The fact that I’ve written three separate posts about this restaurant should indicate just how unique every experience is. Their dinner menu varies from schnitzel to shrimp and grits, so I knew the lunch menu would have to be something special to keep up.
1Kept is in an ideal location to pop in for lunch after a long morning of shopping on King Street. They offer appetizers, classic Southern sandwiches with a twist, and larger plates for their hungrier guests. We got to sample a few of each, so keep reading so you know what to get when you go.
The appetizers
Normally when Sydney (Queen of the Food Age) and I go out to eat, we always just ask for what the chef/staff recommends. In this case, the manager recommended the fried okra and the pimento cheese board to start.
Okra is not really my jam, but when it’s fried and cut horizontally like they do at 1Kept, the slime factor is completely eliminated. I know it’s easy to make something taste better by frying it, but for me you have to have a light batter with a nice spice to it. The spice of the okra breading was matched seamlessly with their house-made hot sauce. Let me tell ya folks, I was snacking on these like popcorn throughout the meal.
The pimento cheese board was the epitome of Southern Hospitality. Nothing says: “Welcome to my Restaurant” like a bowl of the South’s favorite spread surrounded by grilled bread, pickled veggies, and other spreads for the ultimate flavor combos. The perfect bite was the pimento cheese with their house made bacon jam, whole grain mustard, and tomato jam on the grilled bread. It was the perfect mix of sweetness, tang, saltiness, and spice from the mustard.
the dish on the main dishes
I was super excited to try their burger because we got to see my dear old friend pimento cheese again along with some other tasty toppings. There was also peach BBQ sauce, Cement Pickle Relish, and super crispy bacon. The “cement pickles” were the star of the show because they’re the chef’s great grandma’s recipe, so you know it has to be good. The cement pickles were unique because they were very crunchy to the point of almost being dry, then the inside burst with warm spices like cinnamon. Overall, this burger was an adventure with every bite with different flavors and textures.
Our next main dish was their cacio e pepe, which is basically a fancy mac and cheese with freshly cracked black pepper. This dish is pure decadence with the creamy cheese, spicy pepper, and runny egg yolk creating more saucy goodness for the dish. If you’re looking for a comforting dish, this is the one to get.
Since I’ve written about this place twice, it is no longer my 1Kept secret (had to do it). Whether you go for lunch or dinner, you can’t go wrong with their unique twists on Southern classics. I just need to try their brunch and I’ll have all my meals covered!
