Mount Pleasant Magazine Jan/Feb 2015

60 / 170

60 | |
In GoodTaste
NewYork Glamour,
Charleston Charm
Michael’s on the Alley
Michael’s On The alley
sits just off of bustling King
Street, tucked away on Hutson
Alley in downtown Charleston.
It is an upscale, modern
steakhouse with a passion for the
freshest seasonal ingredients.
As you enter the restaurant door under an ivy covered
wall, you will discover a spacious dining room filled with
leather booths and linen tablecloths.
The mix of old-school, New York
steakhouse glamour and modern Charleston charm
emphasizes comfort in this upscale yet casual space.
Chef Aaron Lemieux is the driving force behind this
concept from Holy City Hospitality. He has been with
HCH since 2007 and
has developed a menu
that is sure to make even
the hungriest meat-
eater happy. The general
manager, Whitney
Standish, who has the
reins of the dining
room, has put quality of
service and excellence of
experience at the forefront
of the operation.
The menu features
some tempting options.
For starters, there is a
table-side Caesar salad
that is prepared from start
to finish while you watch.
The foie gras torchon is
served on a stack of crispy,
French toast wedges with fresh strawberry purée. It is one
of the best foie gras dishes in all of Charleston.
Once you have finished your starters, you can move
on to the varied menu of entree options. All the steaks
at Michael’s come from Meats by Linz of Chicago, so
whether it is a dry-aged or a wet-aged steak, the beef is
By Julie ThigPen
always of the highest quality. The 30-ounce Tomahawk
Ribeye has been dry-aged to perfection for 60 days.
There also are dry-aged Kansas City strip, bone-in ribeye
and an eight-ounce petit filet. Michael’s is currently
running several weekly specials: “Tomahawk Tuesdays,”
which includes the 30-ounce bone-in ribeye, two sides
and one bottle of select wine for $100, and prime rib on
Saturdays and Sundays, which includes a 14-ounce cut
of beef with creamy horseradish and a choice of one side
dish for $45.
If you prefer something a bit lighter, Lemieux offers a
rotating poultry and seafood menu, which changes daily
to ensure the freshest seasonal ingredients are used. And
once you’ve finished your meal, Michael’s offers a range of
homemade desserts.
As for cocktails and
accompanying beverages,
Michael’s partners with
the bar inside its sister
operation, The Victor
Social Club. All of their
specialty cocktails are
named after Ernest
Hemingway novels.
There is a large beer
selection, but the wine
list is the star of the
show. The restaurant has
concentrated its wine
list on West Coast and
New World wines that
are big and bold enough
to complement the food
it serves. And coming
for 2015, a new glass-
encased wine room, capable of holding 1,200 bottles, will
be up and running in the dining room.
Michael’s On The Alley holds a little bit of dining pleasure for
everyone. Visit Michael’s at 39 E. John St. (Hutson Alley) or
call 843-203-3000 for a reservation.
Chef Aaron lemieux has developed a menu certain to make the hungriest meat-
eater happy, not to mention one of the best foie gras dishes in Charleston.
Photos courtesy of Holy City Hospitality.