Aluette’s was suggested to us by our waiter at 82 Queen. He said that it was holistic, ultra-organic, local, etc food made by one, sole chef who reminds you of your grandmother and who will come out and sit at your table. Sold. Off we went.
The restaurant is not in the center of tourist-town or anything, but it’s an easy walk for vegetarians, or fans of the local movement.
When we came in the door, the first thing we saw was Alluette Jones-Smalls peering happily from behind a small pass-through window. She encouraged us to sit wherever and a waiter stood up from behind a desk in the front to offer us drinks.
Ice tea is the way to go. They season it with fruit juice that makes it murky but fruity and still with that tannic tea-taste.
The bathroom is just off the kitchen so I was able to chat with Alluette on my way out when she read my mind and told me where to look for paper towels. She also asked how we’d heard about her (there are several magazine write-ups on the wall so referrals are not your only option) and asked us to be patient as she is a one-woman show back there. As she said this, she heaped some homemade cole slaw onto a sandwich and sent it out.
Most of the produce is sourced from local farmers across the river or at the farmer’s market. Jack loved his fried chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, dressing and cole slaw. I had a bite. It was pretty fantastic. The chicken was moist with a crispy outside and the seasoning she used in her slaw lent itself perfectly to the sandwich.
My own fried shrimp was surprising and lovely. Instead of a huge batter-fry, it was very light with small herbs incorporated. The shrimp was fresh as can be, and the hand cut fries were nice, but improved with the red seasoning pepper that we found on our table.
I didn’t eat as much of the slaw as I might have because the small bowl of potato salad distracted me instantly. It was more of a potato-egg salad and even though we were feeling close to stuffed, we devoured the little thing.
Our check came before we asked for it, which would have been refreshing after NY’s usual make-you-wait-till-you-want-to-scream except that I needed to try to bread pudding that people had been reverently muttering about. It was good, certainly but um…healthy. The bread, pre-pudding was a whole grain, fiber-filled seed bread and the pudding included apple chunks and raisins. The topping was a drizzle of honey. I feel like a fat kid here, but I wished that it had just one component of sin. Like chocolate chips or even a sugary jam.
The place is comforting. She has a few helpers who drag ice chests across the floor towards the kitchen and baskets of produce line the walls, waiting to be taken into the tiny kitchen. She came out to check on us two times and thanked us profusely for coming in.
I had hurt feelings when the artsy young-adults next to us whipped out their cameras and an ipad to record their experience and another analytical diner came in; I am not the only blogger to leave the beaten path. In fact, there were more photo-taking eaters in the restaurant than regular people who show up and enjoy good food. But a few friends popped their heads in to chat or help and no one seemed to resent my picture-taking.
Aluette’s is a lovely, clean, non-judgmental restaurant that you should check out on a lazy afternoon when you can sit and feel wholesome and happy. It’s the only meal we ate in Charleston in which we did not walk about thinking about how painfully full we were. And I mean that in the most satisfying and appreciative way.
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