Thursday, May. 28, 2009
High Hammock, Maverick Seaside Kitchen
high hammock
Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes at High Hammock, Maverick Seaside Kitchen in Pawleys Island. - photo by Ashley Morris, for Weekly Surge.
setting the table
A Mother’s Day gift should be special, memorable (not stale like a cellophane-wrapped gift basket of body lotions and bath beads or insulting like a dieting cookbook or workout DVDs). And special is exactly what I ordered for my mom when we dined a Mother’s Day getaway at High Hammock, Maverick Seaside Kitchen at the Hammock Shops Village in Pawleys Island.
The Charleston-based restaurant group carved out a relaxed, yet refined establishment into the former framework of Louis’s at Pawleys location. Indoors, rustic brick walls and flooring fuse with sassy, red leatherback dining room chairs and urban accents. We were seated, as requested, on the moon-shaped porch, where a canopy of ancient live oaks and a tepid evening nearing twilight naturally blended with sturdy, cedar patio furniture and basket-shaded hanging lamps.
It was all a sensual prelude to dinner – the scent of cedar, the chirping of crickets and clinking glasses from the bar dancing with the sight and sound of laughter from folks as they gathered together to enjoy dinner. I had a gut (reaction) feeling that I’d highly like High Hammock.
down the hatch
Drinks were first on the agenda: Mom, at first distraught that High Hammock didn’t carry her standard white zinfadel, was assured by our kind server that the house white Riesling ($6) would be a perfect sweet wine substitute. And it was. Mom was pleasantly impressed. I, normally forced to down bland options of non-alcoholic beverages for nine months when dining out, wanted to feel a little special on this night. So I asked for the night’s special drink, the Frozen Kiwi Crusher ($8.50), sans the midori, Malibu rum and Sky Pineapple Vodka. The finished frozen cocktail ($4.50) was a tall, virgin beauty and a refreshing balance of kiwi and fruit juices, plus a little impromptu creativity with virgin piña colada mix.
On to appetizers. I chose from the evening’s special menu, the Crispy Seafood Croquettes ($7), four generous lumps of lightly battered croquettes assembled with great care and accompanied by a bed of Timms Mill grits and Thornhill Farms mustard greens, a garnish of chopped tomato and Maverick tartar sauce. Fresh and delicious.
Mom’s main course was plucked off the dinner menu: Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes ($23.50). She is a slight crab cake connoisseur – from samplings in Ocean City, Md., to the Grand Strand. These, she confirmed, took the crab cake crown with absolutely no filler and a wonderful fresh-caught flavor. Add to that its sauté of corn, okra, yellow squash and grape tomatoes, and the dish neared palatable perfection.
My entrée was selected especially for the carnivorous baby and me from the special dinner menu: the Grilled 12-ounce Black Angus Ribeye ($24). This melt-in-your-mouth cut practically spilled over my plate in a scrumptious marsala mushroom veal reduction. I didn’t skip my veggies, thanks to the dinner’s sides of Maverick potatoes and fresh-picked from the garden green beans. Prepared at my medium preference, the steak was divine.
With no room for dessert, we decided to split a slice of Key Lime Pie anyway ($5) and didn’t regret this sweetie pie slathered on a pecan sandie crust and bejeweled with fresh berries and a raspberry coulis.
check, please
High Hammock, Maverick Seaside Kitchen is Southern hospitality at its finest – from its exemplary service to its Charleston standard culinary achievement. As a recent addition this year to the restaurant representation in Pawleys Island, I think it’s already become a standout.
What is especially appealing to me is that High Hammock is gifted with all of these service industry musts without being too stuffy. Couples, groups, families … and moms of any age will feel right at home here.
High Hammock, Maverick Seaside Kitchen is at the Hammock Shops Village at 10880 Ocean Highway, Pawleys Island. Lunch is served daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; dinner is served daily at 5:30 p.m.; the tavern opens at 4 p.m.; Sunday brunch is available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For additional info, call 979-0300 or visit www.mavericksouthernkitchens.com/highhammock/index.html.
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