Isles on the Coast

My future in-laws have made the exodus to the South. It has been quite an adjustment, and I don't mean that in a negative way. I mean, who would complain about leaving the LONG cold winters of upstate New York for the mild winters of Charleston, SC? I think it was a great move, and I couldn't be happier with the fringe benefits: long weekend visits, and having my in-laws close by. Seriously, I really do enjoy spending time with them!

We visited them a few weeks ago, and really got down on some Charleston eats. Saturday night was the jump off. My friend Amy has gushed and gushed about a restaurant called Coast Bar and Grill. Let me tell you why...

Coast has a hip, casual atmosphere. I like that you don't have to get super gussied up, and still get your hands on great food. Pretense can set you up for an obnoxiously bad dining experience. Anyhoo, the structure itself was once an indigo textile mill. The raw bar is across from the drankin' bar, so there is lots of activity going on. I did a little research beforehand, and discovered that the head bartender/bar manager is an accomplished mixologist. Boy were we in for a treat!

Meet the Yellow Submarine: Cuccumber infused lemonade, Cabana Cachaca, and mint...this drink is a real ribbon winner! It won the Cabana Cacha cocktail of the year for 2007. Cachaca is the national spirit of Brazil. It's very similar to rum; however, Cachaca is made from fermented sugarcane. This drink is like sipping summer in a straw. Truly, truly, truly outrageous!

We all had a hankering for some raw bar fare, so naturally we ordered oysters. Coast has a nice selection of shellfish. Our sampler consisted of Belon, Bluff, and Gulf oysters. Who woulda thunk there are so many oyster varieties?! Belons are very mild with a nice buttery finish. I could totally slurp a few dozen of those puppies down! We also had the lobster ceviche and lump crab ceviche. I believe the photos speak for how much we enjoyed the raw bar sampler.

Upon Amy's recommendation, I had the Red Snapper Almondine for dinner. The fish was the freshest I have had in quite some time. Jason had the Crab encrusted Tilapia, which was equally as tasty. Mom-in-Law had the Lobster and Crab Au gratin. I think everyone at our table had eyes for each other's plates! I will say that the side veggies were a little bit of a let down. I mean, they could do a lot better than julienned carrots, squash, and zucchini!

I did not have the opportunity to try a dessert entree; but I'm sure I would not have been disappointed. Maybe I will hold back on the oysters the next time we're at Coast...need to save room for dessert.