the vinegar and Red.

       Sitting down at a table with my first styrofoam plate full, I begin to plan my attack. The colors meld together into a brownish-yellow blob, but the smell is heavenly. Starting with the BBQ beans, they are rich and hearty with a nice smoke note. The rice and hash are liquid gold, again with a smoky note but also a rich pork flavor. The pulled pork itself is good, though I have had better. The lack of burnt ends (the outside edge of the pig that gets nice and crispy in the smoker) is a letdown. The real star of my first plate are the hush puppies. These little nuggets are fried wonderfully crisp without being greasy. The same can not be said about the fried chicken. Mr. Robert is normally on the cast iron pan manning the chicken. Tonight, he wasn't, and it was obvious. Unseasoned and greasy, overall just not that pleasant. After a second plate, I turned to the banana pudding with nilla wafers. Oh, that is delicious.
           Relaxing after the meal I look around me. Duke's hasn't changed at all in the more than a decade since The Girl took me there on one of our first dates. So much about who I am and what I believe has changed, evolved, grown. I thought coming back I would look down on the simplistic food in the run down restaurant. Sitting there, staring at my last bite of pudding, I'm glad I came back. Authentic food from an America that is slowly dying. Go while you still can.

The Scores:
Ambiance: 2/5
Service: 3/5
Food: 6/10
Value: 5/5
Overall: 15 out of 25, This is a little taste of classic America that you won't be seeing for much longer.
        

Tonight's Episode: Coleman, party of ten!

            Sunday mornings in Charleston can be summed up in two words: bottomless mimosas! I have counted no less than a dozen restaurants offering this brunch special. Our house guest for the weekend, Kentucky Fried Muffy, decided to organize an outing to one such downtown location. That is how we found ourselves at Toast, ten strong, drinking mimosas on the sidewalk while waiting for a table.
           My first piece of advice is not to show up with 10 people. If for some reason that isn't an option, try to avoid the South Eastern Wildlife Expo as the weekend you bring the aforementioned 10 people. Toast is far from a spacious setting, though the hour and a half wait was made bearable with flowing mimosas. The restaurant itself is very home kitchen in style, very welcoming, and staffed by incredibly friendly waitresses. This welcoming atmosphere helps when our party of ten becomes two tables of five.
            To keep this post from stretching on a week, I'll focus on four dishes. First up is The Girl's sorority Big Sister, Army Wives Season 3. She went with the build your own omelet with home fries and a biscuit ($9.00). With your choice of three toppings, this massive fluffy pillow of an omelet is both light and filling at the same time. The home fries are some of the best I've ever had, crisp without being over cooked, and without any mush.

            Another friend, the Svelte Fox himself, stole my original order and went with the Philly Breakfast Sandwich with home fries ($7.99). Served on thick cut toast, this is what Rocky eats for breakfast when he is tired of raw eggs. Steak, scrambled eggs, and cheese give you the type of hearty sandwich that you would never see at the Golden Arches. The steak is well seasoned and juicy, and the eggs are a beautiful soft scrambled. I am craving one as I write this.

               The Girl, who has no voice and is communicating solely through text message, settles in on the Traditional French Toast, served with your choice of bacon, sausage, or country ham ($6.50).  This plate is a good size if your only somewhat hungry, though after an hour and a half wait I found it a little lacking. Two pieces of toast and one large sausage sit on the sugar dusted plate. The french toast was very tasty, and the sausage was mild and satisfying. I just wish there was more of it.

                

                    After loosing out on the Philly Sandwich, I quickly settled in on the most expensive item on the menu, the Eggs Meeting Street ($8.99 for the single, $11.99 for the double).  This tower of southern breakfast charm starts with a foundation of two fried green tomatoes, each topped by a crab cake, a poached egg, and Lowcountry remoulade sauce. The fried green tomato is crisp with a touch of pepper spice and beautifully green. The crab cake, as with most in South Carolina, is made of shredded crab and a lot of breading. Even though I hesitate to call these crab cakes (my position on lump versus shredded crab is well known), they are still rather tasty. The poached egg is what brings this dish together. Nothing says love like a runny yolk. The Lowcountry remoulade was nice, though over reduced and slightly salty.

        Toast is a wonderful Brunch destination, if you remember to leave the baseball team at home. The menu has some great diversity and is filled with fresh wonderful food. Looking though the lunch and dinner menu, I think we will have to come back soon. Who knows, maybe The Girl will be able to order for herself next time.

The Scores:
Ambiance: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Food: 8/10
Value: 5/5
Overall: 21 out of 25 A wonderful brunch destination with $10 bottomless mimosas, what else would you do with your Sunday Morning?

Tonight's Episode: Every dog has it's day, except today

            For Valentine's weekend The Girl and I met up with another couple Mr. Heed (See also: So I Married an Axe Murder) and Mrs. Plan. We loaded up in the service loaner LR4 and took a trip to Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Food wasn't the main concern, as our actual Valentine's dinner was at IHOP, but one dining experience stood out during the weekend. That would be our stop at Cedric's Tavern at the Antler Hill Village. Back in December our friends stopped there and had a great meal. We thought we would give it a shot.
            The first thing you must know about dining at Cedric's is that it is on the estate, therefore you must already have purchased an admission ticket. Located next to the Winery, Cedric's is named after George Vanderbilt's beloved St. Bernard. The restaurant itself is decorated as a modern hunting lodge/pub.  Overall it is a pleasant enough place to relax after fighting the crowds at the house.
            The girls arrived first, as Mr. Heed and I were busy tearing through the mud at the Land Rover Driving Experience. The first people seated, our two lovely ladies had a hard time getting their drinks, finally asking another server for their teas. While going through the menu, Mrs. Plan noticed that the sandwich she so enjoyed on their December visit was missing. When she inquired about the sandwich to the waiter, his rather snotty reply was that they were now on their winter menu. Remember folks, December was removed from winter.
             Mr. Heed and I arrived just as the ladies were finishing up the White Cheddar Pimento Cheese ($7). Served with crispy pretzel chips, the pimento has a nutty flavor that may not be what I think of as pimento cheese, but it still is rather satisfying. After trying the cheese my attention was stolen by the house made pickles. These are true sours, with a bite that is very satisfying.
             Picking mains, Mrs. Plan took another order of Pimento Cheese. Mr. Heed choose the Fish & Chips with fries and tartar sauce ($17). The pale ale batter was beautiful, and the fish were perfectly cooked. In the tartar sauce, however, was a surprise. Hidden below was a dark circle that looked like a burnt piece of potato. We will get back to that in a second.
            I choose the Crispy Salmon Fillet served over baby potatoes, savoy cabbage, with fresh cream and dill ($23). While my fish was cooked wonderfully mid-rare, it was totally lacking seasoning and barely warm. Even spooning the dill cream over the fish for more flavor I honestly feel I would have been better off ordering the Salmon at Ruby Tuesday.
            The Girl went with the Stuffed Boneless Chicken Breast with Gruyere, shaved country ham, garlic, and served with creamy mushroom risotto ($20). The chicken was fairly moist, and the skin very crisp, but yet again the temperature left a lot to be desired. About the time Mr. Heed noticed his large black disc, The Girl noticed the very large bone in her boneless chicken breast. The Waiter, true to form, was no where to be seen. Eventually, I got the attention of the manager.
            First thing she addressed was the mystery disc. Turns out that is a secret ingredient called sun dried tomato. How it got into the tartar sauce, she had no idea. Turning our attention to the bone-in boneless chicken, she informed us that it was an airline breast of chicken. I responded that first, on the menu, it was listed as boneless. Second, an airline breast has the first joint of the wing, not the drum, wing, and breast plate. Third, it was advertised as BONELESS.  She then acknowledged that yes, indeed, the chicken breast was improperly broken down.
              I have spent enough time working in Food and Beverage that I rarely make a fuss, and when I do complain I try to be constructive. This experience, at these prices, will guarantee that I will never dine here again. When the check came, we were informed our dinner was taken care of. No it wasn't, our bill was. Next trip to Biltmore, I will dine at the beautiful Golden Arches across the street.

The Scores:
Ambiance: 3/5
Service: 1/5
Food: 2/10
Value: 1/5
Overall: 7 out of 25 Though our friends enjoyed their last visit nothing here will ever get me back in the door

Tonight's episode: No Mr. Bond, I expect you to dine!

          In the realm of Charleston fine dining there are many contenders for the throne of Best Restaurant. Ask your five closest friends, and you're likely to get five different answers. Ask Travel + Leisure, AAA, Forbes, Andrew Harper, or Wine Spectator, and you'll receive one answer: The Dinning Room at Woodlands Inn.
          I have been surprised at how often in Charleston I hear "Where is that?" about The Woodlands. Situated in a sprawling Neo-Georgian home in the heart of Summerville, The Woodlands oozes southern plantation charm. If you do not have a SUV, I suggest not taking the main entrance off Parson's Road; take the back entrance. The lack of paving can do a number on your car. My other piece of advice is to use the valet. Those boys work much harder than your average valet, the five dollars isn't going to kill you, and I was once a Woodlands valet many years ago.
          There have been minor changes to the Dinning Room over the years, including the addition of a small casual dining area known as The Pines. That being said, gentlemen, please wear a jacket. By the time you can afford to dine at The Woodlands, or Grill 225, or Peninsula Grill you should own at least two suits and a sports coat. This would be an occasion to wear one of those.
        The service is impeccable. There really is nothing more to say on that end. You will love the service. The change from world class sommelier Stephane Peltier to the current sommelier, whose name I never did catch, may not be seamless, but you will still be in knowledgable hands. As far as the fare offered by new executive Chef Andrew Chadwick, expect fresh and local. He has gone so far as to plant his own garden on the estate to help provide a more sustainable menu than in the days when Chef Ken Verdinski ran the kitchen.
           For starters, The Girl chose the Lobster Bisque with Lobster Salad and Herb Jellies off the 3 for $30 menu. The presentation is beautiful with the lobster salad and log of herb jellies in the plate, then the lobster bisque poured over the top. The bisque was light and creamy and handled with a deft hand. The herb jellies frankly scared The Girl, as it was a rectangular log of dark green jelly. While an interesting technique, overall it added very little to the soup as it was too firm to blend in and was overpowered when in the spoon with the bisque. I went with the Grilled Octopus with Pesto, Marinated Feta Cheese, Olive Oil Poached Tomatoes, and Meyer Lemon ($18). Two large tentacles of octopus were grilled just to the point of being done, avoiding the chewy mess that it can become. The pesto was pretty, but added little flavor. The Meyer lemon, when topping the octopus, gave a citrus tang that verged on the effervescent. Both starters showed great technique and were a delight to eat despite some needless additions to the dishes.
           On to the entrees, The Girl went with the Heirloom Pork, Roasted Root Vegetables, in a Cider Reduction. My complaint with this dish was portion size. It was TOO DAMN BIG!!! This turned out to be a double cut pork chop, Frenched, over a large pile of root vegetables. This seared club 'o pork makes a statement, loud and proud, that The Woodlands is no dainty food destination. The crust Chef Chadiwick achieves is crisp without being chewy, the meat delicate and juicy. What a winner of a dish.
For my main, I chose an herb stuffed Sole with fennel ($28). The fish was delightfully mild, sweet and buttery, though the large fennel bulbs made the plate look unbalanced.
           After our trip to Grill 225 it was no surprise that The Girl went with the Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta, with Smoked Chocolate Mousse, and Raspberries. The panna cotta itself was amazingly light and creamy, and when you mix it with the smoked chocolate, you are blown away by the depth and richness of flavor achieved. I caution you to not eat the chocolate by itself. It tastes remarkably like licking the inside of your grill lid. I chose the Passion Fruit Creme Brulee with Banana chips and Candied Mangos ($10). The Passion Fruit flavor comes out of left field, taking a French classic on a tropical vacation. The most surprising part was how well the smoked chocolate from The Girl's dish worked with my creme brulee.
           The Dinning Room at The Woodlands is a premier destination for a special occasion. The standards of service and the classic surroundings take you to another time and another place. There may be some small cases of showcasing technique over need, but the plates are beautiful, the food stunning, the service perfect. It's hard not to compare The Woodlands today with the days of Ken Verdinski, but that would be unfair to Chef Chadwick. Walking out with my arm wrapped around The Girl, our stomaches happily full, I couldn't help thinking this was a great evening.

The Scores:
Ambiance: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Food: 9/10
Value: 2/5
Overall: 21 out of 25 A taste of elegance at an elegantly large price