Good Lunches in Charleston

For some reason, I never really blog about the food I eat out at restaurants. I think its partly because there's a fine line between being a food blogger and trying to be some amateur-ish food critic, which is exactly what I don't want to be.  I'm not trying to go out to a restaurant and pick apart the food and draw attention to myself by taking pictures and whatnot.  I just want to go out and enjoy a good bite to eat.

That being said, I have taken a couple pictures of some lunches I've really enjoyed lately.  These were at places casual enough that I didn't feel like a jerk for snapping a couple shots.

~

This is a cheese and meat plate at Caviar & Bananas, a little gourmet food shop downtown.  I went in by myself, really just craving a simple lunch, and asked the guy behind the counter put together a simple plate for me.  I told him I really just wanted a nice cheese and meat plate, and that I didn't like blue cheese, and I would pay whatever he asked if he would just pick the cheeses and stuff for me. 

This is what I got!  Not really sure of the names of the cheeses anymore, but I know there was a brie-style cheese, a simple goat cheese, and the third was a little more firm and sharp.  I got prosciutto, and I think some sort of speck.  Honeycomb, fig jam, candied walnuts, almonds, and fruit.  I ended up paying something like $12 for the plate, which was totally worth it.  Along with a little half bottle of white wine, this was the perfect little lunch for one.

~

 This burger came from Sesame Burgers & Beer, which has 2 locations, one at the Citadel Mall in West Ashley, and the other in Park Circle in N. Chas.  I've eaten at both locations, and while both are awesome, I prefer the dive-bar feel of the Park Circle one. 

Their menu is set up so that you can design your own burger.  This one came out a perfect medium rare, with bacon, tomato, mozzarella, and basil mayo. It was delicious.  I had one of their turkey burgers recently, and it was equally delicious, but without as much of a guilt factor.

~

Lastly, I was super impressed upon discovering the hot dogs at Tin Roof in Avondale, right around the corner from where I live.  I love a good dive bar, and yet somehow I've only been here for drinks once or twice before.  Their hot dogs are enormous, as in, you can barely eat the whole thing, and they're only $5!  This one was called something like the Texas BBQ dog - it had BBQ sauce, french fries, and cheese on it.  Plus, they have a little stage and host local bands on a pretty regular basis.  It's a badass little bar, and I'm going to start going there a lot more often.

Daring Cooks' March Challenge: Risotto!

The 2010 March Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Eleanor of Melbourne Food Geek and Jess of Jess the Baker.  They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make risotto.  The various components of their challenge recipe are based on input from The Australian Masterchef Cookbook and the cookbook Moorish by Greg Malouf.

~

Hey guys, I feel awful that I had to post this challenge late (Daring Cooks are supposed to post on the 14th of each month!). I've been so busy that I put it off til the last minute, and then the past few days I've been stricken with a nasty little spring cold.  So, I'm sorry, but I just haven't felt like standing over the stove stirring risotto.  But today, I'm feeling better and am dosed with DayQuil, so I got it done for lunch!

I've been thinking about this dish since I first found out what the challenge was nearly a month ago.  It's a red wine and goat cheese risotto with roasted asparagus.  I really wanted to sear a few nice, fat sea scallops as a protein accompaniment, but that seemed a little overkill for lunch.  So, I went vegetarian (except for the chicken stock).

basic ingredients: Arborio rice, garlic, onion, red wine

 Start by sweating some chopped onion and garlic in a little EVO.  Add the rice and stir to get a nice coat with the olive oil.

Add a generous splash of chicken stock and stir until absorbed.  At first, this will happen pretty quickly.  Although I didn't make it specifically for this challenge, I did use my own homemade stock. Repeat this step with red wine.

 Keep repeating the stock and wine process, stirring continually.  Don't stop stirring for long.

Not there yet!  Keep stirring!

You can stop when the rice has a nice, soft bite.  I probably cooked mine a good 30-40 minutes before adding the goat cheese. 

 cheese makes everything better 

Then, when you think you're done, add a bit more stock and wine for good measure, season with salt and pepper, stir a bit more, and you're probably good to go.

 creamy goodness

As for the asparagus, just a toss with some EVO, salt and pepper, and into the oven it goes on a baking sheet at 425 until the tips brown.  Sprinkle with a bit of lemon juice and yer done.

 

 Delicious! Thanks for the new plate, Margaret!