Outer-Planetary Pop-ups
by Lorne Chambers | Editor
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic upended the entire ecosystem of the food and beverage industry, staff shortages at restaurants has been a major problem in the Lowcountry. Finding and keeping help has been an on-going challenge for both the front of the house and back the house at restaurants. Folly’s ever-shrinking long-term rental market and increased traffic onto the island has made things even harder for local restaurants to attract employees. Staffs are often thin and asked to work longer hours than they had previously. But one local spot has come up with a plan to give some relief to their cooks, who spend long hours over a hot flat top griddle and fryer.
Planet Follywood, known for its loyalty among its local customers and to its staff, has implemented a guest chef pop-up program, giving its hard-working kitchen staff a well-deserved breather. The program is also allowing the popular dive bar to offer some different and slightly more elevated food offerings to its customers. While most regulars are more than happy eating Follywood’s famous Garlic Cheddar Burger or DJ’s Killer Chicken Sandwich, they were also happy last month when Chef Jessica Cobb of Some Like It Hot catering offered two seasonal pop-up menus, which included fancy twists on southern favorites, like Corn and Butterbean Succotash with Chimichurri Chicken, Watermellon Gazpacho, Southern Panzanella Salad, Rosemary Pork Loin with Apple Jicama Slaw, Chilled Citrus Shrimp Skewers with Mediterranean Orzo Salad, Tomato Hand Pies, and Fancy Mac & Cheese.
“Having guest chefs not only gives someone an opportunity to cook for a new audience, but it also allows our kitchen staff to have that additional day off where they previously wouldn’t have,” says Cobb who holds a culinary degree from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Atlanta. Prior to launching Some Like It Hot, she also worked in some of the most popular restaurants in downtown Charleston. In addition to being a mother and running an in-demand catering company, Cobb is also a longtime Follywood bartender. So, for her to have the opportunity to take over the kitchen for a night and show her cooking chops off to her regular bar patrons was a treat for both diner and chef. “Serving people out of a restaurant kitchen again has definitely been fun because I get to be more creative with my menus, not just prepare set items from a catering menu,” she says. “Also it’s nice to be able to cook for friends and locals!”
According to Cobb, it’s been mostly Folly locals supporting the pop-ups, which are typically held on Tuesday nights, along with a few tourists and some catering clients of hers. In July Cobb offered two pop-ups at Follywood and has more on the books moving forward and is already researching for her next one. “I own a lot of cookbooks and subscribe to food magazines so I love reading recipes from other chefs and restaurants and getting inspiration from that based on seasonal ingredients that are available currently, hence the “Summer in the South” theme I did for the past two,” says Cobb. “I’m definitely menu-planning for the next one, as I plan to do once a month in the future, schedule permitting.”
For the next Follywood Pop-up, local chef Matt McDonough will be taking over the kitchen. McDonough, a U.S. Army veteran, is an experienced cook who has worked in traditional kitchens and in ship galleys aboard local research vessels. Like Cobb, McDonough enjoys working with local seasonal ingredients and is planning his menus based on what fresh produce, seafood, and meats are available. Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/planetfollywood
