Narcisa Maura

I’ve lived in Charleston now for almost 10yrs and I’m still discovering new places and new restaurants. Most recently I had a great night out with my dear friend The Fashionable Traveler at Circa 1886. It’s a small but quaint restaurant hidden downtown in it’s own secret garden. Located in the original carriage house of the historic Wentworth Mansion. Upon entry I was blown away by the greeney of the beautiful archways. I knew we were in for a wonderful night filled with great food and good conversation.

The menu was filled with various starters and entrees I wouldn’t eat on a regular basis which I loved. Having a menu like this cause a slightly picky eater like myself to step outside of my comfort zone. My mind was set to launch out into the deep and be adventurous with my selections.

If you look closely at the menu you’ll see that there are four sections “Taste of Native Tribes, Influences From Europe, Flavors Brought From Africa, and South Carolina Today.” I made my selections from the “Flavors Brought From Africa” section. To be quite honest I was torned on what to get because everything sounded so lovely in the end I was extremely satisfied. For my starter I opted for the “Heart Of Palm and Turnip Soup.”

This soup was subtle in taste yet rich with many flavors and oh so warming. It was the perfect start to a very tasty meal. We were sent the chef’s special after our starter’s to hold us over for our entrees. This small bite was the smallest sip of soup with the biggest punch of flavor.

It went down so fast and so smooth all in second. After much chat and debating over our main course we finally made our decisions. For my course I went with the “Shrimp n’ Rice Grits” these grits were made with cabbage leaves, burden creek dairy goat cheese, smoked ham hock gravy, and scallions. Sounds delightful and fully doesn’t it!? Let me be the first to say it truly was.

It’s safe to say I’ve found my new favorite spot for “Shrimp n Grits” hands down this was the absolute best I’ve ever had. From the crisp of the cabbage to the savory gravy it all blended together so nicely. A few drinks in and the comfort of a great meal I needed something sweet to end the night per usual. My final order of the night was the Chocolate Souffle made of , toasted marshmallow anglaise, and malted barley chocolate ice cream.

The perfect dessert to end a perfect night out. If you’re looking for a lovely restaurant for a date night or a girls night out look no further Circa 1886 is it. May your week be a sweet as my dessert was.