March 26, 2013

Lee Bros. Dinner & Book Signing

Purchase Tickets

On Tuesday, March 26, The Optimist is hosting a dinner and book signing with brothers and renowned food and travel journalists Matt and Ted Lee. Their newly released cookbook, The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen, provides a personal look into the way both the city of Charleston, S.C. and its distinct food have shaped their lives, through visual stories and recipes. Executive Chef Adam Evans will execute the dinner, highlighting the brothers’ favorite recipes from the book.

Cocktail hour begins at 7 p.m. followed by dinner at 8 p.m.

“The Lee brothers share a similar vision and food philosophy to ours,” said Ford Fry, chef and managing partner. “I’ve been a fan of their work for a long time and our whole team is looking forward to hosting this dinner and book signing. The new book is awesome and we’re going to have a good time cooking from it for the guests that night.”

The meal will be served family-style and includes the following items:

For the table:
• Gumbo-filled popovers
• Half-shell South Carolina oysters with benne crackers
First course:
• She-crab soup with lump crab meat, fried shrimp and toast crouton
• Butter lettuce salad with strawberry, candied pecans and pickled sunchokes
• Deviled crab with smoked egg and grilled scallion
Second course:
• Salt-baked whole red snapper
• Wild duck, prepared “opera style” (parboiled, fried and braised)
Sides for the table:
• Hoppin’ John with spring greens
• Grilled asparagus with grapefruit
• Charred jalapeno and fontina hominy
Dessert:
• Strawberry-rhubarb upside-down skillet cake
• Sorghum silver dollar pancakes
• Lemon-buttermilk chess pie

Guests also can enjoy specialty drinks and cocktails featured in the cookbook, including:

The cost is $65 per person and includes tax and gratuity. Books will also be available for purchase for $35 plus tax and guests will have the opportunity to have their books personalized by Matt and Ted Lee at the event. Tickets can be purchased online.

February 14, 2012

Valentine’s Day Dinner

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a special dinner at The Optimist!
$65 per person 

— TASTE FOR THE TABLE —
SHE-CRAB SOUP / lump crab meat, crab crouton

— 2 —
EAST AND WEST COAST OYSTER SELECTION / mignonette, fresh horseradish, lemon
DUCK & ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE GUMBO / shrimp, turnip greens, garlic bread
HEARTS OF PALM AND BEET SALAD / arugula, Humboldt Fog cheese, lemon vinaigretteL
ITTLENECK CLAMS / Spanish chorizo, grilled leeks, Yukon gold potato
SPANISH OCTOPUS / crispy fried potatoes, pickled peppers, harissa
GRILLED WHOLE LOBSTER / drawn butter, chili butter, lemon (15. supplement)

— 3 —
WILD STEELHEAD SALMON / smoked mussels, spinach, saffron
GRILLED PUMPKIN SWORDFISH / pork belly, roasted butternut squash, cippolini onions
BLACK GROUPER / green curry broth, king crab, lime
GEORGE’S BANK SCALLOPS / cranberry beans, oxtail marmalade
GRILLED DUCK BREAST / confit leg, sweet potato puree, braised greens, spiced duck jus

— 4 —
BAKED ALASKA / chiffon cake, black pepper ice cream, strawberries on fire
MILK ‘N’ HONEY / honey ice cream, ginger cake, milk chocolate ganache
TAKE ME HOME / tobacco & cream lolli, bourbon & mint lolli

December 31, 2012

New Year's Eve

Join us this New Year’s Eve for a special dinner.
Price per person is $65
Each guest is invited to choose one option for each course.

1^st COURSE
Shrimp pop tarts
For a $20 supplement – Traditional Caviar Service, Osetra Caviar / crème fraiche, blini, egg

2^nd COURSE
Nantucket Bay Scallops / arugula, apricot-truffle vinaigrette
Baby Beets and Wood Roasted Sunchokes / mustard greens, pickled turnip, aged balsamic
East Coast Oysters / on the half shell, mignonette, lemon (6 ea)
Baked Virginia Oysters / spinach, bacon, preserved lemon, parmesan cheese (5 ea)
Butter Glazed Escargot / hand torn croutons, deep fried chicken egg
Lobster Chili / wood fire roasted chilies, maine lobster, cilantro
For a $10 supplement – Foie Gras / spiced pear, candied peanut, star anise syrup

3^rd COURSE
Short Ribs / chestnuts, crispy glazed sweetbreads, beef jus
Soffrito Braised Pork Cheeks / cornmeal spatzle, parsnip puree, crispy shallots
Grilled Duck Breast / confit duck leg, duck ham, celery root, medjool dates, spiced duck jus
Bone-in Monkfish / smoked bacon, porcini mushroom, braised black cabbage, shallot marmalade
Grouper / white wine steamed clams, lump crab meat, leeks, baby bok choy, lemon
Yellowfin Tuna / roasted butternut squash puree, hen of the woods, crispy brussels sprouts
Chestnut and mushroom risotto / roasted cauliflower, spinach, Parmesan cheese
For a $10 supplement – Grilled Lobster / roasted fingerling potatoes, saffron butter, baby fennel, bergamot orange
(vegan option available)

4^th COURSE
Warm Chipotle Chocolate Tart / white chocolate-cardamom sorbet
Banana Custard Pocket Pie / pralines ‘n’ cream ice cream, salted pecans
Pear Tarte Tatin / goat cheese ice cream, crushed hazelnut

July 22, 2012

Chef Ford Fry of JCT. Kitchen & Bar is hosting a tasty event to celebrate some of the South’s best chefs, farmers and mixologists, who will join forces to benefit Georgia Organics for the fourth annual JCT. Kitchen Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival on Sunday, July 22 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

This spectacular event brings together some of the South’s best chefs, farmers and mixologists to join forces, while benefitting Georgia Organics, a non-profit working to integrate healthy, sustainable, and locally grown food into the lives of all Georgians.

The festival will once again be held at JCT. Kitchen & Bar and will spread out over the Westside Provisions District bridge to feature 34 chef participants and 12 mixologists. Each featured chef partners with a local farmer to create a yummy tomato dish for attendees to sample, while the featured mixologists will stir up their own signature cocktails with tomatoes. Festival-goers and high-profile judges such as actor David Miller, who played Mason Dixon in the original “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” movie, will be choosing the best dish and best beverage.

The festivities will also include live entertainment from The Spazmatics and local chef band Five Bone Rack.

Click here for tickets and more information