Have You Had Your Surcee Today?

West Ashley welcomes a new gift shop and cafe restaurant, the Charleston Surcee Company, in the Crab Shack plaza on Ashley River Road where In Good Taste was located for 32 years. In Good Taste closed April 19, and Charleston Surcee Co. opened on Aug. 1, as a cafe and caterer inside an eclectic gift shop.
An old Southern word, a “surcee” is a surprise gift given for no other reason than for the giver to share with the recipient a gesture of friendship. Manager Geneva Gunnells and chef Christina Jordan opened their restaurant and gift shop after operating catering services at Patriots Points for 15 years. “We thought we would try something completely new, so we opened a gift shop, and continued with what we knew best: catering. Christina is the creative one in the kitchen,” says co-owner and manager Geneva Gunnells.
Inside the downstairs gift shop is a welcoming dining area with traditional, round, wooden dining tables set with place settings and surrounded by comfortable dining chairs. A sideboard serves the coffee bar all day, complete with flavored syrups and a variety of sugars and cream. Soft drinks and tea are also available. With the combined dining area and gift shop, the Charleston Surcee Company’s atmosphere feels like the home of an eccentric but hospitable interior designer.
Charleston Surcee Company offers lunch Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., dine-in or take-out. The small but creative menu is made fresh and in-house. They offer four sandwiches $5-7: “Jimmy Appleseed” with smoked ham, bacon, sliced green apple, brie cheese, red onion, and honey dijon cream on a croissant; vegetarian Paisley Indian with creamy mozzarella, sliced tomato, and pesto sauce on a roll; Wild Turkey with bourbon-smoked turkey, bacon, avocado, lettuce, red onion, swiss cheese, and pesto mayonnaise on nut bread, and the classic peanut butter and jelly. Each sandwich is served alone or as a meal with chips, side dish of the day, pickle spear and drink. They also feature a “salad of the day.”
For $3-3.50 each, the dessert menu includes “Charleston Proper” coconut cake, topped with berries and balsamic syrup with vanilla bean whipped cream, and “Pluff Mud Special” almond mocha brownie, with coffee ice cream and chocolate syrup. Occasionally special desserts are offered, such as crispy donut bread pudding with bourbon caramel sauce.
Jordan’s and Gunnell’s specialty is catering for corporate and private events and “gourmet to go” orders. The extensive catering menu includes options of approximately 30 hors d’oeuvres, four salad stations, a dozen desserts, and four brunch dishes. Highlights on the eclectic menu will satisfy classic tastes with familiar items, such as mini butter biscuits with shaved ham and honey butter, and the shaved prime rib offered with arugula, blue cheese cream or horseradish. Lowcountry favorites include local boiled shrimp, cracked blue crab claws with sauce, and traditional artichoke dip with wafers. More modern palates will enjoy the beef empanadas with pineapple, black bean salsa, and sour cream, or croissants filled with sautéed mushrooms, herbs and goat cheese, berry croustade, berries with Grand Marnier sauce, scrambled eggs with chives and butter.
For small private parties, the formal upstairs loft is furnished in warm neutral tones, cushioned settees, a large dining table that seats eighteen, and original artwork. The space is suitable for bridal luncheons, committee meetings, or small gatherings of any kind.
The gift shop offers a wide variety of unique and one-of-a-kind home furnishings and clothing. The shop’s vendors include local artisans and dealers in vintage housewares and antiques. Merchandise changes often and promises not to duplicate other shops.
Charleston Surcee Company is located at 1901 Ashley River Road. For more information, call 556-0031 or visit www.charlestonsurcee.com.