greenoilcook

Well said! Fleer is truly an ACE! We miss you boss. Last plates going out of the kitchen....... Oh yeah, that phlawless makes a mean late night pimento cheese sandwich!!

You got it Sean… To answer the other questions, the price is comparable to the European black truffles, so I hope that gives you an idea of the quality. I think most would agree that someone is not going to pay that amount of money if you did not truly believe that they were even in the same ballpark. BrianZ, I'll get some interior pictures for you.

Tennessee truffles, sounds crazy right? Well, that is exactly what I thought when our chef told us that we had someone coming to the kitchen with some black truffles for us to check out. Last week a gentleman, from upper east Tennessee, walked into the kitchen with a bag. After telling us how he got into this “business”, which included time in Oregon, and how he happened to literally “stumble” upon his first truffle, Mr. Michaels unveiled the contents. The contents of the bag: Ziploc Snap 'n Seal containers, Blue Ribbon rice, and gorgeous earthy black nuggets. Needless to say, we were shocked and excited when he opened the containers. The unmistakable aroma of black truffles filled the kitchen, and everything stopped for a moment, and everyone looked at each other in disbelief. This was truly one of the coolest things ever witnessed in a kitchen…Truffles from Tennessee. That was a week ago, Mr. Michaels retuned again yesterday with his wife and more black truffles. Much to our delight, it was much like last week except for his new soft sided cooler, and some larger truffles. We cannot thank this man enough for his patience and persistence to wait over 5 years to see if anything would happen.

Sienna should be a wonderful place. Chef Ken Vedrinski, formally of The dining room at the Woodlands resort, is one of the best in Charleston. I was fortunate to dine at the Woodlands when he was at the helm, and it was one of the best meals I have ever had. I would imagine with a kitchen staff that worked with him at the Woodlands (see "key ingredients" on Sienna website) that the food will be spectacular. On the burger note, I'm with "Cakes" Liberty is great and so is Moe's Crosstown Tavern on Rutledge Ave.

I would check out Union Hall, they should be able to please everyone if they like Italian. Here is a thread that has a lot of former Charleston cooks and I think they would deffinately have good opinions on the food scene. Charleston Restaurants

I worked beside him at P-Grill and "A.C. Parkside" can rock out. See Barfly August issue pages 8-9, and see Larson and staff naked with their pasta.

I was fortunate to eat at the Woodlands a little over a year ago, and it was hands down, the best meal I ate in South Carolina. And I lived in Charleston for 4 years. When I dined there, Chef Ken Vedrinski, was in charge. He has since moved on to open his own restaurant on Daniel Island, just outside Charleston. I couldn't agree with you more. My fiance' and I were having a tasting menu, and due to their limited wines by the glass, there was not a wine pairing offered with the menu. But, Stephan was very accomodating, and ended up being a great learning experience. For one dish, I remeber we had 3 different wines, 2 of which came out before the dish and one after. He did not tell us what any of the wines were, until after we finished the course. His reasoning for this, just to find out which one we enjoyed more, and by the way they all worked wonderfully. These are some pics from when I ate there. Sorry in advace about the quailty of the photos.1. Cauliflower and ramp soup w/ salmon ravioli 2. Clockwise from top left Venison carpaccio, Tuna tartare, roasted quail, and asian dumpling w/vanilla vermouth sauce. 3. Grilled Sea Bass with Tangerine emulsion 4. Roasted Salmon w/Soy and Balsamic (and a whole lotta wine) 5. Fried Softshell Crab ( you can't really see it) 6. Foie Gras with pecans 7. Kobe Beef tenderloin, truffle potato puree, pearl onions, and mushrooms. 8. Dessert Bouche- ginger vanilla panna cotta 9. Can't even remember except there was chocolate involved. Lots of wine by this time, and I forgot to take pictures.

Another great place is Blackberry Farm, the only thing is you have to be a guest there to eat there. It is located outside of Knoxville close to the Smoky Mountains on the Townsend side. Blackberry Farm

Zesta's are the only way to go!! Those with a piece of Lay's or Elm Hill "cracker style" bologna, slice of hot pepper cheese, and a dash of Frank's Red Hot.. It doesn't get any better than that on the boat, unless you have hot pork rinds, or salt and vinegar chips.

The Mustard Seed actually has three locations: Downtown, James Island, and Mt. Pleasant. For the money, it is one of the best restaurants in Charleston, and it is always packed for dinner.

It's probably too late for my opinion, but I had a wonderful meal at Joel. See Joel thread. Blais would have been a good choice for adventerous diner, but unfortunatley they are no longer open. Enjoy Atlanta, what a great place.

I as well had a tour of duty with Mr. Carter, for 3 years. I don't even care for coconut, but that cake is a mighty fine one. The luscious cake is just devine especially at "room temp" Cakes correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the whole cake weighs about 16 pounds. It is definitely for the health conscious . Chef, enjoy yourself on vacation, and tell Mr. Carter hey for us.

I think brocks post sums it up. Also, don't forget The Sand Dollar Social Club on Folly Beach. You have to pay the $1 membership fee per year or go there with a member. They've got "hot bikes and cold beers" as well as the old potato chip bag holder behind the bar displaying "tom's" potato chips, "alka seltzer", beef jerky, and any other headache remedy medication. As far as music: Skynard, Allman Brothers, Marshall Tucker, Jimmy Buffet, and Charlie Daniels Band all come standard on the jukebox. I've even been to a bar that had a horseshoe pit... Now that's a good time.

An unbelievable kitchen. I was lucky enough to take a tour of the kitchen and wine cellar. Joel’s kitchen is one that any cook would be envious of. Here is a link for kitchen layout. Joel Kitchen

Absolutely the best place to go and have a great time with your fellow cooks and friends. I love the microphone “Haaappy birrss day to you” And don’t forget the beating of knives, sauté pans, and the plastic cups by the guys in the back.