Justin M.
Yelp
What does one do when he flies back home to visit briefly, celebrate his April fools "21st" Bday, but is in the mood for live Jazz and great company? Ask a person whom I've never met face to face to join & suggest a great place to dine! Being single I frequent a lot of restaurants & have a lot of first dates that result in the same, boring and mundane "getting to know you" talk. This runs parallel to dining, the same food just with a different spin & lacking the wow factor. My gracious host was most interesting, much like Eli's with many enjoyable & contrasting nuisances.
Walking up to Eli's many long-lost emotions begin to manifest themselves. This is my hometown yet I'm a foreigner. I paused to take pictures of the majestic buildings that adorn the street, namely the churches & the outside of Eli's. Outside are a few tables with smiling customers sipping adult beverages in front of off-white brick façade complimented by a pastel green color, fresh flowers & a few small signs as if finding the place is an Easter egg hunt. Walking in, dark wood interiors adorn the bar area & light wood furnishings compliment the transitional light yellow toned walls.
I had some time to kill so I sat at the bar striking up conversations w/ patrons & employees alike. I find it hard to compete against todays copilots, aka "smart phones" for verbal tomfoolery. Alas, I'm a persistent extrovert so I beat Apple & Samsung! Talking with the staff at Eli's, it prepared me handsomely for my new friend, knowledgeable, attractive, elegant, entertaining & downright fun.
Being a southern gentleman & traditionalist, I brought my friend fresh flowers. Please note I have no earthly idea what the flowers were, just that they look pretty. The feminine spring breeze walked in & woken my senses, jazzing up the atmosphere, that is the band & the woman, but I digress. At the same time our hostess who "was the mostest" who's name wasn't Beetlejuice rather Carson introduced herself. Jovial, prompt, knowledgeable & able to trade barbs quickly meant I knew things were going to be enjoyable!
The menu is fun much like the person sitting across from me who had a funny bone, all in the backdrop of southern dining with jazz. She ordered the Four Graces Pinot Noir while I opted for the Backhouse Cab Sauv, a beautiful wine, deep in color w/ black berry on the palate & lighter than I expected. The lone disappointment was no escargot. I'm now convinced the universe is against me as this is the third restaurant in a row that didn't have snails. We complimented our wine w/ prosciutto & fig crostini. I'll admit this was the best version I've ever had. The goat cheese is slightly tart yet super flavorful on an extremely soft ciabatta topped with a salty prosciutto, and fig compote all on a sherry reduction.
Our table was 10 feet from the band & the music was skillfully crafted, lending its own signature upon an already sophisticated yet laid back ambiance. Complimenting the band our smoked gouda fondue arrived. While the cheese was phenomenal as were all the accoutrements I found the grapes to best the best pairing. The slight acidity cut the richness of the cheese with surgical precision! The smarter of us two ordered her same glass of wine while I wanted to travel the world from the comfort of my chair. I opted for the Remanso Melbec from Argentina. This wine didn't agree with my palate which is odd for a Melbec. It started off without legs & easy on the tongue then a bold peppery aftertaste which lingers.
We opted against a formal main course, trying the fried green tomato napoleon instead. Another absolute win! The tomatoes were slightly bitter, the pimento cheese, a toast to Charleston! As the night wound down the libations allowed a jovial tongue. Our waitress brought us bday beignets w/ a raspberry melba. The lady in gray switched to a very southern twang, playfully mocking the southern charm, which complimented the pillows of doughy goodness perfectly. The desert wasn't overly sweet so I didn't mind indulging in a fantastic, simple finisher. Finally, I enjoyed a Napa Valley Merlot & while I love merlot, it's so common I can't hold my pinky up. That said, it was wonderful, fruit forward with notes of oak & a nice mellow afterglow.
The evening engaged in many paradoxes, intelligence juxtaposed w/ mindless goofiness, simple ingredients in an elegant design, audio foundation of jazz supporting great conversations. Eli is in many ways like the perfect date. The menu is informative without being overbearing, familiar yet adventurous. The staff are professional yet giving jokes as well as they take them. The interior is beautiful while not being pretentious or intimating. I very much enjoyed Eli's & hopefully unlike Charleston it will stay the same with the whimsy of the premeditated spontaneity that first lead me to their wonderful establishment.