The Waffle House Hashbrown Code
Those of us that grew up with Waffle House recognize it as something more than a restaurant. It’s the South’s Everyman sit-down, 24-hour yellow glow of homey, affordable, comfort. You’ll find the tables inside populated by high-schoolers sipping on cheap coffee refills, touring musicians wolfing down Texas Melts, post-bar college kids loudly joking over waffles…
August 24, 2020
Women In Charge: The Female Face of Charleston’s Culinary Scene
Today marks the anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, granting the right to vote to all Americans, regardless of sex. We wish to celebrate this landmark of women’s suffrage, and to recognize the non-white female voices that were largely left out of this historic amendment, despite the efforts of the many nonwhite suffragists…
August 18, 2020
Soup to (Boiled) Nuts: The Peanut’s Long Journey to South Carolina
The history of peanuts in the United States in general, and in the Southern states specifically, is inseparably tied to the African diaspora; as is the case for many foods for which the Carolinas are now famous. Peanuts find their native footing in ancient South America, where their nutritious, substantive character seemed to be as…
August 10, 2020
IPAs: A Hoppy History with Cicerone Coby Glass
When I emailed local Cicerone, professional beer tour guide, and all-around lover of suds Coby Glass to advise me in a simple beer pairing matter for National IPA Day, I had no idea that I was setting myself for an afternoon of hands-on beer education. Expecting a reply along the lines of “She-Crab soup goes…
August 6, 2020
Delivery Creativity
As COVID-19 brought Charleston’s world-renowned restaurant scene to a grinding halt back in March, local diners started to get anxious. Living in one of the most foodie-friendly cities in the country tends to spoil you a bit. Menus featuring seasonal produce from nearby farms or seafood caught from local waterways abound around these parts, as…
July 28, 2020
46 State Street: A Proper Introduction
In the heart of Charleston’s historic French Quarter neighborhood, State Street (named Union Street, before simmering years of pre-Civil War conflict prompted a name change in 1860), had already seen plenty of history before 46 State was built as it stands today. As was the case in every bustling city of the colonial American settlements,…
July 19, 2020
Ingredient Spotlight: Okra
“This okra is cooked perfectly, and I’m pretty snobby about my okra,” quips food celeb Padma Lakshmi to Bill Green, chef and co-owner of the Gullah Grub restaurant of St. Helena Island, in the fourth episode of Padma’s newest show, “Taste the Nation”. Through the series, Padma explores the multicultural, multi-ethnic origins of America’s favorite…
July 13, 2020
Masking up for Culinary Tours!
Like many Charlestonians that have been here since college days, I’ve got a bevy of friends that work in Charleston’s substantial service industry. I can count rickshaw riders, hotel employees, tour guides, museum docents and more among my longtime buddies in town – but many of my very closest and oldest friends are in the…
July 2, 2020
Revolutionary Summer Dining
Summer 2020 has proven to be extraordinary in more ways than one. COVID-19 has changed how we’re eating out, and the Black Lives Matter movement has us thinking about all the remarkable Black-owned and operated restaurants in and around the Palmetto City. If you’ve seen Chef KJ Kearney’s #BlackFoodFridays posts, maybe you’ve already come across…
July 1, 2020
Summer Dining in South Carolina
The smell of summertime in South Carolina is distinctive, and, it should come as no surprise, deeply entwined with the smell of food. The smoky scent of a neighborhood barbeque immediately calls to mind school-free days of childhood, Fourth of July parties, swimsuits, and outdoor play. Southerners lucky enough to have grown up with a…
June 20, 2020
Fresh from the market
Here in Charleston we are spoiled. Truly. With the temperature here, we are able to indulge in fresh market produce a large part of the year. Because of our warm southern coastal climate, our growing season starts in early February and lasts until mid-December, giving us on average a whopping 317 days of growing! Naturally, the farmers market is a big deal around here. Visitors and locals alike love to indulge in seasonal fruits, vegetables, honeys, jams, artisan baked goods and handcrafted treasures. While the Charleston farmers market on Marion Square is the largest and most well-attended market, we have more than one market to choose from! In fact, almost every day of the week you can find a local farmers market to enjoy. Here in Charleston perusing local markets is just part of the Lowcountry way of life. While the opening…
June 5, 2020
Ingredient Spotlight: Heron Farms Sea Beans
Welcome to the first installment of our series that focuses, each season, on a different exciting ingredient that’s being utilized in restaurants and bars around Charleston! Sea Beans (a.k.a. Salicornia Virginica), are our first Ingredient Spotlight – specifically, sea beans grown by lowcountry hydroponics star, Heron Farms. Sam Norton, a College of Charleston biology grad,…
June 4, 2020