Quote of the Week 1/5/14

Holy cow! It’s 2014! My resolution is to be more diligent with updating my blog. It fell off a little bit there at the end of 2013, but I won’t let that trend continue this year! I’ve got a good number of restaurants that I need to write reviews for, AND I’m going to be hosting a special giveaway this week, so be on the look out!

The first quote of the week of 2014 comes from Anthony Bourdain and pretty much describes every meal I’ve had since 12/20/13. Did I mention my other resolution was to lose some weight & get healthier? Wish me luck!

“I lurched away from the table after a few hours feeling like Elvis in Vegas – fat, drugged, and completely out of it.”
–Anthony Bourdain

I love the way that man thinks.

Quote of the Week 12/16/13

A sad waste, indeed.

Quote of the Week 12/9/13

How’s everyone doing? I just got back from an AMAZING weekend in NYC with one of my very bestest friends, Christine. I ate some delicious pizza and possibly the best Italian food I’ve ever had in my life. Plus, we got to see Big Fish on Broadway with Naomi, which was spectacular AND get drunch (and then drunk) with Tommy. And did I mention that we did all of that in basically 36 hours? Yeah. It was an unforgettable experience.

This week’s quote is about pizza because I’m a fattie and still dreaming of that thin crust NY pizza I had this weekend. Enjoy!

“There’s no better feeling in the world than a warm pizza box on your lap.”
–Kevin James

Especially when it’s 42 degrees outside.

Quote of the Week 12/2/13

Holy crap, it’s December already. How did that happen so fast? I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, I know I did!

This week’s quote comes from Robert Brault and is perfect for our post-Thanksgiving food hangover. Enjoy!

“I suppose I will die never knowing what pumpkin pie tastes like when you have room for it.”
–Robert Brault

But I’m kind of okay with that.

Rutledge Cab Company

I was really excited for Rutledge Cab Company. I really wanted to like it. I mean, how could you go wrong? Chef Bob Carter! Old gas station! Good reviews! Unfortunately, despite the fact that I was desperately hoping to love it, it just didn’t really turn out well.

Yeah, basically this.

First of all, I’ll go with something positive. The service was spot on. Our waitress was really awesome and very patient with us, and made lots of recommendations (which we ignored). We started with an order of the Chicken Fried Sweetbreads (Alabama white sauce, $11). We were trying to be adventurous since neither of us had had sweetbreads before. I think I would’ve liked them a lot more had they not totally covered it in this overpowering smoked paprika.

Turns out sweetbreads are neither sweet nor bread.

Our second appetizer was the Fried Cheese Curd (Green goddess-horseradish dressing, $9). Again with the paprika. Seriously. I would’ve loved these if not for that. They weren’t very cheesy flavored as you’d expect because they’re just the curd (I was expecting it to taste like fried white cheddar bites. Definitely did not). The ones that I had that weren’t covered in paprika were delicious.

I mean, fried cheese is going to be good no matter what it’s made of.

For her entree, Tina got the BLT Benedict (Smoked bacon, English muffin, wilted spinach and tomato-bacon hollandaise, $13). She liked it ok, but wasn’t a fan of the hollandaise. I thought it tasted almost licorice-y, which was a really strange combo.

Oh look! The potatoes have some paprika on them in case you hadn’t already gotten enough paprika with your paprika.

I got the Roasted Lamb Sandwich (Havarti cheese, pickled cabbage and toasted hoagie, $13.50), which I actually really enjoyed. I thought it was really good. My only complaint was that I think they either over toasted the hoagie, or that it was stale before they toasted it. You know how when you over toast bread it gets that same consistency as styrofoam? Not my favorite. But other than that, the sandwich was delicious. The lamb was tender and flavorful, and I loved the pickled cabbage. I wasn’t a huge fan of the fries, which tasted like they’d been batter dipped before they were fried. Which seems kind of unnecessary.

It was almost like a lamb & pickled cabbage philly cheesesteak. Delish

Overall we were pretty disappointed. Thinking maybe we just ordered the wrong things, we decided to try one of the things our waitress originally recommended, the Grilled Vegetable Flatbread (Smoked onion aioli, olive tapenade, parmesan and fresh herbs, $9). I thought it was just ok, but then again, I don’t really like olive tapenade. Tina wasn’t into it at all.

And it was just about as delicious as it looks.

The space is super cool, so I wouldn’t mind going just to hang out & drink, but I’m definitely not in a hurry to eat there again.

From the Rutledge Cab Co. website

Rutledge Cab Co.
1300 Rutledge Ave
Charleston, SC ‎
(843) 720-1440

Quote of the Week 11/18/13

Whoooo! Was that Auburn-Georgia game exciting or what? And Carolina-Florida was pretty intense, too, towards the end. This was definitely a great weekend for college football.

It was also just a really great weekend for me in general. Went to a chicken wing cook off on Friday night, tailgated on Saturday, and then saw Ender’s Game on Sunday! It was a jam-packed weekend, but it was so much fun and that’s just how I like it.

This week’s quote comes from Thomas Keller, and I think it really applies to life. Food just tastes better when people put their heart into cooking it. That’s probably why my mom is such an amazing cook!

“A recipe has no soul. You as the cook must bring soul to the recipe”
–Thomas Keller

This picture makes me want to go put an apron on & cook something. I just want to look that bad ass.

Quote of the Week 11/11/13

First of all, Happy Veterans Day to all the servicemen & women out there. Thank you for your service!

This weekend was my final wedding of 2013, and it was so much fun. My mom even came down from Greenville to celebrate Ryan & Becca, and it was just a total blast of a weekend.

The other highlight of my weekend was roasting a whole chicken in my crock pot for the first time. I know that this probably isn’t a major feat for any of you out there, but for me it was kind of a big deal. So this week’s quote is in honor of my newfound chicken roasting superpowers. Enjoy!

“You could probably get through life without knowing how to roast a chicken, but the question is, would you want to?”
–Nigella Lawson

I wish I could make spaghetti look that good.

Leaf Café

So this is going to be a shorter review. I’m just getting over bronchitis, so I’ve been pretty housebound and not inspired to write much. But I feel indebted to you guys since I didn’t do a quote this week or a review last week. So, enjoy! I went to Leaf last week with Laura because I hadn’t seen her in a million bajillion years and we’ve both undergone some changes recently, so it was a good time to dish and commiserate.

snarksnarksnark

We decided on Leaf because it was close, and cheap, and I really wanted a sandwich. The space at Leaf is really cool, and I like it more than when it was Vickery’s (plus it’s lacking that weird smell that the bar area always seemed to have). It was a nice day, so we decided to sit on the patio.

Look how pretty! Thanks for the picture, Susan Lucas!

Laura got the Southern Fried Chicken sandwich (potato fried chicken, tomato, greens, creole aioli on whole wheat roll, $9) with a side of parmesan truffle fries and a sweet tea. The I tried a piece of her chicken, and it was really yummy; nice and crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside. The sandwich was a monster, and she had a hard time eating it, but she liked it a lot.

I mean, look at how tall it is. Like a chicken wearing a hat.

I got the Braised Short Rib Grilled Cheese ( burgundy braised beef, manchego and gruyere cheeses served on tuscan sourdough, with a delicious jus of mushroom tea and beef demi glacé for dipping, $11). I also got it with a side of parmesan truffle fries. I loved this sandwich. It was everything I wanted it to be. The jus was the perfect accompaniment to the sandwich and I enjoyed every bite. The parmesan truffle fries were good as well, although not out of the norm for Charleston.

I promise there’s a sandwich buried under all those fries.

All in all, I enjoyed my lunch at Leaf. The service left a little something to be desired, but the food made up for that. I’d definitely eat here again!

From the Leaf website

Leaf Cafe
15 Beaufain St
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 793-2230

Quote of the Week 10/28/13

So basically, this was the #BestWeekendEver. Cornmaze, pumpkin jump, japanese food, Scarowinds, Selena Gomez… so much fun!

Here’s hoping that this week will be just as much fun! In honor of Halloween on Thursday, here’s a quote with rocker Dee Snider. Enjoy!

“Halloween is huge in my house and we really get into the “spirits” of things.”
–Dee Snider

But when you’re a rockstar, I feel like everyday is Halloween.

Taste of Charleston

This year, I was fortunate enough to be asked to be a blogger correspondent for the Southern Living Taste of Charleston on behalf of Delta Faucet. In exchange for them paying for my ticket, the cost of transportation, and giving me 2 Delta Touch2o faucets, all I had to do was show up, eat a bunch of delicious food, and then tell you guys all about it. So, here goes.

Pre-Event: Welcome Dinner at Circa 1886

Saturday night before the event, I was invited to a welcome dinner at Circa 1886. This was great because I got to meet the other blogger correspondents, people from Delta and Southern Living (including Southern Living Test Kitchen Editor Norman King), and I got a free dinner at an amazing restaurant. Here are some pictures:

Candied Bacon Slider

Crab spring roll

Prix fixe menu at Circa 1886.

Rice flour plantation roll with orange-infused butter

Shot of Shrimp and Grits soup with organic white truffle oil.

Rice paper-wrapped romaine heart salad with spicy pecan dressing & mini cornbread muffin…have I mentioned how much I hate rice paper? It freaks me out.

Pan-seared organic chicken with hoppin’ John risotto, grilled asparagus, and a truffle and chive demi glace.

Pineapple upside down cake with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream

The Main Event: The Southern Living Taste of Charleston 2013

Lily and I arrived hungry and only a little hungover bright and early Saturday afternoon. We were prepared to feast, and feast we did. Enjoy!

Such a beautiful drive into Boone Hall Plantation.

Taste of Charleston!

So Many People

Gouda macaroni and cheese with Cheerwine glazed short ribs from Mosaic.

Cornmeal and maple bacon waffle and crispy fried chicken slider from Mosaic.

Ground filet and pork belly sliders with herb whipped goat cheese and pickled red onions on sweet yeast roll from Graze

Pulled pork and collared green mac and cheese from Graze, aka my favorite thing ever.

Chicken pot pie fritter from The Sanctuary at Kiawah.

Tomato Pie from Carpentier’s Wine & Dine. Probably my least favorite thing we got.

BBQ Pork Sundae with cole slaw, baked beans, and BBQ pork. from the Culinary Institute. Not the best, but also not the worst.

Norman King “The Way To Fry” Fried Green Tomato Demo

Norman frying up some green tomatoes

The finished product: Fried Green Tomato Po’boys with pepper jelly sauce and citrus-ginger aioli.

Selfies, because we’re narcissists.

The waiter’s race

Ice carving

Lobster, applewood smoked cheddar cheese, and creamed corn chowder with a buttermilk biscuit from Halls Chophouse (actually the best thing we had at Taste of Charleston).

Basically, it was so much fun, I ate way too much (Seriously, Halls, you should definitely put that chowder on the menu if it isn’t already), and I’m so fortunate to have had Delta Faucet as a sponsor for this event. I can’t wait to go back next year! Thanks so much!