Dinner with the Courtney family

Unity Alley, Charleston, S.C.

Many years ago when I was a baby blogger there were only a few of us actively blogging in the lowcountry and as I got started I paid my respects to those who were already established. One of them was Notoriously Nice Mike. Mike and I and two others had the first local blogging get together over lunch.

Last night I enjoyed a delicious dinner at the best table at McCrady's Restaurant with Notoriously Nice Mike's daughters Justine, Briar and son in law Isaac. We were treated like royalty (thanks Andre'!). Briar, a chef in New York, brought her knives down for her visit and was invited to work in the kitchen with Chef Brock and his staff today.

Thanks Courtney family - it was great to meet you after hearing so much about you through the years!

Chef Brock stopped by to visit and let me try on his shiny new James Beard medal for size....just for a minute. If he had looked away for just a minute I'd be wearing it still.

A Taste of the South

Taste of the South Dinner, McCrady's Restaurant, Charleston, S.C.

The Charleston Food & Wine Festival hasn't officially begun but I can't imagine anything during the next week topping the seven course dinner that Chef Richard Blais, Chef Eli Kirshtein, Chef Sean Brock and their cast of enthusiastic helpers pulled off last night at McCrady's Restaurant's Taste of the South dinner. I can thank my trusty camera for letting me catch a glimpse of the behind the scenes operations in the kitchen while I tried to stay out of the way of all the happy chaos.

I am on the run but left unsorted photos uploading and will add the link here later. I told Chef Brock that I was used to being rewarded for taking pictures with a plate of food but I am more accustomed to the standard rubber chicken event luncheon. These were absolutely some of the tastiest treats I've ever eaten with my fingers while I watched these incredible chefs at work. When he gave me a bowl of the dessert billed as: chocolate, malt, peanut and caramel after I'd been watched a tub of chocolate simmering and bubbling I wandered off into a corner and licked my bowl.

Foodie folks should fasten their seat belts (not too tightly) for a great weekend! Enjoy the festival.