D'Allesandro's Pizza

When I am not craving a burger I am thinking about pizza. We were downtown on a recent Saturday night looking for a casual dinner. We picked D'Allesandro's located on 229 St Phillip http://www.229pies.com/ again because a visit a couple of weeks before was just right. Stacy got the house salad($6.00) full of green peppers, mushrooms, black olives, onions, tomatoes and shredded mozzarella and I got a pizza margherita($7.50), a pizza with fresh cut round slices of buffalo mozzerella, tomato sauce, tomatoes and basil. That was pure simple goodness in a pizza.


Pictured here is my spicy salami pizza from the second visit. As expected this one did not disappoint. The crispy and slightly chewy crust is not too thick and is offered in a personal size that can still be shared and with a $2.00 Guiness draft the beer special for March, I could not have been happier.

Queen Street Grocery

A neighborhood treasure is waiting to be discovered on Queen Street downtown. Queen Street Grocery (www.qsg29401.com) was in the not too distant past just a corner store with snacks, frozen pizzas, and beer. Located at the intersection of Queen and Logan with two small tables on the sidewalk you may just think of passing this place by. STOP, go in, and enjoy a freshly made crepe. Choose from many different fillers or choose one off the menu. There is an interesting and affordable selection of wines and as well as micro brews to satisfy most beer aficionados, but you have to take it to go. In the back they have basic deli style packaged goods like salads and sandwiches and standard grocery items as well.
Pictured here is the Sullivan($8) which had turkey, swiss, avocado, and Chipotle sour cream on top. Also pictured is what Stacy ordered, the Kiawah ($7), which had mozzarella, tomato, and pesto. She enjoyed hers, but we both agreed mine was the star of the show. I would order this again. The menu is awesome with both light and hearty options and offers salads and a great variety of sweet and savory crepes as well as sandwiches. And they are open for breakfast too. I love this place - I think they got it right for a super charming neighborhood staple. Stacy mentioned the only thing they are missing is a cheeseburger crepe, I agree...

Henry's on the Market

Bourbon Pimento cheese appetizer

http://www.henryshousecharleston.com/

Henry's has recently undergone major renovations so I stopped in for a happy hour(extra long hours from 4-8 PM Monday through Friday) to check it out. The domestic beers were $1.75 and imports were $2.75. That deal is good enough reason alone to go but perhaps for the foodies the reason should be that Cru Cafe has taken over the kitchen. I did not get the burger this time but after looking over the menu and talking to the friendly bartender I will be back to get one soon for certain. I was just in the mood for a snack and a couple of beers. I did order the Pimento cheese with grilled crostini and it did not disappoint. With several TVs all tuned to the Olympics it was just what I was looking for. There's nothing like beer, cheese, and winter sports, right? The crowd was growing as I left and I think as word gets around it will not be long before happy hour is packed every night - especially when the weather warms up and the upper deck will be the place to be.

Pearlz Oyster Bar Happy Hour

The mahi fish taco with crispy cabbage.

You've got to visit Pearlz Oyster Bar for their happy hour specials (http://www.pearlzoysterbar.com/) 4-7, Monday through Friday. The specials are hard to be beat if you are in the mood for fresh seafood. The Mahi tacos come two to an order and were cooked just right. Not at all dry or overdone. At $4.95 they were a bargain for sure. The local brewed beers were $2.50 (other drink specials include $3 house wine and $5 martinis) and with the oysters it was a match made in heavan. The peel and eat shrimp at $7.95 was a 1/2 lb. portion of plump shrimp served chilled with a very spicy cocktail sauce. They offer a dozen oysters raw or steamed for $6.95 (you can also get a half dozen for $3.95). The raw oysters are served on ice with more of the spicy cocktail sauce as well as a traditional vinegar sauce. I finished with a $2.50 oyster shooter which is a raw oyster in a shot glass with vodka and cocktail sauce. Way better than desert. I left this place happy and feeling great about the tab.

Chilled shrimp with spicy cocktail sauce.

Oysters!

Voodoo Happy Hour

Thai Chicken Tacos at Voodoo

Who doesn't love a happy hour specials? Voodoo http://www.voodootikibar.com/ in historic Avondale is a favorite place of mine on Friday afternoons. From 4-7 pm Monday through Friday the tacos are 1/2 price and the drink specials are budget friendly. Where else can you get a few beers and an order of tacos worth eating for around 10 bucks? I have ordered all of the tacos on their menu at this point (BBQ Duck Baja Shrimp, Bacon Cheeseburger, Cashew Tuna, Blackened Steak, Mahi Mahi) and enjoy them all, but the one that I find I order again and again are the Thai Chicken tacos. They come with a spicy pickled carrot and jalapeno mix that I love. The peanut curry Thai seasoning is perfect and they always come out juicy and spicy, never dry. The PBR's and Miller High Life are $1.50 and Mai Tai's are $3. Most other domestics are $3 and well drinks are $4. Cavas and house wines are also $4. At a past visit I have ordered the foie gras beef sliders that were out of this world. Those deserve a review all of their own on a later blog post. Voodoo has great happy hour specials I will keep coming back for!

Siena Burger RIP

Pictured here is one of the last two burgers served at Siena on Daniel Island which is now closed for business. Even though Siena was considered fine dining Italian, the burger was a staple on the lunch menu and when the restaurant began serving dinner only, it was moved to the bar menu. This burger is one of my favorites in all of Charleston. It is 10 ounces of house ground ribeye on a perfectly toasted buttery bun. It comes topped with a marinated tomato and romaine lettuce. The Fontina cheese was melty gooey goodness under the crispy bacon squares. This burger is hard to beat.

The fries were thin straws of potatoes that help the whole dish come together for a burger and fry lover!

Not pictured was the frito misto which was fish and veggies lightly battered and fried to perfection. A great start to prepare for the burger. I hate that Siena didn't make it. It was a great restaurant overall. I will miss you mouth-watering Siena burger, may you Rest in Peace.

Last Half Price Burger at Rue de Jean

I couldn't resist my last opportunity to have the $5 RDJ burger since I have another obligation next Sunday, so here is a iphone shot of my last $5 RDJ burger of 2010.

We met some friends for a delicious dinner at Trattoria Lucca last night and proceeded to drink way too much, so I decided early this morning this was just the nourishment I needed to start my day off right. I showed up shortly after they opened at 10 and sat at the bar. Unfortunately I left my camera so this was the best I could do for a photo. In my opinion, food and service is always best when a restaurant is slow, so inevitably the burger came out in no time. I switched it up and got the gruyere cheese which was perfectly melted on the medium rare patty and of course I got bacon as well. The delicious fries were super hot, crispy, and fresh. This place always delivers. Happy Sunday to me.