Mink, along with Karalee Neilsen and John Kenney, embarked on the regal task of filling yet another hole in the Charleston food and bev scene last July. Call it a sign of the times, but the restaurant group felt the need for an inexpensive bar with a sense of community. Their signature style is in the details and practically every inch is recycled or refurbished. There are top hats above the sound booth, National Geographics dating back to 1964 lining the wall and an enormous patio out front. You can pull up a stool to the wrap-around bar, settle into a cozy leather booth or relax in the lounge area, where portraits of American royals the likes of George Washington and Babe Ruth will soon cover the ceiling.

The vibe is decidedly New Orleans complete with Mardi Gras beads, colorful decorations and stadium cups filled with punch. There is a space cleared for bands and the promise of live music. The jukebox, a refurbished Wurlitzer, plays hard-to-find recordings and albums you want to hear in their entirety like Exile on Main St. Have good taste in music and an even better collection? Patrons are encouraged to bring their own vinyls. It’s that kind of place.

REV’s roster of restaurants includes such local hangouts as Poe’s Tavern, Taco Boy, Monza and Closed For Business, but food is not the main act here. While the menu will grow, the kitchen might not, and the chili and burgers (meat and vegetarian) are really just there to fill your belly between drinks, which will soon include their own cinnamon infused whiskey. The full bar is no match for the beer: you can find vintage brews such as Iron City, and they are the only place around serving cans of Shiner Bock, Ballantine, Genesee and National Bohemian.

As with all REV establishments, The Royal American took shape once the building was chosen. The Ole Charleston Forge on Morrison Drive is old, dusty, and shakes every time the train rattles by.  The location is perfect: secluded yet trendy, with ample parking. A hop, skip and a bike ride from their downtown Taco Boy location, the neighborhood is the talk of many artists, musicians and other hip people you’d really like to knock a few back with.

“People are looking for a place where they know the bartender and feel at home,” explains Neilsen. So now we have it: our very own Cheers bar, with a REV twist.

The Royal American, 970 Morrison Drive
5pm-2am daily, 843-817-6925
Connect on Facebook

Story by: Carter Worrell Dandridge
Photos by: Austin Dandridge

And that’s what the sandwich shop is all about: quality food without the fanfare. The grub is what you’d expect from a trendy lunch spot in Austin, Brooklyn or Venice Beach: a mix of middle eastern staples and creative newbies. Think Falafel or Sabich with a side of popcorn or curry cauliflower. The veggies are abundant; a lactose-intolerant vegetarian would be able to test nearly half the menu. The bread is homemade, available for individual purchase and absolutely incredible. It goes unsaid that the ingredients are primarily local; of course they are. If asked, you can hear how the lamb in the gyro is from Moss Hill Farms in Springfield, SC, but you won’t find it written on the chalkboard menu. The goal is to serve delicious sandwiches, not alienate non-foodies with pretentious facts.

This attitude of inclusion radiates from every corner of Butcher & Bee. There is only one table in the entire restaurant, forcing a sense of community to all who dine in. There is an urban garden out back, right next to the composter, and there is talk of community dinners with guest chefs down the road. The idea of promoting local community certainly helped out when, after being denied by eleven banks, owner Shem-Tov turned to a local establishment, Southcoast Community Bank, for the restaurant’s loan.

The vibe inside is quite organic: there is little distinction between what is used and what is sold. All of the furniture is reclaimed or recycled, from the mismatched bar stools to the antique cash-register. A mix of rustic woods and cool steel, everything in the restaurant serves a purpose while still looking unintentionally cool.

Tucked away in one of the few corners of Charleston still sacred to locals, Butcher & Bee is destined to be a word-of-mouth wonder. Shem-Tov is keeping a low profile, hoping to attract the exact clientele that will absolutely love the restaurant’s under the radar status. Even the hours sound cool: 11-3…am and pm. The late-night dinner is only available Thursday-Saturday. There is no liquor license to speak of so you can BYOB until midnight if you feel so inclined, although that might require coming back Saturday or Sunday morning for a brunch of french toast and shrimp and grits. There’s a horseshoe above the back door for good luck, but we doubt they’ll need it. Who needs luck when you have delicious food…and free parking.

Let the buzz for Bee begin…

Butcher & Bee
654 King Street
(843) 619.0202
Butcher & Bee on Facebook
ButcherAndBee.com

Story by: Carter Worrell (welcome back to Charleston, Carter!)

We believe the best food reviewer to whom you should listen is…well, you. Which is why we ask you to tweet us your best “bites” in Charleston so we can share your recommendations with other cuisine lovers in the city. Here are your best pics of the moment:

“Whole Foods mud cake gelato”
- Dan Boland

“Fresh shrimp with grit cakes served with an Octoberfest brew!”
- Mandy Von See

“John’s Island Tomato Tarte Tatin from FIG. I had it almost a month ago and I am still salivating. SO good”
- Salt & Seaweed

“I would have to say pimento cheese from Closed for Business ”
- Susannah Lee Armstrong-Tracy

“Frogmore stew!!”
- Chelsea Ruth

“Basil pad thai”
- Jennifer Denton

“EVO’s Pistachio pesto pizza”
- Betsy Hayden

“I second Basil’s pad thai”
- Amanda Bunting Comen

“Jalapeno grit bites and a cold beer”
- Christy Wegmen James

“Anything at The Macintosh”
- Margaret Willard

“Tater Tachos at the Recovery Room!”
- Sara Roth

“Carbonara pasta at Two Boroughs. It’s a bowl of ‘hot damn that’s good!’”
- Kinsey Giddick

“Still obsessed with The Turkey from Bull Street Gourmet!”
- Emily Hill

“Sitting with the windows open at Closed for Business with a big ‘ol pork slap and a cold draught beer”
- Seaton Brown

“Lucky No. 1 sandwich at Tattooed Moose”
- Caroline Millard

“Husk’s cheeseburger at lunch is still the best thing ever no matter what the season!”
- Bailey Surrett

“The cheese plates at O’Hara & Flynn are awesome – specifically their apple/honey/brie plate. It’s my fave cozy place in Charleston!”
- Shauna Mackenzie

“Nachos at Taco Boy!”
- Linley Hariss Murphy

“The Italian Roll, soon to be on Caviar & Bananas new sushi menu…a-mazing”
- Caroline Nuttall

“Biggie’s mac & cheese!”
- Kristie Person

“California Burger at Coleman Public House”
- Josh Labovitz

“Baja Fish Taco at Zia Taqueria”
- Cait B

“Deviled eggs at The Glass Onion!”
- Ivie Parker

“Cypress wood fire burger with bacon jam and pimento cheese…bar menu”
- Nathan Needle

“The amazingly delicious Asian rib at Coleman Public House!”
- Antonia M. Krenza

“Graze’s pimento mac and cheese… yum!”
- Elizabeth Poindexter

“FIGs ricotta gnocci with lamb bolognese….dear God thank you for that tasty dish ”
- Samantha White

Story by: You
Photos by: Andrew Stephen Cebulka, John Smoak, Terry Manier, and provided

Nor is this your late night greasy fried chicken and biscuit snack.

This is Xiao Bao Biscuit company, a home-run restaurant with delicious events popping up around our city, and a husband-wife duo that’s changing how Charleston views traditional home cooking.

Joshua Walker and his sprightly wife Duolan Li were witness to the New York City culinary scene in the early 2000s where, “it was all about the ingredients,” Walker explains.

Walker, who has family in Ridgeville, worked in art and design, while his eventual bride led a life in finance. This past January, the two were married in Brooklyn before setting off for a six-month expedition through Asia.

They traveled through over five countries, working and eating with the locals along the way. While learning the ropes of the Japanese rice fields, the couple caught up with a former Tokyo ad exec who’d given up the corporate life to become a tomato farmer and home sake brewer.

Their hosts along the way, like the tomato farmer, worked hard and ate simply. An echo back to Southern soul foods. Simple, sophisticated. Not pretentious.

So, upon returning to the U.S., the couple made the move from the big city to the old South. But this isn’t Green Acres; it’s more like acres of greens and fresh ingredients.

“Being in the South is one of the few regions with a very strong sense of tradition,” says Walker. “We’d go on vacation here, see how connected Charleston was to local, native food, and that was something we really wanted to celebrate.”

Asian food was a culinary discipline the couple thought wasn’t well represented in Charleston – one that was close to home for Duolan Li and a palette she and her husband both loved so much.

And so began Xiao Bao.

When asked what Xiao Bao means, Joshua smiles before giving us a quick lesson in Mandarin. He says, “It’s a tonal language, which means one word can have several meanings depending on how you say it.”

Little one or little biscuit: one a term of endearment Joshua calls his wife, the other the perfect name for the newest addition to the Charleston culinary circle.

The couple has hosted several events across town including a home-cooked and sold-out ramen night at Remedy Market last month. Coming up this weekend is a Banh Mi and Bubble Tea dinner at Hope and Union.

So ditch the carry out menu and run away from the P.F. Chang’s train. It’s time for a taste of real Southern/Asian comfort food.

XiaoBaoBiscuit.com
Xiao Bao on Facebook

Xaio Bao @ Hope and Union – Aug 13, 7pm
199 St. Philip Street, Downtown – (843) 922-1023
Bahn Mi ($9), bubble tea ($3), black tea panna cotta with salted ginger caramel ($3.50)

Story by: Caroline Millard
Photos by: Karson Photography

Enter Matthew Dukes Hanna, a Lowcountry native who grew up licking Big Ed’s Heirloom Barbecue Sauce off his fingers.

First produced in small, specialty batches at Big Ed’s Barbecue Restaurant & Pigtail Hunt Camp in 1980, a lucky few have been wrist deep in Big Ed’s Heirloom Barbecue Sauce for more than 30 years. After decades of requests to sell the sauce to the general public, it is finally making its bottled debut on grocery store shelves, restaurants and cafés in the Lowcountry.

The Remedy Market has already jumped on board to smother its sandwiches and line its shelves with the famous-soon-to-be-more-famous sauce. If Spring Street’s not your scene, you can also pick up a bottle (or four) at Heirloom Book Company on lower King, House of Brews in Mount Pleasant, and others with the hip and happening mindset.

So now the big question. Who is “Big Ed?” That would be the culinary creator behind the sauce, also known as Matt’s dad. The production of this sauce is truly a family affair; Matt’s mom, dad, brother and sis were all involved in turning the family favorite into a viable product. When Big Ed, a long-time realtor in Allendale, SC, felt the strain of the recession, the family convened and decided to try to turn a little profit from something they knew and loved, and knew others would love to have at their tables. It quickly became available in five grocery stores in Allendale, and Matt has now decided to bring the goods to Charleston.

While the secret’s in the sauce, the bottle describes it as “a robust, tangy, vinegar based heirloom barbecue sauce and marinade with just the perfect hint of pepper and a slightly sweet undertone.” Those are some fancy words, but we can tell you this: it is GOOD. We came to the table with Matt, CHARLIE photographer Andrew Cebulka, and other local foodie friends for a full-on BBQ dinner. Plates quickly became doused in red and the sounds were that of a truly great barbeque: tiny moans and smacking lips.

Besides what’s in it, we love Big Ed’s Heirloom Barbecue Sauce just from its bottle alone. And it’s no surprise, the way Matt meticulously compared tiny details and asked locals for their opinions day in and day out over coffee at Baked. Tagged as the “Specialty of the South,” it stands out from its counterparts with a cool, vintage design. Its label will appeal to the health-conscious too; it boasts a gluten free, fat free, cholesterol free and preservatives free recipe. Having watched his father battle diabetes for years, Matt is passionate about consumers realizing that barbeque doesn’t have to be unhealthy. Sure, it’s perfect for a pig roast, but can also be used to marinate tofu, and as a salad dressing. Seriously.

The sauce has already gotten the big stamp of approval from the South Carolina Specialty Foods Association and is part of Lowcountry Local First. They’re looking for more retail and specialty food stores to carry the product (so if that’s you, give them a shout), and hope to be in 1,000 new spots by the end of their first year.

As for what’s next? Matt wants to branch out nationwide, open a barbeque catering service, and become involved philanthropically with the American Diabetes Association.

But first thing’s first. Go get yourself a bottle, you saucy minx.

Don’t miss the launch event on 8/21 at Heirloom Book Co. (843-722-6377)
Big Ed’s Heirloom Barbecue Sauce (the flagship product of Pigtail Brands)

Story by: Katie Strumpf
Photos by: Andrew Stephen Cebulka

Old Pond Produce:
Located off of—wait for it—Old Pond Road, owner Harry Byrd brings a wide variety of goods to the table. Look for free range eggs, some good-looking bell peppers, and heirloom tomatoes galore. Goin’ fishin’? Byrd sells live bait, too. And don’t forget to come back over the holidays to pick up your Christmas tree.
Open 10am – 7pm daily.

Fields Farm:
Stop at one of their produce stands (they have one located at the intersection of River Road and Maybank Highway and another nestled outside their farm on River Road), and you’re guaranteed to be greeted with a, “hey, sweetie.” Customer service at its finest, no? The Fields Family keeps their stands open year round seven days a week and says their tomatoes are the best seller. Check out their amazing watermelons too.
Open 9:30am – 7:30pm daily.

Rosebank Farms:
Half the reason to head out this way is to see the legendary bearded owner Sidi Limehouse himself. Nestled under their white tent just before you reach Kiawah and Seabrook Islands, you’ll find everything from sweet corn (definitely going home with you) to heavenly butter beans. Need a gift for your sweetheart? Grab a bouquet of fresh-cut wild flowers.
Open 9am – 6pm daily.

Freeman Farm:
Blueberries, melon peppers, potatoes, black-eyed peas—yeah, they’ve got ‘em. Don’t miss their assortment of relishes and Sea Island Honey, either. Rose Freeman’s favorite? She says their greens are the best, so pop back by later this year to get your own sample.
Open Monday-Saturday 8:30am – 6pm and Sunday 9am – 5:30pm.

Carroll O’Neal’s Honor Stand:
Yes, these do actually exist. Just past Briar’s Creek on River Road rests a tiny white tent, where—if you’re lucky—you’ll run into owner Caroll O’Neal himself restocking some of those fine looking squash and zucchini. Pop by the stand anytime (literally) and simply slide your money in the lockbox. Need eggs? Give him a call at (843) 224-9001 and he’ll bring some fresh farm eggs out to you. We hear he’s about to add some boiled peanuts in the mix, so you best get trucking.
Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Thanks be to Johns Island.

Story by: Evans Craddock
Photos by: Jason A. Zwiker

Summer is for playing in the water, drinking beer, and grilling out. And of course, it’s all about the pimento cheese.

Once something nobody outside the South had ever heard of, this secret Southern spread is making strides. It’s on Twitter. It’s popping up on ex-pats’ NYC restaurant menus. And it’s about to hit the silver screen.

Nicole Lang, a Virginia-based filmmaker and member of the Southern Foodways Alliance, has spent the past several months traveling through the South for a documentary on the great cheese spread, which will premiere in Oxford, Mississippi in October. Charleston was of course en route, where she interviewed Ted Lee, historian Robert Moss, and Hominy Grill’s Robert Stehling.

“I was shocked that a food as perfect as pimento cheese had existed: cheese, mayo, tangy peppers, cayenne, and I had gone my whole life without even a mere mention of it – anywhere,” Lang says as she recalls her first taste (circa 2007). She was hooked immediately.

Now, people’s opinions on pimento cheese can be as varied – and strong – as that of politics. So, we’re ready to take whatever agreement or disagreement comes our way in this next bold move. Here we go…CHARLIE’s Top 3 Countdown to the best pimento cheese ever:

#3: Palmetto Cheese. Otherwise known as “The Pimento Cheese with Soul.” The packaging immediately makes you want to love it – two down-home Southern women whipping up a batch with love. The spicy version of this one with the jalapenos is the way to go, as it balances out the super creamy texture. It’s the best mass-produced pimento cheese on the market, and you should never go below it in quality.
Available at most grocery stores.

#2: Callie’s Pimento Cheese. This was top of our list for a long, long time. It’s classic, with thick cuts of cheddar and less mayonnaisey than others. The fiery version is super hot, so stick with original on this one. It is impossible to eat this and not be a pimento cheese fan forevermore.
Available at Caviar & Bananas.

And the winner is…drum roll please….

#1: Ted’s Pimento Cheese. As in Ted from Ted’s Butcherblock. We were so dead set on Callie’s that Ted gave us the first taste free. He knew a junky when he saw one and knew we’d be back. He was right. Ted’s spread is not classic, so be prepared. It’s more savory, filled with mild chili spices, with almost a Mexican quality. It’s to die for. Slap some on top of his beef tenderloin and your life will never be the same.
Available at Ted’s Butcherblock.

The world of pimento cheese is a democracy. So here, Charleston, are your favorites:

“Palmetto Cheese, it is just good stuff! ”
- Angela Newton

“Village Bakery! It’s the best ever!!”
- Katherine Austin Smith

“Giddy Goat! It’s local, fresh and contains ZERO mayonnaise! Also the owner is kind of a badass.”
- Katie Norris

“Second on the Giddy Goat. Caviar and Bananas makes an amazing version as well. I like both with a slice or two of jalapeno!”
- Erin Perkins

“‎Callie’s Biscuits & Pimento Cheese – either flavor is smooth and cracktastic, one bite and you’ll cold shoulder the shizzlit out of Palmetto (my former fave). Some meals for me consist of a tub of Callie’s, some homemade crostini, and a bottle of something red on the balcony. Git sum!”
- Chris Pertgen

“Palmetto Cheese (the kind with jalapenos) – it’s very addictive!”
- Carol Bain Linder

“Toss up between: Randall Everett Felkel’s with Grand Marnier or Kimberly Martin Baldwin’s recipe!”
- Kelly Martin

“In the grocery store, Palmetto Cheese. Out & about… Glass Onion makes a great one, as does Triangle Char & Bar. Yummy!!!!”
- Patti Noe

“Palmetto, the jalapeno kind. Jim N Nick’s paired with their spicy sausage links is a close second.”
- Antonia M. Krenza

“Callie’s.”
- Nathan Needle

“Rita’s on Folly has an awesome pimento cheese burger!”
- Amanda Bunting Comen

“Poogan’s Porch Pimento Cheese Fritters with Green Tomato Chutney…because nothing beats fried cheese!”
- Whitney Chappell Grove

“Sesame.“
- Lyn Tally

“Totally agree on the Palmetto, with jalapeno! That bite adds just the right zip.”
- Edith Howle

“Palmetto Cheese with Jalapeno!”
- Heather Morin

“‎Callie’s Biscuits & Pimento Cheese – Fiery!”
- Rebecca Blackman

“‎Glass Onion. Their grilled pimento cheese sandwich is to die for.”
- Angel Powell

“‎Callie’s Biscuits & Pimento Cheese – the fiery!”
- Libba Osborne

“Laura Alberts on Daniel Island makes some FANTASTIC pimento cheese. It’s almost as good as palmetto cheese!”
- @JameyandClaire

“Hands down @calliesbiscuits pimento is the best. Introduced friends and fam to it now they demand I have some when they visit.”
- Joshua Labovitz

“Drop In Deli on Folly Beach has the best Pimiento Cheese in town – hands down. Their Pimiento Cheese BLT is rockin’ awesome.”
- @follywoodrocks

“Closed for Business! with the tomato soup, perfection.”
- Christa Cariddi

How about you? What is your pot of pimento cheese gold?

Pimento Cheese on Twitter
Nicole Lang’s blog, Food Punk
B-T-S of the film journey (Like Thelma and Louise But With More Pimento Cheese. Way More.)

Story by: Caroline Nuttall

Goat. Sheep. Cow. Otherwise known as the greatest cheese shop we’ve seen since…ever. With almost 200 cheeses you’ve never heard of but will forevermore rather die than live without. Dramatic? Just try Sofia and get back to us.

Tucked in a tiny nook on Church just S.O.B. sits the bright, Parisian-feeling gem. The logo is adorable enough to bring you in and you’ll be glad you trusted your instincts. It smells like a foot when you enter, as any really great cheese shop should, and the small space is generally bustling with activity…people who have discovered the little nirvana tasting, buying, chatting like it’s their favorite social hangout. The best cheeses (organized in case by soft, semi-soft and hard), charcuterie, and other goodies like pairing wines (just in!), olives, fruit pastes, french bread, dried cherries and, our fave, cocoa-dusted chocolate covered almonds.

But it’s when you look behind the cases that you find the real soul of the shop. Its owners. Mike. Patty. Trudi.

Their story is amazing, really. There’s Mike, a former orthopedic surgeon in New Jersey who, due to an injury and loss of feeling in his hand, studied to become a certified Sommelier (wine guy) and Affineur (cheese guy). There’s his wife, Patty, who had a custom clothing business/bridal salon and admittedly “tricked” their daughter into going to CofC so they could visit beautiful Charleston. And there’s Trudi, a former VP at Goldman Sachs…one of the very few female traders working the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

But they were all happy to leave their over-stressed, over-snowed lives to come South for the love of cheese. Mike’s the strong silent type, Trudi’s the whip-cracker, and Patty will be your best friend in under 30 seconds flat. Together, they are the three most passionate cheese aficionados you’ve ever met.

We asked each to name their favorite cheese. Kind of like choosing between kids in Sofie’s Choice.

Trudi’s the first to wrestle with the question, saying she can find a new favorite most days, but ultimately confesses to D’Affinois, a sexy, silky double cream french brie that customers whimsically call “the 69 cheese” (referring to its coincidentally assigned code number).

When asked for his fave, Mike says, “that’s easy,” and names Vacherin mont d’Or from Switzerland, a creamy cow’s milk cheese that is ladled into a spruce container and then sealed. He describes it further saying, “at room temp it gets all gooey and runny and with a crisp baguette it is heaven. Next, bring on the Sancerre to match with it. Creamy heaven.” Then he drops the bomb. It’s nearly impossible to get since it’s raw milk and still battling the FDA – damn government protecting our tummies. It’s only available in the fall for about 6 weeks, so mark your calendar. Even at more than $40/lb, Mike buys as much as he can. It’s once a year after all, and as Mike says, you “gotta live!”

Patty ends the favortisms with, “I love ALMOST every cheese in our store, but if I got stranded on a desert island, I would be SO much happier if there was some D’Affinois there with me.”

So do yourself a favor and pop in for a taste. A creamy, luscious, delicious, euphoric taste.

Guess Church really does lead to Heaven after all.

Goat. Sheep. Cow.
106 Church Street
843.480.2526
GoatSheepCow.com

Story by: Caroline Nuttall
Photos by: Chrys Rynearson

Johnny Krell falls easily into the Egghead category. His wife Sally gave him a Big Green Egg as a birthday present seven years ago. They have discovered that the only downside to the Egg is that there is no way for her to top that gift. A lifetime warranty makes this grill investment as solid as the space-age ceramics it’s made of. The weatherproof orb uses natural hardwood charcoal, so food gets a blast of flavor from the flames.

Versatile and modern, the Egg inspires devotion among its fans, who often share recipes and bond over their Egg love. Johnny’s specialties include veal chops with blue cheese compound butter and the meltingly tender bone-in ribeyes from the New York Butcher Shop (which dry ages its customers’ selection for two weeks in a deli case in their Mt. P shop).

Johnny demonstrates a gadget that would ignite any charcoal lover’s passion. Though technically not a flame thrower, The Looftlighter is a cutting-edge fire starter that resembles a hairdryer on steroids and blows a 1256 degree stream of air. Aim this bad boy at your charcoal to go from sparks to flame in a minute flat. Gangsta! Keep it in mind for that perfect Father’s Day present.

A simple gas grill is all self-proclaimed pizza connoisseur Michael Mansson needs for his specialty: grilled za, which he describes as “sophisticated manliness.” With store-bought pizza dough and sauce, he focuses on the toppings, like perfectly grilled organic summer squash. Some of his memorable creations include the carb motherload “fettuccini alfredo pizza” and a “buffalo chicken pizza” with hot sauce instead of tomato sauce.

Such bachelor-friendly meals translate well into his married life with Lexi, who is happy to let him do the cooking when he is so inclined. As far as his Thermos gas grill goes, Michael says its advantage is “it’s economically friendly. In tough times, you gotta make decisions, so go with a cheap grill.”

Our other renowned and acknowledged grillmaster is Mark Tanenbaum, whose high-end TEC infrared gas grill works beautifully for his specialty: grilled Maine lobster with brown butter. The TEC grill can get twice as hot as the Egg, allowing for reduced cooking times and a quicker start as well. Mark espouses the “reduced carbon footprint” of his grill, with less smoke and fewer flame-ups. The TEC grill may be the Rolls Royce of gas grills, but it typically needs replacement parts every three years or so, when the pricy burners wear out.

Mark loves the relaxed state grilling puts him in. He says, “The most important thing you can do while preparing the grill is to enjoy your vodka and your cigar,” a grilling tip we stand behind.

Time to man up and sing the tong song.

Resources for the Charleston grill master:
Ted’s Butcherblock
New York Butcher Shop
Craig Deihl’s Artisan Meat Share
The Fire Department

Story by: Dee Dee Arthur
Photos by: Ben Walters

Cute, cool guys who make really amazing ice cream.

And not the vanilla, chocolate, strawberry variety.

It’s bourbon ginger. Cucumber mint sorbet. Charleston Coffee Roasters with crumbled bits of Sweeteeth ‘Sea is For Caramel’ bars, and a delightfully bright purple beet ice cream that slinks around your taste buds like no vegetable has done before.

They call themselves Roots Ice Cream, a hybrid of meanings all ending in the best frozen dessert you’ve ever had in the Holy City.

Matt, a 2009 graduate of the College of Charleston, and Drew, a native of Asheville, NC, met over a sweet pea in a field. That field was part of the Lowcountry Local First initiative, a program in which both guys were apprentices. Both thought the vine-picked sweet pea would be incredible in an ice cream. The sweet pea ice cream was a bit of a running joke between the two for a while. Until they started to experiment in the kitchen.

“We want to do nice flavors. We’re not in this to do the standard vanilla, chocolate, strawberry,” says Matt.

Basil was the first. A hit. Followed by strawberry and truffle salt. A miss. Then there was a carrot and benne wafer ice cream. Another hit.

The guys worked to perfect their recipes, taking cues from flavors that are both local and in season.

“Ice cream is a great way to celebrate your community,” says Drew, a spoon of Charleston Coffee Roasters and Sweeteeth ice cream in hand. “Roots fits what we do on multiple fronts.”

The duo had their big break at the Charleston Wine + Food Festival in March where they debuted a sweet tea ice cream good enough to have the infamous Lee brothers lined up for a first taste.

“We make ice cream that’s as comfortable in McCrady’s as it is in a neighborhood ice cream truck,” smirks Matt.

And it’s about to be the start of a busy ice cream season. Roots will be part of the first farmer’s market of the year this Saturday morning, then pack up the good stuff to make an appearance at Kulture Klash that night. Then it’s back to the kitchen to work on a custom flavor for the Charleston Waterkeeper’s Water Ball, before heading to the Chef’s Potluck on the 17th of this month.

Long term goals for the team include owning a farm where 90 to 100 percent of the ingredients used in their frosty concoctions can be sourced, a farm-to-table ideology adapted to the perfect dessert. And in the near future, Roots will work to freeze up flavors unique to different locations and events about town. A Hope and Union coffee flavor perhaps? A Spoleto specialty? One of those may already be in the works…

“Roots is not what ice cream is, but what it can be,” muses Drew. “If you’re going to have ice cream, might as well be the best.”

Forget Haagen Dazs, your freezer has a new resident.

Follow Roots icecream on Twitter @RootsIceCream
RootsIceCream.com

Story by: Caroline Millard
Photos by: Andrew Stephen Cebulka