Kiki & Rye
By Avery Gavornik / Photos by Emma Waugh, @GirlEatsCharleston
This past week our team headed to Kiki & Rye, where quality food goes hand-in-hand with quality service. This quaint restaurant, tucked away in Mt. Pleasant, uses their wood-fired oven to bring comfort food right to the table (don’t be fooled however - no pizza here!) Kiki & Rye proves that ANYTHING can be fired-roasted, and lucky for us, we got to try it all.
We started off the night with (yes, you guessed it) Wood-Fired Focaccia with Garlic Butter made fresh everyday, and proceeded with Wood Fired Oysters topped with parm and crisp prosciutto. We paired this with the Nancy Paloma- made with tequila, fresh lime and fresh grapefruit, topped with a torched grapefruit wedge.
For our second course we tried the Roasted Spanish Octopus, paired with a glass of Amestoi Txocolina- a crisp white wine. Adorned with charred potatoes, chorizo hash and romesco, this dish was a favorite of the group! We then moved on to the Slow Cooked Pork Belly (with Brown Butter Spaetzle, Apple-Brussel Sprout Slaw, Pumpkin Maple Glaze) which was paired with a zesty and refreshing Bees Knees cocktail.
Next our taste buds were spoiled to the Nantucket Lightship Scallops, which came all the way from Massachusetts, as well as the Au Bon Climat Chardonnay.
Kiki & Rye may have saved the best for last with their fall-off-the-bone Braised Beef Short Ribs with heirloom polenta and a red wine reduction, which was served with a glass of Ann Pichon Syrah.
You’re probably wondering how we ate all of this food. Our team did some work!
BUT, there of course is always room for dessert (or three). Each table got the opportunity to share the Apple Maple Galette with Vanilla Bean Gelato, Raspberry Zabaglione, and the S’mores Tart.
In true Tastemakers fashion, we teamed up with Wings for Kids, an incredible local nonprofit that equips at-risk kids with the skills they need to succeed in school and in life. Now through February 21, $1 from every S’mores Tart sold at Kiki & Rye will go towards the nonprofit! You’ll be sure to leave this place with a full heart and full stomach.
Leaving you with a pro tip (or two) before we leave! Don’t miss Kiki & Rye on Thursdays for $10 smash burgers, $5 select beers, $5 bourbon cocktails and live music! They also host a weekly outdoor 90-minute yoga class on Saturday mornings at 9 a.m.- which is only $10 and includes a post-workout morning mimosa!
