When I attended the first Food & Wine Classic in Charleston two weekends ago, there were three major topics on the minds of many attendees. The first was the Classic itself, a new event in the culinary center that is Charleston. By most accounts, the event went off very well, bringing out-of-town guests to the city’s core for tasting events, special chef dinners and entertaining seminars that showcased the regional talent of the area.
The second was, of course, Hurricane Helene, which many attendees drove or flew through on the way to the event. Word began to trickle out about the incredible damage the storm inflicted on the nearby Western North Carolina region, another culinary hotbed with many connections to both Charleston and Nashville. It wasn’t until the weekend neared its end that the true horror began to reveal itself in images of the devastation in Asheville. Scroll toward the end of this post to learn more about the Nashville food and drink community's efforts to help.
The third was a palpable excitement about Sean Brock’s return to Charleston for the weekend. Brock rocketed to national acclaim for his work at the flagship Husk location and McCrady’s beginning in 2006, and his impact on the local dining scene in the Holy City is unquestionable and ongoing.
Chef Brock holds his Crustburger above all others
So news that Brock would return for the Classic and participate in a seminar and a special dinner with his buddy Rodney Scott was a pretty big deal around town. His seminar was quite well-attended, and it served as an excellent backdrop to a big announcement from the chef. Titled “Brock on Burgers: Why the Crustburger Reigns Supreme,” the cooking demo revolved around the inventive superflat smash burger that Brock designed for his Nashville ode to fast food, Joyland. If you like the crispy bits along the edge of a proper burger smashed and griddled on a hot grill, this particular burger is the Platonic ideal of that food item. Even the bun is smooshed flat as a pancake (no exaggeration).
The introduction of the Crustburger to Charleston was quite timely because on the same day it was announced that the third iteration of Joyland would soon be opening in Charleston, joining locations in Nashville and Birmingham, Ala. While the exact location wasn’t revealed in the Instagram announcement, I made it a point to seek out the sign in the window and discovered that it would be taking the place of the recently shuttered HERO Doughnuts & Buns at 145 Calhoun St., similarly to how the Birmingham Joyland took over a former Rodney Scott’s BBQ in Avondale. Not coincidentally, Joyland, HERO and Rodney Scott’s are all associated with Pihakis Restaurant Group and Nick Pihakis, a longtime Southern restaurateur and friend of Brock’s and Scott’s.
Chefs Brock and Scott address the assembled crowd at Pit Cooked
So clearly, there were no hard feelings between the friends when Brock was invited to collaborate at a special dinner at Rodney Scott’s BBQ in Charleston as part of the Classic’s Dine Around Charleston component. The Friday night event was called Pit Cooked and featured the two talented chefs cooking over live fire to offer a festive multicourse meal featuring dishes from Scott’s South Carolina roots and Brock’s Appalachian heritage. The combination of high-brow concepts with down-home cooking methods was delightful, but one of the best behind-the-scenes elements was Brock’s interaction with the event staff.
I snuck into the main dining room from the outdoor seating area to catch a glimpse of what was going on in the kitchen and discovered Brock standing in front of a bunch of plates like a conductor overseeing the orchestra. The servers were volunteers from a local culinary program who were apparently not used to dealing with the rapid-fire service needs of a large family-style event. We attendees didn’t mind the slightly slow pace of service because the company was pleasant and the food was great, but it was Brock’s patience with the young servers that really stood out to me.
He addressed them with patience and kindness, all the while offering encouragement and treating them like a professional kitchen staff, which they weren’t. Yet. But maybe after a few hours of learning under a real pro, some of them will take their lessons to the next level. Regardless, it was great to see just one of the reasons why Charleston welcomed Brock back so effusively.
The Nashville/Asheville connection has long been a strong one
And back to Western North Carolina, which has some really tough months, and possibly years, ahead as the region attempts to rebound from Helene. Lockeland Table is one of many Nashville restaurants that has connections to the area, so they have chosen to dedicate their nightly Community Hour on Thursday, Oct. 10, to gather together and raise money to directly help some of the affected by the storm. The Lockeland Table team has identified a specific GoFundMe effort to help out two families and a local business, Green River BBQ, that have been devastated by the storm, and diners can help by direct contributions or by food and drink purchases.
You can also make a donation to Wine to Water, a nonprofit in Boone and Asheville providing clean water and meals to residents in the area.
These are just some of the ways that Nashvillians can help out, and there will be plenty of opportunities. Why not get started on the good works by joining the Community Hour from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday?
