HUSK!

Last week when we took Catherine back to the College of Charleston we finally made it to HUSK. I’ve been eagerly anticipating that event since last summer when I first heard that James Beard award winning Chef Sean Brock of McCrady’s was opening a new place. HUSK opened November 9th, so we were exactly at the 2 month mark. Husk is like no other restaurant I’ve ever heard tell of. It’s Southern Food, which doesn’t mean everything is pork and collard greens. It does mean food from the South and the South Only. Chef Brock is adamant: “If it doesn’t come from the South, it’s not coming through the door.” Husk showcases the phenomenal products of the South with diversely incredible ways. As soon you walk in the door, they have a Big Board (not like the one in Dr. Strangelove, though) that lists ingredients and where they come from. Stewart did a count and came up with at least half from South Carolina. Everything from James Island Peas, to Happy Cow Creamery butter from Pelzer. Lamb from Virginia, Trout from North Carolina, and of course Ham and Bacon from Allan Benton in Tennessee. It was all exceptional! Here’s what we had:


Duck Leg Confit, Anson Mills Farro, Maria’s Greens, Winter Squash, Red Eye Gravy, with a Duck Fat Fried Egg $12

Sausage Stuffed SC Quail with Benne and Honey, Johnny Cakes, Slow Cooked Egg, and Spicy Hollandaise $14

Wood Fired SC Beef Tenderloin, Sunny Side Up Egg, Surry County VA Pork Sausage and Potato Hash $16

A Stew of LA Shrimp, Carolina Mushrooms, Charred Scallions, and Benton’s Bacon over Carolina Gold Rice $14

The quality of everything was amazing. The kitchen is kinda-sorta open so you can see the folks preparing the dishes, and while I saw Chef de Cuisine Travis Grimes lightly doing a touch up here or there, mostly I could tell that the cooks (who served the food they prepared) took ownership and pride in their creations. (On a side note, our server Caddy said that over 570 folks applied for 50 Front-of- the-House positions!)

The next time you’re in the Holy City, you really ought to go by. The menu changes depending on availability of product, so don’t get your hopes up that you’ll be able to get the same thing we did. Whatever you get, it’ll be fantastic. That’s a given.