If you spend any amount of time browsing the “Best Restaurant in Charleston” threads on Chowhound.com’s “South” message board, you’ll notice how a few of the major names rise above the pack. While I’ve been lucky enough to dine at a few of them (e.g., McCrady’s, Charleston Grill, FIG), until last week I hadn’t had the opportunity to make it to Slightly North of Broad.
Located on East Bay, in the heart of fine dining country, SNOB features an open kitchen which allows diners to watch Chef Frank Lee and his staff work their magic. The dining room is large and open, but unfortunately can be exceptionally noisy once it fills up. I wouldn’t recommend SNOB for an intimate romantic evening, but the food is always priority number one for my girlfriend and I, so we didn’t mind too much.
The menu’s prices are pretty standard for a restaurant of this type, with entrees ranging from $23-$34. The cuisine is largely modern-American with an emphasis on local ingredients and specialties. They offer Charleston standards like shrimp and grits ($16.50) and crab cakes ($23.50), along with more exciting choices including sesame crusted tuna medallions ($15) and grilled barbecue tuna with a mustard barbecue sauce and fried oysters ($25). They also offer interesting daily specials in each menu category.
We decided to open our meal by sharing a bowl of oyster stew ($8.75). Filled with big, tender oysters, yukon gold potatoes, and applewood smoked bacon in a scallop cream broth, this is a fantastic winter stew for a cold day. I’m normally not a huge fan of oysters, but these had a freshness and texture that won me over.
For my entree, I chose one of SNOB’s intriguing specials, something that I had never experienced before. The local rabbit loin ($22) was juicy and full of flavor. For those of you who have never had rabbit, the common response is that it tastes sort of like chicken, but that doesn’t really do it justice. You have to try it for yourself, but I compared the taste to a more gamey blend of chicken and pork loin (not that that is likely all that helpful). Anyhow, it was wonderful. The loin was stuffed with a richly flavored tarragon shallot mousse that complemented the taste and texture of the meat.
The rabbit was delicious, but I was equally enthralled with its accompaniments. The soft, pillowy cheese gnocchi were unreal. They forced me into a full fledged Giada De Laurentiis style, “I’m enjoying this a little too much” face. SNOB’s gnocchi are right on par with Al Di La on my list of best gnocchi ever. Amongst the gnocchi were local grape tomatoes which burst and filled your mouth with flavor the moment you bit into them, and beech mushrooms (a first for me as well) which have a nice, subtle nutty flavor.
My partner opted for the sauteed duck breast ($25). The dish included skinless breast meat, leg confit, butternut squash casserole, asparagus, and a honey thyme reduction. My partner favored the breast, but the leg was what really impressed me. Slowly cooked in its own fat, the tender confit’s flavor was rich and robust. The thin, crisp skin of the duck literally melted in our mouths, producing another “oh my god” moment for each of us. The reduction was also exquisitely prepared. So much so that my partner asked our server to make sure that he got every drop of it in her to-go box (I guess he was feeling generous, because he ended up giving her an entire little cup of it to take home). We weren’t, however, particularly fond of the casserole. The flavors were fine, but the texture was too mushy, not particularly appetizing.
Overall, SNOB lived up to it’s reputation as one of Charleston’s best restaurants. I frequently get asked variations of the question, “I’ve got a friend/family member coming into town this weekend; where is the one place that they really need to try?” Usually I alternate between FIG and McCrady’s, but Slightly North of Broad will now definitely be a part of the conversation. The service was good–despite the busy atmosphere–and the food was almost flawless. If you haven’t been to SNOB yet, do yourself a favor and see what you’ve been missing.
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you said it perfectly, this place was awesome. my mouth is watering just thinking about the duck i had