Family Dinner Night at Crave

Before Grammy went back home to Massachusetts, we had dinner at Crave Kitchen & Cocktails. It’s always sad to see her go, but good food always lightens the mood! As my aunt and uncle hadn’t been to Crave before, I immediately suggested it for the evening.

What I love most about Crave is that their menu appeals to everyone. They take typical dinner entrees, amp them up with flavor and creativity, and voila! A menu that is sure to satisfy any type of eater. They also cater to those with special diets needs; they offer gluten-free, paleo, and Crossfit diet options. Should you be vegetarian or vegan, Chef Ganstrom is happy to serve something that is right for you. That said, no one of my family has any dietary restrictions, so we ordered straight off the regular menu.

Typically a man who enjoys his steak, my Uncle Johnny opted for the Chicken Marsala - Pan seared chicken breasts with wild forest mushrooms in a Marsala wine sauce, served over a bed of fettuccini. I think he mainly chose this entrée to see how it compared to what he creates at home. Luckily, he liked it just as much! Even Grammy who cooked for an Italian man for years said it rivaled hers.

Grammy was very pleased with her Filet Mignon – 8 oz center cut prime filet grilled, served with a potato croquette and grilled asparagus, accompanied with a mushroom and onion demi glaze. The filet was juicy and tender, the asparagus was crisp, and the croquettes were piping hot pillows of rice.

Gabrielle, my 11 year old cousin, excitedly ordered off the adult menu: Northern Italian Beef & Pork Bolognaise – House Ground Beef Tenderloin and Pork, stewed with tomatoes, served on a bed of Fettuccine. We all agreed this was one of our favorite dishes. Along with the herbed flavor in the meat, there was a touch of sweetness. I wish I knew the secret ingredient!

Kelly and I opted for seafood, but don’t we always? It’s hard to say no to deliveries right from the Charleston waters. She went with the Sea Scallops – large sea scallops seared until golden brown, then served on top of a bed of rich lobster risotto and garlic pan fried green beans. You know, cooking scallops isn’t easy. One minute too long and you’ve got yourself a chewy mess. These were cooked perfectly and the risotto they were placed upon was creamy with chunks of lobster.

I often tell Carmela, the sweet waitress who I always request, to tell Landen to “just make something delicious” or whatever it is that my body is craving. I am never disappointed. That evening I had a macadamia nut and coconut crusted filet of sea bass served atop asparagus, spinach, and sliced beets. Ahhhhh-mazing.

When I said my family didn’t have any dietary restrictions, I wasn’t kidding. Chocolate is something that is never restricted from the table. I mean, why would we punish ourselves like that? ;) We ordered three desserts to share. My little cousin Zachary wanted the Baked Alaska – Mint chocolate chip ice cream, topped with flaming meringue, served over chocolate cake and fresh fruit with mojito syrup. The dessert actually comes out on fire. Zach got a kick out of that, but as soon as the flame disappeared, his fork was ready. This, so far, has been my favorite dessert at crave. You just can’t go wrong with the mint and chocolate combination.

Grammy, the chocolate-obsessed member of our family requested Double fudge cake – Double layered French chocolate fudge cake with macaron almonds, topped with chocolate ganache and an almond twill cookie. This was very rich and definitely reminded me that I need to get some cavities filled. Worth it.

Some wise person at the table (I actually think it was Johnny) ordered a fruit-based dessert: Baked Apple Crisp – Chef’s special oatmeal maple crisp topping, baked with North Carolina cinnamon apples served with vanilla bean ice cream and cinnamon reduction. I love this dessert, but I recommend it more in the fall when the weather is cooler. It gives you those warm, fuzzy feelings you have around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Or Hanukkah. Or Kwanzaa. Or any Winter day really, let’s be honest.

I was happy that everyone was so pleased with their meals. The other night when Kelly and I were chatting she told me, “Johnny and I have been craving Crave. Pun intended.” I think we’ll be back next week!

Do you have a special dietary need or restriction?

What do you typically order for dinner? I almost always choose a seafood entrée and rarely order pasta.

7 Course Tasting at Iacofano’s Italian Bistro & Bar

Last weekend, I was invited by Chef John Iacofano to come to his restaurant, Iacofano's, for a 7 course tasting dinner. I happily obliged, and brought my friend Rachel along with me. One of our coworkers is a long-time fan of Iacofano’s and he and his wife dine there at least 5 times per month. We’ve heard him tell us about his wonderful experiences there many times, so we were eager to see just how good their Italian food was.

The first thing you will notice about the restaurant is its décor. Although it’s in a strip mall, once inside the restaurant, you’re warmed by red painted walls filled with family photos. The staff is quiet, but friendly, and you will be greeted immediately. It’s always nice to walk in a restaurant and feel that the owners and staff appreciate your business.

Once seated, we were offered a glass of champagne. Way to start off the night! As we sipped our bubbly, our server brought Course 1: LOCAL STRAWBERRY SALAD: with baby lettuces, hazelnuts, goat cheese &
hibiscus vinaigrette:

The strawberries were from Boone Hall Farms – yay, local! The flavors complemented each other well. Our only gripe was that the vinaigrette was much too vinegary. I loved having hazelnuts instead of walnuts or almonds, which you typically see with strawberries & goat cheese.

Soon after, we were presented with Course 2: HOUSE PULLED MOZZARELLA
over roasted plum tomatoes, pesto, fresh cracked pepper & grilled Focaccia:

While eating this course, I probably said “Omg, this pesto” like five times. It was SO good. The tomatoes, also from a local farm, tasted like they had been plucked from the vine that afternoon. But seriously, that pesto…can I have it bottled?

Course 3: GRILLED CALAMARI - Chilled & marinated with pickled cherry peppers, Sicilian Oregano, Extra Virgin Olive Oil & lemon with chickpeas & sweet chili threads:

Before this dish, neither Rachel nor I had ever had grilled calamari. This dish was complex with a bit of heat from the peppers and chili threads. I loved the addition of lemon and chickpeas.

Course 4: SWEET CORN BISQUE with tarragon and fennel:

Oh, I liked this a lot. I usually stray away from fennel, but it wasn’t overpowering at all. You could tell the corn was fresh, as it had that nice crunch to it.

Course 5: PAN SEARED DIVER SCALLOPS -over green pea risotto, sweet corn broth & topped with fennel pollen:Though I immediately dove into the pea risotto, the scallop ended up stealing my heart. This was, by far, one of the best tasting scallops I’ve had. It was cooked perfectly! I would never refuse another one of these scallops, no matter how full I was. Ahhh.

Course 6: RAVIOLI CARBONARA - parmesan cream filled ravioli with peas, bacon, and roasted mushrooms:

I thought this would be a heavier dish due to the parmesan, cream, and bacon, but the ravioli so light and tender.

And then came my dessert! Course 7 : CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT TORTE and APPLE CAKE with cream cheese frosting, salted caramel sauce and strawberries.

Rachel and I just stopped talking and started mmmming at this point. As a chocolate cake lover, she enjoyed the chocolate torte. The apple cake was right up my alley, especially along side the salted caramel sauce. After the cake was gone, I used my fork to scrape up the rest of the caramel. I mean, wouldn’t you?

We really enjoyed our evening. Not only was the food divine, but we were constantly entertained by Chef John and our server. They were happy to tell us about the different ingredients, proudly noting that they were sourced from local farms. What I noticed  about all of the dishes was the freshness and effort put into each of them. The staff seems to be genuinely proud of the restaurant and its food, and I appreciate that.

Next time you find yourself craving Italian food while in Mount Pleasant, check out Iacofano’s. They also have affordable happy hour specials with excellent wine choices. Many of my friend Trish’s wines from Vidalco are on the wine list! TRY THE EL HUIQUE CABERNET SAUVIGNON. Do not leave the restaurant without having a glass. It’s incredible.

For more information on Iacofano’s, check out their

• website
• facebook
• twitter

Tell John I sent you and ENJOY your dinner!

NYC Day 3

On Sunday, Lucy and I went to brunch with Courtney, my friend from Charleston who moved up to the city a couple years ago. As of couple months ago, Courtney and her husband are Vegan, as is Lucy. Courtney found us a cute little Vegan brunch spot called Blossom. For being strictly Vegan, they had a menu full of delicious sounding meals. I opted for the French Toast with fresh fruit and tempeh bacon.

The French toast was crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. I was nervous to try the tempeh bacon, but I ended up liking it.

Both Lucy and Courtney had the Tofu Scramble  with sautéed onion, mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, and soy sausage.

I wish we had more Vegan restaurants in Charleston. There were a lot of menu items I’d like to try and ultimately experiment with in my kitchen. Maybe I’ll use the menu as inspiration. Thanks, Courtney, for picking out a great spot and meeting us! :)

We also took Courtney’s recommendation to walk through Chelsea Market and pick up a cherry cream scone at Amy’s Bread.

I had just eaten breakfast, but couldn’t resist digging into this soft, buttery scone. It was incredible. Scones aren’t my typical go-to baked good, but I’m so glad I listened to Courtney. The girl is smart. I want to make these at home, too!

Sunday evening, Ben and I had a really fun dinner at Mario Batali’s restaurant, Casa Mono. First, while waiting for a table, we had a glass of wine at Bar Jamon, which is adjacent to Casa Mono. We both had the Nita, a blend of Cariñena, Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. I liked it a lot.

Dinner was so exciting. We sat at the bar that overlooked the kitchen. Watching the chefs prepare everyone’s food was quite a show. They were quick, yet so particular about plating, and it showed in each dish.

Casa Mono is a Spanish tapas restaurant so we ordered several different plates.

Round 1:

Bacalao Croquetas with Orange Alioli

Razor Clams a la Plancha

Sepia with Salsa Verde

Of these three, I liked the croquetas best. They were glorified fish sticks – so light and the orange zest really added to it. The razor clams were garlicky and in a delicious olive oil. The sepia, a cuttlefish, had a chewy texture but were great.

Round 2:

Mussels with Cava and Chorizo - $15

Lobster with Spicy Sweet Potato and Agua de Coco

Seared scallops with a cherry parsnip puree

Each of these plates were amazing. I avoided the chorizo in the mussels and, even without it, the broth had so much flavor. The cherry parsnip puree with the scallops was one of the best flavors I’ve had in a while. I really enjoyed the fruit + seafood pairing. This was definitely a memorable dinner, both for the incredible food and the entertainment. I so badly wanted to jump over the counter into the kitchen with the chefs. Casa Mono is a must for your (and my!) next visit to NYC.

Dinner would not be complete without dessert. Both of us were in the mood for cookies, so we headed over to Momofuku Milk Bar. They have some crazy desserts, including cookies, pies, ice cream, truffles, milkshakes and more. We stuck with cookies and brought home 3 types:

• the famous Compost Cookie (pretzels, potato chips, coffee, oats, butterscotch, chocolate chips)
• Peanut Butter
• Blueberry & Cream (dried blueberries, milk crumbs, white chocolate)

The PB cookie was pretty standard, and while the Compost Cookie was good, it wasn’t as earth-shaking as the reviews I’d previously read. There weren’t any pretzels in it and it mostly tasted like coffee! I really liked, no loved, the Blueberry & Cream cookie.

What’s your favorite type of baked good?

Do you like tapas style restaurants?

Saturday Faturday.

This past weekend was jam-packed with festivities:

• Vespa pizza lunch with Rob on Friday
• Rue de Jean dinner for Lauren’s birthday on Friday night
• Strawberry picking and Mustard Seed lunch with Justin on Saturday
• Long Point Grill for family dinner Saturday night
• Out for beverages and dancing with Mariah
• Cookout at Lauren’s pool today

I am exhausted. Let’s review Saturday Faturday.

Justin called me to take him to his car that he left at the bar. Smart boy not driving! I told him I’d only take him if he’d go strawberry picking with me. The bribe worked and he ended up having more fun than he probably anticipated. We picked SO MANY STRAWBERRIES.

8.46 pounds to be exact. I think I’m obsessed.

I was picking at warp speed and got all those in about 20 minutes. I was trying to race Justin but he wasn’t trying to race me. I am competitive about the weirdest things! And now I have a massive amount of strawberries in my fridge.

All that picking worked up an appetite so we headed to the Mustard Seed for lunch. I had the roasted chicken salad with blue cheese, caramelized pear, in a raspberry port wine dressing.

Justin had the salad special with was the crab cake salad with a creamy onion dressing. Mustard seed has the best crab cakes!That evening, I met up with my family at another Dine with Sal restaurant: Long Point Grill. Everyone’s dinners were so so good. I had one of their “fit menu” (under 400 calorie) options: Hong Kong style mahi mahi in a tangerine curry sauce with lots of vegetables.

Grammy got a manly dinner: braised short ribs in a port wine jus, with boursin-whipped Yukon potatoes, and seared asparagus.

Kelly’s meal was very interesting – and delicious. She had seared scallops with apple-smoked bacon cream, wilted spinach, and potatoes.

Dinner was delicious and I had lots of fun hanging out with my adorable cousins.

Gabrielle:

Zachary, destroying some chocolate cake:

After dinner, I went downtown to meet up with Mariah for beverages and dancing. Oh, and man hunting. We went to Vendue Rooftop bar because the weather was so nice! Later we went dancing at Trio but there were only creeps there. While we were ordering a drink, a couple of guys asked us if we wanted to go for a late night booze cruise on Shem Creek. At 2 a.m. It sounded like a great way to get murdered, so we politely declined and had our own slumber party.

Obviously we had one too many shots, because we both felt the need to “check in” at our “slumber party” at 3 a.m.

I love people’s reactions and unfortunately Mariah’s friend was exactly right. We were in bed next to each other updating our statuses, liking them, and commenting on them. Is this normal?! Noooooooooooooooooo. Was it hilarious to us? Yessssssssssssss.

What are some of the things that you and your friends do that you know is just weird but you love it anyway?