Catfish Row - A Quaint Spot of Reflection

Catfish Row, formerly known as Cabbage Row, was the inspiration for the novel, Porgy, by Dubose Heyward. Later, Heyward partnered with George Gershwin to rent a house on Folly Beach to create the play Porgy and Bess, where they would travel by boat each day to write the script. The term "Cabbage Row" originated in a slum area off Church Street just past Tradd, where three-storied houses line up to form a row. The name was changed to Catfish Row after the collaboration between Heyward and Gershwin developed into the dramatic play we've come to know so well in Charleston.

Inhabitants would place cabbage and other vegetables on their window sills for sale during these poor times. Black families, descendants from freed slaves, would live together, sometimes 10 families at a time. The main character for Porgy and Bess, Sammy Smalls, was said to have been an angry crippled black fellow who was thought to have murdered several people. There are many myths with regard to his burial grounds. In keeping with black culture during the time, his grave should not have been dug North to South as his was. The tradition of digging from North to South was for those who died accidentally and "rooted", meaning that the person had been "fixed" or turned via Voodoo or witchcraft. With Smalls, this was not the case. As such, his soul was left to haunt an unknown assailant indefinitely. There are mutterings that his soul still inhabits downtown to this day.

Currently, private homes and businesses make up the local market in the area that has seen much change over the past few years. No longer slums, renovations have been made to improve downtown Charleston with the preservation of these beautiful vignettes. If you get a chance, wander through some of the side streets of Downtown, or better yet take a tour with one of the fabulous guides sprinkled throughout the area. There are many historical stories behind discreet little spots such as this. You'll definitely want to take your camera with you.

Chef's Kitchen Tour - a Culinary Tale

We had a chance to attend a Chef's Kitchen Tour and led by Hoon Calhoun. Hoon, a local resident who has grown up in the area, guided us through the Upper King Street menagerie of great eats to introduce us to the chefs that have developed a reputation for some of the best food in town. We were running late and had gotten turned around, so we met the crew at their first destination of the day, Glazed Gourmet Doughnuts.

At first sight, to look at Hoon Calhoun, you recognize one of the reasons that Charleston is considered the friendliest city in the nation. His giant smile with glistening eyes are topped with a straw hat that only serve to highlight his genial nature. As we were all parched from having marched along King Street to reach Glazed, he affably served water and coffee while introducing us to Mary Smith, manager of the store and mother of founder Allison Smith. As she begins to tell us about the origin of the shop, she offers us samples of an Apple Bacon Fritter, a Chocolate Glazed Doughnut, and an Orange Cardamom cake style doughnut with imported Belgian chocolate sprinkles dotting the top.

Amazing. As you can imagine, the fine doughnuts made with only 7 ingredients are made fresh every day. Bakers arrived between 2-2:30am to begin the long process of mixing, folding, letting the yeast dough rest, then cooking, filling and glazing the final products. Two bakers create 12 flavors each morning and use only fresh ingredients with no preservatives. It takes 4-4 1/2 hours for the doughnuts to be processed, and the store will close once the doughnuts are sold out. "We can't make any more," Smith explains. "It takes too long. Once we're out, we're out!" The sweet treats are so good that Rachel Ray requested a sample for her magazine, Every Day with Rachel Ray. The story Ms. Smith tells of how the sample gets delivered is comical, and you can see far a mother will go to protect her child's prized possessions on the New York City subways.



Saying goodbye to Mary, we traveled just down the street the The MacIntosh. Chef Jacob Huder describes how he came to work with Chef Jeremiah Bacon, one of Charleston's leading chefs and James Beard Award winner. Huder grew up in Atlanta and headed out to Yellowstone National Park after graduating from high school. Eventually, he came to Charleston and attended the Art Institute's Culinary program. Once finished, he approached Bacon at Carolina's and begged to work with him. Bacon took him on, and they have moved on to work together at various Indigo Road restaurants. Jeremiah Bacon oversees all the Indigo restaurants, while Huder is the head chef at the MacIntosh. Being that Upper King Street is a fairly new destination for high end restaurants, the MacIntosh has an impressive 3 year anniversary coming up.

Huder shows us the large round kitchen set up in a French style brigade system that was made famous by Chef Georges Auguste Escoffier in the 19th century. The garde manger, saucier, patissier, entremettier, and rotisseur chefs are arranged in a circular pattern to maintain continuity and eye contact. A well-oiled system allows the chefs to create appetizers within 5 minutes of an order, and entrees usually are ready 5-7 minutes after the appetizer has been consumed. He describes some of the more interesting items the kitchen is known for, including but not limited to, seafood dishes such as fish bologna and other seafood charcuteries. An important note is that the Indigo chefs work closely with the Sustainable Seafood Initiative, and they are focused on providing fish purchased from sustainable farms.

"Working in the restaurant industry is a lot of hard work and is a passion," say Chef Huder. "I work about 90 hours a week. We offer dinner and brunch of Sundays...and will do a 3 (course meal) for $40 during Restaurant Week." All that hard work shows, and as we leave we take a final look at the interesting decor at the MacIntosh. Le Creuset is a sponsor of the restaurant, and deep blue pots and pans line the shelves of the open kitchen. Every table is created by reclaimed doors that have been fashioned into shiny tabletops. As Hoon says, "Charleston looooooooves its doors." Yes, we do. It's an unusual setting, but it works for this restaurant.



As we head to Prohibition, Hoon makes a "surprise visit" to Jeni's Ice Cream. We all pile in and eagerly look into the bins, as he cajoles the owner to let us sample an ice cream that was made with Charleston in mind. The Sweet Cream with Run Molasses and Peanuts ice cream we were offered was a sweet concoction of caramel goodness. One small bite teased you with peanuts and creamy ice cream with just the right amount of the rum molasses. Happy to have the unscheduled tasting, we happily skipped over to meet Chef Stephen Thompson, head chef at Prohibition.

When we walk into Prohibition, we were immediately overwhelmed by the sheer cleanliness of the place. Stools sat upon tables, and everything was spotlessly clean. The scent of antibacterial cleaners hit us directly in the nose, and as we worked our way back to the kitchen window, it became apparent that this was going to be a little different from the rest. Chef Stephen Thompson appeared behind the window to greet us, and he described how his very tiny kitchen works. It's shaped like a chute. Imagine cramming 7 or 8 people into about a 10-12 foot long working space, and you start to have a clue. We learn from Thompson that he actually attended the Art Institute with Chef Huder, and they have a high regard for each other's work.



As he is talking with us, he begins pulling out ingredients that will be used to the night's special, a rabbit roulade. Cutting up an entire rabbit, he enthusiastically describes what he is doing as he filets the meat, then stuffing it with a pepper and manchego cheese. He wraps each of them up into a tightly wound cylinder and sets them in the fridge to set. As we watch the dish form, he pulls one out, rolls it in flour, dips it then into an egg wash and covers it with bread crumbs and tosses it into the fryer for a few minutes. Once it has cooked thoroughly, he proudly presents to us 7 pieces of the most succulent rabbit I've ever put in my mouth. Unknowingly, we would again get to sample this completed dish later in the evening on the Mixology Tour that would also take us to Prohibition.



The tour leads us to Callie's Biscuits, which has only been open on King Street for about 5 weeks. This restaurant boasts selling and shipping over 600,000 biscuits a year for the past 9 years. As it has grown, the owner, Carrie Morey, decided to open up a shop in the ever growing Upper King Stret location. As we squeeze into the tiny restaurant, we jostle past servers and cooks delivering mouthwatering dishes to hungry lunch patrons. Chicken biscuits were the special of the day, and huge chicken breasts filled out the biscuits that have made Morey famous. Since it was approaching the busy lunch hour, we didn't stay long, but we tasted her famous Fiery Pimento Cheese on Buttered Biscuits before heading off to enjoy lunch ourselves.



Our last stop landed us at Virginia's on King. We were taken upstairs and seated at a long table with water promptly served. The staff was a little overwhelmed, as a wedding party had arrived early and had taken over the bar. Cheers and hoots were heard downstairs, but were forgotten quickly as Hoon began regaling us with stories from the south. His candor and knowledge of foodie history was entertaining and informative, and we hardly noticed the time as our lunch was served. Broccoli infused cornbread was sent first, and as we bit into the moist morsels, we learn that they are made with cottage cheese. Cottage cheese? Although surprising, the little bites were tasty and not too sweet. If anything, they seemed a little healthier than most, and the broccoli was a refreshing variant on an old favorite. We were served Chicken and Dumplings and Shrimp and Grits family style, with each of us getting a nice taste of the hearty dishes. Hoon grinned his quirky grin as we finished our plates, and he completed his intricate stories of intrigue, gossip, and tales about the flavors of South Carolina.

All in all, this was one of the most fascinating and thoughtful tours I have been on in Charleston. Hoon couldn't have done a better job, and the tour would be fascinating for tourists and locals alike. For true foodies who enjoy a good meal and appreciate a clever chef, it's a great way to learn the planning and processes that make the dishes so complex yet tasty.

Brews Cruise in Charleston

As many of us know, Charleston is all about alcohol. We love to drink, and good beer is just one of our favorite indulgences. Fortuitously, there is the Brews Cruise that is run by a Virginia beer loving transplant, Brent Horner. Brent comes to us after having worked with a friend who runs a similar business elsewhere and has brought a wealth of knowledge about the craftmanship of beer making to our little town nestled on the sea. Running the charter bus at least 6 days a week, he's gained an in-depth appreciation of the local flavors and culture behind the independent distilleries in the Charleston area.

Settling in for the tour on Friday, we were joined by a group of gorgeous young women who were in town for a weekend bachelorette party. They climbed into the bus and giggled as they settled into their comfortable leather seats. Without a doubt, we knew immediately that this was going to be a good time. Brent let out a little snicker as he revved the engine before heading off to our first stop of the day. Chatting nonchalantly, he gave us a brief overview of the city, what the day anticipated, and let us know there was a provided cooler for beer purchases from the distilleries.



The first place we landed on this venture was Palmetto Brewery. As you walk into the brewery, the first thing you'll notice is the high bar surrounded by painted palm fronds, and a full-service tap with approximately 10 types of draught beers to sample. Brent brings our first round of Charleston Lager as we sat around a light wooden table. The hefty pour provided us a fresh start to our languid tasting, and the crisp flavor of the lager slid down nicely as we listened to Brent describe the background of Palmetto's.

Palmetto's is the oldest brewery in SC, starting in the mid-1800's until shutting down during Prohibition in 1913. It was only reopened in 1963. Ed Faulkenstein, owner and designer of the distillery, is an electrical and chemical engineer who took a fancy to making good beer reorganized the brewery to become the huge success that it is today. Under his direction, Palmetto has now produces over 7,000 barrels a year and is distributed statewide.



As we listened to Brent's dialogue, we continued sampling Hootie's Blonde, Amber Ale, an American Pale Ale and Espresso Porter. The Blonde, served locally at Hootie's recent concert, had a nice malty flavor with a fragrant aroma. Taking slow sips and letting the beer sit on the tongue, you could taste its ever-so-slight fruity flavor with a tight clean finish. The Amber Ale, one of the brewery's most popular brands, landed with a caramelly edge to the back of the throat. Smooth and simple, it led nicely to the Espresso Porter, which unexpectedly, resembled a light but sweet coffee on ice - but with an edge. Not too syrupy or heavy, the porter could easily be served with brunch on a Sunday afternoon. Interestingly, the coffee beans are provided by Charleston Coffee Roasters who are located just next door to Palmetto's.

As we readied to leave, we looked around at the artwork displayed throughout the bar area. Gil Shuler, a local graphic artist well known in the community for his work with Awendaw Green, designed many of the palm fronds and logos for differing Palmetto beers. Bright colors and intricately detailed fronds display fun tiki references while drawing your interest to what's served beneath them. Stylish and creative, you leave with a sense of playfulness after partaking of their particular style, both liquidly and in design.



We piled back on the bus and headed next to the Freehouse Brewery, located right off the Ashley River. Having only been open since December 2013, the crafted beverages have a limited supply. Bottling has just begun, with a small distribution going to places like Earth Fare or Total Wine. As we approach the small distillery, we notice it's quaint filtering system making up a large portion of the simple and understated building. The first sample we are offered is Folly's Pride, an ale made with grapefruit zest. The ale is from their summer session and glides easily down the pipes. The grapefruit has a nice back to it yet isn't overpowering.

Brent informs us of the history of Freehouse, explaining, "The name takes after old British pubs that were not owned by breweries. They were able to sell any type of beer, whereas other pubs that were owned by breweries were limited in their distribution to only the beer that was sold by the brewery." Freehouse, as the name suggests, proudly creates beer that reflects this freedom and standard. Scott Koon, the head brewer and former head brewer of Westbrook, helped to develop their organic approach. All materials used are US grown or made, including all of the tanks, hops, sugars and malts. At this time, Freehouse is the only organic distillery in Charleston.



The girls who we were touring with were enjoying their spirits while chatting on the veranda. We were able to capture a picture of the group with our chosen leader with the Ashley River as a backdrop. The owner of Freehouse tells us he's lucky to have found such a nice area to settle the brewery. The patio offers a peaceful solitude for one to meditate and consider the next season's options!



Brent gathers us together to try Grapefruit Juice Ashley, of which we taste while letting the breeze from the river kiss our warm cheeks. This brew, stronger than the last, is blended with the whole of the grapefruit instead of just the zest, and it's a bit more pungent. For myself, this proved to be a bit of a challenge. The acidic aftertaste was overwhelming. However, most everyone else seemed to enjoy it and guzzled their glasses quickly. Skipping on to the next, we tried the Green Door IPA. The hoppy nature of the IPA was exactly what I was looking for, and I happily endeavored to complete the tasting.

Again, as we finished our tour of the brewery, we took note of the brands' artwork. Crosby Jack, an art teacher and mural designer, joined with Shawn Terpak to create the brewery's first design for the initial bottling of Ashley Farmhouse Saison. The label is a linocut design showing the Ashley River from an aerial view with the organic vibe from the Freehouse code of ethics bearing proudly across the frame. The label exudes precisely what the brewers hold dear - the freedom of beer creation, the Ashley River, and old world sustainability that makes their beer so special.

We are then jettied off to the final location, Holy City Brewing, located off Dorchester Road. This place was rocking, and we all bounded happily in like puppies who found a toy into this open and popular haunt. Holy City is more than just a brewery. They are OSHA approved, licensed and ready to sell food as well. They have a large and welcoming area with plastic tables and chairs scattered around. Corn hole and other games sprinkled through the open dirt yard, and people flocked to the bar in thirsty droves. As the time was approaching 5pm, more people dropped by as their work days ended, and we were able to get a real feel for the bar's atmosphere.



At this point, we all were fending for ourselves, with some of us deciding to purchase food from the trucks. Tacos and other goodies were available, and Struggles was serving other goodies from the bar. Struggles, as can be seen from the picture, is named after one of the employee's dogs who was an inherently lazy little bugger. His laid back attitude garnered much attention, and even a veterinarian was called in to make sure he was OK. Seeing nothing wrong with the dog, the employees found it hard to name the little guy and finally settled with Struggles. As with the pup, the bar menu promises to be a little slow, but you can grab a burrito while grabbing a pint of their ecclectic crafts.



Looking around the exterior, we took notice of murals decorating the outer doors. Shawn Williams, a Beaufort artist popular for murals, designed a cityscape showing the edge of Charleston hugging the Ashley River. Hugging the doors leading into the brewery, you're taken aback by the exquisite craftmanship of intrigue and inspiration with another mural being colorfully displayed. Inside, you'll see Patch Whiskey's designs as a work of street art displayed by the bar.



While perusing the art, I decided to indulge in a jalapeno infused porter. The slight kick to the throat had a beautiful flavor, with the taste of the pepper developing as the frothy drink went down. Not too strong with just the right amount of heat, the beer was the best of the day so far for originality. The Hefeweizen, a light German style beer, had a strong banana flavor which was not indicative of ingredients in the slightest! No bananas were used to create the draught. However, the chemical process enhanced a banana and clove inspired delight. Their oatmeal stout was one of the richest, yet lightest, I have ever tasted. The sweet oaty flavor contained within the lushness of the rich brew was a nice finish for the day's tour.

Before we left, we decided to all have one last "shot" to celebrate one of the girl's upcoming nuptials, and Brent eagerly delivered 8 shots of a fresh pale ale for our consumption. Our CHEERS could be heard for blocks. Brent was an excellent host for the tour. We had a great time learning about each brewery, techniques used, local laws and other facts about the process. Each brewery was unique and offered tasty craft beer. By the time we were finished, we all felt a little more happy than before we started. Brent was prepared with snacks and water throughout the adventure, and it was a really cool way to view the city, even as locals, from another perspective.

Gullah Tour

I just love tours. Ghost tours, house tours, art tours - you name it. They are insanely fun to me. This week, we took the Gullah Tour with Alphonso Brown. Read about it and learn more about the Gullah history here. I'll be taking more tours soon, so check back to see what and where to go in Charleston!