I made my way down to Capitol Market this weekend to check out Charleston's newest brunch offering, with Soho's now open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Sunday with a selection of regular menu items along with weekly specials.
The verdict? Really nice.
In the interest of full disclosure, I was recently recruited by the fine folks at Capitol Market to serve on its board of directors, so naturally I want to see the market and its businesses succeed. But that's my hope for all local restaurants, and it's never stopped me from sharing a critical thought or two.
None are needed here, though. Our party of six loved everything we ordered and service was great, too.
You can enjoy many of your longtime favorites - and we sure did - including the wild mushroom and caramelized onion, spicy shrimp and margherita pizzas, along with a cup of that fantastic minestrone with a dollop of fresh pesto stirred in. There are other popular soups, salads, pizzas and frittatas available, too.
But I was most excited to sample something new.
I got my chance with a mini cast-iron skillet of delicious (and gorgeously presented) shrimp and grits, featuring jumbo shrimp and gently sautéed peppers and onions atop a mound of hearty, not-too-mushy grits. Really good.
We also enjoyed a large wedge of sausage, spinach and goat cheese strata, and we heard the day's open-faced chicken Reuben was a hit, as well.
Although crowds were a little lighter than expected (no doubt in part due to frigid 14-degree temps that almost kept me warm at home as well) I suspect Soho's will gain a nice Sunday brunch following in the coming months, especially as winter makes way for spring.
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Speaking of great Italian restaurants, you can sample food from one of the state's finest right here in Charleston when Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha and Putnam brings "A Taste of Rocco's" to the Clay Center on Wednesday, Feb. 22.
And when I say finest, that's no joke. I'd put the amazing food at Rocco's Ristorante in Ceredo near Huntington up against dishes from any of the country's top Italian spots.
During Habitat's annual fundraising dinner on the Clay Center's main stage, the acclaimed Rocco's will present a menu that includes antipasto featuring an assortment of olives, cheeses and meats; Italian salad and garlic toast with signature house-made blue cheese dressing; lasagna; meatballs in sauce; sausage and sautéed peppers; stuffed Hungarian wax peppers; tiramisu and cannoli.
A "Fun, Food & Art" silent auction is planned, music will be provided by the Total Meltdown Band and a cash bar will be available.
Tickets are $75 each (or two for $140) and can be purchased online at www.hfhkp.org/roccos, in person at the Charleston and Teays Valley ReStores, by phone at 304-720-0141, ext. 20, or by mail at Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha and Putnam, 815 Court St., Charleston, WV, 25301.
No way am I missing out on this treat.
Steven Keith writes a weekly food column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail and an occasional food blog at blogs.wvgazettemail.com/foodguy. He can be reached at 304-380-6096 or by email at wvfoodguy@aol.com. You can also follow him on Facebook as "WV Food Guy" and on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest as "WVFoodGuy."