The Charleston Blog, by Jim & Maria

Are you planning on celebrating the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009 in Charleston?  If you are, do you have your plans together yet?

If your answer is "no", then we can provide a little bit of insight.  We've searched out some of the places you can go to ring in the New Year, whether you want the party atmosphere or you'd rather enjoiy some delicious Chalreston fair. 

Either way, we hope you have a fun and safe New Year's celebration!

 2009 New Years Eve
CELEBRATIONS in Charleston

Market Street Saloon - $90                                  (Downtown Charleston)
Open Top Shelf Bar, Heavy Hors' dourves, Party Favors, Red Carpet Treatment, Balloon Drop, Champagne Toast, Live Entertainment and of course...DANCING ON THE BAR (just like Coyote Ugly)!! 

Mad River Bar and Grille - $100                           (Downtown Charleston)
Open Top Shelf Bar, Hand Passed Hors' dourves, Champagne Toast, Party Favors, and Live Entertainment all night long.  Mad River Bar and Grille had the hottest New Years Eve Party last year so get ready!

Rendezvous Bar and Grille - $100                       (North Charleston)
Buffet, Open Top Shelf Bar, Party Favors, Ice Shot Luge, Champagne Toast, Small Midnight Buffet, and Live Music. Rendezvous at "The Vous" for this New Years Eve!
 

2009 New Years Eve DINNERS

Toast Restaurant - $80 & $100                            (Downtown Charleston)
2009 New Years Eve "TOAST at TOAST"
5:30 Seating - $80 per person
9:30 seating - $100 per person
Five course meal with wine pairings.  Also enjoy party favors and live music.  Dinner includes;
Amuse Bouche
Boucanier Biscuit - A confit of house smoked Carolina BBQ, bedded on a French baguette crostini.
Soup/Salad
Lobster bisque with a gruyere chip or a salad of arugala and field greens - Cline Viognier
Appetizer
John's Island Baked Tomatoes - Nora Albarino
Intermezzo
Heirloom cucumber and melon cocktail
Entrees
Apple Smoked bacon wrapped filet mignon - Red Tree Petite Syrah
Porterhouse Pork Chop - Hahn Merlot
Grilled Flounder Fillet - Stone Gap Chardonnay
Dessert
Trio of Sorbet - Lemon, strawberry & blueberry
Complimentary Champagne Toast 

Necter Bar & Grille                                                   (James Island)
Prix Fixe 3 course menu with a complimentary champagne toast and Live music @ 9PM with The Keepers and special guest Rawberry Jam.
Starter
Lobster Bisque or Necter Salad
Filet Oscar
Grilled Filet of Beef with Asparagus Tips, sautéed Crab Meat and Sauce Hollandaise with Asiago Whipped Potatoes. $35
Salmon Oscar
Pan Seared Filet of Salmon with Asparagus Tips, sautéed Crab Meat and Sauce Hollandaise with a Wild Mushroom Risotto. $30
Chicken Napoleon
Grilled Breast of Chicken topped with Portobello Mushroom, Roasted Red Pepper, Fresh Mozzarella on a Spinach Ravioli with Saffron Cream. $27
Dessert
Crème Brulee or White Chocolate Mousse

Cru Cafe                                                                     (Downtown Charleston)
6:30PM and 8:00PM seating available.              
6:30 Seating - 5 Courses
$40.00 (without wine pairing)
$65.00 (with wine pairings)
Soup Course
White Truffle Mushroom Soup, Torchon, Roasted Garlic Crostini
Jardin Chardonnay, Stellenbosch South Africa 2007
Amuse Bouche
Mini Croque Madame with Quail Egg
Wolfberger Edelzwiker, Alsace France 2007
First Course
White Wine Poached Wild Salmon, Brussel Pearls, Shaved Fennel, Arugula, Dill Sabayon
Anne Amie Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley Oregon 2007
Main Course
Bordeaux Braised Duck Pot-Au Feu, Wild Mushrooms, Caramelized Pearl Onions, Baby Carrots
Peirano Estate Petite Sirah, Lodi California 2006
Dessert Course
Winter Berry French Toast, Bitter Chocolate, Cappuccino Mousse, Boysenberry Syrup
Koda Chocolate Dessert Wine, California N/V

8:00 Seating - 6 Courses
$60.00 (without wine pairing)
$85.00 (with wine pairings)
Soup Course
White Truffle Mushroom Soup
Torchon, Roasted Garlic Crostini
Jardin Chardonnay, Stellenbosch South Africa 2007
Amuse Bouche
Mini Croque Madame with Quail Egg
Wolfberger Edelzwiker, Alsace France 2007
First Course
Rabbit Ballotine, Herbs, Pistachio,
Morels, Spinach Gnocchi, Hazelnut Butter
Primarius Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley Oregon 2006
Second Course
White Wine Poached Wild Salmon
Brussel Pearls, Shaved Fennel, Arugula, Dill Sabayon
Anne Amie Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley Oregon 2007
Main Course
Bordeaux Braised Duck Pot-Au Feu,
Wild Mushrooms, Caramelized Pearl Onions, Baby Carrots
Peirano Estate Petite Sirah, Lodi California 2006
Dessert Course
Winter Berry French Toast,
Bitter Chocolate, Cappuccino Mousse, Boysenberry Syrup
Koda Chocolate Dessert Wine, California N/V
Finale - Champagne Toast
Henry Varnay Blanc de Blancs, France N/V

  Featured 2009 New Years PACKAGE

Charleston Hospitality Group Presidential Package - $550
Charleston Downtown Limo Round Trip Ride to Escape Spa and Salon for Continental Breakfast, Massage, Pedicure, and Manicure.  Dinner at Toast Restaurant (5:30 PM Seating).  Next, travel to Market Street Saloon to Bring in the 2009 New Year.  Charleston Downtown limo will provide all transportation for the entire day.  This is a one of a kind, priceless, VIP New Years Eve Presidential Package.

I learned some very sad news yesterday.  I know that the economy has made it really tough on many people and businesses, but this one I did not expect.

After almost 29 years of business, Cisco's Cafe in West Ashley will be closing their doors for good on January 3rd.

According to an article in the Post and Courier, "Hans Van Heek, the co-owner of Cisco's Cafe, blamed the closing on the proliferation of other Mexican restaurants and the downward spiral of the economy over the past year.  'The economy was the nail in the coffin,' he said."

Personally, I have some fond memories of Cisco's.  I worked there most of my college years, learned how to bartend there, and Jim and I started dating while both of us were working there, and then got married while I was still there.

In fact, I introduced my parents to a group of my regulars 10-11 years ago, and they have all become very good friends.  They all still congregate at Cisco's every Wednesday night for the weekly Happy Hour and Buffet.  Sadly, that will be missed.

I know many of the employees who are still there, and who will be unemployeed after this next week.  My heart breaks for these people and for the owner who has put all of himself into this restaurant, just to be forced to close the doors through no fault of his own.

"It's never fun to close a business," Van Heek said.  "But when one door closes, another opens. It's that long hallway in between that you have to go through."

I wish everyone at Cisco's the very best of luck in whatever the future holds for them!

*Logo of Cisco's Cafe is from www.CiscosCafe.com

We all talk about resolution this time of year.  The old year is gone and the new year is chock full of potential for what we can achieve and who we can be.

Most people have diet and exercise on their resolution list.  I, for one, am one of those people.  But there are a few things that you can do for self-improvement, and it only takes about ten minutes each day to achieve your goal.

Get organized.  Instead of doing a major organizational overhaul, you could choose to leave everything just a little bit better than you found it.  For example, you could straighten each drawer you open looking for something or delete useless computer files as you come across them.  Getting rid of the clutter will help to simplify your life and get you better organized.

Save Money.  This one is a no-brainer, right?  Easier said than done.  Would you like to find an additional $1,200 a year?  Take just ten minutes and pack a lunch for yourself instead of eating out every day.  How about gaining an extra $1,000 on top of that?  You could easily save that by not making a daily run to the local coffee shop and brew your own at home.  Simple, easy steps to save some serious money.

Stay in touch.  Stay connected to your loved ones by taking just ten minutes twice a week to jot down a note or send a quick email.  It's important to do this for your business as well, but we have to remember to not always focus on business and balance our lives with family and friends.

Go green.  If you live in a suburb or somewhere that you can get to your destination within ten minutes of walking, then leave the car behind and use what God gave you!  Not only will the environment benefit with less carbon dioxide emitted into the air, but you'll burn some calories and save some money on gas.

Be socially responsible.  Make it a point to schedule just ten minutes a month to do something that contributes to society.  You could write a letter to an elected official about an issue that's important to you, make a few calls on behalf of your favorite charity, or go through your closets and find items that you no longer need that could be donated.  A little commitment on your part can go a very long way!

Those looking for a clean, wild party without any of the of the normal unpleasantries of your normal New Year's Eve parties will find the perfect celebration in First Night Charleston.

Focusing on a variety of performance art and music, First Nightwill entertain right up to the marvelous New Year's Eve fireworks display that caps off the festival.  This is a great way for Charlestonians to enjoy themselves in a positive environment with plenty of activities.

First Night Charleston offers the perfect New Year's Eve celebration for the entire family. Keeping the events alcohol free and focusing on the community and various forms of the arts, you're sure to be able to bring your children out without fear of an inappropriate environment or scene.

First Night Charleston will be held in Marion Square, right in the heart of Downtown Charleston, from 4 pm to 10:30 pm on New Year's Eve.  It's great that it ends a little before midnight so that the kids can all get home and into bed without missing out on any of the traditional festivities! 

And best of all, this is a FREE event.  So come on out and enjoy a wholesome, family celebration welcoming in the New Year!

* photo courtesy of ♥Spice on Flickr

Have you heard of "Brighter Planet"?  They are a relatively new organization and their cause is to help us all have less of an impact on our planet.

I can't remember how I stumbled upon their website, but I'm glad that I did because it is quite informative.  According to their site:

The average American emits 136 pounds of carbon dioxide each day. About 36 pounds come from driving, flying, and other travel. Another 22 pounds come from heating, cooling, and powering our homes. The final 78 pounds come from producing, transporting, and disposing of all the stuff we buy, and from shared services like schools and street lights. 136 pounds would fill 5,000 balloons - imagine releasing that every day.

Facts like that just blow my mind.  It's amazing and sad at the same time just how much we take for granted.  And I'm guilty, too.

So the whole premise of their website is to get out the word that they are giving away free gifts of carbon-neutrality.  They want you to give the gift of carbon neutrality for a day - it's free, and as a bonus, they will make you carbon neutral too! 

Sounds pretty harmless on our part, right?  I signed up Jim and had no problems.  So we both became carbon-neutral for a day. 

The best part is that they want as many people to sign up as possible.  I'm not entirely sure how they are making this happen, but I'm going on faith that they are doing what they are claiming and helping out our Mother Earth.

As of today, their site claims that they have given away 5437 One Day Gifts so far, which is the equivalent of taking 22,305 cars off the road for a day!  Sounds like a huge impact for very little work.

If you want to check them out, or even sign up, check out their website.  Every little bit helps, right?

Christmas is finally here!

All of the planning, gift-finding, wrapping, baking, cleaning, etc is done, and it's time to sit back and enjoy this special day.

We hope that each and every one of you have a wonderful and fun-filled Christmas this year.  We hope that there are tons of treasured memories made and also lots and lots of love shared between family and friends.

To all of you, from all of us, Have A Merry Christmas!!