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Feb
9
Did you get really excited the first time you heard about pretzel cookies? Or chocolate covered potato chips? Or rosemary and goat cheese ice cream? Do you mostly love the French for their penchant for post-dinner cheese plate? The Shop Tart likes her dessert somewhat savory. She likes a side of potato chips with her Whitman’s sampler. She’d rather have a big plate of cheese fries at the Whig than chocolate. The first thing that came to mind when she was introduced to Suzi Sheffield’s new line of Beautiful Briny Sea Artisan Salt Blends was how good the lavender or rosemary would taste sprinkled on a simple sugar cookie. But first things first.
Beautiful Briny Sea Artisan Salt Blends were named after a song from seventies Disney cult classic “Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Inside, they are even prettier.
They will be carried at Whole Foods, but if you - like the Shop Tart - can’t sit around twiddling your thumbs waiting for a d*mn Whole Foods to grace us with its presence, you will understand why she was so excited when Suzi gave her a set. If you can’t finagle that, you will only have to wait until Thursday, when Peg Averyt will be debuting them at Finleaf’s Valentine’s party. From 5:30 to 7:30 pm, enjoy wine and bubbly, fab company, gorgeous fragrances by Beth Terry, plenty of jewelry (local designer Haley Keisler of Hermosa will be there) and tasty treats. Suzi herself will be providing some of the food - if you haven’t sampled her work beyond El Burrito, now is your chance. The first three flavors are available now and several more are works in progress, including black truffle, lemon celery, lemon verbena and rosemary pink peppercorn.
At home, the Shop Tart already had a quiche thawing for dinner. (Shop Tart Tip: Check they day-old bin at Rosewood Market every day if you can. She scored a whole house-made veggie quiche for five dollars and froze it before it could age any more. The waffles from Sunday brunch also freeze well, just like Eggo, but way healthier. That bin is full of cheap treasures.) Although she was tempted to keep the quiche for another day and roast some lamb chops with mushroom salt immediately, she decided to wait. (You can only put a day-old quiche back in the fridge so many times, yo.) She rushed in and purchased a log of pre-made sugar cookie dough from the Piggly Wiggly. In the parking lot with two antsy children, she locked her keys in the car and had to wait 15 minutes for Pop-a-Lock to arrive. (But they said it would be 30, so that was pretty cool. And the guy was super nice. Yes, she does know about AAA, but someone forgot to renew it. Mr. Shop Tart.) Let this be a lesson: Shortcuts are never as short as they seem. Shortcuts will ruin your life. Anyhow.
After dinner, the three-year-old was gunning to make cookies. He made some with sprinkles which, unbeknownst to his mother, were in the pantry. Somehow, he knew exactly where they were.
Most of the sprinkles never made it to the cookies. Because he ate them. Mr. Shop Tart had to put him to bed when he got home, because his wife was at a loss as to how to get him to go to sleep.
She cut each of her cookies into quarters and sprinkled some with rosemary salt, others with lavender salt.
They were delicious.
The Shop Tart has big plans for those salts. The rosemary and mushroom blends will make the perfect rub for lamb chops. The lavender salt is begging to be sprinkled on asparagus. Lemon celery salt? Bloody Marys on the porch. She plans to blend the lemon verbena with butter and spread it on dried cherry scones. She’ll also use that one in a beurre blanc sauce for fish. Rosemary pink peppercorn should be easy…
Happy Shopping and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!
P.S. As promised, photos of watches at Unforgettable Fine Jewelry. All watches - for men and ladies, by Seiko and Tommy Bahama - are 15 percent off for Shop Tart readers until Saturday. The Shop Tart believes in wearing a watch, even though she could check the time on her phone. It’s just classier, yo. These range in price from $140 to about $400, even less with the discount!
P.P.S. So, you’ve been eating healthy and working out, just like you should. But you want that little extra push to look your best. If you’ve ever considered non-invasive or minimally invasive treatments to banish cellulite, head to Illumination Med Spa tonight for an information session with Dr. Brian Hurley at 6 pm. He will cover everything you need to know about Lipotherme and Lipo-Ex. Come with all your questions! (And don’t think this will get you out of going to the gym or hitting the trail. You’ll be so happy with your new look, you’ll want to maintain it. Besides, you’ll totally want to rock shorts while jogging by the river, just to show off.) THIS JUST IN: You should r.s.v.p. to the Illumination gig this evening. Also, you will get 10 percent off treatment zones if you schedule tonight as well as FREE Latisse, 20 units of Botox and one free medical microderm-abrasion. That’s a lot of free stuff.
P.P.P.S. There are a few Twitter feeds you might want to follow right this second.
- VanJean. The ladies are in New York for fashion week, deciding what we’ll all be wearing this spring. They already met Tory Burch in person and the fun continues!
- Terra. They’ll be live-tweeting Chef Mike Davis’ James Beard dinner. Almost as good as being there. (Not really, but the Shop Tart hears the dinner will be re-created here in town, so you’ll get a great preview.)
- Camille Maurice. She’s also attending the dinner in New York tonight. Lucky!
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Feb
8
If you’re looking for ramblings about football, you’ve come to the wrong place. The Shop Tart watched the Super Bowl at her parents’ house with her children, husband, sister, brother, brother-in-law and aunt. They ate a lot of food and shushed everyone during the commercials. The Shop Tart was ever-so-vaguely pulling for New Orleans, because she has a friend from Louisiana and New Orleans seems like more fun that whatever the other place was. The most important thing was a surprise the Shop Tart’s mother had been planning all day: Salmon ball. Made to look like a football. (Now you know where the Shop Tart gets her sometimes bizarre approach to entertaining.) She could not resist taking a picture of the delicious sculpted salmon covered in horseradish mayonnaise and messing with it until it looked like a picture from a seventies cookbook. It was delicious. And, yes, there is a toothpick holder in the background shaped like a tiny man with toothpicks in his mouth.
So, while some many all of you may have tired of reading about meals over which the Shop Tart celebrated her birthday, she is not tired of sharing. One was her family birthday party. The second was a public birthday extravaganza, a lovely gift. The third - actually the first, since it was three days before her actual birthday - was a lovely lunch with friends. (As an aside, she will try to never complain again about hosting her husband’s yearly birthday bash on Christmas Eve. After all, she had three parties.) When her friends asked where she wanted to go, she jumped at the chance and said Solstice, which she’s been wanting to try for ages. Dinner there is always divine and she knew lunch would be just as good. The ladies started with French Quarter pimento cheese, a famously delicious signature dish also served at Mr. Friendly’s.
Four out of five ladies at the table agreed the special - fish of the day over fried green tomato and creamy polenta with dijon beurre blanc and sautéed spinach - was the best choice. Being ladies, they ordered it several different ways. There was one request for “more spinach, no polenta,” one for “light polenta, heavy spinach,” as well a couple others. Ladies know what they want, n’est-ce pas? Whatever the variation, it was delicious.
In true ladies-who-lunch fashion, the Shop Tart and her table mates followed their hot tea with a glass of wine, a delightful pouilly fuissé recommended by the knowledgeable staff. The Shop Tart had forgotten all about her love of pouilly fuissé, which had given way to her love of sancerre, which has been more or less abandoned for “a dry white wine that’s minerally, not buttery.” In any case, pouilly fuissé might be her summer jam. It’s a little bit cougar, a little bit lady-like and a whole lot yummy. The fifth lady at the table asked for shrimp. The exact dish she wanted was not on the menu, but Solstice was happy to oblige, offering this delish grilled seafood over sautéed spinach.
Because it was her birthday, dessert was in order. Krispy Kreme bread pudding? Oui! With a steaming cup of fresh-brewed coffee, it was part of a balanced breakfast.
All in all, it was a lovely lunch and Solstice is at the top of the Shop Tart’s list for long, lady lunches. So, when would you like to meet her there?
Do you have a sudden desire to make your own Krispy Kreme bread pudding? The Shop Tart has done it. Here is her recipe.
Sophisticated Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding
Butter a casserole dish and fill it with a dozen randomly torn Krispy Kremes. The beauty of this recipe is it’s okay if they’re a little bit stale. That’s what bread pudding is all about. Sprinkle the following on the doughnuts:
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans
the zest of one lemon. (You can just zest the lemon over the dish.)
In a separate bowl, mix the following:
a 12 ounce can of evaporated milk.
2 eggs.
2 teaspoons lemon extract.
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.
Blend until the eggs are beaten. Pour the mixture over the Krispy Kremes.
Cook it for 30 to 40 minutes in a 350° oven. It’s best served hot, although it can be polished off over the course of a day, spoonful by spoonful, right out of the dish. A dollop of not-too-sweet vanilla ice cream would be lovely. (The Shop Tart created this recipe a couple years ago after being stuck with a lot of leftover doughnuts from a fundraiser. The recipes she found online all included added sugar. Ew. That would be disgusting. Seriously. Although she doesn’t know this for sure, she suspects Solstice’s Krispy Kreme bread pudding had little - if any - added sugar.)
Happy Shopping and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!
P.S. Only six shopping days left until Valentine’s Day! Unforgettable Fine Jewelry has a brand new line of men’s Seiko watches. They are offering 15 percent off the already reasonably priced timepieces to Shop Tart readers through Saturday. (Look for pictures tomorrow or just go to Unforgettable and see for yourself!) Don’t forget to think outside the box: These would make great graduation gifts and now is the time to buy, when you can get a discount.
P.P.S. Did you see the great recipe from Spotted Salamander in yesterday’s surprise post? Yum. Also, there is a link to Otis Taylor’s great story in the State yesterday about Terra. Chef Mike Davis, wine expert Howard Jarrett and a few more peeps from Terra are headed to New York City to wow guests at the James Beard House with a sophisticated, southern style dinner. Terra will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday, and will reopen Thursday. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, they’ll offer a special Valentine’s Day menu, so make your reservations now. And mark your calendar: On February 27th, they will be celebrating National Open that Bottle Night. You bring that bottle you’ve been saving for who-knows-what and Terra’s knowledgeable staff will recommend dinner to go with it. The Shop Tart will be there, probably with this:
P.P.P.S. The Shop Tart hates to see an institution closing its doors. Otis Taylor posted this video on Twitter this morning, “Lindsey Downen, a USC graphics arts major, did her senior project on ‘The Final Days of Biscuit House.’ ” Pretty cool. (And pretty sad. The Shop Tart is a sucker for the plaintive sound of acoustic guitar.) The Biscuit House will be open through the end of May, so don’t miss your chance to enjoy it a few more times. The Shop Tart sincerely hopes she will be able to get their sweet potato biscuit recipe, because life will not be the same without it. Maybe if we all clap our hands and believe, they will re-locate rather than disappear. Please?
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Feb
7
The All-Local Farmers’ Market is one of the best places in town to recover from a big night out. Yesterday morning, post-dinner at MoMo’s and Tiptons show, the Shop Tart was in desperate need of such help. Gervais and Vine’s vegetable scrambled eggs and sausage gravy doused with Palmetto Pepper Potions’ Trenholm Venom came to her rescue. On the mend, the Shop Tart made her way around the market. Although she missed out on Spotted Salamander’s house-made marshmallows, she did get to taste their pork mole nachos. Ding dang, that is some serious Super Bowl fare.
To quote her brother in law, “Are you ready for some football?” He is from Maine and has been bracing himself for some football for quite some time now. (And the Shop Tart appreciates his effort to embrace such foreign traditions as Super Bowl parties with his wife’s southern family. Mr. Shop Tart also struggled with and conquered his aversion to football. Well, the American type. As a child of European parents, he’s all over futbol. Or whatever.) So, are you ready?
You can be with Spotted Salamander’s most excellent nacho recipe. Seriously, these are amazing. The Shop Tart has never been a fan of chocolate-based mole sauce, but Brad Weeks of Spotted Salamander explained that the key to a good mole was balancing the cocoa powder with cinnamon so the dish doesn’t taste weird and chocolatey.
Spotted Salamander Pork Mole Nachos
Start with one package of local Caw Caw Creek pork shoulder. (If you can’t get that right this second, a pound to a pound and a half of sto’ bought pork shoulder will suffice.)
Sear the pork with salt and pepper in an oven-proof pan, one to two minutes on each side. Remove the meat.
To the empty pan, add one cup salsa, one cup chopped tomatoes, one cup chicken broth and half a sweet onion, chopped. Sauté for five minutes.
Add one teaspoon each cocoa powder, cinnamon and garlic powder. Sauté for ten more minutes.
Return pork to pan and cover. Roast at 350° for one hour.
Once the meat is fork tender, chop it and put it in a bowl, pouring the sauce over the top to taste. It should have the texture and appearance of a typical southern pulled pork. You should only need about half the sauce.
Serve it as a dip topped with plenty of shredded cheddar from Happy Cow Creamery, available at the All-Local Market or Rosewood Market. If you don’t want television viewing to be obstructed by individual dippers, you could always spoon it over a tray of tortilla chips, top with shredded cheddar and put it back in the oven just long enough to melt the cheese.
Tips:
- According to Brad, the recipe makes enough sauce to do this twice. Freeze half of it and cut your cooking time for next time.
- The Shop Tart is lazy and would use a can of tomatoes instead of fresh, drained of course. She might also use Rotel, because she likes it spicy.
- Also? She would use that chicken broth in a box, also available at Rosewood Market.
- Feeling super lazy? Ain’t nothing wrong with buying pre-shredded cheddar.
- One more thing - and the Shop Tart sincerely hopes Brad is not reading this - if you want to make this super easy, consider searing the steaks and onion and throwing all ingredients into a Reynolds oven bag, cooking for the time recommended in the package insert. In the Shop Tart’s experience, meat cooked in a Reynold’s oven bag doesn’t look pretty, but comes out nice and tender. The bags are perfect for preparing pulled pork or chicken, which is not meant to be pretty.
Happy Football and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!
P.S. Check out Otis Taylor’s great story in the State today about Terra. Go, Chef Mike! Go, Howard! Go, Terra! Watch out, James Beard House. Prepare to be amazed!
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Feb
5
First of all, the Shop Tart is exceedingly happy to have been reunited with her favorite eye cream and one of her new favorite products, Skinceuticals Antioxidant Lip Repair. She was out of both for at least a week and was beginning to look a little rougher than usual. She swears the Antioxidant Lip Repair, used regularly, makes her lips look as though they actually exist. Bonus: They stay moisturized. According to leading beauty experts, lips should be plump and moisturized at all times.
At Tonic yesterday, she also replaced her empty pot of Skinceuticals Eye Balm. She has a long and loving relationship with the balm and you can pry it out of her cold, dead hands. Recently, she tried a pot of Skinceuticals newest eye cream, A.G.E. Eye Complex. It was okay, but it just wasn’t the balm. (As an aside, her call to Skinceuticals to find out the difference yielded no results. It’s entirely possible that A.G.E. is better for some, Eye Balm for others. The Shop Tart tends towards dry skin and prefers the latter.)
Look how thick and creamy it is. Yet…drum roll…wait for it…it absorbs well and leaves no greasy residue. Love!
Anyhow, the Shop Tart does need her beauty products because - after a few days of rest - she’s ready to go out again. It’s looking like MoMo’s for dinner, because it’s close to home, magically delicious and the Shop Tart heard a rumor they have been serving some local veggies grown by her favorite urban farmer. (She called the restaurant to verify said rumor, received a call back, didn’t hear the answer as the message was truncated and never had a chance to call the restaurant again, because the children came home and needed snacks and attention. Children are like that. Also? Children are adorable. Especially hers. And yours, of course. Unless they are eating inappropriate fast food.) The Shop Tart enjoys verifying such rumors in person - much tastier than a cold phone call, n’est-ce pas? - and is looking forward to dinner.
After dinner, she plans to head to Dianne’s with her coolest friends. (Coolest friends? Please call the Shop Tart if you are free tonight. She has big plans.) The Tiptons are playing in the East Room at 8 pm and the Shop Tart is sure it will be a great time. It’s nasty out today. Wouldn’t you like to look forward to kicking it old school, sipping a great cocktail and listening to hot jazz in a chic setting? Well, you can. The Tiptons were scheduled to play here last week, but weather prevented them from coming. When they started playing together in 1988, they were called Billy Tipton Memorial Sax Quartet, in honor of Billy Tipton, a big band saxophone player and pianist who lived as a man for fifty years, presumably to allow her to rock it in the male-dominated world of jazz. The quartet consists of four female saxophonists - Amy Denio, Jessica Lurie, Sue Orfield and Tina Richerson - accompanied by female drummer Lee Frisari. The show is exactly what the Shop Tart needs while her beloved South Carolina mimics her (also beloved) Montréal in its bitter coldness. (The Shop Tart promises not to get too nostalgic about her Canadian college days. She promises not to have flashbacks to jazz clubs in Montréal she occasionally frequented*. At least, she will stop short of guzzling pitchers of Molson Export. They probably aren’t available at Dianne’s anyway.)
The concert is sponsored in part by 701 CCA. If you don’t know much about CCA, please take a moment to visit their website, where you will learn the show is also sponsored by “women-owned businesses….Abacus Planning Group, Dianne’s on Devine, HoFP Gallery, The Rackes Group [and] Resource Associates.” Now the Shop Tart really is having a flashback to the nineties, in a good way. Maybe Sassy magazine is on the way back! (Well, probably not. May the Shop Tart recommend Bust?)
So…what are you doing this weekend? As always, the Shop Tart highly recommends stopping by the All-Local Farmers’ market beside 701 Whaley Street in the morning. They offer the best and cheapest hangover breakfast in town. Not that you’ll be hungover. But you might be. If you’re looking to have a great time for a great cause, don’t miss the Haiti benefit at Smoke in Blythewood tomorrow. Also tomorrow, Trenholm Plaza is having Red Heartfest, an open house of sorts. There will be a live performance by local girl group iCande at noon, free blood pressure checks, CPR class sign-ups and heart-healthy living tips from the American Heart Association, as well as lots of deals from merchants. (Psssst…Today is National Wear Red today, so if you haven’t already, slip into something red or add a scarf to show your support.) In honor of the event, Trenholm Plaza merchants are offering a page of coupons, all good through the end of the month. You can print the coupons here. (Bumble Boutique is offering 15 percent off one spring item and they now carry Shop Tart favorite Tea, mad stylish clothing for children. Soak has a coupon too, and Rosso is offering a free glass of wine with any $15 food purchase.)
Happy Shopping and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!
P.S. Don’t forget: Unforgettable Fine Jewelry wants to make sure you have a great gift for your male Valentine. Through tomorrow, they’re offering 15 percent off cuff links to Shop Tart readers this week. And there’s something for everyone’s taste, from modern chic to sophisticated classic. The Shop Tart thinks cuff links add just the right touch of individuality to a man’s look.Love the wood-grain version in the top left! Cuff links are not just for black tie. They add a subtle touch of chic any time of day. These would make great graduation gifts as well, so stock up for spring.
P.P.S. Did you hear about the amazing deal at Austral Salon’s Irmo branch? Call them at 781-6426 and book a hair cut, color and/or highlights and pay exactly $0. That’s right, nothing. This offer is only good for new clients, because they want to meet you. This is worth a drive from down town, n’est-ce pas?
P.P.P.S. Pssst…mention Solstice’s recent email and get $10 off any bottle of wine this weekend. Just tell them it was “the email with the $10 off any bottle of wine thingy.” To sign up for their emails yourself, drop them a line at contact at solsticekitchen.com. They often offer coupons and deals!
P.P.P.P.S. This is getting ridiculous and the Shop Tart promises this is the last addendum, but you must know about Granger Owings’ tent sale, happening now through the 11th. The deals are always crazy: Suits 2-for-$350 (Corneliani, Hickey Freeman and Oxxford half off), coats 2-for-$300, trousers $39 and $49, shirts $40 and $50, sweaters $45, outerwear 70 percent off, shoes 479, ties $25 and ladies’ selections 50 to 70 percent off. Mr. Shop Tart, you better be reading, because it is not your wife’s job to personally notify you. GO!
* In Googling some of her old favorites, the Shop Tart learned that Gary Sharp died ten years ago. Sad! Bar G Sharp was always a good time.
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Feb
4
As much as she wanted to, the Shop Tart could not attend last night’s Hirsch wine dinner at Solstice. Three such dinners in one week might have required a costly trip to rehab. Although one doesn’t drink as much as it might seem at these dinners - the Shop Tart recommends asking for a light pour with each new wine - it’s still enough. More than enough. Or maybe just enough. (Shop Tart Tip: When you start to “feel” it, slow down and drink plenty of tweeners, those delightfully large glasses of water in between alcoholic beverages. Your skin will thank you. So will your head the next morning.) But still, she hears wine dinners at Solstice are some of the best and looks forward to going to one soon. She used to scoff at people who made too much of what a wine did to food - until she tried it chosen by the experts. The palate is a fascinating thing, yo. You remember in high school art class - the required one you almost got a “C” in - when you had to put different colors beside one another and show how changing companions could make the initial color look entirely different? Taste works the same way. Cool, right? Think of a wine dinner with someone from the actual vineyard as being like having a designer tell you what shoes to wear with a dress she designed. You can actually get inside their heads, just a little, just like you wanted to with everybody you ever had a crush on. Anyhow…
Wine dinners at Smoke are something everyone should experience at least once, probably more than once. They are everything that’s great about Columbia (even though they’re technically in Blythewood). The atmosphere is relaxed, the food is perfection, the conversation is downright hilarious with just enough cussing and people are nice as they can be. A seated dinner at Smoke is like an enormous dinner party. Ben Moise is the author of “Ramblings of a Lowcountry Game Warden”
Although she is loathe to share this secret, she feels a certain journalistic obligation. (She has these moments every now and then.) For atmosphere, you must snag a seat outside. Inside, you’ll hear more from the speaker of the evening, but you can’t beat a fancy dinner outside at long tables with nothing more than candles and canvas siding to ward off the chill in the air. As it was particularly cold Monday night, the Shop Tart borrowed her grandmother’s mink from her mother. Regardless of how you feel about fur, know this: Nothing beats it against the cold. The Shop Tart felt like she was home in bed, in a good way. The vintage coat will be returned and the Shop Tart has no plans to buy one of her own. In South Carolina, one per family is probably enough. She was pretty sure she wouldn’t catch too much flack for wearing fur at a game dinner.
When the Shop Tart and her dinner companion arrived, Tom Hall and his friend Derek were manning the barbecue on the front porch, offering appetizers of pita bread topped with a delish tzatziki and tender slices of slow-roasted lamb, paired nicely with some sort of warm rum drink. At times, it can be hard to get Tom to tell you exactly what you are eating or drinking. Just trust him. Inside, the mood was warm and friendly. The first course at the table was fried May River oysters on Carolina caviar (something that resembled succotash). The mildly spicy batter was a hit and the Shop Tart and her friends tried in vain for the rest of the evening to score a few extra oysters.
The oysters were paired with Clifford Bay sauvignon blanc. All wines were provided by Michael Cramer of Republic National and were available for sale at the dinner. Wine dinners are a great place to pick up wine to take home, as the prices are often slightly discounted for the occasion. Bonus: You’ll actually know something about what you’re buying. The second course was a mad yummy McClellanville crab and sweet corn bisque.
The soup was paired with Merryvale Starmount chardonnay, easily the table favorite of the evening. The Shop Tart is no good at describing these things, but it was real good, yo.
The next course was served by Tom Hall himself, in a box he passed to lucky diners. There were bits of roasted suckling pig in the makeshift cardboard tray, meant to be picked up with one’s fingers and eaten immediately. Told you things were pretty casual.
A spinach salad with pears, pecans, Gorgonzola and spinach arrived next. This salad is probably ready to be called a classic. The Gorgonzola was particularly good.
That was served with King Estate pinot gris from Oregon.
Tom Hall was also pouring something from a milk jug. And it wasn’t milk.
The following course was sea trout with seafood etouffée, prepared by proprietress herself, Julie Hall. There are a lot of reasons to be friends with Tom and Julie, but her etouffée is at the top of the list. Once again, the batter on the trout was divine.
That course was paired with Acrobat pinot noir. The Shop Tart can’t really drink red wine, but she will take a sip at a wine dinner, just to complement the food. This was lovely. The next course was maple-glazed quail on a bed of sweet potato hash. The Shop Tart had been told she might not get any, as she and her companion were a last-minute addition to the guest list. She was okay with that, but had she known how very delicious it was, she might have planned to wrestle it from someone else’s plate. Luckily, she did not have to do that, as there was just enough to go around.
The quail came with Strong Arms shiraz, which was tasty and came in this most excellent bottle. Love!
The butternut squash crème brulée was simple, delicious and the perfect end to a great meal. The Shop Tart knows butternut squash is terribly trendy at the moment and this is a trend she supports. Whether it’s part of the main course, dessert, or anything before or after.
The pudding was served with St. Supery moscato and Mardi Gras beads by Budweiser, just as it should have been.
This Saturday, Smoke is hosting a benefit for Haiti: Whole Hog for Haiti, Relief Music Fest. From noon until 8 pm, enjoy a pig pickin’ and oyster roast with the whole family. There will be plenty of music, provided by Jelly Roll and Delicious Dish, Danielle Howle, American Gun, Devils in Disguise, Plow Boys, Blackbottom Biscuits, WOFCC Gospel Choir and Say Brother. A donation between five and ten dollars is encouraged, but don’t be shy about giving more. The party’s happening rain or shine and it’ll be a blast, the perfect way to pre-game for the Super Bowl the next day. See you there!
Happy Shopping and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!
P.S. Sid and Nancy’s birthday sale continues. Today, get 20 percent off all accessories, including scarves, hats, bags and more. It’s a great day to be in Five points. Mary is offering 20 percent off almost everything in the store and 2G’s is offering 70 percent off all clothing. Take a few dollars and score a new look!
P.P.S. Can you teach the Shop Tart how to drive a stick shift car? She has access to one for about a week and would like to learn. She may just teach herself, because there has to be YouTube video for that. She tried to learn when she was younger, but - did this ever happen to you? - it always turned out the dude-teacher in question was just trying to get her in a car. In fact, the last guy who tried ended up being the father of her three children. As an old married lady, she no longer inspires that sort of desire, so now is the time to learn, n’est-ce pas?
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Feb
3
So, um, be careful, because they will sneak up on you. There you are, on an innocuous Sunday or Monday evening - maybe even a Tuesday - thinking you have nothing to fear. So you go to a wine dinner. Hello? Enough courses of fabulous food, with a different wine to go with each one, will knock you on your you-think-you’re-so-grown-up arse. So what do you do the next evening to recover? Go to another wine dinner, bien sûr. Friday evening, the Shop Tart went out for a quick bit to eat at Baan Sawan. She had been to a visitation following a death in her family and hadn’t had time to eat between talking to people and chasing a certain three-year-old. Sam and Alex at Baan Sawan are like family, so that’s where she and Mr. Shop Tart go when they need wine, sympathy and a bit of food. The Shop Tart didn’t feel very hungry, so she only ordered a spring roll. Delicious, as always. The addition of peanut sauce was inspired.
As these things go, she remembers finishing her evening by drinking the “last little bit” of bubbly out of the bottle, demanding that everyone sniff and review her new scent, deciding she was hungrier than she thought and spearing bites off forgiving friends’ plates. (Thank you, Tracie and Ron. What were those dishes? They were very good. Also, special thanks to Tracie and Sidney, who answered the Shop Tart’s plaintive text, “Baan?” and showed up as quickly as possible.)
Saturday evening, she went to her cousin’s house to hang with some of the awesome ladies in her family. (Mwah! Love you all!) By Sunday evening, she had sort of recovered and was ready for Motor Supply’s 20th anniversary wine dinner. Well, maybe she hadn’t recovered, but she can rally when necessary. One of her companions suggested she start with a Champagne cocktail that involved bitters. Bitters are a brilliant way to end a hangover or tummy ache like the one you might get after being a judge at Viva la Vista. Normally, the Shop Tart would enjoy bitters in a tall glass of club soda with a slice or two of orange. It struck her that the Champagne cocktail would kill two birds with one stone and she does like a shortcut.
Mr. Shop Tart, who is more or less a vegetarian, chose to bow out of this dinner, although he loved the one the week before. The Shop Tart carefully chose the most fun table (Hey, y’all!) and sat at the end with her friends Tracie and Ron. (Shop Tart Tip: Try to sit near the people who really know about wine at a wine dinner. Then you’ll feel as though you are getting an education and not just drunk.) The first course was served with more bubbly.
The Champagne was lovely with Chef Tim Peters’ salt-roasted potato fritter filled with creamed caviar. (Tim observed he hadn’t made the fritters in a while and that the coating was thicker than he liked. The Shop Tart thought it was just fine and ate the whole thing with much enthusiasm. His self-deprecation was charming and made everyone feel as though they were having dinner in a friend’s home rather than a restaurant.)
By the end of the first course, the first party foul had been committed. Always nice to get that out of the way. Always nice when it isn’t the Shop Tart. Luckily, the glass that broke was empty-ish.
The second course was house made duck liver pâté and mustard, toasted bread and - Shop Tart freaking favorite - celery root slaw. Can we please start an email campaign to get this put on the lunch menu? Preferably in a baguette with marinated vegetables and fresh tomatoes?
That course was served with Domaine de Ballade colombard sauvignon, which was verrah, verrah good.
And check out Tracie’s bracelet. It used to be the Shop Tart’s, something she scored on sale and has never had occasion to wear. When Tracie came to pick her up, the Shop Tart noticed her fab cocktail ring, a perfect match for the bracelet. The two were meant to be together, really. (Shop Tart Tip: Don’t hoard. If it was meant for someone else, let it go. Fly, fly away, little birdie! That’s figurative, not literal, y’all. Because the Shop Tart would never give away her awesome bird ring.)
The next course was a heavenly salad of local greens, chopped Wil-Moore Farms egg and delicious labneh dressing. The Shop Tart could eat this every day.
It was accompanied by Lucas and Lewellen chardonnay.
What arrived next was the Shop Tart’s favorite dish: slow braised Caw Caw Creek bacon with wild local scuppernong barbecue sauce and a poached pear.
Somehow, she ended up with a slightly larger portion than everyone else. She took it home in a box. She sautéed it in a pan with garlic and asparagus, later tossing it in pasta with beaten Wil-Moore Farms eggs and Parmesan. But for the fact she had decided to experiment with gluten-free pasta, it would have been very good. (It was still pretty d*mn good, but she needs to do a little research before going gluten-free in the pasta aisle again.)
The bacon was served with this wine, which has far too many words on it for the Shop Tart to type this early in the morning. All the wines were provided by Grassroots Wine, so if you have questions, please contact them or Motor Supply. In case you haven’t noticed, while the Shop Tart can drink some wine, she doesn’t know much about it. Tracie and Ron do, so you could also ask them.
Next up, blood orange sherbert, which the Shop Tart and her table companions decided to consume hands-free. She cannot recall who suggested this - and knows it wasn’t her - but she does love a challenge. (Told you she chose the fun table.)
More wine appeared, a Dutton Goldfield pinot noir from the Russian River Valley, wherever that is. (Like the shirt in the background? It’s from Britton’s. These are the things the Shop Tart wants to know.)
The following course was consommé of oxtail, quenelle of foie gras and morels. Fancy!
Enfin, it was time for the main course. The Shop Tart is getting used to this, by the way. She is learning not to eat too much too soon, because the main course arrives pretty close to the end. Although things had gotten a bit hazy, the roast venison with parsnip purée, butter-glazed pearl onions, green beans and green peppercorn duck glacé was delish. After all that wine, a plate of fancy meat and potatoes was exactly what the Shop Tart needed. (And, yes, she knows that parsnips are not potatoes. It’s just a metaphor. Or something. Do y’all really think she’s that dumb? Parsnip=potato? Please.)
The final wine was Melville syrah. It may or may not have anything to do with Herman. The Shop Tart certainly had a whale of a good time. (Ha.)
Dessert? Ain’t nothing wrong with a chocolate torte, crème fraiche and house-made Cottle Farms strawberry preserves. Nothing wrong at all.
That dinner was so good, it should have been enough for one week. Is it the Shop Tart’s fault that someone mentioned the Smoke dinner on Facebook, which had nothing to do with the Shop Tart, but she answered the call anyway people torment her on Facebook and demand that she attend a second wine dinner not 24 hours later? Stay tuned for Part II…
Happy Shopping and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!
P.S. Hey! Did you hear? John Mayer has been in town rehearsing for his show. Late yesterday afternoon, he twittered that USC students were welcome at a free show that evening. The Shop Tart had had lunch with the famed Otis Taylor earlier in the day. Otis Taylor, who later got to attend the show for The State even though he isn’t in college any more. Lucky. So, here’s the Shop Tart’s take: Later that evening at Bunco with the ladies, she learned from good authority that John Mayer looks pretty hot without a shirt. (She might argue that almost all men look pretty hot without shirts, but that’s just her.) That fact combined with a later tweet of Mayer’s confirming something she has long known to be true (*USC = University of South Carolina.) has made her a fan. Even though she didn’t get to go to the show. She also heard he went to the salon at H2 to purchase Kerastase products for his awesome hair. You know who else went to H2 for a beauty treatment? Jessica Biel. That was a while ago, when she was in town filming “Nailed.” (Didn’t want to start a rumor about John Mayer and Jessica Biel.) The Shop Tart isn’t saying what it was, but did you know they do bikini waxes there? Good ones, apparently. And John Mayer’s hair is pretty great, kind of like Val Kilmer’s in “The Doors,” but way cleaner and shinier, thanks to Kerastase. Maybe John Mayer should play Jim Morrison in a remake of “The Doors.” That would be hot.
P.P.S. Sid and Nancy is having a birthday sale and you get a present! They are having a sale all week long. Today, enjoy 20 percent off all shoes. Hooray! Follow them on Twitter to be the first to hear about each day’s sale.
P.P.P.S. In the mood for a wine dinner tonight? Solstice is having a great one and there may be a few spots left. Wine will be presented by Jasmine Hirsch of Hirsch Vineyards and the food will be prepared by Chef Ricky Mollohan himself (presumably with a little help from the rest of the Solstice staff). Should be great - take a look at the menu and call 788-6966 for a reservation.
P.P.P.P.S. (Last one. Swear.) Thanks so much for your warm reception to guest blogger Jenks Farmer yesterday. He will be featured once a month and the Shop Tart is really looking forward to having a (manageable!) urban garden of her very own. What other subjects would you like to see here? The Shop Tart would love to have a few other featured bloggers. (’Cause she likes to party and that takes time.)
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Feb
2
The Shop Tart is not a gardener. She gets really excited about places like the All-Local Farmers’ Market and City Roots, where vegetables are grown right down town, because they allow her to eat local with little to no effort on her part. But, wouldn’t it be fabulously chic to grow her own? A wise woman recently recommended adding gardening to the Shop Tart mix, so here you are.
The newest - and so far only - guest blogger on the Shop Tart is Jenks Farmer. As it happens, he has quite the reputation. When the Shop Tart’s mother heard the news, she got as dreamy-eyed as the Shop Tart did over Leonard Cohen. Jenks is responsible for one of the Shop Tart’s favorite spots in Columbia, the garden at the Seibels House. She loves the garden for its lushness, sophistication and ability to provide a fab backdrop for parties. ‘Cause she likes to party*. (The below photo was stolen from Jenks’ Facebook page, so it may be removed if the photographer objects. Yes, he’s cute. He’s also taken, just so you know.)
The Shop Tart is thrilled to have found someone with such an affinity for local agriculture on the city. She is a city-dweller at heart with a hippy sensitivity. Small gardens are the best of everything for her and she can’t wait to try Jenks’ recommendations. Each month, he’ll suggest one flower and one vegetable to grow right here in Columbia in a small space and the Shop Tart plans to try them all. Won’t you? After several months, she expects to have quite the little home garden. Hooray! Do take a moment to look at his website (click on “Jenks Farmer Other Stuff” to view photos of some of his work and travels), his blog and his Twitter feed.
Without further ado…
Columbia City Farmer, Part I
As an introduction, I’m a horticulturist, garden designer, nursery owner and Isagenix nutrition associate who came from way out in the country. I ran away to Seattle and came back 16 years ago.
I grew up on a very rural farm. Not an estate, but a little country place with three or four cows, a pig if one happened to walk by, and a big vegetable garden in the back field. In the front yard there were clothes lines, flowers and view of a dark, alluring Magnolia swamp.
I spent my time as a kid in the swamps, digging up ferns and wild azaleas, bringing them back and playing in the flower garden. I even had my own little flower garden. (So queer for a country boy in 1973.) I didn’t love working in the vegetable garden, because it was work and everything had to be in straight lines, but now I appreciate that we grew, cleaned, froze and ate almost all of our own vegetables and meat.
I’ve lived in various cities across the country and out of this country since the early eighties. But I’ve never given up that farm. Now I’m there every week. Nor did I ever give up growing my own food. Any little piece of dirt - whether in the ground or a pot or box - can grow food. I cherish and want to share my memories - the rhythm, the mnemonics, the food, plants and flowers of a little farm - and how those things relate to urban life.
Potatoes for Valentine’s Day:
Every crop corresponds with a major holiday. Like old farmers, use the holiday to remind you of upcoming work. After a few years, you’ll think more of golden potatoes than Godiva on Valentine’s Day. [Ed. note: Done. Because the Shop Tart hasn’t been getting any chocolate on Valentine’s Day any way. And she loves french fries.]
Potatoes are totally foolproof. At least they used to be, before giant agriculture and grocery stores changed them. Unfortunately for us urbanites, potatoes are almost impossible to grow from the things you buy in the store. Remember how potatoes you kept in the cabinet would sprout? Then you always debated if they were safe to eat. Have you noticed that doesn’t happen anymore with spuds from big grocery stores? Most of those potatoes are treated with growth-retarding hormone so they will last forever in transit and in your kitchen. [Ed. note: Ewww! That’s creepy. Good to know!]
How to Grow a Few Potatoes:
Head to Rosewood Market and pick some basic red or white potatoes. Organically grown, please, because - as previously noted - conventional spuds are treated with a hormone that will keep them from sprouting well. [Ed. Note: The potatoes below are Jenks' personal crop. They would look mad chic roasted and served on your fine china, n'est-ce pas?]
Find the little growing points around the potato, otherwise known as the eyes. They are new stems for new buds just waiting to sprout. Cut the potato in half or thirds. Be sure you get some of those eyes on each part. The photo below, taken in Beech Island, South Carolina, is of Jenks’ momma Gloria and his niece Caroline.
Put those parts out for about three days in a cool dry place - maybe your back porch or your garage. After a few days, stick them in a pot or flower bed about five inches deep. The only caveat is to make sure you have good drainage. Don’t put these in a place where the soil holds water or is mucky. First, vines will appear. In May when the flowers are finished, you can start harvesting potatoes.
Rosemary for the Potatoes:
My flower for February is something that’ll work well with the potatoes later on - for cooking. [Ed. note: Want to make someone love you? Simple lamb chops or steak - from the All-local Farmers’ Market, bien sûr - with roasted rosemary potatoes and a simple green salad is verrah effective.] Rosemary is a beautiful little plant, totally evergreen and with winter white or blue flowers. You can find them at any good garden center. Don’t waste your money on a rosemary plant that’s been pruned into a little topiary. [Ed. note: Right, because it could be really fun to prune it yourself. Like a Bonsai tree!]
Put it in a pot somewhere really hot and sunny. Rosemary loves to grow beside a concrete walk. If you want to see some great rosemary plantings go to Siebels House, the Historic Columbia Foundation headquarters and one of the most beautiful and well kept secret gardens in Columbia. [Ed. note: The Shop Tart has attended weddings, quite a few lovely parties and at least one pig pickin’ there. It’s gorgeous.] When my boyfriend Tom and I planted the rosemary there, we started with four inch pots that cost about a buck twenty each. Now they are super huge, loving the sidewalk and baking afternoon sun.
The End
The Shop Tart just happens to have some red potatoes from Rosewood Market in her pantry right now. She was going to make potato soup. (Shop Tart Tip: Vegetables not as fresh as you wish? Make soup!) Though the soup may still happen, she’ll be snagging a few of the potatoes to plant. How fab is it to offer home-grown food at a dinner party? “The fish? I found it at the All-Local Market, same place I got the flowers. The roasted potatoes with rosemary? Those? From the yard, of course.” Every dinner party can have at least one thing from your very own urban garden. (And if you always serve something you grew, people will assume you are growing way more than one or two things a month.) Fab, fab, fab!
Happy Planting and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!
P.S. Unforgettable Fine Jewelry wants to make sure you have a great gift for your male Valentine. They’re offering 15 percent off cuff links to Shop Tart readers this week. And there’s something for everyone’s taste, from modern chic to sophisticated classic. The Shop Tart thinks cuff links add just the right touch of individuality to a man’s look.Love the wood-grain version in the top left!
* The time has come to tell you where the Shop Tart got that little phrase, her answer to almost everything. It’s from “Talladega Nights” and her friend Kristy latched onto it first. Why? ‘Cause she likes to party.
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Feb
1
When the Shop Tart was younger, a young man once asked, “Do you go to boarding school?” In fact, she did. How did he know? He recognized the scent: Yves St. Laurent’s Paris
But something was missing. Jo Malone’s scent is lovely for day. Amarige smells heavenly, but is a bit formal. She was intrigued by Fresh’s Tobacco Caramel at Pout. A bit of a cult favorite, she feared the scent might be too dramatic. She pondered what statement might be made. (The fact that YSL’s Paris was a pretty strong boarding school indicator still gave her pause.) Since November, she has spritzed herself with Tobacco Caramel every time she was in Pout. (Which was a lot of times. Because she has always wanted to be pretty and that’s her best shot.) She sampled it again and again, sniffing her wrist throughout the day to see if her infatuation endured as the hours passed. In fact, she liked it even more. It works for day or night and the scent warms as the day unfolds.
The Shop Tart - believe it or not - is not an impulse buyer. She has been known to stalk a beloved dress until it goes on sale or is snapped up by a braver (or far more affluent) lady. She tells herself that if the item in question is sold before she seals the deal, it just wasn’t meant to be. (Unless it was, d*mnit, because the universe failed, in which case she ramps up her stalkerish efforts.) Like clothing, scents must be tried and tried again. The Shop Tart has a habit of taking things home on approval, standing in her closet and contemplating the new item’s place in her life. Buying fragrance locally allows you to take the scent home on approval - right there on your wrist - as many times as you like before making your decision.
Enfin, she decided Tobacco Caramel was it. This scent makes her fall a little in love with herself every time she catches a hint of it. (After a number of years of marriage and a shared child or three, a little infatuation with oneself is a good thing, because goodness knows the chance of making anyone else’s pulse quicken is slim to none.) Love!
Her only fear is that someone will approach and ask, “Hey, are you a socially awkward blogger?” based on her scent. And if that happens? She’ll wear it any way. This is going to be a long relationship - she can feel it.
Happy Shopping and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!
P.S. Kicks is “Getting in the Pink” again. Register for the May 8 Kicks 10k or the 5k for Komen by February 14th and take $5 off of the registration fee. Last year’s events were a blast and the cause is a great one. Get more information about this year’s events and register at Getinthepink.org. See you there!
P.P.S. It’s Monday. Don’t you like to party on Monday? The Shop Tart heard there are a few more spots left at Smoke’s wine dinner this evening. Join lowcountry author and outdoors authority Ben Moise at Smoke for a classic lowcountry camp supper. (That would be a five course meal with wine for $45. Ding dang deal, y’all.) He will be signing his latest book, “Ramblings of a Lowcountry Game Warden” and - the Shop Tart is sure - entertaining the crowd. Make reservations by calling 803-754-0270. If you don’t have a copy already, books will be for sale at the meal to be signed by the author. If the Shop Tart can rally after last night’s fab 20th Anniversary dinner at Motor Supply, she’ll be there. (If they have any space left!)
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Jan
29
The Shop Tart has an affinity for a certain brand of nail polish. She carries it with her when she goes for a pedicure, because she loves the colors and always likes to have a back-up for chips. (She isn’t silly enough to be totally beholden to the brand. But she always likes to take the color home after a mani/pedi and will buy a bottle of the spa’s brand when she chooses one of theirs. Speaking of, Soak is offering 40 percent off all retail products until February 1st. Time to get all your OPI colors! back to your regularly scheduled program…) When her favorite brand releases new colors, she must order them, because they are often so popular, they don’t make it to certain stores. She’s not proud of this, but it is what it is. The other day, she ordered just such a polish, eagerly awaiting her little package.
One day, arriving home, she saw a large box on her front porch, large enough to hold two pair of shoes or a big, puffy jacket. Or two dozen Hermès scarves. Or a bunch of that yummy popcorn that comes in three flavors perfect for mixing: butter, caramel and cheese. Or a set of Champagne glasses. Her birthday was coming soon and she thought someone had sent her a lovely surprise. She picked up the box, very carefully in case it contained crystal. It was very light. Perhaps someone had sent her some delicate and lovely origami creations or a selection of peacock feathers. She opened the box carefully so as not to crush them. Inside, she found a pile of tissue paper. Although she thought she should set it aside and save it for another purpose, she tossed it to the floor, excited to see her present. Under the tissue, there was a smaller gold box, large enough to hold a couple of carefully packed Champagne flutes. At first, she thought the box itself was a gift. It was heavy and appeared to be lacquered. It was tied with black silk ribbon. Carefully, she lifted the lid. There was more tissue paper. What on earth could it be?
A tiny bottle of nail polish.
No lie. How ridiculous was that? She was tempted to call the company and launch into a petite tirade about what excessive packaging does to the environment. As much as she wanted that nail varnish, she didn’t want to kill little baby animals for it. Instead of feeling excited about her acquisition - and it can be difficult to secure the newest colors - she felt guilty. Grrrr. She would like to say she will never buy from them again, but she is not that big of a person. In the future, she will drive to Charlotte and buy it there or have a salesclerk from the store mail it - in a small, bubble-wrap envelope.
She can only assume that purveyors of this fancy brand were trying to create a luxury experience. Incidentally, the Shop Tart doesn’t fall for such ploys. She just wanted fashionably lovely nails. If she wanted luxury, she would scrimp and save to go to a really nice resort on St. Barth’s or some such island. (In fact, she would like that. Won’t you take her? She’ll let you borrow her nail polish. It will be so fun!) She does understand that packaging is part of the experience for a buyer. In this case, it made her feel worse. But a lot of places do way better, with far less impact on the environment*. In December, she ordered a vintage belt from Library in Charleston and thought the packaging was divinely chic.
More recently, she ordered a blouse from Lyell. She lusted after the same blouse on her trip to New York, but wanted to wait for a sale. When the sale finally happened, the original color was sold out, but a lovely blue was available. Oh, happy day! The Shop Tart actually preferred blue. In fact, she had been thinking her wardrobe lacked blue tops. When the time was right, she emailed the shop to find out if the blouse was on sale. Sasha answered and was as nice as she could be; it was almost like going to the actual shop. Sasha sent the Shop Tart photos so she could see the blue color and made sure she knew it was a little brighter than the photo images. After a brief and pleasant phone conversation to impart her credit card number and shipping address, the blouse arrived. (It had been mailed two-day shipping, for more than the shipping charge she had paid, which was a nice touch.) The box seemed too small to hold a blouse. The Shop Tart thought someone might have sent her a bottle of nail polish. She opened it to find something wrapped in tissue with a nice note and a re-usable lightweight cotton bag with Lyell’s logo.
The packaging itself made the Shop Tart feel as though she was back in Lyell’s small boutique in Nolita. In fact, it made her want to go back there very soon.
Perhaps more importantly, it made her feel like Sasha personally wanted her to have the blouse. Feeling the love is never a bad thing, n’est-ce pas? This, dear reader, was brilliance in packaging. The blouse tumbled, miraculously unwrinkled, from the tissue, the blue silk contrasting nicely with the matte black paper and ecru bag.
So, what do you think of the new top? Do you like it? Do you? Eh. Doesn’t matter. The Shop Tart would like to take this moment to remind you that you don’t need to dress for anyone but yourself (and perhaps that one friend who shares your awesome taste and always thinks you look fab.) To quote herself: She was not put on this earth to look pretty. Neither were you. You like it? Rock it.
Happy Shopping and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!
P.S. Don’t forget to comment on Monday’s post to be entered to win tickets to John Tudor’s amazing magic show at Cromer’s on Saturday. All you have to do is let the Shop Tart and your fellow readers know what your favorite party favor is. Favor suggestions for adults, children and pets welcome. The drawing will be random, so even if you feel your suggestion is not the most creative, please share! Winners will be announced this afternoon at 4:30 pm.
P.P.S. Did you miss Kicks’ sidewalk sale on Devine Street? It’s moved to their Lexington shop. There are shoes available for as little as $7 a pair. True story. The sidewalk sale in Lexington is going on today and tomorrow. Yay!
P.P.P.S. Need a laugh? The Shop Tart enjoyed this immensely , via Otis Taylor of The State.
* The Shop Tart understands - and knows you do, too - that buying and trading locally has the least impact on the environment, but she has never claimed to be perfect. And never will.
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Jan
28
Although it seems like the decidedly materialistic Shop Tart would be easy to buy for, she isn’t. Her husband - who tries, y’all, he really tries - is not a smart shopper. Whenever he gets her a gift, she cringes a little, knowing if he had waited just a week or two, it might have been on sale. Recently, for the first time ever, she decided to buy herself a dress - any one she wanted - not on sale. It was for a party at her own house and she “had nothing to wear,” which is a rarity for her. She tried on everything she craved, glancing at the price tags for a fleeting moment. (She did still have a vague limit in mind.) She tried on frock after frock, without considering the price. She knew she would find the best party dress ever. And…she couldn’t. In the end, she tried on a sequined number she had been afraid to even touch. She wanted it real bad. She told herself the lights in the dressing room were bad, so she went out into the shop, where the salesclerk confirmed what she already knew: That dress, albeit pricey, did not look good on her. Not at all. She ended up buying a different dress, priced lower to begin with and marked down even more. Love!
So, what can Mr. Shop Tart get her? The kind of thing she adores that never, ever goes on sale. He once got her the watch she had dreamed of since childhood. For her birthday this year, with only very strong hints as opposed to insanely over-bearing hints, he gave her a Fiona Paxton necklace. Squeeee! She had seen them in magazines and on-line, but seeing them up close at Hampden Clothing in Charleston sealed her desire. Every time she goes there, she looks at them and sighs. They are (her) style-defining, life-changing accessory. And, enfin, she has one, in exactly the color she wanted. How did he know?
Hampden has them in several colors and they all rock. Next time you are in Charleston, go take a look. Or don’t. Because then you’ll want one real bad.
And nothing makes the Shop Tart want a fabulous cocktail like wearing something new. She likes to celebrate. (She is the sort of person who will have a party just to debut a new dress. She doesn’t tell people that’s why they’re invited, of course.) Thanks to Andy at Terra, she now understands that shaking a cocktail more than one might think necessary results in a lovely, cold beverage with little flecks of ice throughout. She took her necklace to the bar at Garibaldi’s, instructed the bartender to shake it like a Polaroid picture on speed, and enjoyed this charmingly alliterative cocktail: a Grey Goose gimlet at Garibaldi’s. (Shop Tart Tip: For slightly more budget-friendly drinking, order the fanciest brand for round one. Take a step down for round two. Round three? Probably you should skip this one entirely, but if you must, switch to house liquor. If you can tell a difference, your tolerance is too high.)
Happy Shopping and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!
P.S. Don’t forget to comment on Monday’s post to be entered to win tickets to John Tudor’s amazing magic show at Cromer’s on Saturday. Let the Shop Tart and your fellow readers know what your favorite party favor is. Favor suggestions for adults, children and pets welcome. The drawing will be random, so even if you feel your suggestion is not the most creative, please share!
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