tennreb's Profile
Oxford, MS
Trip Report:
I flew into Memphis, picked up the car, and headed straight to Payne's BBQ on Lamar. The atmosphere is really terrible there (at least they could get a jukebox), but the bbq sandwich is the best that is made anywhere. My companion, a Charlestonian, was taken aback by the 1970s standard apartment range where the pot of sauce sat. The chop-chop-chop echoing through that concrete building while you eat is sort of erie, but those crunchy bits of chopped-to-order shoulder are probably the best thing you could ever put in your mouth.
Next we drove to Oxford, checked into the Inn at Ole Miss, and walked to the Square for our reservations at City Grocery. The Mannings were seated right next to us, reminding me of my college days. Not one person approached them. First course was pumpkin soup. It was good as pumpkin soup could be. Nothing mind-blowing, but great. Next was the fried pimento cheese salad. The cake of fried pimento cheese was sublime. Why didn't I ever think of this? There was a poached egg on the salad as well, which was good but was a little out of sync. Next was the Tennessee foie gras on little biscuits. Excellent foie gras, though I am not a connoisseur. My dish was the Florida line-caught redfish soaked in buttermilk over Carolina Gold rice. This might have been the best piece of fish I have ever had. Despite the buttermilk, the flavor of the fish shone through. City Grocery might just be the best restaurant in the South, and that is saying something considering I live in Charleston and frequent New Orleans.
Breakfast the next morning was the Big Bad Breakfast at its namesake. House-smoked bacon loaded with flavor. Grits perfectly creamy. Egg substitute so well seasoned you could barely tell they weren't real scrambled eggs. Biscuit, which appears to be made of corn flour, was excellent. My favorite part of the dish were the gravies. Red Eye gravy was like crack. The tomato gravy, rarely seen anywhere, was amazing.
Couldn't eat lunch after that. Dinner was at Taylor Grocery, which was everything I remembered it to be. The atmosphere was excellent and worth the two hour wait. As soon as I walked in the door, the waitress who hasn't waited on me in two years gave me a hug and still knew my name. Where else than Oxford do college students build relationships like this? My Charleston friend was in a state of awe the entire evening.
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City Grocery
152 Courthouse Sq, Oxford, MS 38655
Taylor Grocery & Restaurant
4-A County Rd 338, Oxford, MS 38655
Big Bad Breakfast
719 N Lamar Blvd, Oxford, MS 38655
Oxford, MS
Thanks for the updates. Thursday I'm flying into Memphis and will hit up either Payne's or Cozy Corner before driving down to Oxford. I'll be going to Taylor Grocery on Friday night. I love the experience more than the food, especially when it involves the 2 hour tailgate. Thursday I want something better. I thought about CG, but it is so similar to many of the great restaurants I eat at in Charleston all the time. We can get great steak in Charleston too. I was thinking of Yocona for Thursday night because it is a little different than the Charleston restaurants but not sure if it is still good since it moved. Friday morning I'll be pigging out at BBB, so I'll probably skip lunch on Friday. I thought about Snack Bar for Thursday night as well, but a friend from Charleston is coming with me, and I'd hate to take him to a strip mall twice in one trip (since we are going to BBB). Saturday will be all about tailgating. Again, thanks for the help.
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Taylor Grocery & Restaurant
4-A County Rd 338, Oxford, MS 38655
Oxford, MS
After being away for a few years, I'll be back in Oxford next week for four days, and I'm looking for some good places to eat. I will definitely go to Taylor Grocery and Big Bad Breakfast, but I need an upscale place for dinner. Is Yocona in Exile good? I haven't been since the old place burned, but I used to love the Yocona filet. Other suggestions?
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Taylor Grocery & Restaurant
4-A County Rd 338, Oxford, MS 38655
Big Bad Breakfast
719 N Lamar Blvd, Oxford, MS 38655
Deals
Anyone know of great deals for good food and drink? Commander's 25 cent martinis at lunch is a fantastic deal, and I think some of the other Brennan's establishments have the same deal. Not sure which one though. I know Domenica was doing half priced pizzas and beer and wine during happy hour. Anyone know if that is till happening? Swizzle Stick used to have a good deal, though I can't remember what it was. Any other deals out there?
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Domenica
123 Baronne Street, New Orleans, LA 70112
Charleston, SC - inexpensive meals
I live in downtown Charleston, and good and inexpensive are somewhat mutually exclusive, but it can be found. Jim'N'Nicks is a chain and not authentic bbq, but the food is still very good and prices are cheap, and the menu is far more than bbq. Everything is made from scratch. Dixie Supply is a great lunch spot. If you want to eat gourmet on the cheap, get the express lunch at SNOB. You get the entree of the day, soup or salad, and drink for $10. It's an absolute steal for the quality of food and environment. Basil is great thai that is more moderately priced than cheap but worth it food a nice dinner. I think Hominy Grill is overrated but it is worth a trip.
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Hominy Grill
207 Rutledge Ave, Charleston, SC 29403
Charlestonian Meets the Upstate - Greenville, SC
I am a Charlestonian and I will be working in Greenville one weekend a month, so I will need good places for Friday and Saturday night meals. Looking for something different than what I can get in Charleston.
Fleet Landing Charleston SC
Great view. Cool building. Good happy hour. Mediocre seafood. If you want less expensive seafood, go to Pearl's for casual (cheaper than Fleet Landing) or Amen Street for midscale (a little more expensive than Fleet). If you want a great view and the food is secondary, go to Fleet.
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Fleet Landing Restaurant & Bar
186 Concord Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Cashiers, NC
Anyone know of a decent place to eat dinner Sunday night and lunch on Monday near Cashiers, NC?
Charleston: Triangle Char & Bar and other good eats for a large crowd
Triangle is one of the best casual pub food places in town. The burgers are great, service is most often good, and the space is pretty cool. Sesame is a similar alternative.
Hot Tamales in Charleston.............
Most Mexican restaurants have their version of tamales, but I have yet to find any Delta tamales in Charleston. Let us know if you find some, as I think they are far superior to their Mexican counterpart.
Sticky Fingers BBQ............
I'm not saying Jim'n'Nicks and Home Team are great, but they are the best I've found in Charleston. Sweatman's is good, but I've only eaten at the buffet. When the meat is pre-chopped, bathed in sauce, and set out on a buffet, it loses its inherent flavor. Jim'n'Nicks is a chain, but I don't know how they are able to maintain their quality. They support the Southern Foodways Alliance and the Charleston Wine & Food Festival, so they are committed to preserving the tradition of Southern food. They seem to do it very well for a chain. I haven't eaten at the other places you mentioned. I have eaten at Momma Brown's, and I'm not even sure their meat is actually barbecued. It tastes oven roasted and then bathed in sauce. Their sides taste like they came straight out of a can.
Sticky Fingers BBQ............
That's a scary thought. I wonder what is worse than Sticky Fingers. The owner either isn't around, or he didn't learn very much. A pitmaster is someone who learned to tend the pit over decades, often inheriting generations of technique. Too many bbq restaurants around here lack a true pitmaster. I have found some decent 'que at Home Team and Jim'N'Nicks.
Sticky Fingers BBQ............
I'm from Memphis, and Sticky Fingers would never survive there. There's a lot of inferior barbecue in Charleston, but Sticky Fingers is probably the worst.
Another Charleston post - bachelor party dinner question
Amen Street is very good. It's a small step below the others mentioned, but it is also a little bit cheaper. Atmosphere is great for dinner on a night out.
Another Charleston post - bachelor party dinner question
Hanks or Coast would be great. There's good energy at both, and the communal table or patio at Coast would be nice. Tristan is a little too quiet. Hall's Chophouse is the hot new bar. I've eaten there twice, and the food has been excellent. It's one of the best steaks I've ever eaten, though it is very pricey. It's great for groups as the sides are served family-style. O-ku is the hot new restaurant with above-average sushi. Good energy there too. Rue de Jean has a good atmosphere but the food is lacking for the price. Cypress might be slightly too formal. You'd get stares if you had a few drinks and got a little loud.
Guys night out in Charleston
O'ku, a brand new upscale sushi place, will fit the bill. It's supposedly super swanky. I haven't eaten there, but from passing by it looks like quite the party. Reservations are a must. Hall's Chophouse is an upscale steakhouse with a very popular bar scene, and the food is excellent. Hank's Seafood and Coast are great seafood options. Basil (Thai) and Chai's (tapas) are less expensive and are fun. Closed For Business is the hot new bar with decent food (very limited selection). Wherever you eat, it is worth going to afterwards.
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Hank's Seafood Restaurant
10 Hayne Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Seafood Dinner Reccomendations in Charleston, SC
Amen Street on East Bay is representative of low country seafood and it is far less expensive than the other mentioned restaurants. They use local seafood, and it is prepared very well.
Updated Recs on Breakfast in Charleston?
Joseph's is very good and within the historic district. Hominy Grill, while good, isn't as special as people make it out to be and you have to pay the Southern Living surcharge (in other words, the food is overpriced because Southern Living mentions them every chance they get).
1st time in Charleston SC!!
It's a safe area at all times, and there are tons of great restaurants within a short walk. SNOB, FIG, High Cotton, Cypress are all very good. Cypress has a cool bar where you could eat alone. All have plenty of seafood. Hank's is the best "seafood" restaurant in town and is close to your hotel. Amen Street is a step down from Hank's but is still very good and cheaper. Joseph's is very close to there and has a good, inexpensive breakfast. Bin 152 is a new wine bar that would be a good place for before or after dinner drinks. Social is another wine bar with more of happening atmosphere but not as unique.
Beaufort and Savannah in 3 days
If the weather is good, I might trade Gryphon for Papillote and have lunch in the park.
Beaufort and Savannah in 3 days
Thanks for the reply. Both breakfast suggestions look great. I'll probably go with Express Cafe (which appears to have changed its name to Goose Feathers) to save room for Mrs. Wilke's. B. Matthews looks like a good filling breakfast the next day. I've got a reservation for Elizabeth's. Any advice for getting a table at Mrs. Wilkes?
Beaufort and Savannah in 3 days
I ate at Panini's on the way to the outlet mall in Bluffton last weekend. I had a very good meatball sub. The meatballs were huge, tender, and flavorful. They were really too big for the sandwich, which had to be eaten with a fork. Marinara was fresh and flavorful.
I've heard about Nippy's from a few folks. I think that is where I'll go. Thanks for the reply.
Beaufort and Savannah in 3 days
I'm taking a trip from my home in Charleston to Beaufort and Savannah. I've searched this board and planned out a chowhound itinerary. Staying at the Bohemian in Savannah. Comments and feedback are appreciated.
Day 1:
Casual lunch in Beaufort - Nippy's Fish or Sea Island Wine & Gourmet
Casual dinner in Savannah - Crystal Beer Parlor
Day 2:
Breakfast - something light within walking distance downtown
Lunch - Mrs. Wilkes
Dinner - a big name place along the lines of Elizabeth's on 37th or 700 Drayton (which is better for a couple and different from Charleston?)
Day 3:
Breakfast - same deal as before
Lunch - Gryphon Tea Room (will likely be touring the art museum afterwards)
NYE dinner back in Charleston
Nightlife suggestions are also appreciated. I'll be sure to post a trip report when I get back.
New Year's in Charleston
Fish on King St. probably has the best NYE deal. $55 for four courses plus $15 for genorous wine pairings. McCrady's is having a big party, but it is very expensive. Robert's is regularly $85 including 5 courses and wine pairings, though it is probably more expensive on NYE. I'd go with Fish.
Is Good Asian possible in Charleston SC?
I like the concept, but both times I tried it, the food just wasn't that flavorful. I'll go back and give it another shot. Maybe the problem was eating out of cardboard container. I'd appreciate a plate and proper presentation. Also, they need more items on the menu other than food that you have to build yourself. At least some house specialties and some appetizers.
Charleston, SC, burger assessments
Moe's Crosstown is better than Downtown. Give Triangle a try. They have reinvented themselves and are now featuring a burger menu with fresh ground local beef.
Is Good Asian possible in Charleston SC?
Basil is very good but overpriced and difficult to get a table. It's the only reasonable option downtown, though. The best Thai I've had in Charleston is Tasty Thai in a strip mall on Orleans road across from Citadel Mall. It's worth the drive. Sadly, there is no other decent Asian that I've found here. There is a new upscale Sushi place by Brett McKee going in on Upper King. Also, Carolina Crew are redoing the Boathouse on Eastbay into an upscale Asian place. I'd be satisfied with a ripoff of P.F. Chang's (or even Pei Wei), but hopefully it will be even better.
Bakeries In and Around Charleston
Wild Flour on Spring St is my favorite bakery. Muffins, coffee cake, cupcakes, scones, and cookies are some of the best (if not the best) i've ever had. And the prices are very reasonable as well. It's my favorite new spot in town.
Memphis Fine Dining Recs? Just a really great restaurant for tonight
Felicia Suzanne's, Restaurant Iris, Automatic Slim's, Itta Bena, Flight, Circa
