Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

14 Mar 2014

Two Boroughs Larder – Charleston

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Lien insisted that I dine at Two Boroughs Larder while in Charleston. She visited the city a few months earlier and fell hard for this restaurant slash marketplace. In fact, she was so smitten that she came in twice—a sure sign of a very special place.

Husband and wife team Josh and Heather Keeler opened Two Boroughs Larder in August 2011 in a part of town known as Cannonborough-Elliotborough. Hence the name, Two Boroughs.

The walk to the restaurant, located a short distance from Charleston’s tourist hot-spots, offered The Astronomer and me a glimpse of life away from the hubbub of carriage rides and gargantuan properties. The neighborhood’s mellow and quiet vibe was welcomed.

The New American menu spans the globe but remains grounded in Southern ingredients from regional farms and waters.

Even though it was just The Astronomer and me this afternoon, we ordered two “smaller plates,” a charcuterie board meant for four, a side dish, and dessert, too. The menu was just too enticing to resist.

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Restaurant Review

12 Mar 2014

Glazed Gourmet Doughnuts – Charleston

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Now that doughnuts are finally having their moment in the spotlight, I’m making sure to cram in as many as possible whether at home or away. High on my list of Charleston haunts to hit was Glazed Gourmet Doughnuts, the premier purveyor of fancy doughnuts in town.

Allison Smith, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of Charleston, opened the shop in 2011 and makes twelve different varieties daily using as many local ingredients as possible. In fact, many of the herbs and berries found in her doughnuts are grown in the garden right behind the shop.

The Astronomer and I made sure to set our alarm clocks this morning because these babies have been known to sell out well before the shop’s advertised closing time of 3 PM.

The first doughnut we sampled, a classic raised ring with a spot-on raspberry glaze ($1.99), made us smile from ear to ear. The texture of the dough was definitely good, but it was the tart and bright glaze that made this doughnut one to remember.

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Restaurant Review

10 Mar 2014

Husk Restaurant – Charleston

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Chef Sean Brock‘s Husk is an absolute must-do for all food lovers traveling to or through Charleston, South Carolina. A celebration of southern ingredients, Husk prides itself on using only flora and fauna indigenous to the surrounding areas. “If it doesn’t come from the South, it’s not coming through the door,” says Brock.

The restaurant, which is set in a grand ol’ building dating back to the late 19th century (image of the incredible facade below), was positively bustling when we came in. The Astronomer and I, along with the entire Chaplin clan from Birmingham, settled in for a very fine post-Christmas feast.

According to the restaurant’s website, “Seed-saving, heirloom husbandry, and in-house pickling and charcuterie efforts by the culinary team are the basis of the cuisine at Husk.”

The food served here, which is “modern in style and interpretation,” changes daily depending on what local purveyors are supplying the kitchen at any given moment.

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