Suddenly southern cookery is in the national spotlight. Barbeque
has been trendy outside the South for awhile now, bacon appears in
just about everything (even when it shouldn't), and farming,
defying the convential wisdom of hipness, is now cool. Any
self-respecting southerner would tell you that farm fresh
vegetables have always been well-regarded, bacon has long been
appreciated as a versatile, superior foodstuff and barbecue is a
way of life. But hey, we're not "over it" just because the rest of
the country has caught on. The world should know of the
deep-frying, ham-hocking, gravy-sopping secrets that have sustained
the South for generations. No city exemplifies the rise in
prominence of southern cooking more than Charleston, SC. The
just-announced
James Beard semifinalists include Charleston restaurants and
chefs such as The
Macintosh (Best New restaurant) and Sean Brock of McCrady's
(Oustanding Chef: National), as well as three nominees for Best
Chef: Southeast: Jeremiah Bacon (The
Macintosh), Ken Vedrinski (Trattoria
Lucca) and Craig Deihl (Cypress).
Not many (if any) cities can compete with the amount of fantastic
restaurants per capita as little old Charleston.
On my last visit to Chucktown, I made Lowcountry cuisine a
priority. And though I've had my share of excellent fried seafood,
Lowcountry boils and frogmore stew over the years, I'd never tried
a proper rendition of the city's signature dish: shrimp and grits
(not in Charleston at least). A short trip from downtown Charleston
across the impressive, cable-stayed Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge (new
as of 2005) led my fellow diners and me to the
Old Village Post House in Mount Pleasant's Historic Old
Village. In a two-story restored 19th century building, the Old
Village Post House fits right in with Charleston: refined yet
relaxed. It functions as a suitable tavern for those just looking
for a drink, an elegant restaurant for an upscale but unpretentious
meal, and even a place to sleep - the inn has six bedrooms,
not too far from the beach. But for my purposes, it was an ideal
spot to partake of Lowcountry cuisine's finest dish. The shrimp and
grits, with andouille sausage, country ham bits, tomatoes, stone
ground grits, a pile of flavorul green onions, and plenty of garlic
and Cajun seasoning, did not fail to impress. Dark red in color, it
boasted a luxurious depth of flavor without being too rich. The
sausage, garlic and Cajun seasoning gave it a moderate level of
satisfying, late-breaking heat. All in all, my first proper shrimp
and grits experience was a smashing success, but so much so that
I'm reticent to even consider ordering it anywhere that's not
within a 100-mile radius from Charleston. For our complete list of
Charleston's
best restaurants, follow the link.