Return to Main Menu

Blend is perfect for dining in, taking out by Heather Woolwine Public Relations For years the building on the corner of Ashley and Doughty streets sat empty. MUSC staff, patients, students and visitors noticed it and many speculated about what might eventually fill it.   A perfect fit arrived in the form of a new restaurant called Blend. Opened for business approximately three weeks ago, Blend is an innovative joint venture brought to MUSC by proprietors Mel Goldstein and Executive Chef Matthew Niessner, former executive chef of the Kiawah Island Sanctuary.   Executive chef Matthew Niessner prepares two appetizing dishes to be served in the upstairs dining room. With a café and neighborhood gourmet deli atmosphere downstairs and fine dining upstairs, Blend offers the MUSC community multiple dining choices in one location. Ranging from freshly prepared gourmet salads and sandwiches made to order on the first floor to Lowcountry style shrimp and grits and Black Angus New York strip steak upstairs, Blend presents a multitude of tasty choices for MUSC’s diverse campus for breakfast, lunch and dinner.   Goldstein said that part of his inspiration for pursuing Blend’s concept was rooted in his Montreal upbringing, where his father owned a similar business. The feel of a neighborhood and community-oriented restaurant and deli appealed to Goldstein, and it was his pleasant experiences in that atmosphere that inspired him to create Blend with Niessner. “In every aspect of our business, whether it’s food preparation, hospitality, catering, delivery, interacting with staff, or catering to our customers needs, we are committed to excellence,” he said. “In addition, it’s very important that we find a way to give back to the MUSC community and to the neighborhood.”   For MUSC employees and staff, in addition to the 10 percent discount in the deli, Blend is developing a loyalty program with preloaded debit cards for quick in-and-out service. There is free delivery on campus ($15 minimum), catering services, and preordering for specialized meals. Goldstein and Niessner also felt it important to reach out to the patient population on campus. Staying at the hospital for extended periods can become expensive for families who eat most of their meals in restaurants while waiting for a loved one to recover. Goldstein, who has volunteered many hours with the Children’s Hospital, will offer Children’s Hospital patients and their families special discounts on Blend menu items to help ease the pressure on strained family budgets. In addition, Blend will donate coffee, tea and pastries for the Children’s’ Hospital Volunteer program’s family and patient breakfasts each Saturday morning.   A Blend employee hands an order to go to a waiting customer. “It is our goal to provide that personal touch, in addition to offering the finest quality in our food, whether you’re grabbing it to go or decide to stay and enjoy the piazza, the courtyard, or the cozy atmosphere in the dining room,” Goldstein said. “It’s also a goal of ours to provide healthy, quality choices at affordable prices. Many of our luncheon entrées are less than $10, and a delicious gourmet sandwich served with a side and a beverage can also be purchased for less than $10. If a customer wants a faster lunch and chooses to stay downstairs, we will continue to serve him while in our restaurant, unlike a fast food restaurant. The entire menu is also available to go for those who do not have the time to enjoy our atmosphere. Additionally, the courtyard has just opened for happy hour from 4:30 to 7 p.m.”   Blend also offers a gourmet coffee bar and fresh pastries for mornings on the run. Specifics on Blend Hours of operation are 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, for breakfast and lunch. Dinner is from 5 to 9 p.m., and reservations are recommended. Weekend hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Blend will also work with customers on group lunches, dinners, or parties. Call 724-3391 for more information, to make a reservation, or learn more about the menu.   Some items from the menu: Soup—Classic french onion, she crab and tomato basil. Salads—Classic Caesar; southwestern grilled chicken with black beans, Monterey jack cheese, grilled corn, tomatoes, chipotle-ranch dressing, and crisp tortilla strips; blackened salmon salad with frissee, arugula, blue cheese, vidalia onions, mandarin oranges, cashews and fresh pear vinaigrette. Sandwiches—Italian proscuitto and cappicola ham with fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and fresh basil herbed aioli on panini bread (heated); grilled eggplant and zucchini with peppers, oven roasted tomatoes, provolone cheese and basil pesto on focaccia bread (heated); blackened rock shrimp salad with lettuce, cucumbers and sliced tomatoes on a butter croissant; lump crab cake sandwich with pancetta, melted leeks, and red pepper aioli. Entrees—Lowcountry shrimp and grits with tasso ham, pepper gravy, and creamy stone ground pepper jack grits; pan roasted chicken breast with parmesan polenta, sautéed wild mushrooms and tomato-pancetta gravy; pan seared local grouper with a chive potato pancake, sauce provencal, arugula and pine nut salad; black Angus New York strip steak, with buttermilk potatoes, caramelized onions and mushrooms, lemon scented broccolini and béarnaise sauce.     Friday, June 1, 2007 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.