Fast and French

Continuing in my quest to familiarise myself with Charleston eateries (at least before anyone visits me - so i know some decent places), lunchtime today found me heading downtown with three friends to a place known to the locals as 'Fast and French' (I may have mentioned this place before - apologies if so, but let's face it, is ANYONE really going to trawl through 124 previous posts to look?). The reason for this rather snappy moniker is that the locals here were unable to pronounce it's real name (I forget what it's called actually - but it's also called G and M - the name of the place shortened to first initials). Anyway, it's a small, cosy little place in the heart of downtown - a stone's throw away from the number of art galleries that Charleston has (I say galleries - they are really just shops. Every now and then, there are art walks where people stroll from gallery to gallery and get tremendously drunk on free wine). They have both lunch and evening menu and, i am told, have fondue every Thursday Night (didn't that go out in the late 70s?!).

One thing that surprises is how many people they manage to cram into such a small area - it's a rather long and narrow area - the width cannot be more than 15-20 feet if that yet i'd say you could get a good 20-30 people there. Surprisingly, this doesn't feel at all crowded - as i said, it comes across as more cosy and makes the atmosphere a bit more friendly i suppose. Anyway, they have a few lunch specials - usually soups and a grilled sandwich of some kind. Given the cool weather, we all went for this - today, a beef barley soup (very nice - not at all watery as can be the trouble with this kind) and a grilled vegetable sandwich (also tasty) with some fruit. The added bonus here is that you get a drink included - with the option of a glass of house wine. Who could refuse a glass of red wine at 1pm? Certainly not me - and all for $10 (which includes the tip i left as well) - pretty good going if you ask me.