Lowcountry Cuisine July 2018

LC 50 www.LowcountryCuisineMag.com | www.MountPleasantRestaurant.com | www.CharlestonRecipes.com lowcountry cuisine H as brunch become a spectator sport? Between the long lines and yolk-breaking videos on Instagram, we might spend as much time watching other people enjoy their eggs benedict as brunching ourselves. It’s time to take back brunch. With an amazing spread around the Lowcountry. From the home-style Glass Onion occupying a little lot on Savannah Highway to Obstinate Daughter’s swanky loft on Sullivan’s to Basic Kitchen’s prime, hip real estate off King Street, there are enough options for everyone to go to brunch – and enjoy it, too. The Glass Onion 1219 Savannah Highway Charleston 843-225-1717 www.ilovetheglassonion.com Brunch: Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Celebrating a decade in business this year, the Glass Onion’s claim to fame is its traditional Southern style. Unassuming and “no fuss,” as Glass Onion’s Chris Stewart put it, this place feels like sitting down at a family friend’s dining room table. Only here, you can get French toast with fried pork chops or fried quail and an accompanying cocktail with local spirits like Highwire and Dixie. “Our first brunch will always stand out in my memory,” said Stewart. “We were so caught up in running our brand-new restaurant that we completely missed that our first brunch was on bridge run Saturday. We were crushed and totally ran out of food by 1:30 p.m. It was a huge learning experience!” Basic Kitchen 82 Wentworth St. Charleston 310-948-0965 www.woodshopmarketing.com Brunch: Daily, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. “We have been serving brunch since day one,” said Melinda Wood, who handles the marketing at one of Charleston’s new, stylish brunch spots. “But we have recently switched things up and now offer brunch every day of the week from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. After all, why should brunch only be a weekend thing?” Basic Kitchen – with its palm-tree-and-colorful- umbrella-filled back courtyard, bright and airy interior and carefully curated playlist – offers plenty of gluten-free and vegetarian options alongside locally sourced meats and seafood and a drink menu that features everything from house-made juices to wine and beer and fruity, frozen cocktails. This is likely the only spot on this list where you can get cauliflower grits and a frozen beet margarita. Poogan’s Porch 72 Queen St. Charleston 843-577-2337 www.poogansporch.com Brunch: Monday-Friday, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. One of the OG brunch spots in Charleston, Poogan’s Porch was serving grits in its 1880s Victorian home setting 41 years ago, long before the hipster brunch renaissance. And yet, Chef Dan and his team still make everything from scratch. “Must-haves for brunch are the shrimp ‘n’ grits and chicken and waffles,” said Jude Wagner, Poogan’s operations director. “We have the best in town.” For him, Poogan’s is a gathering spot full of meaning, as well as good grits. “My favorite memory is when we had a family of 10 come in one brunch at the request of the youngest son, who was having open-heart surgery the next day. They chose Poogan’s not only because it was his favorite restaurant but because the atmosphere was upbeat and lightened the mood for the family for those few hours they were with us.” By Enid Spitz Falling Back in Love with Brunch