Amen Street Seafood and Raw Bar, Charleston SC

Charleston SC, like Savannah GA and Memphis TN will be revisited time and again, the first two because they are fantastic and the latter because I happen to have just moved to Memphis. Charleston and Savannah are definitely in my top ten favorite cities of all time. They share several very admirable qualities such as a character found nowhere else, personality and history, food that is unmatched and they are very aesthetically pleasing.

Since we will be revisiting Charleston time and again I feel the Amen Street Seafood and Raw Bar deserves it's own post. Executive Chef Todd Garrigan has put together an overall succulent menu, pretty consistent service that is mostly fantastic and a casually elegant atmosphere that makes you feel comfortable regardless of who you are.

Whenever I visit a restaurant of this assumed caliber, especially if I happen to be alone, I always do a sampling of the appetizer menu for a first visit. Personally I feel an appetizer menu should excite you about the main course to come, should be a good reflection of the chef's versatility and should burst with flavor with every bite as they are intended to only stave off hunger, not satiate it. If I am impressed I return for a main course. I also always have a drink of vodka and some sort of citrus as to not compromise the flavor integrity of the food. During my first visit I sampled the following fare, Fried Oysters, Lump Crab Cake and Fried Green Tomatoes (I told you).

To start off on a positive note, the Fried Oysters were fantastic. I have a special place in my heart for them in general, so when I find a place that does them well, they automatically get at least one gold star in my little notebook. The oysters here were of the perfect size, cooked to the perfect texture and not in the least bit greasy, all massively important components. They serve them with a dill tarter sauce which in an interesting change to my staple of Tabasco and fresh lemon (which is also available if you want it). It is an interesting change and I'm not going to lie, made me a little nervous eating something creamy on something fried, but it was surprisingly refreshing and well done.

Since I want to finish on a high note I shall move on to the Lump Crab Cake. As a disclaimer I have a very particular palate for crab cakes, so my opinion may not be that of many, I just ask that you bear with me. I was thoroughly unimpressed with this dish, to the point I barely touched it, which to let good crab go to waste is simply a sin in my book. The couple bites I did have tasted as if it wasn't cooked. I expect the outside of a crab cake to be crispy and full of flavor followed by a gentle filling that also bursts with it's own character. This possessed neither, the outside was not even mildly seared and the inside was just mushy and bland at best. For this I would take a pass.

Now for the Fried Green Tomatoes I cannot recommend these highly enough. I may actually make them a staple with every visit I make to Charleston. Utterly sublime. Served with a crab salad and pickled okra they are the perfect mixture of tomato to breading, they are crispy, and not in the least bit greasy. Presented hot, they are tangy and sweet with the addition of the crab. They live up to my expectation of being sad when they are gone. Definitely are in my top 5 all time favorite FGT's, they are perfectly executed and should be consumed by the masses.

Overall I have to say I was impressed with this restaurant, to the point that if I had not been constrained by time I would have eaten there at least once more during my visit. It is a place of excellent quality seafood, creative dishes, quiet atmosphere and delicate service that allows for your full enjoyment of the meal presented before you. It is worth a visit if you're there, a nice mix of tourists and locals and very close to some nice nightlife downtown as well as the bay for some after supper entertainment. Enjoy!