Noshing Nirvana: March 17, 2016

Within one city, there is an island and a peninsula. (I know. Mind blown.) And on each land mass, there exists an authentic culinary representation of different nations. (Stay with me.) On the island: a comforting taste of old Italy. On the peninsula: a fiesta of Mexican flavors. What does this all mean? It means, my lucky Lowcountry friend, that you need only traverse a bridge or two to eat like an international jetsetter. We present… this month’s Noshing Nirvana…

Katherine Smith, island resident and “jack of all trades” for the Daniel Island News, does not mince words: “Ristorante LIDI on Daniel Island has the best meatball appetizer.” The eatery’s Polpette, the Italian word for meatballs, is a mixture of pork and veal slow cooked in marinara sauce. Smith also makes known that the dish is served steaming hot, “which helps melt the fresh Parmesan that can be added by the server if you wish.” (There are few among us who would not wish for that.)

And then it’s as if Smith, sensing our reluctance to believe that she has actually found the holy grail of spherical protein, shuts us down with this: “A rich tomato-based marinara sauce provides just the right amount of moisture to dip each bite in to. And due to the slow cooking method, the meatballs melt in your mouth.”

We are temporarily broken from our foodie dreamscape only by her pragmatic observation that LIDI’s Polpette is a great low-carb option when dining Italian. Still, the spell is not broken, and we find ourselves counting the hours until we, too, can order this $13 two massive meatball starter with a side salad as a full, delicious meal. Thank you, Katherine Smith, for your unapologetic candor and courageous superlative.

So far, Kimberly Jackson’s addiction to downtown Charleston’s Minero restaurant hasn’t created strife at home or impacted her career. So far. The Daniel Island resident was even willing to go public with her dependency on the Mexican fare in this printed space, knowing that doing so might prompt an intervention from those close to her.

“It’s a given,” Jackson discloses, “whenever we are trying to decide where to eat out that I will suggest Minero. And you better believe I drag the out of town guests there, too, just so I can get my fix.”

And though that fix is fixed with any number of items on the menu –inventive tacos, grilled wings, queso fundido - the one that is perhaps most dependable in the Mula. Tender chunks of flavorful pumpkin and mushrooms are drizzled with a special sauce sandwiched between two perfect benne tortillas. And at $6, it’s totally accessible. Perhaps a little too accessible.

Acclaimed chef/owner Sean Brock is not one to let junkies… er, devotees… get away easily. “Did I mention the spicy margarita?” Jackson offers. “I don’t believe it’s on the menu, but if you like a little kick it’s a must.”

Oh, Kimberly. We see you disappearing through that doorway off East Bay Street again. And we can’t just stand by and watch you do this… So save us a seat.

Want to share your tale of noshing nirvana? It’s simple – just respond to the following:

1) Where were you served the best thing you ate all month?

2) What was the food that left you speechless (mainly because you couldn't stop horking it down)?

3) Can you describe what made the dish so magical? Be sure to speak slowly...

4) Dish more on the dish, if you can - price, portion size, availability on regular menu, and the psychological repercussions of consuming something so rad.

5) Please email a photo of your to-die-for dish and responses to the four questions above (don’t leave any out!) to jennifer@thedanielislandnews.com.

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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