Fast and French Chocolate Croissant

Last Saturday Stacy and I met some friends at Fast and French for a light breakfast. This place has the best specially blended house coffee - freshly french pressed. It's delicious just black. I ordered this chocolate croissant which really hit the spot. The croissant is huge, buttery, and toasted to a perfect level of crunchiness. The chocolate spread (love how they put it on both sides for extra chocolatiness) was nutella-ish but I don't think it was nutella. It was a cold, gray morning and this hot sweet treat was the perfect thing to warm me up for the day. I have also had the ham and cheese croissant several times which I recommend highly when you are in the mood for something savory. Fast and French is always on my go-to short list when I am in the mood for a good homemade meal and sitting inappropriately close to strangers.

Dixie Bakery Burger

Pictured here is the burger from Dixie Cafe and Bakery, a hidden gem located next to the Lil'Cricket on State Street. The best thing about this burger is that it can be had for breakfast. Yes, they'll serve it to you at 8 a.m. - this burger was ordered and consumed around 9:30 in the morning. The burger is house ground meat which I ordered medium rare. This is an 8 ounce patty for $6.99 served with lettuce, tomato, and onion. Bacon and cheese are an extra dollar a piece. This is not a gourmet burger, but this is your basic diner-style burger done well. This is served on a standard non-exciting white bun. When you order this for breakfast it eliminates the need for lunch. So it's not a bad value - a bacon cheeseburger is $8.99. Sunday brunch in Charleston for 9 bucks ain't bad. The homemade potato salad is just like grandma made and it also comes with a side of sliced pickles. So while there are better menu items such as the grits, biscuits, and tomato pie, this burger is worth the trip if you must have a burger before lunchtime. I don't of another place you can get a burger this good for breakfast.

Henry's burger at Happy Hour

Henry's on the market http://www.henryshousecharleston.com/ is not on my usual list of places to go when it comes to good burger craving. After eating there on a recent evening , I'm adding it to my list. The kitchen features food by Cru Cafe. You can not go wrong with Cru.

I ordered the classic bacon cheddar burger ($10.50) and was in cheeseburger heaven. The bacon was crisp and perfect. The cheddar was melted just the way it should be and the fries were crispy thin delights. The lightly toasted bun was right on target. It was served with lettuce, tomato, onion, and house made pickles. This burger paired perfectly with a $2.00 happy hour Yuengling. All domestics are $2.00 for happy hour and imports are $2.50. There are no food specials for happy hour but with a burger this good, full price is not a problem. Just enjoy a few cheap beers and leave happy.

Queen Anne's Revenge

Pictured here is the burger with pimento cheese, bacon, and fried green tomatoes from Queen Anne's Revenge (www.qarevenge.com) on Daniel Island. At $8.25 for a burger with cheese, this a great half pound burger made from beef ground fresh in house daily with a wide range of toppings. I ordered this medium and it was perfectly done, juicy but not greasy with the generous portion of cheese dripping over the entire patty. The fried green tomatoes were hot, crispy, and tangy and the two strips of bacon added up to one delicious burger. Overall this is a great topping combo. The fries when they are hot and fresh are also good with this burger. I wish they were homemade though.

I am also a big fan of their large salads at lunch. The steak salad ($12) with blue cheese crumbles over mixed greens with bacon tomato and crispy fried onions and blue cheese dressing is my personal favorite and my wife loves the Caribbean chicken Caesar($9). This has grilled chicken marinated in tequila, lime, and cilantro over romaine topped with fresh pico de gallo and crispy tortilla strips.

Aside from the great food, this place has lots of authentic pirate items from golden age of piracy. Muskets, swords, and treasure chests make it a great place for the family as kids are are sure to be entertained by the various museum quality memorabilia that serve as decor. This place is worth the trip out to Daniel Island for the quality food and unique experience. They also have an inviting outdoor patio with live music most weekends.

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...