Posh kitchen supply shop opens at Cross Hill
Multicolored spatulas, spoons and whisks blossom from brightly painted ceramic containers that dot the hewn wooden tables. A metropolis of metal instruments glitter in the filtered sunlight and numerous skillets, dishes and aprons line the shelves and hang from stands placed sporadically around the long room.
No, it’s not newest set of Paula Deen’s new cooking show. It’s right here in Columbia.
Sandwiched between the new Whole Foods and an array of specialty shops in the Cross Hill Market sits Charleston Cooks, the freshest haven for the homemade chef in capital city. Tagged as one the three up-and-coming “maverick kitchen stores” in the state, the establishment is the brainchild of Maverick Southern Kitchens founder and South Carolina native Dick Elliott.
Recently awarded a distinguished alumni award from USC, Elliott developed the concept for Charleston Cooks from a similar cooking store he spotted in Canada, which he soon began molding to cater to the whims of a traditional southern chef. The goal? Create the perfect mixture of cuisine and camaraderie, in a local setting that promotes both a good time and new skills behind the counter.
“So much of our lives revolve around food,” said Charleston Cooks staff member Scottie Rabb. “Our goal here is to make cooking easier and simpler so that you have time for the more important, quality parts of life.”
Although Charleston Cooks is fully stocked with every tool you’d ever need to chop, zest, peel and slice your way to the perfect meal, Rabb says another integral part of the store is to provide the proper skills to spice up your own kitchen at home. Starting in December, the store will offer a variety of cooking classes designed for chefs at every level. Each class will be formatted to fit students, whether you prefer the watch-and-taste method or the hands-on option where you prepare your own meals in a small group. Segments like knife skills, beginners and even a “lunch express” where participants are in and out of the class during their lunch break are already scheduled. And the best part is that all tools and spices used in culinary class can be purchased right on the sales floor. Local chefs from Charleston, Greenville and Columbia will be on deck to teach students all the necessary steps and best methods to create delicious veggie dishes, appetizers and of course, shrimp and grits.
“All of the products we sell have been used and tested in our very own kitchen,” Rabb said. “We try to find companies that provide the best equipment that is durable and still easy to use. This store is really all about cooking and not tabletop presentation. Although we do sell items to accompany cocktails or as gifts, nothing is too ‘cutesy.’ We want to provide everything for the home-based cook — not using 18 ingredients but instead items you may already have in your pantry.”
While Rabb named the mess-free garlic press as one of her favorite kitchen tools the store sells, there are items available for whatever dish a customer is trying to whip up, from fresh pasta to pancakes to pie. And for the miniature chef-in-training, there’s plenty of pint-sized whisks, ladles and chef’s hats to get them on track. In short, cooking for the southern chef needs to be blended with equal parts social, savory and tradition, and Charleston Cooks! is more than happy to provide all of the above.
“There’s a lot of traditions we hand down through food,” Rabb said. “When you’re making cookies with your grandmother, it’s not really about the baking. She’s passing down advice and you’re taking the time to make memories together. I think that’s why cooking is so important. It’s so much more than just making the meal; it’s about bringing people together.”
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