I cannot even come close to expressing how pleased I've been with the food scene in South Carolina. "Low country cooking" is absolutely delectable, and I just can't get enough of it. We started out a two week boating trip in Charleston, and were in for quite the treat--literally. The Hominy Grill was our first stop!
The Hominy Grill: Low country cuisine
Visit their website for more info: http://hominygrill.com
The Hominy Grill was recommended to us by many, and for good reason. Big shout out for the recommendation from my bestie, Emily and her husband Max, whose opinions on food I value the most. I fully agree with them that the Hominy Grill is a must try in Charleston.
The Hominy Grill is known for their classic low country cooking and atmosphere. The restaurant is located in the middle of a residential neighborhood, a little ways out of the main area of Charleston. We took a cab there, and as we approached I could immediately identify the restaurant by the huge mural on it's side, with the wisest words I've ever read: "Grits are good for you." I literally could not wait to get inside.
While we waited for our drinks on the outdoor patio, we were impressed to see that there was a little window to the bar for customers to order drinks! Obviously we took the opportunity to have this experience, and ordered "The southern G & T" and the "Blackberry Collins." Both drinks were great, though the Blackberry Collins was particularly unique and refreshing--made with honeysuckle vodka, lemonade, and blackberry syrup.
Our friendly waitress made some ordering suggestions, all of which we took. Our party of four each ordered a different item, and we of course did a lot of taste testing of each dish. Our order, including appetizers, is listed below:
Fried chicken breast: collectively our whole table thought these were incredible. They had just the right amount of crunch and grease, and somehow didn't make us feel like we had over indulged before the entrees had come out.
Fried green tomatoes: we were a little bit less obsessed with these. There wasn't a whole lot of flavor to the actual tomatoes and breading. However, there was a homemade ranch sauce that accompanied the tomatoes, which I didn't eat because I'm an anti condiment weirdo. Perhaps wit the sauce the tomatoes would have been a bigger hit.
Shrimp and Grits: Pictured above, these were some of the most classic, simple, and delicious shrimp and grits I have tried. The grits had a perfect texture, not to soft, and not to hard. The mushrooms were a nice touch, and the scallions added a nice crunch. As a Bostonian who considers herself a shrimp and grits expert (you can laugh) I think these were a classic interpretation of the low country classic.
Shrimp Bog: To us Northerners, this dish seemed quite similar to shrimp and grits, but a bit soupier. The andouille sausage added a lot of flavor.
Catfish Creole: This dish highlighted okra and a sweet tomato-like sauce that I couldn't help myself from picking at all night. Too bad it wasn't my plate...
Catfish Creole
COCONUT LAYER CAKE: I don't know how I've lived a happy life for the last 29 years without knowing of the existence of coconut layer cake. Our waitress told us that it was a Charleston specialty. The cream cheese based frosting was a perfect compliment to the unbelievable cake packed with coconut. I can't stop thinking about this dessert. I officially am adding this to my summer bucket list: bake a semi-decent coconut layer cake at home!
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