Last year, while in Isle of Palms, South Carolina (just outside of Charleston), we had plans to go into Charleston for dinner. Driving through Charleston is challenging. The roads are narrow and traffic is heavy. With it being St. Patrick’s Day, we decided that it might be a better option to pick a restaurant within walking distance. We discovered Acme Lowcountry Kitchen.
We liked the food so much that we were looking forward to having dinner there this year. Again we ended up there on St. Patrick’s Day. When we arrived they were busy and there was a wait. We left our name with the hostess and went to the bar to wait for the text. Jasmine was quick to greet us. Even though she was busy, she made us feel welcome. Not long after we sat down we decided it would be nice to sit on the patio. I went to the hostess to see if we could ask for a table there and she told me that our table was ready. (And yes, it just happened that our table was on the patio.)
Mytch greeted us quickly. He was friendly, informed us about the specials and skillfully answered our menu questions. We started out with oysters on the half-shell. We ordered three Roddy Rocks (from South Carolina) and three Sweet Jesus (from Virginia). We topped the oysters with a little cocktail sauce and horseradish. I liked the Virginia oysters but really enjoyed the South Carolina variety. They were meatier and brinier.
We next ordered a calamari appetizer. The dish blew me away. The fried calamari was beautifully crispy. What really made the dish were the fried basil, capers and lemon slices. A bite with each part and the Old Bay aioli was absolute perfection.
They had a blackened tuna special with green tomato relish and a sweet soy demi. The tuna was beautifully spicy. The relish, which also had peppers, beans and corn did a wonderful job of cooling down the heat.
For his entree, Chris ordered the same dish that he had last year and it did not disappoint. The Roasted Scallops were perfectly seared and served over a luscious, creamy lobster risotto. The asparagus in the dish did a great job of cutting the richness of it and the truffle vinaigrette rounded out the delicious combination.
I first discovered shrimp & grits on our vacation three years ago, fell in love with them, and have made it a point to order them every time we vacation. Last year, I had eaten them earlier in the trip so opted for something else at Acme. With ten different types of shrimp & grits on the menu, it was hard to settle on which one. I finally decided on the Isle of Palms Shrimp & Grits. The blackened shrimp had a nice spice level. The smoked sausage added a deep flavor. Tomatoes and onions cut some of the richness of the earthy truffle cheese grits. I was in shrimp & grits heaven.
At the end of the meal, I enjoyed a piece of the Key Lime Pie. It was a tasty end to our meal. Full and completely satisfied with the meal, we changed our breakfast plans to go back to Acme before we left town.
When we returned for breakfast it was much quieter and they seated us right away. Lauren was bright and cheerful and gave us excellent service. Chris ordered one of the specials, Scallop Benedict. The dish was absolutely gorgeous with perfectly poached eggs, kale, red onion and cherry tomatoes with herb hollandaise. It was scrumptious.
I had The Dozer. It was a play on biscuits & gravy with a fried chicken breast and two fried eggs on the biscuit topped with delicious sausage gravy. We both ordered the grits as our side and what a good choice that was. The grits were the creamiest have ever tasted.
Acme Lowcountry Kitchen is a must if you ever visit the Charleston area. We will definitely return.
Cost for two cocktails, three appetizers, two entrees and a $127.82. Cost for two Irish coffees, two breakfast entrees and a side of bacon $55.24.
We visited Acme during our vacation at Isle of Palms. The food was terrific, and service just as good. Special thanks to Lilly, for walking two Northerners through the menu and for her friendly, professional demeanor. This place rocks!