Revered for world-class tennis and peaceful island living, Daniel Island has a less than stellar restaurant track record, the now past-tense Sienna excluded from the brief list of previous players. Many so-so restaurants have fallen by the wayside over the years, and the relative few remaining don't offer sufficiently compelling culinary reasons to visit unless you are hungry and happen to be in the immediate area. (Note: I should add that I have not yet visited Eddie's Bistro and have heard good things about it. More on that another day).
The recent opening of Ali Baba Mediterranean Deli has changed DI's fairly bleak restaurant history, hopefully for good. I happened to be out there last week to enjoy some of said world- class tennis. I arrived early for a mid-day match, and decided to by-pass the pricey food court to sample Ali Baba's goods. My stomach was already rumbling as I entered the spacious restaurant/deli. This sensation intensified as I spied the seemingly endless deli case, replete with baba gahnnoug, jasmin chicken salad, tzatziki, tabouli, and much more. A busy band of notably attractive cooks and servers worked the open kitchen space just beyond, which relentlessly bombarded my senses with wafts of exotic spices and visions of roasting gyro meats.
It seems I'm not the only one that's taken notice. At barely 11:30 a.m., the place was filling up faster than a filling station during a 70's era fuel shortage. After a short wait, I placed my order at the counter and was handed a number to post at my table, which would later and correctly identify me as the recipient. Decision making was difficult, to say the least. The menu is expansive, including warm platters, samplers, specialty dishes, kebobs and paninis, and each one looks and sounds as good as the next. I settled for the shawerma hummus ($7.99) and was glad I did.
It was an absolute taste bud stunner, redolent with the sprite flavors of the Middle East. It, like seemingly everything here, is backed with the authenticity delivered to the table and the kitchen through Jordan natives and owners Samir and Yasmin Elzabidi. A generous pool of silky, slightly pungent hummus formed a most appetizing bed for a nest of shredded beef (chicken is also available) shrouded in the tangy bite of lemon, kiss of cardamon and "Lebanese" spices. An ample dose of fresh parsley and tiny diced fresh onions brought additional gustatory life to a dish already bursting with it.
This dish alone is worth returning for again and again, and I assure you, I will, tennis or no. It will be difficult to break out of the delicious mold of the shawerma hummus and sample some of Ali Baba's many more options, but based upon the visual and olfactory impressiveness of the many dishes I saw delivered to neighboring tables, I will have to force myself to do it.
Ali Baba also offers an extensive catering menu for those interested in having the restaurant's goodness delivered.
Ali Baba Mediterranean Deli
186 Seven Farms Drive, Suite 500
Daniel Island
(843) 377-8666
http://www.alibabacharleston.com/
Monday, April 20, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
A New "Blu" View
Given the dearth of water view restaurants in this town (see "Dinner with a View" post below), it was with great anticipation that I ventured out with a pal to The Edge of America to experience the newly re-vamped Folly Beach Holiday Inn and its brand new ocean view restaurant & bar, Blu.
Visually, the rewards proved to be impressive. All the aesthetics, from the dinning room decor to food presentation to the surf-pounding view were stunning. Our server was enthusiastic but bland; professional but boring. His lack of animation didn't fit the setting, but maybe he was having a slightly off day. Based upon the good, but at times lack-luster food, chef Jonathan Hagins, who came to Charleston via Hilton Head, may have been, too.
It is only fair to point out that Blu's brand new - nary a month old. It's also accurate and fair to say that there are many good things about the restaurant. I was disappointed because I wanted the food to match this gorgeous, much improved setting with the added, rare bonus of an ocean view. Perhaps it will get there. The chef shows much promise both in the diversity of the menu, which includes a hefty portion of real (not pretend) local produce and seafood, whimsical variations on international and southern food themes, and a nice assortment of small plates from the "sharing menu" and the smaller entree part of the menu. Prices are also surprisingly modest for the premier setting. Items on the sharing menu range from just $7 to $10 and the entrees range from $16 to $25.
However, execution was off at times, particularly in the seasoning department. It reared its tasteless head in the roasted beets ($), which were beautifully roasted and presented. The tang of goat cheese helped to show-off the beets' earthy sweetness, but the promised sea salt was undetectable to my palate. It was sorely needed, so too a splash of acid. It was a similar story for the highly recommended shrimp bruschetta ($8), which more closely resembled a pesto and tomato soup. It was chunky and very liquid, not really a typical bruschetta topper. The shrimp served with it were bona fide local and delicious. Salt and lemon would have made this dish nearly as delicious as the view. Zippy and moist mini-blue sliders ($9) served in fresh, soft potato buns and topped with sweet, caramelized onions and points of blue cheese were flawless and an utterly fresh-from-the-sea fillet of pan-seared grouper ($9) was another local seafood gem that was handled with extreme care by the kitchen. Served with a pungent green tomato marmalade, it was a real winner.
Take time to soak in the view at Blu. The sophisticated yet relaxed dining room is awash in the colors of sea foam, ranging from sage to azure. Waves of gossamer curtains embossed with wavy patterns recall the flutter of a cool sea breeze. Seating is ample and comfortable, complete with well-padded banquettes in the softened, round edges of the room. Don't miss the precious clay art murals of colorful fish playing and peeking from the crevices of a coral reef on your right upon entering the restaurant space.
Parking is easy and free, just like the effect Blu's views have on the soul.
Blu Restaurant & Bar
Folly Beach Holiday Inn
1 Center Street, Folly Beach
(843) 588-6659
http://www.blufollybeach.com/
Visually, the rewards proved to be impressive. All the aesthetics, from the dinning room decor to food presentation to the surf-pounding view were stunning. Our server was enthusiastic but bland; professional but boring. His lack of animation didn't fit the setting, but maybe he was having a slightly off day. Based upon the good, but at times lack-luster food, chef Jonathan Hagins, who came to Charleston via Hilton Head, may have been, too.
It is only fair to point out that Blu's brand new - nary a month old. It's also accurate and fair to say that there are many good things about the restaurant. I was disappointed because I wanted the food to match this gorgeous, much improved setting with the added, rare bonus of an ocean view. Perhaps it will get there. The chef shows much promise both in the diversity of the menu, which includes a hefty portion of real (not pretend) local produce and seafood, whimsical variations on international and southern food themes, and a nice assortment of small plates from the "sharing menu" and the smaller entree part of the menu. Prices are also surprisingly modest for the premier setting. Items on the sharing menu range from just $7 to $10 and the entrees range from $16 to $25.
However, execution was off at times, particularly in the seasoning department. It reared its tasteless head in the roasted beets ($), which were beautifully roasted and presented. The tang of goat cheese helped to show-off the beets' earthy sweetness, but the promised sea salt was undetectable to my palate. It was sorely needed, so too a splash of acid. It was a similar story for the highly recommended shrimp bruschetta ($8), which more closely resembled a pesto and tomato soup. It was chunky and very liquid, not really a typical bruschetta topper. The shrimp served with it were bona fide local and delicious. Salt and lemon would have made this dish nearly as delicious as the view. Zippy and moist mini-blue sliders ($9) served in fresh, soft potato buns and topped with sweet, caramelized onions and points of blue cheese were flawless and an utterly fresh-from-the-sea fillet of pan-seared grouper ($9) was another local seafood gem that was handled with extreme care by the kitchen. Served with a pungent green tomato marmalade, it was a real winner.
Take time to soak in the view at Blu. The sophisticated yet relaxed dining room is awash in the colors of sea foam, ranging from sage to azure. Waves of gossamer curtains embossed with wavy patterns recall the flutter of a cool sea breeze. Seating is ample and comfortable, complete with well-padded banquettes in the softened, round edges of the room. Don't miss the precious clay art murals of colorful fish playing and peeking from the crevices of a coral reef on your right upon entering the restaurant space.
Parking is easy and free, just like the effect Blu's views have on the soul.
Blu Restaurant & Bar
Folly Beach Holiday Inn
1 Center Street, Folly Beach
(843) 588-6659
http://www.blufollybeach.com/
Farmer's Market Frenzy
Wow, what a first day for the farmer's market season. Saturday's opening day for the Charleston market on Marion Square was an unprecedented doozy. In a decade, I've never seen so much traffic at the market on any day of the year. I was unable to get there until noon. By then, most booth's were already sold out or nearly sold out. Karen Kennerty of Kennerty Farms had two bags of fresh greens left - all the asparagus and everything else had sold out by mid-morning, she reported with a beaming smile. Obviously, the appeal of supporting local farmers and locally produced foods is blooming. Perhaps the gorgeous weather had something to do with it, as well.
Food vendors offering gyro's, crepes, omelets, pasta, (local) open-faced grilled sandwiches, miniature pies, and an increasingly gourmet cache of goodies were clogged to the extreme and waits were long for lunch. I had to settle for a hot dog from the only relatively lonely vendor at the place. At least it was a good hot dog.
Hope the farmers load up for this Saturday's market, which opens at 8 a.m. and closes at 2 p.m. I, for one, plan to get there early!
Food vendors offering gyro's, crepes, omelets, pasta, (local) open-faced grilled sandwiches, miniature pies, and an increasingly gourmet cache of goodies were clogged to the extreme and waits were long for lunch. I had to settle for a hot dog from the only relatively lonely vendor at the place. At least it was a good hot dog.
Hope the farmers load up for this Saturday's market, which opens at 8 a.m. and closes at 2 p.m. I, for one, plan to get there early!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Dinner and a View
Early spring in Charleston stirs up (along with a hefty dose of pollen) a hefty appetite for some of the city's unparalleled views, and the closer to nature the better. Since Charleston is surrounded by water, dappled with sunlight and rippling with pale green marsh grasses during this most comely of seasons, water-side dining seems like the perfect pick. But, unless you live on the edge of it or have a friend who does, your options are limited. Then, there is California Dreaming.
I know, I know. This twenty-year-old restaurant stalwart isn't likely to be at the top of any gourmand's list for five-star dining and it's probably never going to get a nod from the James Beard House. However, there are lots of things to like about it, and the brightest star on that list has to be the circle-in-the-round water views which can be savored from literally any of the many seats in the spacious house. It's exquisite. The Ashley snaking to the north, the Cooper River bridge on the horizon, the colorful glitter of the peninsula, the bustle of maritime activity on the river, and an open view of the harbor that extends well past Fort Sumter are all there for the taking along with what's almost always a good meal for a fair price.
A fairly straightforward meat and potatoes joint, California Dreaming proves time and again it can deliver in the steak department. The New York Strip ($22.95) I ordered on a recent trip was cooked perfectly to order, seasoned through and through and frankly, was one of the best renditions you can find around town within that price range. Baked potatoes, which come loaded if you choose, are always soft and fluffy, just begging to soak up seasonings, butter, sour cream and whatever else additionally calories you dare pile on. That same $22.95 will buy you another side, which usually ends up being the restaurant's popular house salad. As with the potato, I ask them to hold the eggs, bacon and cheese for which the salad's celebrated, but are not welcomed by my waistline defenses. Even without the extras, it's a pleasant addition to the meal.
The service staff is young and sometimes erratic but usually friendly and efficient. In the roughly ten times I've dined here in as many years, every single time the place has been packed. It brings in a diverse crowd of seniors, families, romantic couples, and tourists and can be loud. But, one cast of your eyes and your mind upon the nearly surreal beauty of the view blocks it all out so you can really enjoy your meal, the moment, and Charleston's knock-out beauty.
For a dusk-time nightcap, why not visit another tried and true, if slightly corny, Charleston tradition just across the waterway at the Holiday Inn's Harborview Restaurant. It just received an interior design update, but the view, elevated several stories higher than California Dreaming's, remains its good old celestial self. Pair that with one of the affable bartenders' cocktails and you'll swear you're in heaven. And, you just might be right.
California Dreaming Restaurant
1 Ashley Point Drive, Charleston
(843) 766-1644
Holiday Inn Riverview - Harborview Restaurant
301 Savannah Highway, West Ashley
(843) 725-4138
I know, I know. This twenty-year-old restaurant stalwart isn't likely to be at the top of any gourmand's list for five-star dining and it's probably never going to get a nod from the James Beard House. However, there are lots of things to like about it, and the brightest star on that list has to be the circle-in-the-round water views which can be savored from literally any of the many seats in the spacious house. It's exquisite. The Ashley snaking to the north, the Cooper River bridge on the horizon, the colorful glitter of the peninsula, the bustle of maritime activity on the river, and an open view of the harbor that extends well past Fort Sumter are all there for the taking along with what's almost always a good meal for a fair price.
A fairly straightforward meat and potatoes joint, California Dreaming proves time and again it can deliver in the steak department. The New York Strip ($22.95) I ordered on a recent trip was cooked perfectly to order, seasoned through and through and frankly, was one of the best renditions you can find around town within that price range. Baked potatoes, which come loaded if you choose, are always soft and fluffy, just begging to soak up seasonings, butter, sour cream and whatever else additionally calories you dare pile on. That same $22.95 will buy you another side, which usually ends up being the restaurant's popular house salad. As with the potato, I ask them to hold the eggs, bacon and cheese for which the salad's celebrated, but are not welcomed by my waistline defenses. Even without the extras, it's a pleasant addition to the meal.
The service staff is young and sometimes erratic but usually friendly and efficient. In the roughly ten times I've dined here in as many years, every single time the place has been packed. It brings in a diverse crowd of seniors, families, romantic couples, and tourists and can be loud. But, one cast of your eyes and your mind upon the nearly surreal beauty of the view blocks it all out so you can really enjoy your meal, the moment, and Charleston's knock-out beauty.
For a dusk-time nightcap, why not visit another tried and true, if slightly corny, Charleston tradition just across the waterway at the Holiday Inn's Harborview Restaurant. It just received an interior design update, but the view, elevated several stories higher than California Dreaming's, remains its good old celestial self. Pair that with one of the affable bartenders' cocktails and you'll swear you're in heaven. And, you just might be right.
California Dreaming Restaurant
1 Ashley Point Drive, Charleston
(843) 766-1644
Holiday Inn Riverview - Harborview Restaurant
301 Savannah Highway, West Ashley
(843) 725-4138
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Mediterranean Invasion
It's coming to me in shades of chickpeas and lamb - the heady, delicious and fattening year I lived in Hoboken, NJ and worked in Manhattan at the corner of 34th Street and Park Avenue. At home, I was assaulted with Italian deliciousness in the form of simply adorned pizza pies and at work, the seducers came in the form of exotic scents wafting from the Indian and Mediterranean restaurants that populated Lexington Avenue. On any given morning, they would ruthlessly taunt me until I inevitably and hungrily succumbed to their temptations by lunch time. It was the year that I fell in love with Middle Eastern/Mediterranean food and now, some twenty years later, my passion and hunger for the stuff borders on scarily obsessive.
So, when a friend told me about a new, month-old place called Ali Baba in Mount Pleasant, I practically cantered over, simultaneously learning that there is another new restaurant with a similar name (Ali Baba Mediterranean Deli & Catering) on Daniel Island. Oh, happy day! Until now, I had to satisfy my Middle Eastern cravings with the scant (but oh so good!) local offerings from Pita King's schwarma to Charlie's made-to-order falafel. I'll get to the "other" Ali Baba soon enough, but for now, am happy to report that the Mt. Pleasant version, while not necessarily Sheik-worthy, is good, pleasant and kind to the budget.
Owned and run by two guys from Jerusalem, the place is simply adorned with slightly wobbly tables and, strangely enough, Egyptian-motif wall coverings. Like the Lexington Avenue of yore, the air is perfumed with cloves, mint, lemon, lamb, cumin and more, which seeped into my appetite veins like a long-forgotten drug. A large sign stating "Family, Love" seemed ill-placed at first, but that impression quickly faded away with the familial mood of our good-natured server and the eclectic, unpretentious tempo of the crowd that practically filled the room by the time our dinner was done. Our server was the only person working the growing crowd, so she became harried and even broke a delicate sweat on her brow, but managed to get everything to the table within good speed and with a smile.
Ali Baba needs to work on their wine offerings. They are limited to just two and neither are well-suited to most Western palates, including mine.
Aside from some erroneous menu descriptions - most notably rice that tasted and looked like saffron rice that the menu repeatedly refers to as "curried rice" - Ali Baba hit the right notes in the food department. In particular, the kitchen shows real talent in marrying and balancing a series of challenging spice combinations in a number of dishes. For example, the kalaya ($9.99) takes on cloves - a potential flavor killer if used in excess - which the kitchen idyllically balances with the tang of lemon and the fragrance of lamb. A crispy "Jerusalem" salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, and smooth tahini is served alongside. The kofta kabab dinner ($10.99) is a satisfying plate of diminutive, smoky ground lamb patties served over a large bed of airy, saffron-infused rice. Don't miss the appetizer combination plate ($6.99) of falafel (a much more cardamon/cumin-rich version than Charlie's but still very good), silky smooth hummus and baba ganoush (although we inexplicably received the restaurant's mint-rich tabouli instead).
Ali Baba Mediterranean Food
920 Houston Northcutt Boulevard, #A2
Mount Pleasant, SC
(In the Harris Teeter Shopping Center next to Starbucks)
(843) 388-0683
So, when a friend told me about a new, month-old place called Ali Baba in Mount Pleasant, I practically cantered over, simultaneously learning that there is another new restaurant with a similar name (Ali Baba Mediterranean Deli & Catering) on Daniel Island. Oh, happy day! Until now, I had to satisfy my Middle Eastern cravings with the scant (but oh so good!) local offerings from Pita King's schwarma to Charlie's made-to-order falafel. I'll get to the "other" Ali Baba soon enough, but for now, am happy to report that the Mt. Pleasant version, while not necessarily Sheik-worthy, is good, pleasant and kind to the budget.
Owned and run by two guys from Jerusalem, the place is simply adorned with slightly wobbly tables and, strangely enough, Egyptian-motif wall coverings. Like the Lexington Avenue of yore, the air is perfumed with cloves, mint, lemon, lamb, cumin and more, which seeped into my appetite veins like a long-forgotten drug. A large sign stating "Family, Love" seemed ill-placed at first, but that impression quickly faded away with the familial mood of our good-natured server and the eclectic, unpretentious tempo of the crowd that practically filled the room by the time our dinner was done. Our server was the only person working the growing crowd, so she became harried and even broke a delicate sweat on her brow, but managed to get everything to the table within good speed and with a smile.
Ali Baba needs to work on their wine offerings. They are limited to just two and neither are well-suited to most Western palates, including mine.
Aside from some erroneous menu descriptions - most notably rice that tasted and looked like saffron rice that the menu repeatedly refers to as "curried rice" - Ali Baba hit the right notes in the food department. In particular, the kitchen shows real talent in marrying and balancing a series of challenging spice combinations in a number of dishes. For example, the kalaya ($9.99) takes on cloves - a potential flavor killer if used in excess - which the kitchen idyllically balances with the tang of lemon and the fragrance of lamb. A crispy "Jerusalem" salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, and smooth tahini is served alongside. The kofta kabab dinner ($10.99) is a satisfying plate of diminutive, smoky ground lamb patties served over a large bed of airy, saffron-infused rice. Don't miss the appetizer combination plate ($6.99) of falafel (a much more cardamon/cumin-rich version than Charlie's but still very good), silky smooth hummus and baba ganoush (although we inexplicably received the restaurant's mint-rich tabouli instead).
Ali Baba Mediterranean Food
920 Houston Northcutt Boulevard, #A2
Mount Pleasant, SC
(In the Harris Teeter Shopping Center next to Starbucks)
(843) 388-0683
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Chefs at Work
Professional chefs have the reputation of being any combination of the following: moody, bossy, perfectionists, demanding, fun, and creative. I've worked around and with enough to know that most display some or all of these qualities on any given day or night at work. It's really the nature of the beast. A good or great chef must be creative and demanding of himself as well as his staff in order to create greatness. But, it's the personality and character behind the beast that really mandates any chef's behavior in the kitchen.
Thus, it was wonderfully fun and enlightening to witness so many nationally recognized chefs at work in the demonstration kitchen prep tent during last weekend's BB&T Charleston Food & Wine Festival. This year, as in the four years since the festival's debut, I've had the pleasure and honor to work as an assistant to visiting chefs preparing for their respective cooking demonstrations. Tasks can be as humbling as fetching ice and ramekins and as fascinating as assisting with chopping and organizing assorted mise en place. But, perhaps most fascinating of all was observing the chefs mannerisms, style and manners at work. Here's how it panned out for some of the visiting chefs I worked with and/or was able to observe:
Bobby Flay (Mesa Grill, Bar American, Bobby Flay Steak and Bobby's Burger Palace):
The Food Network darling and celebrated grill master needs virtually no introduction and was the headliner chef for the event. His demonstration was all about making the perfect burger. He strolled quietly and confidently into the prep tent about one hour before his demo in sun glasses, a blue jacket and khakis. He looked like the boy next door and quickly made greetings and shook hands (including mine) before getting to work with the blushing, young Trident Technical College assistant that was assigned to work with him. He struck me as being very businesslike and task oriented - as if this wasn't his first rodeo. Midway through his demonstration, his assistant flew breathlessly and flushed into the tent in search of Dijon mustard requested by Mr. Flay. Fat Hen's Fred Neuville (who oversaw the cooking competition) was able to rustle it up for her and on went the show. After that, I saw Flay strolling the grounds from time to time, making introductions or greeting various chefs. Other than that, the low-key, hard-working pro stayed hidden behind a pair of dark sunglasses, as if to avoid fans, fanfare and autographs.
Brian O'Donohoe (Primehouse New York)
O'Donohoe's resume includes working for six years under Eric Ripert's four-star and hyper celebrated Le Bernadin and working as executive chef at one of New York's best restaurants. For a chef of his elevated stature, O'Donohoe was remarkably down-to-earth. In fact, he was by far the most down-to-earth and relaxed of any of the chefs I worked with over the weekend. With his boyish good looks and broad smile, he basically created his own mis en place and prep sheet, occasionally asking for a whisk here or a bowl there. He insisted on carrying all or most of his stuff to and from the grill tent which was located a good five minute walk away from the demo tent. If this chef is spoiled or temper mental, he doesn't act like it. His knife and organizational skills were those of a well-seasoned, French classical professional, even if he looks (and he looks good, ladies) barely thirty years old.
Frank Stitt (Highlands Bar & Grill, Bottega, Bottega Cafe and Chez Fonfon)
You have got to love a guy that brings his teenage daughter along with him to prepare for a demonstration. Both diminutive, soft-spoken, and polite, they made for an endearing team. I worked with both of them while they put together the ingredients for a bocatini, clams and greens pasta dish he was preparing to showcase as a recipe from his latest book, Frank Stitt's Bottega Favorita: A Southern Chef's Love Affair with Italian Food. Despite the fact that we couldn't find ramekins, the planned rapini ingredient was limp, and that it took a while to track down a whole head of garlic, Stitt maintained his cool and calm, while gently persisting the importance of having each on hand. Eventually, we forgot the ramekins, substituted collards for the rapini and purloined the garlic from the competition stage. At the demo tent, Stitt lined up his ingredients in the precise order they would be needed in a restrained, gentlemanly and persistent manner. He personally thanked me afterwards for my help and even threw in a warm, fatherly hug for good measure. He and his daughter were discussing their afternoon plans, which included attending a yoga class together in Mount Pleasant. That's what I call good karma.
Thus, it was wonderfully fun and enlightening to witness so many nationally recognized chefs at work in the demonstration kitchen prep tent during last weekend's BB&T Charleston Food & Wine Festival. This year, as in the four years since the festival's debut, I've had the pleasure and honor to work as an assistant to visiting chefs preparing for their respective cooking demonstrations. Tasks can be as humbling as fetching ice and ramekins and as fascinating as assisting with chopping and organizing assorted mise en place. But, perhaps most fascinating of all was observing the chefs mannerisms, style and manners at work. Here's how it panned out for some of the visiting chefs I worked with and/or was able to observe:
Bobby Flay (Mesa Grill, Bar American, Bobby Flay Steak and Bobby's Burger Palace):
The Food Network darling and celebrated grill master needs virtually no introduction and was the headliner chef for the event. His demonstration was all about making the perfect burger. He strolled quietly and confidently into the prep tent about one hour before his demo in sun glasses, a blue jacket and khakis. He looked like the boy next door and quickly made greetings and shook hands (including mine) before getting to work with the blushing, young Trident Technical College assistant that was assigned to work with him. He struck me as being very businesslike and task oriented - as if this wasn't his first rodeo. Midway through his demonstration, his assistant flew breathlessly and flushed into the tent in search of Dijon mustard requested by Mr. Flay. Fat Hen's Fred Neuville (who oversaw the cooking competition) was able to rustle it up for her and on went the show. After that, I saw Flay strolling the grounds from time to time, making introductions or greeting various chefs. Other than that, the low-key, hard-working pro stayed hidden behind a pair of dark sunglasses, as if to avoid fans, fanfare and autographs.
Brian O'Donohoe (Primehouse New York)
O'Donohoe's resume includes working for six years under Eric Ripert's four-star and hyper celebrated Le Bernadin and working as executive chef at one of New York's best restaurants. For a chef of his elevated stature, O'Donohoe was remarkably down-to-earth. In fact, he was by far the most down-to-earth and relaxed of any of the chefs I worked with over the weekend. With his boyish good looks and broad smile, he basically created his own mis en place and prep sheet, occasionally asking for a whisk here or a bowl there. He insisted on carrying all or most of his stuff to and from the grill tent which was located a good five minute walk away from the demo tent. If this chef is spoiled or temper mental, he doesn't act like it. His knife and organizational skills were those of a well-seasoned, French classical professional, even if he looks (and he looks good, ladies) barely thirty years old.
Frank Stitt (Highlands Bar & Grill, Bottega, Bottega Cafe and Chez Fonfon)
You have got to love a guy that brings his teenage daughter along with him to prepare for a demonstration. Both diminutive, soft-spoken, and polite, they made for an endearing team. I worked with both of them while they put together the ingredients for a bocatini, clams and greens pasta dish he was preparing to showcase as a recipe from his latest book, Frank Stitt's Bottega Favorita: A Southern Chef's Love Affair with Italian Food. Despite the fact that we couldn't find ramekins, the planned rapini ingredient was limp, and that it took a while to track down a whole head of garlic, Stitt maintained his cool and calm, while gently persisting the importance of having each on hand. Eventually, we forgot the ramekins, substituted collards for the rapini and purloined the garlic from the competition stage. At the demo tent, Stitt lined up his ingredients in the precise order they would be needed in a restrained, gentlemanly and persistent manner. He personally thanked me afterwards for my help and even threw in a warm, fatherly hug for good measure. He and his daughter were discussing their afternoon plans, which included attending a yoga class together in Mount Pleasant. That's what I call good karma.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
One Hundred Percent Technically Correct
When Johnson & Wales packed its bags and headed to Charlotte a few years ago, many predicted that Charleston's restaurant scene would falter in the absence of the culinary and hospitality school giant. While the loss was both massive and preventable, Trident Technical College has seriously stepped up to the challenge plate to fill in any potential culinary training gaps in greater Charleston. Indeed, on Friday night, the school, its students and its faculty proved itself to be a world-class culinary tour de force with its "A Night in the Valley" fund-raiser.
I attended the event and was immediately wowed by the facility before the evening got underway. Champagne and appetizers flowed from a series of ultra-modern, commanding cooking laboratories that made Le Cordon Bleu, Paris facility (at least when I attended 15 years ago) look seriously small and antiquated. Students, clad in their chef's togs and wearing broad smiles, served graciously and pridefully. It was wonderful to see how much joy and pride they took in their work, for this the school's biggest annual fund-raiser. Most people don't realize that many culinary students choose the profession after already pursuing another career. They go to culinary school because they want to, not because mom and dad say they have to. They go because they have a hunger to understand the fundamentals of cooking and from the looks and taste of things, they're getting it here, in spades.
After cocktails, dinner was served to a packed house. The tables were impeccably dressed with linens and more wine glasses than I could count. Students stood at the ready to serve, and then came a remarkable stream of Italian inspired goodies, starting with spanking fresh bread baked in-house that very morning. A sweet/tart eggplant caponata starter was balanced with the mellow counterpoints of grilled radicchio. Next, a thin-as-air flutter of ravioli stuffed to the brim with fresh lobster and crab; a delicate seafood reduction sauce was the luscious complement. I had to leave before the entree and dessert were served, but ponder the decadence of a center cut grilled veal chop with a porcini sauce, spinach aioli and a risotto cake followed by a milk chocolate hazelnut pave with popcorn ice cream. All the well-paired wines served with the dinner were imported from Italy, to boot.
Everything I tasted and everything I experienced on this fine evening was without fault and fully enjoyable. Pulling off a meal of this complexity served to this large of a crowd (550 warm bodies!) with this much positive energy and panache, is no small feat and is not one that happens by chance. It happens with the teamwork, knowledge and skill of the school's staff and the radiance and pride and talent it evokes in its students. Charleston is lucky to have Trident Technical College and I was lucky to have a chance to attend this remarkable event. Next time I'll stay for dessert!
Trident Technical College, Main Campus
700 Rivers Avenue, N. Charleston
(843) 574-6111
I attended the event and was immediately wowed by the facility before the evening got underway. Champagne and appetizers flowed from a series of ultra-modern, commanding cooking laboratories that made Le Cordon Bleu, Paris facility (at least when I attended 15 years ago) look seriously small and antiquated. Students, clad in their chef's togs and wearing broad smiles, served graciously and pridefully. It was wonderful to see how much joy and pride they took in their work, for this the school's biggest annual fund-raiser. Most people don't realize that many culinary students choose the profession after already pursuing another career. They go to culinary school because they want to, not because mom and dad say they have to. They go because they have a hunger to understand the fundamentals of cooking and from the looks and taste of things, they're getting it here, in spades.
After cocktails, dinner was served to a packed house. The tables were impeccably dressed with linens and more wine glasses than I could count. Students stood at the ready to serve, and then came a remarkable stream of Italian inspired goodies, starting with spanking fresh bread baked in-house that very morning. A sweet/tart eggplant caponata starter was balanced with the mellow counterpoints of grilled radicchio. Next, a thin-as-air flutter of ravioli stuffed to the brim with fresh lobster and crab; a delicate seafood reduction sauce was the luscious complement. I had to leave before the entree and dessert were served, but ponder the decadence of a center cut grilled veal chop with a porcini sauce, spinach aioli and a risotto cake followed by a milk chocolate hazelnut pave with popcorn ice cream. All the well-paired wines served with the dinner were imported from Italy, to boot.
Everything I tasted and everything I experienced on this fine evening was without fault and fully enjoyable. Pulling off a meal of this complexity served to this large of a crowd (550 warm bodies!) with this much positive energy and panache, is no small feat and is not one that happens by chance. It happens with the teamwork, knowledge and skill of the school's staff and the radiance and pride and talent it evokes in its students. Charleston is lucky to have Trident Technical College and I was lucky to have a chance to attend this remarkable event. Next time I'll stay for dessert!
Trident Technical College, Main Campus
700 Rivers Avenue, N. Charleston
(843) 574-6111
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