In homage to British architect Charles Francis Annesley Voysey, the Cassique Golf Course clubhouse dedicated a second-floor restaurant to him and decorated the entire structure in his signature Arts and Crafts style. The main restaurant is fairly impressive, but on this night, we opted for the pub, a more casual but still compelling option. Voysey’s Pub isn’t open to the public, so I debated whether to include it on Food GPS, but the merits of the food were enough to get it online.

The pub featured a bar, a jumbo flat-screen TV for sports, wrap-around images of golfers, plus life-like paintings of tournament golfers. We arrived in time to watch the sun set over the course. It’s not uncommon to spot a gator on the Cassique links, but we didn’t see one this night.

When the Kiawah Island Club first opened Voysey’s a few years back, New York celebrity chef and restaurateur Tom Colicchio was a consultant. Now, chef Doug Blair and sous chef Josh Holmes are executing the vision of the “Top Chef.”

Near the staircase, old-fashioned wooden golf clubs are arrayed like rays of the sun.

The restaurant’s market-driven approach was evident in this heirloom tomato salad ($14) with 50-year marinated balsamic, fresh mozzarella, basil and mint. I counted five kinds of tomatoes of various colors, ranging from cherry to full-sized.

This wood oven-baked four-cheese macaroni ($12) was especially decadent, cooked with jumbo lump crab meat, crispy prosciutto and Vidalia onions, then topped with breadcrumbs. I was a little wary of mac & cheese with seafood, but the flavors melded well.

The only other time I ate in Voysey’s Pub, I ate panzanella salad ($11) with grilled calamari. I was happy to repeat the experience and savor the olive oil-soaked cubes of bread, the fresh diced tomatoes, basil leaves and luscious calamari rings and tentacles.

My entree involved roasted duck breast ($26) with crispy gnocchi, pearl onions, wild asparagus and duck confit. The slices of juicy duck breast featured a crispy, spice-crusted skin. The gnocchi weren’t crispy, but they did a good job of soaking up the ducky broth. I’d never even seen wild asparagus before. It features a skinnier stalk. The only demerit: the duck confit was a little overcooked.

Jamie’s crisp-skinned roasted grouper ($28) featured flaky flesh and was partnered with wild asparagus and buttery morel risotto.

Of course my meat-crazed brother ordered the grilled Wagyu beef burger ($15) with bacon, cheese and grilled onions. He’s a tough burger critic, but sounded pleased.

Instead of getting any desserts, we settled for a complimentary plate of house-made caramel corn, which was just right.

Voysey’s features an intricate a la carte menu with so many appealing vegetable, meat and fish dishes, that it can be a chore to choose. I’d certainly return to the upscale dining room, but on this night, I enjoyed the casual comfort of the pub.

Related Posts

1. Voysey’s – Kiawah Island, SC – Friday, May 12, 2006
2. Jasmine Porch – Kiawah Island, SC – July 17, 2005
3. Ocean Room – Kiawah Island, SC – July 18, 2005
4. Tides – Kiawah Island, SC – December 27, 2008
5. Fat Hen – Johns Island, SC – December 28, 2008

This entry is filed under Gastropub, South Carolina, The South.