Twisted Fish manages sports and social discourse with good food

I spotted the signs for "Twisted Fish" while driving north on U.S. Highway 17 in Mount Pleasant. Was it a tropical fish store with a quirky name? Or a toy store featuring the 2007 Creative Game of the Year, Twisted Fish? It was neither.

In the space of the former Board Room, Twisted Fish, a restaurant, marries the gastropub to the sports bar.

The requisite TV screens are there, not screaming but muffled in their surround sound of the play-by-plays and re-plays. In an environment where texting could be your go-to way of conversing, the audibles at Twisted Fish allow for conversation.

The satellite feeds are the lifelines of the sports community and the fans co-exist with their common needs for food and drink.

The space is nicely appointed with the best use of chalkboard in a restaurant. Easy to keep those menu specials current and 86 the items as the night wears on.

Barstools the color of flint are cut out with stylized Martini glass patterns and the plush black booths are tall enough to provide both privacy and a barrier to sound. High-tops occupy the center of the room and the sight lines to the TV screens are maintained by strategic placement of the furnishings. The space is casual and comfortable.

The bar menu can easily appease your appetite for fat and salt. The Vidalia onion rings ($4) are the size of bangle bracelets and the portion easily feeds three. The fries ($7) are loaded with cheese, chives, jalapenos, bacon and Ranch dressing -- a crossover between nachos and a baked, stuffed potato. Shrimp ($8) are robed in that red sauce that made Buffalo famous and the blue cheese crumbles cushion your taste buds against the cayenne's heat.

Wings ($7-$34) can be had in a global landscape of flavors, seasonings and heat quotients. It is curious to note that chicken wings are flapping the commodity prices of the once major league player, the boneless, skinless breast. Restaurants are now putting the "boneless" wing on their menus and the trickle up or down effect depending on your perspective can be seen in the addition of Wendy's Boneless Wings this summer.

Along with the bar menu, Twisted Fish offers a tapas menu of small plates ranging from fried green tomatoes ($6) to shrimp fritters ($8) with fish and corn. Fish tacos ($12) are topped with the traditional cabbage; shrimp cocktail ($9) is served with a nontraditional green tomato cocktail sauce. Look for some changeups in the presentations or accompaniments: Cajun remoulade, Cholula tartar sauce, spiced pumpkin seeds and wasabi mayonnaise, for example.

The 1/2 pound burger ($9) topped with cheddar cheese and applewood smoked bacon earned groans of appreciation at a neighboring table.

My cautionary tale for ordering food in a sports bar is to play it safe. Keep it simple; possibly fried. Push no culinary envelopes. Anything with foam, not a chance. Rack of anything, stay away. But at Twisted Fish I bent my own protocol.

Brannon Florie is the chef and he had previously cooked at The Boathouse. Crew Carolina (owner of The Boathouse) is dedicated to local, seasonal and sustainable. The odds were in his favor for some cooking chops. Chef Florie delivered.

His shrimp and grits ($13) were served on a custard of golden grits flavored with pimiento cheese and crisped in a similar coating as his fried foods. The gravy had the "eyes of a sauce" shimmering with the heat of black pepper and cayenne, laced with chilies and red onion and layered with Tasso bits. The shrimp were tender, briny and seared. The garnish of fresh diced tomatoes and chives added visual life to a generous portion.

The seafood platter ($15) was one of the most enjoyed this season. Truly fresh flounder, shrimp, oysters and scallops hit the mark for execution and timing. Hot fries, blue cheese coleslaw that actually tasted of blue cheese and your choice of a sauce aced this simple coastal classic.

Our server was efficient and knowledgeable. Quick to rebound after serving every dish, he had his game on during a busy Saturday service.

Sports bars usually feel like a nexus of testosterone. Twisted Fish is a creature that delivers comforts for the community and the right number of feeds for the fans, it could benefit from cutting a few items from its playbook (menu) and replay the best at the plate.

Restaurant review

Cuisine: American.

Category: Neighborhood Favorite.

Phone: 388-2601.

Location: The Shoppes at Brickyard, 2700 U.S. Highway 17, Mount Pleasant.

Food: •••

Service: •••

Atmosphere: •••

Price: $-$$

Costs: Appetizers $6-$13, soups and salads $5-$14, sandwiches $8-$10, entrees (dinner only) $9-$15, bar menu $4-$34, kids menu $5.

Vegetarian Options: Limited to salads, seafood.

Bar: Full service bar, specialty drink menu, Happy Hour Monday-Saturday 4-7 p.m.

Hours: 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Monday-Sunday.

Decibel Level: The roar of victory; the quiet of defeat.

Parking: Shopping center lot.

Wheelchair Access: Yes.

Other: Outdoor tables, outdoor pet friendly, 17 televisions, $12 domestic buckets, $2 domestic drafts, Tuesday F&B Night, Wednesday Ladies Night, Thursday College Football and $5 menu, Saturday and Sunday Special $5 menu, Sunday Trivia at 7 p.m. Daily specials and soup of the day. Avoid sitting directly in front of the door — a steady exodus of smokers looking to light up will be your 'companions.'