Triangle Char and Bar

Who can resist dining outside on a sunny fall day? Not Richard and me! With the first cool fall Saturday upon us, we walked the Ravenel Bridge (well, at least part of it) and then replenished our calorie supply at Triangle Char and Bar. Although a new branch of the Char and Bar has opened in Mount P., the original is in our neck of the woods in West Ashley. So…..Char and Bar outdoor dining it was. And what a might fine choice it was, I must say.

I started out celebrating the weekend (and fall, and anything else that can be thrown in there) with a glass of pinot noir. Richard went for the $1 mimosa. As for food – my eye spied the wild mushroom gnocchi (a new menu offering, according to our server). I can never resist gnocchi, and this one was a winner. The gnocchi was beautifully presented with blue cheese in a flavorful and creamy (but not overly heavy) sauce. It was truly a wonderful pasta dish and one that I will definitely order again. Richard was a goner once the server mentioned “yard dogs”. I really have no idea what a “yard dog” is (or what differentiates a yard dog from a lawn dog or a parking lot dog). But apparently “yard dogs” show up on the Char and Bar menu each fall, and we happened to show up on their season debut. There was a multitude of toppings to choose from, and Richard went with relish, onion, and (of course) mustard. I also enticed him to order to round onion fries (which I kindly refrained from snatching due to my eye on dessert). Richard said that the rings were exceptional, and he said that getting those dogs today was a wonderful treat and surprise. Richard said that the dog topping combo of relish and onion was particularly good. Not being a dog fan myself, I can’t comment. But he sure seemed happy! And as you can see in this all-too-rare Richard photo, he was happy (I’m sure the mimosa – or make that mimosas – played some role in that mood enhancement!).

And now —– to my fave part of the meal. I asked about desserts, and all I had to hear were these three things: pumpkin, chocolate chips, ice cream. I’m down for that! I kind of missed the rest of the dessert description (being so mesmerized by that perfect combination of flavors). But when it arrived, I was one happy girl. I had on my plate a Lisa-sized (aka – BIG) serving of pumpkin-chocoate chip bread drizzled with cinnamon icing and perfectly complimented by vanilla ice cream. How’s that for a dessert? Well, it was mighty fine. I loved this taste of autum, and (as usual) I ate every bite. This was one heck of a tasty dessert.

Perfect fall day, perfect fall lunch!