With over 100 selections, Muse has one of the best offerings of wine by the glass in town, and a knowledgeable serving team to make recommendations, too.įor me, Muse remains an eccentric but utterly delightful restaurant, and a comfortable, reassuring place for a good meal. The small dining room downstairs, with its blue walls, red curtains, and old fireplace, is a fine setting for an intimate dinner, while the tiny red-walled bar area, with 10 stools crammed into the front room of the old house, is a great spot for sharing a couple of glasses of wine with friends. The Old World villa feel is imparted through lots of small touches like the tapestries and frescoes that adorn the walls, banquettes with pillows to cushion your lower back, and the vibrant red and blue color scheme. The interior is tight, and usually there’s some jostling and bumping as you come in and get settled into your table, but for me that’s part of the charm. There’s potato gnocchi tossed in gorgonzola cream ($16), a rib-eye steak with pancetta and roasted garlic jus ($27), and Muse’s Mediterranean version of shrimp and grits ($19), with the shrimp seared and served over polenta with a basil and tomato cream sauce. It still features housemade pasta, fresh local seafood, and meat dishes, all prepared with accents of Italian and Iberian flavors. The entrée selection has not changed radically, either, under the new chef’s watch. The broad-cut rings of squid have great bits of brown char from the grill, and they’re tossed with olive oil, thin strips of basil, and little bits of red pepper and orange zest that add big sparks of sweetness and spice. The grilled calamari ($10) is also a fine appetizer, and a good one to share with the table. The meat is rubbed with sumac and then grilled, which gives it a splendidly smoky flavor with a fruity kick of tartness, and it’s served with sweet Madeira-braised onions, pomegranate jus, and Medjool dates that have been caramelized and reduced down to almost a mush. The grilled duck breast ($12) remains one of Charleston’s best appetizers because of its inspired combination of Middle Eastern flavors.
They still make the restaurant’s savory Merguez sausage ($10) in-house from fresh lamb, and there’s always a bruschetta of the day ($8), which might be topped with anything from prosciutto or cheese to dates or white beans. The good news for Muse fans is that much remains the same under the new kitchen leadership. In February, new chef Howard LaFour, who was Craig Deihl’s sous at Cypress, took the reins at Muse, making subtle changes to the menu. Since it opened four years ago, Muse Restaurant and Wine Bar has stood out for its distinctive interpretation of Mediterranean cuisine.
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