Since May 2020, a buzz in Beaufort’s food scene has centered around a compact, cozy, unassuming neighborhood restaurant.
Inside the 900-square foot building at 1216 Boundary Street, there’s some serious culinary magic afoot. Experiencing it requires a little pre-planning, though. Reservations are a hot commodity, so plan far in advance.
Check the website for the day and time reservations open for the next available month, set an alert and be ready to act fast. Reservations get gobbled up, sometimes in mere minutes. If you miss out, try again the following month or stay tuned to the website for cancellation updates. Because this is an adult dining experience, plan to spring for a sitter.
Once you snag a reservation, set another alert so you arrive neither early nor late as there is no standing room. The restaurant seats about 14 people while still allowing for comfortable spacing. The feel is intimate, but never tight.
The Blacksheep menu explores exciting ingredients.
At your table, note the printed slip of paper. This is the night’s menu, usually four courses with a couple of options for each. As you read the ingredients, there’s a sense of things familiar and not so familiar. This is where adventure comes into play so no adjustments, please—dive in with relish.
For the ultimate culinary experience, choose everything (as in EVERYTHING) for the table. Sharing is strongly encouraged. And if you like the evening’s soundtrack, you can find that info, too, at the bottom of your menu.
Almost every dish at Blacksheep takes a turn in the wood-fired oven named Dolly.
See that stack of seasoned wood against the wall? It’s not there to lend an air of rusticity. Just about everything at Blacksheep is cooked in a hefty wood-burning oven named Dolly. You can get a peek at the kitchen (which is about the same size as the dining room) when you enter the building. Go ahead—wave “hello” to Dolly and Chef Wallace on the way to your seat.
And what about the cuisine?
Think super fresh, inspired, sublime and surprising with pops of international flair and ripples of Southern influence. Herbs and exotic spices add punches here and there. Textures play off one another in tantalizing ways. Desserts get the same thoughtful treatment as any other course.
Blacksheep might be a small-scale operation, but its engaging vibe, innovative approach and splendidly conceived and crafted dishes generate an air of dining largesse.
Article by Libby Wierseman
Source: https://discoversouthcarolina.com/articles/distinctive-sc-dining-blacksheep.