One of downtown Charleston's hottest lounges at night is now also one of its coolest spots for lunch during the day.
After celebrating a year in business serving upscale evening cocktails, tapas, salads, flatbreads, sandwiches and entrees in the space that formerly housed Vandalia Grille, Celsius now offers an impressive selection of lunch options from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week.
So far, so good. I'm not only hearing great reviews, but the dishes I've tried myself have also been fantastic. The wife and I popped in for lunch late last week and stopped by three different tables of friends before settling into our own spot. All three groups loved their lunches - praise we would echo ourselves an hour later.
On the daytime menu is a variety of soups and salads, flatbreads, "handhelds," full plated entrees and desserts.
The tomato bisque and wedge salad are popular options, but my friends Barbara and Ruth raved over the Mediterranean salad of kalamata olives, tomato, beets, feta and fresh greens tossed in olive oil vinaigrette. For a heartier salad, you can add grilled chicken, shrimp, beef or salmon for $4 more. (Splurge for the salmon. Trust me on this one.)
Flatbreads feature flavors like pepperoni and mozzarella; garlic spread, onion marmalade and steak; or sliced prosciutto, artichokes and figs with balsamic glaze. We sampled the Greek-inspired gyro flatbread, which was not only delicious but was also easily large enough for two.
Sandwich options range from a traditional Reuben, Cuban or chicken with bacon, smoked Gouda and pesto aioli to wraps (like tuna with pickled ginger, peanut sauce and cucumber slaw), a Sriracha-marinated oyster po' boy with cucumber aioli and burgers stuffed with Greek, Hawaiian, Southern barbecue or all-American toppings.
Feeling a wave of nostalgia for the old Vandalia, I was THISCLOSE to ordering a pineapple and teriyaki-glazed Maui Burger with a tasty side of sweet potato fries. (Although Celsius' truffle fries are even better.) But I couldn't stop eying heartier lunch plates like Cajun chicken pasta, deep-fried pork shanks with Thai barbecue sauce or scallops dressed with bourbon apple butter atop jalapeño cheese grits.
I remember how good the scallops here are for dinner, but our waitress said the salmon I also asked about was definitely the way to go. She was right. My salmon was cooked to perfect (perfect, I say!) medium-rare temperature, a feat that almost never happens at even the finest, fanciest restaurants. It was served over creamy lobster risotto and topped with a sweet mango salsa that provided a brilliant contrast to the blackened salmon's spicy bite. This is one phenomenal dish.
I ate every bit of the large portion, leaving no room for dessert, but if you plan better than me there's tiramisu, strawberry cheesecake and lava cake with vanilla ice cream to tame your sweet tooth.
Celsius offers such a nice, relaxing respite so I'm lovin' this new lunch option.
IF YOU GO: Celsius at 212 Hale St. is open from 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday-Saturday. (However, the kitchen closes at 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and midnight Friday-Saturday.) For more information, call 304-345-4948 or look up "CelsiusWV" on Facebook.
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For something a bit more casual, I recently discovered the new-to-me Sabatino's Sandwich Kitchen on Capitol Street. Although the place has been open since July, we didn't cross paths until a recent stroll downtown led to me peeking inside to check the place out.
I really like the space. It has a contemporary urban look while also paying tribute to earlier Capitol Street haunts with vintage tables and chairs blended with high-top tables and stools. Old-time Charleston memorabilia adorns the walls, with a white stamped tin ceiling above and a broken-in wood floor below.
The decor is nothing fancy, just neat, which is pretty much how I'd describe the food, too. Six cheesesteaks, five paninis, four sides and three salads make up the entire menu, but there are enough good choices among them for a filling, no-frills, affordable lunch. (Sandwiches start at $6.49.)
Charleston cheesesteak czar John Smallridge guarantees Sabatino's will serve you the city's best cheesesteak, so there was no doubt what I would try on my first visit.
Accompanied by a bounty of curly fries, the hand-cut sirloin sizzled up with white American cheese, grilled onions, green peppers and mushrooms on a fresh-baked Italian roll didn't disappoint. I'm not necessarily declaring it Charleston's best, but it's a worthy contender.
On a follow-up visit I had to try a Brisket Melt (the Cadillac on the menu at $9.29) but in retrospect there may have been better choices. Loved the taste of smoked brisket mixed with grilled onions, sweet barbecue sauce and cheddar cheese, but the meat itself was a little gristly in bites.
Next time I'll go with the Sicilian (smoked ham, pepperoni, salami, roasted red peppers, cheese and vinaigrette), the Geno (sliced turkey breast, smoked bacon, cheddar, lettuce, tomato and chipotle mayo) or maybe the Bourbon Street Chicken (spicy chicken, provolone, onions and Cajun mayo).
To make the most of my two visits, I also sampled the chili, which was OK but could've used a kick of cumin and spice, and the Vermont cheddar mac-and-cheese, which boasted wonderful, rich flavor but a pretty thin, soupy texture.
I haven't tried the salads yet, but you can go Garden, Taco or Sizzlin', which you can top with either steak, chicken or ham. Cookies and muffins tempt on the counter, with bottled and fountain drinks (but no beer or wine) for your drink options.
Sabatino's may not have blown my mind, but I did enjoy a couple of decent lunches that didn't blow my budget either.
IF YOU GO: Sabatino's at 26 Capitol St. is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday. For more information, call 304-342-1904 or look up "Sabatino's Sandwich Kitchen" on Facebook.
Steven Keith writes a weekly food column for the Charleston Gazette-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 blogs.charlestondailymail/foodguy.