Review: Poogan's Porch

Last night, we had another dinner in Charleston, S.C. -- this time, with a number of nieces and nephews in tow. Our restaurant choice was Poogan's Porch, located on Queen Street.

Overall, the food was very good, although I'd rate Poogan's Porch a little below Magnolia's. The highlight of an evening at Poogan's Porch is when they bring a basket of homemade biscuits to your table. God, those biscuits were just amazing. The butter they were served with seemed to have just a little honey whipped into it.

The she-crab soup didn't get good reviews from the three people at our table who ordered it. On the other hand, my crab cake starter was very good -- just enough bread crumbs to help it hold together.

My catfish was good -- a grade of B+ is what I'd give it. Yet the crawfish mac-n-cheese was out of this world. It was the dish that everyone raved about the most. It was listed as an appetizer, but several people at our table wished they could have ordered it in an entree size.

The service was excellent. The needs of little kids put extra demands on a server, and ours handled those demands efficiently and cheerfully.

So, if you're heading to Charleston anytime soon, be sure to put Poogan's Porch on your list of dining destinations.

Magnolia's Without the Music

I'm spending several days along South Carolina's Atlantic shore. Yesterday, we dined in Charleston at Magnolia's restaurant.

It was as good as I remembered it from a year and a half ago. For appetizers, the seared scallops and the fried green tomatoes were excellent. The Down South Egg Roll has a slight kick to it, and it's awesome.

Entrees were also superb. If I have one minor complaint about Magnolia's, it would be its website. Upon launching the site, you are treated to a loud, jazzy melody -- not great if you're in an office setting and not looking to let everyone down the hall know you're clearly not spending time on a work assignment.

So just beware of the music if you want to click here and learn more about Magnolia's.

So to HMGI, Inc., which owns Magnolia's and two other well-known Charleston restaurants, I have two pieces of advice. First, keep the same people in the kitchen (they sure know how to cook). Second, tell your web team to disable the music.