Browsing Tag

feta cheese

Charleston, SC Restaurant Reviews

Cru Café

August 16, 2013

Cru is in a little historic house off of Market Street downtown Charleston. The house is really cute, but when you come in the front door, they only have one room for seating, so they have as many tables and chairs shoved in there as possible. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to eat when crammed into a tiny space with a bunch of strangers, sitting so close that you can’t help but overhear everything that everyone is saying in the whole restaurant, then Cru is definitely the place for you.

Basically this.

Basically this. Minus the dog.

But enough about the atmosphere, let’s move on to the food. We got some bread before our appetizers, which was very good. I would’ve liked it a if they’d toasted it a bit, but it was still good.

Yup. Looks like bread.

Yup. Looks like bread.

We started with the fried green tomatoes with smoked pork belly and feta cheese ($10.50). Phenomenal. Seriously, probably the best FGT I’ve ever had. And the smoked pork belly was out of this world. Seriously, I’d go back just for these puppies.

That smoked pork belly might actually be ambrosia.

That smoked pork belly might actually be ambrosia.

We also got the pecan fried brie with fig compote and local honey ($10.25). I managed to get one bite of it before he demolished it all. That one bite was quite tasty, and judging from the way he “forgot” to share, he really enjoyed it as well.

Ben ate it so fast I didn't get a picture. Picture courtesy of Loo on Urbanspoon.

He ate it so fast I didn’t get a picture. Picture courtesy of Loo on Urbanspoon.

For my entree, I got the center cut Tuna steak, medium rare ($28). I thought it was good (not great), but that was probably my own fault. Everyone says you should get it rare, but I’m one of those weird people who like it more on the “well-done” side. I got it medium rare because the waiter insisted that any higher is blasphemy. I think I would’ve loved it had I gotten it cooked the way I wanted it to. The lady at the table next to us loved hers though, so I guess it’s just a matter of personal preference.

It looks so good, though.

It looks so good, though.

The person I was with got the BBQ Berkshire Pork Osso Bucco with Mepkin Oyster Mushrooms and Haricot Vert, Mash Potato, Smoked Tomato Demi ($23.95). It was really delicious. The pork literally fell off the bone and the mashed potato tasted homemade. He loved it and he had enough to take home extras.

Pork shoulder never looked so good.

Pork shoulder never looked so good.

We also ordered some sides to split. The first was Cru’s famous four cheese macaroni ($8.50). Made with orecchiette, cheddar, pepper jack, fontina, and mozzarella. It was killer. Really, really good.

Cheesy goodness.

Cheesy goodness.

The only thing we were disappointed with during the whole meal was the truffle parmesan fries ($6). Shoestring fries with truffle and parmesan were just not on par with the rest of the meal. Something about the shoestring fries felt cheap, definitely not worth $6.

They neglect to tell you that they bring you a mountain-sized portion of fries.

They neglect to tell you that they bring you a mountain-sized portion of fries.

If you haven’t been to Cru Cafe yet, I highly recommend you go. I for one, can’t wait to go back.

Photo courtesy of dilwyne designs

Photo courtesy of Dilwyne Designs

Cru Cafe
18 Pinckney St
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 534-2434

Cru Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Recipes

Spaghetti Squash Primavera

December 25, 2011

So because I’ve convinced myself that I’m going to lose weight over the holiday season, rather than gain any (don’t you roll your eyes at me), I’ve been trying to find some healthy-ish versions of side dishes to serve at the Christmas dinner table so that I don’t gorge myself on stuffing and mashed potatoes. One that I found, that’s a bit more Mediterranean than what is typically found at American Christmas dinners, is spaghetti squash primavera. Typically “primavera” is italian, but add some feta cheese and ipso facto, it’s now Mediterranean.

It’s all Greek to me!

Ingredients:

  • 1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
  • 2 tablespoon minced garlic.
  • 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp garlic, minced
  • 2 cups chopped tomatoes
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet or line the bottom of a baking sheet with non-stick aluminum foil (I prefer the latter method).
  2. On one half of the baking sheet, place 1 tablespoon of garlic, 1 tablespoon of Italian seasonings, and 1 bay leaf. Repeat on the other half of the baking sheet.

    Kind of like you’re the street performer with the ball and the cups.

  3. Place one half of the spaghetti squash with the hollow side over one of the garlic mixtures, and repeat with the other half.
  4. Add an even amount of water to the baking sheet, just enough to come up to the sides of the squash. The amount of water differs, depending on the size of your baking sheet. I used about 2 cups.
  5. Bake 35 minutes in the preheated oven. It’s very important that you don’t overcook the squash. You can test if it’s done by flipping it over and scraping the flesh with a fork. It should naturally separate into spaghetti-like strands. Taste it to make sure that it is the same consistency as al dente spaghetti. It might need 5-10 more minutes in the oven if it is still too tough.

    If you think squash is “mushy,” you’re doing it wrong.

  6. Once it is finished cooking, remove from heat and allow it to cool.
  7. While the squash is cooling, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and red pepper in oil until tender. Add garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook until tomatoes are warm.
  8. Use a large spoon or fork to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and add it to the sauté pan with the vegetables. Toss with the sauteed vegetables, feta cheese, and salt and pepper. Serve warm.

    You know you want some.

Optionally: I added ¼ cup Parmesan cheese in addition to the feta, as well as 2 teaspoons of Italian seasonings right before I served it. I really like Parmesan cheese, this is a personal preference. You could also use a can of stewed tomatoes instead of fresh chopped tomatoes to make it more like spaghetti instead of like a primavera.

If I hadn’t already told you this was squash, you’d never have known the difference.

Basically, I think you can take spaghetti squash and add anything you normally would to spaghetti noodles. I think it tastes pretty much the same, only it’s healthier for you since you’re using all vegetables instead of pasta. My next venture will be to try and make a reduced calorie alfredo sauce or cheese sauce to make a “healthified” macaroni and cheese/spaghetti alfredo dish. Stay tuned!

GET IN MY MOUTH.