The Honey Hive
By Maggie Vickrey, CharlotteBergerPR
You know that fairy tale place your mind used to wander to when you were a little kid? Well, we just discovered the adult equivalent (for the ladies at least). The TastemakersCHS ventured into upper King Street’s newest culinary destination last week- The Honey Hive. This place is the definition of one-of-a-kind. It doesn’t easily fit into the traditional restaurant descriptors due to its lovable uniqueness- is it a bar? brunch spot? bakery? a picture from my dreams? The answer is yes. It’s allll that.
This slice of heaven is run by two strikingly kind, creative, empowering women (dare I say our new idols?) Shawna Allen and Angela Marino. The decor is saturated in feminine details, with paintings of women done by a local artist, an intricate, feather-filled centerpiece in their private Bubble Room (which we got the pleasure of dining in), down to the most gorgeous bathroom you’ve ever seen.
Ok, let’s get to the good part- the food and drinks. You could tell every dish was thoughtfully composed, with out-of-the-box ingredients and flavor combinations that were truly memorable. We started with a round of savory pieces, including my favorites…
The Ham & Cheese Croquettes- a perfectly crispy breading holds together a sinful combination of decadent gruyere and salty bits of ham, paired with a deeply flavorful mustard aioli. Its a simple dish, yet you couldn’t help but keep grabbing for more.
The prettiest dang Tomato Pie I ever did see- the delicately airy puff pastry creates a nest for an array of beautiful local tomatoes varying in color and size, mixed with the creamiest of Chevre goat cheese, olive oil and fresh herbs. This dish has honestly changed the standards for all tomato pies I’ll ever have moving forward.
Then we moved on to the sweets. Oh, the sweets. I personally fell madly in love with the Caramel Tart. A crackerjack-inspired dessert that masters the artful balance of sweet and salty with a sorghum crust topped with crumbled “crackerjack”, torched meringue and chocolate gelato.
I also just could not get over their signature Kinsey Cake. Who knew that honey-soaked chocolate cake was a thing? Its combination of milk, dark and white chocolate was luscious without feeling sugary. The cake itself is moist and fluffy perfection.
We mustn’t ignore the cocktails either. These were genuine craft cocktails, let me tell you. Each imbibe has its own essence, a whole female-focused story and inspiration behind its existence. How cute?! The menu features a balanced variety of boozy, light, rich, refreshing and sparkling drinks and plenty of wine options. However, the star of the show had to be The Madame- a drinkable tiramisu if you will, made with coffee, whiskey, bourbon, cream, and an adorable bee-shaped cocoa print on the top.
From Nov. 11 to Dec.11, $1 from every Kinsey Cake and $2 from every The Madame cocktail (courtesy of Six and Twenty Distillery) sold will be donated to Florence Crittenton, a local nonprofit dedicated to providing hope, safety and opportunities for young women, particularly young mothers, in SC through education, life skills, and support.
663 King Street
