The details on chef Michael Toscano’s next concept
The co-owner of Le Farfalle tells us about The Larrikin
Chef Michael Toscano operates Le Farfalle, Da Toscano Porchetta Shop, Fugazzi, and Blanca Estrada in Charleston, as well as Da Toscano in New York. Now he’s adding a sixth establishment with the forthcoming opening of The Larrikin at 157 Market Street, near the downtown Target.
“Larrikin is an all-day cafe — it will be very coffee-focused, and there will be amazing food. Imagine hearty but healthy,” says Toscano. He mentions that the restaurant will serve grain bowls with heaps of seasoned vegetables, lean proteins, and three different sauces: garlic, chimichurri, and Buffalo.
Toscano admits that he has been “nerding out” on coffee recently, so the caffeine situation at The Larrikin should be distinct. He explains:
“Instead of a macchiato, cortado, cappuccino, or latte, the menu offers four-ounce, six-ounce, and 10-ounce drinks of espresso with milk. You can get a double shot. You can get a long black. Long black is simply adding the three ounces of water to your double espresso shot. You can get iced drinks. Then, there’s a whole section of really funky stuff that is meant to be an experience, not in a fancy sense, not like bust your wallet sense, but in a flavor, like really getting to see what coffee can do. And you don’t need to get those, but if you want that experience, we’re going to have some really fun stuff.”
The beans will come from Black & White Coffee Roasters in Wake Forest, North Carolina, Proud Mary in Australia, and Methodical in Greenville, South Carolina.
The Larrikin will have a full liquor license and will serve beer, wine, and uncomplicated cocktails. “The cocktails are the ones you love, probably things that you tend to make at home, and it’s all just done really well,” says Toscano, “Everything from a margarita to a caipirinha to even a rum and coke.”
The cafe will be open seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Toscano says he wants it to be the kind of place where customers can hang out with friends at the bar or bring their laptop to get some work done while having a snack.
Toscano will preview The Larrikin's coffee menu at Blanca Estrada starting next Monday, May 18, from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.
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Oooooo, Black & White and Methodical, and "really getting to see what coffee can do"? Sold.