Charleston locals are a fickle lot. Living in one of the great restaurant destination cities in the country, they are, as we say in France, bien gaté, totally spoiled.
On our last visit two visits, we ate at that hot new foodie mecca, Husk. Chef Sean Brock’s mantra is that he only uses ingredients from south of the Mason-Dixon line, to the point where he wouldn’t use any olive oil for a while until he finally found some made in the south that would meet his standards. He's an amazing guy, a food historian and a chef who understands both the science and the emotion of food, with a fanatic's passion for homegrown produce and meats.
But even though Husk was on the cover of Bon Appetit this past year as the best new restaurant in the country, the locals’ attention has strayed. They’ve been distracted by Jeremiah Bacon’s uber-chic new spot, The Macintosh (pictured above). As soon as we arrived in town, we heard the buzz. “Have you been yet?” was the first question we heard from our local friends’ lips. So of course we had to see what the fuss was about.
Though the cuisine at both restaurants have much in common—a menu that changes daily, inspired southern cuisine, and worship at the altar of the Pig—the vibe couldn’t be more different. The Macintosh, in the edgy new dining district on upper King Street, is all industrial chic: exposed brick, horizontal natural pine siding, charcoal gray walls with black and white art prints, exposed duct work. Husk is in the fine old established historic district in a graceful Charleston mansion with piazzas across the front. There are tall windows, beautifully draped, and soft watercolors over the fireplace, a sophisticated decor. The bar is especially delightful. Located in a tiny two-story carriage house next store, they’ve stripped the brick building back to its gorgeous old bones and let the architecture work its rough magic. Ron is delighted by that fact that they have a long row of artisanal bourbons on offer.
Both chefs have figured out what wonderful southern black cooks always knew, which is that you can add bacon or bacon drippings to anything and make it taste wonderful, but Husk is the more porcine-obcessed of the two. It hits you right away when they serve hot, homemade yeast rolls with a shiny glaze pork glaze, topped with sesame seeds. That’s served with butter with a hint of bacon. And so it goes. I don’t eat much meat, so I ordered oyster stew with the exquisite Carolina Gold rice, which had a bacon-fat based broth in place of the usual cream. No pork showed up in the dessert, but stay tuned.
At The Macintosh I was thrilled to see they had a winter vegetable plate that day, which turned out to be a ragout of root vegetables and greens served over rice mixed with red quinoa. Creative and delicious. One of their specialties is a side of savory bone marrow bread pudding. Don’t ask, just order it. Amid their fancier dishes, you can always find their signature hamburger, with pecarino truffle fries. Or you could just order a double order of those amazing fries and then go directly to dessert. A rich little dark chocolate cup filled with dulce de leche and slathered with a creamy chocolate sauce was the best dessert I’ve had in recent memory. Both restaurants offer lovely fish dishes, and Husk has taken the classic shrimp and grits to stratospheric new levels.
Now which restaurant to choose, if, darn it, you can only choose one? I’d go to Husk any day for the atmosphere, but for the food, I’d have to say it’s a happy toss-up. But more research is needed.
If you go, make reservations in advance. Note that for dinner, you should call weeks in advance for a week-end meal at Husk, to be safe. And by the way, if you get over to Mt. Pleasant, across the big bridge, you’ll want to hit the new thai restaurant, Basil. Oh so chic, with a gorgeous contemporary decor, an open air terrace overlooking a small lake at the back, and thai cuisine done well. Do not miss the warm banana egg rolls with red berry sauce and coconut ice cream, to finish with a grand flourish.
Favorite Reads: My friend Audrey just told me about Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes
In the Comments: to my good friend and loyal reader Mark Kane in Iowa, you asked for a report on Husk a while back, so this one's for you!
Our Reader's Blogs: Southern domestic goddess Renee blogs at Magnolia Days. She has spring gardening tips this week, and check out the gorgeous photos at her Project 365. She's taking a daily outdoor photo for a year, to stay connected to nature. Meanwhile the charming Virginia from Alabama has an equally charming blog called Paris Through My Lens. Fun photos and vignettes of Paris life.
21 thoughts on “Hard-core Locovore: Where to Eat Now in Charleston”
I have been to Charleston once and only for a day. It is a beautiful city and want to go back to see more. Now I have a list of which restaurants to visit when I am there.
Thank you very much for including my Magnolia Days blog in “Our Reader’s Blogs”. I am honored!!
Making notes on your experience.. We’ll be there for a wedding in July ( what was the bride thinking?). So, find us some good places to eat!
We’re going to Charleston for two nights on a coupon deal… can’t remember the name of the B&B right now..but will definitely keep this in mind! Thanks!
Renee: I just visited your blog and will be back regularly…
Great article! Looks like the type of place I would love to try! I agree with you Renee’s blog Magnolia Days is just fabulous!
Enjoyed the Charleston update, Lynn. May be visiting soon. 🙂 Sorry we missed you next door — overwhelmed w/family events. Glad you had fun.
So I guess this time it’s more “French-fried Southern”… or something 😉 Have you read Laurie Colwin’s “Home Cooking”? I like it so much that I’m re-reading it! It reads like a blog (short pieces) but was published in 1988 before this was a glimmer in anyone’s eye. Delicious… put her on your “to read” list! Mmmm…
Glad to see you’re back in Charleston for a while. Now I have some new places to visit when I get back there next.
Bennett says steal that shrimp and grits recipe!
So cool. The house that Husk occupies now might have been one that I saw and photographed years ago, Lynn, when you showed me around Charleston. It sure looks familiar.
I want to dine at both restaurants, of course, but when will I get to Charleston. Sais pas, helas.
I’ve never been to Charleston; was going once from FL, but got sick and cancelled. Now I want to go even more! I think Husk would be my favorite, just looking at it makes me want to go. It reminds me of a place I went once near Gatlinburg.
Hi Benito,
Ha! I’m way ahead of you, I snagged that shrimp and grits recette. Shall we make it together at Cap Ferrat?
Mark, you are so right, Husk is right next door to the little inn you stayed in the first time you came to Charleston and we shot gardens together For Better Homes & Gardens. Now THAT was a long time ago!
From Barbara Andolsek, by email: “I have never been to Charleston, but I intuitively know that this is one city that I would love to experience. When we do actually arrive, I’m certain the first order of business will be to linger at ‘both’ suggestions. Looking forward to it all the more after reading your skillful descriptions of the locale. You are such an talented wordsmith”.
(Merci Barbara!)
I loved Lunch in Paris and have tried several of the recipes.
Had an old boyfriend on Nantucket that went back to his Charleston roots. And Ole and I went there while he was on a business trip…just loved it. And of course, how can one go wrong with BACON because almost everyone knows that Everything Is Better With Bacon. Did you know that there is even a bacon vodka? It is called BAKON and, while I have not tried it, I found a bottle in Boise and gave it as an early Christmas present to one of my good friends. She said the Bloody Mary’s she made with it were the most amazing ever.
I loved Charleston when I visited a few years back. We at a place, I think it was called Hominy Grill (?), where they had the BEST shrimp and grits. I’d like to get back someday and maybe check out your recommendations. So much travel…so little time!
ps. Loved Lunch in Paris!! I read it last summer. Also, How to Eat a Small Country, but a former food network star. It’s kind of dark, but still enjoyable and filled Frenchie food anecdotes.
Lynne as you may remember Bonnie and I were heading to Husk that evening after seeing you and Ron and it was spectacular!! In all of my travels it had one one the most imaginative menu’s I have ever seen. There was one thing on the appitizer list I could not resist and I apologized to my wife in advance for ordering it but I could not pass up the Fried Chicken Skins!!! It was served with a little bowl of collard greens. they were both amazing and worth the 2 years i lost of my life for that health indiscretion!! Great recommendation. Look forward to seeing you and Ron soon “over there”
The son of a friend of mine spent some time as one of the chefs at Husk. Now he works at a restaurant in Lafayette, LA called Cochon –talk about southern devotion to pork. The father of this chef used to throw parties at Christmastime. His signature dish was a deboned turkey stuffed with a pork roast. More devotion to pork.
Well hush my bouche!! Dear Harriet sent me over. Thank you so much for the mention of my Paris blog. We share so much in common, I think we should meet in Paris one day and have some fun!
Bises,
V
Thanks for your reviews of Husk and Macintosh. I was in Charleston last week and had marvelous dinners at both restaurants. Without your encouragement I wouldn’t have ordered the bone marrow bread pudding. We loved it!
I’m a Furman grad and Francophile living in Asheville, NC. I look forward to your SFF each Friday.
Oh this food looks so good! It’s beautiful just to look at. And how lucky to live in the South of France!