Cru Cafe - Go for Lunch and Order the Shrimp BLT!

Cru Cafe - Charleston, SC:  "Go for lunch and order the Shrimp BLT" - that's what a local told me when I asked her where I should go on our last day in Charleston.  I made reservations on OpenTable and was glad I did since people were being turned away when we were seated at 12:30pm on a weekday.  We were offered two seats at the kitchen window and loved seeing how this fabulous little kitchen cranks out amazing dishes one after the other.  If you are a cook or a foodie, ask for these seats!

We followed the advice we were given and ordered the shrimp BLT for $10 which came with our choice of mashed potatoes, fresh fruit, French fries, Asian slaw or salad.   The country bread was lightly toasted, smeared with sauce, topped with bacon, lettuce, tomato, warm grilled shrimp and pepper jack cheese - yes, you read that right! It may sound like an odd combination, but it's that combination that makes it all come together to give you one of the best sandwiches on the planet! There were a few other tempting items on the menu and the dinner choices online looked great too, but follow the advice I was given - get the shrimp BLT!  Total bill before tip for two shrimp BLTs, one beer and one iced tea was $29.  Cru Café is a winner in my book!

SNOB - Southern Hospitality in Charleston!

Slightly North of Broad, a.k.a. SNOB:  I noticed this restaurant when we first arrived in town as we walked around taking in our surroundings and the menu looked pretty good too. After a couple more days in town noticing the lines around meal time, I booked our reservation – they are on Open Table. 

The atmosphere is funky and eclectic and they've clearly tucked as many tables into the place as possible, but don't let that stop you from giving it a try for yourself.  The cocktails on the specials menu were not great.  I had the berry sangria that tasted too much like over macerated strawberries.  The summer sangria at the Parish Cafe in Boston is so much better.  So, try something else to drink.  I started my meal with the ever popular Bibb lettuce salad with buttermilk dressing and bacon bits for $6.50, which was as good as I expected it to be – it’s kind of hard to mess up that salad unless you are trying to be too difficult.  After loving the Seafood Grits at Magnolias, I had to do a comparison to the Maverick Shrimp and Grits for $18 at SNOB which consisted of tender shrimp and creamy grits accented with sausage and smoked ham (reminiscent of the bacon in my salad) with a just spicy enough tomato based sauce that they serve with a spoon, which is a good thing, because you are going to want to scoop up every last drop of it! We were too full for dessert but they serve complimentary sweets such as snicker doodle cookies, madelines, and a brownie bite which were delicious and perfect end to the meal.  Total cost for 2 cocktails, 1 salad, and 2 entrees was $63 before tip.  Don't hesitate to put this on your list of restaurant choices while in Charleston, if you have the time after going to Magnolias or McCradys (see other blog postings on these restaurants).

Magnolias - As Wonderful As You Expect It To Be!

Magnolias lived up to the hype! Don't read any further; just book your reservations now. For some reason, even before I knew about the all the wonderful attributes that Charleston has to offer, I knew about Magnolias.

I ordered their infamous Shellfish Over Grits for $30 and it was worth every penny.  The scallops, shrimp and lobster were perfectly prepared over creamy grits topped with an amazing buttery tomato sauce typically served with the dish. In fact, my mouth is still watering now just thinking about it. My husband had the Parmesan Crusted Flounder for $28 and it was delicious. The crust provided the lovely crunch to the delicate fish and was surrounded with the right sized portion of jasmine rice and assorted bite sized vegetables with lump crab. I highly recommend this entree as well.  The small plates with items like fried chicken and pork chop also tempted me and are big enough for a meal.  And, please, don’t skip dessert.  We thoroughly enjoyed the coconut cake bread pudding for only $8.  It was warm and delightful – full of true coconut flavor.  Total meal with two full entrees, 2 glasses of wine, 1 dessert and coffee was $97.52 before tip. Magnolias is still living up to its reputation!