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Crave Kitchen & Cocktails

March 29, 2013

The first time I visited Crave was June of 2011 with my mom for Sean’s birthday (and because I had a Groupon). I remember it was really delicious, so I don’t really know why it took me so long to go back again. Probably because it’s all the way out by the Isle of Palms connector and I rarely venture out in that direction if I can avoid it. Both Crave and its executive chef, Landen Ganstrom follow me on twitter, and tweet at me pretty much anytime I post anything food related, (ie “Looking for somewhere to eat lunch in Charleston,” etc) with suggestions, which can be really helpful.

Plus, those are some excellent suggestions.

After I saw that Crave won “Most Life-Changing Mac and Cheese in America” from Esquire Magazine, you can bet they shot to the top of my list of restaurants to try. I had their mac and cheese at the Mac Off in October where they won People’s Choice Best Macaroni and Cheese, and it definitely stood out from the crowd.

It’s especially good with pulled pork or brisket!

So I dragged Becca out there last Saturday for lunch to try it for ourselves. I started with the Macaroni and Cheese, which I reluctantly shared with Becca, and I have to say, it was pretty damn delicious. It reminded me of that Mitch Hedburg joke “Fettucini alfredo is macaroni and cheese for adults,” because it had a similar flavor. I was almost tempted to cancel my entree and just get another order of the macaroni, but I had just enough self-control to resist.

Creamy, cheddary, deliciousness.

Becca got the Greek dip to start (Creamy garlic hummus and Mediterranean olive tapenade, served with flat bread and mixed greens topped with cucumbers, tomatoes, olives and feta cheese), which I gladly shared with her. We were surprised at how good the hummus was. For some reason, I was expecting it to be really generic tasting, but it was actually really yummy. I don’t do olives, but Becca said she loved the olive tapenade.

Gosh, I love hummus.

For my entree, I went with the turkey club (oven-Roasted half pound turkey club served with toasted ciabatta bread, apple wood smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and cajun remoulade), which was outstanding. You could really tell that the turkey was fresh and not lunchmeat out of a package. It was thick and flavorful and so good. I also love that the bacon was nice and crispy. I hate when restaurants serve chewy, rubbery bacon. This was perfect. And the cajun remoulade was the perfect condiment. The sandwich just went together really well. I got a side salad to accompany my club (to try and cancel out some of the damage I did with the Mac), with the lemon vinaigrette which was good also. It had olives, feta cheese, and cucumbers on it, and it was really good for a side salad, but I wouldn’t say that it blew me away at all. Then again, it’s really difficult to get me excited about a salad, no matter how good it is.

I wish they delivered downtown. I’d eat that sandwich every day.

Becca got the “Wedge salad” (local Butter lettuce with Humbolt Fog Blue Cheese, Duroch pork lardons, crisp fresh red onions, apples and a cracked black pepper and dill dressing), which more accurately should be called a “butter lettuce salad with a wedge of bleu cheese.” She liked it, but was a little disappointed that it wasn’t actually a wedge of lettuce.

I, however, think all “wedge salads” should actually be a wedge of cheese and a side of lettuce.

For dessert, I was really excited to try the Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake that they tweeted me about a couple weeks ago when I was looking for a dessert place in Charleston. It’s a “rich Gluten-free chocolate cake with salted homemade caramel butter crème and sea salt chocolate frosting topped with caramel drizzle.” It was, in the words of my mother, “The Bomb.” It was so yummy. I don’t think I would’ve known it was gluten-free if they hadn’t specified it on the menu. I loved that it was sweet without making me feel like I had diabetes by the second bite (I’m looking at you, Applebee’s). They have a bunch of other desserts that look good, too, like Baked Alaska, Seared Pear, Hot Fudge Snickers, Coconut Cake, and an array of ice cream. I definitely know where to go next time I’m looking for dessert.

Omigosh, it’s so good.

I also see that they have a bunch of options that are gluten-free, paleo, and cross-fit friendly for people like me who are trying (keyword here being TRYING) to eat healthier. Despite the fact that our service wasn’t really that great and I really wish they had a better website, the food more than made up for any issues I may have had. I highly recommend stopping by Crave whenever you’re out in Mount Pleasant or Isle of Palms.

Now, I’m CRAVING Crave! hyuck hyuck

Crave Kitchen & Cocktails
1968 Riviera Dr
Mt Pleasant, SC 29464
(843) 884-1177

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Charleston, SC Restaurant Reviews

Coleman Public House

March 1, 2013

I actually ate at Coleman Public House back in November, but I’m only just now getting the chance to review it. Sorry about that. I’m kind of lazy. But, I digress. I first heard about CPH in the City Paper in last year’s Best of Charleston where they were voted “Coma-Inducing Skillet of Cheesy Goodness.” Sounds like my kind of restaurant. Plus they reference The Hunger Games on Facebook. What’s not to love?

I’m a sucker for anything Hunger Games

I was able to get a taste of their mac and cheese at the Mac Off in October, and it was delicious. So I was super pumped to go visit. The parking lot was crowded and we ended up having to park in the shopping center next door, so we thought it was going to be super crowded, but it wasn’t actually that bad and we were seated immediately. I started out with a 4 beer flight sample of Fort Collins Chocolate Stout, Van Den Bossche Buffalo Belgian Stout, O’Dempsey’s Big Red, and Railhouse Honey Wiess. I liked all of them except for the Honey Weiss which was way too sweet. I think the O’Dempsey’s Big Red was my favorite.

Big Red, Honey Weiss, One of the Stouts, The Other Stout.

We started with two appetizers because we have a really hard time making decisions and couldn’t narrow it down to one. But I’m really glad we chose the two of them because they were really yummy. The first one was duck confit taquitos (Duck Confit, Queso Fresco, Crispy Yellow Corn Tortillas, Tomatillio & Avocado Salsa). They were sooo yummy, although I’m not sure I would have liked them as much without the avocado salsa. It really tied the whole dish together.

I’m really into instagram.

Our second appetizer was Mini Lamb Burgers (Ground Lamb, Spices, Onion Chutney, Pickles, Tzatziki Sauce) which were seriously good. They tasted like gyros, but better. I think next time I might order them as an entree and just get a side of mac and cheese, because they were soooo good.

Also, I’m really into lamb right now.

For our entrees, we got the fungi burger (Gruyere, Roasted Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, White Truffle Oil) which he was really excited about since he loves mushrooms. He was a little disappointed once it actually arrived, saying it wasn’t really as flavorful as the appetizers had been and while the burger was good, he had really been hoping for something outstandingly delicious. He did like the truffle & parmesan fries though.

More like nomburger

I debated for a while between the caprese burger (Fresh Mozzarella, Vine Ripe Tomato, Pesto, Balsamic Reduction), the black and bleu burger (bleu cheese, vine ripe tomato, fried onion strings…it’s not on the menu anymore, so I’m just spitballing here), and the barnyard burger (Goat Cheese, Oven Roasted Tomato, Fresh Spinach, Caramelized Onions). Our waitress talked me into getting the Black and Bleu burger, which I ordered with a side of their smoked gouda mac and cheese (Smoked Gouda, Parmesan, Pecan Smoked Bacon, White Truffle Oil) in place of fries. The mac and cheese was damn good. The burger was also a little disappointing. There was just too much going on. Plus their buns are huge, so there’s this overwhelming ratio of bread to burger. Plus, I think maybe I just don’t like bleu cheese as much as I think I do.

God, that mac and cheese looks amazing.

We were both super stuffed, so we ended up opting out of dessert. All in all, I’d say CPH is definitely worth going back to. Maybe next time I might just order a bunch of appetizers with my mac and cheese, or maybe try some of their homemade flatbreads. I would definitely recommend trying this delicious pub if you’re ever in Mount Pleasant!

Now all I can think about is that mac and cheese

Coleman Public House
427 W Coleman Blvd
Mt Pleasant, SC 29464
(843) 416-8833

Quote of the Week

Quote of the Week 2/11/13

February 11, 2013

So how ’bout that Walking Dead premiere last night, amiright? So good. We had a fun little party at LDub’s house complete with 3 types of mac and cheese, cream cheese chicken crescent rolls, chorizo dip, buffalo chicken dip, salsa, and raspberry jam-filled “Walker Bait” mini chocolate cakes courtesy of Zach and Sara. It was delicious and awesome and I’ll never be able to watch Walking Dead the same way again. Saturday, I also attended a mini-mac off, held by my friend Sheena. She won (but I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that it was her party and her friends. Just saying #soreloser). It was a really fun weekend overall (check out my album below for all the pics).

This week’s quote comes from Alice May Brock (aka Alice of Arlo Guthrie’s Alice’s Restaurant), and I think it’s actually a very informative guide to spices and ethnic food.

“Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good.”
–Alice May Brock

…Well, that’s definitely not sanitary.

: Mac and Cheese Competition

: Judy and Laura chillin’ by the fire

: Chorizo dip, buffalo chicken dip, and salsa

: Italian Mac and Cheese

: Walker Bait mini cakes (filled with raspberry jam “blood”)

: Bow and Arrow in honor of our fave character (Daryl, fyi)

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Charleston, SC Restaurant Reviews

Chucktown Tavern [CLOSED]

October 18, 2012

Chucktown Tavern is my favorite bar in Charleston. Hands down. Where else in Charleston can you get a Trashcan? No where. So go order one. I’m not going to tell you what it is, this is something you need to learn for yourself. I know Chucktown Tavern’s not for everyone–it’s far from hipster, there’s karaoke every night, and they close early on Saturday nights–but it has its own special kind of charm that I hold dear to my heart. Sometimes I forget that most of the bars I frequent at night are actually restaurants during the day. I’ve been going to Chucktown Tavern for over 2 years now, and I’d never eaten there before this week. I honestly didn’t even realize they served food.

They do serve up some delicious karaoke, though.

When we arrived, we grabbed a menu clipboard and silverware from a stand at the door and seated ourselves at a booth with a nice view of the TV. The bartender came by to take our drink orders within 2 minutes of when we sat down, which was nice. The menu is very straightforward and unpretentious, nothing fancy or frou-frou about it, which is kind of refreshing for downtown Charleston. We started with an order of the black bean cakes, which were absolutely delicious. Ben was a little iffy at first, because they look like slabs of asphalt (I mean, it’s a black bean cake. It’s hard to make it look pretty), but he ended up loving them. They’re made with black beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, and peppers, and a little bit of flour, pan fried, and topped with a sour cream sauce and served with a side of pico de gallo and jalapeño pepper slices. This was my favorite dish out of everything we ordered–they were soooo good.

I know it doesn’t look it, but it is damn delicious.

Ben was feeling kind of boring, so instead of trying one of their signature stuffed burgers, he opted for an old fashioned 1/3 lb burger topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onions, and mayo, served with a side of house cut fries and homemade coleslaw. As soon as he took a bite, he started making those noises people make when they really like the food they’re eating. He kept mumbling “this is so good,” but with his mouth full of burger, so it sounded more like “threfsj irskds srrrr grsiodbfdl.”

This burger is straight up de-loy-cious

I’m more adventurous, so I ordered the Swamp Fox burger, a 1/2lb angus beef burger stuffed with chili, cheddar cheese, and bacon, topped with lettuce, tomato, mayo, and homemade coleslaw, served with a side of fries and even more coleslaw. It was divine. Seriously. I never end up finishing an entire burger at a restaurant, let alone a 1/2lb burger stuffed with chili and bacon, but I definitely finished this burger (even though it started to fall apart at the end and I had to finish eating it with a fork, like a barbarian). The chili definitely tasted homemade and had hints of chorizo sausage in it, which I really liked. The meat was really well seasoned and would have been tasty on its own. I think the coleslaw was a really great addition to the burger, as it was made with vinegar (rather than mayo), and gave the burger an extra level of freshness.

Burgerlicious.

The only thing we weren’t really crazy about were the fries. They were definitely hand cut and fresh, but they seemed to me to be a bit overcooked and lacked the fluffy interior one has come to expect from this national staple. In the future, I’ll probably replace the fries with something else on their delicious list of side items, like the mac and cheese….which I totally ordered. (I mean, you had to have known I was going to order it. I order mac and cheese LITERALLY every time it’s on a menu. I’m a sucker) So I ordered the side of macaroni and cheese and I absolutely loved it. It was creamy (rather than baked), and tasted like they made it fresh the second I ordered it. You can definitely tell it’s made with real cheddar cheese and fresh cream. It was basic and extraordinary all at the same time. It’s probably my favorite mac and cheese in Charleston (other than KSG’s mac and cheese eggrolls which are something of a religious experience).

Cheesy nectar of the Gods

They didn’t really have a huge dessert selection (only 3 options), so we chose to skip dessert and opt for the check (which was relatively cheap considering all the food we got). I have to say I couldn’t have been more pleasantly surprised with the entire experience. We had a delicious meal that made me feel like I was eating dinner at my friend’s grandmother’s house (I’d say my grandmother, but they’re both horrible cooks). Everything was fresh and delicious, and made with a certain amount of love and care, which I think is really makes a difference in the food.

Also, there’s a patio!

Chucktown Tavern [CLOSED]
159 Market Street
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 637-3681

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Recipes

Italian Macaroni and Cheese

February 21, 2012

So, if you read my blog or know anything about me, you know that I have a weakness for macaroni and cheese. Macaroni and Cheese is my kryptonite… no matter how well I’m doing on a diet, I can’t ever seem to resist some cheesy mac. I guess if I’m being honest, I love anything with copious amounts of melted cheese on it–grilled cheese, fettucini alfredo, lasagna, queso dip, etc. I read somewhere once in a marketing textbook (or maybe I dreamed it…it’s really hard to say), that people are 70% more likely to buy something if it’s illustrated with a picture of melted cheese (I know I’m guilty of this, so we’ll call it science).

Recently my mom posted a video on my wall of some italian guy named Fabio making italian macaroni and cheese, and even though I’d decided that morning I was going to start dieting, I knew that if I didn’t make that recipe soon, I’d be dreaming about Mac n Cheese for the next few weeks. So, of course, I went out that afternoon and bought all of the ingredients I needed for my cheese extravaganza.

I edited the recipe a bit from Fabio’s recommendations, partly because I couldn’t find fontina cheese, and partly because it is impossible for me to exactly follow directions of any kind. So below is my edited recipe from Fabio’s Italian Macaroni and Cheese.

Ingredients:

1 lb. dry elbow macaroni
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 ounces shredded smoked gouda cheese ( just got a round from Bi-Lo and shredded the entire thing)
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese (or gorgonzola)
1.5 cups heavy cream
12 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 bunch fresh parsley
1 lemon, zested
Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Put the heavy cream and all the cheeses into a metal mixing bowl.
Add cracked pepper and pinch of salt to cream and cheese.
Put the bowl on top of a pot of boiling water on medium high and stir until the cheese is melted, set it aside.
Cook pasta in the pot of boiling water until al dente.
Drain the pasta and set aside.
Saute the minced garlic in olive oil over medium heat until soft.
Remove garlic and mix with pasta.
Mix in the cheese sauce, and put in the pot and heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. At this point, if you didn’t want to bake the macaroni, you could eat it right now. It tasted great and would’ve made a great creamy macaroni and cheese. I kind of wish I’d set some aside to compare the difference in taste.
While the sauce is heating, put the breadcrumbs, parsley and lemon zest in a food processor and pulse until well combined.
Place Mac and cheese in an oven safe container and top with bread crumb mixture and bake at 400F for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. I made the mistake of leaving the macaroni in too long. The original recipe said 15-20 minutes, and I left it in for 17, and my finished result was not as creamy as I’d wanted it to be. I think it would have been much better had I not left it in as long.
Also, I topped it with some more cheese, which I would advise against doing, since the cheese will burn before everything else is finished cooking. If you do want to top it with some cheese, do it like 2 minutes before you plan to take it out, that will it will be melty and delicious, and not burnt.

: aaaand there goes my diet again.

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