Floral fountain

Queen St. fountain, Charleston, SC 

We can't complain about losing our blossoms to the season just yet. This beautiful floral fountain is in the yard at Husk Restaurant on Queen St.

Until I clicked on the website to add the link I hadn't realized there will soon be four Husk locations - Charleston, Nashville and soon to come in Savannah and Greenville, Well done Chef Sean Brock.

The Husk building on Queen St. used to be used for art classes for the Gibbes museum of art. I once took a calligraphy class in the same room I have since licked tasty sauce off my fingers and eaten crispy pigs ears in.  

Time to relax

Folly Beach, S.C.

I like how these folks made a relaxing spot on the mound between the two trees. I hope they spent some time out there this evening because it has been so lovely and warm out. We are heading into a beautiful weekend. 

I walked down to the Taste of India this evening to have some chicken curry with a Scottish friend who used to work for the Foreign Service. She had a samosa emergency.

What else have I done this week? I joined my friend Andre at Husk on Sunday after his four sons flew in to spend his birthday with him. Yep, me and five gentlemen at Husk. Not a bad deal at all. I am still thinking about those fried oysters. Andre looked so very happy across the table with all of his sons together. What a great gift they gave him by gathering together to celebrate.

Okay, kids. Let's see what we can make of this weekend!

New Year's Eve at Husk

New Year's Eve, Husk, Queen St., Charleston, S.C.

This first picture makes me laugh! I do have tall friends and for a change we didn't make them hide at the back of the group shot. Heheh. Thanks to everyone at Husk for making our New Year's Eve so special.

It was a grand way to end the year feasting at the "best new restaurant in American" according to Bon Appetite Magazine. None of us argued with that title last night as we licked our plates clean. So many lovely platters of taste treats - fried chicken skins, crispy pigs ears to wrap in lettuce were sent out for us to try  before our chosen entrees arrived  that we could have proceeded directly to desert. But. We didn't. Thanks to Chef de Cuisine Travis Grimes and the staff for a wonderful evening and my friend Andre' for his connections to these talented folk.

Look at that catfish! I ordered the pork chop and I just remembered that I didn't lick that plate clean - I brought some of it home so I could enjoy my Maple Pana Cotta desert. I am off to take care of those leftovers right now.  The menu is still posted today if you are inclined to drool on your keyboard. Happy New Year, kids!

Chef Travis Grimes & Andre' Guillet

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Folly Beach, S.C.

Happy New Year! I love New Year's Eve. Always have and hope I always will. Years ago, when Charleston had the big First Night Festival I was on the board and coordinated hundreds of volunteers for the event, roping all of my friends into staffing events and cauldrons all over town.

Now-a-days I gather some of the same group and new friends to go out for an early evening dinner and I will be home to watch the ball drop from the snug corner of my couch. We will be the first costumers of the evening at Husk. Hip, hip, hurrah! Best new restaurant in America, here we come!  I was looking for something sparkly to wear but according to my closet I am NOT a sparkle person.

I whine to my boss when I am forced to write goals each year and tell him that "goals just slow me down". Some of the best things that happened in 2011 I couldn't have anticipated to write down as resolutions so I'll keep flying by the seat of my pants and try to be brave enough not to turn down new opportunities in 2012. 

Thank you to all of you who have made my life so interesting and fun this year. May 2012 treat you kindly! Thank you for dropping by Charleston Daily Photo. I hope you have some idea how grateful I am for all your comments and emails! Feel free to touch base on Facebook if you have a presence there.

Best New Restaurant 2011

Husk Restaurant, Queen St., Charleston, S.C.

Yipee! Bon Appetit magazine listed Husk Restaurant at the top of their Best New Restaurant's list. Congrats to Chef Sean Brock and the team who have made the restaurant such a success! I bet they are partying tonight!

Check out the pictures from my finger lickin' good dinner at Husk earlier in the year. Yum.

Deep South & Husky

Husk, Queen St., Charleston, S.C.

My birthday week festivities continued with my first visit to Husk Restaurant on Queen St. Chef Sean Brock from McCrady's opened Husk in November and after the recent publicity in the New York Times I felt lucky to finally have a chance to dine there. I'd been watching the progress that transformed the building that used to house the Gibbs Art Museum studio into this classy southern restaurant. I once took a calligraphy class in the main dining room.

Happily, I know good people who know good people and thanks to my friend Andre' Guillet, Debby and I never even saw a menu - Chef Travis Grimes simply sent out one delicious dish after another. Look at all this incredible food! It was amazing. My favorites were the clams and oyster stew in the most wonderful broths and sauces. We stopped by McCrady's after dinner to sneak into the kitchen and let Chef Brock know how much we enjoyed it. Thank you, thank you!

Sean is quoted as saying, “If it doesn’t come from the South, it’s not coming through the door,” but a Frenchman, a Canadian slipped in last night with a Lowcountry friend and we enjoyed ourselves immensely!