Charleston Edition: Tricky Fish

Tricky Fish - what an interesting name for a restaurant. This is a sister restaurant to Bluegrass Kitchen, which I appreciated. This would be an interesting trip, I thought. Melanie, now a local in Charleston, ushered me through the back door, past the bar and up to the front of the restaurant, where you order at the counter. If I wasn't with somebody who knew what they were doing, this experience could have gone awry quickly. But the woman behind the counter was very mellow and friendly. I looked over the chalkboard menu to my right as Melanie and I pondered what we'd order for drinks first. I went for the Tricky Punch - sounds like something I'd like. We then grabbed menus from the counter and found some seats while we waited for our drinks. The interior reminds me of a hippie, eclectic, vegan place. The chairs were heavy cast iron, and the table was made out of large, unique blue and white tiles. On the walls were random drawings, and a few colorful art pieces decorated the rest of the area. The front looked as though it had a large deck for people to dine, but it was entirely too hot this day.

The waitress brought over our drinks. Mine was served pink in a large, nondescript glass. I could taste the alcohol in it, but it wasn't overpowering. I studied the menu fairly closely. Their fish tacos seemed to be popular, but I wasn't feeling it. I opted to go for the crab cake sandwich with a side of hushpuppies. The sandwich had a toothpick in the middle, topped with a sweet pickle. I ate the pickle and plucked the toothpick out. I bit into the sandwich, but only got a taste of the bready kaiser roll. Second try: I bit again, but was the sandwich really this bland? I was a little disappointed. I poured some of the "spicy Tricky sauce" on the sandwich, which definitely gave it some flavor. The crab cake was fairly loose, and the lettuce and tomato were falling out, but I was determined to make this sandwich work. But I wasn't really impressed. The seasoning was a little dull for me, and the tricky sauce added a kick (their version of a remoulade sauce), but not enough to save it overall. Maybe had the outside been a little crispy or some spices really stood out, I'd be more impressed. It was okay overall - I finished it, but it probably wouldn't receive higher than a C for me.

The hushpuppies blew me away. They were the best hushpuppies I've ever had, hands down. They came with a mashed honey butter, which had the consistency of a sticky applesauce. It was amazing. It only came with a handful, so of course I would've liked more. But once my dining buddies tried one, Brittany had to order another whole basket for the table - they were that good. The seasoning is spot on, the outside is crispy and the inside is warm and fluffy. The sauce is sweet and buttery and warm. If you're here, be sure to try the hushpuppies if nothing else.

Grade: B