Skip to main content

Charleston Grill, SC

Rarely can I justify spending $100 on myself for dinner, but I didn't feel one ounce of guilt at Charleston Grill on King Street in South Carolina. The food here was an experience, an explosion of flavors, a culinary roller coaster ride. 
I knew it was going to be good when the chef brought out a complimentary taste that was already one of my most memorable bites of food. It was a taste of what is to come. Above is a piece of jumbo lump crab meat served with a yellow tomato gazpacho jelly, vanilla sea salt and lemon crème fraiche. I wanted this for my dinner, but it wasn't on the menu.

We started with the Foie Gras, which was sitting on sauteed apples smothered in a bourbon-cider sauce. To the side of the of the fatty duck liver was a cake doughnut also smothered in the sauce. The little white blob is a creamy, buttery mascarpone. This dish was divine and not like anything I've had before. We took a little bite of the foie gras with a little bite of doughnut and dipped it in the mascarpone to make a sweet and salty marriage that should never get a divorce.  

Below is the tuna sashimi topped with a Greek salad, lemon and basil. It was very refreshing. I've never had uncooked tuna with olives and yellow tomatoes, but I adored it.

Tuna Sashimi
For dinner we each strategically ordered something different and everything was toothsome. I ordered safe with the prime beef tenderloin cooked medium and smothered with bourguignon sauce. Just to make sure I was stuffed to the brim, I ordered pimento cheese grits with apple smoked bacon and lump crab meat. It was incredible. The plate was a work of art as well ... as you can see below.


Prime Beef Tenderloin
South Indian Curry with White Sturgeon Fish
Duck Confit with Blackberries and Foie Gras
Everything we tried was nothing less than perfect so I had to ask who the chef was after this meal, because she knows how to entertain a guest with tasty and eye-catching cuisine. 

Executive Chef Michelle Weaver incorporates fresh local ingredients prepared simply into four different menus — Pure, Lush, Southern and Cosmopolitan. She wowed us by proving she can do all of these styles well. The atmosphere was alive and warm with jazz music and dim lighting. Click her name to see her story and the series of awards she's brought to Charleston Grill. 

Jazz Ensemble with Quentin Baxter
If you get a chance to visit Charleston and have saved a little cash, then I recommend this place. Some people there just grabbed a drink and listened to the band, so don't feel like you can't enjoy this experience without spending tons of money. 

(Side note: $100 included tip, french-pressed coffee and dessert. It didn't include wine.)
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My Marfa 2020

By Jocelyn Tatum  I n the 12 years that I have been going to Marfa almost annually, a lot has changed. But the small-town-in-a-vast-desert charm has stayed the same. Here are a few things I always plan to do in my two days and two nights in Marfa.  First, drive. I know it seems like it is far away, and it is, but this road trip goes fast because there is no traffic headed west and away from civilization. Driving is part of the right of passage to get there. I also feel like I shed the societal sludge that builds up on my shoulders as I careen across Interstate 20.  Once you turn off onto HWY 17 in Pecos, the drive starts to transition from sulfur and pumpjacks to pure beauty. It always reminds me of my road trip though the Scottish Highlands. My thoughts change with the landscape. Again, no traffic and no crowds. A tip: when you do pass a fellow road warrior once you get into the mountains, give them the friendly L-shaped finger wave the locals do th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Piola's and Other Great Fort Worth Patios

Spring is making the transition into summer, and people are looking for a great porch to dine and enjoy the weather. My favorite porch in town is at Piola Italian Restaurant and Garden on the corner of Haskell and Mattison in Fort Worth. The restaurant is inside a little house and tucked in a neighborhood on the west side. It can be hard to find, but is worth the search.  (Click for map) . It's even harder to find a place that has great food and a great patio that's not in a shopping center, which is why we love this place. The atmosphere is great inside and out. We went last weekend and enjoyed every bite of what we ordered. We can also be hard to please when it comes to the good-food-to-price ratio. We started with the giant calamari. It was fried and smothered in parmesan cheese and a sweet, spicy chili sauce. My husband ordered the baked ziti. He gave me some. The noodles were perfectly cooked al dente, and the five cheeses were rich and flavorful. Last week, I...
Post a Comment
Read more

Spring Break Series: Open Trail Rides in the North Texas Wild

It's been a while. I've missed you all.  Since this blog started five years ago to tell you about new and adventurous things to do in and around Fort Worth, I am here to help you with some ideas in the wild outdoors of the DFW backcountry just in time for planning your Spring Break.  You don't have to travel far and empty your bank account to have an exhilarating time this Spring Break. So I will do a little series on this blog of some great ideas. And be looking for my march issue cover story in Fort Worth, TX magazine that will have you exploring areas you never thought existed in our hometown. You just thought you had to go to Utah or Colorado to enjoy the great outdoors. And don't forget to click the links I've embedded into this post for more information.  Chisholm Trail Rides are the only OPEN trail riding experience in North Texas. Do you realize how happy this makes this thrill seeker?!? This is not your average trail ride where the horses walk at a s...
Post a Comment
Read more