Design complaint, lovely and light dinner, Charleston recap

You know what makes me nuts? When you buy a product - usually refrigerated, usually in a lidded, plastic container as the ones in which come cream cheese or the like - and the vacuumed-on plastic seal (the one between the product and the removable lid) doesn't have a pull-tab. Why does this peeve me so? Well, because those suckers are basically epoxied on. Don't get confident and think you can grasp the tiny lip o' plastic between two fingertips -hell, even between two sharp fingernails- and pry that puppy off. Don't circle the rim hoping for a weak spot. It's not happening. You're going to have to dirty a clean knife by slicing that plastic wrap off, neatly around the perimeter of the product of course. You don't want to make things worse by slicing and slashing whatever goodie lies beneath. This almost makes me even more frustrated; like I've got to surgically remove this plastic wrap as carefully as if I were operating on my flipping dog. No one needs it, Crave Brothers mascarpone, for example. Sorry to call you out; you irk me regularly so came quickly to mind. I do like your mascarpone, so at least you win one. In any case, I'll let that go for tonight, but poorly designed anything just needs to get the boot. Like the airport bathrooms in Frankfurt. Jesus H, who thought up those?

Tonight I both needed and desired a fabulously healthy and flavorful dinner. The bazillion percent sub-par burrito at Baja Fresh today did not, in any way, cut the butter. Even Ol, and J's friend, R, were like "heck no!" Jack dove head-on into his and devoured it but as he weighs about 12 ounces, that's good and I wasn't going to get in his way. We, all of us, did think he ate in a rather slobbish manner, and I was grateful friend R called him out on it. Go good friends!

So back to my dinner. I knew I didn't have all the makings for my attempt to recreate that ridiculously good crostini T and I had at Social on Sunday night: ricotta, sage, apple, butternut squash; but I did have a b'nut so roasted it up (with some dried sage) in anticipation of heading to the market tomorrow. Half I chopped in large chunks, while the other I diced to accommodate the category, topping. I had kale, had accidentally peeled a meyer lemon earlier rather than a clementine after having been ordered to make "TWO MORE fruit salads now, MOMMY" so needed to use that, some gorgeous pumpernickel and some lovely smoked salmon. Perfect- this tasted gooooood.

I may have also opened some red wine because really, it's a) arse-cold and b) I was a champ mom today and am now pooped and slightly overwhelmed by the thought of solo-parenting for the rest of the week.

We really did find some great spots in Charleston so I thought I'd post a last recap in case anyone is heading there and wants some scoop.

Places I highly recommend for food/drink/coffee/misc in all those categories:

Husk: what a fan-fucking-tastic place; awesome food, great service, awesome bar, terrific ambiance. F.I.G.: " " though definitely more hipster than Husk; sit at the bar. McCrady's: terrific spot for a more formal, old-school dining experience; great wine list; beautifully presented food; superb service. The Ordinary: if you like Frenchie meets a raw bar, you will love this; incredible style, rockin' atmo, great wine, fab seafood. Bull Street Gourmet and Market: ridiculously awesome wine selection (to buy by the bottle) for such a small joint; it's the best 7-11 you'll ever find as it's all hardwood, top-shelf food-for-purchase (and I was told I wouldn't find Geechie Boy grits anywhere, hmph; go Bull St), yummy food to order, and it delivers. You can sit or take, and you will want to. Social Wine Bar: yes, there's a TV in the corner (egads!) but you'll get over it because there's only one, the wine list is super unique and fun, the beers are great too, and whoa! on the appetizer-like yummies. Bartenders are cool and know their stuff, good vibe all around. Dixie Supply: there is not a Confederate flag to be found (amen), good low-country food abounds, and the chef/also the owner? is awesome. In fact, everyone there -workers and patrons- are awesome; friendly, enthusiastic, hell-yeah kinda folks. We devoured our respective slices of tomato pie and were sorry to miss the fried okra and other goodies. Not open Mondays or for dinner. Black Tap: fabulous coffee made by sincere hipsters (read: you get none of the BS associated with some hipster baristas who think they're saving the world via espresso). These guys are nice and can really pull a shot; love the spare yet friendly decor; love the neighborhood. One size, don't ask for skim, just go with it. Delish!

One final spot to seek out is Lily, a charming shop on King. You'll enter with nothing in mind but, while wandering about, feel you simply must buy everything offered. I know I walked out with the most random sampling of unnecessary-but-happy-to-own-it cool.

Our last day has come

What a perfectly rejuvenating, fun, laid-back trip this has been. Charleston is terrific, y'all, a city to which I'd happily return at any moment. I desperately need to head home today, however, so that the cholesterol build-up that has surely occurred since we arrived can subside; my liver would also love a break from the joys of such festive living; and I miss vegetables as experienced in a clean and spare state. I'm almost embarrassed to say that, still full from last night, we cancelled our lunch plans for today and have already commenced with more restrained eating. Even a good run this morning didn't much lessen the feeling of over-stuffed plaguing every bit of my body. Nonetheless, every calorie, every drop was worth it, and I will happily trudge to the airport like a pack-mule, laden with grits, Carolina gold rice, coffee and all manner of other goodies currently stuffed in my bags. I am newly inspired by the many ways in which we've enjoyed seafood here. Indeed, by the way we've enjoyed everything we've eaten here.

I have got to hand it to Charleston: this is a city that really takes food, coffee and drink seriously. I have drunk so many unique, memorable wines here and tip my hat to the willingness of area sommeliers to jump off the beaten path and seek out new ways to excite wine drinkers. Last night, before drinks with friends, T and I went to Social, a French Quarter wine bar committed to sourcing from small, artisinal producers, for an aperitif (you see what I mean? pre-drink drinks, post-drink drinks...). I opted for a flight of unusual whites, expecting three small pours that would perfectly whet my whistle in the 45 minutes we had. Swear to god, these were full-on glasses of wine and it soon became clear I'd started my night on a seriously boozy foot. Cheers!

When we sat down at Social, I was totally chagrined to see a the SF/ATL football game playing on a TV in the corner. However, Social is one of the only places I've ever been that's managed to have a tube and not lose a good wine bar vibe. The bartenders knew what they were talking about, and two of my three wines -a Greek assyrtiko and the Chateau Musar "Jeune" [same vineyard as that fab red I had at McCrady's on Friday], a blend of viognier, chardonnay and vermentino grown in Lebanon- were fantastic. Crisp, racy, decidedly not your standard whites. T ordered a beer that made both our mouths sing. If you're a beer-lover, it was like a cross between an American IPA and a Belgian Saison. I gotta get the name...

As tipsy'ness was upon us, we ordered two quick items: a shrimp dish and a remarkably awesome bruschetta topped with ricotta, sage, apple and butternut squash. RiDICulously yum. They to drinks with friends at their lovely home and then a spontaneous dinner at The Ordinary, a seafood restaurant that just opened last fall.

If you've ever been to Balthazar in NYC (one of the all-time greats, in terms of both food and atmosphere), you'd think you were visiting its delightful step-sister in stepping foot inside The Ordinary. Oh mamma, the ambiance at this joint is great: sky-high ceilings; huge, globey lights; gorgeous, endless wood bar; towering staircase; white tiles everywhere; just the right noise level -definitely hopping but not a mosh pit; and awesome seafood. Naturally we sat at the bar, and decided to start with the Oysters Moscow; raw guys on the half shell topped with a dollop of crème fraîche and caviar. I opted for the extremely local capers blades oysters and was not disappointed. Feeling rather czarina-like, I ordered a perfect glass of Chablis, and we then indulged in black roux gumbo and some BBQ white shrimp. To.Die.For. Must make black roux. Thank god we walked home.

So you can see why I might be full, might be in the slightest need of a detox. It sure has been fun though. Oh, and best coffee here is to be found at Black Tap, not Kudu, according to a multi-day tasting done by T and moi! But more on that later.