THE GREASY FOODIE: PENINSULA GRILL

The Greasy Foodie

The story begins blustry day Friday after Thanksgiving in 2008 in a cramped booth at a fake NYC deli in Nashville called Noshville. In between my wife, Rachel, and my brother, Michael, I sat across from my "cooler than me" cousins Mark and Sarah, and Sarah's just as cool husband, Danny. Mark, who lives the awesome life being a lawyer living in San Francisco working for Facebook, with his only downfall being his SEVERE lactardation..which has never been medically or scientifically proven to exist in Mark.. Sarah and Danny are foodies from NYC who have tried every dive "chicken finger" hut and "curry on a stick" in the big city. Danny and Sarah had discussed that they were trying to go to as many places from Bobby Flay's 'Throwdown' show as they could, and that there was one in Nashville we had to try.....a place that I had never heard of in my 13 years of living there..I will get to that adventure later.

I got an idea from my cool cousins idea. An idea became a hobby. And the hobby became an obsession. And thus produced the list.....a world-famous spreadsheet...of every restaurant that has ever been featured on Food Network and Travel Channel....every restaurant from the famous shows like "Throwdown", "Man V. Food", "Man v. Food Nation", "Food Feuds", "Food Wars", "Best Thing I Ever Ate", "Food Paradise" and "Diners Drive-Ins and Dives" to the obscure "Best Food Ever", "Meat and Potatoes", and "101 Best Places to Chowdown", plus my additions of the restaurants of famous chefs, favorite catergories (burgers, wings, pizza, bbq, and sandwiches) and local places of legend. Names, cities, food they are famous for, and addresses. It was and still is an obsession. As of 11:31am on November 27, 2018, THE LIST HAS 4,660 RESTAURANTS ON IT...WITH A FEW OVERLAPS HERE AND THERE. And then over Pastrami Eggs Benedict at Nate N' Al's Deli in Beverly Hills, Hannah and Andrew, our good friends, gave me the idea of the blog. Document every place I went. And thus, "The Greasy Foodie" was born. I will log the places, the shows they are from, and what I had. So far, every place I have been has been amazing, except two, one being mediocre, and another being down right awful.

If there is a city you have been to, or are going to, or are from and want to know what from my list is in the city, send me a email at agmarks@gmail.com

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

PENINSULA GRILL

FROM THROWDOWN WITH BOBBY FLAY FOR COCONUT CAKE

Planter's Inn, 112 North Market Street, Charleston, SC 29401

https://www.peninsulagrill.com/

I came for the twelve-layer coconut cake, and nothing else….and that is a good thing because if I had gone for something other than the coconut cake, I would have had my hopes, dream, and expectations shattered.

This place is stuffy, everyone judges you based on who you are or aren't, what you are wearing or should be wearing. I came to the staunch realization that this place is in a hotel, so they sadly serve overpriced hotel food. As I got through the meal, it tasted more and more like a meal I could have at a wedding. We started with oysters and a yellow fin tuna dish. Simple yet good. My oyster stew was fantastic. The entrees were predictable, bland, and mediocre. Simple as that. The service is incredible though, so kudos to the entire staff.

But the coconut cake. My god the coconut cake. Heaven. Mecca. Perfection. Hands down, no questions asked, easily one of the best cakes and desserts I have ever had. I am not a dessert guy. One of the many things my wife and I bond over is that we prefer appetizers than dessert. We are sweet people who love savory meals. But this was a cannot miss dessert. And it cannot be missed. Eat dinner somewhere else in Charleston, but stop by the Peninsula Grill for dessert.

THE GREASY FOODIE