Summer 2011
In the Dog House
by Katie McElveen • photos by DawnMarie Versluys
For foodies, finding really good food in a place where you never expected it is one of life’s great pleasures. It doesn’t have to be fancy— in fact, discovering perfect fried chicken at a gas station diner in the middle of nowhere or amazing sushi in a strip mall makes it even more fun— but it does need to be special.
Located within the vast stretch of chain restaurants that dominate the area around the mall in Florence, Red Bone Alley could easily be just another clone serving up unremarkable food. Instead, owner Dale Barth has created a dining destination that surprises visitors with creative takes on Southern favorites— think shrimp in a bright curry cream and a club sandwich decked out with fresh mozzarella and homestyle honey mustard— that are fresh and homemade.
There’s plenty on the menu: from casual fare such as burgers, salads and sandwiches to aged steaks, chops and pastas. Lowcountry spring rolls— they’re stuffed with collards, smoked chicken and ham— have a popular following, as do the Bermuda Triangles, which pair chicken, cream cheese and bacon with buttery puff pastry. There’s dessert too, like homemade pound cake grilled and served with caramel sauce and ice cream, courtesy of Barth’s wife Leslie, who’s a trained pastry chef.
But at Red Bone, it’s not so much what’s on the menu as what’s behind it. Fish is delivered twice a week by a fisherman who brings his catch straight from the boat to the restaurant. Pork comes from The Butcher Shop in Lexington and most of the produce is hand-chosen by the chef at the Florence Farmer’s Market or delivered by a pair of farmers who bring what looks best on their twice-weekly trips. Chefs put what they purchase to good use, too, crafting salad dressings, sauces, marinades and soups in house. Steaks are hand-cut and the meat is never frozen. With this kind of dedication to creating real food from real, local ingredients, it’s hard to believe that the menu tops out at $17.49.
Barth’s locavore instincts don’t stop in the restaurant. In the bar, there’s always a local beer on tap. Customers also flock to the bar for the slurp-worthy pineapple martinis, a concoction that gets its kick from homemade pineapple-infused vodka.
To learn about the origin of the name Red Bone Alley, visit redbonealley.com.
Red Bone Alley's Pineapple Martini
1½ oz pineapple-infused vodka
1 part pineapple juice
1 part Sour Mix
Splash of 7UP®
Sugar or sweetener to taste
Shake with ice and chill well. Strain into a chilled martini glass and add a dash of Blue Curaçao.
