Downtown treasure makes seamless chef shift

In 1997, the Peninsula Grill opened in The Planters Inn. In 2011, Robert Carter, the chef who had commanded the kitchen since its opening day and had been a mentor to many in the Lowcountry, began a new chapter in his career.

Stepping up to the top toque was Carter's chef de cuisine, Graham Dailey. It has been a seamless transition, a testament to the caliber of both of these men in the kitchen of Peninsula Grill.

Peninsula Grill has been honored with a Mobil Four-Star rating and AAA Four Diamond. The New York Times, Food & Wine magazine, the Wine Spectator and Travel+Leisure magazine all have praised the competencies of its kitchen and the tranquil atmosphere of its dining room.

With velvet-covered walls shimmering in shades of oyster gray and mushroom brown, the room strikes a visual pose of enduring sophistication. Fresh blooms and bowls of lemons and limes add simple and smart embellishments.

Dailey quickly dispatches an amuse-gueule to the table. Ours was a play on steak au poivre using supple, ruby-red tuna slices crusted with peppercorns and balanced on a few sprigs of frisee and dressed with herbs and red pepper mince.

The soup trio remains ($12), and mushroom bisque, pumpkin soup, and lobster and corn chowder will not disappoint. The oyster sampler ($13) demonstrates the attention to details and timing with its interpretation of oysters Rockefeller on a bed of arugula and Asiago, along with a broiled oyster straddling the lines of Casino and Imperial, and two au natural bivalves.

Lobster "3 Way" remains a favorite, and if partnered with the lobster and corn chowder with basil butter ($10), it makes for an interesting lobster tasting "flight."

Salads are well-composed and dressings of cucumber cream, buttermilk and pecan vinaigrette are welcome refinements. The bread boule comes to the table in its woven basket, just warm enough to melt the rich, full flavors of churned butter.

The menu is reflective of the season and strikes a balance between the simple and unadorned quality of certified Angus beef cuts and pristine seafood.

Offered a la carte ($7), the sides frame the flavors of meat and fish well. Among them are cauliflower crowned with a Dijon mustard crust, goat cheese bringing tang to earthy smashed potatoes, Southern grits tempered with the meatiness of local mushrooms, and local peas and beans in a simple succotash.

The sea is where Dailey shines. The nautical home spoke to him as a young man and defines his attention to freshness, sustainability and partnerships with local fisherman. Seared tilefish ($36.50) is crowned with a small arugula salad, punctuated with roasted bits of celeriac (celery root) and plated over braised greens and browned cipollini onions. A reduced lobster sauce puddled around the plate, and yellow and orange carrot slices brightened the dish with sweetness.

The peach-glazed shrimp ($35) with brandied peach butter received a few minor adjustments. The hushpuppies are super-charged with horseradish and green onion, and Hoppin' John adds the proper local influence.

The menu is complemented by a considered and thoughtful wine list.

The staff is attentive but not hovering, unobtrusive but not perfunctory.

Pastry chef Claire Chapman executes the dessert menu (all $10) with a sure hand. Banana-shaped tuiles, or thin, crisp cookies, accompany the banana "panna cotta." Port wine-poached pears top a cinnamon creme brulee. The iconic coconut cake remains.

The dining room is designed so that the guests have a view of the kitchen, and here you see Dailey at work: smiling, grinning, fine-tuning a plate, adjusting a garnish.

Mindful of Southern heritage, yet absorbing global influences, Dailey has learned well in the kitchen of Peninsula Grill.