Story telling is a big part of restaurant business. I recall a long tale told by a waiter at New York’s Morimoto restaurant after he placed a poached salmon in a bowl of steaming broth on the table. The story was about the journey of the salmon upstream only to be caught and placed in this aromatic broth. Perfectly steamed and lightly seasoned, the dish was delectable. But it might have been the story that makes me recall this dish among all others I have tried through the years. Here’s my story about low country cooking.
At Dave’s Seafood, not far from Cannonborough in the city of Charleston, there is a woman in her eighties in a white baseball hat, who mostly deep fries’ fresh seafood and serves it on soft white bread with a slice of iceberg lettuce and tomato. This fish sandwich is most satisfying in its unapologetic simplicity. No one ever dares ask for gluten free at Dave’s. Abilene in her sixties, takes orders and keeps the cash register. Open four days a week, this is among the rare few original places that survived the now chic and happening historic downtown of Charleston.
Speaking of food and environment in the same breath may be confusing, but there may not be another way to put it for the extent of dependence on manufacturing. Manufactured developments, franchises, social media culture…the list is long. Yet, a tweak in the process may go a long way to ensure sustenance and environmental protection – now an individual responsibility. Leaving it in the hands of original culture makers even with fewer initial profits, will give people a reason to visit places and have an authentic experience. Which in turn will sustain tourism. Where else in the hospitality industry, would you run into nifty names such as Follyday Inn Beach Resort or Planet Follywood? Named after the local
Folly Beach, expansive habitat for many birds and marine life. Advancement is knowing how much to build and when to stop.
