Yesterday, Jenn decided she missed Delish’s chicken satay so much that she took matters into her own hands:

Let’s hope nobody burns down her kitchen.

I ate at the Bluegrass Kitchen shortly after they first opened, and while I enjoyed my bean burrito, my table mates weren’t as pleased with their meals. The ravioli was cold and the restaurant was out of several different menu items, which was annoying. I subsequently heard from other people about similar hit and miss experiences at this East End eatery.

I really wanted to like the place, since it has reasonably priced food and is conveniently located not too far from my East End quarters. Also, it has a really great-looking interior. I wish there were more places in Charleston that captured the kind of mood at the Bluegrass Kitchen. It has a wonderful tin ceiling, a large chandelier in the center of the room, hardwood floors, and an exposed brick wall lined with local artwork. There are vacant spaces all over town that could be transformed into coffee shops, diners, or bars with similar eclectic, mellow atmospheres. Instead, a new chain with cookie cutter decor seems to appear on Corridor G every other month.

Well, last night I decided to give the Bluegrass Kitchen another try. I’m so glad I did. What caught my eye on the menu this time was a sandwich called “The Perfect Chicken.” I joked that this was a pretty bold claim to make and that I might have to sue for false advertising if the chicken sandwich was not, in fact, perfect. Well, after finishing every last bite of this sandwich, I easily concluded that if they want to call this sandwich The Perfect Chicken, I’m not about to quibble with them.

I’ve eaten a lot of chicken sandwiches. It’s a standard item that I order fairly frequently — the Bluegrass Kitchen’s version is one of the best I’ve had anywhere. The hyphen-happy menu description reads: “Lemon & thyme roasted chicken breast layered with bacon, sun-dried tomato-mayo, and swiss cheese panini-grilled inside-out on artisan French bread with greens and tomato added.” The flavors were fabulous — I could really taste the lemon and thyme on the chicken and those flavors matched well with the tomato mayo and the gooey Swiss cheese.

Aside from the deliciousness factor (which gets a perfect 10 from me), two things stood out as making this a superior chicken sandwich. First, the chicken breast was sliced thinly instead of being placed on the sandwich in one whole piece. That made it much easier to eat. When the breast is served whole, it can sometimes be hard to bite through and can cause the sandwich to fall apart. Second, as the menu description says, the crusty French bread is served inside-out. That also made the sandwich easier to bite through, because the softer interior of the bread is on the outside. They flip the bread around to make it easier to grill the sandwich on a press, resulting in the aforementioned gooey cheese.

A note on paninis: I’m glad to see a proper use of the term on a Charleston menu. Other restaurants play fast and loose with the word “panini” by using it to describe just any old sandwich. If it’s not pressed, it’s not a panini. (I’m talkin’ to you, Soho’s — your sandwiches are mighty tasty, but they ain’t paninis.)

Needless to say, I’ll definitely be returning to the Bluegrass Kitchen to eat that sandwich again and to try more of their other offerings. I suspect the hit-and-miss experiences were the result of some kinks that had to be worked out in the restaurant’s early days. I hope so, because I would hate to see the doors to this unique Charleston spot have to close.
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IF YOU GO: Bluegrass Kitchen, 1600 Washington Street East (at the intersection of Washington & Elizabeth Streets)
HOURS: Mon. to Thurs. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. (brunch 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.), Sun. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. (brunch only).
WEB SITE: bluegrasswv.com (Includes menus and photos of the truly remarkable renovation.)
EXTRAS: free Wi-Fi access, brunch on weekends, wine and beer.

I am an unapologetic lover of bar food in its myriad greasy forms. But I think the Riverside Anchor is operating on an entirely different plane of bar food goodness. Even at the best watering holes, the food is almost an afterthought — a way to get you to stay if you’re hungry or fill you with salty stuff to make you guzzle more beer. The Anchor has all of the usual greasy suspects like burgers and wings, but often with unique twists. Their sandwiches, called “squeaks,” aren’t served on bread, but rather in what is best described as a folded pizza crust. The catcher’s mitt-sized chicken squeak is so incredibly good, it’ll get its own review another day.

But what really dazzles me about the Anchor is the Tomato Pie, which might be the best pizza in Charleston. In a bar (be it one with a family atmosphere). How many bars these days even have pizza? Oh, and with another unique twist, they don’t call it “pizza.” (They do have something called pizza on the menu, but to be clear, what I’m talking about is the Anchor’s Tomato Pie.) Sometimes I actually have a hard time talking about the Tomato Pie without crying. It’s that damn good. It’s a somewhat thin crust, brushed with a garlic oil, then topped with juicy pieces of chunky tomato. No sauce, because it doesn’t need it. Then it’s sprinkled with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, and the toppings of your choice (I usually go for pepperoni and onion). It’s simple, but recipes like this are so rare on menus — something the cook likely dreamed up for himself years ago through trial and error and in the process created a minor masterpiece. Seriously, people. Look at this:

The Anchor’s Tomato Pies are also remarkably consistent. Everything is browned perfectly every single time — something even dedicated pizza joints can’t seem to nail down. Are they using one of those fancy conveyor ovens? One time I ventured past the forest of vintage outboard motors to sneak a peak into the kitchen, and this much was clear — they’re not messing around back there. The Anchor might just be a restaurant masquerading as a bar.

Another example — crab stuffed portobello mushroom caps:

For those of you gawking along at home, these are stuffed with crab, cream cheese, onion and celery. I hate to use lame menu-speak, but if this isn’t browned to perfection, I don’t know what is.

– By Josh Saul

IF YOU GO: The Riverside Anchor 3315 Kanawha Blvd E., Charleston, WV 25306
CALL: 304-925-9902 (Phone ahead & they’ll have your pie ready when you arrive!)
EXTRAS: Vintage outboard boat motors, family atmosphere, “take & bake” pie.

I was walking around Capitol Market over the weekend with my partner in food blog crime. We were hoping to get our hands on some ramps and morels, but they were all sold out. Instead, we headed for the back of the market to browse around the best section — the wine & cheese shop. We bought a couple of 22-ounce bottles of Rogue (Juniper Pale Ale and Chipotle Ale) and a chunk of Red Dragon cheese.

Red Dragon is a Welsh cheddar made with beer and whole grain mustard with a strong spicy bite to it. Nibbling on a few morsels then washing them down with some mildly spicy Chipotle Ale really killed the roof of my mouth (which was still raw from the Graziano’s pizza that had burned me earlier in the day). Mouth injury aside, both the beer and the cheese were quite delicious.

While making my way through the market from the produce section, past the chocolates and the coffee shop, through the fish market and the meat market, then finally arriving at the wine & cheese shop, I remarked on the one glaring omission — where’s the bakery? It seems like a logical addition to the market. Maybe they’ve thought of it but they just haven’t found anyone to fill the spot.

Well, my dreams of fresh bread in Charleston have been answered, not from within the Capitol Market, but just a block away. Through the food rumor mill, I learned last week that a new bakery was about to open on the corner of Capitol & Christopher streets. I first heard about it from Bill Lynch, who got to try some free samples in advance of opening. I asked a friend who’s usually up on local food happenings if she knew anything about it, and she said she heard that the proprietors went to the King Arthur Flour baking school. Though she hasn’t tasted the bread, she walks by there on a regular basis and says it passes the smell test.

I decided to do a drive-by to scope things out. I spoke to a woman who was exiting the store carrying a big loaf of crusty bread spinkled with poppy seeds. She said that the owner was hoping to open up on Friday morning. She had also managed to procure a free sample. The place looked like it was still undergoing finishing touches (someone inside was applying a final coat of paint to the walls). But there were racks of various kinds of delicious looking crusty breads fresh out of the oven that, if they taste as good as they look, will most likely cause customers to overlook any minor unfinished remodeling tasks.

Though there’s no sign yet, apparently the bakery is called Charleston Bread. I haven’t had a chance to taste the wares myself, but I’d love to hear assessments in the comments from anyone who has.

Ah, risotto. Rich, creamy, open to endless variations–it is perhaps the most wonderful thing that can be done with rice. But have you ever seen risotto on a menu in Charleston? Hey, me neither. I’ve heard the urban food legend about risotto once being on the menu at Blossom. But these days, if you want risotto around here you’re probably going to have to make it yourself. So, why is risotto an endangered item on restaurant menus? Well, I can think of a few reasons, but here’s the biggie: while risotto only takes about 20 minutes to cook, for those 20 minutes it requires the chef’s undivided attention. Not many restaurants can afford to keep a chef working on a single dish for that long.

Thankfully, risotto isn’t difficult to prepare at home. All it requires are few good ingredients, a little technique and some time. If you’ve never tried it, there are some wonderful resources on the internet like this one that will walk you through the process step by step. It all starts with arborio rice from Italy. IMPORTANT: you can’t use just any ol’ kind of rice for this. There are options available, but for now, just stick with arborio. It’s not hard to track down, but like many mid-range food items, you’re not going to find it at Wal-Mart.

Another thing about risotto: you must absolutely have everything ready to go before you start. It’s not much–butter (that’s right, hippies), diced onion, chopped mushrooms (fresh and dried), the reserved water they were reconstituted in, chopped parsley and grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. And of course, two other essential ingredients (not exactly pictured)–a glass of white wine and 5 or so cups of homemade stock. I make my own duck stock, then reduce it way down and do the Julia Child trick–freeze it like ice cubes. But alas, that’s another post.

Only after you have your meez squared away can you begin. Sweat the onions in a generous amount of butter with a pinch of salt. When they become translucent, jack the heat up to medium-high and add the rice. From this point on, you must stir constantly. You cannot leave the stove, period. No changing the CD. No leaving to see what’s happening on ‘American Chopper’ or ‘Idol.’ Stir constantly–you want the rice to toast slightly, but the onions should take on no color at all. After about a minute, when everything smells nice and nutty, add at least a glass of that wine you’re drinking, and the mushrooms. Keep the heat as high as you can without letting things burn. Continue to stir until the rice absorbs almost all of the wine. After that happens, add almost all of the reserved broth from the mushrooms (being careful NOT to pour in the sediment), stirring gently and constantly until it is nearly all cooked away. It won’t be long. As you’ll see, arborio rice will absorb an amazing amount of liquid.

Now– set a timer for 15 minutes. From this point on, things are very straightforward. Add the hot stock or broth to the pan one ladle at a time until it’s almost absorbed; then add another ladle–you know where this is going. Do I have to remind you to never stop stirring? Enjoy it. Find your quiet place. Think about that novel you’re going to write. Drink what’s left of that bottle of wine.As you add the broth, the rice’s outer layer of starch will disolve, producing the creamy goodness you’re after.

When 15 minutes have elapsed, start tasting the risotto. You’re looking for texture. The risotto should be creamy, and the individual rice grains should be al dente–firm to the bite, but not crunchy. It should take about 3 more minutes. Keep adding stock. If you run out, use hot water. When all is well, stir in at least 1/4 cup of the grated Parmigiano.

If you’re really feeling like a cowboy, add a knob of butter. Salt and pepper to taste; garnish with the remaining cheese and the chopped parsley. See what a mere 20 minutes in front of a stove will get you?

Pictured above: Sex on a spoon.

Blogger Josh’s Wild Mushroom Risotto for 2

Butter (a lot)
1 cup arborio rice (find at Kroger)
5 cups homemade stock or broth, or one 32 ounce carton of store bought organic low sodium chicken broth + 1 cup water. Whichever you use, keep it hot on the stove as you add it to the risotto. If you run out, use hot water.
1 glass of white wine
1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Please. Even Wal-Mart has this–don’t make me turn the car around.
1/4 cup diced shiitake mushrooms–or fresh morels, if you can find them (dream a little dream).
Around 1/4 reconstituted dried mushrooms. Dried porcini, morels or portobella all work well. Use a couple of different kinds if possible. Soak them in a cup of warm water for at least an hour. Save the water–that’s mushroom broth now. Except for the grit at the bottom–that’s sand.
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley (at long last, and to much fanfare, finally available at the Ashton Place Kroger)

Looks like they’ve given up on outdoor dining at Cafe Paris in downtown Charleston.

Now that we’ve finally got consistently warm weather, I’ve really been in the mood to dine outdoors. I don’t know what it is, but something about eating outside just makes the food taste better. I’m working on a little back porch oasis of my own, but in the meantime, where are all the good places to eat outside in Charleston? There aren’t many. Off the top of my head, I can only think of a handful.

I had been wondering why that is. My guess was that maybe it gets a little too hot and humid here in the summer and people wouldn’t want to eat outdoors. But creating some good shade with a little foliage and some umbrellas isn’t all that difficult, so this doesn’t seem like an adequate explanation.

Over some delicious Herb Rotisserie Turkey Club sandwiches at the Blossom Deli recently, a co-worker provided another possible answer - apparently there’s a law or an ordinance or something that prohibits people from drinking alcohol in locations visible to the public. My co-worker said he has spoken to the owner of Cafe de Paris, and that’s why the sidewalk tables didn’t really work out - nobody could drink wine out there.

I haven’t put my crack legal research skills to work yet to find out exactly what this proscription says and whether it’s a state law or a city ordinance. Maybe some reader out there knows for sure and can save me some time. (Come on, help a pale-faced blogger out.) My co-worker did add that as long as there is some barrier that hides the scandalous sight of people imbibing alcoholic beverages (think of the children!), then the establishment would be in compliance with the law.

For example, the outdoor seating at Chili’s and Tidewater at the mall is permissible because the fence and the hedges partially conceal the sinners - er, I mean diners. But what about Sam’s on Capitol Street? I’ve enjoyed one of their fantastic cheeseburgers with a pint (or three) out on the little 2nd floor balcony. Is that not visible to the public? Also, just as creating shade doesn’t seem all that complicated or costly, how hard is it to put up a barrier, and wouldn’t the owner want some kind of barrier in most cases anyway?

Like former Gazzblogger Laura “Musicwench” Allen’s crusade against the law limiting the alcohol content of beer sold within the state (which was sadly unsuccessful), I’d like to get to the bottom of this backwards law that is depriving the people of Charleston of some much-needed sun and fresh air with our meals. In the meantime, does anyone out there know of some good outdoor spots that I may be missing out on?

– By Jennifer Hughes