Have you heard of Sali's Market & Deli?



The West Side shop has some fried foods made to order, plus lots of little snacks like drinks and candies.



I visited not too long ago with a coworker to check it out.



I found some unique candy that I hadn't seen elsewhere, so I snatched those up - like the Reese Snack Cakes (which are just ehhh). 



I also ordered a cheeseburger with ketchup, mayo and onion on a grilled bun. The burger was a bit dwarfed by the bun and could use a generous helping of salt. It was just too dry and under-seasoned for my taste. 



The fries did have some seasoning, but they could've gone a few minutes longer in the fryer. I like mine on the crisp side, though.



As always, it could vary by who is cooking that day and other variables like that.



Have you been?



Grade: C

I have always been fascinated by the corner of Capitol and Quarrier streets in downtown Charleston. Before I moved here, I was intrigued by the yellow facade and "Cafe de Paris" moniker - before finding out it had closed quite some time prior. It has also been a McDonald's and most recently The Block. It seems like a prime space for a restaurant, so I'm not sure why there has been quite the turnover. But now, it is DT Prime Steakhouse.



Their claim to fame is that they are offering "Steakstones," which - as an alternative to your steak being cooked to order and prepared back in the kitchen - it arrives rare on a very hot steakstone and you cook it to your preference as you eat it. Is it perhaps gimmicky? Maybe, but it is something different that I wanted to test out for myself.



My friend and queen of all things FestivALL Mackenzie Spencer and I went to check it out recently. The menu says all steaks are sourced from West Virginia farms - which is surprising - and served with a potato of choice. 



I went with the 7 oz. filet on the steakstone and "Reggie's Tarragon Room Potatoes," which are Yukon gold potatoes scalloped and layered with fresh shaved parmesan, Italian seasonings and cream. 



First, we were served bread made in-house with some whipped butter - both pretty tasty. It was warm, which is always nice. But it was also very warm in the restaurant, so I didn't dig in like I normally would. What I did enjoy was good. 



We did also have some macaroni and cheese to split - it had bacon and was baked. So, the key here is to dig deep, pull up some of that creamy bechamel that is clinging to the bottom and spread it atop the noodles that get a bit dried out in the baking process. Not bad, even though my personal preference is to err on the side of creamy. 



When the steak came out, we didn't receive a ton of instruction other than put some salt on the stone and then cook to preference. So, I layered a bunch of salt and put my entire filet on the stone. Mistakes were made. 1) You do not have to use much salt. My first bites were VERY salty. 2) Cut hunks of the steak off - don't try to cook the whole thing. Once I adjusted, my steak was not bad. I did not get that super juicy center, though, as I was just cutting pieces as I was going. And because filet is such a mild flavor, some seasoning would have been good. The sauce and butter did help as accoutrements. 



Also, they mixed up my potatoes and gave me mashed - which were fine - but the ones I actually ordered didn't come out until at the very end of the meal, so I took those to go. I do love some scalloped potatoes, and while I'm sure they would've been better fresh from the oven and not as leftovers, they were still tasty. 

Overall, a pretty tasty meal with a unique experience that can work for a nice night out or something different.

Grade: B

Local Eats is a new food truck that has been making the rounds at area events.



I was able to check them out at the Clay Center on a very warm day. 



One thing that's really fun about this food truck is that their offerings are creative. They're embracing food truck cuisine in a fun way: walking tacos, walking banana puddings, waffled chicken tenders, and more. 



After a bit of a wait, I received my food. The chicken tender waffle cone was tasty - a sweet waffle cone filled with hunks of crispy chicken bites drizzled with BBQ sauce and there was a side of syrup, too. I managed to get two things that didn't have flat bottoms, so I was balancing things precariously.



The walking banana pudding was my favorite. Because it's like such a smart idea that I haven't seen elsewhere, and it's so simple. And so good.



The mac & cheese wasn't bad; you could tell it had been reheated though, as it was separating a bit. So, they're still new and nailing down the timings - but the food, I would go back just to try out the rest of the menu.

Grade: B

Have you seen Oh My Greens at Capitol Market? They grow a variety of microgreens and are usually found in the outdoor center market on weekends.



"Oh My Greens is an INDOOR FARM located in Charleston, WV. We Specialize in “Locally Grown & Delivered” Living Foods because of their potent health benefits and DELICIOUS flavor. We pride ourselves on growing some of the highest quality, most nutrient-dense superfoods on earth. Our microgreens are grown using a 100% ORGANIC growing method, and a whole lot of love!"


 
According to their website, "Microgreens are young vegetables, usually harvested between 1-3 inches. Though they may be small, they are a nutrient powerhouse. Microgreens are considered one of the most nutrient dense superfoods on Earth. Varying in color, taste, and texture. What’s more, their nutrient content is concentrated, which means that they contain higher vitamin, mineral and antioxidant levels than their mature counterparts."



I picked up some sweet pea microgreens I can't wait to use. Which ones have you tried?

A week or so ago, the Capitol Market hosted its Bring Home the Bacon event that celebrated the perfect summer sandwich: the BLT. 



The event featured a signature BLT made with all local Capitol Market ingredients, including Kristi Ann Bakery’s bread from The Purple Onion, green tomatoes from Tug Fork Farms, bacon from Johnnie’s Fresh Meat Market, lettuce from Gritt’s Midway Greenhouse and bacon jam and pesto from The Purple Onion. 



Executive Director Evan Osborn was cooking up the BLTs to order, and attendees could purchase one, along with a drink and koozie for $20. 

The Capitol Market BLT was seriously so good. The fried green tomato added some extra crunch, the bacon jam added some sweetness, and everything was so fresh, it really took things up a notch. 



Cathy Nutter also brought some homemade pimento cheese that could be added by request. Yum! 



But that was just one part of the event.

The other half was six area cooks creating their own spins on BLTs for a panel of celebrity judges in an effort to win the coveted Golden Swine of Capitol Market award, as well as free bacon for one year from Johnnie's Fresh Meat Market.



The cooks were able to buy fresh produce from the market, and they were also able to bring any extra goods from home. 

I was really lucky to be able to be a judge - and taste all of these incredible BLTs. 

Hernshaw Farms - "We combined Hernshaw Farms Dried Lion's Mane Focaccia baked in Villa DiTrapano olive oil, General Steak & Seafood Bacon topped with J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works Mushroom and Herb Salt and glazed with Hill n’ Hollow Maple Syrup, with a Gritt's Farm Mater, The Wine Shop at Capitol Market mozzarella, Ohmygreens (one of our fierce BLT competitors) Cantaloupe greens, my wife's Basil (plant originally from Bostic Greenhouses) and balsamic glaze making for a banging BLTM!!" 



I stole the description from their Facebook page, because as you can see, there are lots of local ingredients! Aside from this sandwich being absolutely massive, I was obsessed with the bread. They were up early making it; it was fresh and absolutely delicious. I kept stealing bits of it from my sandwich throughout the rest of the competition. They took home the win for using most local ingredients. 



Dakota Farmer - "BLT Tramezzino - Grilled Charleston Bread Blue Monday, Homemade Pesto Aioli, Heirloom Tomato from John Crihfield Farms & Greenhouses, Homemade Calabrian Chili Tomato Jam, J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works Smoked Salt and Pepper, Balsamic & Pepper Glazed Thick-Cut Bacon, Fontina, Baby Gem Lettuce, Dressed Arugula, Antipasto Skewer, Fueled by: Stone Brewing Hazy IPA from The Wine Shop at Capitol Market"



I stole this description from Facebook, too, and, man, do I wish he had a restaurant, because I would order this BLT again. And ALL of my fellow judges agreed - we gave him the top overall honor, so he took home the golden swine and the year of bacon. It had the perfect mix of textures and salty and sweet and refreshing. The little skewer was like a palate cleanser, and then the sandwich just absolutely blew us away. Even the dressed greens on the side helped give balance to everything. 



Kayla Young | Eggs Will Roll - The queen of egg rolls came out of retirement to make a BLT eggroll with an aioli AND a spring roll with another sweet, peanut dipping sauce. I know Kayla got her bacon from Johnnie's and the lettuce and tomatoes from Gritt's. 



This one was so creative - and we got two different versions! PLUS homemade sauces. They were each creative in their own ways, but this one definitely was! 





Amanda Leigh Ivy - "Croissant bread, Pickled Fried Green Tomatoes, House Bacon, Home Grown Frisee, Dukes, and a Crabby Patty" - stolen from Facebook



Talk about another creative BLT! I've never seen bread in this croissant fashion before, and I definitely wasn't expecting a crab cake - but they make everything better. 



Mike & Lincoln Scarberry - This duo made a classic BLT with a special sauce and slice of avocado. 



If there was a category for best classic, this would be it. It nailed all the essentials with a bit of creative twist. This one was juicy and messy - in the best way. 



Ohmygreens - "Ohmygreens brought home the win for Most Creative at the Capitol Market ”Bring Home The Bacon” challenge. Our BLT was Charleston Bread, Gritt's Tomato & Lettuce, The Butcher Shop Bacon with a fresh Mango Chili Glaze, Micro Cilantro & Avocado Aioli. Paired with a crostini topped with grilled brie from The Wine Shop, Bourbon Glazed Peach & Micro Cantaloupe."



Stole the description again here from Facebook, but the last certainly wasn't the least here. This one really packed in the flavor all in one sandwich - between the glazes, the layers of flavors with the greens and the side that included a grilled peach was almost like dessert! 



If you didn't get a chance to check it out this year, be sure to mark your calendar for next year. And if you need even more of a reason, check out these mouthwatering photos from Rafael Barker. 

Multifest brought about a whole bunch of new food vendors on the boulevard that I hadn't tried.



Luckily, I was able to check three off my list while the festival was going on a few weeks ago.



A Family Affair

A Family Affair was clad in green tenting and was offering fish dinners, wings and fries. I went with a fried fish sandwich with mac & cheese. I like my fish to be thick and battered and deep-fried, and this is more of a cornmeal crusted. The mac & cheese, though, was bomb. It was just a touch sweet, which is my weakness.



Tae's Place

Tae's Place was doing lamb chops and nachos. I went with some brisket nachos, which had these long strips of brisket. A little tough to eat, but tons of toppings! 







Jenni Pink Sweet Treats  

Jenni Pink Sweet Treats had popcorn, brownies, and all sorts of sweet treats. I went with a turtle brownie, which was a delicious, deep little brownie with caramel on top. Delish.