Charleston, SC Christmas Dinner

We ventured to Charleston on Christmas Day for dinner at Magnolia's. Arrived shortly before our 6:00PM reservation. The place was packed, full standing-room only bar, hallways full of waiting patrons. Nonetheless we were seated after a 20-minute wait. Server was pleasant and took her time explaining the menu and the day's specials. We had viewed the menu online, so already knew what we wanted. Bread service was great; warm boule with cream cheese/unsalted butter/parsley spread at room temp. Appetizer was fried green tomatoes, served with cheddar/caramelized onions grits, country ham, and tomato chutney. Simply the best we've ever had. For main course I selected wild-caught local shrimp and scallops, with butterbean/hominy/Silver Queen corn succotash, jasmine rice, and lobster cream sauce. Wife had buttermilk fried chicken, with mashed potatoes and cracked pepper biscuits with sausage herb gravy, collards, and corn. Not a traditional Christmas dinner, but nonetheless an excellent example of "modern" low country cooking.
http://www.magnolias-blossom-cypress.com/

Other meals during our trip were had at Barbara Jean's (breakfast, really good and a great value); Jestine's Kitchen (touristy, but good Southern fare; fresh bread and butter pickles an unexpected "munchie"); Toast (despite all the hype found in online blogs, the service here was poor and they had the worst version of biscuits & gravy I've experienced); Bocci's (spinach-walnut raviolis overwhelmed by a spicy chunky tomato sauce with Italian sausage coins, and poor service; i.e., bread service AFTER salad was served); Jim 'N Nick's BBQ (this is a chain, but smoked pork was tender and tasty; really good fries; too many items on the menu which slows down what should be speedy service, full bar, in other words not a BBQ shack).

We'll be back here to try places like 82 queen, High Cotton, Cypress, etc.

Did you ever make it to SeeWee?

YourPalWill wrote:Did you ever make it to SeeWee?

We did not, although I wish we had as some of our choices were less than stellar. We'll be back (we only live about 200 miles from Charleston).

Any updated recommendations on Charleston? I'll be heading there in a month.

Thanks!

Jonah

Jonah wrote:Any updated recommendations on Charleston? I'll be heading there in a month.

I do not know if this will coincide with your trip ... however, it was the best food I had in Charleston on my last trip in 2010.




St. Philip's Episcopal Church Announces 2011 Tea Room Dates

CHARLESTON, SC -- St. Philip’s Episcopal Church is pleased to announce the date and time of our 2011 Tea Room. This year, our Tea Room, offering daily lowcountry lunch and delicious desserts, will be open the week of May 2 - 6, 2011, during the hours of 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. The Tea Room is located in the Parish Hall, at the corner of Church and Cumberland Streets in downtown Charleston.

Lowcountry luncheon favorites will return, such as "Charleston Receipts" okra soup, classic chicken salad and shrimp salad. Desserts, made by parishioners, include Hummingbird Cake, Grand Marnier Cheesecake and Huguenot Torte as well as a wide variety of other options.

We are once again excited to provide several dining choices for guests. Due to its popularity, guests may choose to take advantage of the Tea Room’s original 1952 outdoor format which allows them to either dine outside in our beautiful courtyard or on our Parish Hall’s veranda. The Parish Hall will also have plenty of indoor seating with live piano music to enjoy during lunch. In addition to in-house dining, patrons pressed for time will have the opportunity to place take out orders with delivery provided to downtown locations. In order to place a takeout order, please call 722-7291.

Throughout the week, homemade items, baked goods and St. Philip's souvenirs will be sold in our Tea Room gift shop, and the sanctuary and grounds of the church will be open for tours. Proceeds from the Tea Room benefit St. Philip's foreign and home missions, St. Philip's choirs, and junior and senior high youth ministries. For more information, log onto www.stphilipschurchsc.org.

Darn it, but that's a couple of weeks after our trip. I did see, however, that the chef at Cypress got the James Beard nomination for best chef in the southeast.

Jonah wrote:Darn it, but that's a couple of weeks after our trip. I did see, however, that the chef at Cypress got the James Beard nomination for best chef in the southeast.

It would usually be two weeks earlier BUT that would put it in the middle of Holy Week.

More later- a real post is coming, but in the interests of getting the info out there for those who need it now, there is one must-do: Bowen's Island Restaurant for all you can eat steamed oysters ($25.95- no sharing, and no cheating!) served on shovels.It's a bit far from town for dinner and down a rutted dirt road, but it's worth it. (You can always hire a taxi from Charleston Absolute Airport Taxi (talk to Teddy, the boss-we got two vans). Go on the early side for dinner; the place closes at 10:00 PM. Run upstairs and get your drinks and order, then go downstairs to the roasting room to watch the action as Henry and Dale steam up tons of oysters and dump them on your table. If you can spot him, have a chat with Robert Barber, the owner. He is very entertaining. Oysters are small, and you have to work to get at them. Super fresh and local. Get sides of hushpuppies and fried flounder. This is an experience not to be missed. A rebuilt structure stands on the site of the original building, which lives on in the memories of all who knew it. James Beard made it an American Classic several years ago. Check out the menu and the pics of the original place here:

http://www.bowensislandrestaurant.com/

We hosted a special occasion dinner at Virginia's On King, which turned out to be just terrific low-country food: fried okra, pecan-encrusted quail, she-crab soup (they claim to have the original recipe-it seems a sherried soup), lots of sides (mac and cheese over-the-top-in-a-good-way) and fried chicken, crab-stuffed flounder and frogmore stew. Upstairs was a lovely light room. Downstairs, exposed brick, casual wood booths. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Very reasonable prices-and apparently that is hard to find around this touristed area.

http://virginiasonking.com/