ESQUIRE ANNOUNCES 2012 BEST NEW RESTAURANTS IN AMERICA

This Blog has been on hiatus for some time. No promises of daily or even weekly updates, however, I need to get my act together. Over 5,500 views within the past year, and that is without really trying!

The latest posting comes from ESQUIRE and their annual list of Best New Restaurants. I am reposting this, because two Charleston area restaurants were listed. The highly regarded, "The Macintosh " in Charleston and the out of nowhere, "Carter's Kitchen" on I'on in Mt. Pleasant.

I've held out from eating at The Mac for some time. I guess I am due to be there soon.

I now have some work to do, on this Blog and to try these establishments!

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.

Glazed Gourmet - Charleston, SC

For the past few years, cupcakes have been proliferating across the US, along with some excellent and creative flavors to go along with them. So what is the next big thing in the creative food trend? I say doughnuts! To start that trend at least here in the Carolinas, there is GLAZED gourmet doughnuts on King Street in Charleston.

Opened in 2011, GLAZED has made a name for itself with their unique creations, created fresh each morning. And when I say created, I'm not talking about just the dough. They make their jams, fillings and even the glaze for their amazing doughnuts.  The menu  is different each day and always changing in flavors. Lately, what I've been seeing in their lineup online is the word, "curry". Who would've thought, curry and doughnuts? The next time that I am in Charleston and curry is on the menu, I am definitely ordering one, or two.

I've been in three times and  have tried several of their doughnuts. First, the obligatory glazed doughnut, you can never go wrong with. I've also had the ever popular Maple Bacon. Bacon makes everything tastes better. I, like a kid, have ordered the Chocolate with Sprinkles to relive a childhood favorite of mine, though only better!

If you are in Charleston, I highly recommend stopping into GLAZED and treating yourself! Their menu is posted on Facebok and Twitter each morning, so you can plan accordingly. Many of you will be heading to Charleston to run the Cooper River Bridge Run on March 31st. After shedding some calories from the run, head on over to GLAZED for a much deserved, tasty treat!

Chocolate with Sprinkles





Maple Bacon, yum!



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.

The Greatest Steak Grilled at Home, According to Mrs. SNarolina Foodie!

According to my wonderful wife, I grill one excellent steak. Together, we've enjoyed some of the Carolina's best, so when I hear her praises on my grilling, it makes me happy. My steak grilling technique comes from the Morton's Steak Bible.

First, I select high quality beef,  from places like the New York Butcher Shoppe and Whole Foods. I've noticed that when I've gotten beef from other groceries, quality has been an issue. Please note, not all beef are created equal! For our most recent home grilled steaks, I purchased two 8 oz filets from the New York Butcher Shoppe out of Charlotte, NC.

The following are my directions for the greatest steak grilled at home:

1. Bring your steaks out of the refrigerator and let stand for 30-60 minutes. What I've learned, getting the meat to room temperature, aids in the grilling process and the meat cooks evenly.

2. Once the steaks have come to room temperature, I cover them in Extra Virgin Olive oil (EVO).

3. After coating the steaks with EVO, I coat the steaks, liberally with Sea Salt. Actually, most meat that I grill, I coat in Sea Salt.

4. While I am waiting for the steaks to get to room temperature, I get the grill fired up to around 500 - 550 degrees F.

5. With the combination high temperature on the grill and the Steaks at room temperature, it doesn't take long for the steaks to cook, especially the way I like them, RARE! At the high temperatures, most steaks will be ready within 10 minutes or less.

6. Enjoy! No steak sauce is needed, especially when you have a high quality piece of beef!

Grilled Filet Mignon, RARE!

SNarolina Foodie 2011 Year in Review.

2011 was the launch of SNarolina Foodie and with random postings and the realization that updating a food blog takes time and effort, if you want quality. I am excited about 2012, with a new camera, new logo and the potential to take SNarolina Foodie to a new level.

Highlights from 2011:

·         Restaurant of the year: HUSK, Charleston, SC, Bon Appetit Magazine’s 2011 New Restaurant of the Year.  A cool restaurant and cool concept that stands apart. A whole posting will be coming in January, in addition to my second dinner there.

·         Restaurant with the absolute best Service: Charleston Grill, Charleston, SC. Hands down, food is excellent, service is absolutely tops. Mickey Bakst, the General Manager has to be one of the best restaurant managers in the country. Watching him work the crowd is entertaining enough.

·         Best Steakhouse Overall: Grill 225, Charleston, SC. Excellent choice in meat and sides and a great atmosphere with old school steakhouse service.

·         Best Steak: Rick Erwin’s, Greenville, SC. I’ve tried some good steakhouses in 2011, including Del Frisco’s, BLT Steak, Chophouse ’47. Erwin’s invests in good steaks. Unfortunately, their service and sides aren’t up to par to their beef.

·         Best Mac n Cheese: Youssef 242, Hickory, NC. Mac n Cheese is my favorite food of all time. Here they call it, Mac n Cheese Loaded, and it certainly is loaded with tons of cheese. Honorable mention and a very close second is, Solstice Kitchen (Columbia, SC)’s Skillett-Baked Smoked Gouda and Bacon Mac n Cheese.

·         Best Fried Chicken: Jestine’s Kitchen, Charleston, SC. If you like crunchy fried chicken, this is the place. I’ve been going to here for over 14 years and the chicken is still excellent. Close second place, Esso Club, Clemson, SC.

·         Best Ice Cream/Yogurt/Gelato: Luna Rosa Gelato, Greenville, SC. They make their gelato every day onsite. I can say without a doubt, this is the best gelato in the United States. More places are now offering gelato, none come close to this place, except maybe Paolo’s Gelato Italiano in Charleston. Paolo’s is good, however he is cash only and sadly, I never carry cash.

·         Best Pizza: Tito’s Pizza, Greenville, SC. There are tons of excellent pizza places, but Tito’s is the best in New York Style.

·         Best Lunch: Dellz Deli, Charleston, SC. This tiny (5 seats) hole in the wall, off upper King Street, quickly won me over in late 2011. I first heard about it, after reading about the rice and bean bowl (excellent). Lately, I’ve been ordering the popular Beach Bum wrap (spicy shrimp  with rice and vegetables and something called da sauce), which I’ve had a hard time venturing away from.

·         Best Beer List: Trappe Door, Greenville, SC. My favorite restaurant in Greenville has the best beer list. Grant it, I love Belgium beer and their Belgium beer list is like most restaurant wine lists.

·         Best Cheeseburger:  Poe’s Tavern, Sullivan’s Island, SC. This is a burger joint that wins the best overall burger category. Great location, atmosphere, beer list and of course large, mouth-watering, flavorful burgers. I personally like the “Tell-Tale Heart” which is a burger with Fried Egg, Applewood Bacon and Cheddar Cheese. A close second is their “The Sleeper”, which is a large burger that also includes Roasted Garlic Blue Cheese and topped with Buffalo Shrimp.

·         Best Italian Restaurant: Wild Olive, Johns Island, SC. I was determined that another restaurant in Charleston was going to be a hands down favorite, then I read about Wild Olive and a dish that some people couldn’t put their fork down when eating. I went, I ate, I loved. The meal that won it all was the “Garganelli with milk braised pork ragu, caramelized onions, rosemary, parmesan.”

I look  forward to sharing much more and really bringing the quality of SNarolina Foodie up a notch.

FAVORITE RESTAURANT - If it was your last meal.

What is your favorite restaurant? If it were your last meal, where would you go? The discussion begins now! This is a hard question for even I to answer. When someone usually ask what my favorite restaurant is, I generally give the answer, "it depends on what type of food / atmosphere / event." That answer will not be accepted!