Having lived on the Grand Strand for almost 5 years at 2 different times, I can honestly say that I have experienced a lot of local restaurants in my time here and I have several favorites that can usually be broken down by area. Then there are Litchfield/Pawleys and Georgetown, which are their own separate animals altogether.
So, when I was asked by family where I would like to visit for a family tradition and also milestone birthday dinner, I racked my brain for new opportunities to experience. Then I remembered seeing the beautiful art deco decor of the George Hotel and its internal bistro, The Independent on a previous and recent trip down. We decided to make the short trip south, only about 45 minutes and step into the always enjoyable and now fledgling downtown Georgetown scene for an afternoon of fun preceding an evening of fine dining.
Having seen several write ups on the now just over 8 month old restaurant like this one, I realized it was time to make my own determination regarding this chic looking restaurant right on the historic georgetown waterfront
Additionally, as much as I love The River Room for its views, ambiance and solid service, it was clearly time for me to branch out in search of other great options in what is quickly becoming one of my favorite SC downtowns.
Our 5 year old wasn’t going to be doing fine dining from the menu with us tonight, not at least till he can appreciate it for what it is, so we grabbed him a burger while we had a round of refreshments at SoCo grill. Having been recommended this way by the shop owner whose own son is also a solid musician and was performing, we walked straight across the street and took an outside table near some wedding party members and another family all just soaking up the glorious afternoon weather.
Refreshed and excited for our forthcoming experience, we walked over to the George Hotel to wait for the rest of our family to arrive. My son and I wandered out to the perfectly manicured back courtyard of the hotel where two corn hole board setups, a free standing bar with live music and rockers looking toward the Bay awaited us. It was a special moment with the sun setting over the water and other onlookers clearly basking in the beauty of nature and beautiful construction fused all round us.
In just a moment, the table was ready, all of our crew gathered, and we were seated on the edge of the sultry moody dark plum walled Independent. The dark colors contrasted perfectly against the soft whites and grays of the table top, cool brown of the floor beneath and melded into a stylish and modern space, a tastefully and beautifully done Art Deco and Mid Century ensemble.
Here is what we each had and thoughts….
We arrived having an idea of what me might start off with and selected 2 items, the Cornbread and Sauteed Mussels, and our knowledgeable server brought us the Blue Crab Fingers, which I would definitely order again. The remoulade sauce accompanying the Fingers was spot on, the cornbread was super soft, with just a touch of sweetness and the honey butter being perfectly paired and the Mussels were so delicious, with our table even asking for more crostini to soak up as much of the Mussel broth as possible.
Shrimp and Grits
Not at all greasy like this can be, but oh so light and fluffy with a delicious full palate flavors and perfectly creamy grits, our knowledgeable server doubled down on this after someone commented that it was a pretty common dish and questioned if it should be avoided. She calmly let us know that it was one of her favorites and that others had spoken of its uniqueness, which we can’t disagree on at all!
Flat Iron Steak
Very intriguing is the creamed corn with this selection because it reminds me of delicious but not fussy meals at home as a child, and thought it clever to feature with the steak. I fired away and asked for medium on cook temp and wasn’t disappointed at all. The salsa verde on the plate was a nice touch to the steak and of course potatoes are never out of place with flat iron steak or any steak for that matter.
Rounding up the rest of our table were dishes I didn’t personally get to taste, but the rest of the family was very pleased with them all. There was a Red Drum special that I think has replaced the Flounder as a fall menu item and the Scallops which is a mainstay of the menu which didn’t disappoint 2 sophisticated palates.
Being that this was a birthday celebration, we of course weren’t going to try to slide out of dessert. Our son was first to express his desire for ice cream, which came as house made vanilla. Anytime Key Lime Pie is on a menu, 2 of our party will alternate between ordering that favorite, so that was selected followed by my own selection of an apple, cinnamony tart like dessert with more of the house made vanilla.
Wanting to savor every last moment of this waning yet amazing night, 2 espressos were ordered with dessert and even the espresso shots were expertly pulled.
Bottom line, the Independent made the grade and then some on this visit for our humble family and my spouse and I will be returning soon for a weekend getaway!
Cheers,
Barrett Midulla
Managing Partner Beach Star Realty