Husk Restaurant Named Best New Restaurant in America by Bon Appetit

In today’s hyper technological world where you are more likely to see diners scanning their smart phones than conversing with each other it is no wonder that Bon Appetit magazine crowned Husk Restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina as America’s best new restaurant.  America… set down your phones and reconnect at Husk Restaurant!

  Sean Brock, James Beard “Best Chef Southeast” award winner in 2010 conceived this elevation of southern comfort food with a contemporary twist. Just like when grandma used to spend hours preparing the big family meal, Brock, chef de cuisine Travis Grimes and their equally passionate staff toil many hours and even days to bring a big, heaping plate of love to each diner’s table. You can feel the love and appreciate the effort put into every morsel. A meal at Husk should be savored and discussed.  Its food to sustain the soul and well as the body, just like grandma used to make.  It is the perfect opportunity to reconnect with family and friends.

Enjoy a few moments in the courtyard before entering the restored, Victorian structure.  The beautifully renovated space blends the charm and grace of its historic origins with a modern, minimalist finish. The bar is housed next door in an adjoining structure with exposed brick and plenty of light.  The upstairs offers a wonderful repose with friends before adjourning next door for a memorable meal.  Uh, but be sure folks this isn’t a grandma’s meat and three joint with yeast rolls. 

Brock, sometimes referred to as a country farmer or a dirt chef, combines his love of agriculture, animal husbandry and cooking in a celebration of all things southern.  Brock doesn’t deny the march of time and change.  He isn’t trying to recreate the southern classics.  Husk Restaurant offers a modern approach to southern dining with playful interpretations and deft vision of what it means to eat in the south in 2011.

 Every ingredient the chefs use to craft the dishes must be sourced from the south.  The daily menu evolves as new ingredients are harvested and delivered to the restaurant.  My dear neighbor, Joseph Fields, provided the peanuts that Brock and staff crafted into a velvety hummus appetizer last night. 

Charleston offers a bevy of products brought to the Lowcountry by African ancestors, native Americans and Europeans.  Benne seeds, field peas, sweet corn, Carolina Gold Rice, Anson Mills stone grits, locally made Giddy Goat Cheese and Rev Taylor Butter Beans speak to the diverse ancestry and influence in our great, coastal city. 

It’s hard to say what will be on the menu tonight.  The chefs are still receiving the day’s harvest and collaborating on the best ways to celebrate their products.  One thing is for sure.  The love and passion for all things southern will be served at Husk Restaurant tonight.  Slip in your seersuckers or sundress and leave your phone at home tonight.  If you are planning a vacation to Kiawah or Seabrook Island, don't miss this dining delight during your next visit to Charleston, South Carolina.  Visit their website at http://www.huskrestaurant.com/