The Kennedy

location.
221 E Kennedy Street

hours.
mon thru thurs 4pm - 10pm; friday 4pm - 1am; sat 11am - 3pm, 5:30pm - 1am; sun 11am - 3pm, 5:30pm - 9pm
 
what they are known for.
creative farm to table, shareable dishes

menu.

If you have kids, you know how important and sometimes rare a date night could be, so when The Kennedy offered me a chance to get out with my husband for the first time after kid #2, I could not pass it up! They just released their fall menu, so even though I’ve been many times, I couldn’t wait to try some of the new offerings.

We started with this amazing pimento cheese plate and the shrimp toast, and drinks obviously. Sidenote: their champagne flutes make me feel so fancy. The pimento cheese was smoky and chunky, and I love breaking up the heaviness with a bite of the house made pickles. The lavash is a perfect thin cracker for this spread! While I didn’t quite know what to expect with the shrimp toast, it blew me away. Super rich, creamy, crunchy, saucy - I could have had several more.

Big Moe's Pimento Cheese: Hoop Cheddar, Roasted Shishito Duke’s, Pickles, and Lavash ($6)

Shrimp Toast with Pepper Mash Sambal ($6.50)

Next up for us was the fried rice - we’d been told about it by more than one friend, plus our server and the chef both suggested it. The Carolina Gold rice made for a unique twist on an Asian classic, and who doesn’t love a runny yolk!

Kim Chi has always been a staple in my life due to the fact that my dad grew up in Korea. He taught me how to cook and love food, including the unusual. That being said, this kim chi was so good that I asked Chef Jamie Cribb if they made it in house. It is a very difficult dish to get right, so while they are outsourcing it now, they are working on making it themselves with local ingredients like collard greens. YUM.

Fried Carolina Gold Rice with Kim Chi, Sauteed Greens, and Slow Poached Farm Egg ($9)

I knew I also had to try the mussels which are brought up from Charleston with other seafood twice a week. Bacon and mussels are a dream combination, and with the savory sauce…yum. You’d better believe I sopped it all up with some grilled bread!

Mussels with House Bacon, Tomato Broth, Fennel and Focaccia ($12)

Verging on full, we decided to go for the cabbage pancake to round out the main course. The hoisin was quite strong but balanced well by the cabbage and shrimp sauce.

Cabbage Pancake, “Okonomiyaki” Style, with Pepper Mash Sambal, Hoisin, and Bonito ($9)

And I couldn’t leave without trying the new fall dessert: sweet corn crème brûlée with caramel corn. Holy goodness. I can never crack the shell of a creme brulee without thinking of the movie Amelie - anyone else?!

Sweet Corn Creme Brulee with Anson Mills Caramel Corn ($7)

I highly recommend sitting at the chefs table if you have the chance. I love watching a well oiled kitchen in action, and you may even get an extra treat like this watermelon dish. This heirloom watermelon strain has been in the same family and unaltered for 200 years!! The chef pressed it with Thai basil and served it up with pickled watermelon rind. It was so refreshing between some of the richer dishes we enjoyed.

Special dish from the Chef: Heirloom Watermelon pressed with Thai Basil and served with pickled watermelon rind and muscadines

Aside from the amazing food which will keep me coming back, the service couldn’t be better. We felt so pampered on our special night!! Thanks to everyone at the Kennedy, and keep up the delicious work!