Growing up, I took good food for granted. Around the corner from my house was always an Italian restaurant (or three) that served fresh, well-prepared food. Chinese food was light and spicy. Mexican wasn't just shredded beef covered in gooey cheese. And if I happened to be in the City (Manhattan, or any of the other Boroughs), I learned at an early age that the best Indian food could be found at little hole-in-the-wall restaurants that looked sketchy but were always friendly, cheap and excellent.
So then I moved to Charleston, and the food here is...different. Not bad, per se, but the ethnic foods I loved never have felt as authentic as they do back up North. There are exceptions (Red Orchid Bistro, Al Di La, and Nirlep are all great), but as a rule, I've frequently missed the foods of the Tri-State Area.
And then, I started dating Charles, and we started branching out. We both love food, and have had fun trying new places through the past several years.
One of the first places we tried was Chef Mike Lata's FIG (Food Is Good). We went there for my birthday probably four years ago, and it was one of the best meals I've ever had. Fresh, simple food, perfectly prepared...what more could you want, right? The short rib ravioli that Charles ordered as an appetizer that evening remains one of his all-time favorite foods, I think. We've been a few more times since, and each time we love it more and more.
Then we discovered Chef Sean Brock, and went to McCrady's for our anniversary two years ago, and it was awesomeness. McCrady's was less simple than FIG, but was excellent in its own way.
Since then, Sean Brock has opened Husk, his tribute to all things Southern. (There's a really nice write-up in the New York Times today, ironically enough.) Every single ingredient he uses comes from somewhere in the South. Most of his produce is grown on several local farms (full disclosure: one of the farms is owned by a friend of my parents). Charles and I tried Husk right before Christmas, and I will never forget the plate of Country Hams with spicy, grainy mustard that we devoured with relish (literally and figuratively!). AAAA-mazing.
So...I will admit now, publicly and openly, that I have a bit of a celebrity crush on both Sean Brock and Mike Lata. Both of them were recently on Iron Chef America (well, they filmed sometime in 2009, I think, but both episodes aired this past December), and Charles and I watched every minute of each show. And I am a big dork.
So imagine me fumbling through half a sentence when, at our trip to Husk, we ran into Sean Brock himself walking between the bar and the dining room! I sounded like SUCH an idiot.
OK, so now, fast forward to this past weekend. It was our anniversary again, and Charles really, really wanted to try the Charcuterie at McCrady's, so that's where we decided to go celebrate FIVE AMAZING YEARS TOGETHER! We had a drink at the bar, then headed back to our table.
Looking at the menu, I was excited by one entry on the Chef's Tasting Menu - it was swordfish with fennel and parsnip, and included the phrase, "Prepared by you." When I mentioned this to Charles and our waiter (a super nice guy!), the waiter said, "Oh, the tasting menu has some fireworks right now." So we decided to go for it...seven courses? PLUS the Charcuterie? Bring it on!
Seriously, we were not disappointed. The swordfish course was by far the highlight for me. Three small pieces of fish served with a hot salt block on which you cook them yourself...then you season, sauce (a citrus-y sauce - YUM!), and garnish, and eat - it was incredible.
We had the wine paring, as well, and all the wines were surprising and interesting to me. And since I love wine, well, that was also a high point! All of them!
When Sean Brock himself walked through the dining room, we both smiled and waved, and he stopped, smiled and waved back. So I threw caution to the wind and made an ass of myself to our waiter. I asked, "Um, does Sean ever come out and talk to the customers? Like, so we can say thanks for an excellent meal?" (Yeah, I'm that smooth.)
But the waiter just smiled and told me Sean had just left to go back to Husk, but that we could come and see the kitchen once he was back.
WHAT??? AWESOME!!
So we finished our meal (each course was cool in it's own way, and fireworks included dry ice and liquid nitrogen - I had a very cold lap at one point!).
By the time we finished dinner, Sean Brock had returned, and we were taken back to the kitchen to meet him. He was gracious and welcoming, and gave me some gardening advice (let cilantro go to seed...the seeds themselves are coriander!), and said he recognized us from somewhere. I can only assume that it was from Husk, since I'd never met him before, and it almost made me feel like a stalker, but what can you do, right? I was just excited that he recognized us. See? DORK!
What it all comes down to is this...I will always miss New York and New Jersey for all the amazing food they offer, but I'm happy to say that both Mike Lata and Sean Brock are filling some voids for me with their three fabulous restaurants. Guys, I'm not a stalker, but I think you're both amazing.
Stalker.
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