Guest Post: 82 Queen in Charleston, SC

Today we’re taking a trip. I have a guest post for you from the fam. My parents are undoubtedly The Three Bite Rule’s biggest fans. They took a trip to Charleston, SC and had some really great food. Sis and I went a few years ago (seen here and here) and I’m happy to introduce the ‘rents and the meal they wanted to share! Here we go!

 

Spending a few days in Charleston, South Carolina, we found many quality restaurants at varied priced points. After sampling a few modestly priced, down-home type establishments, we opted to go a bit upscale on the last evening in the city. 82 Queen became our destination.

Located in what was formerly a plantation, the restaurant has an unusual arrangement. We were able to be seated in the courtyard. The personable, attentive waiter offered numerous suggestions as well as copious details about the most popular dishes. He was extremely knowledgeable about each item on the menu.

The She Crab soup typically wins Best of Show at Charleston taste fests. He described it as having the consistency of a chowder with the feel of a bisque. It was outstanding choice served with a bit of sherry to be mixed in at the last moment.
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We also chose the crab cake appetizer which the waiter said was 95% crab with just enough filler to hold it together. Quite a memorable treat.
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A lovely basket of cheddar and chive biscuits appeared. They were flaky; restraint was needed since dinner was coming.
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We had never had grits before…here goes. This dinner featured large barbequed shrimp atop grits treated with smoked bacon, cheddar cheese and green onions. Tasty but we still do not know what straight grits would be like.
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The Lowcountry Jambalaya had both shrimp and crawfish. The waiter indicated that this would be a bit on the spicy side with carmelized onions, a trio of peppers and Carolina red rice. Actually, the dish could have used a bit more spice since the rice was a bit dry. This included Tasso ham had a bit of zing but could have been eliminated.
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Could there be a dessert menu without a chocolate offering ? Apparently, the owner’s wife makes the desserts and the choices change often. The choice was made for coconut chess pie. Served with a hearty coffee, it was adequate although the crust had a grocery store freezer in its background.
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82 Queen was memorable for the pleasant courtyard setting, twinkling lights on potted trees and what seemed to be truly Southern hospitality.

What I Ate: Chicken and Pear Sandwich

Sandwiches are such a great dinner. This chicken and pear one is inspired by one that used to be on the menu a Brighton Beer Garden. This sandwich reminds me of my early days in Boston.
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I found some fun focaccia rolls but any bread would be good, and would make this into a good panini.

Ingredients:

Thin chicken breasts, marinated
2 focaccia rolls
2 cups arugula
2 slices cheese
1 pear, sliced

Directions:

Grill chicken until cooked through
Assemble sandwiches on rolls with arugula, chicken, cheese and sliced pears.
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I think the focaccia and the cheese were definitely big parts that made it special.
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I love arugula and it doesn’t get icky when the hot chicken is on it. I dressed the arugula with a little bit of Italian dressing. Delicious. Arugula is peppery and so good.

I’m jetting off to a wedding for less than 24-hours. Sound familiar? Wouldn’t be the last weekend in April if it weren’t craaaaazy.

Any dinner panini or sandwich ideas for me during this busy time?

Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

Were you thinking I was over my smoothie kick? Ohh no. I haven’t had as many creative ones, but I got this in my head and couldn’t shake it. I love cherries minus the pits. Chocolate and cherry together is devine. I found dark cherries in the freezer section, and I only by frozen fruit with no sugar added. Note: the ingredients should just list the fruit itself.

Ingredients:

pitted cherries, frozen
1 apple, chopped
vanilla yogurt
splash of milk
3 tbs chocolate syrup

Directions:

Add the cherries, apple, yogurt, milk and chocolate together
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Blend and enjoy

This one was wayyy better than it looks. The color might be a smidge off putting. It is reddish-brownish-tanish. The color might not win awards but the flavors are fantastic.
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The chocolate was just enough. I added the apple to up the fruit quotient without adding too many favors to the mix. I thought banana might take over. I thought blueberries might confuse the cherry flavor. One frozen and one raw fruit made for a perfectly frosty yet drinkable smoothie.

Any other flavor ideas/suggestions?

Leek and Potato Pizza with Bacon

I was feeling like dinners had been too wintry and I wanted something springy. I’m ready for spring and Boston sure feels fresh and rejuvenated. We are on the mend and with a springy-feeling drizzle and a sunny hug this weekend helped us heal and move forward.

I spotted leeks at Trader Joe’s. Thanks to Joe, I didn’t have to slice and soak. It also meant I didn’t have to try to use leeks in everything I cooked from now on.

Ms. L was coming so I figured bacon was just the addition she would appreciate. All hell was breaking lose at work. I needed to make this delectable pizza. I needed something I could do well. I’m sure Ms. L would have understood if I was too overwhelmed. When other things are going wrong, I just want dinner to be comforting.

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Ingredients:

pizza dough
2 cups leeks
2 tbs pesto
8 oz shredded mozzarella
4 oz St. Andre cheese
2 russet potatoes, thinly sliced
2 strips of bacon

Directions:

Preheat oven and pizza stone if you’re using one to 400 degrees.
Saute leeks in butter and olive oil until cooked through.
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Spread pizza dough onto the pizza stone or onto a lightly greased pan and poke a few holes with a fork.
Pre-bake the dough for 10 minutes until the dough puffs and is somewhat cooked, but not crisp.
Fry the bacon until almost cooked (it will continue baking on the pizza)
After removing the dough from the oven, spread pesto onto the dough.
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Top with shredded mozzarella, sliced potato, leeks, soft cheese, and crumbled bacon.
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Return to the oven for 20 minutes until the crust crisps and the cheese melts.
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Remove from the oven, and let sit for at least 5 minutes before cutting.

This was so good. The two cheeses were perfect. St. Andre crumbles like butter and is like brie, times 10. The cheese plus potatoes plus bacon was so well balanced. The leeks are fresh almost oniony almost garlicky.

I loved this and will make it again, for sure.