On Wednesday, May 20th, the Old Village Post House in Mt. Pleasant will host a wine dinner dedicated to one of the Lowcountry's most famous crops: Carolina Gold rice.
During the 19th century, the grain rose to prominence throughout the Carolinas and Georgia. It quickly became a foundation of Southern cuisine before all but disappearing in post-bellum Charleston. However, thanks to recent work of the Carolina Gold Rice Foundation, the crop has been salvaged.
In an effort to bring awareness to preservation efforts, the Old Village Post House will collect donations during the event to benefit Clemson's Coastal Research & Education Center.
For the dinner, Chef Forrest Parker has created a five-course menu – including wine pairings – that features Carolina Gold rice. Here’s a look:
Passed Hors d'oeuvres
- Fountain Inn Rabbit Mousse: pickled Chainey Briar, Chinquapin hoecake
- Jimmy Red Cornbread Crostini: Keegan-Filion bacon jam, potlikker
- Cold-Smoked Sturgeon & Carolina Caviar: fingerling chips, Celeste's buttermilk
Supper
- William Deas' Shrimp Soup: Sherry
- Deviled Crab & Sheepshead: melted palmetto cabbage, asparagus
- Dry Aged Duck: Glenn Roberts' Nostrale rice, rice pea salad, Bradford watermelon molasses
- Warm Peanut Benne Cake: James Island Red Fife wheat, African Runner peanut, vanilla ice cream, strawberries, caramelized banana, salted cane syrup
Tickets are $70 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are required and may be placed by calling 843-388-8935. The dinner will start at 6:30 pm.
The Old Village Post House is located at 101 Pitt Street.