“First Watch’s light and airy, made-to-order Belgian waffle is easily the most delicious I’ve ever tasted, and a delicacy I’ve ordered dozens of times,” says Brooke Brown. | Photo by Stacey Angel

By Brooke A. Brown

The Charleston breakfast scene that slowly rises and shines every weekend morning pretty much consists of your standard run-of-the-mill A.M. fare: biscuit sandwiches, omelets, salt-cured meats, pancakes or some unruly combination of all these things (the Paul Bunyan sampler?). This conventional selection is probably a good thing considering most of us don’t have the wherewithal to fully appreciate a deconstructed donut – its decadent accoutrements (sprinkles, glaze, jelly and/or cream fillings) served artfully and separately from the naked pastry – before reaching maximum caffeine intake, if ever at all. I mean, why would you mess with the perfection that is a donut?

The point I’m attempting to make is that with these traditional breakfast offerings, the extraordinary items truly shine. Take for instance the “Tri-fecta” at First Watch, at 164 Summers Street in downtown Charleston. The menu describes the selection as such: ‘A light and airy, made-to-order Belgian waffle, with two eggs cooked any way you like and your choice of thick-sliced bacon, turkey bacon or sausage.’ (more…)

By Mike Dillion

Here is the first installment of my search for a new “favorite” Chinese restaurant. My wife, Shanda, her daughter, Sara and I decided to try one of the newer places, Peking Chinese Super Buffet and Grill, at 6309 MacCorkle Avenue, SE, in Kanawha City . As the three of us were ready for a fairly quick dinner, we opted for a buffet, rather than waiting for menu-ordered entrees.

To be honest, it probably isn’t possible for anyone to eat any type cuisine and not compare it to their established favorite and I’m no exception. Call it your personal “gold standard,” if you will. So I’ll admit to beginning this quest with a jaded palate. I know what I like and where to find it, and I felt like I was betraying an old friend. However, in the name of research…

For starters, the restaurant was a cookie-cutter Chinese buffet in price ($5.99 lunch, $8.59 dinner, both including the Mongolian bar), appearance, and decor. See one, you’ve seen ‘em all. No ambience whatsoever. But it was very clean, the wait staff attentive, and the food on the buffet mostly fresh, plentiful, and varied. All in all, not a bad first impression. But from there, it’s a roller coaster ride. (more…)

By Brooke A. Brown

When life hands you lemons… I suggest you grab ‘em by the bag-ful. Those little yellow treasures are expensive, especially the trendy Meyer lemons (which can be found at The Purple Onion at Capitol Market, by the way). Now before I get too far off track, let’s reel this thing in a bit and focus. Where was I? We were talking about lemons. The summer months are upon us. I titled this entry with half of a famous saying. Ah, yes…

Lemonade. Apparently one has to be in the cheesesteak business in order to also be in the homemade lemonade industry. Lucky for Charlestonians, there’s a bounty of such eating establishments in the area. But I’m here to discuss only one: The Sub Shop at 807 Quarrier Street. And I’m not going to mention how excellent their sandwiches are, or how tasty their fries, well… taste (no trans fats!). Nope. I’m just going to talk about their refreshingly delicious, ice-cold version of, what were we talking about? Oh yeah… (more…)

Whether you have your dog on a traditional or a grilled English bun, Sam’s are better, hands down. | Photo by Mike Dillion

By Mike Dillion

“Hmmm…” you say to yourself, “his second post here is about hot dogs.” So be it.

I love good food. Not necessarily food that is good for me, but food that tastes good. Whatever happens to be on the plate in front of me doesn’t have to be fancy, so long as it as it is properly prepared in a clean, sanitary environment. (Take that to mean I’ve given up eating at Charleston Town Center restaurants for the time being. I pay fairly close attention to the health inspection listings in the Charleston Newspapers, as well as the reviews in Patrick McMurtry’s “Behind The Kitchen Door” series at www.wchstv.com.)

Which brings us back to hot dogs. Not just any hot dogs, mind you, rather those at the Sam’s Hot Dog Stand/TCBY outlet at 57 MacCorkle Avenue in South Charleston. This is definitely not an upscale restaurant. No over-priced coffee beverages, no Wi-Fi, no sofas on which to lounge. Just a few no-frills tables-for-two and a half-dozen seats at a counter in the front window overlooking MacCorkle Avenue and the former FMC (now Clearon Corporation) fly ash pond. Eat, clear your table, hit the door. (more…)

As I inventoried the buffet, I was taken aback by the vegetarian spread that lay before me. | Photo by Douglas Imbrogno

By M. James Street

When I think of Middle Eastern cuisine, the first thoughts that come to mind are lamb, lamb and more lamb. You can imagine my surprise when a friend of mine who’s a vegan (that’s a vegetarian who doesn’t consume eggs, butter or dairy) suggested we go to Sahara’s Restaurant, 189 Summers Street, for the lunch buffet.

As I inventoried the buffet, I was taken aback by the vegetarian spread that lay before me. I happily piled green beans with cabbage, fava beans, carrots with potatoes, and eggplant atop mounds of fluffy yellow rice. One of my favorite features, however, was the endless supply of hummus and pita. Exotic spices were used in just the right amount to flavor the food — in fact, they weren’t so overpowering that I couldn’t taste the vegetables beneath them. As delicious as the dishes were individually, the combined flavors proved to be even better. The eggplant, for example, was just tangy enough to help out the blander flavor of the potato carrot dish. (more…)

Photo by Douglas Imbrogno

By Brooke A. Brown

Settle down, spellcheckers of the world. You’re collective eyes are not betraying you in the headline above. But if you’ve been lucky enough to experience Keeley Steele’s delectable Key Lime Pie at her Bluegrass Kitchen, 1600 Washington St. East, you understand the need to tag this classic dessert with a new John Henry. So what exactly makes for a nice slice of Key Lime Pie? To my buds, there are 3 necessary components:

1. Creamy texture
2. Appropriate sweet-to-sour ratio
3. Graham cracker crust

Now this sounds like an easy enough of a thing to accomplish, but with Keeley’s heavenly version, God is definitely in the details. First of all, the texture is light and creamy, landing softly on the smoothness-scale somewhere between creme brulée and cheesecake. It’s like buttah! At first bite, the subtle sweetness is enhanced by the creamy texture. But as your eyes slowly swim to the back of your head, a certain twang suddenly appears and sends them immediately forward. It’s not a bitter awakening, mind you, rather a gentle, good day sunshine sort of an arrangement. It’s the perfect sour yin to sweet yang. (more…)

Photo by Douglas Imbrogno

By M. James Street

It’s true that definitions of vegetarianism vary from one person to the next. Having said this, I am often asked if I consume dairy, eggs and seafood. The answers are yes, yes and no. Taking my dietary restrictions into consideration, I have found that I can eat quite well while dining out in Charleston, W.Va. However, I sometimes find myself limited to the same menu item for one particular restaurant if it’s not exactly conducive to requests and creativity.

One restaurant that has consistently stepped up to the plate in accommodating my requests, however, has been Ichiban, 103 Capitol St. Although a ‘Pan-Asian’ restaurant with a sushi bar may seems like an unlikely place to find vegetarian grub, many items can be found on the menu to make anyone’s tummy happy. Who could resist snacking on edamame while Vic, the sushi chef supreme, prepares rolls filled with your choice of carrots, avocado, daikon, cucumber, cream cheese, sesame, sprouts… well, the possibilities are endless. (more…)

By Mike Dillion

Is it just me, or does anyone else out there despair when forced to choose from among several sinfully described desserts listed on a menu? Or even worse, to have a set of those flip cards placed on the table so you are forced to look at the beautiful, full-color, glossy photo’s of all the aforementioned treats?

I’ve often wondered why restaurants don’t offer a dessert sampler. Think about it. Nearly every restaurant that offers appetizers as menu offerings has an appetizer sampler platter, where patrons may order small portions of two, three, or perhaps even more offerings from the available choices. When paired with a side item or two, these platters can serve as a fine and diverse meal. I know, because I’ve done it quite a few times. (more…)

By Brooke A. Brown

Only in West Virginia could a curry be lovingly dubbed a gravy. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Contrary to popular belief, Sitar of India, 702 Lee Street, offers so much more than its much-ballyhooed Chicken Tikka Masala. Don’t get me wrong: this particular bally is certainly worthy of much hooing, especially for first-time diners. The gravy is bright, creamy and naturally milder than other menu selections, and the chicken is tender and juicy. But this dish is far from being the restaurant’s only star.

For instance, the Vindaloo (Vinda who?) gravy packs an immediate tang to the tongue, thanks in large part to a healthy application of vinegar to the sauce. The lightness of the vinegar barely masks the variety of exotic spices and therefore delivers a much more pronounced level of heat than the weightier, more absorbent cream-based gravies. How hot is it? Let’s put it this way: unlike other dishes at the Sitar, the Vindaloo cannot be ordered mild. (more…)