Count Munjid Yousif among the people who set up shop in the area once upon a time, left, but was ultimately drawn back to the Carolina Low Country.
“We loved it here.” He says “It’s easy to get around. The people are nice. We just love it here.”
The epiphany came after a 3 month visit to Charlotte. It was the place they had lived before he took a job on Hilton Head Island. Charlotte was the spot they thought would be ideal to open their first restaurant. Three months in, they knew the part of the country they had just left was going to offer them the best opportunity to succeed.
After a methodical search for the right location to plant a flag, they went to work. A couple of months later, they’ve opened Olive and Fig, Bluffton’s newest Mediterranean restaurant.
“Once we saw it, we knew this was the place.”
The place is 1533 Fording Road in Bluffton, the space formerly occupied by NEO HHI. The menu? Greek and Lebanese classics. Plus some Italian influence thrown in for good measure.
“I am half Lebanese, half Italian” he says.
We stumbled upon Chef Munjid at the Taste of Bluffton’s Gourmet Tour of Homes back in April. He was one of 3 chefs selected to prepare light snacks for guests touring houses as part of Taste of Bluffton Weekend. The others were Ted Huffman of Bluffton BBQ and Brandon Carter of FARM Bluffton. Clearly he was in good company, especially considering he has just come back to town.
His offerings that day were standard by any definition. Hummus, Tabbouleh and Grilled Strips of Beef. Show stoppers. Every last bite. I knew immediately we were on to something special. Equally as important, we had a little more diversity in the cuisine coming to Bluffton.
“Everything I make is fresh.” Chef tells me. “Nothing frozen, nothing pre-cooked. We don’t own a microwave.”
A quick tour of his brand new kitchen confirms his stance on how he prepares his dishes. But forget about all of that, the ultimate test is how does the food taste? He says his lamb kabobs are his most popular. Based on the dish I enjoyed, I have no trouble believing that. The aromatics in the rice are enough to make my mouth water now. The roasted vegetables could have used a smidge more salt, but they were perfectly cooked.
If you read enough of my work here, then you know I don’t write traditional reviews. That said, when I find a dish that I love, I am going to tell you. Well, more times than not because I do tend to eat and like quite a bit.
Opening day was June 6th. So it has only been a couple of weeks. The day we visited, there were some logistics issues going on in the dining room, but those are growing pains that any new spot will go through. How it is handled is what is most important. They appear to be doing well.
That said, every bite of food that came out of Chef Munjid’s kitchen looked more amazing than the plate before. If the crowds they experienced the first couple of weeks since they opened are any indication, it may not be very long before it’s hard to get a table during the dinner rush. Yes, reservations are recommended. The longer you wait to visit, the more they will likely be required.
“We thought our cuisine would work here.” Chef says. “There are so many people here from different parts of the country that we thought they would enjoy what we prepare.”
It’s looking very much like it.
See you on TV
Jesse
