39 Rue de Jean, Charleston, SC

Vive Le France, Not So Much...

It’s been awhile since we’ve had a “not so great” dining experience, but today we had one. 

39 Rue de Jean is styled after a French Brasserie and features a moderately sized restaurant and bar.  Antique mirrors dot the walls, globe lighting hangs from the ceiling and the restaurant has dark red leather booths and a lot of dark wood.  Not exactly what I was expecting, but hey, I’ve never been to France.

Seated in a booth in the center of the restaurant, the restaurant had a nice energy to it. Our server, whose name we never got, was efficient and upbeat.  Now let’s talk about the food.

Okay, so we made a big mistake, actually a couple of them.  When we first arrived I saw long loaves of French bread being sliced for tables.  “Great”, I thought, “This is a French restaurant, so that’s got to be good.”  When placing our order my husband ordered the Crispy Veal Sweetbreads.  Hmm, I thought, this is going to be a big carb-filled lunch, but I liked the creativity.

The French bread was a big disappointment. How can a French restaurant not serve great French bread?  Rue De Jean did just that.  The bread was dry and seemed to be stale.  “That’s Okay, I thought, more ‘sweetbreads’ are on the way.”

On the menu, the Crispy Veal Sweetbreads were described as having Mozzarella cheese cavatappi, Serrano ham and a Gruyere mornay. So how my husband ever thought that this was going to be a “sweetbread” is beyond me.  But when they were served I was up for the challenge.

Veal Sweetbreads

A small rectangular plate held two battered and deep fried “veal things” (we didn’t know what they were at the time), and a small pile of what appeared to be cavatappi Mac ‘n cheese.  Boy, we were in for a surprise.

The “sweetbreads” had a funky taste to them and a very odd flavor.  Obviously they were something that you had to have a taste for. When our server came by I asked, “What part of the animal is this?”  Imagine my surprise when she said “The thymus gland”.  That’s not something I would generally order.  My bad (actually my husband’s bad). Down went the fork and knife!  We then started to eat the Mac ‘n cheese to cleanse our palates, and it was just terrible. First, it was barely warm and looked like something that was dished out of a chafing dish at a cafeteria, second it contained not one piece of Serrano ham as advertised, and third, the cheese was nonexistent. If we had not been trying to get the taste of the sweetbreads out of our mouths we would have passed on the mac and cheese altogether.

As we waited for our lunch, which seemed to take awhile, a nearby waiter was asked how the Braised Beef Sandwich was. His answer was, “Out of this world.”  We thought that was a good sign as my husband had ordered this for lunch.  I ordered the Nicoise Salade Traditionale which was to be served with haricot verts (French green beans), hard boiled eggs, potatoes and Nicoise olives with tuna.  Our server told us that they cook the tuna “French style” and so if I wanted it a bit more done, medium would not be the right choice, and suggested I order it medium well which I did.

Braised Beef Sandwich

The Braised Beef sandwich had a great flavor to it.  However, it was served on a roll with a thinly sliced top and a disproportionately large bottom making it impossible to eat without making a mess.    The Pommes Frittes were just OK.  Again I’m thinking French restaurant, good French fries.  Not so much. Even though we overheard that the sandwich was “out of this world” unfortunately it remained in this stratosphere.

My Nicoise Salad looked beautiful. Fresh greens, red tomato quarters, quartered hard boiled eggs, Nicoise olives and haricot verts filled the plate.  But one cut into the tuna revealed that it was close to medium rare versus what I had ordered.  Since the restaurant was now somewhat busy we waited a bit for our server to return and she quickly took the tuna back to the kitchen to have it cooked a little longer.  Once again I find myself waiting for lunch while my husband eats.

Nicoise Salad

My tuna returned in about four minutes. At least it gave me hope that it wasn’t microwaved, which it wasn’t.  That’s the good news.  The bad news is that the tuna was flavorless.  What a shame.  The salad itself was delicious, but the tuna floundered.

So get this….. As were leaving, we saw another couple receive the Veal Sweetbreads.  On their plate sat this beautiful, toasted, cheese laden mound of cavatappi that oozed cheese when one of the patrons took a bite of it.  This was hardly the congealed, lukewarm mess that we received.

I know many people like 39 Rue de Jean, and I’m certain that many will disagree with my opinion, but I just don’t understand their infatuation with this place.  Having never been to France, 39 Rue de Jean gave me no desire to do so. 

We gave 39 Rue de Jean 3 out of a possible 5 plates.

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Chef Lisa Dupar Presents a Cooking Class at Coastal Cupboard, Mt. Pleasant, SC

Dinner Prepared By The Author...

I originally started to write this blog to bring many of Charleston’s “hidden gems” to light. This past week we were treated to one of the true highlights of my blogging career when Lisa Dupar brought her cooking talents to town. But first, a little background on Lisa and my “six degrees of separation” with her.

Before we moved to Charleston we rented homes through Carolina Coastal Properties.  We always had a great experience and the homes were terrific.  Last year over the New Year’s holiday we rented a home down here for the week. Shortly before our vacation we received a call from Dennis Samuelson, the owner of Carolina Coastal Properties.  Dennis explained that the owner of the house we were renting was a chef from Seattle and that she was going to be spending some time in her house writing a cook book. Consequently, he asked if we wouldn’t mind moving to an oceanfront condo so the author could continue working on the book from her home. To be honest, part of me was skeptical. Was there really a cookbook in the offing? Never the less, we agreed to the move and wished her well.

Fast forward to this May.  We met our friends Dennis and Ginger at Leaf one night and Ginger was holding a large book with a big bow on it.  It was Lisa Dupar’s book, Fried Chicken and Champagne: A Romp Through the Kitchen at Pomegranate Bistro.  It was lovely gift and it was autographed to boot, but I still didn’t know who Lisa Dupar was.  When I opened the book I found two tickets to Lisa’s cooking class at Coastal Cupboard and Ginger clarified the mystery stating that Lisa’s home was the one we rented and the one she wrote the cookbook in.  Hence the “six degrees of separation”.

If you haven’t been to a cooking class at Coastal Cupboard, you don’t know what you’re missing.  The intimate, theater-style seating allows you to be upfront and personal no matter where you are seated.  They also offer a 10% discount on anything in the store while you’re there for class.

When we found our seats we received a copy of the menu as well a recipe for each course of the evenings meal. Here’s the menu:

• Strawberry Rhubarb Collins,
•  Rich Man’s Gazpacho,
•  Farro and Spring Asparagus Salad with Fava Beans, Arugula, Basil and Oil-Cured Tomato Dressing,
• Pan-Seared Rainbow Trout with Warm Summer Tomato, Olive and Caper Salad, and 
• Ginger Molasses Sandwich Cookies (aka Crack Cookies)

We were excited for the games to begin!

For the 20 or so people that were able to attend this class, it was spectacular.  Although I’ve had the pleasure to dine at many restaurants in Charleston over this past year, this was one of my more memorable dining experiences.  I’ll try my best to describe the gastronomical excitement that we all shared, but I probably won’t do it justice.

Lisa started with a brief bio stating that she owns a small restaurant in Seattle called Pomegranate Bistro and a large catering operation (she’s been voted the #1 Caterer in Seattle for quite some time…).  She also has just been awarded the 2011 IACP Julia Child Award for First Cookbook, so one would say she’s having a good go of things, and rightly so.

Everything she made was accompanied by an interesting dialog and some helpful hints along the way. The beverage we started with, the Strawberry Rhubarb Collins was made with Dry Rhubarb Soda from a company in Seattle called Dry Soda. It was delicious, very light and fruity. The Dry Soda company actually has an interesting story to tell. The following is a brief description from their website.

Strawberry Rhubarb Collins

Seattle-based DRY Soda Co. has re-imagined what soda can be: better tasting and better for you. DRY Soda uses only four, all natural ingredients and keeps the pure cane sugar to a minimum. Each twelve-ounce bottle of DRY contains just 45 - 70 calories and 11 - 19 grams of sugar. The result is a less sweet soda that allows its fruit, flower and herbal flavors to shine through. DRY Soda is available in seven distinctive flavors - Lavender, Lemongrass, Blood Orange, Rhubarb, Juniper Berry, Vanilla Bean and Cucumber - each with a unique flavor profile that makes it refreshing to sip on its own, pair with a great meal or mix into the perfect drink.

But I digress… Off to the Rich Man’s Gazpacho.  It’s called “Rich Man’s” because years ago Gazpacho was not made with tomatoes. In Europe, tomatoes were a luxury only the rich could afford.  It was a great, crisp blend of fresh vegetables, V8 juice, lime juice, lemon olive oil, white balsamic vinegar and a few other ingredients. It was topped with fresh-off-the-boat Dungeness crab meat, crème fraiche and a spot of guacamole. Unlike other Gazpacho’s I’ve had that are over processed in a blender that they resemble salsa, this one let you celebrate each and every bite of the wonderful combination of flavors. We were off to a great start.

Rich Man’s Gazpacho

The Farro and Spring Asparagus Salad with Fava Beans, Arugula, Basil and Oil-Cured Tomato Dressing easily made our meal 2 for 2.  Taking a page from the farm to table movement, this dish’s vegetables tasted like they were just picked and had a nice crisp texture.  Although personally I think that Farro is an acquired taste, it was cooked perfectly and its wheat flavor was a great compliment to all of the components of the salad.

 Farro and Spring Asparagus Salad with Fava Beans, Arugula, Basil and Oil-Cured Tomato Dressing

We took a break as Lisa began to pan fry the Rainbow Trout fillets.  She mentioned that she’d shopped for most of her ingredients at Whole Foods, and some of the spices, etc., she brought with her.  But when she went to Whole Foods she found out that they did not have Rainbow Trout.  She immediately asked for the number of their seafood distributor (wouldn’t everyone?), and took action.  Sending her daughter on a road trip up to the distributor in N. Charleston, Rainbow Trout was in hand and the possible travesty was averted, phew.

Lisa Dupar Prepares The Trout 

As we shopped around the store Lisa plated the Pan-Seared Rainbow Trout with Warm Summer Tomato, Olive and Caper Salad. The trout was topped with the salad and it was bursting with flavor and color.  The simple pan searing of the trout made it light, flaky and just about as close to perfect as it could be.  Talk about a party on a plate!

Pan-Seared Rainbow Trout with Warm Summer Tomato

To end this great meal we were served Ginger Molasses Sandwich Cookies. These ginger-snap like cookies were filled with a mixture of cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. So popular are these cookies at her restaurant that her customers fondly refer to them as “Crack Cookies” because they are so addictive and they can’t get enough of them. It was easy to see why.

Crack Cookies"

Interestingly enough, Lisa also calls them “Murphy’s Law Cookies”.  Once the first 3,000 copies of her cookbook were in circulation, her mom called her to tell her that she thought the recipe was off  a bit - “Thanks, mom.”  But she was right. In trying to shrink the recipe from a batch of 350 that the restaurant makes, one of the measurements was off a bit.  In the first print the recipe called for 1 ½ cups of flour when you actually need 2 ½ cups.  Lisa promptly hired a bunch of folks with good penmanship shills to hand edit the first editions and change the 1 to a 2.  If you have a first edition that will be a fun fact to know and tell. 

Not that the meal itself wasn’t enough, throughout the evening we learned many helpful hints:

• Always taste what you’re making – sounds simple, but do you taste everything? I know I don’t.
• When chopping garlic, season it lightly with salt. It will stop it from sliding around and it’s easier to chop.
• It’s easy to peel ginger using a spoon. Now that I’m going to try.
• You would be surprised how easy it is to make your own salad dressing and should start to. Hmmm, I’m not sure about that one.
• When pan frying fish make sure the pan is super hot and start with the skin side up.
• A wine aerator can make a $10.00 bottle of wine taste like a $50.00 bottle.
•  Although she has a different stove in her home here, she loves the Viking line of appliances and should be a spokesperson.

Thank you Lisa, for a terrific evening, we enjoyed every minute of it.  By the way we have a full suite of Viking appliances in our home and you are more than welcome to come over and use them whenever you’re in town. 

We gave the evening and Lisa 5 out of a possible 5 plates

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Chef Lisa Dupar Is Heading To Charleston

 AUTHOR/CHEF LISA DUPAR SHARES HER NORTH MEETS SOUTH CUISINE

Chef Lisa Dupar, owner of two multi-award winning Seattle area based businesses as well as the author of the 2011 IACP award winning cookbook “Fried Chicken and Champagne:  A Romp through the Kitchen at Pomegranate Bistro”, will be making guest appearances in Charleston from June 19 through 23^rd. Lisa calls Charleston her second home, as her family owns a house there where she often spends time with her husband and kids. 

On Sunday, June 19^th, Dupar will do a “Brunch” book signing at the Heirloom Book Company located at 123 King Street.   She will serve tastes from her book which was honored by the International Association of Culinary Professionals at their 2011 Awards Gala in Austin on June 2^nd.  “Fried Chicken and Champagne” took home the Julia Child/KitchenAid Award for “First Cookbook”- the first cookbook by a writer who has not previously authored or coauthored a food or beverage related volume.  Dupar joined the ranks of the evening's winners which included food luminaries Dorie Greenspan, Amanda Hesser and Lifetime Achievement Award winner Martin Yan, as well as presenter Jacques Pepin.

Tuesday, June 21^st at 6:30 pm, Lisa will bring a touch of the Northwest south at the Coastal Cupboard in the Belle Hall Shopping Center.  At this class, she will share recipes for Strawberry-Rhubarb Collins, shots of “Rich Man” Gazpacho; Farro & Arugula Salad with Lima Beans, Asparagus & Basil; Pan Seared Rainbow Trout with a warm Summer Tomato, Olive and Caper Salad; and the “summer version” of Pomegranate’s famous Ginger Molasses Cookies.

Lisa will appear at 6:30 pm as a special guest chef on Thursday, June 23^rd at Charleston Cooks.  Keeping the South on the table for this hands-on summer class, she will greet attendees with a Sparkling Peach Julep; followed by shots of Crab Gazpacho; Summer Corn Fritters with Watermelon Chutney; Fried Chicken and Waffles; and Caramel Cheesecake with Salted Pecans.

Lisa found her passion for food while growing up in her Atlanta, Georgia family home. Her mother, not interested in cooking, offered Dupar a compromise – she would clean, if Lisa would cook.

Following high school, she started a culinary apprenticeship at the Westin Hotel‘s Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta. Three years later, at age 25, Lisa continued her training in Zurich, Switzerland. While abroad, she cooked for several top rated European restaurants, before returning back to the states in 1981.

She was drawn to Seattle when a position at the Westin’s elegant Palm Court Restaurant opened up, becoming the hotel chain’s first female chef. In 1984, Lisa left to open her first restaurant, Southern Accents which focused on the food she loved from her upbringing in the South. Shortly thereafter, she started Lisa Dupar Catering, with the goal of providing stylish restaurant-quality food at catered events. Over the ensuing years, she has had the privilege of cooking for many noteworthy clientele including: Martha Stewart, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Julia Child, Bill & Melinda Gates, President Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, and Sophia Lauren, to name a few.

In 2005, Lisa and husband Jonathan Zimmer opened Pomegranate Bistro – a neighborhood restaurant, with the concept of providing locals with fresh, casual, comfort food and a fantastic hand-picked wine list.

Both businesses have garnered numerous accolades. Among the most recent, Lisa was named one of the “Top 25 National Trendsetters” by Modern Bride Magazine. Lisa Dupar Catering has won Seattle Bride’s “Best Caterer” award from 2005 – 2010, and has also been named “Best Caterer” by Seattle Magazine. Pomegranate Bistro has won Wine Spectator’s “Award of Excellence” from 2007 – 2010, Seattle Metropolitan’s “Best of Dining”, and Seattle Weekly’s “Best of Seattle” award.

With the release of her cookbook, Fried Chicken & Champagne: A Romp through the Kitchen at Pomegranate Bistro, Lisa shares both hometown and haute recipes drawn from her culinary life.

We're excited to be heading over to the Coastal Cupboard cooking class with Lisa next week and hope you'll join us there.

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Charleston Restaurant Week 2011 - Charleston, SC

Mark your calendars! 

The dates for the next installment of Charleston Restaurant Week have been released. The event will take place from September 7^th through the 18^th, 2011.  Charleston Restaurant Week, executed by the Charleston Restaurant Association (CRA), has quickly become a favorite time of year for locals and tourists alike.

Charleston Restaurant Week is a celebration of the world-renowned cuisine of the Lowcountry. Participating restaurants offer prix fixe menus consisting of three items for one price: $20, $30 or $40. This year, expanded menu categories are designed to offer the restaurants more flexibility with their menus and encourage more restaurants to participate. This opportunity is available only twice a year.

With over 90 participating restaurants ranging  from casual to five-star, diners will find great deals on old favorites as well as those restaurants they have been wanting to visit. Menus from each participating restaurant will be available to view on the CRA website as the event gets closer. For more information about Charleston Restaurant Week, please go to www.charlestonrestaurantassociation.com or find the event on Facebook at Charleston Food Festivals and Events. 

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Duke’s Barbeque, Walterboro, SC

Well Worth The Trip

Returning from a recent getaway in Hilton Head Island we spotted a charming billboard depicting a very quaint town (or so we thought), Walterboro, SC.  So we took a detour and headed towards the town. At the very least we thought we could stop for lunch.

The town itself was a big disappointment.  The billboard was a gigantic overstatement.  That being said we started to look of a place to eat.  Throughout the town were very large signs advertising “Dukes (sic) BBQ”, but try as we might to find it, we seemed to be going in circles.  We were finally able to find a small pocket of cell reception and plugged the address into our Garmin. 

Walterboro is a pretty small town with a few stores scattered around the area.  The new Bi-Lo seems to be a new landmark.  But through one more intersection we spotted Dukes, a very large restaurant with a parking lot that was packed!!  And low and behold a big pink pig on the lawn welcomed us.

Lining Up At Dukes

This is a place where time has stood still. It doesn’t appear to have had any renovations in the 25+ years that it’s been there. Two large rooms were bustling with patrons carrying large heaping plates. In a place where the sidewalks seem to be rolled up this place had a line of about 25 people waiting to place their order.

Dukes business model is very simple.  You walk up to a cash register and pay.  Kids under 3 eat free, for kids 4-7, it’s $4.00, kids 8-12, it’s $6.00, Seniors 62-84 it’s $8.50, “Super” Seniors 84 and older it’s $6.00 and adults pay $10.00.  Tax is included in these prices and the ordering is a simple process.  The price also includes a drink.

You are then standing at the beginning of an incredibly long buffet line as Duke’s is an all you can eat offering.  My mom always told me, “Don’t go grocery shopping when you’re hungry,” because too many unexpected items jump into your cart. The same holds true with me and buffets. Things I would usually not eat on a dare somehow seem to make it to my plate.  But off I went on my newest buffet expedition.

Dukes is not a place where “neatness counts”.  Although it appeared the buffet line was being attended to, it was very messy.  There were so many things to choose from (32 items made fresh every day), that I had to first troll the buffet line to see what I wanted.  That didn’t seem to help limit my plate load in the long run, but I did give it the old college try.

The buffet line starts with a “veggie” section – collards, rice, corn, beans, etc.  It then lands you smack dab in front of a large insert of pulled pork that looked and smelled delicious.  Although a variety of barbecue sauces were located on top of the sneeze guard, we stayed with one of the options next to the pork – Dukes (sic) hot sauce. And we were glad we did!

Passing mac ‘n cheese we slowed down the tour at fried food mountain. Here we found corn fritters, onion rings, hush puppies, fried okra, homemade potato chips and a mound of glorious, deep fried chicken.  Say no more, our plates were now full!

Magic BBQ Sauce

BBQ Section

Fried To Die For....

Plate Of BBQ Love

Can't Get 'Nuf Q

At the table there were the usual condiments and a loaf of fresh sunbeam white bread. I was not certain where I would put it on my plate or what I would use it for, so I passed and began my barbecue adventure.

All That And Bread For Dippin'

I have to admit I did eat the two pieces of chicken, a little bit of pork and some mac and cheese but I was soon full. So my mom’s grocery store advice also rang true here.  Don’t put on your plate what you aren’t going to eat. Lesson learned.

Although it took some time to find Duke’s it was well worth the trip.  In sleuthing Dukes online when we returned, it appears that there is a Dukes on James Island.  Sounds like a road trip!

We gave Dukes 4 out of a possible 5 plates.

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Basil, Charleston, SC

One of Charleston's Best Restaurant Gems

The restaurant Basil has been a running joke in our household. I'm always saying I'll go there, but never do. Although we’ve heard nothing but tremendous things about the restaurant, we’ve never had a meal there.  I’m not too big on Thai food, but I thought I’d be a sport and go.  So after countless suggestions of “Let’s go to Basil”, we did so last night. 

Basil does not take reservations and so we thought if we got there before 7:00 we might not have to wait.  Not so much. The restaurant was packed and there was a 20-25 minute wait.  When asked if we preferred outside seating to inside we said that it didn’t matter and our time was moved up a bit.  While window shopping our way through King Street the phone rang and our table was ready.  

Patio At Basil

We were seated at one of the six four-tops outside the restaurant.  Small planter boxes and Tiki torches adorn the patio (and help to keep the bugs away!)  I thought it was going to be very warm with the heat wave we’ve been having, but much to my surprise there was a lovely breeze and it was a wonderful way to people watch as we waited for our server to arrive.

Our server was very attentive, but not intrusive.  He was easily able to answer questions about the menu and made a few suggestions as well.  We ordered our appetizer of Fresh Basil Rolls and continued to peruse the menu.

Orchid Garnish

In sleuthing their website this morning not only is Chef Suntorn an accomplished chef, but he has also traveled the globe. His career started in Bangkok, Thailand and he has worked in England, Paris, United Arab Emirate, Miami, San Francisco and Boston.  The site doesn’t say how he landed here in Charleston, but we’re just glad he did. 

In a bat of an eye our appetizer arrived and we placed our dinner order.  The Fresh Basil Rolls were simple and beautiful.  The “house sauce” was a spicy sweet concoction (Chef Suntorn’s house sauce) with ground fresh ginger floating on top.  The Basil Rolls were delicate and had an incredible fresh flavor that was only enhanced when dipped in the sauce.  I hoped that dinner would be just as good. The website said that all of the dishes and sauces are not made ahead of time but are authentic and made from scratch.  We could really taste the difference.

Fresh Basil Rolls

Our entrees arrived after we had finished the Basil Rolls and had a few minutes to relax.  Perfectly timed, our server delivered the Pad Thai and Crispy Red Curry Duck.

From the website I learned that Pad Thai is the national dish of Thailand.  Who knew? It is rice noodles stir-fried with chicken, shrimp, eggs, bean sprouts, scallions and a Pad Thai sauce. On the plate as a garnish was freshly shredded cabbage, carrots and cilantro with a lime wedge for good measure. 

Having lived in Boston for many years and many bad winters the need for “lunch delivered” was paramount. Often times we ordered “Chinese” and there was a Pad Thai option, which in no way even remotely resembled what I was served that evening.  My dish, which I asked for a little spicy was exquisite.  Not greasy, not oily, with fresh ingredients and a flavor that just jumped off the plate.

Pad Thai

My husband is a big duck fan and Basil’s Crispy Red Curry Duck more than met the mark. Listed on the menu as Chef Suntorn’s Signature Dish it was a boneless half duck that is deep fried with vegetables and red curry sauce.  It is also served with a small container of freshly steamed white rice that was very, very hot.

The duck was tender and the dish overall was one of the best duck dishes that he’s ever tasted.  Both of us were full quickly, but continued to graze a bit before throwing in the towel.  I am a tad embarrassed to admit that some of my Pad Thai was a breakfast reheat this morning…

Crispy Red Curry Duck

I had originally said that I wanted to scout out Charleston’s hidden restaurant gems when I started my blog.  Although based on the crowd and the waiting line, I am late in this discovery, but nonetheless, Basil is a gem. Look for their third location to open in Mount Pleasant this summer.  I know we’re looking forward to it.

We gave Basil 5 out of a possible 5 plates.

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