Lowcountry Comes to Wicker Park

Mark Steuer didn’t look like he was too nervous last night. Settling into expediting at his new restaurant, The Carriage House, in Wicker Park, the South Carolina native wasn’t phased that the likes of Chicago Magazine’s Penny Pollack or “Check, Please”‘s Alpana Singh were both dining at the same time (separate tables). He seemed pleased as punch serving up the food from his childhood memories, like a picnic board (pictured, above) that hit all the right notes.

The pimento cheese, a calling card of sorts for the lowcountry (along with deviled eggs) just needed some toast points or crackers (they brought out some toasted pieces of Pullman bread), while the pickled eggs and cucumbers provided a nice textural contrast and briny punch. A few slices of thinly-shaved country ham and a hockey puck sized portion of Carolina shrimp remoulade, creamy and yet not too overwhelming, put us in a Southern state of mind. Naturally, the she crab soup we had just had, as well as the warm cornbread and pitch-perfect cocktail didn’t hurt either. I’m looking forward to many more meals here, and will undoubtedly return for the shrimp and grits.