River Oaks Donuts

Ever since I visited the Doughnut Plant, I have become very picky about the donuts I eat. If I am going to consume a food that is that bad,  it better be totally legit and really worth it. To be honest, I haven't really had a donut in a year. However, a new boutique doughnut store opened in River Oaks and I decided that I needed to check it out. This new place, called River Oaks Donuts, serves locally brewed coffee, handmade donuts and kolaches. As I drove up, I noticed that the drive-thru was hopping and their was a line that was just about to burst through the door. The inside of the shop is very tiny, but they did a wonderful job of making it feel airy, whimsical and open. There is a case that runs pretty much the length of the store. The glass case had their cake and fun frosted donuts. On the back wall where the kolaches, donut holes and all kinds of regular donuts.

I am not going to lie. I am kind of child when it comes to donuts. I am a HUGE fan of anything in fun colors and the more sprinkles the better! While I was trying to decide which fun donut I wanted, the donut holes caught my eye. Plus they have cake donut holes and I actually like cake donuts more than regular ones (because it makes me feel like they are a little healthier). They had plain, blueberry and red velvet. In addition they had filled donut holes...umm why didn't I think of this. I created my own donut hole selection and try some of all of them. What I ended up with was lemon, strawberry, raspberry, chocolate cappuccino, blueberry and red velvet cake donut holes. They didn't skimp on the filling which was nice. The chocolate cappuccino one was really yummy and surprisingly not sickeningly sweet. I know, that sounds really weird because I am sure you are asking yourself how donuts are not super sweet. It is because there isn't a thick layer of glaze on them...it barely covers all of the outside which makes they much more enjoyable. I think that my top two donut holes were the chocolate cappuccino filled and the blueberry cake donut.

I am not usually a kolache person because it's usually just a whole bunch of bland bread with some cheese sauce... not worth it. However, the whole wheat spinach and feta kolache immediately caught my eye. The nice thing was that they actually heated it up for me before I left so it was more like it had just come out of the oven. There was a ton of the filling and the fact that it was whole wheat made me feel the tiniest bit less guilty. It wasn't bland at all and was much more upscale and eating one with a hot dog and cheese sauce. If you are looking for a place to get donuts and you haven't checked out River Oaks Donuts, be sure you do! These still don't have anything on Doughnut Plant donuts, but they are most definitely a great second choice. Plus, I found out from a friend that they do giant donut cakes which is super fun and would be great for a slumber party or different birthday dessert. Plus you can make it your own like my friend did by ordering a maple glazed donut and sprinkling bacon on it. Though I am not advocating eating donuts every day, I am totally okay with eating these every once in a while.

Houston Restaurant Weeks - The Federal Grill

The food scene in Houston is constantly changing and places are coming and going. This new establishment - The Federal Grill - is new on the food scene so of course I needed to go check it out. The inside of the restaurant is pretty dim and the walls are brick with a semi open kitchen in the middle. Taking full advantage of the special restaurant week menu, I started off with the fried oysters. These were served on individual spoons with spicy sprouts and Hoffman sauce. We were also served a fresh bread basket which included locally baked sourdough bread and biscuits (which were like little fluffy clouds), served with pepper jelly and butter. The jelly had a bit of heat in the background but was still slightly sweet.

For the main course, there was roasted organic chicken with gnocchi, fresh veggies and a thyme jus. I ordered the Norwegian salmon with roasted cauliflower, arugula and a golden raisin-caper relish. The salmon had a little bit of a crust on the outside and the bitterness of the arugula went well with the sweetness of the relish. I liked that they used the golden raisins because they are a little out of the ordinary and have a nice subtle sweetness to them. There could have been a few more pieces of the cauliflower, but it had a nice toasty flavor to it. It still had some texture to it and wasn't mushy.

I will be honest...I chose to try The Federal Grill because the desserts sounded amazing and since I do like desserts that was a huge draw. Dessert one was a carrot cake with a bourbon carrot puree served with pistachio ice cream. The ice cream was amazing! It had nutty undertones and wasn't overly sweet. The carrot cake itself was more of a spice cake and the ice cream just added that extra touch of sweetness. The pistachio ice cream was my favorite part of the dessert because it was unique and had a rich and creamy mouth feel. The carrot puree was delicious and the bourbon added dimension to the cake. Dessert number two was a PB & J bread pudding. Who would have thought that you could turn a childhood staple into a sophisticated dessert?! This was served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, peanut butter cream and strawberry compote. The peanut butter cream was light and a fun way to eat peanut butter. The strawberry compote and the ice cream melted into the bread pudding and helped meld the flavors together.

I love trying new cocktails at restaurants because they are becoming very unique and creative. I tried a violet drink. Though I am not entirely sure what all was in it, it had a lovely floral aroma and the lemon added some freshness to it. It wasn't super sweet but the violet was definitely fun. I didn't realize this beforehand, but apparently they are know for their bourbon and whiskey flights, as they had quite the selection, so if you are a fan then this might be the place for you. Even though I went for the desserts, I had a wonderful meal overall and was pleasantly surprised with the whimsical qualities of the dishes. If you are still looking for a place to try for Houston Restaurant Weeks, this is definitely a winner.
 

J. BLACK'S

CultureMap is a great resource for finding out what's going on around town and where all the hot spots are. They have been doing something called Dine Around Houston. Once a month a restaurant will do a prefixed meal and beverage for $12 benefitting the Big Brother Big Sister program...pretty good deal if you ask me. This month's event took place at J. BLACK'S which was on my list of places to visit so it was an even sweeter deal for me. You got your choice of two different entrees, drink and a dessert. Fortunately, I got to try both options because I had friends that were willing to share. First up was the "Winner Winner" pizza. This was topped with chili marinated shredded chicken, avocado, carmelized onion, and Boursin cheese. There was a bit of heat that was cooled with the avocado. Boursin cheese is a creamy cheese similar to cream cheese and a unique choice for use on a pizza. The pizza was really filling and delicious, so there were definitely leftovers, but I am not complaining about that.

The other entree option was the Washington sliders. There were three mini burgers served with homemade chips. And yes, there is a huge difference between homemade chips and ones you get in a bag. They are much crunchier and a lot less greasy. These were Wagyu beef sliders topped with Gorgonzola, mushrooms, bacon, carmelized onions and a basil mayo. I usually will not eat Gorgonzola but there wasn't a ton on the sliders and the other ingredients helped make it less pungent. The bacon was diced which was nice because every bite seemed to have some and the basil mayo was different. These were tasty little things and I would definitely try them when you visit.

I was interested to see how the dessert would turn out. It was a chocolate brownie with cajeta, carmel sauce, smoked sea salt and strawberries. Cajeta is a goat milk based sauce. You could definitely tell that there was a different ingredient in it so if you don't like goats milk, this will not be the dessert for you. The smoked sea salt definitely had a smoky flavor and created an interesting flavor combination with the chocolate and goat's milk. The vibe inside the restaurant was laid back and cozy, however your only option for parking is valet so be prepared for that. If you haven't made it to J. BLACK'S, be sure to try it.

Starmont Chardonnary

It's always nice to get a bottle of wine from someone else because chances are I have never heard of it or tried it and it gives me the opportunity to see what other people like. I don't usually like Chardonnay because they can be very mineraly or acidic. This 2010 Starmont Chardonnay was rich and buttery with lots of tropical fruit aromas. I don't recall Chardonnays being known for tropical fruits, but it was certainly delicious. The wine starts out buttery and a bit nutty, turns into bright tropical fruits and then finishes with a touch of acidity and hints of minerals. This is not your typical chardonnay and it actually surprised me. This wine in under the $20 mark, making it a perfect hostess gift (we all the fall festivities and holidays are right around the corner). Since it has a broad range of aromas, it pairs well with light to medium seafood dishes and offers and interesting twist to cream sauces. Even if you aren't a chardonnay fan give this one a try because you might be surprised.

Pink's Pizza

I have been hearing rave reviews about Pink's Pizza for a while now. I don't order much pizza and when I do for some reason this just doesn't pop into my head. However, when the doorbell rang and the pizza was delivered into my hands, I was ready to peek inside the box and see what the fuss was all about. As soon as I opened the box, I was greeted with a delicious aroma and a very photogenic pizza. I ordered the Freshetta which was roasted garlic, sun dried tomatoes, feta, spinach, bacon, chicken and fresh tomatoes. Talk about some yumminess! I prefer thin crust and this crust was just thick enough to hold all the toppings, but not just a bunch of gross bread. The crunch had a nice crunch and was seasoned with a bit of cheese.  The toppings were super fresh and had a lot of lovely Mediterranean/Italian seasoning on it. The bacon was crunchy, the chicken tender and the garlic was discernable, but it didn't smack you in the face. This was an absolutely delicious pizza and one of the best I have had in the US. Pink's Pizza will now be the only takeout pizza place that I order from. The rest of the menu looks amazing, so I can't wait until my next pizza day with Pink's.

Houston Restaurant Weeks - Eleven XI

I can say that the month of August is kind of like an eat-athon for me because I try to visit as many restaurants as possible (because my list is never ending) and I get to do something good at the same time. This trip took me to the hot spot Eleven XI. Now I have to admit that this was a hyped up place for me so I went in with really high expectations.... and I was not disappointed! I started off with grilled oysters and heirloom tomatoes, pecan pesto, bacon and mozzarella. This was a one bite dish that had everything you could want. There was crunch from the pecans and bacon (also a bit of salt), a subtle sweetness from the heirloom tomatoes, and creaminess from the mozzarella. You would think that the oyster would get lost, but it didn't. It after you made it through the initial flavors, oyster came and pulled everything together. The plating of this dish was actually quite creative and they were served on top of in a personal cast iron skillet - really playful and fun.

Next was the XI salad which was a fun play on the wedge salad. This had heirloom tomatoes and grilled vegetables with a cranberry vinaigrette. The lettuce was a nice change from the usual iceberg and though I am not entirely sure what the grilled veggies were (they looked like beets and purple carrots), they were yummy. I have never had a cranberry dressing, but it had the tiniest bit of sweetness to it, but the tartness also can through. It was a nice compliment to the rich flavors of the vegetables.

I decided to go out of my normal meat ordering box and chose a baby back rib sandwich with horseradish cheddar and broccoli slaw on a jalapeno challah bun and potato stick french fries. There are two very odd things about this sandwich for me - I don't usually order meat (and when I do it is usually chicken) and I don't really like horseradish. I was feeling fiesty and wanted something with a kick and this sandwich packed a punch of flavor. I have never had a challah bun. I have only had it served as french toast (and it makes a killer french toast), but this bun was light and the jalapenos in the bread added a little something extra. The slaw added lots of crunch and the horseradish didn't overpower the ribs. The meat was tender and juicy held together by the yumminess of the the melted cheese.

One of the things that was recommended for me to try were the blue corn grits. I was interested to see how these would turn out. What I found was that they didn't really taste like grits at all. They were a bit reminiscent of potatoes au gratin. I don't know why they reminded me of that but they were very interesting and super yummy. They just made you feel at home when you tasted them. Plus I really liked that they used real shredded cheese because it definitely makes a world of difference. Eleven XI has a great patio that I will need to go back and take advantage of. Also, the mussels and short rib were highly recommended so I guess that means that I will be making a return visit very, very soon. Eleven XI needs to be the next place you visit, so be sure to make your reservation today. Thank you Eleven XI and Houston Restaurant Weeks for a fabulous meal!

The Breakfast Klub

There is nothing better than meeting friend for breakfast, especially when you get to enjoy a wonderful meal just like you were at home. The Breakfast Klub is a well-known establishment in Houston and I am embarrassed to admit that I just now made it there. We went early to avoid the block long line that forms later in the morning. The two breakfast specialties of The Breakfast Klub are the chicken and waffles and the fried catfish and grits. Ever since my trip to Charleston, I feel as though I have become a grits snob so I am cautious now about trying grits. I can't say that I am a huge fan of catfish, so I opted for my version of the first option - chicken and pancakes. This came with six giant pieces of chicken (3 wings and 3 drumsticks) and 3 platter size pancakes. Just the normal Texas sized portions - everything is bigger and better in Texas right? The chicken smelled amazing and was fresh from the fryer! The coating had a nice crunch to it and lots of seasoning. The chicken was steaming hot and fresh...some of the best fried chicken I have had. The pancakes were light and fluffy, but to be honest they weren't anything super duper special. That could be because I never order plain pancakes so it could just be that I don't have the proper palate to compare plain pancakes. If you haven't been to this Houston staple, you need to make sure that you do. Make sure you go early to avoid the huge line and be sure to bring a hearty appetite!

Houston Restaurant Weeks - Sorrel Urban Bistro

If you live in Houston, you know that August is a huge month for those in the culinary world. August is Houston Restaurant Weeks, where restaurants in Houston and surrounding areas offer prefixed menus for brunch, lunch, and dinner. They donate part of the proceeds to the Houston Food Bank and for me there is nothing better than eating for a cause! (Plus I get to do some work on my restaurants to try list) Sorrel Urban Bistro has been on my list for quite some time and I am ashamed that it took me so long to try. I ended up trying some of the items on their regular menu as well as participating in the Houston Restaurant Weeks promotion. We started off with the Gulf shrimp bisque topped with a bit of creme fraiche. It was silky and had a nice richness to it. It didn't had an overwhelming seafood taste to it and the creme fraiche helped lighten the soup. Next was an order of pomme frites with garlic confit. The garlic aroma from these was delicious and they had a touch of salt. They were still crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Much better than your average french fry.

The entree portion of the meal included a porkchop with braised cabbage and snapper with polenta. The pork chop was topped with a peach semi-sweet barbecue sauce. The braised cabbage was a bit too salty for me, but it wasn't terrible. I can't say that I would eat it again, but I am glad that I tried it. The pork chop was well cooked and wasn't too dry. The peach added the necessary touch of sweetness and the barbecue sauce made it a very summery dish. The snapper was caught that morning and apparently almost didn't make it on the menu because they weren't sure they were going to be able to get it. The snapper was very mild and the chipotle cream sauce didn't drown the fish or overwhelm it. The polenta was creamy and added texture and depth to the snapper. Both of these choices were perfect for a summer night dinner.

To round out the meal, we chose a Belgium chocolate cake with a dark cherry sauce. I was surprised when the dessert came out because this was one of the first cakes that I have seen that haven't been served with an icing. The cake was a very dense cake that had a lovely chocolate taste to it with only a touch of sweetness to it. There wasn't a ton of the sauce - just enough to keep the cake moist. There were two whole cherries served with the cake to make it look pretty. My visit to Sorrel Urban Bistro was fairly good. The restaurant has an intimate feel to it and an ever changing menu due to the locally sourced ingredients. Thank you Sorrel and Houston Restaurant Weeks for such a wonderful experience!

Evolution Juice

I love juice, but it is very difficult to find brands that don't have all the extra ingredients in it. I got a promo email from Starbucks introducing this new line of juice that they were now going to be carrying so I decided I would try it out. I figured that the best way to judge a juice was to try one with greens in it because to me fruit usually tastes pretty good by itself. This one was a combination of orange, mango, apple, pineapple, raspberry, spirulina, barley grass, wheat grass and dulse. Though I don't know what all the greens are exactly, I do know that I couldn't taste them because the fruit flavors mixed wonderfully with them. This juice surprised me in that it filled me up and kept me full for quite a while. Evolution has lots of different fruits and veggies juices, smoothies and flavored waters. Be sure to visit their website to check out what local retailers near you carry this delicious (and very nutritious) juice so that you can try it for yourself.  

Hominy Grill

When Food Network recommends a restaurant, I try my best to make sure that I go check it out. Hominy Grill is located in a quaint little house with a covered courtyard patio and the infamous grits artwork on the side of the building. They only take reservations for dinner, but the brunch is what everyone was raving about...especially the shrimp and grits. It was recommended that you get there right when the opened because there would be a pretty long wait. We arrived before they opened and sure enough there was already a line of about 20 people. With that being said though, this places knows how to get people in (once they opened we were seated in less than 5 minutes) and out and the efficiently! The inside it like you are sitting in a cottage with lots of windows and and eclectic set of furniture...definitely very homey feeling though. As we were working our way to the door, I noted that there was another delicious sounds cocktail with honeysuckle vodka, lemonade and raspberry - SO YUMMY!

Feeling a little abnormal, I opted to try some of the smaller brunch offerings so that I could try more. Plus the shrimp and grits were already being ordered, so I was definitely getting to try those. I chose pumpkin gingerbread and a egg, cheese and bacon biscuit sandwich. The pumpkin gingerbread reminded me of fall and would be perfect on a chilly fall morning with a steaming cup of coffee. It wasn't too sweet and there was hints of cinnamon, nutmeg and nuts. I am no determined to find a way to recreate that because it just made me feel warm and fuzzy. I am not the biggest fan of biscuits, but probably because most of the ones I have tried have been small and thin. These were big and cloud like and hot out of the oven! The eggs and bacon would have been yummy on their own, but all together it was like a breakfast symphony...exactly what a breakfast sandwich should be.

Like all the shrimp and grits we tried, this one was completely different from the others. The grits were pure white and the shrimp didn't have any sauce. What I found to be interesting was that this dish seemed to have an Asian influence to it. The spices were definitely more prominent, but that may have been because there was not sauce. In addition to the shrimp, there were scallions, mushroom and bacon. And yes since it's the South bacon is pretty much in everything (and I am definitely not going to complain about that). Just for another comparison, there was an order of just cheese grits. These grits had a consistency that was similar to oatmeal. I really liked that they used real shredded cheese instead of cheese sauce. The cheese added a touch of salt to the grits and gave it a creamier texture.

Though I know that is it not necessarily customary to eat dessert at brunch, the dessert lover inside all of us came out and so we had to give it a try. They had several yummy options like hummingbird cake, a coconut layer cake, and a lemon icebox pie. I am not a huge pie person, but we decided to try the lemon icebox pie. It was light and fluffy with a very lovely fresh lemon taste. The whipped cream on top added some sweetness to the pie. However, in this pie it was was really the crust that was the star. It was the perfect combination of buttery graham crackery goodness. It didn't crumble into a million piece and yet still managed to have a fair amount of crunch to it. Hominy Grill should definitely be on your restaurant list when you visit Charleston whether you make it for breakfast, lunch or dinner because I am sure that you will be impressed.

High Cotton

When you are having a girls weekend of course you need to have a special dress up dinner and this one took place at High Cotton, a sister restaurant to Slightly North of Broad. The restaurant had live music, beautiful light blue striped fabric on the walls lots of candles creating this intimate that drew up in.   Like a lot of restaurants in Charleston, they pride themselves on using as many fresh and local ingredients as they can. The meal started off with some She-crab soup, a soup that is a feature of the Charleston region. It is similar to a bisque and uses the female crab. Though heavy cream is a main ingredient in the soup, it didn't feel like a very heavy soup and there were large chunks of crab meat in the soup. It had paprika notes in the background and a nice balance of flavor.

 Along with that was a grilled peach and watermelon salad. If that doesn't say summer on a plate, I don't what does. I haven't had a ton of grilled fruit but I do know that for some reason it seems to bring out the fruit flavor even more. The peach was still extremely juicy and the watermelon was super fresh and crisp. It was served on a bed of arugula with crumbled feta and a Serrano vinaigrette dressing. The saltiness of the feta and the arugula helped round out the flavors in the salad. The dressing had a hint of heat to it, but it wasn't too overwhelming. The salad had sweet, salty, acidity, and a little bitterness from the arugula. It was one of the most well composed salads I have had. The soup and the salad set the bar pretty high, so I started to get very excited about how the rest of the meal would unfold.

The first selection was a roasted chicken breast on a bed of sauteed spinach with a parsley coulis. Though I was a bit skeptical of the chicken because most of the time it is not usually something that amazes me. However, this one did...but only because of the parsley coulis. It was a mix of parsley, lemon, chives, tarragon, olive oil, salt and pepper. It's amazing how much flavor these simple ingredients have which took the dish to the next level. It was a chicken dish worth ordering again and proved that when prepared properly chicken can stand on it's own.

I can't say that I am wild about ordering exotic meats but I will usually try them if someone else orders it. Maybe it's because I am not a huge meat eater, but this was one of those times where I was willing to try. This was rabbit served on a bed of pimento cheese grits. It had an au jus sauce over it to keep the meat nice and tender. I tried not to think about what I was actually eating too much or else I think I might have psyched myself out. However, I was surprised at how mild and tender it was. The pimento cheese grits were very representative of local favorites and where pretty hearty in texture. I am not sure if I would ever order rabbit on my own, but I am glad that I had the opportunity to try it as it was much better than I expected.

The last entree selection was roasted monkfish with pork shoulder sugo, fried capers, calabrese olives and tomatoes with a touch of lemon. The monkfish is a fairly mild whitefish that some have compared to lobster tail. The fried capers added a textural element to the dish and olives brought some salt to the dish without it being too salty. The pork shoulder sugo (sugo is Italian for sauce) added richness and depth to the fish. The pork was tender and not too fatty and was interesting play on the traditional red sauce. I would have never thought to put together pork and fish, but it was a surprisingly good combination.

We finally arrived at one of my favorite parts of the meal. Why dessert comes last doesn't make sense to me, but maybe it's just because you save the best for last? Of course the dessert selections were just as creative tempting as the meal and the decisions were very difficult. Creme Brulee is a favorite so naturally this Grand Marnier Creme Brulee was selected. It was served with a dollop of whipped cream and a piece of candied orange. The crust was perfect and the custard wasn't overly sweetened. The orange in the background was light and perfect for the summer. The whipped cream tasted like it was made from scratch and didn't leave that coating in your mouth. They do know how to make one delicious Creme Brulee.

Of course you can't have dessert without some kind of chocolate involved. This was a dark chocolate pudding topped with whipped cream, pretzel pieces and a caramel drizzle. I was a bit skeptical at first since pudding wouldn't be the first thing that popped into my head when thinking about upscale desserts. However, this wasn't your typical pudding that can be thin and artificial tasting. It seemed to be on the verge of a chocolate fudge with a decadent chocolate taste. The crunch of the pretzels helped to keep the dish from becoming overly sweet and the whipped cream added a lightness to the pudding. Chocolate and caramel are one of the combinations that you can't go wrong with and definitely proved to me that pudding can be very upscale.

Last but not least was a set of ice cream sandwiches. They may not sound super fancy, but it was a nice flashback to my childhood. One was made with chocolate chip cookies and a scoop of peanut butter hazelnut gelato. The other was sugar cookies with lemongrass lavender gelato. The cookies were able to hold in the ice cream fairly well without getting soggy. The chocolate chip cookies had lots of chocolate chunks throughout and sugar cookies were silky and buttery. You could taste the peanut butter and the hazelnut in the gelato and neither one overwhelmed the other. The lemongrass lavender gelato was heavenly and fresh with both floral and citrus notes. Neither one was too sweet and somehow managed to not immediately melt into a giant puzzle. I wouldn't recommend eating these if you are trying to impress someone as they did get a bit messy, but sometimes it's the messiest things that are the best. The meal at High Cotton was truly memorable and definitely highlighted the wonderful culinary world in Charleston.  

Irvin-House Vineyards and Firefly Distillery

When I decided that I was going to be visiting Charleston, I started thinking about what I wanted to do and what popped into my head but the Firefly Distillery. I'll admit that I am not a die hard Firefly fan, I do know that it is pretty delicious and I have never been to distillery so we were taking the journey to visit. What I found out was that the couple that started Firefly in 2008 also had a vineyard on the property, so that suddenly made an appearance on the list. I can honestly say that when I think of the South, wine is not a product that I immediately think of, but leave to the world to surprise me. After arriving, we got our tasting tickets and headed inside to try the wines of the Irvin House Vineyards. It started off with a highly entertaining video about the history of the vineyards and how they make their wine. These wines are made with the Muscadine grape and are traditionally not overly sweet.

There were five different varieties that we tasted - Tara Gold, Magnolia, Live Oak Reserve, Mullet Hall Red, and Palmetto. It started off with the lightest white and their darkest red. The wines were definitely not impressive and I found it interesting that all of the wines seemed to lack any aromas when you smelled the wine. It was just like smelling grapes. Luckily that just meant that I avoided that complication of trying to figure out how to bring back any wine, but it was fine to go to the tasting. Next up was a short walk over to the Firefly tasting room. I was slightly disappointed that you didn't actually get to tour the distillery, but that didn't mean that there wasn't any tasting going on. They had three different bars set up where you got to select 6 samples. I wasn't aware of this but Firefly also makes two different spiced rums, moonshine and liqueurs in addition to the vodka. I ended up trying the Sweet Tea bourbon, spiced rum (a bit like Captain Morgan), lemonade (only available at the distillery), peach moonshine, blackberry moonshine, and coconut cake liqueur. As much as I was feeling adventurous, I was not at all going to tackle the White Lighting - 101 proof moonshine..talk about not messing around! The sweet tea bourbon was surprisingly good because of the subtle sweetness and the moonshine had very lovely fruit flavors. The coconut cake liqueur tasted exactly like the cake. Though we didn't bring any home, it was a fun experience and something different to do. If you ever get to the Charleston area, be sure to make the drive out to visit Firefly.

Lowcountry Bistro

During our culinary tour, we received tons of restaurant and food suggestions about places and dishes to try and this particular place was recommended because of one of their unique dessert offerings (just wait until you hear what it is!). Of course we needed to refuel after our journey around the city, so we went to Lowcountry Bistro for a late brunch. I am one of those people that could eat brunch food at anytime of the day, so (whether the table liked it or not), we ordered a little bit of sweet and a little bit of savory. The savory started with a roasted turkey sandwich with spinach and a cherry aioli. The turkey was flavorful and with the cherry aioli it reminded me of a leftover Thanksgiving dinner sandwich. The chips were crispy and sprinkled with a touch of seasoning salt. One of the brunch specials were fried pickles. These were not pickle chips, but rather pickle spears that had been brined with herbs. Unlike some fried pickles, the coating was fairly thin and had some herbs mixed into it. The pickles still had a nice crunch to them and the touch of sour cream drizzle helped balance out the acidity.

Some how I feel like my eyes were immediately drawn to the chicken and waffles on the menu. It is a classic Southern dish and this version sounded beyond amazing! It was a bacon sweet potato cornbread waffle topped with half of a fried chicken (yes, it was a full half of a chicken) served with a pecan butter and bourbon maple syrup. Can you say heaven on a plate?! After eating this, I can say that my expectations of chicken and waffles are extraordinarily high. The chicken was fried with the skin on, keeping the chicken juicy and the outside was smoky and had just the right crunch to it. The coating helped enhance the flavor of the chicken instead of masking it like most fried coatings do. The sweet potato waffle was light and fluffy and the bacon pieces mixed in added crunch and depth of flavor. The pecan butter and bourbon maple syrup were just the icing on the cake so to speak. Separately the flavors of each component was delicious, but when you ate it all together it was a food symphony for your taste buds!

Of course since we ended up at Lowcountry Bistro because of this one particular dessert, it was a necessity that we try it - grilled cornbread strawberry shortcake. Now I know you are thinking grilled cornbread that can't possibly work, but I assure you that it most certainly does. The cornbread is sweet and the grill adds a nice crust to the outside while keeping the inside delicate and moist. It was topped with rum soaked strawberries and whipped cream. The strawberries retained enough moisture that there didn't need to be a sauce to the dish, but it was definitely not dry. It is one of the more unique dessert I have had and it was definitely worth the wait. Now I will just have to work on making my own grilled cornbread. I can say that when you listen to the people around you, you can stumble on some amazing culinary finds. I am so glad that we went for dessert but got to try brunch because it was delicious. It's a good thing that I can't visit more often because I might get myself into a lot of trouble.

Culinary Tour - Jim 'N Nick's BBQ

Saving the best for last on the culinary tour was a trip to Jim 'N Nick's BBQ restaurant. If you have ever been anywhere in the South, you know that barbecue is one of the main food groups and it is a must try. It's divided up into different areas and each area is known for specific types of barbecue. In Texas, the focus is on beef (things like beef brisket and ribs) and the sauces is thicker and tends to be molasses based. However in Charleston, I found that pork was the meat of choice for barbecue and the sauce was a tomato and vinegar based, thus making a thinner sauce. Barbecue in the South is a hotly debated topic and every version has their die hard fans. I think that's what adds to the allure of the barbecue scene is how many different variations there are. At Jim 'N Nick's,  we sampled some of the staples of South Carolina barbecue.

Pulled pork was a given, topped with a healthy dose of barbecue sauce. The pork was super tender and you could taste the smokiness in the background, but it didn't overwhelm the meat itself. Pork is a more delicate meat than beef and sometimes it can be overwhelmed with other flavors. It was served with some bacon collard greens and a cheese cornbread muffin. I am not a huge fan of collard greens (mainly because of the texture and that they are more of a bitter green), but it's hard not to like something when you throw bacon in with it. The cheese cornbread muffin had a lovely balance between the sweetness of the corn and the touch of saltiness from the cheese. I tend to stay away from cornbread because it usually has an artificial corn taste to it, but I am going to attribute that to the fact that I have not had cornbread made the right way. In Texas, you eat barbecue with white bread and the sides are typically potato salad, cole slaw, and beans. It was fun to do a barbecue comparison and I have to say that the cornbread wins over plain white bread any day. The collard greens did not win me over, but I am sure glad that I got to sample the Carolina barbecue from Jim 'N Nick's. Though sadly the tour had to come to an end, it was a great way to sample you way through the cuisine of Charleston.