Tonight's Episode: MMM.....Beer

         Well, it has been a while since I posted. A combination of Restaurant Week fatigue and grad school has taken its toll. We are also saving up for our second trip to Europe in a year, so outside dining is down to a minimum. That's how I found myself alone at the Mellow Mushroom, drinking my problems away on a Wednesday. Well, kind of.
          This wasn't so much a pity-party as it was a chance to see if the 'Shroom can think outside the box. What we ended up with is a 'Beer Kitchen' dinner, a chance to see beer used as an ingredient. The real trick is finding a beer that worked not only as the ingredient, but also complimented the dish as the drink. Four courses of beer. If you are like me and a member of the 200 Beer Club, this was a free event. And to think they said I was just wasting my time drinking all those beers.
(I have to thank Christina from Hungry Meets Healthy for some of the pictures.)

           First up is a crostini with goat cheese, almond, dates, and a honey-beer reduction. The beer was La Chouffe Petite Belgian Wheat. No lie, I could have eaten two more of these and been happy. Best dish of the night, best pairing.

       Next up is a lasagna of mushrooms and béchamel, deglazed with one of my favorite beers, St. Peter's.   If you have never had St. Peter's, then I feel sadness for you. The lasagna was very good, and would make a great side dish.

Next stop, Highland beer with beer-braised short rib, potato cake, lentils, and collard greens cooked down with beer and vinegar. The lentils alone would make a great veggie main. The short ribs were spork tender (thats not a typo, I mean you could use a KFC spork to eat these.) The potato cakes were passable, but unnecessary in this dish, which is already pushing the limits on how much you can eat.

     Last up is pumpkin bread pudding with Framboise Lambic and cinnamon whipped-cream. Sadly, this came out at a point when I could only manage a few bites. Flavors were great but I was too done to give an honest assessment. The Lambic is more like a raspberry champagne than a beer, and something not to be drunk in public. Still, kinda tasty.
     I have to admit, I was impressed. When your Chef spends every work day churning out pizzas, you don't expect him to be able to pop out quality food. The plating was a little simplistic, and the beers could have been more heavily used in the dishes, but it was a fun and informative evening with solid food. I'll sign up for the next one no questions asked.

The Scores: (This is only for this event, not for regular menu)
Ambiance: 3/5
Food: 7/10
Service: 4/5
Value: 5/5
Overall: Get to the 'Shroom, get in the Beer Club, and enjoy their special events.

Tonight's Episode: I promise, not one Jamaican me crazy joke

           You know what I love about Charleston dining? Beautiful old houses repurposed as stunning restaurant spaces. Stunning water views as you and your baby doll enjoy classic Jamaican dishes. Wait, what? Jamaican, in Charleston. No, North Charleston actually. Take the drive to the Navy Yard, pull up to one of the restored Officer's Quarters with a river view, and try Runaway Bay (http://www.runawaybayrestaurant.com).
         The space itself is down right gorgeous. With a huge patio feet from the boardwalk, a downstairs bar, and a fairly large dining space, Runaway Bay has a great set up to be a hidden gem. If you haven't been to the old Navy Yard, it is a photographer's dream (we actually had our wedding photos done there). The restaurant itself is at the massively under-utilized Riverfront Park. The dining space has a strong Caribbean feel, with charming artwork and original fixtures. The cheerful homeyness makes you wonder why this restaurant is fairly empty on a Friday night.

          The menu is fairly small, which is somewhat disappointing, but it changes regularly. For appetizers there were no beef patties (a personal favorite of mine), only jerk BBQ wings. We skip the app and go straight to mains. Here, again, I was disappointed to find no fish escovitch. Okay, the two Jamaican dishes I know I love are not here, so I'm not happy. There are some dishes on the menu that do sound pretty damn tasty, though.
           The entrees come with a tasty side salad. If the raspberry walnut vinaigrette dressing is available, go for it. Combined with the pickled cabbage and pineapple, this is a better than standard salad.

           The Girl decides on the Jerk Chicken Rasta Pasta ($14). I'm concerned that the heat level will floor her. Apparently that had been the case, and the chef has dialed the heat back from Jamaican standard heat, to American wimpy heat. If you like yours hot, ask for a side of the scotch bonnet sauce. The pasta itself consists of a blend of penne and another fun noodle, maybe a lantern, but I can't be sure. The jerk chicken had a deeply developed flavor, and mellows even more in the rich, creamy sauce. This is the kind of dish that you find yourself picking at long after you are full.

         I went a little more exotic in my choice, with the Curry Goat ($19), with beans and rice. Goat can be a very gamey, tough piece of meat. Runaway Bay's goat was mild and fork tender. The curry is a typical West African style mild and thick curry, balancing the slight game flavor of the goat brilliantly. Throw in scotch bonnet sauce to kick some heat into the dish, and you have instant flavor-love. The Girl scoots farther away from the combo of curry (which she hates) and heat (which she can't stand). I'm glad. I don't want to share.

           To accompany our dinners, we had a glass of Sorrel. This is a beverage made from hibiscus and ginger. In its normal state it is thick and syrupy, but this was blended with Sprite for a refreshing spritzer. Very delicious and refreshing.

        With only two desserts on the menu, we went with the Vanilla Pound Cake. The cake was soaked in rum, served with vanilla ice cream and a light caramel. Though dressed with way too much whipped cream, this little cake was tasty and satisfying. Nothing mind-blowing, but solid and homey.

         Runaway Bay has two main negatives. Getting out to the old Navy Yard takes you through a less desirable part of town, and the menu is very small, with few choices.  The upsides, however, are fantastic. The venue and its location on the river are ideal. The food is tasty and lovingly made. The service is friendly and prompt. Head out to Runaway Bay and enjoy a taste of Jamaica.

The Scores:
Ambiance: 4/5
Food: 7.5/10
Service: 4/5
Value: 3/5
Overall: 18.5 out of 25, Not as spicy as I would like, but great flavors and a beautiful view.

Tonight's Episode: I thought you meant we were eating Gorillas

         One question I hear all the time is "What the #$%! is a Guerrilla Cuisine Dinner?" Okay, the only time I have heard that was when I told The Girl I spent $120 on tickets to go to one. Well, I had a really tough time explaining it. I showed her the video from their website (http://www.guerrillacuisine.com/). I explained the concept - that it is an artistic, culinary, and musical social experiment of unique dining experiences with different venues, different chefs, and menus that are never the same. I also stressed the Chef's choice charity aspect of the night. The biggest problem I had with explaining what GC dinners are, is that I really didn't have a clue.
       Let me summarize what I knew about the dinner we were going to have.  Jeremy Holst of Anson would be the chef. It would happen somewhere on a Sunday evening. jimihatt runs the show, and he has a beard. That is it. I received an email the day before the dinner to ask about food allergies, and another a few hours before the dinner with the address. This is Trust-Me dining to the extreme.
      The location turned out to be a space I have wanted to get into for YEARS! 141 East Bay Street, the old Farmer's and Merchant's Bank (The building that looks like a mosque). For those of you F&B Veterans who used to squeeze into Charlie's Little Bar, this is the building you went in the fire door at the back of in order to get drunk. The space is stunning. Two story ceilings, Moroccan Revival detail work. One long table down the center. The setting feels like a secret meeting of the Illuminati in a Dan Brown novel. Freakin' awesome!

 

       Before the dinner, our host jimihatt (only person you'll ever meet with that spelling) introduced our chef and informed us of the mantra of the evening; tonight we are the coolest people in Charleston. When you first hear that it seems absurd. Then it begins to sink in. You and the 15 or so people around you are dining in a building that no one else uses, having a menu no one else gets to eat, at a restaurant that will only exist for one night. Underground supper club MUST equal cool!

     The social aspect of a Guerrilla Cuisine dinner is also very unique. The people around you, mostly strangers, become equal parts friend-support group-peer pressure. The menu, which you first see when you sit down, can contain dishes you would never imagine eating. Having the support and friendship of these new friends is crucial to get through the meal. With this being a BYOB event, the free-flowing alcohol fuels a fun environment.

     On to the menu! First course: Tartar of Ahi Tuna, sesame cornet, uni, Peruvian pink salt, petite wasabi. This is a Nutty Buddy for adults. The uni (sea urchin) provides a beautiful salty brine to some of the cleanest tuna I have ever had. The cornet acts as a great vessel for this adult snow-cone. The wasabi cream at the base of the cone is delightful without being overpowering. The girl actually enjoyed it very much, other than the wasabi. I gladly finished that off for her.

    Second course gave her even more trepidation, being the non-fish eater that she is. Chef Holst's take on Lox & Bagels: wild king salmon, cream cheese gelato, bagel chips, capers, Mosto olive oil. Before I get into the dish, let me tell you about the process of catching the salmon. This is wild dip net caught fish. That means Native Americans on the Columbia river use techniques thousands of years old to procure these fish. Sustainable and pretty damn awesome! The dish itself was stunning. The bagel chip makes a great crisp to pile on fish and gelato. The salmon is pleasantly salted, and mixed with the decedent cream cheese gelato, it is about as wonderful a dish as anything I have ever had. The fact that The Girl cleaned her plate is testimony to that fact, though she would have liked more gelato.

  The third course was again something The Girl wasn't looking forward to, but I was dying to try. Beetssssssssss (in many forms). This included roasted, raw, powdered, pickled, juiced, and cotton candy forms of beets, with aged goat cheese and citrus. Unlike the first two dishes, The Girl couldn't be convinced she liked beets. I gladly cleaned her plate and mine. The cotton candy was whimsical and fun. The goat cheese paired wonderfully with all the different beets. If this ever goes on the menu at Anson, I'm  all over it!

   The fourth course is the first of the two most intimidating dishes for those around me: Crispy Florida Frog Legs, tempura, sushi rice "risotto", sake, beech mushroom, oyster sauce, garlic chives. I love how Chef Holst continues to play with his food, in a fun way. This is a take on Chinese street food, with the tempura frog legs tasting like a sweet and sour chicken, and the risotto having the look of cheap fried rice, while tasting like a dream cooked in sake. The Girl could have easily eaten the risotto all night long.

    The fifth course was the one I was most anticipating, though I think it was the least successful of the night. A play on McDonald's mystery meat chicken nuggets, the dish featured sweetbreads, sweet n' sour, homemade tater tots, and green tomato ketchup. The two sauces were beautiful and well balanced. The tots were weirdly soft and somewhat off-putting. The sweetbreads, while imitating nuggets perfectly, fell a little flat. Salt would have helped, but I think my biggest complaint is the masking of the sweetbread flavor. Not a horrible dish, but compared to everything else it was a little blah.

For an intermezzo, chef provided us with a champagne, mint, and strawberry popsicle. This is a great palate cleanser, though I would have preferred basil to mint. The fun factor is through the roof with this tasty treat.

   Sixth course comes, and the table goes quit for a moment. THIS. LOOKS. STUNNING. Whole Hog, Kurabuda pork "short rib", hash, skillet fried cornbread, vinegar slaw, and crispy rinds. The hash contains everything from the trotters to the head meat, and beats the snout off of any hash I have ever had. The flavor of the short rib is smoky-sweet, and can stand up to any BBQ I have ever had. The rinds are nothing more than pork-flavored popcorn, which is the best popcorn ever. The slaw is where this dish hits a speed bump. While I love the heat in the vinegar, by piling it on top of the dish, it soaks into the hash and cornbread, making it way too hot for The Girl. Wait, that means I get to eat more. SCORE!

   The dessert is the scary dish for me. PB&J. I hate peanut butter. This is a PB&J float in a martini glass with peanut butter ice cream, carbonated grape soda, grape Pop Rocks, powdered peanut butter. The ice cream has a very mild taste, and combined with the Pop Rocks is a fun and inviting dish. I have to take my bite and push the glass away from me to avoid the sent of PB, but I actually enjoyed eating it. The PB powder rim on the glass is again a mild flavor, and it has a similar texture to the Pop Rocks. Fun and tasty dessert.

   The booze is gone, dinner is done. Friends have been made. Chef Holst has taken his bow. jimihatt repeats his mantra; tonight we are the coolest people in Charleston. Truth is, he is right. For this one night we had a dining experience no one else ever has, or ever will again. 80 Guerrilla Cuisine dinners had happened before this one, each different than the rest, and every single one featuring the coolest people in town. We can't wait to be this cool again.

The Scores (Remember, every single dinner will be different)
Ambiance: 5/5
Food: 8/10
Service: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Overall: 22 out of 25, the single most fun I have ever had at a single dinner.

The First Ever Charleston Food Blogger Restaurant Awards

            The Charleston Food Blogger Awards is the brain child of one of Charleston's most prolific bloggers, Scott of Charleston Food Bloggers (http://www.charlestonfoodbloggers.com/). The idea is to give an alternate take on the top restaurants in town. Bringing together several of Charleston's best food bloggers to vote on their favorites in various categories and regions. The regions are divided into Downtown (Peninsular Charleston), West of the Ashley (James and John's Island, Folly Beach, West Ashley), East of the Cooper (Mt Pleasant, Daniel Island, IOP, Sullivan's Island) and the North Area (North Charleston, Goose Creek, Summerville).
            In addition to Foodmancing the Girl and Charleston Food Bloggers, the voters are Foodie Fix(http://www.foodbuzz.com/foodies/us/south_carolina/charleston/profile/foodiefix) Hungry Meets Healthy (http://www.hungrymeetshealthy.com/) and Red Head Recipes (http://redheadrecipes.com/?p=13476). This assembled brain trust of foodie fanaticism settled down to the arduous task of deciding on the best of the best in Charleston dining.
           Before I get into the awards themselves, I would like to give a special thanks to Cork Bistro in North Charleston. In addition to providing a great location for the event, they also put together a beautiful three course menu for us. Your hospitality and wonderful food were greatly appreciated! I would also like to thank our special guests, singer-songwriter Jeremy Currant (http://www.jeremycurrent.com/), and Chasity and her husband from the great style blog Look, Linger, Love (http://looklingerlove.blogspot.com/)

For the first set of awards, we start off with some individual picks of the contributing Bloggers:

Best wine bar and small plates: (From Foodie Fix)
Bin 152 is a great intimate spot for a glass of wine and a little charcuterie. A fun place to experiment with new wines and interesting pairings.

Best place to get "pre" engaged: (From Foodmancing the Girl)
 Il Cortile Del Re has long been the most romantic restaurant in Charleston, and the type of place a girl might jump to the conclusion you are about to ask her to marry you.

Best Brunch Spots: (From Red Head Recipes)
Downtown- Hominy Grill
West of the Ashley- There Little Birds Cafe
East of the Cooper- Crave
The North Area- Alex's Restaurant

Best way to order frozen yogurt: (From Hungry Meets Healthy)
Go to Menchies in Mount Pleasant and serve cake batter yogurt and peanut butter yogurt in a one-to-one ratio. Then add an equal portion of Heath toppings

Best things to happen in Charleston food scene over the past 5 years: (From Charleston Food Bloggers)
1)The Rise of Sean Brock
2)The Food Truck Federation

Best Burger: (From Foodie Fix)
The Chorizo Burger at Fuel is amazing and spicy. The burger taken to a new level of flavor

Most worn out concept: (From Foodmancing the Girl)
Sports Bars. Really. You want to open another sports bar? Really?

Best Dessert: (From Red Head Recipes)
Bread Pudding at Poogan's Porch

Now.....on to the awards as voted upon by us, your bloggers:

Best Local Farm:
Ambrose (http://www.stonofarmmarket.com/)

Best Bar:
Downtown- Closed for Business (http://www.closed4business.com/)
West of the Ashley- Smoky Oak Taproom (http://smokyoak.com/)
East of the Cooper- Red's Ice House (http://www.redsicehouse.com/)
The North Area- Madra Rua (http://madraruapub.com/)

Best Atmosphere:
Downtown- Cypress (http://cypressrestaurant.com/)
West of the Ashley- Fat Hen (http://www.thefathen.com/)
East of the Cooper: Poe's Tavern (http://www.poestavern.com/)
The North Area: Cork Bistro (http://www.corkbistro.com/)

Best Hole in the Wall Food:
Downtown- Moe's Crosstown (http://moestaverns.com/)
West of the Ashley- Bowen's Island (http://www.bowensislandrestaurant.com/)
East of the Cooper- La Pizzeria (http://www.lapizzeriamtp.com/)
The North Area- Havana Cafe (http://www.havanacafe.comcastbiz.net/)

Best Cheap Eats:
Downtown- Taco Boy (http://www.tacoboy.net/)
West of the Ashley- Three Little Birds Cafe (http://threelittlebirdscafe.com/)
East of the Cooper- Jack's Cosmic Dogs (http://www.jackscosmicdogs.com/)
The North Area- EVO Pizza (http://evopizza.com/)

Best Local Chain:
The Mustard Seed (http://www.dinewithsal.com/mustard)

Best New Restaurant:
Downtown- Husk (http://huskrestaurant.com/)
West of the Ashley- Roadside Kitchen (http://roadsidekitchens.com/)
East of the Cooper- Eurasia (http://eurasiasc.com/)
The North Area- Zocalo

Best Food, Non-Restaurant:
Downtown- Paolo's Gelato (http://www.paolosgelato.com/)
West of the Ashley- Hello, My Name is BBQ (https://www.facebook.com/pages/HELLO-my-name-is-BBQ/129130557123680)
East of the Cooper- Whole Foods
The North Area- Pho #1 (http://www.hnlasianmarket.com/)

Best Food, International:
Downtown- Basil (http://eatatbasil.com/)
West of the Ashley- Taste of India (http://www.tasteofindiacharleston.com/)
East of the Cooper: Ali Baba's (http://www.alibabacharleston.com/)
The North Area- Zocalo

Best Food, American:
Downtown- McCrady's (http://www.mccradysrestaurant.com/)
West of the Ashley- The Glass Onion (http://www.ilovetheglassonion.com/)
East of the Cooper- Eurasia
The North Area- Cork Bistro

       There you have it folks. These are the 2011 Charleston Food Bloggers Restaurant Award winners. Again, I would like to thank Scott from Charleston Food Bloggers for organizing this event. I would also like to thank Foodie Fix, Hungry Meets Healthy, and Read Head Recipes as fellow voters. Cork Bistro, winner of two awards, thank you for the wonderful job hosting us.

Tonight's Episode: All In at Circa 1886

            Next to Oak, the fine dining restaurant I've spent the most time at in the last year or so, is Circa 1886. Located in the original carriage house of the historic Wentworth Mansion, Circa is a restaurant that exudes gilded-age charm. The most striking feature of the space are the arched booths along the wall, deeply recessed and mirroring the old carriage doors. At times the space can feel a little too stuffy and old-fashioned, but it is generally warm and inviting. With its location off the main tourist haunts, Circa tends to be a more sedate dining experience than many of Charleston's fine dining joints.
        In my trips to Circa over the years, I have seen a marked change and growth in Chef Marc Collins's cuisine. Early on, many of his dishes felt stuffy and over-done. Often it felt like he was cooking to match the venue. Over time, though, he seems to have really shown joy and comfort in the juxtaposition of the Victorian space with nouveau cuisine.  The growth and maturation of the cuisine has helped push Circa into a more prominent place in Charleston's food scene.
       To start the meal, Chef Collins sent out an amuse of cauliflower soup with truffle oil. Creamy and balanced and exactly the kind of soup The Girl can drink down by the gallon. When it gets colder, I might have to see if we can pick up a few pints to go. The rest of the dinner will be 3 courses for $30, the only menu Circa offers during Restaurant Week (which they carry over for an extra week).
      For my appetizer, I went with the Poached Garlic & Wild Mushroom Custard with carrot puree, celery espuma, banyuls emulsion, and truffle powder. This is a fun and mildly rich dish. The custard itself is creamy and gives a wonderful rice flavor. Paired with the celery espuma (a type of whipped foam formed from stock) and the carrot puree you get a wonderful flavor reminiscent of a mirepoix based stew.

    The Girl, surprisingly, went with the Spicy Grilled Shrimp with fried green tomato, fennel infused chowchow, and tomato coulis. The shrimp turned out to only be mildly spiced, which allows the shrimp the chance to shine through. The tomato coulis has a flavor that is very similar to a vodka marinara, with a nice mild acidity. The Girl doesn't care much for any chowchow, but I found it to be pleasant and finished it off for her. The stumbling point is the fried green tomato. While the seasoning was fantastic, it was obviously cooked at the wrong temperature. The breading slid right off and was on the mushy side.

    Before we get to the entrees, a gentleman walks into the restaurant with his wife. He is wearing a polo shirt, cargo shorts, and flip-flops. Don't be this guy. I'm out for a nice meal, got my baby doll with me, and in you walk looking like you're Jeremy Piven in PCU. Someone needs to check out The Art of Manliness (http://artofmanliness.com/).
    On to the entrees. The Girl, red meat carnivore that she is, picks the Red Maple Farms Grassfed Beef Tenderloin with Anson Mill's grits, mushroom sausage, poached egg, arugula, and maple whiskey reduction. This take on steak & eggs hits on all cylinders. The perfectly poached eggs, laid across the grits, mix for a creamy side dish. The tenderloin is a perfect mid-rare, well seasoned, and buttery good. The two stars of the dish, however, are the mushroom sausage and maple whiskey reduction. The faux sausage tastes almost identical to a British black pudding, with a proper amount of caramelization. The maple whiskey pan sauce is thick, only mildly sweet, smoky, and the kind of sauce that would make an Applebee's steak taste good. Kudos!

     I went lighter with my entree, deciding on the Blackened Loup de Mer, with watermelon & feta, baby spinach, caramelized onion puree, quinoa, and avocado puree. The loup de mer (a fancy way of saying sea bass), was delicate and meaty. The Girl actually found it to be a tasty piece of fish. We are officially up to three types of fish she enjoys. The avocado puree gives a nice creaminess and point of contrast. The classic pairing of watermelon and feta bring a brightness that elevates the flavor of the fish.

   The Girl, chocoholic that she is, goes with the El Ray Chocolate Panna Cotta with passion fruit syrup as her dessert. Simple and elegant, the chocolate pairs nicely with the passion fruit. This is a very large dessert, though, maybe a little too much for just one person. I stick with my go to dessert, and choose the Pistachio Creme Brûlée. The pistachio flavor pairs wonderfully with the brûlée, though I would have preferred it a little creamier in the custard. All in all, a wonderful way to finish a well-crafted dinner.

    After dinner, we were lucky enough to have Chef Collins make an appearance. After promising to make sure the issue with the fried green tomato was fixed (and his tweet of 20 minutes later said that was done), we had a nice conversation about Restaurant Week. One thing that impressed me is how all in he is with his Restaurant Week menu. Unlike many restaurants, Circa ditches it's normal menu for a purely Restaurant Week offering. Chef Collins avoids the trap of cooking down to those who come in for this less expensive menu, instead delivering a meal that is full of poise and elegance. Balance and freshness seem to be themes that run throughout the menu.
    Our dinners at Circa 1886 have allowed us the unique perspective of watching a talented chef grow. While Chef Collins isn't the most avant-garde chef in Charleston (that award goes the Sean Brock), nor the most high profile (see previous parenthesis), his balance of modern technique and classic preparations are sometimes more successful due to their approachability. I think The Girl will let me bring her back.

The Scores
Ambiance: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Food: 9/10
Value: 5/5 (Note: This is based PURELY on Restaurant week. Normal menu not this cheap!)
Overall: 23 out of 25 Modern techniques and fresh ingredients serve a capable chef well.