Just like its neighbor 2 doors down, Poogan's Porch, Husk occupies an amazingly renovated mansion.
Of course they had me with the haint blue porch ceilings.
They also have a fun little mystique, too, seeing as their menu changes daily to maintain a commitment to using seasonally available produce, etc. If you study the menu (like all the cool people do), you can definitely see a pattern or get a general idea of what will be available.
We had reservations for 5:30 which was actually the first reservation time for supper.
The inside was just beautiful!
The table setting was so cool! The glasses are actually repurposed wine bottles that were cut down to size and then smoothed.
The bottom right picture up there? Yeah, I took a picture of the bathroom because I thought the sinks were cool!
Additionally, in a commitment to utter awesomeness, Husk chefs preserve and can seasonal foods to use throughout the year. The top right picture is one of their pantries.
Our server was so wonderful. She explained the menu to us and answered any questions we had without making us feel silly.
There were so many servers, too. We had what we would think of as our waitress, then there was a water filler up guy and a food bringer out guy. I'm sure there are technical or industry terms for the helper guys, but this midwestern mama doesn't know what they are :)
So, the food.
We started with pimento cheese on homemade benne crackers. Benne crackers are sesame seed based, and these were so crispy and light while being able to hold an insane amount of pimento cheese. The crispy country ham topping was awesome!
They brought out perfect buns...very lightly crispy on top and perfectly tender on the inside. We slathered on the pork infused honey butter. I don't know how one goes about infusing pork into honey butter, but I feel like it's something we should all look into.
The buns were served in a little linen bag. The bread bringer out guy removed the bag about 45 seconds after we put the buns on our plate. All of the service was like that. We never had to ask for more water. They removed used plates immediately. Our server even gave me the correct knife to use for the entree right after I ordered. They were super attentive without hovering. Such amazing service and hospitality!
Anyway, Aaron ordered an appetizer for his entree. He had southern fried chicken skins with honey and hot sauce. I realize that sounds like the weirdest thing ever, but it was amazing! Crispy and salty and lightly spicy and sweet all at the same time.
I had the best pork of my life. It was a really lean pork chop, so it was lightly seared on each side on a skillet and then finished in a wood burning oven. It was served with a cider reduction which made the best possible broth. The vegetables on the side were a tiny bit smokey and cooked to perfection. I had the best pest pea pods and asparagus that weren't the least bit stringy. Seriously, so amazing.
We also ordered sides of cheesy grits and cornbread. When it comes to plain grits, I'm not a fan. But, when grits serve as a vehicle for cheese, butter, and cream, I am leading the grits fan club. Phenomenal. The side of cornbread was also ridiculous in all the best ways. Baked in a cast iron skillet, it was crisped just right on the outside and delicate on the inside.
Husk exceeded every expectation I had and was definitely the second best meal of my life.
You might be wondering what the first best meal of my life was!
Well, that would be a fish fry from Culver's.
When I was pregnant with Maggie, I was craving a fish fry like nobody's business. I was home with Leah and didn't want to drag her to Culver's, so I called Aaron and he brought fish fry home to me for lunch.
I still smile thinking of the happy crispiness of the fish, the lovely creaminess of the coleslaw, and the sweet contrast of the ketchup with the crinkle cut fries.
While I may be a foodie, I'll never be a food snob :)
What's the best meal you've ever had?
No comments:
Post a Comment