Amen Street is an unusual name for a restaurant. I probably would have overlooked it had it not been for the multiple referrals I received from various waitresses and strangers when I inquired about a good, local seafood place in Charleston. Now we almost didn't go - in fact, I was initially leaning towards a small, family run sushi joint called Shi Ki - but after calling both places to inquire about their fish sourcing, Amen Street came out on top.
Amen Street is located in a busy part of town, just a block or so from Market Street. We went on a cold, wet, and slow Monday night, so reservations were not necessary. Our waitress was friendly and was able to answer most of our questions regarding fish and wine (we can sometimes be borderline obnoxious when we go out to eat...but we are picky about what we pay for, particularly at pricier establishments). Griffe chose to imbibe a couple Highland Gaelic Ales, while I opted for a light and citrusy South African sauvignon blanc (love!) made by Hill&Dale Wines.
The restaurant was open and airy, with high ceilings, a long bar with two televisions (they had a football game playing while we ate) which created a slightly more casual atmosphere than I had anticipated. Some of the more interesting ornaments included some large chandeliers decorated with sea shells, a row of vertically-aligned, black and white paintings suspended from the wall in a three-dimensional way, and a clever little sign pointing to the restrooms, offering only one word ("Yes") and very conspicuously answering the unspoken question we all ask: "is this the way to the bathroom?"
StartersGriffe and I shared some fried calamari in a lemon aioli sauce, and a Berry salad (mixed greens, blueberries, spiced pecans, and what appeared to be a clump of brie cheese, lightly tossed with a champagne vinaigrette). The calamari was very tasty, but the addition of bacon pieces was a little too much - I brushed those to the side. Griffe thought it would be better with marinara sauce (they were out).
The berry salad was nice too, albeit slightly bitter, but this was offset by the delicious, sweetened pecans. I thought the cheese was yummy (it was actually a bloomy-rind cheese, not brie - similar, though) but I didn't really like the way it was included as a small wedge you had to continuously bludgeon with your fork in order to evenly disperse into the rest of the salad. Visually appealing, but functionally annoying.Entrees
After practically grilling the waitress about where their fish came from, we finally settled on some locally caught (and by locally, they meant somewhere between the Carolinas and the Gulf of Mexico...so there's room for debate here). The menu allowed you to pair one of three different preparation methods with the fish of your choice. Griffe and I were both besotted by the sound of "Herb Grilled [fish], Artichoke Risotto Cake, Marinated Tomatoes, in a Tomato Vinaigrette and Herb Oil", so we ordered our fish (Orange Marlin and Redfish, respectively) prepared as such. We were not disappointed:
(pictured: Orange Marlin - my Redfish picture didn't come out well)
The Redfish was tender and incredibly flavorful. The artichoke risotto absolutely melted in my mouth. The only thing that wasn't 100% delectable were the tomatoes, which seemed a little dry to me. Otherwise, it was magnificent!
DessertDessert was a whole other story that involved being hustled by a man selling palm leaf roses in the rain, who eventually accepted our excuse of having no cash and gave me the rose for free, then proceeded to walk us the rest of the way to Kaminsky's (the cozy little dessert place on Market St.)
Dessert: An uber-chocolate cake (called "Taste of Heaven" or something along those lines) + mint tea in a self-serve pot, and the palm leaf rose to garnish. Unfortunately, the cake was actually not as delicious as it looks; a little dry and the addition of mini chocolate chips oozing out of its layers somehow detracted from the flavor...or maybe it was the texture I didn't like. But that shouldn't deter you - things I've eaten at Kaminsky's in the past (such as their berry cobbler) will always keep me coming back for more. AF
