Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Now Closed

17 Mar 2014

Hominy Grill – Charleston

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Would you believe it if I told you that less than an hour after our afternoon “snack” at Two Boroughs Larder, The Astronomer and I headed to Hominy Grill for dinner? We roll recklessly on vacation!

Hominy Grill is a local institution opened in 1996 by Chef Robert Stehling with his wife Nunally Kersh. Named Best Chef Southeast by the James Beard Foundation in 2008, Chef Stehling “lets the Lowcountry’s unique cultural history and flavors guide his cooking,” according to the restaurant’s website.

Located in a charming Charleston building from the 1800’s that operated as a barbershop before becoming a restaurant, Hominy Grill is one of the toughest seats to snag in town, especially at breakfast and brunch when reservations aren’t available. The Astronomer’s dad managed to land a table for six at 5 PM, hence our gut-busting back-to-back feasts.

Every meal begins with complimentary boiled peanuts. Soggy nuts, perfectly salted, should not be underestimated.
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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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