Motor Supply was honored to be chosen to represent South Carolina’s culinary heritage (and future!) at Discover South Carolina's (South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism) latest media event for national editors and writers in New York City on March 16, 2015. At the event, tourism partners from across the state met with members of the media to share stories from their regions.
Exec. Chef Wes Fulmer created an inspired menu for the event, using locally sourced ingredients to present a taste of South Carolina – with his signature twist – and traveled to NYC with Sous Chef Nate Park to make it happen.
"It was an honor not only to represent the state of South Carolina, but to represent Columbia as well as Motor Supply," said Chef Fulmer. “We cooked food that you can find here in our state; food that we're proud to serve at the restaurant."
Chef Fulmer said it was also a good opportunity to gauge where Motor Supply stands on a national stage, in terms of culinary exploration. "The staff we worked with was very interested in the thought process behind the cooking. It was described as an ‘elegant rustification’ of homegrown ingredients."
"I'd never done the Lowcountry Curry Chicken Captain before. It came out great, and there’s such a good story behind it. Everything on the menu had a story behind it, relating back to South Carolina."
Sous Chef Nate Park said the menu was a new experience for the media, who were really drawn to the modified Southern staples, like a pig picking station featuring a whole suckling pig shipped directly from Carolina Heritage Farms in Pamplico, S.C., and a variation on shrimp and “grits” made with heirloom Carolina Gold rice instead of cornmeal.
"We did Southern food with an elegant twist,” said Park. "We went back to our roots, but we added a trendy aspect. It was a great trip. We worked with a lot of professionals, and it was an honor to be chosen."
Tapping into the culinary experience he amassed while working in France, Colorado, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Charleston, Chef Fulmer pulled from a variety of cuisines to accentuate his South Carolinian ingredients. For example, his take on a French confit crepinette featured Manchester Farms quail, for which the family-owned farm shipped birds directly from Columbia, S.C. to New York City.
"Our menu was a true implication of how we think about food here, not only at Motor Supply, but in the South,” said Chef Fulmer. “We take the things that are available to us, the hands – or ingredients – we’re dealt; take our experience from throughout the years; and combine them to make something that is understandable, yet something that takes it up a notch."
South Carolina Parks, Recreation and Tourism Media Preview Menu
New York City, March 16, 2015
Menu by Wesley Fulmer, Executive Chef
Motor Supply Co. Bistro, Columbia, S.C.
Passed Hors D’oeuvres
Motor Supply Pimiento Cheese & Green Tomato Chow Chow Open-Faced Sandwiches
Speckled Butterbean & Chipotle Succotash
Manchester Farms Quail Confit Crepinette with Carolina Duck Sauce
Smoked Shrimp & White Bean Bruschetta with Pancetta Vinaigrette
Seared Deckle of Beef with Cornbread Puree, S.C. Boiled Peanuts & Duck Fat Aioli
Foie Gras Torchon on Housemade Charleston Benne Wafer with S.C. Muscadine Wine Jelly & Vincotto Drizzle
Slow Cooked Suckling Pig Picking Station
10-hour Carolina Heritage Farms Suckling Pig with Sharp Cheddar & Chive Biscuits
Four Regional SC BBQ Sauces: Midlands German Mustard BBQ Sauce; Pee Dee Light Tomato BBQ Sauce; Lowcountry Spicy Chili Vinegar BBQ Sauce; Upstate Roasted Tomato BBQ Sauce
Served with Palmetto Sweet Onion & Brussels Sprout Slaw; House-Pickled Bourbon Jalapenos; House-Pickled S.C. Sunchokes & Palmetto Sweet Onions; House-Pickled Carolina Cucumbers
Carolina Gold Heritage Rice Station
Lowcountry-Style Red Curry & Poulet Rouge Free-Range Chicken Captain with Carolina Gold Heirloom Rice Pilaf; Crispy Free-Range Chicken Crackling Dust
Crispy Sous Vide Beaufort, S.C., Shrimp Medallions & Carolina Gold Heirloom Rice Grits with Roasted Tomato & Bacon Jus
Image by DiscoverSouthCarolina.com
Image by DiscoverSouthCarolina.com
Image by DiscoverSouthCarolina.com
Known for its artisan cocktails, refined yet relaxed atmosphere and daily-changing, chef-driven menu of sustainable, farm-to-table fare, Motor Supply Co. Bistro has been serving New World, made-from-scratch cuisine in the historic Columbia, S.C. Congaree Vista since 1989. Reservations can be made by calling (803) 256-6687 or by visiting www.motorsupplycobistro.com/reserve.