Scene Checks Out 'Rock Cookery' at Burwell's

[Photo: Praneendra Kuver]

The lady-centric steakhouse Burwell's Stone Fire Grill got a mixed, but mostly positive, review from Charleston Scene's Deidre Schipani. Her thoughts on searing one's beef table side?

"It is, in the words of burlesque queen Gypsy Rose Lee, a 'gimmick' but one that adds a touch of theater to your dining experience. Volcanic (lava) rock is heated to 700 degrees and brought to the table in a ceramic cradle. Your meat is precut and you place it on the rocks, hear the sizzle, see the steam and cook to your degree of doneness."

Schipani was particularly impressed with the renovation of the building, calling the space warm and open. Other positives? She enjoyed the Brussels, s'mores and the steak Chef Eric Huff cooked for her (though not in that order). "It was old-school steak — when a steak brought flavor, fat and texture to the plate. It was equally good the next day, cold, a testament to its pedigree."

But there was some lily-gilding going on with the burgers and entrees like the vanilla-seared scallops. In the end, she asks, "And what is at 'steak' when you brand your brand to what the Wall Street Journal calls 'steaks for the stiletto set'?" City Paper's critic Robert Moss might have an answer or two.

· Burwell's Stone Fire Grill Steps it Up with Modern Steakhouse [CS]
· Burwell's Drops Like a Hot Rock on the Dining Scene [CP]