Pie for Breakfast

Have you ever had the intense pleasure of eating pie for breakfast? This decadent way to start off a day generally begins for me at Waffle House with my friend Laura, but over Labor Day weekend I got quite the treat in Charleston, South Carolina.

I spent the weekend visiting my brother, and we started off Sunday morning with a delicious brunch (we went so early it was breakfast, actually, but served off the brunch menu) at Bluerose Cafe. You wouldn't know it from the name, but I got the hint from the menu items and decor that the restaurant had Irish roots. According to its website, owner Denis O'Doherty came to the US in the 1980s, spent some time in Boston and then moved south to Chucktown. I salute you for that decision, sir!

The founding story behind the restaurant is on the homepage, and it's great. O'Doherty mentions that he mastered some of his mother's recipes for pastries and scones. I can attest to that, because when we arrived at Bluerose a plate of dense scones and airy cakes was placed in front of us. That was a perk of the full Irish brunch we were in for.

Really, the whole brunch was a perk. Barret (little brother) ordered the quiche and was presented with a huge hunk of eggy pie, which he proclaimed delicious. I wouldn't know, because he wouldn't share.

I may have taken a bite before taking a photo. Don't judge.

My brunch was crepes. Blueberry and cranberry crepes! Two of my three favorite berries, slightly crushed and stewed down with sugar until they delivered a sweet, syrupy filling spooned on top of a thin flour pancake. If you're not familiar with a crepe, the best way to describe it is a French taco (unsure why there was a French item at an Irish place, but I am not arguing; it was good). Instead of a tortilla, the crepe batter is poured on top of a big flat circular surface and thinned out with a fancy little squee-gee like tool (I'm sure there are industry standard names for these things). A good crepe like these turns out uniformly thin and flexible, able to be wrapped around that berry filling and then topped with a dusting of powdered sugar, and a drizzle of sumptious honey cream. I now understand why people talk about berries and cream like it deserves to be its own dish.

It was like eating pie for breakfast.

Each forkful was dripping with syrup. The juicy berries burst in my mouth, enrobing my tongue in a sweet and tart flavor sensation. There were two crepes and I could've eaten double that.

Thankfully my brunch came with a side of (you guessed it!) potatoes to tide me over! With a name like The Meatetarian, it's no shocker that my favorite food groups are meat, cheese, bread and potatoes. I am a huge fan of potatoes, because of their versatility and their ability to impart a salty flavor and starchy texture to balance out any meal. These home fries were bite-sized chunks of potato - official Meatetarian definition = took up two to three tines on the fork - and had crispy skin that hit my teeth with a satisfying crunch. Perfectly seasoned, lightly greasy (it is a diner!) and tender on the inside of each golden brown spud. I let Barret get a taste of the crepe, but man ... I hoarded those potatoes!

Bluerose's sign proclaims "Cead Mile Failte," which is Gaelic for "A hundred thousand welcomes." Whether you go in for a full Irish breakfast and fill up on scones or hold out for some shepherds pie at lunch, you'll feel right at home in this diner with a touch of Dublin, even all the way in the lowcountry.