Product Reviews

Circa 1886 in Charleston, SC

1/6/2015

Circa 1886 New Years Eve Menu

It was a hard decision, but we finally decided to land on Circa 1886 for our New Year's Eve dinner. They had a six course meal already laid out and it sounded amazing. None of us had ever been here before and we didn't know what to expect. The reservations were for 7:45pm and we made sure to arrive a few minutes early. The restaurant was in a gated area with a courtyard and brick pathway lined with trees and street lamps. Being that it's still winter/holiday season there were some white lights wrapped around some of the trees outside. There was street parking available just outside of the courtyard area. It was actually really nice walking through the courtyard to get to Circa 1886. It was like an adventure before getting to the main event.

When we walked into the restaurant we were stepping into an old world bar area to the left and the dining area to the right. They had our table ready as soon as we walked in. The room had booth seating that gave the appearance of being very romantic and private because it was framed in almost like an entryway. All the tables had white or silver table cloths with low lighting and candles in the middle with a single flower.

Circa 1886 Amuse Bouche Coconut Banana Soup

Our servers were dressed in black and white and all were very sharp looking. We had one main server and the others helped bring out all of the plates so we would be served at the same exact time. The main server was extremely knowledgeable about the wine list and pairings.

Being that we were at Circa 1886 for New Year's Eve we didn't have a choice of the menu. All of the plates were preset and we were just there to enjoy the ride, and oh what a ride it was. The menu was inspired by different countries all starting with the one that would have New Years first based on the time zone. I felt that each plate was well thought out and nothing was too standard. For instance, Greece was on the list and yet the plate was anything buy ordinary Greece type food. Each plate had a twist that was absolutely outstanding.

The presentation of the plates were remarkable pieces of art and the flavors were clean and unique to the countries. There were a couple of plates that I didn't like, but I don't feel like it was because of the execution rather my taste in food and textures. For instance I really didn't enjoy the Banana Coconut Soup (Amuse Bouche) or the Kobe Beef Salad (raw Kobe), but it was because of the texture and taste not because of the quality or lack of flavor. I did however love the plate from Greece, Spain and the Caribbean. All of those dishes were incredibly true to their culture and were flavored perfectly. I can honestly say that the Duck “Paella” (from Spain) was the most incredible thing I've ever tasted in my life. I will probably seek out duck on every menu from this point forward in hopes to find something as amazing as this dish.

At the end of the meal Circa 1886 topped us off with not one, not two, but three different types of desserts for us to try all inspired by the U.S.A. The plate had a slice of cornbread pudding, homemade snickers bar and peach ice cream topped with white chocolate. The cornbread pudding was a little too heavy for me after such a large feast. The peach ice cream was a perfect choice for those that wanted something light and not too sweet. But at our table the homemade snickers bar was the big hit. It was deliciously creamy with the right amount of nuts and chocolate with a drizzle of caramel and homemade peanut butter. It made me glad to be an American!

I can tell you that the next time I'm in Charleston, SC I will definitely be adding Circa 1886 on my list of places to eat again. While I would love to try some of their regular menu items, I'm going to be honest and say that I'd be going back in hopes to have some of the worlds best duck again. If it wasn't on the menu I'm sure I could find another amazing specialty that the chef has to offer. Circa 1886 was everything and more than we could have hoped for in saying goodbye to 2014.

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Cru Cafe in Charleston, SC

1/4/2015

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Cru Cafe Lunch Menu

This little gem has made it to my "Best Served" list. While I didn't know what to expect because my friend's planned the food arrangements for this trip, I was pleasantly surprised by this quaint restaurant. The Cru Cafe sits on the corner of Montley Ln and Pinckney Street in Charleston, SC. When you walk up to the restaurant you get the sweet smell of a wood burning stove as you walk up the steps of a beautiful porch decorated with rod iron tables and chairs. As I we walked into the Cru Cafe I noticed that the place was empty with only a couple of tables in the front room and a few more in a room to the side. It was decorated like an old home except for the open window area where you can watch the cooks.

Cru Cafe in Charleston, SC

While I realize that a party of six could be a large party for most restaurants I was surprised that we needed reservations for the Cru Cafe being that it was empty when we got there at 11:45am. It wasn't until around 12:30pm that I realized just how busy this place can get. They were turning people down at the door because of how full they had gotten. If you didn't have a reservation you weren't getting in.

As a group of six we decided to order a couple of appetizers to share. We were told by the waitress that their signature dish was the 4 cheese macaroni so we made sure to try it. We also ordered the calamari and White Wine Truffled Mussels along with some cappuccinos for the table. When I got my cappuccino I could have swore that I tasted a hint of orange zest, but when I asked the manager he chuckled a bit and said no. We joked a little about it throughout the rest of the meal. I like a restaurant that can partake in our ridiculous humor.

When we received the calamari it was tall and decorated with thinly sliced carrots, red onions and green peppers. The smell of sweet sesame sauce not only made the calamari smell wonderful, but the taste was light and tangy. This was probably the best calamari that I've had in ages. The signature 4 cheese macaroni was a big hit at the table for everyone except me. I liked that the top was browned and crunchy, but it lacked a little in flavor for me. Maybe it needed more salt or a pinch of mustard powder, but either way my momma's recipe is more inviting. The mussels were the biggest hit for everyone at the table. The mussels were smothered in an amazing Tomato Concassé, Peppers, Marinara sauce that was almost drinkable. Actually to be fair I think one of us did end up drinking a couple spoons full while the others doused their bread in it.

I wanted to make sure that I ordered something from their specials for the day and it was easy for me to decide on the mushroom truffle soup. I also ordered the signature dish Smoked Turkey and Brie Sandwich with a side of Asian slaw. As we were waiting on our meals we could actually smell the mushroom truffle oil as they were adding it to my soup. When it was brought out to the table I had to request 4 more spoons because the bowl was large enough to feed a small army. The texture was creamy with large enough pieces of mushrooms to have a bit of a bite to it. The taste was as luxurious as the smell and each bite had several layers of flavor. It was a blessing when my meal came because I was afraid that I'd get too full on the soup instead of the sandwich.

Smoked Turkey and Brie Sandwich from Cru Cafe

The turkey and brie sandwich came with apple chutney and arugula layered between melted brie and thickly sliced turkey. The flavor of the apple chutney enhanced the flavor of the brie which made the whole sandwich taste a little bit better than a whole meal at thanksgiving. The slaw was fresh and had a hint of sesame flavoring which was tangy and sweet. While I enjoyed my sandwich my friends enjoyed the Ahi tuna, B.B.Q. plate, Coconut Fried Oyster Wrap and a few other delightful menu items. At the end of the meal we decided to order the bread pudding as our dessert. It was great, but we had just had bread pudding the night before at Hall's Chophouse and the two were so incredibly different. The Cru Cafe's bread pudding was more traditional with notes of cinnamon and caramel with freshly made whipped cream. The texture was soft and crunchy which gave it a lot of dimension.

The thing I liked the most about Cru Cafe was the inviting atmosphere and the options that could suit just about everyone. We all decided that this was a place that we'd all like to try again maybe for dinner instead of lunch. There were so many great choices on the menu that we almost wished that we had more time to try other options. Cru Cafe is a must try in my book.

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Halls Chophouse in Charleston, SC

1/4/2015

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Bill Hall and our group at Hall's Chophouse

What an amazing experience Hall's Chophouse was. From the moment we walked in this place was buzzing around with people enjoying cocktails and servers smiling and saying hello to everyone. Even Bill Hall stopped by to introduce himself to us (about 8 times actually). Hall's Chophouse had a warm classy jazz feeling to it with people of all ages hanging out at the bar and by the live band by the front door.

We came in on a Tuesday night with a reservation for six. Hall's Chophouse was filled to the brim with people eating and drinking and enjoying the music. Standing room only from the moment we walked in. We only had to wait a few minutes before being seated upstairs in a small room which was packed full of people. The table was a half circle booth which made it very hard for all six people to cram into it and even harder to hear everyone. Although it wasn't ideal I will admit that there weren't any other options at the time. The only tables that could handle six or more people were already taken up by other guests. This room was very old world with beautiful pictures and low lighting. We could still hear a slight echo of tunes coming from the band downstairs.

Oysters Rockefeller at Hall's Chophouse in Charleston, SC

Once we were seated we were immediately given water and the wine list. The six of us decided to order a few appetizers to share and reviewed the rest of the menu. The waitress knew the menu extremely well and her suggestion on the appetizers was perfect. She told us about their amazing crab cakes and oysters Rockefeller so we order a couple for the table. The crab cakes were filled with crab and flavor and could easily have been the best I've ever tasted. It was my first time trying oysters Rockefeller and I didn't know what to expect. The hollandaise sauce and spinach made the oysters Rockefeller very creamy and the bread crumbs added the perfect amount of crunch. Great choices to begin our meal.

Porter House steak from Hall's Chophouse in Charleston, SC

Not only does the menu offer a generous selection of beef it also has a lot of seafood options. My friend Vinh and I decided to share the 32oz Porter house with sauteed mushroom and onions on top. For the table we ordered a few sides that are served family style. We ordered the roasted brussel sprouts, broccolini and lobster macaroni. Each were delicious, but the lobster macaroni was out of this world. The brussel sprouts were a little over cooked, but otherwise the flavor was great. Seasoned with bacon and an aioli dressing with cranberries to add sweetness. When our steak came it was perfectly smothered in sauteed mushrooms and onions with enough for us to share and enjoy with each bite. The steak was buttery and almost melted in your mouth with a bit of saltiness from the edges of fat. It was incredible. I only wished that I had left room for more.

For dessert we ended up ordering enough for the table of six to share. We ordered the whiskey bread pudding and the vanilla bean creme brulee. The bread pudding was doused in a very large helping of whiskey that was flavored throughout the sauce and within the layers of the bread. The dried cherries helped intensify the flavor of the whiskey and the pecans brought out the flavor of the cinnamon in the bread pudding. It was a huge serving and it could have easily fed all six of us at the table. The Creme Brulee came was pretty typical and it was cooked to perfection. The sugar wasn't burnt and the flavor wasn't eggy. I will say that although it tasted like a creme brulee should taste it didn't have any distinctive flavors or aspects that spoke to me. I would probably stick to the Whiskey Bread Pudding or I'd try the chocolate layered cake next time.

Overall the place and experience was one that I won't forget any time soon. This place would be perfect for an anniversary, date or birthday celebration. I never ran out of water and even though we weren't being pressured all the time for drinks, there was always someone there when you needed them.

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Circa 1886 in Charleston, SC

Cru Cafe in Charleston, SC

Halls Chophouse in Charleston, SC

Jenni Reilly

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