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Huck's Lowcountry Table — Where it's easy being green

In 2007, "locavore" was declared by the Oxford Dictionary as the word of the year. A locavore is defined as a person who seeks out locally produced foods. The concept gained popularity through a book written by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon, "The 100-Mile Diet," in which the authors spent one year on a diet of foods grown within 100 miles of home.

J.J. Kern, the executive chef and owner of Huck's Lowcountry Table, espouses similar principles. His restaurant is a member of Fresh on the Menu, the restaurant arm of Certified South Carolina Grown. The latter is a program of "cooperative efforts among the producers, processors, wholesalers and retailers to brand and promote South Carolina products." Huck's Lowcountry Table is South Carolina certified.

The restaurant is on the second level in the space once occupied by the One-Eyed Parrot.

It now has a farmlike feel, if your farm was on the beach at the Isle of Palms. Framed by a condo and a hotel, its "porthole" sight line to the Atlantic Ocean cannot be beat. Tea lights create a tranquil mood; dried beach grasses in glass wall sconces speak to the location and simple, sturdy tables and chairs anchor the space with an easy feel of comfort and community.

Black-and-white photographs of the simpler life on Isle of Palms decorate the walls.

Chef Kern initially sought his degree in architecture, not a bad background for a chef, but with food as his love he set the compass of his career to opening Bubba Gump restaurant here in Charleston and then joined the Sal Parco enterprise with stints at Boulevard Diner, Mustard Seed and Long Point Grill. Fans of those restaurants will see influences at Huck's — sweet and savory combined in a turbinado-seared tuna, filet of beef with peppercorn-cherry sauce and pancetta gnocchi and chopped salad with grilled peaches.

Like the Long Point Grill, expect to see a mix of pastas, both filled and flat, as well as gnocchi and risotto. Lovers of the Oysters Rockefeller Pasta ($16) there will find it at Huck's.

A basket of warm rolls comes quickly to the table, accompanied by seasoned butter packing heat (cayenne), sweet (honey) and tart (tarragon). Save room!

Seafood is the predominant ingredient in starters, and we began with Shrimp Fritters ($10) combining ample chunks of local shrimp in a cornmeal batter finished to a dry-crisp finish. They were accompanied by a refreshing Cajun tartar sauce speckled with sweet nuggets of corn.

Ham and Cheese Biscuits ($7) bed down country ham, tangy pimiento cheese and a lick of smoked corn aioli. A house-made Cheese Ravioli ($6) wears the colors of Italia with a smoked tomato sauce and basil oil drizzle.

The wide range of preparations and ingredients demonstrates the thought and care that Kern, his chef de cuisine Joseph Martin and sous chef Evan Menesale gave their menu.

Soups offer a daily gazpacho ($5), classic shrimp bisque ($6) and Fried Green Tomato ($5). Go for the green. Served in an off-center bowl, this soup featured a matte green tomato liquid swirled with the outline of a tomato's shape in basil oil, complete with a chive stem. Each mouthful melded the salty tang of country ham and the silky emulsion of pimiento cheese with the tannic taste of tart green tomatoes. Get it while they're green.

The salad of local field greens ($6) did not fare as well. It seemed that any of the ingredients with either a "smoke" or a "roast" before their names were lacking in intensity — whether that of smoke in the corn aioli or a deepening and concentrating of the tomato flavor in roasted dressings or sauces.

The menu is sprawling. From a cinnamon-and-rum brined pork chop, to Caw Caw Creek pork belly, to chicken breast stuffed, fried or "barbecued," Kern's kitchen has something for everyone.

Plates are generous; the portions, ample. Local favorites such as collards, red rice, mustard greens, summer squash and sweet potatoes bring the bounty of summer to the table.

The tomatoes are frequently heirloom, the sausage is from the pastured pork of Caw Caw Creek, the rice is Carolina Plantation Gold Rice, the produce is local and the kitchen talent conscious of home-grown goodness.

The Shrimp and Grits ($19) layered seared onions and red peppers with both sage-seasoned sausage and spicy chorizo. The bed of stone-ground grits was cooked to a smooth porridge, and the dish was finished with the bright red and yellow-orange striped Copia tomatoes. Local shrimp in all their plump glory bedded down on this fine base of flavors.

Griddled Carolina Crabcake plated two generous crab cakes alongside what is a signature dish for this kitchen: creamed Carolina Gold Rice with spinach, the greens cutting a verdant path through the rice's creamy texture. The crab, seasoned with thyme, bits of celery and onion, had hardly any filler. My quibble is that it was mostly claw meat rather than white, plump lump.

Desserts are made in-house. We opted for the local peach cobbler with buttermilk ice cream and found the ice cream tasted more of vanilla than buttermilk. However, the caramelized roasted peaches and light cobbler batter more than made up for our anticipated tart finish.

Service is sincere. The dedicated staff works together to be mindful of the guests.

So whenever you feel the urge to scratch an itch of sustainability, biodiversity, and eat local products and seasonal ingredients, try Huck's Lowcountry Table. You won't be disappointed.