FInz Bar and Grill (Mt. Pleasant)

It must have been some sort of garage, because once the door is up, you could enjoy eating outside.  Especially today, 73 degrees in Charleston, with a slight breeze. However, we stayed inside at Finz. It is a bar, with multiple televisions, 5 beers on tap, NFL on. I decided on the fish tacos with seared tuna.

The Bad: I got confused on the meal. It was tuna tacos with pico de gallo, and wasabi mayo (I think). Maybe it was a Japanese-mex type of thing. The tuna may have been slightly overcooked. The fries were short, small pieces, indicative of the bottom of the bag.

The Good: The bar and grill calls for a casual, laid back atmosphere, and very much like what Cheers (the television show) would have been like. I didn't expect fine dining, so the meal served me well. The wasabi sauce added good flavor to the tacos (so yes, I'm still confused). I do believe their seafood is fresh, the bartender said he brought the shrimp in from our coast...yesterday.

In Conclusion: Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came; you want to be where you can see, our troubles are all the same; you want to be where everybody knows your name. Overall, worth a try!

Wasabi (Daniel Island)

I love sashimi, raw and dipped in sauce. I can go for the occasional sushi too (rolls and/or anything made with vinegar rice). But tonight, I wanted to eat BIG at Wasabi on Daniel Island. So I ordered Buddha's Belly. Completely makes sense, right?

Buddha's Belly (Spicy Tuna, Snow Crab, Salmon, Yellowtail, White Fish, Avocado, Cucumber, Cream Cheese, Tempura Style, Eel Sauce)

I also had the Wasabi House Salad beforehand, just in case the Buddha's Belly didn't do it's job. Ok, enough with the fluff, let me review.
The Bad: This was the case that I thought I could order everything I wanted and place it into one roll. But I lost out on my preference of tasting fresh, raw, virgin fish....untouched by other flavors and textures (except soy sauce and wasabi of course). 
The Good: Buddha's Belly dish was good, don't get me wrong. But what I consider heaven in your mouth is their Toro Aburi (Blue Fin Tuna Marinated in Black Truffle - Soy Then Lightly Torched, and Garished with 24k Gold). Yes, honestly, it is a treat, will melt in your mouth. I will never forget it. Also, the ambiance at Wasabi is nice. The walls around the bar area were raised tonight, opening to outdoor seating, with live music. 

In Conclusion: For sushi/sashimi lovers....you will really like this place. For california rolls people (without raw fish), you will like this place too.  And the ambiance just adds to the experience. 

Caviar and Bananas (Peninsular Charleston)

What would it be like to be a College of Charleston student, and to use my "off campus meal plan card" at Caviar and Banana? Well, I would be fat. Fat and happy, and if my parents were paying for it, grateful.  So how would I describe this place? Uniquely able to please any palate, diverse, and specializing in all foods delicious. I actually read somewhere that you could have a meal there everyday for a few months and still have not experienced all they offer.

Just a portion of what they have

C&B Southwest breakfast wrap (black beans/ peppers/ onions/ mushrooms/ tomato/ spinach/ scrambled egg/ cheddar)

I knew I made the wrong choice at first bite, and I was disappointed. Only eating half the wrap, I walked up to the duck confit sandwich area, and asked if I could buy half the sandwich. No, she said. I walked gracefully back to my table, and ate the rest of the breakfast wrap.

The Bad: I blame this partially on me. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for breakfast. I would have preferred more cheese, more spinach than 4 cooked leaves, maybe some roasted corn, and not the spongy textured egg.
The Good: From the breakfast today? Great coffee, good portion size of the wrap, fresh ingredients. From the actual restaurant? Products/foods/drinks to delight ANYONE. What a beautiful place!
In Conclusion: So, I really wanted something else, other than my breakfast wrap, and I should have followed my craving. And I could be very happy pulling a mattress into restaurant, and calling it home.

Laura Alberts Tasteful Options (Daniel Island)

Dear Laura Alberts, I don't know who you are, but you have a restaurant named after you, and you're one of my favorites.  I hope to meet you one day, and give my heart to you, or at least my stomach.  Ok, back to reality, this really is a good restaurant, specializing in craft beers, wines, lunches, dinners (on Wednesday evenings, with special events with beer or wine dinners), gifts, and even take home dinners that are different every week day. I am a repeat consumer, in fact, had lunch there and will return for a wine dinner tonight.

Herb Roasted Vegetable and Fresh Mozzarella Sandwich

This sandwich gives me the rare, momentary thought that I would be happy as a vegetarian (roasted squash, zucchini, eggplant, red peppers, pesto aioli, over grilled ciabatta). Not to mention, that I discovered my love for fried sweet potatoes at Laura Alberts.

The Bad: Closed during dinner hours, except on Wednesday.  The sweet potato fries today were somewhat crispier than normal. Some people like that. I would rather have them slightly crispy.

The Good: I would not be able to write the multitude of reasons for trying this place.  It is wonderful.  Honestly, everything I've had there has been great. If you're into beer, try their beer dinners. 

In Conclusion: Do yourself a favor, the pleasure would be all yours, if you discovered Laura Alberts. You might write her a love note too.