Patio weather is officially here. Seek out these spots this weekend to bask in the sun while enjoying a light dish and a refreshing cocktail.
The ever-changing menu of seasonal dishes at The Lot keep us checking back regularly to see what they’re cooking up. This week, Chef Alex Lira has thrown together a unique dish called nage just in time for summer. Nage is a light broth, typically used for poaching seafood. Lira’s nage broth is made from the stock of local shrimp shells and chicken stock. It contains scallops from the coast of North Carolina, farro, roasted zucchini, squash, peas, lemon, cilantro, and radishes. It’s served with grilled bread spiked with garlic. He likes to pair it with one of his specialty drinks called The Lucille, which blends New Amsterdam gin, Aperol, Peychaud’s Bitters, and fresh grapefruit juice. Together the pairing will cost you exactly $30, with the nage at $22 and The Lucille at $8. Enjoy it on The Lot’s front deck or go around back to the Pour House deck. If you’re lucky, you might catch some free live music.
The Grapefruit Crush at the Shelter mixes fresh squeezed grapefruit juice with Finlandia grapefruit vodka and soda, garnished with a lime ($7). Their favorite warm weather dish, the Lowcountry Boil ($15), has all the essentials, including smoked sausage, corn on the cob, red potatoes, and shrimp. And their big deck on Coleman Boulevard is one of the hottest around.
Rita’s on Folly Beach is a perfect spot for any beach bum to get a break from the waves for a hearty meal. We like their Cantina Burger, a 10-ounce grilled ground chuck patty topped with chargrilled red onion, sliced Monterey jack cheese, and guacamole for $10. It’s especially good when gulped down with their signature Watermelon Margarita ($6), which is shaken with a seedless watermelon purée, orange juice, lime juice, and Triple Sec. Sip it their outdoor bar, or enjoy it with a meal at one of their outdoor tables.
And what’s more summery than a ball game? If you’re looking for some fun food while you’re watching the RiverDogs, you’ll have plenty to choose from at the Joseph P. Riley Stadium concession stands, like a Strawberry Sweetwater 420 beer milkshake ($6) paired with a taco dog ($4.50). The taco dog is a hot dog wrapped in a hard corn shell and a flour tortilla topped coleslaw and mustard barbecue sauce.
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