Husk Restaurant in Charleston, SC is the top new restaurant in AMERICA!

Image: HuskRestaurant.com

It’s pretty exciting that Bon Appetit magazine has named Sean Brock’s new restaurant HUSK, the top new restaurant in AMERICA! Woohoo… Sean Brock is a man with a vision. He renovated a worn out building (or two) and made it into one exquisite space! I know the old building, I’ve taken art classes there… I love the plan for HUSK, LOCAL INGREDIENTS… love it! Makes my mouth water… We look forward to visiting HUSK soon… CONGRATS SEAN!

Here’s a blip from their WEBSITE (gorgeous website, complete with the daily menu, check it out!), and pictures from the website below…

HUSK IS

centrally located in historic downtown Charleston, Husk, the newest offering from James Beard Award-winning Chef Sean Brock of McCrady’s and the Neighborhood Dining Group, transforms the essence of Southern food. Led by Brock and Chef de Cuisine Travis Grimes, a Lowcountry native, the kitchen reinterprets the bounty of the surrounding area, exploring an ingredient-driven cuisine that begins in the rediscovery of heirloom products and redefines what it means to cook and eat in Charleston.

Starting with a larder of ingredients indigenous to the South, and set within a building complex dating to the late 19th century, Brock crafts menus throughout the day, responding to what local purveyors are supplying the kitchen at any given moment. The entrance beckons with a rustic wall of firewood to fuel the wood-fired oven and a large chalkboard listing artisanal products currently provisioning the kitchen, but like the décor that inhabits the historic building, the food is modern in style and interpretation.

At Husk there are some rules about what can go on the plate. “If it doesn’t come from the South, it’s not coming through the door,” says Brock, who has even stricken olive oil from the kitchen. As he explains, the resulting cuisine “is not about rediscovering Southern cooking, but exploring the reality of Southern food.” This modern approach results in playful dishes such as Deviled Eggs with Pickled Okra and Trout Roe, and new classics like South Carolina Shrimp and Choppee Okra Stew with Carolina Gold Rice and Flowering Basil.

Seed-saving, heirloom husbandry, and in-house pickling and charcuterie efforts by the culinary team are the basis of the cuisine at Husk. The restaurant is as casual as it is chic, evoking a way of life centered on seasonality and the grand traditions of Charleston life—one lived at a slower pace, preferably with a cocktail and a wide porch in the late afternoon. It is a neighborhood gathering place for friends, and a destination dining spot for travelers, with a little bite of the South for everyone’s palates.

Image: HuskRestaurant.com
Image: HuskRestaurant.com

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Artist to watch… Shannon Runquist!

Image: HortonHayes.com

Shannon Runquist always paints the neatest subject matter. Regular everyday things come to life with her paint brush! This painting is entitled HOW ‘BOUT A HUG? Here’s a blip from the Horton Hayes Gallery :

Shannon Runquist was born is Savannah, Georgia and has spent most of her life in the South. She has lived on St. Simons Island, Georgia and currently resides in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and spends summers on Cape Cod. Spending time near the shore, she has developed a great love for coastal regions and the elements that define them. She has painted and studied in Europe, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

Runquist has participated in many national and international exhibitions including consecutive years at the Salmagundi Club in New York City and the Salon International. She enjoys traveling and painting en plein air as well as working in her home studio. Her paintings hang in both corporate and private collections in the United States and abroad.

Artist’s Statement: “I would like for my paintings to convey a timeless aesthetic. They are often an extension of an emotion at the time I am painting but I hope my work remains ambiguous. I paint what is familiar to me, what I have collected or a place I have been. My favorite paintings are ones that tell a story but leave a little mystery for the viewer.”

Hey, if you get a chance, stop in the gallery… and if you aren’t in town, check out their website. It’s a gallery full of amazing artists!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Artist to watch… JB Boyd!

Image JBBoyd.net

JB Boyd, an artist that shows such an interesting perspective on this painting… Kind of like when you’re a kid and you’re  sprawled out on the grass watching the clouds in the sky… I love when paintings take on a new angle, something different. The way the yellow “pops” against the darkly shaded tree trunks and brilliant blue sky. JB Boyd is an interesting and accomplished  young artist represented by Robert Lange Studios in Charleston, SC. Check him out if you get a chance!  Here’s a blip about the artist on the gallery website, there’s more, but you need to see his work to appreciate the words! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Boyd currently lives and paints on Goat Island, a barrier island on the outskirts of Charleston, SC. Boyd is a graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, has shown his work across the United States, and has been collected around the world. Boyd recently received the Michael and Donna Griffith Lowcountry Artist’s Award.

Please visit www.robertlangestudios.com or call for more information 843.805.8052. 


Artist to watch… Dee Beard Dean!

Image: KarenHagen.com

What a wonderful painting of King Street in Charleston, SC. You can feel the hustle and bustle. If you haven’t heard of Dee Beard Dean I urge you to check out her WEBSITE. She’s a magnificent artist with a great website (oh so important)! She’s in many galleries, the image above is from the Hagen Fine Art Gallery and Studio located at 27 1/2 State Street in Charleston.  She offers workshops all over the country… check her out!

I’ll catch you back here tomorrow! If you get a chance, check out my photo blog!

Hootie and the Blowfish… Concert – Family Circle Cup Stadium

Image: FamilyCircleCup.com

That’s right… Hootie and the Blowfish this weekend at the Family Circle Cup Stadium on Daniel Island… We’re very fortunate to have such awesome local talent!

Here’s info from the Family Circle Cup website:

Hootie and the Blowfish Homegrown Weekend
Marking their ninth anniversary at Family Circle Stadium, Hootie & The Blowfish will come together for a two-night musical engagement kicking off Friday, August 12th with opening act Toad the Wet Sprocket.  The weekend continues with a daytime festival on Saturday, August 13 beginning at 1:30 pm featuring Ken Block & Andrew Copeland of Sister Hazel as well as other national and regional acts (TBD).  Hootie and the Blowfish will wrap up the festival with a performance Saturday night at Family Circle Stadium starting at 7 pm. 

Catch you back here tomorrow!


Artist to watch… George Pate!

Image: WellsGallery.com

George Pate has the most unique style. His paintings have caught my eye for a number of years now… love the little beach birds that he paints. I like how he paints Charleston scenes… not typical, it’s a style all his own. After reading about George, I see that he’s originally from Detroit, (Yay, George! Me too!) although now resides in Santa Fe… a place that is on our list to visit one day! The Wells Gallery in town carries his work, as does the Wells Gallery on Kiawah at the Sanctuary. If you get a chance stop in, if you’re out of town visit their website!

 Catch you back here tomorrow! If you get a chance visit my photo blog… http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

Bowen’s Island… where you either like it or you don’t!

 

 It’s funny when you look at this picture. If this were anywhere else on earth it would be deemed a catastrophe. But for some reason it just WORKS and works perfectly at Bowen’s Island seafood restaurant… (I guess that’s why it’s in so many magazines!) where the motto is something like YOU EITHER LIKE IT OR YOU DON’T… ha ha… no kidding. This isn’t where we ate this year, they built a new building, where you can still write on the walls, but it is a little more refined… no paint or anything, but it’s big and the food is delicious! I noticed since my last Bowen’s Island post that the link to their menu no longer works… hmmm. I’ll have to see what I can do about that! This is the building closest to the water (right on the water) where I believe they have parties, charity functions, as well as other functions. It’s very “Bowen’s”… unique, likeFolly Beach. Nothing dressy, but hey, the food is beyond fantastic and you see people there who have just woken up (quite possibly after a looooong winters nap?), dressed for church and everything in between. Someone sent me a comment asking if they serve oysters in months that don’t have an “R”. We were there in May and YEP, they were serving oysters. Another commenter mentioned that things have changed since that rule was in place long ago… who knew? Thanks to those of you who keep me up on things! Catch you back here tomorrow!

If you get a chance, check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

Artist to watch… Sue Stewart!

Image: SueStewartPaintings.com

The artist to watch today is Sue Stewart. Love her paintings. It amazes me how so many people can paint well and some people can paint so differently (in a good way!). You can recognize their style anywhere. Sue has a nice website, check it out www.suestewartpaintings.com! She’s got a diverse collection of subjects, I love that! After reading about her on her website I see that she has taken workshops with Kevin MacPherson, Charles Sovek, Kim English and Kenn Backhaus… Whoa! A pretty impressive list! Locally Sue shows her work at the Wells Gallery in Charleston, SC, stop in and check it out!

 Catch you back here tomorrow! If you get a chance check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

Charleston Farmer’s Market Poster

Image: charlestonarts.sc

The Charleston (SC) Farmer’s Market is on Saturday’s at Marion Square from 8AM until 2PM. For more information, click HERE.  It’s a good time with lots of good vendors, fresh fruits and veggies, both organic and conventional as well as arts, treats and pretty much everything else you can imagine.

This years poster entitled PETER PIPER’S PEPPERS by Ginny Versteegen captures the essence of the Farmer’s Market perfectly. A great souvenier if you’re visiting, or nice to hang in a poster frame in kitchen! If you get a chance, check it out!
Catch you back here tomorrow!

Artist to watch… IAN MASON!

Image: DogandHorseFineArt.com

Tomorrow, Saturday, May 7th is the Charleston Dog Show located in Marion Square from 9Am-2PM. Last year we saw original paintings by Ian Mason. He is represented by Dog and Horse Fine Art. THEY ARE WONDERFUL! If you’re in Charleston check it out, if not, check out their website!

Here’s the LINK for the Charleston Dog Show if you would like more information!
 
Catch you back here tomorrow! If you get a chance check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com!

Artist to watch… Daniel Corey!

Image: CamdenFallsGallery.com

Daniel Corey… another artist to keep an eye on, his work is outstanding. If you get a chance check out his blog, full of information AND very entertaining! Click HERE to get to his blog… Dan is represented by Camden Falls Gallery in Camden, Maine, the Lupine Gallery on Monhegan Island, Maine and Coco Vivo Gallery in Charleston, SC. Links are provided on his blog. Go ahead, check him out!

 This painting entitled LEGACY is awesome. Anyone who’s been to Monhegan likely will remember this beautiful lobster boat!
 
Catch you back here tomorrow! If you get a chance, check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

Artist to watch… Mary Whyte!

Image: ColemanFineArt.com

Mary Whyte. Many of you have heard of her. She is utterly spectacular. The talent is scarely amazing. I’m not kidding. Every single painting is museum quality. To watch her paint is a real treat. Mary often participates in the outdoor paint out in Charleston held in November, where the artists donate the painting from the day and it’s auctioned for charity. Wonderful! Mary’s work is in Coleman Fine Art Gallery. If you’re in the area, it’s a beautiful gallery full of amazing talent, I highly encourage you to visit! Otherwise check her out on their website!  Mary has also written books, has DVD’s and has illustrated some children’s books that are simply magical.

Catch you back here tomorrow, if you get a chance check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

Fast & French… yo… G&M is a tasty treat!

Image: FastAndFrench.org

Some refer to this restaurant as Fast and French, others as G&M and the rest of you as Gaulart et Maliclet Cafe. It’s the cool little restaurant on Broad Street in Charleston where you see many of the locals as well as some visitors. It’s a great place to meet people. It has to do with the seating, there aren’t separate tables and chairs, there is a long bar area and a few shorter wider bars where you sit across from people. It’s perfect for dining alone, or meeting new people. You can always find someone interesting to talk to at G&M. Thursdays is fondue night, a popular night for many. I happen to love their cold cucumber soup especially on a hot summer day when anything heavier than that just doesn’t sound good. They have wonderful sandwiches among many other dishes at night. Great coffee and desserts too… check out their MENU.

Catch you back here tomorrow, in the meantime if you get a chance check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

Mellow Mushroom opens in Avondale…

Image: MellowMushroom.com

Mellow Mushroom restaurant opened a few weeks ago in Charleston. More specifically, West Ashley/Avondale area, which is mighty convenient and within walking distance… woohoo! We treated ourselves to pizza for dinner last night and a spinach salad… it was too good! They did a great job renovating the space that started as the Ashley Theater, which opened 2/20/1950! They kept the overall theater feel, they removed the drop down ceilings that the shop before them had and now you see the gorgeous wood ceilings, they have the huge movie projector in the center like a piece of art, very cool. I have to say everyone was uuber friendly… there was a nice vibe to the restaurant, not to mention good pizza. So if pizza is sounding good to you head on over there!

Catch you back here tomorrow, in the meantime, if you get a chance check out my photo blog http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

Artist to watch… Rhett Thurman…

Image: TheSylvanGallery.com

Rhett Thurman. I love her paintings, so full of color and life! After meeting Rhett and speaking to her you will walk away knowing that you just spoke to a true southern lady. She is soft spoken and kind. To watch her paint is a treat. She usually participates in the paint out in Charleston in November. Her work is at the Sylvan Gallery on King Street. Pop in and say hello if you get a chance, you’ll be glad you did!

Catch you back here tomorrow… if you get a chance, check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com!