HUSK's SEAN BROCK on CHARLIE ROSE

Everyone knows of my love for HUSK and its founder Sean Brock. This week he was interviewed by Charlie Rose in New York. Great interview, about 16 minutes long. This is an inside look at the man and what inspired him to become one of the most talked about chefs in the country at one of the most talked about restaurants.

I never thought that I would see him in a suit. Enjoy!

CHARLIE ROSE INTERVIEWS CHEF SEAN BROCK

CURRY UP! - Doughnut that is.

During my last post, I talked about GLAZED Gourmet Doughnuts in Charleston, SC, and I mentioned my curiosity in trying their curry doughnut. Well, word got out and they asked when I would be in, as they would make sure to have them that day. Flash forward less than a week later, I was back in Charleston and stopped in, when they opened at 7AM and got the obligatory "Curry Up"!

With regards to curry, either you like it or you don't. And from those that like curry, even less of them would like to see curry in something sweet, much less in a doughnut. Well folks, I am here to tell you, try it! It is absolutely wonderful and definitely brings together your taste buds in the morning.

The Curry Up is made with a combination of chocolate, curry (of course) and topped with crystallized ginger. The combination of each of those ingredients, all unique on their own, makes for a wonderful marriage of flavor. Some of you are still afraid, with notions of that curry taste lingering in your mouth for the rest of your day. Rest assured, there is enough curry to taste, but certainly not overpowering enough for a lasting aftertaste.

I use SNarolina Foodie to promote food, places and people that are unique and work hard to create amazing food and drink. I want people to branch out of their comfort food zones and try things that they might not venture into. The Curry Up doughnut, my friends, is a good way to start.

SINGLE MALT WHISKY - Japanese Style!

I'm a Scotch guy and that's usually my drink of choice if I am not enjoying an excellent wine or select beer.  For Christmas, Mrs. SNarolina Foodie ordered me a copy of 101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die by Ian Buxton, which I have written about before. Yamazaki 12 Year is one of the 101 to try and I had it this past week while I was in Charleston.

Yamazaki is pruduced by Suntory distillery, which was founded in 1923 in Japan. It was actually the first distillery to use copper pot stills of its kind outside of Scotland. This is the most popular whisky in all of Japan and is starting to create a following across the world.

On Tuesday evening, I stopped into the bar at FISH Restaurant to give Yamazaki  12 Year a try. I am now a new fan. This whisky is smooth and you can certainly taste the vanilla/honey flavors that pop into your mouth once you take your first sip. The honey/vanilla taste stays with you throughout and afterwards and isn't overbearing. Apparently at FISH it has developed a slight following as, once my dram was poured, the bartender had to open another bottle.

If you are a whisky drinker, I highly suggest stepping outside of the box and givingYamazaki a try.  For that whisky drinker that has everything, this would make a great unique gift, as a high quality whisky from a country not known as being a large whisky producer.

Lastly, there is also a Yamazki 18 Year Whisky. I will have to seek it out and try it as well.

Three New Restaurants Coming to Main Street Greenville Soon!

Downtown Greenville's already vibrant restaurant scene is about to get even more crowded! Three restaurants are slated to open between this month and May.

BREAKWATER RESTAURANT & BAR

The first restaurant, scheduled to open in February, is Breakwater. Breakwater is going to be located where Rio Grille was once, at 802 South Main Street. They are coming to Greenville via Beaufort where the original  Breakwater location has won many accolades.

The food is considered "New Southern Cuisine", and from what I can tell, looks like a challenger to Greenville's ever popular Soby's.  I will be in Beaufort soon, so I  may need to venture in and try the original before venturing to their Greenville location.

MAC'S SPEED SHOP

The next restaurant, slated to open in late March is Charlotte's own, Mac's Speed Shop! A barbecue restaurant with a biker theme. In fact their motto is "Beer Bikes BBQ". Mac's Speed Shop will be located at 930 South Main Street, next to Carolina Triathlon and across the street from Liberty Taproom.

I've been to Mac's and I'm a big fan. Their BBQ is great, the beer selection rivals that of Barley's and just because its a biker themed place, doesn't mean that's the core clientele. I visited Mac's Southend Charlotte location last week during lunch and the place was packed with  business men and women enjoying some tasty BBQ.

Over the years, they have developed a loyal following, which I think will be the case in Greenville, once they open. Garden and Gun Magazine described Mac's Speed Shop as, "
If Disney were ever to open a biker bar—focused on craft beers and barbecue—it would look something like this". Needless to say, I can't wait for Greenville to enjoy what people in Charlotte have been enjoying for years!

A NEW CONCEPT FROM LARKIN'S - NAME TBD

The final new restaurant opening on Main Street in Greenville within the next few months is a new concept from the people that brought you Larkin's on the River. I'm a fan of Larkin's, so I am sure this will be an excellent concept.  According to General Manager Bob Munich on Fox Carolina, "they have not decided on a name for the new place yet, but it will have lower prices and a more casual feel than Larkin's on the River". Based on that, I am thinking that this is probably going to be a gastropub kind of  place, a la, Nose Dive in Greenville or Red Drum in Mount Pleasant.

I'm having dinner at Larkin's on the River soon. While there, I will inquire more about the new place and if I learn anything new, I will share later.

The new location is going to be located in the old Hot Dog King at 209 South Main Street. I applaud any business that will open a new business in a previously closed establishment.

ARDBEG 10 YEAR SINGLE ISLAY MALT Scotch Whisky

About 6 years ago, I was introduced to Scotch. Since then, I've enjoyed my share from each of the Whisky Regions of Scotland!  My favorite Region is Islay, well known for their peaty malts. Probably the most famous Islay whisky is Laphroaig, which I do enjoy.

My favorite Islay whisky is Ardbeg, which can  been described as "monstrously peaty". Ardbeg, according to Ian Buxton in 101 WHISKIES TO TRY BEFORE YOU DIE, " is arguably the benchmark Islay Whisky, against which all others must be judged". I would have to agree. I was first introduced to Ardbeg in 2008, while staying at the Forss House outside Thurso, Scotland in the Highlands. The Forss House bar has about 270 different Scotch Whiskies on the shelf. With so many whiskies to choose from, I asked the bartender what their favorite whisky was, and they said Ardbeg.

A couple of things I want to share regarding Scotch whisky. First of all, when you see the word, "whisky", this is the correct spelling for whiskies that are out of Scotland. Most of us are used to seeing it spelled as "whiskey", which represents the whiskies for the rest of the world.

If you are new to drinking Scotch or have an interest in trying it, I wouldn't recommend Ardbeg as being your first time. I would suggest something like, Glenlivet, an easy drinking whisky that can be found anywhere. I would also suggest for your first time drinking Scotch, to have it with water and on the rocks. If you build a taste for whisky and you want to continue to drink it, then you will get to the point where you will take less water and ice over time.

I prefer my Scotch neat with a few teardrops of water and sometimes with 2 cubes of ice.

The BAR at HUSK - BOURBON LIST

I've previously talked about the 50 plus Bourbons listed at HUSK Restaurant in Charleston, SC. Well, here is the list!  I must admit, I am keeping tabs on the ones that I've tried. I do have a goal to try each one of these.

DELL'Z DELI - CHARLESTON, SC

The Charleston City Paper is a free publication that comes out weekly discussing food, music and social trends within Charleston, SC. In August, a cover story was titled, “101 Things, to Savor, Slurp and Suck Down in Chucktown”.  I’ve used that as my guide in finding and trying new places in Charleston.  I do plan to try almost all 101 items listed!

The infamous  Dell!

One of the foods listed was the “Rice and Bean Bowl” at Dell’z Deli. The article stated:

“Dell'z rice and bean bowl is one of the best lunch values in town. It's packed with rice, black beans, salsa, fresh avocado, and, for an extra buck, gooey melted cheese. It's healthy, filling, and affordable, like everything else on Dell'z menu.”

I ordered the Rice and Bean Bowl and became speechless. 6 months later and Dell’z is now my go to spot for lunch when I’m in Charleston for lunch. Dell’z isn’t your typical deli, where you pick a sandwich, a bag of chips and a drink. Dell’z offers wraps, salads and pizza to name a few. Everything  on the menu can be made vegetarian and vegan.  Since my first visit, I’ve been venturing further into the menu, and I haven’t been disappointed.

Dell'z Jazzy Pizza

Lately, I’ve been ordering two item, the “Beach Bum” which is a wrap with spicy shrimp and the other, Dell’z Jazzy Pizza, which consist of rice, black beans, salsa, avocado, cheese, some type of amazing sauce called “da sauce” and fresh field greens on a large tortilla. This pizza was meant to be shared, but twice I’ve been able to down a whole one myself, much to the amazement of Dell herself. Fortunately, training for a marathon has allowed me to do so and not gain weight.

Dell’z is located at 1-A Cannon Street, just off King Street.  Seating is very limited, only 4 seats at the counter. I suggest either get it in early for lunch or get it to go.

<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/61/1566872/restaurant/Peninsular-Charleston/Dellz-Deli-Charleston%22%3E%3Cimg alt="Dell'z Deli on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1566872/biglink.gif" style="border:none;width:200px;height:146px" /></a>

THE TRAPPE DOOR - BELGIUM HAS ARRIVED IN GREENVILLE AND I LIKE IT!

A few years ago, my wife and I took a trip to Europe and made a stop in Belgium to visit a friend. That visit alone sealed my love for that country, it's food and beer. So when I heard over a year ago that a Belgium inspired restaurant was coming to Greenville, I got excited. The Trappe Door opened about two months ago to much fanfare and I wanted to wait for the right time to visit.

This evening, I took my brother to dinner there for us to enjoy Moules Frites, a favorite of ours and definitely one of the most popular dishes in Belgium and the surrounding countries (Neatherlands, France). For those of you that don't know, Moules Frites are mussels and fries.

This evening, I started with a bottle of Moinette Brune, dark Belgium beer that I've enjoyed before. The Trappe Door has by far the largest Belgium beer selection that I've ever seen. I've already tried many of them, but now I have plenty more to try on future visits. Food wise, we started with an appetizer of blackened crab and bleu cheese fondue. Very good and was highly recommended by our server. Of course we both ordered Moules Frites and made sure that we both didn't get the same selection. There are currently, six different styles of Moules Frites which you can choose from. I got the Thai red curry, which were steamed in a rich, delicious coconut curry broth with diced apples. Michael (my brother) ordered the Mariniere, mussels in a traditional sauce of white wine, garlic and shallots.

I am definitely returning to try the other moules styles in future visits. The other moules styles include: Spanish (supposedly spicy), White and Bleau (belgian white ale, bleu cheese, bacon and dijon mustard), Provencale (tomato-based sauce with peppers, fresh herbs, garlic and black olives) and Fennel and Pesto (fennel and white wine broth with a sweet basil pesto).

With your order of frites, you get to choose from 3 mayonaise dipping sauces. There are about 7-8 different sauces that you can choose from. I chose, Belgium style mayo, truffle mayo and curry mayo. All three were excellent. Michael chose Belgium style, in addition to chipotle and a mayo/ketchup combo.

Having been to Belgium and enjoyed moules frites there, Trappe Door did a phenomenal job in creating an atmosphere that's exactly what you will find in Belgium. The night ended with an order of Belgium waffles, which were topped with vanilla ice cream, powdered sugar, and fresh fruit. An excellent dessert to end the night. Next time though, I am ordering the Trio of Mousses, which I noticed being served at another table.

I can honestly say that The Trappe Door has jumped to near the top of my favorite restaurants to enjoy. I now don't have to wait a few more years to enjoy Belgium again. I can now get my fix often, and judging by the crowd tonight, many of us will continue to do the same.

AT COMMUNITY TAP, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BEER (AND WINE)

Five years ago, I wasn't a beer person. In fact, my beer of choice was, heaven forbid, Bud Lite. I finally came to my senses and started exploring the world of beers. There is certainly a world of beers to be learned. Fast forward to today and I can tell you, though I am no connosseur, that my favorite style of beers are Trappist Beer from Belgium and beers of Bavaria, Germany. Lately, there has been a proliferation of shops that focus on Microbrews from the US and around the world. In addition to selling bottles of our favorite small batch hops, they're also selling beer on tap with growlers to get your fill. Greenville, SC, is fortunate to have the Community Tap, which opened in July 2010.

If you are new to drinking beer or are wanting to branch out, visit these guys. Their knowledge will aid in your exploration of beer. With a couple of choices locally, why do I like the Community Tap? I like about the Community Tap because beer (and wine) is the focus. On a recent visit with my growler to Community Tap, Ed one of the co-owners was very helpful in my selection as always. What I noticed is this, Community Tap will allow for you to bring in an outside growler to use. Yes, I own two Community Tap growlers (32oz and 64oz), however a customer that was in front of me, brought her own growler. What's the big deal? I've heard that some places won't accept growlers unless it's their own. Pretty rediculous, if you tell me. It should be about the beer, not the jug you fill and with that, the Community Tap will have my loyal support.

I mention wine with the Community Tap, because recently, they started pouring wine for growlers. I can't addequately talk about the wine, since I haven't tried it yet. However, I can let the NY Times Diner's Journal tell you about it (see link below). Pretty impressive that our local tap has already been written about from one of the NY Times' writers. Just being mentioned is nice, but having an article, now that should speak for itself! Chefs across the country spend careers trying to get mentioned in the Times. Their doing something right.

http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/30/growlers-for-grapes/


The Community Tap
205 Wade Hampton Boulevard
Greenville, SC 29609

Phone:864.631.2525

THE FARMERS MARKET - ARE YOU MISSING ON A GREAT EXPERIENCE AND A CHANCE TO SAVE MONEY?

Just about every major city within North and South Carolina has a Farmers Market. Some of these markets are affiliated with the state's Department of Agriculture and some are indepedent markets put on by the city or other co-op. We've all seen the signs for them, however many of us have never visited one. I am the first to admit, I used never consider visiting them. That all changed about a year ago, when we moved near the State Farmers Market here in Greenville, SC.

We have a friend who enjoys shopping at the farmers market, because everything is fresh, local and that the prices are usually less than the grocery. One day we ventured out to our local market and came back fans. What we found was more than just fruits and vegetables. We found the Farmers Market to have beans, meats and dairy products from local farms. The big trend in the foodie scene is using local ingredients. Hence, with your local farmers market, you don't get much more local than that.

In addition to the official state markets, many cities have their own that usually run on Friday's (Columbia) or Saturdays (Greenville) from May to October. These markets are fun as well, but I will admit, aside from sponsoring local organizations with local products, they can be on the pricier end. The city market's usually offer more of a variety than your state markets.

If you haven't yet, I encourage you to give your local Farmers Market a try and check out the quality and pricing. You're not only helping yourself (read healthy eating, saving money), you are also helping local farmers! You never know, being a regular could really be beneficial in getting the best deals.

Below are links to locations of State Farmers Markets in both NC and SC:

North Carolina: http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/facilities/markets/

South Carolina: http://agriculture.sc.gov/statefarmersmarkets

These are oteher locally grown markets within SC:

http://upstatesc.locallygrown.net/

http://www.saturdaymarketlive.com/


Feel free to share any tips, advice or other local markets, not mentioned.

PIMENTO CHEESEBURGERS

I love Cheeseburgers. If you saw me without a shirt, you would agree, but that's another story. The Pimento Cheeseburger was created in SC sometime back in the 60's. My first taste of the Pimento Cheeseburger came as a child while visiting my grandparents who lived in Orangeburg, SC at the time. My grandfather would often take us to a place called the Dairy O, for their Curley Burgers (Pimento Cheese). Last night as I was driving to Charleston, I to made a 20 minute detour into Orangeburg, to get my annual fix of this childhood memory. Nothing fancy about this place, its just these burgers are good.

The Dairy O was established in 1949 and has been an institution in Orangeburg for over 60 years. I realize most people don't have much of a need to go to Orangeburg, however if you are heading to Charleston, you're probably going to pass by it. As noted in an article posted on the wall there, people still make pilgrimages to Orangeburg to have their Curley Burger fix. This place may not look appetizing, but as any foodie can attest, some dives have some of the best grub!

Dairy O
1504 Russell Street
Orangeburg, SC 29115-6064
(803) 536-4205

If you are now craving a Pimento Cheeseburger, but can't make it to or through Orangeburg anytime soon, I suggest the following:

1) Northgate Soda Shop in Greenville, SC, a Greenville institution in the North Main Neighborhood.

918 North Main Street
Greenville, SC 29609
(864) 235-6770

2) POE'S TAVERN on Sullivans Island, SC. Order the Gold Bug Plus

2210 Middle St
Sullivan's Island, South Carolina
(843) 883-0083

These are just three places that I can speak personally of. Please let me know of your favorite Pimento Cheeseburgers within the Carolinas and I'll make sure to visit.

The Launch of SNarolina Foodie!

Welcome to the launch of SNarolina Foodie! What is SNarolina? S(South) N(North)and Carolina without the (C). I've been fortunate enough to enjoy the fine dining and fine dives of both Carolinas! SNarolina Foodie is about the places we've been to and the places where we should be going all related to food, drinks and other gatherings.