Mount Pleasant Magazine Sept/Oct 2014

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Farm to French
Bistro toulouse
“Toulouse” is a city in the South of France, but Bistro
Toulouse is a restaurant newly minted in Mount Pleasant
– and ready to serve up some delicious local items with
French flair.
Open for about six months, the restaurant is making a
habit of using plenty of regional items – even shrimp from
Shem Creek and Beaufort.
“We wanted a French-style restaurant that still used
ingredients from the Southeast,” explained Candice
Mahala, who co-owns the restaurant along with
Matthew Schulz.
Indeed, some of the centerpieces of entrees at Bistro
Toulouse, though exotic, are surprisingly local. The quail
is from Manchester Farms in Columbia, South Carolina,
and the pork, which Schulz uses for homemade sausage,
comes from Heritage Farms Cheshire Pork in Seven
Springs, North Carolina. Vegetables are typically picked up
at Boone Hall in Mount Pleasant or at Mount Pleasant’s
Farmers Market on Tuesdays.
“I try to scout out local produce at least a couple of
times each week,” Schulz said.
Farm toTable
The Shrimp Provencal at Bistro Toulouse is made with local seafood.
A key menu item at Bistro Toulouse for late summer
and early fall is ratatouille, with seasonal vegetables such
as eggplant, bell peppers and onions. As the weather gets
cooler, patrons will enjoy beef bourguignon, stews and
autumn vegetables such as spaghetti squash and walnuts.
the Garden (andWater) out Back
lonG island CaFe
Though the Long Island Cafe has been part of the Isle
of Palms landscape for about 30 years, chef and owner
Ravi Scher has spent the last two years breathing new life
into a local favorite. That life includes the freshest seafood
and produce, which Scher believes are his keys to success.
“I grew up on a farm; my dad was a market farmer,”
he said. “Now I make it a point to get whatever is fresh
and good. If the ingredients are above average, it makes
my job easier.”
One of Scher’s focal points at Long Island Cafe is
sourcing fresh seafood. For example, he has built a
relationship with Tobias Seafood – near Breach Inlet – and
offers fresh clams from the company on the Long Island
Cafe menu. Produce often comes from Sweetbay Farms,
Boone Hall and Limehouse Produce. Scher also enjoys
grabbing certain menu items from his own yard.
“We have eggplant in our garden out back,” he
remarked.
Scher said that the catchphrase “farm to table” might
not always be on the tip of everyone’s tongue in the
Lowcountry, but he believes that the sentiment is here
Local wreckfish with local roasted eggplant caponata is a favorite at
Long Island Cafe.
for good.
“The phrase will pass, but the concept of getting our
food locally will stay around,” he mused.
Photo by William Quarles.
Photo by James Stefiuk.