Atlanta, GA
Mostly Sunny - 70 Degrees
Atlanta to Charleston
There are 201 official street suffix abbreviations recognized by the United States Postal Service: AVE, BLVD, CT, etc. 201. Atlanta must have at least one of each named "Peachtree." One flows into another then crosses a third and becomes a fourth. The statement, "Meet me at the corner of Peachtree and Peachtree" is ridiculous in Atlanta, not because it's physically impossible, but because that doesn't even narrow it down. On our way out of town this morning, we took Peachtree Center Avenue NE, which merged with and became Peachtree Street NE. If we had taken a left at the intersection of Peachtree Street NE and Peachtree Place NE going west, the next street over is Peachtree Walk NE, then West Peachtree Street NW. And that's just not peachy.
It was 325 miles from Atlanta to Charleston, via I20 East through Augusta, GA to the outskirts of Columbia, SC, then I26 East to Charleston. It was a nice drive on a nice day, the highways lined with trees on both sides, both evergreen and deciduous, the latter in the latter days of abscission. The vibrancy of amber and ruby lost to the more muted tones of maize and dusky rose.
Charleston, SC
Partly Cloudy - 77 Degrees
We were late getting into Charleston today, just enough time to get settled at the hotel and ready for dinner.
Charleston makes it hard to make decisions. It suffers an embarrassment of riches, but lacks differentiation. There are half-a-dozen very good hotels, none of which are standouts. Differences in price, age, charm, amenities, and location offset, rendering any comparison a wash. After exhaustive research and much consideration, the choice wasn't clear. When all else fails, you can always count on old money, and new hotels. Contemporary charm and modern convenience trump historic charm and primitive inconvenience every time.
"Charleston’s most awarded luxury inn sits within one of the city’s oldest districts and is anchored by an award winning restaurant. This acclaimed 50 room inn boasts a grand staircase leading to reception, circular sky-lighted atrium and fine amenities. The French Quarter Inn has a distinct combination of location, luxury and exceptional service that is truly unparalleled."
New in the year 2000, the hotel is lovely, our room spacious and comfortable, the staff friendly and accommodating.
A full complement of concierge level food and beverage service is de regueur among the better hotels in Charleston, and the French Quarter Inn sets the standard with continental breakfast, refreshments throughout the day, a wine and cheese reception in the evening, a nightcap of port, and milk and cookies before bed.
Charleston has one of the great food scenes in the United States, a dozen great options for every dining opportunity. Choosing among them was every bit as difficult as finding the right hotel.
Broad Street runs East and West dividing the downtown Charleston peninsula into the historical residential district South of Broad, and the historical commercial district North of Broad. Dinner tonight is Slightly North of Broad, and that is the name of the restaurant: SNoB:
"AN ECLECTIC LOWCOUNTRY BISTRO THAT BRINGS TOGETHER AN ABUNDANCE OF LOCAL INGREDIENTS AND THOUGHTFUL, EXPERT PRESENTATION WITH A FRIENDLY, CONTAGIOUS ENERGY."
"Here the dining room is a natural extension of the kitchen, a place where culinary skill, a clever, considered wine program, warm service, and conversations meld together. Our local farmers, fishermen and producers are as integral to the food we make as they are to our place in this community."
We had high expectations and even higher hopes for SNoB. It is widely regarded as one of the best restaurants in the city and has been endorsed by several of our insider sources. Richard Turen, super-agent and columnist for Travel Weekly, highlighted the Maverick Shrimp and Grits at SNoB as one of the reasons Charleston has surpassed San Francisco at the top of Travel + Leisure's list of Best Cities in America.
We love the name, and we love the room, but the food was disappointing.
Tomato season in the Northwest is not an annual occurrence. When it does make an appearance, it disappears just as quickly. But it's still tomato season down South, and Holy City Farms grows them sweet and juicy. The salad on the specials sheet was a burst of freshness and a reminder of the summer long gone up North. The bibb lettuce Salad was clean and simple, but failed to pop with too little of the tangy-good buttermilk dressing and a garnish of pickled okra that was all slime and no pucker. The clam chowder was as good as we have had, and we come from chowder country. It was heavy on clams and bacon in a base of intense clam stock with just enough cream to give it body. If this is the best of shrimp and grits, then shrimp and grits is just not our thing. First, we struggle to get past the muddy taste of Southern shrimp. That may be a difference of taste, but can we all agree that shrimp of a certain size served out of the shell, should always be deveined? They were cooked perfectly, so the kitchen should be capable of prepping them perfectly as well. Even the sausage let us down, rendered flavorless in the sauce. The ribeye is the king of steaks, the chef's favorite, fatty and flavorful. This was not a ribeye, however, it was a ribeye FILET. So what's that? Well, if you cut away everything that makes the ribeye great, and leave behind only the toughest, leanest, most inhospitable solid mass of muscle, you have a ribeye fillet. The chef "recommends medium-rare," but grills it low and slow to a flavorless medium. It was not a good steak. The Chocolate Pecan cake ended the meal on a sweet note, the pecans deeply roasted and richly caramelized.
The restaurant may be slightly north of broad, but the food was slightly south of good.
Slightly North of Broad Menu:
- Pear & Ginger Sangria
- Kurios Farm Bibb Lettuce Salad
pimento cheese crostini, pickled okra, buttermilk dressing - Holy City Farm Tomato Salad
olives, toasted pine nuts, grana padano broken balsamic vinaigrette - Local Clam Chowder
Yukon gold potatoes, Benton’s bacon, leeks, white wine cream - Maverick Shrimp & Grits
sautéed shrimp, sausage, country ham, fresh tomatoes, green onions, garlic, Geechie Boy yellow grits - Grilled CAB Ribeye Filet
herbed goat cheese, red onion jam, grilled okra, Madeira sauce - Warm Chocolate Pecan Cake
Wholly Cow vanilla ice cream, creamy caramel
Tomorrow: Charleston Proper
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