Friendseat’s New Ally Horrific Foodies Guest Review
As a foodie community, friendseat.com welcomes to its fold horrificeats.com The people behind it are intrepid wanderlusts and foodies themselves, more obsessed with their eating habits than what they eat. We are talking about DJ/Producer Rocky Horror and local photographer Badjon, partners in “food crime” sharing their graphic food blogs and ratings to bring in another perspective in food blogging. The guys from Charleston, SC, seem to be bouncing from one state to another, around the US to satisfy their own food trips.
A big blasting headstart, horrificeats.com reviewed meals done by Brian Schiltz of Smoke South and Leonard Wittenberg.
Event Location
Mixon Pole Barn
North Charleston, SC
Sunday, June 12, 2011 5:30PM
Five-course fixed menu by chefs Brian Schiltz of Smoke South and Leonard Wittenberg.
Music by Old You
Art by James Black
(Unofficial) First Course: Fresh Coconut Water
Fresh coconuts were chopped open on site by gRAWnolaʼs Ken Immer and served with a big straw, key lime garnish, and a paper umbrella.
We honestly couldn’t decide how we felt about the coconut water, but we kept drinking it. It definitely had a unique flavor, and was an interesting addition to the menu which Guerilla Cuisine loves to take advantage of. We both wanted to like it more, given its presentation. Perhaps over ice next time.
Overall: Well, weʼre really not sure. It was more interesting than anything.
(Official) First Course: Pulled Pork and Cole Slaw Eggrolls with Peach-Ginger Dipping Sauce
Fried eggroll plated over a line of dipping sauce.
At first we attempted to pick up the egg roll with our fingers, however, a glance around the communal table to see everyone else using silverware made us feel like barbarians, so we switched over. The first couple of bites were spent nodding at one another in approval. The cole slaw was an excellent choice since most egg rolls are filled with cabbage. The peach-ginger sauce definitely complimented the cold slaw more than the BBQ pork, all in all it was indulgent, comforting, and overall awesome!
BadJon’s score: 8
Rocky Horror’s score: 8
Second Course: Tomato-Cucumber Salad with Red Onion and Vinaigrette Dressing
Large chunks of cucumber and tomato tossed with finely-diced red onion and a light vinaigrette dressing.
We would love to overload you with adjectives on how this tasted, but it’s exactly how you would expect it to taste. The dressing could have been a little more flavorful to compliment the unreal taste of the vegetables. The cucumbers had a very refreshing flavor, and the tomatoes were almost too perfect.
BadJonʼs score: 7
Rocky Horrorʼs score: 6
Third Course: New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
Shrimp simmered in a stock of butter, Worcestershire sauce, beer, lemon, thyme, rosemary, and Cajun spices, and served with two wedges of baguette.
Due to some participants’ shellfish allergies, only one of us could try this serving out. The shrimp themselves were amazing, and went really well with the sauce, which was a little on the spicy side. The individual notes of beer and spices were very noticeable, which was nice, and no surprise. The baguette was a perfect edition, we’re big fans of soaking up every last drop of sauce left on the plate.
Rocky Horrorʼs score: 7
Fourth Course: Dry-Rub BBQ RIbs with Cole Slaw
Ribs served with a drizzle of spicy vinegar-based BBQ sauce and a side of red and white cabbage cole slaw.
This dish was incredible. We were first given the ribs, that were literally falling off the bone, in BBQ sauce. However, we were lucky enough to try them without the sauce, and continued on to seconds and thirds without. It wasn’t that the sauce was bad, but more that the ribs by themselves were just so good, we felt like we were missing out on the flavor. The ribs were super lean, hardly any gristle at all. The ribs, definitely appeared to be seasoned with black pepper, almost having the charred flavor of a Pittsburg style steak. These were by far the best ribs we had ever had, and that’s bold statement from us, especially being born and raised in the South.
BadJonʼs score: 10
Rocky Horrorʼs score: 10
Fifth Course: Icebox Pie
Graham cracker crust, blackberries, and blackberry-pomegranate sauce.
This light, cool dessert was a good choice to follow the denser rib course. This was very refreshing, especially after the abundance of ribs we were given. Tart fruit and berry flavors worked so well with the creaminess of the pie, which was light and cool. The graham cracker crust was definitely a plus and added to the texture, granted we would have opted for some chocolate madness, this was definitely a good decision from the chefs.
BadJon would have liked some chocolate, but…
BadJonʼs score: 8
Rocky Horrorʼs score: 8
Skettoʼs score: 8
Overall Experience:
Having an outdoor dining event during a Charleston summer can be risky, with heat, humidity, bugs, and thunderstorms all being common summer occurrences. However, the evening was perfectly bright, breezy, and comfortable, and the bugs stayed away. The Mixon Pole Barn was elegantly yet casually decorated with black linens and flowers on every table, and the Mixon property manager, Thea Anderson was on hand giving out flower leis to arriving guests. There were two long community tables, and almost every seat was filled. Fused glass artwork by James Black hung on the walls, and Old You played mellow covers of rock classics and contemporary songs. While we enjoyed our courses, we would have liked more interaction with the chefs. There were no printed menus provided, and there was little to no introduction of the food, so many times we only had a general idea of what we were being served with. The timing of the courses was good, and we enjoyed the 20 minute break between the third and fourth meals which gave everyone time to chat and enjoy the band. The ribs were definitely the favorite of the night. Since the chefs had prepared too much food, we were treated to seconds and then thirds, much to our delight. We also enjoyed the rich, comforting flavors of the pulled pork egg roll. The fresh coconut water, the live band, and the colorful flower leis added a nice flair to what Guerilla Cuisine founder Jimi Hatt called the Sexy Sunday BBQ Funday dinner. We greatly enjoyed the food, the company, and the atmosphere.
BadJonʼs overall score: 9
Rocky Horrorʼs overall score: 9