Located in the heart of downtown lies an upscale New York City feel steak house, OAK. Low and behold, Chef Brett McKee uses his culinary expertise and marketing how-to’s to attract Charleston locals and visitors. Now, let me give you a little history lesson on Chef Brett McKee and his little golden nugget, Oak Steak House.

Chef Brett McKee grew up in Brooklyn; yes, there is still a hint of an accent. It really comes out when you don’t pay attention to the details, like he does with every aspect of his restaurants. He’s a lovely man, very smart and extremely talented.

After getting married, he moved down to Charleston, why? I am honestly not sure. I missed the opportunity to ask that question. I’m assuming Charleston was just more fabulous than Brooklyn. Brett did a couple of restaurant ventures that lead up to Oak and his hospitality consulting business, The Indigo Road; giving him a total of 33 years experience in the hospitality industry. I would say he knows a thing or two. So in 2005, Oak Steak House was born.

OAK is located on Broad Street, right before you get to East Bay. No need to look for parking, he’s providing valet for free. Yes, I said valet. I don’t know about you, but I get pretty darn angry if I can’t find a spot to park. And if you know Charleston, you know the pain I am talking about. Who parks in parking garages? Not me. I’m just saying. The valet opens your door, smiles with a warm greeting, ‘how are you doing this evening? Welcome to Oak.” He is the first person of the night to make my experience pleasant. Upon entering the restaurant I am immediately greeted by the host. I am already in high spirits before I even get to the table, much less the bar. The host is very well groomed and dressed which for some reason gives an even better outlook for the evening. The bar is welcoming; I decide to have a glass of wine before I sit. The female bartender whom is rather good looking and charming, greets me and fills my wine glass pleasantly full. Its prime time for dinner guests and the bar is full! Mostly men, they look as though they just got off work and decided to hobnob some before heading home for the evening.

From the lighting and music to the atmosphere, it’s obvious that there was a great deal of attention put into the details in this restaurant. At the top of the stairs you will find wooden cubbies with engraved gold name tags where you can keep anything you want; wine, shoes, or whatever your heart desires. This is when Oak makes you feel like you’re home. Nicely done Brett, nicely done! Don’t forget to see the narcissistic hallway near the bathrooms where you will find strategically placed photos and reviews of Brett. I am hoping he will frame this one too. I might even autograph it!

Now for the food! Michael, the GM, sent over lobster shrimp macaroni and cheese to start and it was served in a lovely martini glass. I am a sucker for presentation. What a beauty! So pretty, you almost don’t want to eat it. I don’t know what it is with this man, but he can whip up some ‘out of this world’ macaroni and cheese. The cheese was creamy and sweet, similar to alfredo, my tasted buds definitely went into shock. Next up, I opted for a healthier option; the beefsteak tomato and fresh mozzarella salad that had drizzled balsamic reduction and an herb infused olive oil around the plate. The sweet and salty mixture of the cheese and balsamic make you go hmmm, hmmm, hmmm. Now, we all know about Brett’s meatballs, so tender and juicy. He sent an order out for me to sample, again! What? I LOVE them! These are to die for! So meaty! The melted cheese and basil atop make for a deadly combination and beautiful presentation. Moving on to the main dish as if I haven’t had enough already.

Brett sends over a nice pinot noir mixture that smells delicious. Now, I’m not a wine expert but when I want to sit there and sniff the wine because it smells so good, I know I’ve got something good going on. I definitely smelled this one. It’s going to pair nicely with my filet that’s about to come out to my table. Brett’s got this down to a science. He orders a petite filet, medium rare, Pittsburgh style. What’s Pittsburgh style? I asked the same thing. Charred on the outside, rare in the middle. I wouldn’t normally order it this way, yes I know I am doing a food review, but tend to get picky sometimes. I thoroughly enjoyed this. Accompanying my steak and wine were creamed spinach, mashed potatoes, and brussel sprouts. Oh my honey, the creamed spinach had that saltiness from the Parmesan but something else was triggering my taste buds. I had to ask Brett, a little hint of nutmeg. The mixture of the salt and sweet just threw my palate for a loop. Everything went so well together. The adjoining carbohydrate this evening was the mashed potatoes, but not just any ol’ mashed potatoes. These were the real deal Lucile! I could feel the love handle developing as I slowly savored the ever so rich and creamy potatoes. It just melts in your mouth. I’m a southern girl who likes her greens and brussel sprouts. These were different, sweet almost, with that cinnamon and brown sugar taste. They could almost be classified as a desert. Did I say desert? This is where it got a little crazy. Brett brings out NEW YORK STYLE CHEESECAKE. Yes I did all caps. It deserves the recognition. Oh my, it was so creamy and not healthy, but that didn’t matter. The wine pairing for the dessert was excellent. The mixture of sweet cake and washing it down with the sweet white wine went so well together. I would definitely recommend ordering that for dessert. By this time of the evening, I needed to be rolled out of there.

During my dining experience, a few patrons came up to my table asking of my food expertise. I grinned. I decided to ask them one question: Why OAK? Not being from the area, they like the city-feel atmosphere. The food is excellent as well. The only issue they had: why don’t the women wait on the tables? If you saw the lovely ladies here, you would know why! Here’s to all the men: Can’t have your way all the time!

Oak Steak House has defined itself on integrity, experience and attention to detail. I think the last words that Brett said to me were, “It will have to take 7 people to make your experience bad, the valet, the host, the bartender, the server, the cook, the manager and me.” For all of them to make your Oak dining experience unpleasant makes it pretty impossible to have a bad experience here. When you visit Oak, be sure to say hello to Brett if he doesn’t get to you first. Although he has many other restaurant ventures, this is where you can find him. My overall experience exceeded my expectations. If you are opting for a girls or guys night out or even a date night, Oak will bring to the table whatever you’re missing. Happy Hobnobbin at Oak! Tell Chef Brett I sent you. Bon Appetit!

Oak Steak House

17 Broad Street
Charleston, SC 29401-3001
(843) 722-4220

www.oaksteakhouserestaurant.com

If you’re traveling north on highway 17, don’t forget to make a pit stop at the new hot spot 17 North Roadside Kitchen. It’s a quaint pale orange building that immediately strikes an interest in stopping to see what it’s all about in this neck of the woods. The restaurant all started when Chef Brett McKee decided to use social networking to the max. He twittered and facebooked his friends and fans about diners and dives in the olden days and what kind of food they served.  After 287 responses, 17 North Roadside Kitchen emerged. Upon entering we were immediately greeted by the host. We opted for the bar rather than a table; we wanted to take a look around to get to know the place. As we walked around, the back ‘yard’ of 17 North has a huge patio and bar surrounded by tiki torches. The backyard also has a fire pit for smores and a spot set up for horseshoes. Not only is the backyard full of entertainment, it also contains a huge garden with organic produce. Whatever is in season is what you get on your plate. If the outside isn’t quite what you would like, there is also seating on a screened in porch to accommodate. 17 North welcomes all walks of life with their casual laid-back atmosphere. I could seriously go on and on. This place has it all! The martini specials of the day looked tasty and fun so I went for the blueberry basil, yes I said blueberry and basil. Who would have thought? I know! Well.... I highly recommend it. Juice, my sales manager, picked the pomegranate. Both drinks would definitely hit the spot after a long day of work or at the beach. We sipped the fabulous cocktails and flirted with the cute, friendly bartender, who then brought us some delicious biscuits. Who doesn’t love a warm buttery biscuit before dinner? Chef Brett joins us and we move over to a comfy booth. Brett wants to do the ordering, he’s buying, so why not? We start with the pan-seared scallops, braised in lemon butter that just melted in your mouth. My mouth is watering as I write this by the way. I’m not sure if it’s from the martinis or scallops, but either way it is. Next, fried chicken livers. What a beautiful presentation! Livers were served with cheddar grits and fried basil. I can’t say much because that is way out of my territory. Sorry Brett. I was raised in the South, but cannot do the livers, now neck bone and pig tails, nothing to it! Juice loved them! She took home that to-go box. My favorite was the bone-in beef rib. Holy smokes, that meat just fell right off the bone and so tender and juicy. The mixture of coleslaw and baked beans just hit the spot. Need I say more? I think the healthier option was the mahi, which was the special of the evening.  It was a tender, white flaky fish seasoned just right with the juices flowing all over the plate. Delish. Juice’s favorite was the baked ziti with Brett’s meatballs. These meatballs were so flavorful you could slap your Momma! It was definitely a party in your mouth. And how could we forget the macaroni and cheese? This actual mac n’ cheese did melt in your mouth, so rich and creamy. Sorry Grandma, but this beats your 70 years of cooking with a stick. 17 North also offers a roadside burger that looked to die for. Next time, I will be ordering that. Final recommendation, give it a go! You won’t be discouraged but pleasantly full.  And remember, Chef Brett closes down all his restaurants on Sundays for family time.

Hours of Operation:

Monday - Thursday 4-10pm

Friday- Saturday 4-11pm

Sunday Closed

www.17north.net