Santi’s Restaurante Mexicano, Charleston, SC

Oooh, Mexico It sounds so simple I just got to go

Santi's Restaurant

With a strong referral from my hairdresser, Jamie at Salon Bellezza, and Jimmy Buffets lyrics, we decided to try Santi’s Restaurante Mexicano. Jamie moved here from out west and is used to having great Mexican food. We were hungry anyway so we decided to give it a go.

Near the entrance to the Ravenel Bridge (which thankfully, I walked this morning at 6:30 am), but far from the beaten path on Meeting Street lies a little slice of burrito, taco, enchilada – you name it, heaven.

We arrived at noon to find a packed parking lot except for the one handicapped spot in the picture. Parking is free by the way. As you walk up to the restaurant, it’s not much to look at. There are few signs in the window and it is flanked by an outdoor patio to your left.

Inside Santi's

Upon entering the energy in the restaurant is contagious. Several waiters scurried about, and it was a little confusing to figure out how we were to be seated. We decided to sit at the bar as it was fairly empty. The restaurant is nothing to look at, a tad kitschy and designed like many other taquerias.

The bar is a shotgun counter with the kitchen line directly behind it. For awhile I wasn’t sure if they even served liquor, but then I saw a few beer taps and a margarita went by. There is no real mention of alcohol in their menu, which I think they can play up a lot more. But let’s skip the beverages and move directly to the food, which was well worth the treasure hunt to find the place.

Line Cook(s)

Warm chips and salsa were quickly delivered. This was done by the dishwasher, who, by the way, was washing dishes right in front of us. The salsa is delivered in a small carafe, which is an interesting touch. You have a small pedestal to pour it into to mix hot sauce, if desired, which we did.

The menu is a moderately priced, a two-sided laminated type with about 30 items on it. There is a lot to choose from and most of the items are accompanied by rice and beans – the usual suspects. The waiter took our order on small, paper pad and put the chit on a rail in the kitchen. He rings the check in later from the carbonless paper on his pad, but there is no delay to start to make your lunch. One thing about this place is speed.

The cooking line is about 8’ long and it has 5 line cooks working it. Five stock pots were on the stove with the gas cranked high. An assembly line of plates quickly moved down the line. You feel as if you are in someone’s kitchen as lunch is prepared.

Our food was served in about five minutes. I ordered the “Fro Burrito”, which should have been called the OMG Burrito as it was easily the size of my forearm. My husband ordered the “Chicken Enchiladas” which were piping hot and packed with flavor. I thought he was going to lick his plate. It was just that good.

Chicken Enchiladas

We could have split either dish as the portions are more than generous. I could only finish half of the burrito – even with the 5+ mile walk this morning!

Not since I lived in Texas have I had such authentic Mexican food. Remember that it is somewhat out of the way, but well worth the trip.

We gave Santi's 4 out of 5 Plates.

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Jestine’s Kitchen, Charleston, SC

If at first you don’t succeed… fry, fry again.

Note the water cooler

Upon hearing that we’d moved to Charleston, an old colleague of mine commented that she loved the area and that she and her husband have come very close to moving here.  She also could not say enough about Jestine’s Kitchen on Meeting Street, so we wanted to see for ourselves if it would live up to the hype.

We’ve driven by Jestine’s many times only to find a waiting line out the door. We were pleasantly surprised to find that it was not the case when we arrived, even though it was 12:00 p.m.

The restaurant seats about 40 people.  It’s somewhat nondescript and could use some paint.  As we waited to be seated I eyed what I thought was a speed bump on a table nearby. But alas, it was only a very large piece of crispy fried chicken. When the waitress asked if the gentleman wanted it wrapped to go he replied, “No, I will take no prisoners.”  At that point I wondered what I had gotten myself into.

waiting to be seated

We waited for quite some time to be seated. The hostess got our attention and said she would be right with us. We continued to wait as she flittered throughout the restaurant.  We were eyeing a two-top toward the back of the restaurant which appeared to be the only one available – but I was wrong. 

The hostess ushered us up to the absolute worst table in the restaurant, on top of the bus station, straightened out the chairs and handed us the menu. Less than one foot away was a large, commercial refrigerator and a wire rack which was a makeshift cashier area.  The waitresses had to bend over to ring things in and at that time their rear ends (some small, some large) were almost directly on our table.

The menu is a small, three-fold, paper garden variety with “Jestine’s” story on the back (I won’t ruin it for you…).  Suffice to say thought, that baring charbroiled chicken, steamed shrimp, glazed ham and diet coke, everything is fried, I mean everything.

spiced, pickled cucumbers

The waitress quickly arrived and set a small bowl of nicely spiced, pickled cucumbers on the table.  Their other “signature” item (besides the deep fryer), is the salt and pepper shakers. No two are alike and they adorn the shelves of the “kitchen”, which you feel like you’re sitting in.

She rapidly explains the specials and then recommends some appetizers like she does at every other table. “Would you like some corn fritters or fried green tomatoes to start?”  It reminded me of my early days at TGI Friday’s we had to suggestively sell and we were “rated” on how well we sold things.  How you scored in the ratings at the end of the month determined your schedule for the following month. I could tell that she loved suggestively selling as much as I did back then.

Fried Oysters

Under the heading of “In for a penny, in for a pound,” I decided to try the fried oysters with green beans and mac ‘n cheese (two of the many side dishes offered). We also ordered one of the specials, a spicy gumbo over rice.

As we waited for our lunch we watched a line form outside. This must be a regular occurrence as they have bungee corded a large thermos of water (photo at top of page) with paper cups on a tree near the door. An interesting touch and probably very welcomed in the hot heat. We also watched as many (at one point six), tables remained dirty and empty.  Years ago I would have called this a “false wait” – when you are too busy to handle the crowd, but I don’t think that’s the case here. I think it was just the inefficiency of the staff. The table next to us remained covered with a calculator and notebook the entire time we were there and was also never seated even though the line outside continued to grow.

Gumbo

Lunch appeared rather quickly.  The gumbo was hot, not too thick and full of wonderful flavors. The oysters were perfect – lightly battered, moist and very tasty. The mac ‘n cheese was a cold, congealed mess, but the biggest disappointment was the beans. They were also rather cold, but get this…they were out of a can! A can like the jolly Green Giant makes. With so much focus these days on “farm to market” and using local products this was a real missed opportunity.

We never saw our waitress and so I flagged another one down to see if I could get another side of mac ‘n cheese. Although tempted to tap one on the rear ends that came ever so close to my shoulder, I resisted and asked if she could get our waitress for us. She kindly asked what was wrong and hoped that she could help us.  I must say that everyone if very friendly here.

A #10 scoop (ala a cafeteria), of mac ‘n cheese returned with an apology by our waitress. This time it was hot and it tasted homemade, but the noodles were so mushy and overcooked, it wasn’t worth the calories.

I was glad that I went to see what all the hub-bub is about, but won’t be back anytime soon. Although recently converted from a “tourist” with our move to Charleston, this place screams “tourist trap” and an oily one at that.

PS. They use peanut oil if that helps. 

We gave Jestine's Kitchen 3 plates out of 5.

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82 Queen, Charleston, SC

File Under: I Felt Like I Was At A Bad Wedding…..

As restaurant week was coming to a close we selected 82 Queen as our last stop of the tour. I didn’t know much about the restaurant, but I did know that their dress code was very confusing. Some sites listed it as “Business Classy”, others as “Business Casual”, so I decided to get a better understanding by stopping by the restaurant ahead of time.

The restaurant is an old home with small rooms and a lovely courtyard. The hostess less than clarified the dress code by saying, “We really don’t have one but if I were to define it I would say business casual.” So rather than being underdressed, we went the “Business Classy” route.

The courtyard was less than lovely when it’s raining, which it was when we arrived. All three hostesses huddled under an overhang while customers tried to stay close to the outside of the building to avoid some of the showers. We were escorted up a flight of wet (also not protected against the elements), wrought iron stairs (also slippery when wet) to our table. I was now damp and came to quickly find out, incredibly overdressed, as a woman seated at one of the nearby tables was wearing gym shorts and flip flops. Golf shorts and tee shirts were also a popular item. I felt like a cocker spaniel after a rain storm.

We were seated in a room with four tables. It was dimly lit and old fashioned wallpaper adorned the walls. There was an old, nonworking fireplace and a few enclosed bookshelves, but that was it for ambiance. The only word that came to mind was dank. In the hallway at the top of the stairs that was in our view was a makeshift bus station - cluttered and stacked with dirty plates and glasses. The music was very low and everyone spoke in very hushed tones.

Our waiter, Lindsey was a gem. His talents seemed very out of place for the restaurant. I asked him how long he had worked at the restaurant. He said that it hadn’t been long and that he had worked for more formal dining locations previously, but 82 Queen was convenient to where he lived. I also asked how business was during restaurant week. He said that it had been “insane” and that they were booked with reservations for 320 people that night. “I’m used to more formal service; here it’s just churn and burn. Get ‘em in and get ‘em out.” Well, that was encouraging.

I ordered a Stoli cosmopolitan and we ordered a bottle of sparkling water for the table. My drink was terrible. It tasted as if it were simply lime juice with a splash of cranberry as a teaser. Warm, herb yeast rolls were quickly brought to the table. Although they were warm, they were not flavorful and the butter was served in a plastic ramekin that seemed very cheap and out of place. Everything about this place was starting to feel very dated.

Fried Green Tomatoe

Our appetizers, “Crisp Romaine Hearts” (aka a Caesar salad) and “Fried Green Tomatoes” arrived very quickly and were also bad. My salad had zero flavor and the “Focaccia Croutons” had to be store bought. The Fried Green Tomatoes were hot, but mushy and also lacked flavor. I began to feel like I was at a bad wedding and the “Get ‘em in and Get ‘em out” attitude meant that all of the food was being held in warming in chests in the back of the house. At this point, I was hoping I was wrong.

Dinner arrived as soon as our appetizer plates were removed. Lindsey recommended the “Grilled Angus Rib Eye”. He said that it was “on the menu for $30.00, so it was a real deal.” The table next to us had ordered off the menu and the rib eye was one of their selections. It looked beautiful. So my husband chose that. I selected the Braised Pork Osso Buco. Both dishes were a disaster.

Pork Osso Buco

My Osso Buco was so dry it was inedible. What I had envisioned as something, “falling off the bone” needed a chain saw. The collard greens and mac ‘n cheese were both cold. The rib eye looked NOTHING like the one that was served to the gentleman next to us. It was a half inch grey flat piece of overcooked meat resting atop of cold, flavorless goat cheese-chive mashed potatoes and tempura covered fried green beans (who does that with beans???) We sent both dishes back.

Lindsey arrived back at the table and suggested that I order something else. He said, “If I bring another one of those to you, you will probably just send it back.” He suggested the Chicken, Sausage and Crawfish Purleau. He described it as “a lighter dish since the tomatoes were not cooking directly in it, but added later and it was with rice. Based on his recommendation, this is what I selected.

Rib Eye In A Bowl

The rib eye returned, still gray, still tasteless, but the sides were hot. My dish was a glob of sticky overcooked “something”. It appeared that it had sat in a stock pot all day. Mushy, thick, tough… warm though, (at this point of the night we’re looking for any win). I had a few bites and that was it.

We decided to take our desserts to go. Lindsey was happy to oblige. They were the best part of the meal.

It is my understanding that there are well over 120 restaurants in Charleston. I have often thought, “How do you compete in an arena like this?” 82 Queen should stop trying. That horse has left the barn, and it could have been in the form of the rib eye we were served.

We have to give 82 Queen St the "Cracked Plate" rating out of a possible 5 plates.

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Boulevard Diner, Mt. Pleasant, SC

File Under: Touch me, touch me, touch me.

Sometimes you pick a place to eat just by the fact (with no disrespect), that it is a “dive”. After hearing good things about Boulevard Diner in Mt. Pleasant, we decided to stop by for a quick Saturday lunch. No disrespect, but it is a “dive”.


It appears that it was an old Dairy Queen, and other than painting a large burger where the Dairy Queen logo went, the outside remains unchanged. Upon entering we were greeted by a friendly hostess and seated immediately. The restaurant was fairly busy and we found out later from the waitress that there is usually a line out the door. Hmmm, this peaked my interest, too.

3 Cheese Patty Melt

The menu is somewhat large and there was also a “specials” board with about ten specials. Additionally there was a board listing the dozen or so sides that you get to choose from.


I ordered the Three Cheese Patty Melt with only two cheeses. It was additionally topped with 1,000 Island dressing, sautéed onions and mushrooms. I choose fried okra as my side. Also ordered was the Pulled Pork Sandwich accompanied by fries, coleslaw and a pickle.


Here’s where the experience begins to go south, quickly, very quickly. We were seated at the first booth that overlooked the kitchen. There is a small work area, three stations and three line cooks. There were four or five servers on and even though they were standing around during the lull times, no one was attempted to clean or wipe down anything, which the place could have used. The restaurant is just plain dirty.

But that’s not the most concerning part. Their food handling was atrocious. It could be said that I am very picky about food safety. I most recently worked for a 300 location restaurant chain and QSC, Quality Assurance and Food Safety were all part of my team, so yes, I am very passionate about it. Many don’t know that the lack of food safety crippled and then closed a large 400+ unit restaurant chain, Chi-Chi’s in 2004. In 2003 unwashed green onions in one restaurant outside of Pittsburgh, PA led to the largest Hepatitis A outbreak in United States history. Four people died and 600 were injured. The chain went bankrupt. Hepatitis A is caused by many things, mostly unsafe food handling practices.


Let me tell you what I observed as I waited for my lunch. 

• First, glove use was almost nonexistent. Only once did I see a line cook put on gloves. He then opened the walk-in door with them, which contaminated them.

• The team spirit in the diner has the servers cutting cakes and desserts for their patrons. So here comes a server, he cuts the cake balances the cake between the knife and his bare hand, puts the piece of cake on the plate then wipes his hand on his jeans.

• A line cook was putting cheese and other toppings on sandwiches with his bare hands.

• French fries were put into the fryer and then portioned to the plate with bare hands.

• A pile of cheese was left on one of the stations and that’s where I saw the gentleman with the gloved hands. I thought, “Great, he’s probably going to portion the cheese wearing gloves.” Nope. He opens the walk-in while another line cook walks by (the same one that had just used his bare hands to put fries on a plate), picks up the cheese with his bare hands and takes them to his station. He then takes his cell phone out of his pocket on the line, observes something on it, puts it back in his pocket and continues to portion food.

• The last line cook walked off the line to get a beverage. Wiped his face, (he was sweating), hair, adjusted his hat and walked back on the line to cook.

• At no time did I see anyone wash their hands, although they have a hand washing sink that I had clear view of.

All of this took place in a matter of less than 45 minutes. These practices, poor as they are seem to be ingrained and accepted here, which can be very dangerous.


Unfortunately, the kindness of our server, generous portions, etc., (things you would expect at this “dive”), were all lost on the fact that the food handling was just gross.


In the case of Chi-Chi’s, one prep cook failed to wash the green onions - just one. Four people died and 600 were injured.


The Board of Health rating on the door was an “A” which meant “excellent”. We figured that this was a typo.

For food handling alone we have to give Boulevard Diner the "Cracked Plate" badge of shame.

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McCrady’s, Charleston, SC

File Under: Sometimes things go exactly as planned.

Many people have asked us if we’ve eaten at McCrady’s restaurant in Charleston, and we hadn’t.  Everyone remarked that it was very good, so we decided to give it a try. And considering it is still restaurant week here in Charleston, we thought, “What do we have to lose?”

I rarely look at a restaurant’s website prior to having a meal there other than to scan the menu. Since I have been writing about the restaurant’s we’ve been going to of late, this is particularly true. I did notice that the Chef at McCrady’s, Sean Brock had won the prestigious James Beard Award (said to be like an Oscar of the food world), for the 2010 Best Chef of The Southeast and was intrigued.

We had early reservations (this place was booked solid!), with another couple (our friends from Carolina Coastal Properties from our earlier blog). Located down a small alleyway, McCrady’s is also on the National Register of Historic Places and Landmarks.  We were quickly greeted and immediately sat.  Unlike my prior pet peeves of being squished into a small table we were given a terrific corner table that could have easily sat six or more, which was very nice. I also had a bird’s eye view of the restaurant itself (photo above), also a plus.

Beet Salad

The four of us decided to order from the “3 for $30.00” menu that is a feature of Charleston Restaurant Week. Unlike servers in other restaurants that we’ve visited during restaurant week, the gentleman that waited on us embraced the menu and was nothing but professional.

There were two selections for appetizers – A beet salad with goat cheese, watercress and almonds, and Carolina shrimp and grits.  The nice thing about the menu selections is that you are told exactly where the items come from locally. “Beets from Owl’s Nest Plantation”, “Bev Eggleston’s Pork…” a very nice touch.

Shrimp & Grits

Fresh bread (not made on premise, but delivered by a local bakery), and beverages were promptly delivered to our table.  The appetizers quickly followed.  What we would come to find out is that this restaurant is a well oiled machine. Besides the servers on staff there are what appear to be busboys, food runners and the strong presence of a floor manager ensuring that things are going as planned.  He made no less than three stops to our table while we were there. It was like watching a ballet.

Although those of us at the table felt like the beets were very salty, the salad was very good and the Shrimp and grits were perfect.  The salty flavor of the beets would be the only hiccup of the evening.

Short Ribs

The main course selections, Grouper, Baby Squash, Zucchini, NC Blue Crab, and Nasturtium (I had to look the meaning of this up today…It’s a flower.) Jus and Beef Duo with Johns Island Carrots and Mepkin Abby Mushrooms did not disappoint. Both were perfect. The beef was ender and flavorful, and the fish was some of the best I’ve ever eaten. Again, the service continued to be professional and noninvasive through this course too.

The desserts, Buttermilk-Chess Pie (“Not cheese”, as the waiter pointed out, but a classic buttermilk custard pie), with Lemon-Poppy Seed Ice Cream and Blueberries or South Carolina Peach Cobbler with Crumb Topping and Bourbon Pecan Ice Cream were something that you read about. Perfect temperatures, beautiful presentations, and they were superb.

As the meal came to a close I asked the waiter what he thought about Charleston Restaurant Week.  He said that it was nice being busy during the week.  Each night had clearly been like a Friday or Saturday and they were “not used to being that busy” and smiled.  It was nice to see that many others are partaking in the Restaurant Week celebration.

This is the 18^th restaurant that I’ve written about. This was the first restaurant that I would rate with 5 plates – without a question the best meal that we’ve ever had here in Charleston.

I went back to the website to read more about McCrady’s this morning. Their website states the following: “McCrady’s represents the best of the amalgam that is new Southern fine dining, concomitantly serving as a canvas for postmodern gastronomy.”

Having said that you have two options, 1) Grab your dictionary, or 2) Know that McCrady’s food, décor and service is more than worth your while to visit. 

You guessed it, we gave McCrady's the full 5 plates out of 5!  Our first 5 plate dining experience.....so far.....

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The Oak Steakhouse, Charleston, SC

File under… Lesson learned.

Charleston Restaurant Week continues. We decided to try Oak Steakhouse for one of our 3 for $30.00 venues. I don’t eat steak, so the chances of us getting to this restaurant have been slim, but my husband does and it seemed like we could kill two birds with one stone. Plus, the restaurant seems to be renown within Charleston.


Oak’s online menu for Charleston Restaurant Week was deceiving. I thought it might be a typo, which it is, as only three entrees are listed as your options, and nothing else. We still decided to give it a try.


During the day I took a peek at their regular dinner menu. I was not surprised that their prices went from $20 - $50 an entrée. Side dishes hover around $8.00; again, not surprising. Having just moved down to the Lowcountry from Boston, there is an “Oak Room” in Massachusetts with similar offerings, masculine, “woody” decor, high end service and food. But much to my surprise this steakhouse offered veal saltimbocca, my absolute favorite dish. I couldn’t stop thinking about it all day.


Upon our arrival we had someone there to open the door for us and usher us into the restaurant - very nice. We were seated immediately. The restaurant has three levels, and is somewhat narrow in size. I was surprised how small it actually was. We were seated on the second floor, and not at a small two-top table which is one of my pet peeves, but at a spacious table that was very comfortable.


Our waiter, Justin and his assistant, Gerard, were terrific right from the start. They were attentive, pleasant, and yet not invasive. I was pleased that the restaurant is more casually elegant than stuffy.

Even though we came with the premise of ordering from the 3 for $30.00 menu, the Saltimbocca lured me in. I also order a beet and local goat cheese salad to start. My husband ordered from the Restaurant Week menu and decided upon the potato leek soup, Tuscan rubbed filet and bananas foster bread pudding.


Our first course arrived quickly and it was fabulous. My salad had multicolored, very thinly sliced beets, golden raisins, candied pecans and an ample serving of goat cheese, topped with a very light dressing. I wanted to finish the entire thing, but stopped midway through to leave room for my entrée. The potato leek soup was seasoned very lightly and was also very, very good.


Justin and Gerard checked in on us from time to time, but again remained at a distance, which was nice.

Our entrees arrived… The Tuscan Rubbed Filet was about a 7 oz cut of meat cooked perfectly and sitting atop a mixture of hash browned potatoes and lima beans – an interesting and flavorful combination. My thought-about-all-day Saltimbocca was an abysmal disappointment. At first glance I thought it was overcooked and I was correct. It was served with a piping hot dish of spaghetti with marinara sauce, which was actually quite good. Gerard asked if there was anything that I needed and I asked him if he had any crushed red pepper. He responded, “I don’t think we have any, but I will find some!” And he did.

It is unlike me not to send something back to the kitchen that is not made correctly, but for some reason, I just didn’t want to break up the pace of our meal. I had my husband taste it and he said it was just “ok” and that maybe I should put some of the sauce on it that rested on the plate – still no help. At the same time what appeared to be the manager walked by and decided that turning up Stevie Ray Vaughn in the speaker directly above our table was something that needed to be done. This was a big turnoff as was his impersonal stop by the table on the way down the stairs to see if “Justin was taking care of us”. It seemed like a manager drive by more than genuine concern and it did not fit with the service we had been receiving.


On a positive note, I ordered a glass of the Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot with dinner which was pricey, but worth the indulgence. The Bananas Foster Bread Pudding, although not something I would order was thoroughly enjoyed by my husband.


So my lesson learned is that if you go to a “steak place” you should order steak.


I must take time to mention again the over the top service that we received. In all of the years that we’ve visited Charleston, and now since we’ve moved here, we have never had the level of service that we had this evening and it should be commended.


But, we went there for the reputation of the food and it was way off the mark. I cannot say that we will be back anytime soon.

   I gave the Oak 3 1/2 plates out of 5.  So close and yet so far.......

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Atlanticville, Sullivan’s Island, SC

File Under… We should have quit while we were ahead.

Like many in the Low Country we decided to take advantage of Charleston’s Restaurant Week. The week, is actually 11 days, running from September 8^th to the 19^th. During this time restaurants are offering an appetizer, entrée and dessert for either $20.00 or $30.00. The menu selection may be small, but you can always order from the regular menu too. We decided to put our toe in the water on this adventure at Atlanticville on Sullivan’s Island.

The main drag in Sullivan’s Island is Middle Street. There you will find about a half dozen restaurants and a few shops.  Further down the street is Atlanticville in what appears to be previously a home. Although the building is two stories, the entrance is upstairs. You can elect to sit in a very large screened in outside dining area, or inside, which is a two small rooms with about 25-30 tables. We chose to sit inside.

Upon entering we were asked if it was our first time to the restaurant, (it was), and why we chose to come here. We mentioned Restaurant Week and were quickly ushered to our table.  Although we did look over the regular menu we chose to make selections from their special menu selections specified for Restaurant Week.  We had the choice of three appetizers, three entrees and two desserts. Usually when I write about what we’ve ordered I briefly describe it. But at Atlanticville the listing of the menu items were so detailed that I thought I’d show what they were.

For appetizers we chose the Flash Fried Tuna Rolls with Pickled Ginger and Kim Chee and the Fried Oysters with House Made Sausage, Spinach and Onions, and Roasted Garlic Aioli – that’s a mouthful. Our waiter, #20 (we never got his name), did not appear to be thrilled that we were ordering off of the cheaper menu. I get that. But perhaps if he thought a little longer term – this promo might drive traffic later… he’d be better off. Instead through his body language Waiter #20 made no bones about it, this Week was not blowing his dress up.  But I digress.

The restaurant is very small and nondescript.  There is very little décor and the piped in music included George Michael and Wham! and Michael Bolton, to name a few. As we waited for our entrees to come I started coughing.  There was a light smoke that was coming from the kitchen.  The kitchen is open air and you are seated right in front of it.  It was either the hoods that needed cleaning or grease from the sauté station. Either way it was not pleasant and our clothes smelled of it as we left.

The appetizers were out of this world. We thought we were going to have our first “Five Plate Rating”.  Because these were from a special menu I really thought that the portions would be smaller, but they weren’t.  The Tuna Rolls were beautiful and delicious – accompanied by the pickled ginger which had just the right amount of spice and a little heat.  The Fried Oysters were light, not oily, and their accompaniments were to die for. We thought, “We should leave while we’re ahead,” and we were right.

The entrees we ordered, Mojo Crillo Marinated Chicken Breast and Rice, Sweet Potato Guacamole, Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream (yes, that was only one entrée), and the Whole Fried Flounder over Charleston Red Rice, Stewed Collards, Green Tomato Chutney and Old Bay Shrimp Tartar Sauce (I’m exhausted just saying that…) were just ok.  The chicken was very small and looked more like a squab than a chicken leg, and it was very dry.  The side dishes were nice, but we had forgotten that the menu listed Sweet Potato Guacamole and we thought it was some type of cheese. The Flounder was piping hot and the collard greens had a great zip to them, but the rice was just barely warm and to be honest, the entire dish was disappointing.

We were quite full and we asked if we could take our dessert, Decadent Chocolate Fudge Brownie A la Mode with Raspberry Coulis, and the waiter was happy to oblige. With tip our meal was $92.00.

I also should mention that the restaurant has a very impressive wine list. Not wanting a bottle of wine, I asked for a glass of Merlot. To my surprise, after seeing such a large list, I wasn’t given an option; there was only one house Merlot poured.  Not bad, but I had expected more.

Driving home we decided that we would return to try the regular menu.  The appetizers were what swayed us.  Also with the prix fixe menus the options are limited. I would rarely if ever order fried fish, but the other option was scallops, which I don’t care for, so to the restaurant’s credit, I don’t know if I gave it a fair shake overall. So perhaps Waiter #20 would be happy after all. 

At the end of the day we gave Atlanticville 3 out of 5 plates.

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