The Daily Cup apparently recently moved downtown. It's only a few blocks from work, so it makes for a good lunch break during the day. My coworker and I braved a rainy afternoon in search of coffee and quiche.

Located at 700 Virginia St. E., The Daily Cup is a nice, modern cafe that offers sandwiches made with cuban presses and lots of specialty coffee drinks.

I perused the case and a sandwich board that was outside before deciding on their ultimate grilled cheese sandwich and a side of spinach/ham quiche.

They pressed the sandwich, and handed me over a slice of quiche to take back to the office. The sandwiches are a pretty good size, and it was filled with four different types of cheeses, tomato and bacon. It was gooey, warm and the perfect comfort food for that gray day.

I was a little less impressed with the quiche - I wish it had set up a little more so the texture was a little stiffer. And it was kind of bland overall - no vibrant flavors. Just eggy with a little ham. A different flavor or more spices could amp it up.

Nice little cafe spot with a cool vibe. I could definitely see myself getting some homework done here.

They are open 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday & Tuesday; 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday & Thursday; and 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday.

Grade: B

So, Frutcake rounds out the Charleston trifecta in addition to Bluegrass Kitchen and Tricky Fish. They're all owned by the same folks, I believe. All of which I find okay, while I find Charlestonians tripping over themselves to compliment the places. I think they are good. Amazing? Maybe I'll have to test out some more dishes before I go that far.

Frutcake is only open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday 8 a.m to 2 p.m. So my friend and I went on a Saturday after the East End Yardsale. There are a few shabby-chic tables and chairs, but it seems as though most of the business is take out.

The place boasts organic pastries, pies, cakes and espressos. Since we got there late in the afternoon, many of the goodies behind the case were already nabbed up. But muffins, pies - which I will definitely get next time, and more were still options.

One item did catch my eye, though: A ramp scone. With parmesan cheese. Mmm. Since I didn't really experience the ramp phenom growing up that consumes the state, I'm trying to make up for lost time. I asked if I could have the last ramp scone, and the woman behind the counter said "good for you!" Apparently I don't look like the type to try different(?) foods?

For only a couple bucks, I took the scone, enclosed in a brown paper bag, and headed out. The savory scone was what dreams are made of. Crumbly chunks of the garlicky, pungent - in a good way - ramps combined with some sharp parmesan cheese was fabulous.

I ate every last crusted, flavorful piece. I'll have to try some of their other offerings soon, especially if they're as good as this was.

Grade: A

Charleston finally has its own little brew pub, much to the delight of brew connoisseurs in the area. Ann Saville of Taylor Books opened the English pub, Charleston Brewing Company, and she actually told me about it a little over a year ago when I was working on a story about successful businesswomen on Capitol Street. She was very excited, and it's been in the back of my mind ever since.

It opened up recently at the corner of Summers and Quarrier streets, and Daily Mail reporter Paul Fallon has followed its progress for some time. My friend Karie and I decided to check it out. We arrived around 9 p.m., and since they close around 10 p.m., we thought we'd be good to go. The hostess sat us and supplied us with menus.

We looked over them briefly, but before our waitress even took our drink orders, someone from the kitchen came out and asked if we'd ordered. We said no, and they informed us the kitchen was closing, but if we knew what we wanted, they would try to put our order in. I scanned the menu again and decided on fish and chips, which came with smashed peas.


Soon, our waitress came over and told us the kitchen was closed. We told her another man just took our order. So, she left to make sure our order did indeed get in. It did, luckily. So, take note - the kitchen closes an hour before the bar does. She took our drink orders - I initially wanted the sampler so I could try each one, but she told me I wouldn't want that because only one beer was left. So, she told us what was left, and I opted for the Quarrier Wheat.

That was a good decision. It was slightly sweet, crisp, and clean. Not too heavy, so I was happy with that decision. Our waitress - named Candace =] - brought out some rolls. They were, how can I say this, rock hard. But that's probably because they were the absolute last rolls and sitting around all day.

The main meal wasn't bad. The fried fish was so hot, it was a little mushy on places where it didn't have a chance to set up properly. The fish itself was great, though. I was expecting a sweet, tangy tartar sauce, but this was a thinner, more tart flavor. It wasn't bad, but I really would've liked to have that more mayo-based sauce. The steak fries were good - salty and flavorful.

The smashed peas were ... well, smashed peas. If I had time, I would've looked into substituting something. I don't mind peas, but this kind of thick pea paste isn't the most appetizing. Maybe with a slab of butter and garlic, it would've been more manageable. Apparently I just want all my food's to amplify the fat content.

However. There is value in having an English restaurant as well as a brew pub. Definitely an asset to the community, and there are so many other items I want to try - bangers and mash, shepherd's pie, and the Scotch eggs!

The environment here is really cool. I love the laidback, relaxing vibe. Next time, I'll get there a little earlier so that the experience isn't rushed.

Grade: B

Friend and journalist superstar Ashley B. loves her some hibachi. Specifically, the Fujiyama Japanese Sushi and Steak House is her go-to. I accompanied her one Friday evening.

I ordered a chicken teriyaki hibachi dinner as well as West Virginia roll - which made me entirely happy. I love the West Virginia roll at Volcano in Morgantown, and it's essentially the same thing here - shrimp tempura, cream cheese, avocado, crab. Divine.

The soup and salad were the same as every other restaurant. The soup is a light broth; the salad has that awful ginger dressing that I abhor.

The actual hibachi portion was fun. Instead of shrimp, the chef tossed zucchini to each member at the grill. I - because I'm crazy - sometimes feel anxious about this. But it was good fun, and I was able to catch it so it didn't mess up my makeup like usual.

Anyway.

The chicken teriyaki was tasty. Your usual. The noodles, as usual, were tasty. And the vegetables were all great. I can't complain about my meal - just that it was exactly what I expected because I've had the exact same thing at every hibachi restaurant. It's like McDonald's, you can get the same burger all over the country.

With that said, it was still very good. Just nothing different, nothing surprising. I do love love the sushi roll, though. And I will probably go back for that alone. I haven't found that anywhere else in Charleston.

Grade: B

As part of Art Walk, my friend Brittany and I stopped in Mission Savvy since I had never been. Mission Savvy focuses on ethical fashion, organic food and a sustainable lifestyle. So, it's definitely a cool addition to the downtown restaurant restaurant scene. They even have a food truck that they take to events.

I ordered a drink that was probably the safest - full of fruit and not the veggies. It's thinner than a smoothie - more like a juice. But it was quite tasty, and it was sweet without being too much. If you're feeling a little more adventurous/healthy, try one with spinach or other leafy greens.


I wasn't interested in a hot meal because it was quite warm that evening, and I was already sweating.They had salads, a beet burger, wraps. But I just wanted something small - I opted for a "cocao brownie ball."

Blech. I'm sure it's much healthier and vegan-friendly, but blech. I wasn't a fan. Plus it got fuzz on it, either from me or elsewhere, and I didn't need much of an excuse to stop eating it. I'm glad I had the drink, because it was a nice cool treat.

Some of the plates look interesting, and I'd be interested in trying some of those in the future. I like that this type of cafe exists, because it's vegan, raw and gluten-free, which is important for so many folks. I'm just not necessarily one of them - but I acknowledge its role in the community. They're open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on Sunday.

Grade: B