Mount Pleasant Magazine Sept/Oct 2014

70 / 146

70 www.MountPleasant.menu | |
Good Neighbors
SOL SOuthweSt KitcheN & tequiLa Bar
Becoming a farm-to-table business came naturally to
Sol Southwest Kitchen & Tequila Bar. They’ve joined the
movement in an effort to support local farms and provide
fresh dishes. Though not exclusively farm-to-table –
because they wanted to be able to offer reasonable prices –
Sol welcomes every opportunity to provide local produce
in the form of unique dishes.
one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes does
just that. Paired with smoked Gouda cheese, the Wild
Mushroom Quesadilla features shiitake and oyster
mushrooms cultivated at Mepkim Abbey. A good choice
to go along with this smoky dish is the seasonal strawberry
margarita, made from Boone Hall strawberries.
other lowcountry-fresh ingredients used in Sol dishes
include bibb lettuce, sweet potatoes, blueberries, strawberries,
mushrooms and zucchini, provided by limehouse Produce,
Mepkin Abbey, GrowFood Carolina and Boone Hall.
Co-owner David Clark believes that the farm-to-table
trend will continue as it becomes more of the norm in the
restaurant industry. He believes it to be not only smart
business but, more importantly, the neighborly thing to do.
Farm toTable
Fresh Meat and Veggies
the GraNary
Brannon Florie, owner and chef at The Granary in
the Belle Hall Shopping Center, followed his dream of
opening a charcuterie restaurant – but he modified it a bit
with other options.
“Some people want vegetables, so we have a lot of
vegetarian options,” he said. “But I would say that our
menu concept is cured meats and plenty of produce.”
Visitors to The Granary can enjoy their cured meats
while knowing its source is local. In fact, Florie described
how the staff receives whole animals from nearby farms
and breaks them down into charcuterie. Common animal
farm suppliers to The Granary include Thornhill Farms,
legare Farms, Stillwater Farm and Keegan Filion Farm.
As for the savory vegetables paired with your entree,
these are likely to be the bounty of Boone Hall, Ambrose
Farms or GrowFood Carolina.
“We consistently have certain proteins. We always have
a pork chop on the menu, for example, but the vegetables
and the presentations change with the week,” Florie noted.
For fall, patrons of The Granary can expect braised dishes,
but Florie urges everyone to be ready for surprises as well.
The Granary offers a Farmers Plate, with local vegetables.
“I’m very last minute when it comes to changing the
menu,” he said. “I’m changing the menu right now for
tomorrow. Ha.”
Diners at SOL Southwest Kitchen & Tequila Bar can enjoy a Boone Hall
strawberry margarita, above, and a quesadilla with local mushrooms, below.
Photo by James Stefiuk.
Photos coutesy of SOL.
Photos coutesy of SOL.