Dyron’s menus include daily specials and feature dishes like Fudge Farm pork chops, shrimp & grits, crab claws and oysters, in season. Their menu has a price point that attracts a variety of diners: new business meetings, girls-night-out, happy hour friends, date nights and family-friendly dinners.
Dyron and Sonya have had time to get to know their patrons and iron out the minor kinks that happen with any new restaurant venture. There were things folks loved (the food) and a few that just did not seem right (a little parking shortage at noon). But spring is a natural time for change, so along with new hours and happy hour specials, Dyron’s has made another major addition: As of March 1st, Randall Baldwin has signed on as Executive Chef and has already pleased many of the regulars.
Chef Baldwin is a scion of the Frank Stitt family of culinary masters. Graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and then working at the side of one the most gracious and talented chefs in the country, Randall learned the guiding principles of restaurant excellence. Chef Stitt fosters a legendary esprit de corps; those who succeed with him have a reputation for being able to embrace the idea that a restaurant is like a family. From the purveyors who bring you the fruits of their labor to the guys who do the laundry, from the maitre d’ and bartender, from the dinner guests and folks who bus the tables. Everyone plays an integral role in creating a meal worth eating and an experience worth replicating.
I recently sat down with Randall Baldwin to talk about his vision for Dyron’s Lowcountry’s continued success. “I am so excited to be here,” he says. “I love the neighborhood and the family feel of this place. I like it that I can change things up a bit on the menu. I have a real seasonal approach to food and that is going to come through in what we serve. I’m at the market (Finley Avenue) at six o’clock in the morning, thinking about what I’m going to make for dinner that night.”
That connection to the people who grow and raise our food is a hallmark of many successful Southern chefs, and Baldwin is no exception. He gets his goat cheese from Fromagerie Belle Chevre in Elkmont, AL. “I’ve known (Belle Chevre’s owner) Tasia (Malakasis) for years,” he says. “She was in the restaurant last week and we came up with a plan to do a whole dinner featuring her cheeses. She is a great cook and it didn’t take us long to come up with a whole menu that we’ll serve at our Belle Chevre Family Dinner on May 4. We’re thinking Michael Deen lettuces, radishes and beets with goat cheese, squash blossoms stuffed with Belle Chevre and then fried. We’d like to do a stuffed lamb shoulder for the entrée. It’s all about what’s fresh and seasonal.”
Tasia Malakasis is equally excited about getting back in the kitchen with Chef Baldwin. “I got the chance to work with Randall one time when he was at Highlands Bar & Grill,” she says. He is incredibly talented and such a hard worker. I’m so happy he is now running his own kitchen.”
This Family Dinner promises to be the first of many such events that Randall plans to showcase the food of local purveyors. Starting at six o’clock, guests will gather under the arbor at Billy Angell’s Oak Street Garden Shop, just adjacent to the restaurant at 121 Oak Street. Dishes will be served family-style from large passed platters. Seating is limited, and reservations must be made in advance by calling (205) 834-8257. Tickets are $65 each and include thoughtfully paired wines but not gratuity.
If you can’t make it to the event on Wednesday night, be sure to stop in one evening for happy hour and stay for dinner. The restaurant opens at 4:30 p.m. daily, Tuesday through Saturday, and serves a Champagne Brunch on Sundays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The hospitality, food and charm will not disappoint.
For more information onto Dyron’s Lowcountry, visit www.dyronslowcountry.com.
Christiana Roussel lives in Crestline and is a lover of all things food-related. You can follow her culinary musings on-line at ChristianasKitchen.com or on Facebook (ChristianasKitchen) or Twitter (Christiana40).
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