Charleston Dining District

Charleston Restaurant Week: 3 for $20 at Caviar & Bananas

Caviar & Bananas will be participating in Charleston Restaurant Week September 5-16. It's super easy to take advantage of their special 3 for $20 week-long menu. Just stop by between 4-8:30pm for dine-in, delivery, or pickup!

SALADS/STARTERS: (Choose One)

• Cup of Soup du Jour
• Three Cheese Board with Local Honeycomb, Dried Fruit, House Made Preserves and Crostini
• Thai Salad with Fresh Baby Spinach, Soba Noodles, Chick Peas, Edamame, Curried Cashew Crunch, and Miso-Ponzu Dressing
• C&B Chopped Salad with Mixed Greens, Radish, Roasted Carrot, Grape Tomatoes, Toasted Macadamia Nuts, and Green Goddess Dressing

ENTREE: (Choose One)

• C&B Twelve Layer Eggplant Parmigiana
• Sushi Plate of Southern Roll (Cocktail Shrimp, Pimento Cheese, Red Pepper, Candied Pecans, Spicy Mayo, and White Rice) with Sesame Seawed Salad, Ginger, and Wasabi
• Pan Seared Salmon with Preserved Lemon & Blackberry Gastrique Succotash with Local Peas, Charred Corn, Zucchini, Peppers, Fresh Herbs & Meyer Lemon EVOO and Whipped Garlic & Chive Potatoes
• Southern Comfort Fried Chicken Tender with Five Cheese Mac Cupcakes, Southern Style Green Beans

DESSERT: (Choose One)

• Bakery Fresh Giant Cookie 
• House Made Fudge Brownie
• C&B Assorted Dessert Bars (Lemon, Key Lime, Smores, Cherry Almond, and Coconut Magic)

 Caviar & Bananas | 51 George Street | Charleston SC I  843.577.9997 

Charleston Restaurant Week: 3 for $40 at Halls Chophouse

Be sure to make reservations this week at Halls Chophouse and take advantage of their 3-Course Charleston Restaurant Week menu for only $40! The menu, which runs from September 5-16, 2012 is as follows:

FIRST COURSE: (Choice of) She Crab Soup OR Simple Green Salad with Honey-Thyme Vinaigrette.

ENTREE: (Choice of) Petite Filet with Yukon Gold Potatoes and Local Vegetable Medley OR Blackened Scottish Salmon with Yukon Gold Potatoes and Local Vegetable Medley with a side of Cucumber Yogurt & Dill Sauce.

DESSERT: (Choice of) Southern Biscuit Strawberry Shortcake OR Chocolate Pate with Fresh Berries and Whipped Cream.

 Halls Chophouse is located at 434 King Street in the Upper King Street Design District. Click here to make online reservations or call 843-727-0090.

O-Ku Coastal Whites 5-Course Wine Dinner, August 28th

Join O-Ku for a special Coastal Whites Wine Dinner on Tuesday, August 28th at 7 p.m. White wines sourced from ideal coastal growing regions will be paired with a captivating five-course menu of light, Asian fare.

Menu for the evening:

• 1st: Crudo of hamachi and kanpachi, yuzu caviar, saffron aioli, micro arugula Eidosela Albarino (Spain)
• 2nd: Pork belly shumai Bodini Chardonnay (Mendoza, Argentina)
• 3rd: Fruit de Mer oysters, clams, shrimp Cedrus Colombard Ugni Blanc (France)
• 4th: Schichimi Togarashi scallops with romesco Mas Igneus Barranc dels Closos White Prioriat (Spain)
• 5th: Seared tuna carpaccio with melon-peach remoulade and micro basil Cordero di Montezemolo Arneis (Italy)

This dinner is $65 per person exclusive of tax and gratuity. Seating is limited. Please call 843.737.0112 to RSVP. O-Ku Sushi is located at 463 King Street in the Upper King Design District. 

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Feeling Crabby? Head to Amen Street for Succulent Crab Dishes

If you are heading to Charleston with a craving for crab delicacies, stop on by Amen Street Fish & Raw Bar. They're serving up fresh, delicious crab just the way you like ‘em.

Start with Chef Stephen Ollard's perfected She-Crab Soup. Topped with sherry, this beloved Southern treat is enjoyed any time of year, even when it's 95 degrees in the Summer. Speaking of beloved favorites, fresh crab cakes probably tops the list among folks in Charleston. Try their Crab Cake Appetizer served with Sweet Onion Remoulade and Marinated Tomatoes, or their Crab Cake Entree, served with Whipped Potatoes, Asparagus, and Sweet Onion Remoulade.

Finally, if you love a hearty sandwich and you love fresh shellfish then their Hot Shrimp & Crab Sandwich was made just for you.  Served with Grilled Tomato, Charleston Bloomy-Rind Cheese and Lemon Aioli, this sandwich simply has to be tasted to be truly appreciated.  So good!

 Amen Street Fish & Raw Bar is located at 205 East Bay Street in the French Quarter District. Call  (843) 853-8600 to make reservations.

Eggplant Roulade at Leaf is Dreamy and Delicious

Just look at this healthy, delicious and beautiful dish from Leaf Cafe + Bar Chef Ross Webb. The dish incorporates fresh, seasonal eggplant with goat cheese and jasmine rice. In a creative twist, Chef Webb serves the spinach and artichoke on top of the roulade, then places both over a roasted tomato cream saue that is fused with coconut milk and garam masala. Then the whole masterpiece is garlished with pine nuts toasted in salt, pepper and ghee, then there's a snowy sprinkling of Parmegiano Reggiano. Leaf Cafe + Bar is located at 15 Beaufain Street (½ Block West of King Street).

Culinary Art Students Serve Up Delectable Food at Art Institute of Charleston's 24 North Market Restaurant

Looking for a great meal and a great deal? Try lunch or dinner at 24 North Market, the student-run restaurant at The International Culinary School at  The Art Institute of Charleston. Students in their final quarters in the culinary programs handle both kitchen duties and front of house hospitality under the watchful eye of the chef faculty – and the public can come sample the delicious results.

The current dinner menu features entrees like grilled flat-iron steak with vidalia onion confiture, roasted fingerlings, and charred union butter or pan roasted black bass with swiss chard, eggplant puree, and chicharones. There are appetizers and desserts to complement any of the entrees. The menu changes every two weeks reflecting seasonal and local cuisine.

24 North Market is open for lunch from 11:30am to 1:30pm Wednesday through Friday. The three-course lunch is $12.00 including tax and beverage. Reservations are encouraged, but walk-ins welcome. For reservations, call 843.727.3500 or email 24northmarket@aii.edu.

Eater Features Top Fry Spots in Charleston

 Eater recently did a piece on the "6 Must-Try Fries in Charleston". Those that made the list include Carolina's with their legendary Parmesean Truffle Fries.Then there's Chef Jeremiah Bacon's drool-worthy version- Pecorino Truffle Fries, available at The Macintosh on Upper King Street. 

If you're looking for a real treat you have to try La Fourchette's Pommes Frites a la Graisse de Canard- french fries double fried in duck fat! Yum... And of course, Patat Spot made the list! They're the perfect place to go all out on hand-cut friets with a huge selection of sauces for your dipping pleasure. 

Source: "6 Must-Try Fries in Charleston" by Angel Powel on Eater Charleston. 

Muse to Offer Prix Fixe Opening Night Menu for The House of Yes

Have a delicious Prix Fixe dinner at Muse and then check out some amazing theatre next door at the opening night of The House of Yes this Thursday, Aug .16th.

Muse Restaurant & Wine Bar will be offering an opening night $20 Pri Fixe menu and cocktails specials before & after the show. Choose two courses for $20 or three for $25, including one of their stunning pasta dishes and an appetizer or dessert. From their Basil Gnudi to their daily Bruchetta, What If? Productions declares Muse one of their favorites in Charleston.

Reservations are not required but are recommended. Call 843-577-1102 to make yours today. You can also stop by for post-show drinks with the cast! Enjoy drink specials including $2.50 Hurricanes, $4 glasses of wine, $4 Stoili drinks, and $2 domestic beers.

 Muse Restaurant & Wine Bar is at 82 Society Street in the King Street Fashion District.

Chucktown Tavern Open for Brunch During 2nd Sunday

Chucktown Tavern will be open Sunday for Second Sunday on King Street! Stop by for brunch from 11am-5pm. Hope will be posting a special menu for the event. Don't miss out on the best brunch downtown!

Chucktown Tavern is located at 159 Market Street. For reservations, call 843.637.3681. 

Jazz & Wine Dinner with The New South Jazzmen at Osteria

On Wednesday, August 15th at 7:15pm, Osteria La Bottiglia will be hosting a Wine Dinner with music by the New South Jazzmen. Join them for an evening full of seafood, fish & vino from Veneto! The menu for the evening is as follows:

Appetizer: Grilled Calamari served with Arugula, White Wine Garlic Sauce paired with Le Tufaie Soave Classico.

Salad: Local Shrimp served over Fresh Spinach, Roasted Wadmalaw Island Bell Peppers and Balsamic Vinaigrette. Presented with Ferdi Bianco Veronese.

Entree: Local Trigger Fish, pan-seared and served with Parsley-Garlic Salsa Verde and Grilled Red Radicchio Trevigiano. Served with Masi Pinot Grigio/Verduzzo.

Dessert: Chocolate-Hazelnut Cream Cake served with Sartori Amarone.

 Jazz will be performed during dinner by The New South Jazzmen! This wine & jazz dinner at Osteria La Bottiglia is $58 per person, not including tax and gratuity. For reservations, please call Osteria at 843-727-4158.

Chef Howard LaFour of Muse Restaurant & Wine Bar

Howard LaFour was born in Singapore, and spent the first seven years of his life there before moving to Lincoln, Nebraska. Inspired by his mother's cooking, he commenced a career in New Orleans at age eighteen under French Master Chef, Rene Bajeux, at Rene Bistrot in the Pere Marque Hotel. After Hurricane Katrina, Howard relocated to Washington D.C. for three years and worked under Chef Yannick Kam of Le Paradou. He then worked at Citronelle under French Master Chef and James Beard Outstanding Chef Award winner, Michel Richard.

In 2008, he decided to move to Charleston, because he felt that it had the appeal of New Orleans with a dynamic culinary culture. He took a position at Cypress and worked under Craig Diehl, where he most recently held the position of sous chef. He arrives at Muse in March of 2011, where his European training naturally complements the restaurant's offerings.

 Click here to see some of Chef's delicious creations. Muse Restaurant & Wine Bar is at 82 Society Street in the King Street Fashion District. To make reservations, call (843) 577-1102 or click here to make reservations online.

Unwind with Friends During Happy Hour at Carolina's

Finish out the work week with a fantastic happy hour at Carolina's Southern Bistro from 5-7pm. Enjoy 1/2 price glasses of wine, $4 house liquor, and a half price bar menu.  

Share a delicious Bar Cheese Plate of Housemade Pimento Cheese, Burden Creek Goat Cheese, Pepper Jelly, and Bread & Butter Pickles. It's the perfect pairing to your glass of wine! Starving? Go for their Braised Short Rib Sandwich with Red Onion, Gruyere, and Horseradish Aioli. Pair that with a basket of their famous Parmesan Truffle Fries for a great start to Friday evening. 

 Carolina's Restaurant is located at 10 Exchange Street in downtown Charleston. Happy Hour is Monday-Friday, 5-7pm. For reservations, call 843-724-3800. 

 

Chef Howard LaFour's Beautiful, Fresh and Delicious Catch of the Day at Muse

Chef Howard LaFour's Catch of the Day at Muse Restaurant and Wine Bar is always based on what is available and fresh, and he complements it with fresh local vegetables, tantalizing drizzles of fresh olive oil and spice. One day last week it was beeliner snapper over fingerling sweet potatoes, heirloom cherries and thinly sliced watermelon radishes. There was a nice crunch from fresh celery, and a little vinegar and olive oil to bring all the flavors together. “We relate to what’s familiar and fresh,” said Chef LaFour, “I try to cook simply, letting the ingredients provide their own flavor. I don’t ask too many questions; I want to taste what’s going on.” Click here to see more of Chef's delicious creations. Muse Restaurant and Wine Bar is located at 82 Society Street in Charleston, SC.

August's Seasonal Salad Now at Verde on King St.

Stop by Verde this month and fill up on their summery August Seasonal Salad. Greens are topped with Watermelon, Heirloom Tomatoes, Feta, Fresh Mint, & finished with a Fat Free Watermelon-Jalapeno Vinaigrette. Hello, August!

Verde is located at 347 King Street in downtown Charleston. Stop by for salads and wraps that are health-conscious and taste-conscious alike.