Charleston Dining District: Weblogs

Weblogs

Travel+Leisure Names O-Ku a Top Sushi Restaurant in the U.S.

O-Ku was named a Top Sushi Restaurant in America on TravelandLeisure.com! O-Ku’s menu is highlighted for offering dishes that incorporate native Lowcountry elements with the finest products sourced internationally.

Signature items that reflect this include the Kurobuta Pork Shank with Kabocha Mash, Seasonal Vegetables and Five-Spice Jus; Butter-Poached Lobster Temaki with Asparagus, Chives, Cilantro and Volcanic Salt; and the Harvest Roll with Tempura Shrimp, Cucumber, Avocado, Mircogreens and Balsamic Reduction.

The restaurant’s design also receives praise as a space where guests can enjoy contemporary, trend-setting surroundings that also preserve Charleston’s historic charm.

O-Ku Sushi is located at 463 King Street in the Upper King Design District. For reservations, call 843.737.0112.

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'Cesca Featured in Charleston Living Mag. and the Post & Courier

Pick up the latest September/October issue of Charleston Living Magazine to read all about 'Cesca! And check out this week's great write up in the Post & Courier:

"Cesca is one of the more attractive restaurants to open this year. Mazzola and his team have transformed 5 Faber St. into a sophisticated space that marries the rustic nuance of farm tables with modern accents of warm, pleated drum-shaded lighting and a color palette that both calms and energizes...

If there is one word that describes ‘Cesca, it is textured. You see it in the exposed brick walls, chairs with softly upholstered seats and nubby fabric backs; twisted stems, almost driftwood-like shielding lights, the patina of age on prints of fruits and flowers.

Even the menu speaks with dimension: charred, rippled, roasted, grilled and crusty...

Continue reading "'Cesca Featured in Charleston Living Mag. and the Post & Courier" »

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.

Excellent Blog Feature on Patat Spot's Famous Falafel

If you still haven't jumped on the falafel train, this is a must-read blog post that takes you on a step-by-step foodie adventure at Patat Spot.

"Despite the plethora of fine dining, seafood and farm-to-table options, I always make time for a falafel and fries at Patat Spot while I am in Charleston, S.C. This friet and falafel hot spot downtown near the college is structured for a quick and convenient meal. You order at the counter and there are combos that allow you to package a sandwich, fries and a drink for a great deal...

The falafel is the easy choice. Next you must choose from a variety of delicious fry options. My favorites so far have been the latino (sprinkled with lime juice and vinegar hot sauce) and the gribiche (olive oil, caper, pickles, shallots and parsley). Next you get to choose a sauce to go with the fries. Options include homemade ketchup, a mayo of the day and my favorite, the spicy Sriracha that is creamy and blended with mayo. Pepper gravy is also a popular choice..."

Read the full article here. Patat Spot Friet and Falafel is at 41B George Street in downtown Charleston. Stop by and get your falafel on!

Source: http://dishingjh.com/dishing-elsewhere-patat-spot-indulges-falafel-needs/

Chef Matthew Niessner: The Man Behind Halls Chophouse's Mouth-Watering Cuisine

The Charleston City Paper recently published a great article on the man behind the life-changing dishes at Halls Chophouse in their article "Six talented Charleston chefs who deserve your love and devotion".

Eric Doksa writes of Chef Matthew Niessner:

"Let's be honest, the first things that come to mind when we think about Halls Chophouse are the big, juicy, dry-aged rib-eyes and the attentive service. When we walk in the door, we expect a big welcome from a member of the Hall family in addition to some excellent food. But most people don't have a clue who's responsible for running the kitchen at Halls. It's time we pay respect to Executive Chef Matthew Niessner, a guy who can cook more than just a steak. The menu regularly features a variety of creations: braised Maple Leaf Farm duck with fingerling potatoes, pan-roasted chicken with Sea Island Red Pea succotash, and, most recently, a cornmeal and Old Bay-dusted soft-shell crab on white bean, corn, green bean, and roasted tomato succotash, finished with a creole remoulade. Oh, and we can't forget about the long list of side dishes, which stand up as some of the best in town, proving that Niessner's talents go way beyond red meat."

Halls Chophouse is located at 434 King Street in the Upper King Street Design District. To read the full Charleston City Paper article, click here.

Chef Jeremiah Bacon Dishes on Charleston in GQ Magazine

Chef Jeremiah Bacon of The Macintosh recently sat down with GQ Magazine to fill us in on his favorite places in Charleston, SC. His local's guide to Chucktown includes the newly opened dive bar, The Royal American, King Street's own Bin 152, and vegetarian mecca, Dell'z Deli. What are your favorite places Charleston has to offer? There are so many it's almost impossible to choose!

Read the full article here & see Jeremiah Bacon's Top 10.

Halls Chophouse Lives Up to It's Award-Winning Reputation

"Delectable, rich, & unforgettable" are just some of the words used to describe this customer's experience at Halls Chophouse. Doug Hammond recentely wrote a fantastic blog that makes it easy to see why Halls was named one of the Top 100 Restaurants in the US:

"From the reviews, I was expecting a warm reception, what we received was so much more than that, we were met and greeted at the front door with firm handshakes and a sincere welcome, by not one, but two members of the Hall Family. Immediately, Billy Hall offered to take our coats and told us to feel free to visit the bar and that our table was ready for us whenever we were ready to be seated. Allow me to set the stage for you, we are in Historic Downtown Charleston on a Saturday night dining in one of the most popular restaurants in town, they are jam packed with diners and not only have we been properly greeted at the front door by two people whose last name matches the name on the sign, but they have made us feel like they are on our schedule and we are guests within the Hall household, not their family business. For crying out loud, they hung our coats in the hall closet. .....

Michelle and I both started off with Halls chop salad, a wonderful marriage of greens, black eyed peas, celery, feta cheese and a heavenly green peppercorn buttermilk dressing. We both ordered steaks, Michelle had the petite filet mignon and I had the dry aged rib eye. Once again, rather than just taking our order and asking us for our doneness preference, our waitress quizzed us on what we were looking for in terms of internal temperature of the meat, and then I was blown away when she said to me, “would you prefer a leaner rib eye, or one with a fair amount of marbling?” Really, I thought, are you serious, you mean I can choose that?

The steaks did not disappoint and at Halls the side orders are served family style so we enjoyed a generous dish of pepper jack grits to compliment our steaks. Finally, we decided to share a piece of whiskey bread pudding, after all, as one of my fellow bloggers had recently written, “it’s so good I get emotional.”