Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1532915
P H OTO S BY A N D R E W C E B U L K A ; A N D R E W WA L K E R ( H E A D S H OT ) CHEF MICHAEL TOSCANO OF LE FARFALLE AND BLANCA ESTRADA Chef's journey I'm fortunate to have had two parents who made time for us, and through the meals we had, that culture of being around a table, laughing, eating together. That is such a big part of who I am. I spent a lot of time in New York and one of the first dishes at Perla (my Italian restaurant in Greenwich Village while there) was this whole roasted veal head. That came from my mother; she would roast a whole cow head overnight and make tamales out of it. Moving from New York to Charleston, we noticed there's less of that hustle that is a way of life in New York, and here people just have more time for one another. That's something I love about Charleston. Cooking inspirations Spring is a special time in Charleston. It's crab season, ramps, chanterelles. It rains and everywhere you look there are chanterelles! Charleston favorites I love history. Just being able to walk through downtown Charleston and take in the history that has happened there, the good, bad, ugly, and how this town has evolved from theater to art to food. It's our duty to contribute to this community; we're all here to make this community great. One of my all-time favorites, if my wife and I can sneak away for a lunch, is Malagon; it's Spanish cuisine, and they do it so well. Signature dishes At Le Farfalle, it's the octopus carpaccio, born from the grill station at Babbo (where I was sous chef); an octopus antipasti, braised in wine, with roasted tomatoes and pickled eggplant is a beautiful way to start a meal. At Blanca Estrada, it's no question the beef tongue taco on one of our homemade tortillas, topped with pico de gallo, cilantro, a little bit of rice, and finished with habanero salsa. Diners' experience Le Farfalle is all about using local ingredients and cooking the Italian food I know from all over the boot, making pasta, focaccia, doing it well and doing it in a space that can go from casual, a Wednesday night bowl of spaghetti at the bar, to a special occasion for a birthday or anniversary. We use local pig, mill our own flour, do it all from scratch. The plan is to build out a pizzeria, but right now Blanca Estrada is the food I grew up eating, my mother's Mexican roots, homemade tortillas and homemade meats. My mother is an important part of my cooking, a huge inspiration, but all of that came from my maternal grandmother. "This tow n has evolved from theater to art to food." — CHEF MICHA EL TOSCA NO CLOCKWISE Chef Michael Toscano at work in the kitchen at Le Farfalle; the restaurant's garden patio. BALHAR B O U RSH O P S .CO M