Macintosh Monday dinner

Tomorrow morning there is going to be a lot of writing, or at least, the thoughts of a lot of writing, about The Macintosh, a new restaurant by The Indigo Group down on Upper King Street, Charleston. There was a lot of media types eating and enjoying tonight, and you know how media (esp. in Charleston) like to talk about what they're eating ...

First, I should say, Jeff Allen of The City Paper wrote a perfect piece about the place and its amazing chef -- and he wrote that more than a month ago.

However, this restaurant is the "feel like it's been there forever" type of place that still has you excited about the food (despite the fact it smells like new wood). Namely, the appetizer of rabbit, unctuous and beautiful and punctuated by little cherry tomatoes that burst in your mouth. Now if the thought of rabbit wrinkles your nose in the way that people wrinkle their noses when they are scared of food, then, well, The Macintosh is not for you.

But The Macintosh is for me. Yeah, it sounds pretentious, and you're right, I am when it comes to having an open palate. But visit O-Ku or The Cocktail Club or The Macintosh and find yourself there. I do, and it is the best version of myself. Not the "hey, I just ate a funnel cake" self but the self that cares about the balance of flavors in the midst of a balanced decor.

I would've taken a picture, but I was enjoying myself too much ... go and see and enjoy too.

An eater's diary

I eat lunch out in Charleston a lot. I mean, a lot. Well, not everyday or anything, but a lot for someone who works within walking distance of her own well-stocked fridge. Of course, eating lunch is a great place for the business meeting, and I have my favorite spots about town.

So my recent article for Charleston Scene on the rise of "fast and fresh" food  was not only of interest to me as a writer, but as an eater as well. I'm pretty blatant about my dislike for national-chain restaurants (Waffle House, you make the cut, but for different reasons than the food), and so Charleston's thriving restaurant scene is a perfect down-filled nest for this little chicky. And its great food isn't just at the high end (congrats Husk!) but on the everyday plate as well.

The wraps at Black Bean Company filled with tofu, a treat even for a non-vegetarian. Just the smell and the smiles when you walk into The Pink Pig. The nachos at Zia Taqueria, and the Palapa Mas ... oh the Palapa Mas. And then there are the food trucks. Here is an ode to one tasty truck, by artist Leslie McKellar. My sentiments, exactly, on discovering that good food and good ingredients are at every price point in Charleston food.