The Charleston Grill at The Belmond Place Hotel

Unique southern cuisine with world-class jazz nightly, the Charleston Grill shines as a bright star amid the southern elegance and refinement of Charleston itself. 
Quite simply, this restaurant provides what many regard as the city's highest gastronomic experience. Chef Michelle Weaver creates the groundbreaking New South cuisine, while sommelier Rick Rubel stocks 1,300 wines in his cellar, with many served by the glass. The dining room is a soothing backdrop, highlighted by pale wood floors, flowing drapes, and elegant Queen Anne chairs. A jazz ensemble adds a hip, yet unobtrusive, element. The menu continues to be divided into four quadrants: Simple, Lush, Cosmopolitan, and Southern. A nightly tasting menu offers a way to sample it all. With exemplary service and superb cuisine, it's understandable why the Charleston Grill is one of the top tables in Charleston.

The entrance to the Charleston Grill at the Belmond Charleston Hotel

Jazz Trio at The Charleston Grill

Flowers on the front desk upon entering the Charleston Grill

The dinner menu

A glass of Moët & Chandon, Impérial Brut to begin the evening

An amuse-bouche of coconut soup with chopped mint

East Coast Oysters with Pickled Okra and Jalapeño-Tomato Mignonette

Roasted Beets and Labneh, Za’atar, Pistachios in Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Le Clos L'Oiseliniere, Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine, 2002

Sea Scallops with Chili-Chorizo Vinaigrette, Morcilla Blood Sausage and Pea Purée

Pan Seared Branzino with Romesco Sauce, Parsley-Garlic Purée and Grilled Scallions topped with baby corn shoots

Complimentary house made sweets by Executive Pastry Chef, Emily Cookson



Chef Michelle Weaver

www.charlestongrill.com

Charleston Grill Crab Cakes
Makes 8-10
Recipe courtesy of Executive Chef Michelle Weaver

Crab Cakes:
1 lb crab meat
1 large egg white
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp minced chives
1 tbsp minced fresh thyme
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp bread crumbs made from crustless white bread in food processor
Salt and fresh ground white pepper
Fresh dill, for garnish


Mix together the mayonnaise, salt, pepper, egg white, zest, juice, chives and thyme, then fold in the crab meat. Form into patties, dust with bread crumbs, and sear cakes in butter or oil until nicely browned on both sides. Serve with sauce and garnish with fresh dill.


Crab Cake Sauce:
6 shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into julienne strips
10 red pear tomatoes
10 yellow pear tomatoes
Juice of 2 limes
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh dill
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil


Heat the shallots in oil, then add the shrimp and cook. Add the remaining ingredients and heat through. Serve warm over the crab cakes and garnish with fresh dill.

Shrimp & Grits
Serves 6
Recipe courtesy of Executive Chef Michelle Weaver

Grits:
2 cups uncooked white coarse-ground grits
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup unsalted butter

Shrimp sauce:
1 lb medium-size raw shrimp, peeled and deveined with tail on
4 thick hickory-smoked bacon slices, diced
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium Vidalia onion, diced
1/2 poblano pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup Madeira
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Green onion, chopped


Bring 7 cups water to a boil in a 4 quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Slowly whisk in the grits, reduce the heat to medium and cook, whisking constantly for 5 minutes. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally for 1 hour or until tender. Fold in the cheese and 1/4 cup butter.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 4 to 5 minutes or until crisp. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 tablespoons of drippings in the skillet.

Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in the hot drippings in skillet. Reduce the heat and add the onion, poblano pepper, and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring often for 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and white and red pepper; toss to coat.

Sprinkle flour over shrimp mixture and toss. Add broth, Madeira and lemon juice and cook just until the shrimp turn pink, stirring to loosen particles from skillet. Stir in the bacon and parsley, and serve over grits with a garnish of green onion.

McCrady's: Creative Southern Lowcountry Cuisine

Charleston, South Carolina is the home of classic southern Lowcountry cuisine, with its abundance of seafood and stews, and has also become the base of operations for some of the country’s leading chefs, like Sean Brock, who are elevating Southern cuisine to new heights. There aren't many accolades that McCrady's and its chef Sean Brock haven't won: Brock was the recipient of the 2010 James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast, among other awards, and sommelier Clint Sloan's wine list is nationally renowned. Make no mistake, McCrady's is still the big-night-out restaurant in Charleston, and it helps that the space itself is flat-out gorgeous, with a bootlegger-worthy entrance, tucked away in a romantic brick alley, that gives virtually no hint of the expansive rustic-chic interior within, all brick arches, exposed beams, and candlelight. Founded in 1778 as a watering hole for locals during the American Revolution, none other than George Washington hung up his hat for a dinner at McCrady’s tavern in 1791. 

The food is perfectly seasonal and stringently local, and every farmer, harvester, fisherman, and local food-crafter who contributed to it is duly thanked in the menu. You might be tempted to write a few thank-you notes yourself after tasting what's on offer: Familiar ingredients are prepared in ways designed to surprise and inspire, as with the Beef Tartare with crispy onion rings, white anchovy and tarragon; Pan Fried Sweetbreads with sunchokes, sunflower seeds, olives and nettles; or the juicy, perfectly Whole Roasted Quail nestled over a bed of vibrant english peas, wild onion and parsley. The chef's tasting menu changes nightly but is always a great bet, jam-packed with local seafood and produce. Exploring the recommended wine pairings with each course is a special treat.

The vaulted two-story interior of McCrady's

The spectacular interior with exposed brick walls

The view from above

The dining room features exposed brick walls, heart pine floors, beamed ceilings, two fireplaces and chandeliers, all complemented by oil paintings from local galleries

McCrady's sensational menu

Hendricks Martini with a twist of lemon

House-baked bread

Butter and olive oil

Salad of Blue Crab, Cucumber, Celery, Green Almond, Coriander and Vadouvan

A Leitz Spatburgunder (Pinot-Noir) Brut "Weissherbst" from Rhinegau Germany 2013 was the wine pairing with Beef Tartare

Beef Tartare with Crispy Onion Rings, White Anchovy and Tarragon

The trio of wine pairings that matched our dishes: On the right, a Banyan Gewurtztraminer from Monterey County California 2014 was paired with the sweetbreads 

Pan Fried Sweetbreads with Sunchokes, Sunflower Seed, Olives and Nettles

A 2012 Peay Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast, California was the recommended pairing with the Quail and the Grilled Flat Iron Steak

Whole Roasted Quail, English Peas, Wild Onion and Parsley

Grilled Beef Flat Iron with Carrots, Smoked Mushrooms, Puffed and Burnt Sorghum

McCrady's short and delectably sweet dessert menu

Charred Strawberry Bread Pudding with Rhubarb and Rose

Chef's Selection of Cheeses: Toma Cow's Milk from California; Hook's Cow Milk from Wisconsin; and Green Hill Cow's Milk from Georgia, with seasonal accompaniments

Warm olive oil slathered bread with Maldon salt to be enjoyed with the cheese

A selection of complimentary Madeleines and Macarons to finish the extraordinary meal

mccradysrestaurant.com

Heirloom Tomato & Plum Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette, Goat Cheese and Arugula Pesto
Serves 8
Recipe courtesy of Sean Brock

For the arugula pesto:
5 oz arugula
1 large garlic clove
3/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup olive oil
4 oz pecorino cheese, grated
4 oz pine nuts, lightly toasted
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

3 medium heirloom tomatoes, about 2 lb total, cored
Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling, plus 1/2 cup
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
2 ripe plums, pitted and thinly sliced
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1 1/2 oz arugula


To make the arugula pesto, in a blender, combine the arugula, garlic, grapeseed oil, olive oil, cheese, pine nuts, salt and pepper and puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. This recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups pesto; you may not need all of it for the salad. Refrigerate any leftover pesto for another use.

Cut one of the tomatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut another tomato into 12 wedges. Cut the remaining tomato into 1/2-inch dice. Spread them out on a platter or a clean cutting board. Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Put the vinegar in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in the 1/2 cup olive oil, whisking until the vinaigrette is emulsified.

Divide the tomato slices among 8 salad plates, layering the slices. Arrange the tomato wedges and diced tomatoes on top and around the slices. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Arrange the plum slices on the tomatoes. Sprinkle the cheese over the tomatoes and plums. Garnish with the arugula and drizzle with the pesto. Serve immediately. 

Cru Café: Upscale Lowcountry Comfort Food

Located in a classic 18th-century Charleston cottage-style house across from the carriage tour companies of Charleston near the Market Street historic district and Charleston City Market, Cru is home to some of the best gourmet Lowcountry comfort food in Charleston. The space is small and the seating limited, but that’s all part of the charm! The wide and welcoming wraparound porch may lure people in, but it's Chef John Zucker's creative menu of traditional Southern favourites that keeps people coming back. Zucker got his start at Spago in Beverly Hills, where he adopted Puck's rigid standards, "Do it right and use the best possible ingredients. That was put into my head from the start of my career and we will never waiver." Cru's menu of fresh local seafood, seasonal produce and grilled meats, includes dishes such as Duck Confit Salad with caramelized pecans and goat cheese dressed with a port-wine vinaigrette and topped with fried shoestring onions; Fried Green Tomatoes served with pork belly croutons, sheep’s milk feta and smoked tomato caramel; Mac & Cheese made with four cheeses; to Fried Oyster Hoagies with red pepper jam and mustard BBQ sauce. Every sandwich comes with a side of asian slaw, frites or flavourful whipped mashed potato which are made with real cream — no wonder there are lineups everyday!

Cru's 18th-century exterior in Charleston's Farmer's Market district

The casual vintage interior of Cru

Cru's lunch menu

A basket of fresh cornbread and butter

Fried Green Tomatoes with pork belly croutons, sheep's milk feta and smoked tomato caramel

Local Pinot Grigio

Soft Shelled Crab Sandwich with coleslaw and pomme frites

Garlic Chicken Club with pepper jack cheese on sourdough bread with frites

Cru's signature Four Cheese Mac and Cheese — the best I've ever had!

Duck Confit Arugula Salad with Candied Pecans, Tomato, Fried Onions and Port Wine Vinaigrette

The tiny bustling kitchen at Cru

Chef Zucker

crucafe.com

Cru Café Four Cheese Macaroni
Serves 4
Recipe courtesy Chef John Zucker

8 cups heavy cream, reduced in half
1 lb orecchiette pasta 
1 cup each of hand grated Pepper Jack, Aged Cheddar, Fontina & Mozzarella
1/4 cup olive oil

For the final cooking:
1/2 cup each of hand grated Pepper Jack, Aged Cheddar, Fontina & Mozzarella 
Salt and pepper


In a medium sized saucepan, slowly reduce the cream in half. Cook the pasta in salted water until it is al dente. Cool down rapidly in cold water then drain all the excess water. Coat the pasta lightly in olive oil to prevent sticking, and set aside. Grate all the cheeses by hand keeping them separate. When the cream has reduced in half, reduce the heat to low and whisk in all of the 'one cup' quantities of cheese until fully melted, then set aside off the heat. Add together the remaining cheese, pasta and cheese sauce in a big bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and mix very well without breaking up the pasta. Add the final ingredients to a casserole pan and bake at 375°F until lightly brown on top.