These are a few of my favorite things

Super cool paper products, friends, babies, sweets and champagne. And whiskers on kittens. (Ok, not really.) But guess what? They were all in ONE place last night: Lesesne, for Sideshow Press' launch of their latest and greatest. It was a fabulous turnout and got to have a few moments with some great folks...like Annie Byrd Hamnett, Kristin Newman, Tina Garrett and Gus Serrano just to name a few.

Chatted with designer Amy Pastre about the beautiful work on display last night. Turns out the ladies of Sideshow Press use some vintage plates along with their vintage printer. Amy said they find many of their plates at antique stores and even better, they often get them really reasonably because most people don't realize what or how valuable they are.

As much as I love you, Internet, I have to admit there is something awfully appealing about paper that's been cranked through a letterpress by hand. What can I say? I'm a writer, after all, and have a love for the full sensory experience that is a book. There, I said it.

By the by, it's shaping up to be a really busy month around these parts. On Tuesday, The American Theater will host the CVB Travel Council Meeting. Hors d’oeuvres and wine will be served as Travel Council Investors and industry experts take their time getting to know our fabulous new ballroom.

On Thursday, our neighbors at uber kitchen design boutique SieMatic will celebrate their Grand Opening. The Mayor himself will be on-hand to cut the ribbon and welcome guests. Woohoo, photo opp! And, it’s also the night of the Upper King Design Walk. AND, at the same time, The William Aiken House will be hosting 200 people for the Family Circle Cup V.I.P. party! The next day, the Family Circle Cup folks move the party to Lowndes Grove. And finally, near the end of the month Mitchell Crosby of JMC Charleston and Southern Accents descend upon The William Aiken House for a fun-filled holiday party photo shoot. I'm officially tired. Must lie down.

Oh, and one last thing. Should you be a fan of Fish's $10 moo shu lunch, I am officially putting out the call for entries. Comment with your best moo shu haiku. That's 5, 7, 5, people. Give me your haiku, and I will proudly display it here on the PP blog and make you the star I know you are. Thanks!

Family-style hospitality

Check out a few scenes from today's PP Family Lunch. All PP Managers were asked to either prepare a dish to share or bring in non-perishable food items. We set up all the food as a buffet, loaded up plates and sat at one long table to eat, laugh and just have a few moments together. The lunch was delicious...and varied! Some of my personal favorites were:

Evan's lentils

Courtney Jo's broccoli casserole

Charron's penne with the best cream sauce of MY LIFE

I'll be honest: most days, we here at PP HQ eat at our desks. So, a group-get-together-sit-down-laugh-and-chat-experience is so much fun. You know me, I'm all about bringing people together over a good meal. And that's exactly what this was. After lunch, we gave the non-perishable items to our friends at Crisis Ministries.

Buffet style. Cram a plate with every tasty morsel you can find, sit with friends and eat well until you feel like you might pop.

Seriously, this was a spread that rivalled any major holiday spread. We come to eat.

I think you could safely say that we at PP HQ fancy a sweet morsel now and again. This is Pastry Chef Susie Ieronemo's banana, chocolate pie in mid-attack. We show no mercy.

Finally, if you're out and about tonight, stop by Lesesne between 5 and 9 pm for the debut of Sideshow Press' new line. Free champagne and desserts courtesy of Fish.

Ah, Spring...

In my bones, I know it's Spring, even if the weather this morning tried to tell me otherwise. Take a look at the scene outside the Patricks North Carolina mountain house! Reminds me of Easter snowstorms when I was a child. You know, shivering in your thin dress and white tights while the snow piled up? Memories.

In celebration of Spring (fluctuating temperatures aside), take a look at the list of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms put together by our friends at Lowcountry Local First. CSAs are a great way to support our local farmers AND keep yourself stocked up with the season's freshest produce available.

Other cool bits I ran across today:

Not only did Green Olive Media go to the original Ninfa's on their recent trip to Houston, Texas, they also introduced me to artist Amy Evans. The title to one of her paintings?
I Have Given Up Trying to Be A Gracious Lady. I’m Going Back To Raising Mandrills. ~Flannery O’Connor

The supercool wedding blog, StyleMePretty, ran a stunning real wedding story that featured a same sex couple. Nicely done on the heels of Iowa and Vermont.

Great philosophy no matter what the economy: neighbors over at HOOK do not mark up production costs on any outside services. Oh and they produce some of the most innovative and spot-on creative around. Check out the sweet environmental campaign they put together for sneaker boutique Suite Sole.

And finally today, thanks to the City Paper who mentioned Fish as a favorite outdoor dining spot. Hey, it's Spring. Join us on the patio or the piazza. (Bring a scarf just in case.)

The PP Bridge Run Team AKA The Also-Rans

Look at these world-class athletes, Internet! All members of Team PP who dashed up and over our fair city's biggest bridge on Saturday. (Thanks to Susan Lucas, Queen of King Street, for the photo!) People, I would really love to share more action pics with you, but it seems that Team PP jettisoned and/or forgot all cell phones/cameras in their valiant efforts to make good time. If you're dying for some fabulous photos, do check out The City Paper's flickr set. Suffices to say that everyone on Team PP completed the race. Thankfully, there were no injuries to report, although I do have it on good authority that a certain Executive Chef needed a massage today. (I'm just saying.)

Yesterday, Managing Partner Randall Goldman joined the folks of AFFA for their 2nd Annual Oyster Roast Fundraiser at Bowen's Island. (Sidenote: Liam, age 3, was a huge hit with the female toddlers in the crowd.) The fundraiser was a phenomenal success, raising more than $7,000 between tickets and a live auction by the one and only Doug Warner (fresh from his Charleston Fashion Week gig!)

Now, I have been out to Bowen's Island for a couple of oyster roasts now, and one PP holiday party. But I confess, I had not seen their "green" roof until now. It really is on the roof, so I did have to climb up to see it, but wow, it's impressive and beautiful.

Pre-Bridge Run Banter

Was out at Lowndes Grove earlier today for the Bridge Run Press Luncheon. Saw Mayor Riley and...randomly...three singers and dancers (or hoofers, as my Dad used to say) who did the whole Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy number. I am not kidding. It was very USO. Really got the crowd going.

Anywho, in other news, 6 members of Team PP are gearing up for tomorrow's Bridge Run. Nico will be putting his recently rehabbed knee to the test. Never fear: photos to come on Monday.

In clever and funny food advertising news, check out Julia Louis-Dreyfus as she plays the unspokeperson for Healthy Choice. Her facial expressions are so very Elaine. Great way to add some energy to the brand.

By the way, if you're looking to peruse Fish's spring menu, it's now on the website. And it. Is. Good. Perhaps you should reward yourself after the Bridge Run with a nice meal. You and Nico can trade stories about whose shin splints hurt more. Fun!

And finally, mark your calendars for next Wednesday, April 8. Our friends at Lesesne are hosting the debut of the newest letterpress creations by Sideshow Press. Fish is supplying the desserts. Shindig start time: 5 pm until 9 pm.

Okay, kids. Don't forget to stretch. And remember, don't be a hero! Good luck to all. (I'll be the one waiting at the finish line with the mimosas.)

A veritable plethora of subjects

Boy oh boy, nothing like a little April Fool's tomfoolery to get the creative juices flowing! The Charleston blogosphere was awash in antics yesterday. I can take no credit for Randall's resignation epistle, though as it was penned by the man himself. I can honestly say I have never written nor uttered the word Brobdingnagian until, well, this moment. Tis catchy, though. Really catchy.

In other news, Fish is reviewed in the hot-off-the-presses April issue of Charleston Magazine. Writer Patricia Agnew covered every inch of the Fish experience, from decor to small plates to flavor and texture and hey, she even referenced this very blog!

In other food and beverage news, I simply adore the photo and write up of Charleston Grill's Chef Michelle Weaver. I have been a huge fan for years.

Off to meet photographer Tim Zielenbach (he of the amazing moments that open our website) in a bit. Not only is Tim a talented photographer, he's also very funny, a great storyteller and JACKPOT, a Bruce Springsteen fan! In fact, he sent me lyrics to the long lost Bruce classic: Does this bus stop at 82nd Street, which begins with the magical line: "Hey bus driver keep the change, bless your children, give them names..." Speaking of Bruce, if you haven't watched fellow New Jerseyan Jon Stewart openly adoring Bruce TO Bruce, you should.

And finally, for those of you who dig on swine, I mean, sweet pigs named Dallas Alice, check out these lovely photos from Melissa and Keith's recent wedding at Lowndes Grove.

Breaking News: Randall Resigns!

April 1, 2009

To All-

It is with great sadness and regret that I announce today that I am stepping down as Managing Partner of Patrick Properties. As you can imagine, this decision was not an easy one. In my time here in Charleston, I have been blessed to keep company with some of the finest hospitality minds around, and I have made many friends whom I will cherish for the rest of my days.

I am proudest, of course, of our efforts to continue increasing revenue while saving positions given the current economic conditions. Our staffing hires over the past few months and years have assured that we shall rank among the city’s, State and nation’s elite event destinations for years to come.

But despite these accomplishments, the hospitality can be a harsh mistress, and I have ambitions and dreams that remain unfulfilled. It is with that in mind that Jennifer and I have decided to retire to the Texas Hill country, where I will pursue my first love: raising Emus. Not as a source of food, mind you, but as a means of human locomotion.

Some of my finest hours have been spent cantering across the Texas plains on the back of an Emu. They are stately, resplendent, Brobdingnagian birds, capable of carrying a man at full gallop the length of 30 hectares on a single hogshead of millet seed.

For those who know me best, this announcement comes as no surprise. I have always been passionate about large flightless waterfowl. It is well-known, of course, that I ate the last Dodo, and less well-known that I once crossed the Straits of Magellan on the back of an Emperor Penguin.

But my passion for the humble Emu was sparked by a chance conversation with Alan Rau. Jennifer and I were vacationing with Professor Rau at his single room cabin in the Montana wilderness. Professor Rau, as was his custom, was wearing his hooded sweatshirt and aviator-style sunglasses while he worked on one of his lengthy manifestos. I chanced a remark that I was thinking of purchasing a Segway scooter (I had recently been bested in a drag race between my trusty Saab and a group of tourists on Segway scooters). Professor Rau immediately unleashed a stream of invective, something along the lines of “the Industrial Revolution and it consequences have been a disaster for the human race!”

I immediately backpedaled from my suggestion, but I was captured by a singular notion: what if I could mesh the idea of sensible personal transportation with Alan Rau’s Druidic ecological purity?

The answer, I realized, was right in front of me, as that evening we happened to be dining on ostrich burgers. But the ostrich, as I discovered after a few test rides, is a surly and noisome beast, and I quickly gravitated towards riding the more elegant, redolent, and pulchritudinous Emu.

One can only imagine the Xanadu that awaits us all, as cars are rendered irrelevant and our reliance upon fossil fuels evaporates. Cities will be redesigned, carbon emissions reduced, and in place of the automobile, Emus will become ubiquitous. We shall all bear witness to the boom of the Emu Economy, with Australia poised to lead the way, fueled by its abundance of Emus and affordable criminal labor.

And so it is with great sadness that I must bid you farewell. My time here as Managing Partner has been the finest of my life, but as I ride off into the sunset, please think of me as I’d wish to be remembered: galloping across Texas on the back of a large flightless bird.

Warmest regards,

Randall Goldman


(Ed note: Not really.)