18 Pinckney Street
Charleston, SC 29401
843.534.2434
http://www.crucafe.com

Where to begin? Other than the fun Motley Cru(e) reference, I should share that Cru Cafe is my very favorite restaurant in Charleston. Lots of reasons why.
Let’s start with the location — a great old-timey Charleston house just a block off the touristy Market. Near the water and lots of attractions, but just enough off the beaten path to be quietly quaint. The inside retains the old-house feel, though in this weather I prefer one of the four tables on the Charleston side porch. Either way, seating is limited and Cru is the place to be, so I would recommend booking a few days in advance if you want to go. The up-side is that it has more of an intimate, familial feel than most anywhere else on the peninsula. Another positive for the location — you can easily take a stroll to the water/pier/pineapple fountain at East Bay & Vendue after dinner, perfect for walking off the sin while you watch sailboats glide by.

I like to think of the food here as classy refined Southern fare with an experimental twist — think wasabi mashed potatoes, a Cru Catering item I’ve heard countless people rave about. (Perhaps it should be on the menu at the Cafe as well? Hint hint!)
Another great example is my favorite appetizer: fried calamari with an Asian slaw and sesami dressing. I would say I’m a so-so fan of calamari, but the stuff at Cru is far better than any I’ve had elsewhere, and a must-order when I go. Beyond the perfectly crispy and warm calamari itself, the whole dish is set off by the cold and tangy/salty/sweet Asian slaw and dressing, a flavor combination that puts this app in a league of its own.

While the appetizers are out of this world, the entrees luckily live up to a similar reputation. Here as another example of a brilliant Southern fusion dish is the grilled swordfish (sometimes Mahi Mahi). This fancy fish sits on a bed of perfectly cooked stone ground grits — and I know my grits, y’all — and is piled high with shrimp jambalaya and delicately fried onions. The fish and shrimp are also perfectly cooked, and the sausage is killer. Not too salty, not too spicy, the complex flavor presented here is a work of art.

And while I appreciate that art, I often fall back on my favorite at Cru. The deceivingly-simple-sounding fried chicken is a world-class meal, and not your mama’s chicken! I love absolutely every detail. First, they pound the chicken super-thin. Then, they wrap it around poblano peppers and fresh mozzarella cheese, into a ball. The ball gets lightly breaded and deep-fried. For presentation the chicken is sliced in half so the cheese and peppers can start oozing out. The breading is thin and extremely crispy, the chicken is moist and flavorful, and the cheese and peppers are an oozey delight.
But wait, that’s not all! The chicken-ball is served on a bed of mouthwatering potato gratin that is heavy on the cheese — that delicious crispy-brown kind of cheese, and lots of it. It takes the indulgence of the dish a step further than the chicken. Meanwhile, for light relief, the chicken is flanked by seasonal sauteed veggies on one side and a honey chipotle salsa on the other. It is a Southern gourmet dream.
