Lowcountry Cuisine Fall/Winter 2017-18

lowcountry cuisine www.LowcountryCuisineMag.com | www.MountPleasantRestaurant.com | www.CharlestonRecipes.com LC HOWDIVEY ARE THESE PLACES? A GUIDE TO OUR DIVE BAR FACTOR: Newbies welcome - More the cocktail party type? Try one of these for an inexpensive nightcap. Old school cool - The perfect place to give up the frills and revel in Southern nostalgia. Good and grungy - Just dirty enough. Filthy and fabulous - You might want to bring hand sanitizer. Just sayin. Art’s Bar and Grill 413 Coleman Blvd. Mount Pleasant Dive bar factor: Newbies welcome Denise: Krysta and I were a little early to the party at Art’s in Mount Pleasant; apparently between October and April is the time to hang out, when there’s $13.99 all-you-can-eat oysters every Saturday and Sunday from 1 until 7 p.m. The oysters are local (from Bulls Bay), so you can eat your fill with a clear conscience. Don’t forget to pair the dozen with a carafe of either bloody marys or mimosas. We tried the bloody marys, despite it being a workday – Ah, the sacrifices an editor must make for her career – and they were just spicy enough. Krysta: Though not all done in one day (duh, that would be silly) Art’s was still the first stop along our dive bar tour. I don’t know if it was the outdoor tiki bar or the large windows permitting an unusual amount of light inside, but something just didn’t scream “dive joint” to me. All that aside, the bartender did make a great bloody mary, so no real complaints here. Richard’s Bar and Grill 2237 N. Hwy 17 Mount Pleasant Dive bar factor: Old school cool (But beware the smoke.) Denise: Mention Richard’s to any seasoned East Cooper resident and you’re met with one of two emotions – either fierce devotion or sheer terror that such a place still exists. That is, a place where you can smoke a cigarette inside the building, order mini-bottles of your favorite liquor and get to know friendly folks like Lori Turner who have scores of tales about Mount Pleasant in the old days. It’s an iconic nightspot for sure, and, if you’re on the way home after a fancy dinner, it’s worth checking out for the nostalgia as well as the cheap Patron and Jim Beam shots, which our bartender said the locals “drink a lot of.” Krysta: An iconic establishment in Mount Pleasant, Richard’s is the only place in town where smoke still lingers in the air and mini-bottles line the back bar. Settling into my comfy bar chair, Denise and I made friends right off the bat with longtime patron Lori Turner, who gave us the rundown on Richard’s over the years. Between stories, I took in the attic- esque ambience, complete with hundreds of stapled dollar bills, customer photos and random memorabilia filling up every inch of the walls. Six Mile Tavern 2205 Rifle Range Road Mount Pleasant Dive bar factor: Old school cool Denise: “You gotta have Jesus the Lord and a few drinks,” declared Donna Kay, the friendly and charismatic owner of Six Mile Tavern in Mount Pleasant. If you share that same sentiment, check out this true neighborhood watering hole on Rifle Range. The building has been around for more than 60 years, and Krysta and I felt right at home ordering the $3 shot specials for that day: “Cinnamon Toast Crunch”– a delicious combination of Fireball and RumChata – as well as “Fireball Punch” – Fireball, cranberry juice and Sprite. I daresay any of Ms. Donna’s concoctions would make a perfect holiday toast – plus, if you visit on Thursdays or Saturdays, you’re likely to catch a DJ spinning tunes for the dance floor. Yes, I said dance floor. Krysta: If you’ve never been to Six Mile Tavern in Mount Pleasant, I can promise you that you’re missing out on some quality conversations. Denise and I sat down at the small bar top and were immediately greeted by owner Donna Kay, who