This year’s FeastivALL offered another rockin’ evening of entertainment, food and oh-so-many drinks for a couple hundred guests at the University of Charleston on Saturday evening.
With blustery winds whipping around the riverfront campus outside, we were toasty warm inside sipping and nibbling on pre-dinner libations and apps to a backdrop of live music and dancers.
Then once the evening’s dinner began, we were treated to five fantastic plated courses, each served with a corresponding beer and wine so guests could vote on which pairing they enjoyed most.
Although I felt beer came out on top more often than not, it was wine that once again won the night.
My favorite wine pairing was Edgewood Country Club Chef John Macklin’s smoked morel bisque served with Chamisal Pinot Noir, but I preferred the beer options in all four other instances.
Bridge Brew’s Bavarian-style Pillow Rock pilsner was a perfect match for Ristorante Abruzzi Chef Chase Collier’s venison and green onion arancini with watercress pesto ad maple blackberry agrodolce, while Jackie O’s earthy and hazy Who Cooks For You pale ale was a great complement to the kale, squash and aged cheddar salad prepared by Chef Nancy Bruns of J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works.
Ending the night were two more notable beer-and-food collabs: New Trail’s West Coast-style Trail Marker IPA served with UC Chef Seth Samples’ braised beef cheeks with allium risotto and wild mushrooms, plus Chef KD Jones’ Granny Smith pound cake with oatmeal streusel and brown butter semifreddo paired with Screech Owl Brewing’s hefty High Bridge Hefeweizen.
The event is an annual fundraiser for FestivALL, which promotes the arts throughout the Charleston area.
Cattlemen’s Roadhouse opens in Cross Lanes
The new Cattlemen’s Roadhouse I recently wrote about is now open in the old TGI Fridays location at 4 Goff Crossing in Cross Lanes and early reviews are exactly what you’d expect from a new restaurant opening. A few comments praising a new dining option in the area have been heavily overshadowed by complaints of very slow service, subpar food quality and inconsistent operating hours.
That is exactly why I avoid critiquing a new restaurant until it’s been open at least a month or so, to give them a chance to work out the kinks and settle into whatever their “normal” operations will be.
If you’re expecting quick service and flawless food when dining out, don’t go to a restaurant on opening night or even during its first few weeks – simple as that.
Cattlemen’s has wisely acknowledged and apologized for the hiccups guests have encountered, while also being transparent that they’re still trying to hire about 10 more people to be fully staffed. Until then, customers either need to be OK with possible delays or just push their visit to a later date.
Although hours have shuffled a bit, Cattlemen’s is currently open from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, noon to 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call (304) 220-0235.
Albuquerque Southwest set to open on West Side
The new Albuquerque Southwest Bar & Grill I also told you about awhile back is likely less than two weeks from opening inside the former Elk City Bistro and old Chris’ Hot Dogs location at 207 W. Washington St. on Charleston’s West Side.
Interior renovations are moving along, a new sign has been installed out front and several finishing touches will soon be complete. Owner Sergio LugoMata told me the restaurant conducted staff training and had inspections last week, so he should be able to announce an opening date very soon.
LugoMata also owns Sergio’s Italian restaurants in Charleston and Hurricane, plus Guadalajara Mexican restaurants in Nitro and Barboursville.
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Steven Keith is a food writer and restaurant critic known as “The Food Guy” who writes a weekly column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail and has appeared in several state, regional and national culinary publications. Follow him online at www.wvfoodguy.com or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. He can be reached at 304-380-6096 or at wvfoodguy@aol.com.