Cole Longcor
cwl002@marietta.edu
Elegant, Historical, Simple. These three words can describe many things. This serves as a profile for Charlestown, SC a town known for its rich history and even richer culinary scene. This aesthetic has now made its way to Marietta, in the newly reinvented Buckley House, now known as Benny & Babe at The Buckley.
A BBQ sensation with a trailer. In only five months Ben Postlethwait was able to take his kitchen career to the smoker, becoming a pork prodigy. As chance would have it the historic Buckley House, across the street from the park down on Front Street, was for sale. The perfect classic and historic spot along the Muskingum River to bring modern southern cuisine to Marietta.
On day one Ben and his wife Amy, also known as Babe, got to work taking the plaster off the fireplace. The original floors were kept, just cleaned up, same as the tables. The upstairs living quarters of the old owners were redone and turned into a bar and private lounge rooms, a little cozy oasis where one can enjoy drinks and company. With some renovation, love, and hard work the space is stunning. Its elegant, historical, simple.
The food follows the same motif. The dishes are classics elevated with passion and creativity. The dishes are small plates, but that doesn’t mean you’ll leave hungry. Rather it is meant to be communal. Go with a group of friends and bond over the experience. Sure, the menu is trendy, but the foundations are nostalgic. Local ingredients are used, the menu changes with the season, and heritage breeds such as heritage cornmeal and heritage pork are used to ensure the best possible quality of the final dish. The coffee is even elevated by the use of the French press and demerara sugar cubes. The fried green tomato is the epitome of this. It’s a straightforward classic dish, but there are so many flavors and levels added. The result is a plate as complex and layered as the South itself.
While the restaurant has seemed to be an overnight success, the work is never done. Ben is exploring the possibility of having a full liquor license and hopes to have all the proteins locally sourced. The menu to change monthly to mirror the seasons. In the future there is the hope of smelling smoke again as BBQ is introduced into the menu. Meanwhile Amy is continuing her renovation work as the backyard is being restored to serve as an outside dining area.
Benny & Babe at The Buckley epitomizes downtown Marietta by bringing outside perspective to it. Do not short yourself on this experience. When you go to the restaurant, walk there. This is one time when you want to have to park a block or two away to feel the breeze coming off the river and to make the night an adventure. Get there early and ease into the evening. It’s not a race or even a hike, the experience is at best a saunter. Go upstairs to the bar and enjoy some drinks and the kind of company only a small town can have. Venerate in the freshness of local ingredients such as the baguettes from The Bread Garage. Let yourself slip into a reflective state where only what’s in front of you matters. Be awestruck by the food, cherish the architecture, and laugh with your friends and the waiters. Appreciate the simple things in life, for they are what matters the most.
