Charleston's new "urban restaurant and wine cellar" The Block is definitely a chip off the ol', well, stellar Putnam County Wine Valley sister restaurant that inspired it.
Since its much-anticipated opening in the prime downtown location that sat vacant for years after Cafe de Paris closed, The Block has been drawing big crowds and (mostly) rave reviews.
It's not perfect. I've heard about and experienced a few problems with food and service myself over the course of several visits, but the good far outweighs the bad. More often than not, I've enjoyed good food, great wine and exceptional service.
Just as I was hoping it would be - and predicted here, the week before it opened - The Block is an exciting new addition to the city's restaurant scene.
So first, the good.
The place is gorgeous. Owner Desislav Baklarov transformed the building, inside and out, into a casually hip but elegant-feeling space that is striking in its simplicity.
Only two colors of paint were used during the remodel: dark mocha with cream accents on the outside of the building, reversing to cream with dark mocha accents on the inside. Dark wood, leather and glass touches complete the look, with polished stone floors and tasteful lighting adding the perfect touch.
The menu is creative. Whether you order from The Kitchen Block (dinner menu) or The City Block (bar menu), there's a delicious array of out-of-the-ordinary appetizers, cheeses, soups, salads, flatbreads, sandwiches, tapas and entrees to choose from.
The wine list is mind-blowing. At 600-plus bottles, you'll have no problem finding something you like. The challenge is trying to choose among so many interesting options. Fortunately, a handful of wine flights let you sample from three different bottles in your quest to find a favorite. And if vino's not your thing, there are a handful of craft beers on tap, another 30 hard-to-find brews in bottles and more than a dozen signature cocktails.
The service is (mostly) on point. With maybe two exceptions, every waiter or waitress I've experienced has been extremely personable, very knowledgeable about the food and wine offered and extremely attentive.
Case in point: I ordered a glass of wine with lunch one day that seemed fine when I gave it a cursory sniff in the glass. Just one sip, however, told me it was just starting to "turn," or go bad. I mentioned this, expecting some resistance, but the waitress immediately apologized and offered to open a new bottle of the same wine or give me another. What's more, the manager on duty came over to let me know she sampled the wine also and, I was right, it didn't taste as it should.
The food is (mostly) stellar.
An appetizer menu offers hummus, olives, bruschetta, charcuterie and more, including a decadent steak tartare, a nice watermelon-feta stack and an addictive "snowflake dip" made of yogurt, diced pickles, garlic and pecans. You can also select three various cheeses from around the world to be served on a board with grapes and crackers.
A few soups are available, including Locro, a stew of corn, white beans, chorizo and carrots. A handful of creative salads include a Caprese, a Marcona almond chicken salad, a goat cheese brulee salad and quinoa fresca, a blend of quinoa, feta, Kalamata olives, tomatoes and cucumbers, served with pita.
We've enjoyed the Santorini flatbread (Greek cheese, artichokes, Kalamata olives, purple onion, dates and fig balsamic glaze), tasty Feta fries and the delicious "Gran Tapas" sea scallops served over a Brussels sprout hash with fennel.
And then there's the exquisitely cooked Chilean Sea Bass - flaky, flavorful and moist - served with phenomenal mint feta Israeli couscous and glazed carrots. It's a fantastic dish. I hope to find similar discoveries when I try their truffle pasta, prime filet, Sriracha maple-encrusted chicken and French pork chop with whipped parsnips.
Dessert offerings include the same truffles and delicious Tres Leches cake served at The Wine Valley in Hurricane, plus a nice Bailey's cake and fantastic Sambuca gelato, made exclusively for the restaurant by nearby Ellen's Ice Cream.
All in all, prices are in line with what you'd expect for such quality. Apps run $7-16, salads $8-12 and entrees $17-38.
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Now, the not-so-good.
I've had lackluster (and really slow) service at times, although that seems to be working itself out. And some dishes haven't been nearly as good as the standard set by those above.
The trio of meatballs with accompanying sauces only had one standout - the chicken one, believe it or not, was more flavorful than the beef and pork offerings. The Burrata cheese served with aged prosciutto would've been much more enjoyable had the prosciutto not been overrun with fat. I know that's part of prosciutto's appeal, but this fat-to-meat was excessive.
The cashew cauliflower soup was tasty, but was far too thick and heavy in consistency. The chicken saltimbocca featured ridiculously delicious flavors, but the chicken itself was overcooked to the point of being bone dry and tough to cut. The rustic lamb soup featured great ingredients, but was in desperate need of more flavor and a shower of salt. Same with the Tapas Rioja. The bowl of potatoes, chorizo, onion and corn in a light paprika broth was surprisingly bland.
The Block's signature Cajun crab cakes, however, suffered the opposite fate. Although the ones I tried at the Teays Valley location recently were amazing, the ones ordered in Charleston this past Saturday night were tragically over-seasoned - almost too salty and spicy to eat.
Still, these are all seasoning and cooking tweaks, which are easily fixable.
If The Block can continue to fine-tune a few lingering food and service issues so it offers a consistently strong experience to every customer on every visit (consistent being the key word) it'll become one of Charleston's favorite wining and dining spots for years to come.
If you haven't checked it out yet, you definitely should.
IF YOU GO: The Block is located at 201 Capitol St. in Charleston. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday to Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. For more information or reservations, call 681-265-9074 or visit www.theblockwv.com.
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The Block isn't the only upscale restaurant with an impressive wine menu to open its doors this summer. Located behind Appalachian Power Park, Bricks & Barrels followed suit shortly thereafter, promising high-quality food and service in an elegant atmosphere.
Both restaurants cater to a similar clientele, and everywhere I go people are asking me the same thing - which one is better?
You read about The Block today. Now check back next Wednesday for The Food Guy's review of Bricks & Barrels - including how I think the two places stack up.
Steven Keith writes a weekly food column for the Daily Mail. He can be reached at 304-380-6096 or by email at dailymailfoodguy@aol.com. You can also follow him on Facebook and Pinterest as "DailyMail FoodGuy," on Twitter as "DMFoodGuy" and read his blog at http://blogs.charlestondailymail.com/foodguy.