Amen Street

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Amen Street

There was once a street in Charleston called Amen Street, named, they say, because "amens" could often be heard there from two nearby churches. The street has since been absorbed into Cumberland Street, but a restaurant at the corner of Cumberland and East Bay Streets has resurrected the name - the Amen Street Fish and Raw Bar.

After enjoying the sea breezes on a midday harbor tour, Peter and I had a hankering for some raw oysters and happily stumbled upon Amen Street on our way to pick up a carriage ride. The menu outside was enticing and the bar was warm and welcoming, so we found two seats and introduced ourselves to the bartendress, Rae. She couldn't have been friendlier and was well informed about the differences between all of the oysters.

We each started with something I'd never had before, an oyster shooter, which is a single oyster in a shot glass swimming in tomato juice, spiked with vodka and lemon juice with a dollop of homemade horseradish - wow what a sensory experience that was - spicy, hot and sweet all at the same time.

Peter and I didn't know it but oysters are a local specialty, and the ones from Capers Island, just north of Charleston, are now our favorites. They are long and thin, with medium brine and a slightly sweet finish. Rae explained that She Crab Soup is also a local delicacy, a description we agreed with the minute that velvety soup touched our lips. It's truly a little bit of heaven.
We finished here with an Oyster Po'Boy and a local draft beer for Peter, and Blackened Salmon with a wonderful Rodney Strong chardonnay for me. We thoroughly enjoyed the food and the casual atmosphere of this restaurant and hope to be back someday soon. Amen to that.