Husk Restaurant, located on Queen Street in historic downtown Charleston, is self-described as a celebration of Southern ingredients. Manning its kitchen is James Beard Award-winning Sean Brock and Lowcountry native Travis Grimes. Their rules? “If it doesn’t come from the South, it’s not coming through the door.” Joe Rahim, Inspirato’s Photography and Digital Imaging Manager and resident gastronomist, visited recently to sample a few of their Southern delights. We sat down to look through his food photography and discuss the highlights.
Joe: The serendipity of a delayed flight home to Denver allowed me enough time to stop in for a meal. Our on-site team recommends Husk and since we mention it on the destination section of our website, I wanted to get a photo that would be true to the restaurant. I connected with Dan Latimer, their Operations Executive, and he was very warm and welcoming.
Q: Before dining at Husk, would you have described yourself as a fan of Lowcountry food?
Joe: Absolutely. Charleston is a great city and it’s a gateway to a few of our other Inspirato destinations—Isle of Palms, Kiawah Island, Palmetto Bluff, and Hilton Head Island. I like to think of Charleston as the epicenter of the cultivation of Lowcountry cuisine. I’ve always had a personal fascination with shrimp and grits and Charleston’s version has a very distinct style. They serve it as a soupy tomato base with onions, bell peppers, and sausage and it’s simply beautifully over grits. I like to think of it as Southern fajitas, with grits sitting in for tortillas.
Q: How are their dishes typically prepared?
Joe: Their approach to food is very much inspired by tradition. A new menu is created daily according to what local ingredients they have on hand. This is the true definition of a farm-to-table restaurant. Even the sausage is made in-house. In addition to locally sourcing the food, all of the restaurant’s stoneware is made by Cone 10 Studios, a local art co-op for ceramics. Besides the loyalty to local sourcing, this was some of the most elaborately presented food I’ve ever seen. Each plate was pleasing to the eye and had edible flower garnishes. It was a photographer’s dream.
Q: Did you try a few dishes?
Joe: Of course! One was their shrimp and Geechie Boy grits with house sausage, fennel, English peas, smoked tomato, and crispy pig ears. It came with a skillet of cornbread made with Allan Benton’s bacon. I also enjoyed a flounder entrée and some slow-cooked heritage pork with grilled asparagus, spring onion, sweet peppers, preserved tomato vinaigrette, and goat’s milk feta cheese.
Q: What was the best thing you ate at Husk?
Joe: By far, the flounder. It was fried in chicken fat and served with spring vegetables, Mepkin Abbey shiitake mushrooms, charred ramps, and chicken consommé. The chicken skin was actually seared on the filet of fish and served over a savory broth. I keep dreaming about it.
Q: Let’s talk about the bar. Did you try anything?
Joe: Not on my first trip. I had eaten in the early afternoon and walked back to where I was staying afterward. Later in the day, I asked around about where to find a good whiskey and two different people emphatically said, “Husk.” Intrigued that the suggestion would be repeated, I returned and bellied up to their bar. I had made a new friend on the walk over who was also headed there. He was traveling across the country and described Husk as a must-stop. He was raving about their variety of Japanese whiskeys but I’m more of a bourbon fellow. The Husk mixologists craft handmade drinks and pour artisanal microbrews. There’s also a generous wine list.
Q: What would your advice be for future patrons of Husk?
Joe: Arrive with an open mind about the menu. One of the dishes even had pig ear in it! The chefs know what they’re doing. Don’t be intimidated and be sure to make a reservation since their menu is in high demand.