On the Menu provides the latest news from the Charleston area’s extensive culinary community, including new restaurants, new menu items and upcoming events, as well as details about local chefs. Submissions should be sent to dailyjournal@scbiznews.com.
Fat Hen’s new fall menu features hominy made in-house. The hominy accompanies the seared sea scallops served with roasted butternut squash, southern peas, pistou, garlic and celery aioli. It is also in the spaghetti squash and hominy saute with squash, artichoke hearts, olives, herb pistou, roasted tomatoes, goat cheese, lemon and shallot butter.
Other new dishes on the dinner menu are the steak of the day featuring cuts of local meats; a seared duck breast with smoked beet and blue cheese dressing over roasted local pumpkin; a poached pear arugula salad with a lemon peppercorn sorghum glaze; and pig skin crisps using pig skins from Legare Farms. Items on the brunch menu include a fried meatloaf and brie sandwich with red-eye gravy, and for the vegetarians, a Portobello burger.
Fat Hen is open for dinner 5:30 to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and for brunch from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
 Brandon Buck |
Brandon Buck has been named executive chef at Middleton Place Restaurant. He replaces Micah Garrison, who has been promoted to director of food services for Middleton Place. After moving to Charleston in 2001, Buck worked for five years as the executive sous chef at Cypress under executive chefs Craig Deihl and Donald Barickman. He then became the executive chef at the Middleton Place Restaurant, where he led the kitchen for two years before another opportunity opened for him at Voysey’s at Cassique on Kiawah Island. Buck returned to Middleton Place as banquet chef in 2011 before being named executive chef.
O-Ku, 463-A King St., is hosting a Gekkeikan sake dinner at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The five-course pairing dinner is hosted by Yoshi Yumoto, vice president of Gekkeikan national sales. Dinner includes red snapper ceviche paired with Geikkeikan "Black and Gold"; tempura squash blossom and red curry crab paired with Haiku; O-Ku nigiri with Horin; braised wagyu beef with roasted winter squash; braising greens paired with Gold; and Tamago dessert with Zipang.
Cost is $60 per person. For reservations, call 843-737-0112. O-Ku is also hosting a Halloween party from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Oct. 26. There will be music, cash prizes for the best costumes and $5 specialty cocktails.
Piggly Wiggly has become the title sponsor of the Smoke on the Harbor BBQ Throwdown Nov. 16-17 at the Lookout Pavilion at Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina. Competitors so far include Leaf Cafe; JPaulz; Charleston Best Rib Wrangler; Queology; Some-R Swine; Ship Racked; Black Jack; Sticky Fingers; Dukes Barbecue; Cru Q of Cru Catering; and JB’s Smokeshack.
Teams will compete in three categories: wings, ribs and pork butts. Prizes include up to $6,000 in cash, trophies and the grand champion will be asked to come back in March to be featured in the BB&T Charleston Wine & Food Festival at the Rigs, Pigs and Swigs event. The competition is open to the public. Admission is $10 and guests are encouraged to donate nonperishable food items for the Lowcountry Food Bank. Donations will be accepted throughout the weekend and guests who donate five canned goods will receive $5 off admission.
MUSC Urban Farm is hosting a Charleston Food Day event from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. The urban farm is located at the corner of President and Bee streets in Charleston. Activities include educational sessions, cooking demonstrations and free samples, a celebrity pumpkin-carving contest and pumpkin seed-spitting contest.
The event is part of Food Day, an annual nationwide celebration and a movement toward more healthy, affordable and sustainable food.
The Lowcountry Hoedown is 7 to 11 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Visitor's Center Bus Shed, 375 Meeting St. Tickets are $50 and include food from 12 Lowcountry restaurants, cocktails from 14 bourbon and moonshine distilleries, craft beer, live music, a photo booth and a cowboy boot shine.
Purchase tickets at www.lowcountryhoedown.com or at Bottles, 610 Coleman Blvd. in Mount Pleasant. Tickets are $50 in advance, $60 at the door, with 10% of ticket sales benefiting Lowcountry Local First.
