5Church
By Libby Williams, @PlateSouth
Charleston is chock FULL of great restaurants. Really delicious options abound all over this sparkling little city by the sea. But they are usually off the well-beaten path and not often found in the center of all the attraction (read: tourist spots). Those spots seem to be reserved for the big box brands catering to weary travelers looking for a quick bite.
That is to say, until now. Enter 5Church. Stage right. That is to say right on the market.
Right in the heart of horse-drawn carriages, sweet grass baskets, and t-shirt shops is a fine dining oasis that is normally reserved for the Upper King Street district these days. But don’t pass by this spot. This converted church on Market Street is anything but stuffy or tired on the inside. With a dramatic interior (think funky art murals and the words of The Art of War by Sun Tzu painted on the ceiling with angel wing light fixtures), this place has plenty of seating and room for all. And not surprising is that the food is equally as delectable as the interior space – all around it’s an impeccable display of artistry and delicious details.
A few nights ago, we were invited to a unique, small dining experience to sample their current menu options. Joined by the head chef and part owner, Jamie Lynch, and one of his partners, Patrick Whalen, they toured us through an amazing experience of dining and conversation that left me fan-girling on both of them at the end of the night. (You just can’t take me anywhere. It’s embarrassing.) I asked 101 questions about their restaurants – from concept to cuisine – and they patiently walked me through all of it while feeding me delicious food and delectable wines.
I started with a refreshing glass of prosecco – mmmmmm…prosecco. We rounded out the meal with this amazing Pinot Noir.
These guys started 5Church with a goal to bring big restaurant experience to the intersection of fine dining and locally sourced foods. The details you expect from smaller restaurants where quality is meticulously controlled is something they brought to a restaurant that can seat hundreds a night. And it showed in every dish we tasted. Their chefs comb local markets and work with area farmers to bring in the freshest ingredients possible and highlight some of the best foods in the region. The menu changes based on those finds – sometimes daily – although they do keep a handful of favorites around like the lamb burger – made with a red onion marmalade and a Gorgonzola fondue topping.*gets lost in dream state of burger heaven thoughts*
Our sampling started with an Amuse-Bouche of Watermelon & Tomato Gazpacho which was garnished with house made croutons and an avocado mousse. It was a little bit of everything to me: salty, sweet, fresh, peppery, creamy, smooth and so very light. I could have just stopped here for the rest of the day. Maybe even the rest of my life. But for all of humanity and the blog, I decided to keep pressing on. I owed you all that much.
For the next course, they brought us a Summer Salad with local greens, seasonal fruit, and compressed watermelon (which was perhaps the most unique thing I have ever eaten). The salad was paired with a Beef Carpaccio – shaved beef, white truffle aioli, and crispy fried housemade chips topped with shishito peppers and Bulls Bay sea salt. To say that I was depressed when they took this course away would be an understatement.
The next course we sampled was a Fontina Arancini. What is an arancini, you ask? A true delight is my response! It is a risotto ball, stuffed with a beef ragú, cheese and peas and then coated in breadcrumbs and fried to a delightful crispy golden color and placed over a tomato reduction sauce. I got to visit food heaven for one brief moment. It’s true. This was paired with a Caved-aged Cheddar Agnolotti (akin to ravioli) and topped with local country ham and peas. So delicate and delicious, I could have eaten the whole thing! Alas, we were sharing, so I had to be on my best behavior.
The last course was the seafood course. Starting with the Tuna Tartare – fresh local tuna, avocado relish, ginger hoisin sauce and house made sesame chips, this was refreshing, cool and light – perfect for a summertime share with friends or enough to hoard on your own. This was paired with one of my favorite things of the night – the Crab Salad. Can we all just pause for a moment to thank all the creative people in the world for blessing us with dishes like this crab salad? Okay. I feel better. Because THIS CRAB SALAD WAS EVERYTHING TO ME. You all…if you do one thing for yourself this year, go eat this crab salad. It’s the intersection of where what is regional meets international inspiration – which is sort of what this blog is all about really. This crab salad was served on top of seaweed salad with a ginger soy vinaigrette and finished with toasted sesame seeds. So simple, yet so complex all at the same time. Just like me, if I think about it.
Thinking we were done (because I ALWAYS FORGET ABOUT DESSERT), I was shocked (okay, pleasantly surprised) when the dessert course arrived: Lemongrass Frozen Mousse served with Fruity Pebble milk clusters (thats’ right…I said FRUITY PEBBLES! Childhood dreams rejoice!), raspberry coulis and tiny heavenly little meringues. So refreshing and light. They paired this with a S’Mores trifle – chocolate brownies, graham streusel and topped with a toasted marshmallow cream. (*I die here*). SERIOUS FOOD BUSINESS. We rounded it out with coffee service that was pretty much unparalleled to anything I have ever tried before. Just see below for yourself.
All in all, we had a great time at 5Church sampling their treats and talking over an evening of fun, food and – if you are me – fangirling.
My advice: battle those tourist crowds and head on over to 5Church IMMEDIATELY for a summer sampling that will rival the best restaurants in this city.
32B N. Market St.
843.937.6666
