By Brooke A. Brown

More than a couple of times in recent weeks I’ve found myself having lunch at the South Hills Market and Café. You guys know about this place, right? It used to be affiliated with the Bridge Road Bistro before it broke ties with that restaurant and, under new ownership, became something else. And then it went away and was vacant for a while. But it’s back, baby (under new ownership once again), and it is better than ever.

So good, in fact, that I keep forgetting to take pictures of the place. And that’s why I’m borrowing a few from area blogger Oncee, who apparently used his iPhone to snap a few good ones (thank you, sir).

What’s really nice about this latest version of the market is that they have a handful of tables and chairs where one can casually dine on gourmet soups and salads, delicious wraps and sandwiches. And they even serve – get this – breakfast. It was just yesterday that I had a cup of the roasted tomato soup, the roasted turkey sandwich with red onion marmalade, which is served on cranberry bread, and a side of pastini – tiny pearls of pasta mixed with spinach, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and black olives. Read the rest of this entry »

By Brooke A. Brown

So I’m at the movies recently with my Lovely Miss S and our good friend Kaarms.  After purchasing tickets (for Juno, a wonderful little film) and deciding upon which sweet treat to best complement our salty popcorn, we found ourselves in familiar territory: butter on the popcorn? And if so, how much?

Some of us instinctively ask for ‘lots’ of butter upon ordering the popcorn. Others ask for ‘just a bit’ after they’ve given it a second thought. But something strange and somewhat beautiful happened on this fateful night. Upon our various requests for butter application, the girl behind the counter at Park Place Stadium Cinemas simply pointed our attention to a new station set up directly behind us – a self-buttering station!

That’s right, folks. You can now control how much butter goes onto your popcorn. Kaarms equated this revelation as being like a “hug from Jesus,” and with great flair soaked her kernels in melted, sweet-creamery goodness (so much so that the wax-lined bag later proved penetrable, leaving a buttery reminder of this historic event on her lap). Miss S reveled in the process, as well, and quickly mastered the single button applicator.

Now, I have no idea if this is a national trend, but it’s definitely the first time I’ve encountered such a thing. Will it last? Only time will tell. But I will tell you this: being able to butter your own bag or bucket of movie popcorn almost makes it worth the exorbitant expense.

Remember when you thought Burgundy was a red wine that came in big green jugs? Watch WineBoy 26 and you’ll get the skinny on Burgundy (a place in France where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay rule) and the other distinct wine appellations in that country that some Americans love to hate — except when they order wine.

Brown will also tell you about the principal wines in each of those regions after which WineBoy nemesis, Pierre N’Cest Pas, will offer his scathing critique of his performance. Tune in and be both educated and entertained.

“Bread is the king of the table and all else is merely the court that surrounds the king.” -Louis Bromfield

“If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens.” -Robert Browning

“I’ve never baited a hook with a rye before.”
-Jerry Seinfeld

By Brooke A. Brown

I don’t know about you, but I can recall several instances where I’ve found myself saying that the best part of the meal was the bread. Now, such a statement can either be an actual compliment to the bread, or a smack-down to everything that followed. For the sake of this post, I want to focus on the former.

To me, there are only a handful of restaurants in Charleston where the bread takes on a starring role. In my humble view, the top 3 are as follows:

1. The Poppyseed Rolls at Tidewater Grill
2. The Garlic Nan at Sitar of India
3. The Pita Bread at Morocco’s (sorry, no web link… but visit them at 1604 Washington Street)

Who am I leaving out? List your favorites (ranked or not) in the comments below.

By Brooke A. Brown

To celebrate our recent “spring forward,” as well as the fact that Easter is just a few weeks away, I wanted to somehow feature a favorite sugary snack of mine that magically appears on grocery store shelves this time of year. Now, I’ve heard of roasting marshmallow Peeps on camping trips. I’ve even heard tale of Peeps crashing fondue parties. But I’ve never seen anything quite like this before:

COOKING WITH PEEPS!

Yes, those are green peppers in the pan along with some finely chopped garlic and a mixture of pink Peeps bunnies and chicks. The recipe for Peppers and Peeps Stir-Fry doesn’t specify which color of Peeps to use, but one must admit that the pink variety strike a vibrant contrast to the strips of green bell peppers.

Before you cast this off as a total joke, it must be noted that Peeps have actually become a favorite gourmet ingredient in recent years. The Peeps web site proudly mentions this in its list of “Fun Facts,” promoting their effectiveness in applications such as the aforementioned fondue, as well as créme brulée, cappuccino toppings and s’mores.

As for the Peppers and Peeps Stir Fry? Sure, it’s a funny and, perhaps, inspired use of Peeps in a non-traditional sense. But for the sake of our collective palates… let’s just agree that this one is a joke.

Feel free to share your reci-Peeps in the comments below. And please clarify any preferences that may apply (color, bunny vs. chick, staleness, etc.).

By Brooke A. Brown

When one thinks of having lunch in Charleston, several places immediately come to mind: Blossom Deli, First Watch, Graziano’s, Rio Grande, Sam’s Hot Dogs, Sitar of India, Tidewater… the list is certainly familiar to fellow downtown laborers. There’s a place, however, that is oft forgotten, and probably for good reason considering its location. But the promise of free parking, not to mention really good food, might be enough to bring it to the forefront of the “what’s for lunch?” debate.

The Charleston Marriott has pretty much always housed restaurants that serve good food, but one was typically high-end and pricey (Tarragon Room) while the other offered a simpler menu and severely dated environs (Allie’s American Grille). All that has changed with the phasing out/closing of the former and renovation/relaunch of the latter as the Whitewater Grille. Read the rest of this entry »

“Coffee should be black as Hell, strong as death, and sweet as love.” -Turkish Proverb

By Brooke. A. Brown

Starbucks Corp. recently announced that it would be closing nearly all of its shops in the U.S. today – that’s over 7,000 locations, half of which are situated directly across the street from one another.

I should probably clarify that the closing will be a temporary one, lasting just long enough (three hours, to be exact) for company officials, managers, what-have-you to administer a refresher course on espresso standards. Let’s call it a Barista Re-Boot Camp. Here are the details. (And if you find your local Starbucks closed, head fast to a Dunkin Donuts, which is leaping into the fray and from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. today selling small lattes, cappuccinos and espressos for 99 cents.)

So why is this necessary? According to Forbes.com, the world’s largest coffee house chain is seeing diminishing traffic due to increased competition, a poor economy and, apparently, sloppily prepared espresso beverages. Could it be that fast coffee service is not necessarily the best delivery method?

I’d say it’s quite encouraging that a mega-corporation such as Starbuck’s would, first of all, admit there’s a quality control issue. That takes guts. But it’s also impressive that they’re doing something about it in such a public way. That takes brains, not to mention an first-class public relations firm.

Not for nothing, but you’ve got less than an hour to satiate your Tuesday, February 26th late-afternoon Starbucks fix!

By Brooke A. Brown

Kanawha United Presbyterian Church is set to kick-off the Spring 2008 version of their popular Kanawha Forum program series on Wednesday, March 5. The always well-attended series offers a free, noon-time musical concert in the church’s sanctuary, and then a delectably gourmet luncheon in the adjoining fellowship hall. The luncheons, which cost a mere $10 and are lovingly prepared by an all-volunteer staff, are available by pre-paid reservations and always feature a soup, salad, bread and dessert, not to mention a beverage sampler of tea, coffee and, sometimes, lemonade.

The schedule, complete with a list of performances and detailed menu items, is as follows: Read the rest of this entry »

Click to watch ‘WineBoy’ Webcast

Ever get in a wine-drinking rut, sipping the same old, same old same old - chardonnay, pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc? Join ‘WineBoy’ John Brown for some tips on three alternative whites that will reinvigorate your palate and provide a nice change-up to the wines you usually select. Then WineBoy’s cowboy pal - Spud Dumplin’ - makes a guest appearance to show his displeasure over the abrupt departure of a certain football coach. Watch as Spud serves up some chuckwagon wisdom by sharing his poem: “Owed (Ode) to Coach Rod. ”