Mount Pleasant Magazine Sept/Oct 2016

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Caribbean Cool
The Americano
In GoodTaste
As Lowcountry LocaLs,
we don’t want to eat at tourist traps
– we appreciate a good cocktail
menu paired with innovative cuisine.
Luckily, we have The Americano
on Coleman. The Mount Pleasant
restaurant calls to mind Miami
during the first half of the 20th century, with its pastel
leather, swivel stools and distinctly laid-back vibe. If
you’ve been to The Americano,
you already know that it’s a great
spot for lunch, brunch, happy hour or dinner. But 2016
ushered in new management
and a rejuvenated menu courtesy
of restaurateur Brannon Florie,
making it well worth another visit.
Florie chose Cary Turman
as The Americano’s general
manager. With over 20 years
experience in food and beverage,
doing everything from waiting
tables to owning and operating
his own cafe, Turman was the
perfect candidate for carrying
out Florie’s vision. Interested to
see what that vision is, I stopped
by The Americano and caught up
with Executive Chef Nate Geier
and assistant manager Jackie
Gonda for a cocktail lunch and
a chat about the updated menu.
It all started with a delicious
drink known as the Aphrodisiac
Margarita – tequila blanco, fresh lime juice, three-pepper
infused honey, crème de cacao and chili salt around the
rim – after I informed my hosts how much I appreciate a
spicy beverage.
“We make everything we have in-house,” Gonda
said, setting glasses of ginger beer, soda water and tonic
in front of me for sipping. Meanwhile, Geier returned
from the kitchen with dish of chicken wings and some of
the restaurant’s popular calamari appetizer. As I happily
munched, he told me about his menu plans.
By Denise K. James
“It’s a friendly menu,” he explained. “Nothing is too
spicy, but it has the Latin and Cuban elements.”
The brunch menu, according to Geier, will feature
two new omelets: a hearty veggie omelet, with avocado
and black beans, as well as a savory steak omelet. And the
popular taco assortment – a favorite for lunch, dinner
and happy hour – will welcome two newbies to the
family: a braised pork taco with Moho Cuban sauce and
a veggie taco.
“Tacos are our biggest seller for sure,” Geier affirmed.
“This concept of a quick but quality meal is at the
forefront of The Americano’s lunch service.”
I had a couple of tacos while
we talked, including the new pork
taco, the seasonal fish taco and the
acclaimed skirt steak taco with fried
onions.
Though I already felt full when
we talked about entree items, I
was still excited to learn about
the seasonal fish – a red snapper
that day, with Caribbean rice plus
mango and jalapeno chutney – and
a decadent half rack of ribs paired
with smoky local grits.
For dessert I opted to indulge
in the chocolate flan in a chipotle
caramel sauce – but promised myself
I’d try the authentic sweet plantains
with coconut rum ice cream soon.
“I try to blend local ingredients
that people appreciate with
our Latin touches,” Geier said,
eyeballing my clean plate with satisfaction.
With a killer happy hour from 4 to 7 on weekdays,
promotions including Mojito Mondays, Taco Tuesdays,
Wine Down Wednesdays and Ladies Night Thursdays,
plus awesome events such as salsa dance parties and
DJ brunches, there is never a shortage of fun at
The Americano.
To learn more, visit or call
843-352-2641.
items such as ginger beer, tonic and even soda
water are made fresh behind the bar at The
americano.
Photo courtesy of The Americano.
www.Goldenspoonawards.Restaurant | www.inGoodTaste.Restaurant iGT 7