Eating My Way Through Charleston SC

I recently attended the Personal Chefs Network 2008 Symposium in Charleston SC. While in Charleston I had the pleasure of eating at some of the best restaurants in town. Charleston is a true foodie town. There are so many great places for food from down-home southern cuisine to upscale French and American regional cuisine and wonderful seafood. Here are the restaurants that I ate at.

A group of 7 of us went to The Boathouse On East Bay (www.boathouserestaurants.com) where we were invited by warm wood and clean minimal nautical décor. I had wonderful appetizers of Fried Green Tomatoes on a bed of Arugula topped with Local Goat Cheese and Sweet Pepper Jam Buttermilk and Benne Seed Crusted Fried Calamari topped with Garlic Chili Sauce. For my entrée I had Fried Grouper with Spicy Remoulade with Tarragon Poached Asparagus and Smoked Gouda Mac&Cheese. No room for dessert. L

FIG (www.eatatfig.com) where the outside does not look like much but the interior was metropolitan chic. Chef/Owner Mike Lata created a tasting menu especially for me and my dining partner Chef Peg Nelson. Our course were as follows. Local Oysters on the Half Shell with Mingnonette, Agrumato, and Steelhead Roe, Chicken Liver Pate with Pickled Grapes, Toasted Brioche, and Watercress, Warm Sweet Onion Tart with White Buck Goat Cheese from Vermont, Heirloom Potato Agnolotti with Jumbo Lump Crab, Zucchini, and Wilted Greens, Grilled Triggerfish with Escarole, White Bean Puree, and Sweet Pepper Confit, Pork Shoulder Confit with Kabocha Squash Puree, Rapini, Roasted Grapes and Toasted Pine Nuts. Our finales were Banana Tart with Maple Ice Cream, and a Key Lime Steamed Pudding. Chef Mike truly gave Peg and I a meal to remember.

The Personal Chefs Network members enjoyed Brunch at High Cotton (www.mavericksouthernkitchens.com/highcotton) featuring a very tasty Bloody Mary, Sweet Iced Tea, Charleston Crab Soup, Crab Cakes Benedict, and Pecan Pie.

On my last night there a group of 10 of us dined at 39 Rue De Jean (www.39ruedejean.com) a classic French Brasserie with oddly enough, a sushi bar. Who’d a thunk it. I had Foie Gras with Brandied Cherries and Toasted Brioche, French Onion Soup, and Fried Goat Cheese Salad with Arugula, Red and Yellow Beets and Lingonberry Balsamic Vinaigrette.

This week was not good for my diet but it was good. There is nothing better than eating in a fine restaurant with a fine group of chefs. My PCN friends make the best dining partners in the world. I could not be in better company.