Hutson Alley is a perfect spot for lively nighttime events – steakhouse Michael's On The Alley, seafood house and grill Coast, French brasserie Rue de Jean, and Cuban-inspired joint Victor Social Club are all there, leading to an international destination all on the same block. Holy City Hospitality Group's Havana on Hutson created a party inside the Victor Social Club that spilled out onto the alley, filling the air with salsa sounds and encouraging patrons to dance all night long.
The event featured a special menu of bites and sips, with the food coming from the restaurant and the drinks coming from partner Don Julio tequila.
The Drinks
The specialty cocktails for the evening were the fruity, smoky Happy In Jalisco and the autumnal, sweet Pumpkin Mai Tai. The first one would fit in perfectly in a warm, summery setting, which gave the feeling of a night along Havana's El Malecón. The latter evoked the warmth of cider or pumpkin pie spices, nodding more to the current weather in Charleston. Both were excellent.
The Bites
Below is the menu for the evening. We got to try some of the small plates as we imbibed and listened to the live band playing Cuban music.
One of our favorites was the smoked jerk wings. The mint sour cream it was paired with cut the smoke deliciously and drove the Cuban influence home. The cornichons on the side were a great pickled touch to balance the flavors out.
The star of the show was the lobster bruschetta. Local tomatoes, whipped ricotta, and garlic came together with rich, succulent lobster, with it all being rounded out by the arugula garnish. The base of thick multigrain bread sat on a balsamic drizzle, providing a solid vessel for the deliciousness on top of it. The smoke of the Happy in Jalisco also paired wonderfully with this.
The well thought out menu and drink pairings combined with the effervescent atmosphere made this event a lively success. As someone who's visited Havana, I found this event a good way to experience a bit of Cuban flavor without leaving downtown Charleston or worrying about an international security clearance.