Alley Street Eats in Rosewood

Everyone in the neighborhood has eagerly awaited the opening of Alley Street Eats. I read an article about these folks and their concept.  Asian street food, of different styles.  The decor is cool and modern. The menu is extensive without being overbearing and features the variety we so desperately need in our area.

Viv and I shared shrimp and zucchini tempura to start.  Their tempura is light and crispy, just as it should be.  Next, we had an order of the Sichuan wontons. 

These are delicious.  Pork wontons with soy, scallion, cilantro and garlic. I was expecting them to be spicy, given "Sichuan" but they were actually pretty mild, but very flavorful.  I bet next time I can just ask for them to be spicy and they would oblige. 

Next, we had the Yaki Udon Noodle with shrimp.  This was also quite delicious. Soft, pillowy Udon noodles in a soy based sauce with red bell pepper, scallion and mushroom.  The shrimp were nicely cooked, which as we all know, can be a 50-50 shot in some restaurants.

Viv and I are excited about this place.  We've often lamented the fact that almost every Chinese place we know of has a zillion dishes on their menu, yet they all taste the same.  We love, love, love Mai Thai but sometimes the trip to W.C. just isn't in the cards. And, our Korean and Japanese choices are limited.  Now that we have Alley Street Eats right here in the neighborhood, we can get our Asian food fix much more readily!  Here's the link to their MENU. Support our locals!

Fresh Pierogies in the Neighborhood!

We were so excited to see that the European Market moved up Rosewood Drive closer to us.  I mean, I get it, where it was wasn't far, but now I can walk to it in no time flat. And, now they are right next door to another of our neighborhood faves, The Local Buzz. 

I was out tonight for some last minute boxes and wrapping paper when I noticed their "open" sign was still on.  I popped in hoping they might have Kinder eggs, being European and all.  Happy of happy days, they do!  The Vivver will be most pleased to see that Santa once again picked up a couple of these Euro-gems for her. 

Since I was alone, I took some time to browse around. I discovered all kinds of cool stuff in this little market, but one of the first things to catch my eye was that the clerk was unpacking a couple big boxes of containers of pierogies. I kind of lurked over her shoulder checking them out. Not having much experience with pierogies, I was curious but also clueless. 

Fast forward to check out.  I started chatting with the clerk and somehow the pierogies came up.  She told me that they are made fresh by the owner and that I should try them.  She recommended the ones filled with sweet cheese; those are her favorites.  I had also notice some were labeled as stuffed with kraut. Neil loves sauerkraut, so she said, "oh, you must get him some!"  So, I did.  I got them home and we dove into one of the kraut ones right out of the package.  They have caramelized onions on top; added bonus!  Then, I warmed and browned one of each type in some butter so we could sample them as intended.  OMG.  These little dumplings are so fantastic! The cheese pierogies are slightly sweet, kind of like lightly sweetened ricotta.  But, we both agreed the sauerkraut ones are our favorites. 

I've read tons of recipes over the years for pierogies but have never attempted them.  They are soft dumplings with (probably) as many types of filling as one could imagine.  The ones I bought tonight were fully cooked, so all I had to do was warm and brown them up. They were just delicious.  And, apparently, you can special order them from the market if you need a specific quantity for a party or get-together. 

The European Market is right next door to The Local Buzz at the corner of Shandon St. and Rosewood Dr.  I highly recommend you patronize both!

Rosewood Crawfish Fest 2016!

I have a bit of a sentimental side for the Rosewood Crawfish Festival.  The first one we went to was about one month after my daughter was born. Neil and I dressed her up, got the stroller outfitted with all we would need and walked up there to show off our beautiful new baby. And to get crawdads.  Of course.

We've been going ever since.  There is something to be said for having a city-wide festival right in your own neighborhood.  Come park at our house and walk on over.  Go early with the kids, get crawdads with no lines, ride rides, listen to the bands from your front porch in the afternoon.  It's pretty daggum perfect.   

So, how was this year's festival?  Let's get right to it:

Upon arrival selfie, or is it an "us-ie?"

 

Bags and bags of crawfish

Have crawdads, will travel.

Quite a cooking operation

Start by getting your crawdad tickets

Trade your ticket for one of these babies

Join all the other crawfish aficionados

This is what $18 gets you; a little high, but it's fun

Decide which one to keep as a pet.  Not.

What?  Neil's smiling?  Yes, crawdads make Neil smile.

Get in my belly!

After our crawfish feast, we headed out to check out the rest of the festival.  There is really something for everyone at Rosewood's fest: morning 5K, live music, rides for the kids, Crossfit exhibitions, arts & crafts, tons of food and lots of good beer.  

Make sure you don your crawdad gear

Rosewood Market serving shrimp burgers, watermelon, amongst other things

Wacky food display. Gyros, funnel cakes, homemade chips, sausage dogs

Food truck action: Pawley's

Neil couldn't resist the monster turkey legs

Icy treats

I think she rode this contraption about 6 times

Festivals: they're not just for Budweiser anymore!

The first time I've drunk a beer in a can in a VERY long time!

We had a great time at this year's festival.  I think the Rosewood Merchants Assn has done a really great job of creating a family-friendly (without being dorky and boring) festival that is truly part of our community.  Living in Rosewood/Shandon is like living in a village.  Our kids walk to school, thanks to our Rosewood Drive corridor, we can hit the grocery store, local coffee shop, Dairy bar, gas station, local market, delis and restaurants, meat market, all in one trip, we have block parties and we know all our neighbors.  The Rosewood Crawfish Fest is just another cool component to our village. If you haven't come over to our neck of the woods for this event, go ahead and pencil it in for early May of next year.  Let the good times roll!

Southern Belly

Barbeque is to the South as big hair is to New Jersey. Of course I realize we Southerners haven't cornered the market on barbeque.  All regions have their own style: Texas is all about beef and red sauce, here in the Carolinas we're all about mustard based sauce and black pepper & vinegar, and (apparently) in 'Bama, they are into white sauce.  As a born and bred Southerner, I know good bbq when I taste it, and when I do, I appreciate it.  But, I don't really seek it out.  I can't remember ever saying "hey, let's go out for barbeque."  When the 4th rolls around, it's only natural to go get barbeque, but again, I can't remember ever contemplating going out for a bbq dinner.

(fascinating aside) You know, I once worked for a doctor who was a barbeque fanatic.  You could name any town in SC and he'd tell you where to get barbeque in that town.

Well, this past July 4th, my daughter and I decided to get bbq by the lb at The Southern Belly on Rosewood Drive.  I'd driven by this place daily since it opened and started hearing really good things about it.  We were all most pleased with our J4Q so when the subject came up tonight of getting takeout, I suggested we try some of their sandwiches.  You see, this isn't your typical barbeque joint...there's no macaroni & cheese, nor fried chicken, nor green beans, no banana pudding.  They serve inventive bbq sandwiches with a variety of homemade sauces.  The sandwiches are simply served with cole slaw and chips. Click here to check out the menu.

I chose the Southern Belly Dipper because I was curious about this white bbq sauce.  This sauce really just came onto my radar in the last few years. I'd never even heard of it before but have been interested in trying it ever since I first read about it.  

This sandwich is composed of smoky, lean pulled pork with swiss cheese, bacon and the Alabama white sauce.  Since we ordered takeout, the meat and cheese was packaged in foil so I could put the sandwich together myself.  This eliminated the possibility of soggy bun. And what an awesome bun it was!  Not a regular ol' hamburger bun like most bbq sandwiches, but instead, a fresh, crusty bun. Such is a detail that can make or break a sandwich. 

The sauce was quite a surprise.  I guess I was expecting it to be thick and mayo-y but instead discovered a pourable, slightly sweet yet creamy sauce. Combined with the bbq and swiss, it was a really delicious sandwich.  And while I love bacon as much as the next guy, I really found it unnecesary on this sandwich.  I didn't feel like it added much depth or flavor because the meat, cheese and sauce were working so well together.

Here's the zinger...the coleslaw.  As a kid, making me eat coleslaw would have been like a punishment. I'm mellowing in my tolerance of it as I age and I've actually even sampled a few preparations that I've liked.  For instance, the slaw I had on a hot dog at Dupre's at the Market and the coleslaw at Tony's over on Knox Abbott Drive are both really tasty.  But I have to tell you, the slaw from the Southern Belly is amazingly good.  I mean, I could see me actually buying a big container of the stuff to serve at a picnic or take to a potluck.  It was so good, I wished the side that came with my sandwich was twice the size.  

In case you have yet to try the Southern Belly, let me also tell you that the place itself is adorable!  It's like a rustic little cabin.  They have smokers outside in the parking lot, porch seating and a couple long picnic tables out front.  They serve some cool craft beers and have some bbq awards adorning the walls.  I think I found a place that will now make me seek out barbeque.  In fact, I've already decided that next time, I'm ordering the "traditional" (just pulled pork with your choice of sauce) which for me will be the white sauce and that coleslaw is going on the sandwich!  When you go, turn onto Rosewood at the fairgrounds and you'll see the Belly on your right as soon as you pass under the RR trestle.  Get your pork on!

The Kraken is Serving Brunch

You know how it feels when you have a good local place that you want to succeed?  That's how I feel about The Kraken on Rosewood Drive.  We live in Rosewood and from virtually Day 1, we have been avid supporters and word-of-mouthers for them.  We love the owner, Aaron.  He lives in the neighborhood and like a smart restaurant owner, he and his wife are on-site all the time.  To own a restaurant or bar and think that you never have to be there is like placing a pallet of food and booze in your parking lot with a sign that says "take me."

The Kraken is probably best known for their extensive and ever-changing beer selection.  I don't know how many they feature, but it's a lot.  You can like them on Facebook and get updates about new brews that they have brought in.  They are also known for featuring a really interesting menu that is far more than a typical bar menu.  Interesting like lobster grilled cheese, poutine, smoked wings, truffle frites and fried green tomatoes. And, beginning yesterday, The Kraken now offers a Saturday and Sunday brunch.

The brunch menu is pretty impressive: soft shell crab Benedict; shrimp, catfish or crispy pork belly over grits, grilled cheese BLT, sriracha peanut butter glazed doughnuts and fruit/granola parfait, to name a few.  Neil ordered the pimento cheese on toasted brioche with a side of the house-milled grits, the little gourmand only wanted an order of bacon and I chose the grilled cheese BLT.

I didn't try Neil's sandwich simply because mine was pretty big.  I did try the grits however.  I really wasn't a fan.  They are from the Congaree Milling Company and ground in the restaurant.  Neil really liked them because he felt like it tasted like corn on the cob. But I felt like they tasted like old corn.  You know when you were a kid and you took a bite of that dried, multi-colored Indian corn you always see at Thanksgiving?  That's what it reminded me of.  But, we all have our own taste buds, don't we? 

My sandwich was quite good with one minor critique...it needs more bacon.  A BLT of any description really must showcase the bacon. That's an easy thing for them to fix though.  The cheeses (brie and cheddar) were a great combo and were nice and melty and gooey. 

The tomatoes were flavorful and dripping that juicy goodness onto the toasted sourdough.  As I stated before, the only thing I'd add is more bacon.  I chose the Potatoes O'Brien (chunky hash browns with onions & red bell pepper.)  This dish was well seasoned, the onions and peppers were well cooked and the potatoes were crisp yet tender inside.  But, they weren't hot.  Warm, but not hot.

There was a little disappointment though. The Kraken has very slow kitchen time. It has always been that way.  When they first opened, it was attributed to the small size of the kitchen and a new staff cooking in a new place.  I get that.  I assumed, like everyone I'm sure, that they'd get broken in and that would improve.  But, unfortunately, every time I've been there, the wait time for food has been way too slow.  I've heard it chalked up to the small kitchen, but the folks at Motor Supply Co. have been cooking in the world's smallest kitchen for what? going on 20 years now? It occurs to me that regardless of size, you simply get tons of prep work done and then get your system in place. Today, we were excited to try out the new brunch, but from start to finish, we were there close to 2 hours.  I will concede that we chose to go on the maiden voyage weekend but I guess after being open as long as they have, I was hopeful that just cooking a different menu wouldn't affect their turn time. Investing a couple of hours in brunch is a bit much, especially if you're hungry when you get there.

As I said before, we love the owner, the menu, the awesome beer selection, the cool quaint basement setting and the fact that we have this hip neighborhood joint within walking distance of our house.  That leads me to be honest in my critique of The Kraken.  I am not writing today to bad mouth or bash them. Instead, I hope my words will serve as honest feedback that may help them improve.  Aaron is always there and asks his customers for their opinions and how they are enjoying their food. And for you who is reading this post, let me be clear...if you have not been to The Kraken, you need to go.  It's really a unique atmosphere and is always a good time.  I just hope our next brunch isn't quite so much time!  

Support locals!  

Fujiya Funbox

One of Vivi's favorite cuisines is Japanese.  Unfortunately, the Japanese steakhouse closest to our house is, IMO, a dump. It's about 100 years old and the decor has clearly never been updated nor has the place been cleaned.  We can go to Assembly Street, or St. Andrews or the Northeast to find good Japanese food.  But, there's something even closer.

Fujiya on Rosewood Drive is just a couple minutes from our neighborhood.  I've driven by it a zillion times but never ventured in.  I noticed on Facebook one day that my friend Eugenie was there, so I asked her about it.  Turns out she & her family go there pretty often.  So, I decided to give it a try.  I took Vivi to lunch one day a couple of months ago.  Since then, we've been back two more times.  

Is this the best Japanese restaurant in town?  No.  But it's a good one and it's so convenient for us to get there whenever the craving hits.  It's a small place, the hibachi chef is actually Japanese (the dump's chefs are Hispanics...I mean, that's just odd) and the wait staff is attentive.  So far, we've only been there for lunch and what I want to share with you is what a good deal they are for lunch.  They call it the "Lunchbox."  

Viv's beloved teriyaki chicken Bento

My shrimp Lunchbox

Connoisseur

It's a Bento box with your choice of shrimp, chicken or NY strip teriyaki, tempura, gyoza, salad with ginger dressing and either steamed or fried rice. Vivi loves the chicken so much, that she always plows right through that before trying anything else in her box.  The chef cooks at a hibachi table that you can see, but it's not at your table.  

We were excited to see that they offer red bean ice cream, but disappointed to learn that they didn't have any today.  If you have never eaten red bean ice cream or red bean seed pastries, do yourself a favor and order it whenever you see it show up on a menu.  Fujiya, Inakaya and the Blue Cactus are the only places I know of in Columbia who carry the ice cream. In the absense of the ice cream, we opted instead for strawberry ice cream mochi.  Good, but not red bean!  :-)

Like I said, this isn't the best in town, but it's pretty darn good.  What I mean is that this isn't high gourmet, but good, typical offerings of Japanese fare. I like the fact that it's a small, neighborhood place where we can eat lunch that consists of real food for the same price that someone else pays to feed their kids McStuff. The wait staff is always pleasant and they keep a close eye on you and take care of you.  It's a good experience and I especially enjoy my lunch dates with my little girl! 

Tasty Tomatoes, Indeed!

Today was the 4th Annual Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival. Four years, right in my own neighborhood, and we've never made it until today.  So, the three of us hopped on our bikes and followed the music to City Roots.

City Roots: In-town Sustainable farm

I'm glad we got there early.  Right off the bat, I was able to go through the tasting line, which featured beautiful, colorful and unusual varieties of tomatoes, paired with lovely olive oils from the Crescent Olive over on Devine St. I'm not really much of a fan of the little tiny tomatoes, but I tried the chocolate cherry and another one that was bright orange.  I also sampled the Cherokee Purple,Sun Golds and my favorite Mr. Stripey.  Not only do I love that name, but I loved the fruity sweetness of this tomato. Hats off to the Crescent Olive people on the oils and pairings.  There were baguette slices to dip, salt & pepper to grind and oils from oregano to chipotle. Like I said, I'm glad we got there early, because by the time we left, the tasting line was quite long.

This festival is certainly a celebration of the tomato, which might as well be named the official fruit (yes, Virginia, it IS a fruit) of the South.  The vendors that participated also featured the tomato in one way or another. There was a bloody mary bar, tomato hand pies by Spotted Salamander, tomato basil ice cream by Paradise Ice, fresh squeezed lemonade with add-ins such as tomato-cucumber as well as other fresh fruits, gazpacho, fried green tomato BLTs, regular BLTs. 

Spicy, Spicy!

Spotted Salamander's Tomato Hand Pie

However, the star offering was Rosewood Market's "Old Fashioned 'Mater Sandwiches." I mean, bravo Rosewood Market, for serving up what probably 95% of the Southern population considers the ultimate summer sandwich. We're talking white bread, gorgeous red tomatoes, and mayo.  That's it.  They were also offering a basil "veganaisse" but a purist knows that the 'mater sandwich really isn't about veganism. It's about basic ingredients with juicy tomatoes that run down your forearms as you devour it.

One thing I expected was that I'd walk away with a big bag of cool, funky, crazy-shaped heirloom tomatoes. However, only City Roots had a booth to sell veggies/fruits.  They had some pretty, perfectly round tomatoes, but I wanted some of those lunatics of the tomato world.  Also on the table were yard-long beans, all of City Roots' killer microgreens, lovely basil and what I think were purple carrots.  We were able to walk through the greenhouses too, which was really cool to see.  Outside, they had "Mater games" set up alongside the outdoor garden of the longest row of basil, Japanese eggplants, rosemary, dill, mint, just to name a few.  

Collecting the bean bags for another game of cornhole

In addition to all things tomato, the festival also features kids' games, live music and some killer restaurant offerings.  I regret not being able to attend the first 3 festivals, but am really happy that we made it to #4.  We had a great time, ate some super food, a spicy bloody mary and a couple of good beers and then pedaled home.  If you're unfamiliar with this festival, make sure to check out this link so you can be prepared for next year!

Marco's Pizza

Marco's Pizza opened in recent months just down the street from my house.  I really didn't pay much attention to it because it just appeared to be another pizza chain.  But, I'll tell you what made me decide to try it out. I know a young guy who moved here from Michigan.  One afternoon he mentioned to me that he was picking up pizza from Marco's for dinner, but he lives across the river, which means he was actually making a trip for this pizza.  Hmmm...why would he do that?  What does he know that I don't?

So, I quizzed him.  He knew this franchise from back home and even worked there during school.  He loves this pizza so much, that it's worth driving from Cayce all the way over to Rosewood. Yes, my curiosity was indeed kindled.  Today was finally the day to give it a shot.

My beautiful girl started out as a very young one eating black olives by the handful, then graduated to having olive, pepperoni, sausage pizza with me and Neil.  I was so proud.  Then, she met other kids.  Before I knew what hit me, she was proclaiming "I only like cheese pizza!"  It was a dark day for me.  My child had succumbed to the boring, uneventful taste of the average kid.  Well, recently, in an effort to shake up the school lunches, I bought some salami from the deli. She went wild!  So, I seized the opportunity.  It went something like this:

"hey Viv, you know something?  Salami is pepperoni's cousin."

"Really? I love pepperoni."

"So, this means you want pepperoni on your pizza like the old days?"

"Oh yes!"   

Woo Hoo!  My baby is back!  Tonight, we're just the two of us, so we decided to get pizza. What better time to try out Marco's?  I showed Viv the website and the photo of the "Pepperoni Magnifico."  She was down with it.  We ordered ours with the garlic crust (recommended by my buddy Patrick) and the antipasto salad.  I opted to order online, which gave me a pick-up time of 25 minutes. Not bad at all!  Delivery around here always takes longer than that, and since the place is about a minute and a half down the street, picking it up was certainly no bother.

The verdict?  I liked this pizza, but at this point can't proclaim it my favorite.  I mean, it was just pepperoni.  I like a little more action on my pizza, so I definitely want to try some of the other specialty pizzas, or design my own. They have a cool ingredient list, so it could get fun.  The other thing that I like is you get LOTS of choices...the website asked me if we wanted garlic crust, parmesan crust, extra sauce, light sauce, heavy cheese, no cheese, extra this, extra that, split in halves?  I ordered the antipasto salad which was pretty good too.  It was topped with ham, salami, black olives, tomatoes and mozzarella. I didn't order dressing since I have lots of great ones here at home.

Overall, I'd say that I am glad to have another pizza choice so close to home. After all, variety is key in my life.