Charleston City Paper: Dish Dining Guide, Spring 2024

BBQ clams at The Independent in Georgetown

Spring is, hands down, our favorite season in the Lowcountry. Between the fresh produce and balmy weather, we’re pretty much always in the mood for fresh bites and sips at area bars, restaurants and coffee shops.

In this issue of our quarterly publication, Dish, we look at all things fresh and local. Writer Michael Pham chatted with area coffee shop and cafe owners about local produce, honey, dairy products and more that they source from area farmers and producers. Buying local has never sounded so sweet.

Writer Libby Swope Wiersema traveled just north of the Charleston area to check out the buzzy, growing dining scene in the historic and quaint waterfront town of Georgetown. Learn more about new and old establishments like The Independent, a new concept from the folks at Charleston-based hospitality group, Indigo Road, and Between the Antlers, a rustic restaurant located in the

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Big dining, small city Georgetown’s culinary scene continues to grow

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Focus on fresh

Charleston restaurants work hard to keep things ‘fresh on the menu’

site of a former federal wharf.

We also checked in with several local chefs who use South Carolina Department of Agriculture’s “Fresh on the Menu” program, which asks restaurants to commit to sourcing at least 25% of their ingredients from local sources. Chefs were candid about the trials and tribulations of sourcing local ingredients, but everyone agreed that the effort is always worth it.

Two semi-permanent restaurant pop-ups told us all about what it’s like to run a temporary concept in Charleston. Get a taste of popular Folly Beach restaurant, Jack of Cups, at the restaurant’s current popup, bebop, at the Pour House on James Island. And have your fill of noodles with Weems Ramen, currently popping up at Frontier Lounge on Calhoun Street.

Our essay comes from local sommelier and foodie, Kirsten Bhattacharyya, who waxes poetic about the intimate, carefully curated dinner parties she’s been hosting in her backyard. If you never had Dinner at Kiki’s, you’re going to want to reserve a spot at her next backyard bash. Enjoy lots of dishes this spring! —Connelly Hardaway

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Ephemeral eating

How semi-permanent pop-ups are finding a place in Charleston dining

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Spring synergy

Area coffee shops source local ingredients for bites and bevs

Georgetown’s culinary scene continues to grow

By Libby Wiersema

Beneath the ceaseless flux of Charleston’s vibrant food scene, ripples of culinary growth are being felt in quieter, smaller places. Tool on up U.S. 17 for about 60 miles to Winyah Bay and discover one such gem: Georgetown. South Carolina’s third-oldest city and second-largest seaport at the confluence of the Great Pee Dee, Waccamaw, Sampit and Black rivers, Georgetown is poised to add “dining destination” to its list of titles.

With multiple points of historical interest, a charming, burgeoning down

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Upscale seafood restaurant

The Independent opened in waterfront boutique hotel, The George, this year

Rūta Smith

The Independent’s Blackened Flounder

Andrew Cebulka

Comprised of several different concepts, each restaurant has its own distinct personalitythat embodies a casual, friendly and eclectic atmosphere.

Chocolate Chipfaced

WITH US AT ANNIE O LOVE’S CAFE! FULL MENU AVAILABLE

Between the Antlers’ Wild Santee Perlau Fritters are served over hammy collards and potlikker with chow-chow

Georgetown from page 4

town and access to fresh-from-the-dock seafood, the recent focus on upping Georgetown’s gastronomical game is gaining momentum and garnering attention. The 2024 addition of a waterfront boutique hotel, The George, and its adjoining restaurant, The Independent, are contributing to a travel-worthy vibe while complementing a clutch lineup of dining choices, old, new and on-the-horizon.

The Independent

615 Front St. (854) 855-8251

theindependentsc.com

An homage to Georgetown’s history as a fishing town, The Independent was named for a now-defunct seafood market that operated on Front Street for more than eight decades. Open since February, this latest addition to the Indigo Road Hospitality Group portfolio offers seafoodcentric, upscale dining in a casual, but stylish atmosphere.

Executive chef Thomas Vance honed his skills at Peninsula Grill and other Charleston establishments before helming the kitchen at Little Mama’s in Charlotte. His success there primed him for the challenge of helping put Georgetown on the culinary map.

“I am excited to bring something special to a community with such great access to fresh seafood and agricultural products,” Vance said. “I love the idea of supporting local producers, then taking the ingredients to make classic dishes that are a bit more

elegant. That said, we go for simplicity here rather than just flavor. I want the ingredients to shine.”

Reservations are recommended. Dinner only. Call for days of operation.

Representative dishes: Blackened flounder with andouille sausage pileau, grilled oysters, flat-iron steak with sweet potato au gratin and Brussels sprouts

Between the Antlers

100 Wood St. (843) 833-8989

betweentheantlers.com

Between the Antlers proudly occupies rustic digs on a bluff called Vinegar Hill — the site of a former federal wharf where George Washington is said to have demonstrated an affinity for rum.

Despite losing beloved proprietor Tom Hall to a car accident in January, the restaurant hasn’t missed a beat and continues to reflect his vision. Dishes built upon a foundation of local seafood and indigenous ingredients, like Sea Island peas and Carolina Gold rice, define the menu here and draw a varied clientele — from serious foodies to casual diners to the Lowcountrycurious just passing through.

The most coveted seats are on the deck overlooking the Sampit River. Watching boats bob on the water while you slurp she crab soup will make you forget all about the steel mill looming on the other side. Just for fun, check out the restaurant’s witty Facebook postings and show up for live music on the outside patio.

Libby Wiersema

NOW OPEN ON JAMES ISLAND

No reservations. Serving lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. Closed on Monday.

Representative dishes: She crab soup, red rice, perlau fritters

Root

919 Front St. (843) 461-9344

rootsouthcarolina.com

Farm-to-fork American cuisine has been at the core of Root since it opened its doors on Front Street six years ago. Following pandemic struggles, the restaurant’s general manager, Jimmy Hildebrandt, bought the operation to prevent its closure.

“I just couldn’t let it go,” he said. “This restaurant means something to the community, and the community has supported us. Now that the city has allowed some building to take place, exciting things are happening, and you can feel the buzz among the business owners here.”

Root serves a full chophouse menu as well as a rotating lineup of seafood dishes dictated by what’s locally available from the docks.

“Our seafood often comes from the waters right behind the restaurant,” Hildebrandt said. “We patronize local butchers, too. Anything local we can use, I use it: honey, blueberries, microgreens, fruits, veggies, organic heirloom tomatoes.”

Root’s bar program is wildly popular thanks to the craftiness and affability of mixologist Bax Brooke, who routinely shakes things up with new cocktail creations.

Dinner only. Reservations accepted. Closed on Wednesdays.

Representative dishes: Seafood pasta, seafood risotto, house-cut steaks

The River Room

801 Front St. (843) 527-4110

riverroomgeorgetown.com

Since 1984, this beloved restaurant has maintained a solid reputation for serving comforting Southern cuisine. The dining area extends 50 feet into the Sampit River, so panoramic harbor views are as big of a draw as the food. Nautical décor, antiques and a cozy bar create a gracious but casual environment that pleases the sensibilities of locals and makes repeat customers of visitors.

Owner Jamie Freeman, also the driving force behind Georgetown’s thriving sushi café, Rollin Local, maintains an aesthetic here that reflects a dedication to fresh seafood. The steak and chicken dishes deserve some respect, too.

No reservations. Serving lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday.

Representative dishes: McClellanville crab cakes, shrimp and grits, char-grilled ribeye, stuffed chicken

631 Front (aka Frank’s on Front)

631 Front St.

631front.com

Set to open its doors in mid-May, 631 Front will likely be another claim to dining fame for Georgetown. Excited locals have already dubbed it “Frank’s on Front” — a nod to owners Leldon McClary’s and Sam Elmer’s family ties to Pawleys Island favorites, Frank’s and Frank’s Outback.

With the Sampit River and Goat Island as focal points, this newest kid on the block will wisely follow the Georgetown lean toward fresh, local seafood. Tapas, shareables, entrees and an extensive wine list are in the works. Grab-and-go and take-out fare are also part of the plan.

The owners say they will be carrying on the family tradition with this new enterprise. For the legions of Frank’s fans, the opening of 631 Front is big news and sure to create an uptick in the rising allure of Georgetown as a dining destination.

631 Front owners Leldon (left) Sam Elmer have family ties to Pawleys Island favorite restaurant, Frank’s

For The Love Of…

BURGERS, BOURBON & BEER

Focus on fresh

Charleston restaurants work hard to keep things ‘fresh on the menu’

By Helen Mitternight

If you’ve ever dined at a restaurant and seen the “Fresh on the Menu” claim on the menu, you might just assume that this is just another farm-totable restaurant. You’d be partly correct.

“Fresh on the Menu” is a program implemented by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) after the success of their Certified South Carolina Grown Program that encouraged consumers to buy ingredients from the state.

Eva Moore, communications director for the SCDA, said Charleston County has 82 restaurants in the program.

“We wanted to have some way for restaurants to participate and show their commitment to local sourcing,” Moore said. “It’s voluntary, it’s free and the restaurants commit to sourcing at least 25% of their ingredients in season from local sources.”

In exchange, the SCDA lists the restaurants on its website, advertises about the program, and offers preferential treatment to Fresh on the Menu chefs in programs at the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE)

“It’s basically the honor system. We don’t go out and audit restaurants on their usage, just because things vary a lot by season,” Moore said. “Sometimes you can get an abundance of South Carolina tomatoes and peaches and sometimes you cannot. If we have a real concern, we’d have a conversation with the restaurant, but we’re not sending out inspectors.”

Local purveyors

Bob Cook is the executive chef at Edmund’s Oast, one of the restaurants in the program.

Diners should be aware, though, that the logo on a menu represents an intent, not a promise, despite the program requirements.

“We always buy our tomatoes from Kurios Farms, so every tomato comes from Moncks Corner,” Cook said. “We’ve been working with the company for 15 or 16 years, and we’ve seen it pass down generations. We go through tons of Tarvin shrimp. For our mushrooms, we mainly use Super Mushroom Bros. For micro things, we use King Tide Farms for things like onions. And our bread is from Normandy Farm and Tiller Baking.”

Ashley Stanol

Chef Bob Cook sources produce and protein from various local purveyors

Edmund’s Oast’s popular pickled shrimp dish is served on grilled rye with aioli, pickled vegetables and herbs

Ashley Stanol

He said Edmund’s Oast also uses the Urb Farm on Johns Island for herbs such as Thai Basil and for flowers.

Marc Collins, executive chef of Circa 1886 and a former state chef ambassador, was one of the first adopters of the Fresh on the Menu program.

“I was one of the original restaurants,” Collins said. “Obviously, as chefs, we’re trying to find the best produce we possibly can. It just makes sense. Luckily, in South Carolina, we have two growing seasons and a plethora of products.”

The program doesn’t dictate Collins’ menu. “I don’t know that I really try to let the products dictate the menu so much as the creativity,” he said. “It’s more, ‘What can we produce, and where can we find those products.’”

Collins admits to not being 100% compliant at all times, but says he does strive to be.

“We’re on their program and we do our best to find local things. Some days, it’s easier than others. It’s a weird world right now,” he said.

An impact from Covid

A lot of the “weirdness” came from Covid, which is still having an impact. Moore admitted that she knows it can be challenging to buy local, but said, “I really appreciate the chefs who are taking the time to do that. I think supporting local farmers and the people in South Carolina putting food on our plates sometimes

requires more resources or a little extra effort, but I know the farmers appreciate when they do it.”

Cook said his appreciation for farmers was one impetus for joining the program.

“It’s hard enough to be a farmer, so we all need as much exposure as we possibly can,” Cook said.

Covid has meant a different approach for Edmund’s Oast.

“We haven’t been very active with the program since Covid. We still get a lot of local products, but we basically reconstructed our restaurant,” Cook said. “Before Covid, we were more of a small plates gastropub. Now we’re more of a neighborhood place with a lower price point. We want people to be able to eat here a couple of nights a week. And buying local just makes menu prices more expensive.”

Collins agreed.

Circa 1886 chef Marc Collins said that South Carolina’s two growing seasons make for a plethora of fresh produce

Photos courtesy Circa 1886

“During Covid, transportation was difficult, so getting local was more accessible. But now, you can’t get everything you want locally — certain things, they just don’t carry. My biggest problem is that sometimes we need more products than they are producing. We got to the point that our local beef producer said we were going through product faster than he could produce it,” Collins said.

He added, “It has to make sense from a business standpoint, too. As much as supporting the farming infrastructure is important to you, some things are just really expensive and you have to pass it on to the customer. We’re a high-end restaurant, but we still have to think, ‘are we too expensive in this heightened cost of living climate?’”

Part of the experience

Do customers even care about whether the restaurant has local ingredients?

Andy McLeod, executive chef at Fleet Landing, makes the story of the ingredients part of the experience.

“We have twice-daily lineups and we always talk about our food feature and oftentimes there is some educational piece about a product we are using,” McLeod said. “We’re giving our servers tools to tell the story at the

table. Fresh on the Menu is something we’ve made everyone aware of. When people are curious, we definitely want servers to have all the information and, as a guest, it’s kind of nice to be part of that story.”

Cook takes a different approach.

“Fresh on the Menu is kind of our own private thing,” he said. “I’ve tried to mini-

mize educating diners as much as I can. It’s just one of those things that I just don’t care to do. I just want to put out a great product and not have to explain where every single thing comes from. When you have to tell everyone about every piece of lettuce, it becomes overwhelming. I’m not going to

pretend everything on our menu is local. It’s okay to not have everything be local.”

Collins also said he doesn’t try to educate his diner.

“I think the diner is more educated than ever, so trying to educate them might come across as, ‘I know that, and you don’t have to tell me that.’”

Still, even with the sometimes spotty compliance with the Fresh on the Menu dictates, all the chefs believed local was important.

“It’s something that’s important to me personally as a chef, but long before I got here, the former chef and the owners believed this was an expression of our values and our standards,” McLeod said. “I feel to be where we are in the world cooking food, Charleston is so rich in history and resources from seafood to local vegetables, there is a beauty in that. There’s a sense of pride in being part of that community and being connected to it. Especially in restaurants as large and busy as ours, our impact can be pretty big.”

Still, there is not necessarily agreement about what defines local.

“I buy seafood from Crosby’s,” Collins said. “They’re a local business, but they get some seafood from North Carolina. I buy produce from Limehouse and they get some produce from California. I’m taking care of a local business that I have a long relationship with. Is that local or is it not local?”

Fleet Landing chef Andy McLeod wants guests to understand where their food is coming from

Photos by Ashley Stanol

Ephemeral eating

How semi-permanent pop-ups are finding a place in Charleston dining

By Connelly Hardaway

Pop-up restaurant (noun): a temporary restaurant operating in an existing restaurant or similar establishment.

Pop-up restaurants grew by 105% from April 2022 to March 2023, compared to the same period the previous year, according to a 2023 Yelp report.

While the concept of a pop-up restaurant is nothing new, they seem to be having a moment, especially in Charleston. A pop-up appeals as much to diners — foodies looking to try something new — as it does to restaurant owners and operators, who have kitchens to fill and customers to feed.

Many pop-ups embody the name to a tee, sprouting at a variety of restaurants, breweries and festivals every other weekend or on select weeknights.

Some pop-ups, though, have a longer residency in place. They exist in the rare liminal space, somewhere between a wellestablished brick-and-mortar restaurant and, say, a food tent at a beer festival. You may find them at the same place, same time every week. They’re there for now. And that’s the beauty of it.

Bringing Folly to the Pour House

The Charleston Pour House, an uber-popular local music venue owned and operated by Vanessa and Alex Harris, has hosted food concepts on its back deck for several years now.

Earlier this year, Pour House reached out to the team at Folly Beach-based Jack of Cups Saloon and asked if it wanted to open a concept at the venue. “Vanessa called me out of the blue and I said yes within 25 seconds,” said Lesley Carroll, co-owner and

Head to bebop at the Pour House for “weird” and “quirky” food executive chef Lesly Carroll

executive chef of Jack of Cups. Carroll lives in Riverland Terrace, the neighborhood directly across from the Pour House. “It feels like going home a bit,” said Carroll. They dubbed the Pour Housebased concept bebop, a name with several meanings. Carroll said that in addition to being a jazz reference, bebop also refers to the staff’s favorite anime show, “Cowboy Bebop.” Just look to bebop’s Instagram to see their mantra: “That’s jazz, baby.”

“We’re trying to make this a landing pad for all the weird, dumb, quirky ideas that we don’t get to flex a lot,” Carroll said. “This will be our fun spot.”

When it comes to pop-ups, timing is everything, and the timing was just right for bebop at the Pour House. Carroll and the Jack of Cups team are opening a second location, Trading Post, later this year. The opening of the James Island restaurant has faced some unexpected delays, which, while frustrating, opened up some time and space for Carroll.

“The fact that we were geared up for another location and [experienced] this unintended pause was so perfect,” Carroll said. She said that bebop serves as a test kitchen of sorts for Trading Post and added that the pop-up is changing its menu as often as every three weeks.

“I’m very fortunate to have the staff to support me [so that] we can try casual things,” she said. Both bebop and Jack of Cups embody a fun and funky menu and approach to food, fitting concepts for their laidback locations.

“One of our friends said ‘I just want to dance to a show with a corn dog in each hand,’ ’’ she laughed. “They were not kid-

ding, they really wanted to dance around with corn dogs! We don’t take ourselves too seriously. We’re not above corn dogs. Every food has its place. It’s been fun to let our hair down.”

With a menu divided into “snacks” and “big snacks,” bebop’s recent offerings have included a pita pizza, tomato harissa fries and red curry mac and cheese.

Carroll credits Alex and Vanessa Harris for creating space for bebop — and its predecessors, including Root Note Food and Malika Canteen — to thrive. “Vanessa and Alex have created opportunities for lots of people,” she said. “It’s been cool to watch.”

The question most pop-ups are used to hearing is, often, “How long are you here?”

Carroll has an easy answer for that. “We’ll stay until they kick us out,” she joked. “Right

Lesley Carroll loves running a food concept in her own neighborhood

Photos by Ashley Stanol

Pop-ups from page 14

now it’s indefinite and we hope we get to stay for a good, long time.”

Have ramen, will pop-up

Weems Pennington has been slinging ramen in Frontier Lounge’s kitchen since last summer. And while you can currently order from Weems Ramen at Frontier from 6 to 10 p.m. every night but Tuesday, the pop-up started on a smaller scale, with Pennington originally just popping up once a week.

After Frontier had issues staffing its kitchen, though, there was a hole to fill. “Neil [Frontier’s owner, Neil Lykins] said, ‘Do you just wanna be here all the time?’ I started thinking about it and [realized] it would be really nice not to have to move my stuff around anymore,” said Pennington.

And six-nights-a-week Weems Ramen was born.

Like bebop, Weems Ramen doesn’t have a specified end date for its pop-up duration. “It’s kind of like, I just keep showing up and he keeps saying, ‘Thanks for being here,’” said Pennington.

And while the stability of a semi-permanent spot — Pennington agreed that Weems Ramen could be classified as a residency — is nice, the in-betweenness of a pop-up has its setbacks. “I don’t have all

my girlfriend bought me a little hand crank noodle maker. So I started making noodles.”

Pennington said that customers will come into Frontier specifically for his food and that the pop-up’s hours are dictated by what kind of folks are coming into a bar to eat at night. “At 10 p.m., nobody will ever order food. They’ve all moved on to bigger and better things,” joked Pennington.

“We’ve built this kind of mutual thing where it’s almost like Weems Ramen has its time at Frontier Lounge and then Frontier Lounge has its time and I’m filling these gaps for them,” he said.

Pennington said that he’s starting to see more places around town that have kitchen space but not kitchen staff — a potential boon for people looking to launch their own pop-ups. “There are lots of opportunities for people who want to do this,” said Pennington. “It’s just that, I don’t know who wants to do it.” He added that pop-ups rely a lot on “hype” and that can be hard to maintain. “We have slow days now and we just have to … hope that the busy days offset the slow days.”

the amenities of being in a restaurant,” he said. “We don’t get food deliveries. I still go grocery shopping.”

Pennington says the hassle is worth it, though, when he sees a repeat audience coming in for his ramen.

Pennington first started making ramen

a few years ago when he lived in Salt Lake City. “There was this little market beside my house that made fresh ramen noodles and I was like, ‘That’s so cool,’ ” said Pennington. “I would go there and stock my freezer with these noodles. And then I started researching and making broth … and then

Pennington has tried a variety of menu iterations, landing on a small-ish menu that highlights the main event, ramen. “We were trying to have more of a ‘restaurant menu’ with different things other than ramen,” he said. “I realized that it was making it so we weren’t focusing on the ramen as much and

Photos by Ashley Stanol

Max Martineau and Weems Pennington (right) serve ramen six nights a week

“And then I started researching and making broth … and then my girlfriend bought me a little hand crank noodle maker. So I started making noodles.”

that was kind of bumming me out.”

Now, Pennington serves up shoyu and miso ramen and a mushroom side dish, with the occasional special item.

Pennington takes pride in his ramen and like any business owner, he works to balance his business goals. He’s recently implemented online ordering — but he doesn’t really talk about it.

“I’ve always had this thing where I prefer that [in-person] is the way that people eat my food,” he said. “I would rather them come and see this beautiful bowl of ramen that we’ve spent so much time trying to figure out how to make.”

At the end of the day, though, Pennington wants people to enjoy his ramen however they can.

“I never wanted to be the pop-up that’s sold out in 30 minutes,” Pennington said. “I just want people to try my food.”

Head to Frontier Lounge for a big, steaming bowl of Weems Ramen

Spring synergy

Area coffee shops source local ingredients for bites and bevs

By Michael Pham

The cold weather has come and gone, and now it’s time for patio hangouts at your local coffee shops before soaking up the sun in the summer. Your favorite baristas, chefs and bakers have packed away the cinnamon spice and apples of the winter for fresh fruits and vegetables of the spring from producers across the state.

The Harbinger and The Harken

Strawberries, peaches, honey and more are making their way into lattes, meals and pastries for springtime relaxation at these two sister cafes.

Greer Gilchrist, who owns The Harbinger and The Harken with Cameron Neal is a big fan of strawberries and honey and said she cannot wait to use them in almost everything her cafes offer.

“I try to put honey in literally everything,” she said, adding that in most of the salad dressings at her cafes, there’s honey involved. “It’s [also] a sweetener in a lot of our desserts.”

The honey used at Harbinger and Harken is sourced from Horsecreek Apiaries & Honey Farm in Bowman, S.C., Gilchrist said. “Years ago, we went up there and visited their honeybees and saw their production and we fell in love.”

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The most popular item that uses honey, according to Gilchrist, is the honey latte offered at The Harbinger, available hot or iced. The latte uses honey from Horsecreek along with milk from Lowcountry Creamery for a perfect combo for those who love a good latte and have bad seasonal allergies.

like this feels so special because it gets me amped for the summer, which is a really great time to be in Charleston.”

A majority of the products at Gilchrist’s cafes are sourced from GrowFood Carolina, she said. Produce like the lettuce used in their salads, the honey and salt used on the buns and dairy used in pastries and coffees.

“We just love working with local companies because you get to know the people behind the brands.”

—Lodi Coffee owner Jennifer Grosso

“I love the honey on our breakfast bun,” Gilchrist added. “It’s kind of a cross between a brioche and an English muffin. We butter it then drizzle honey on it and it’s so good and comforting.” The bun is then topped with Bulls Bay Saltworks’ Carolina Flake salt.

At The Harken, Gilchrist said she’s a big fan of putting the honey on the ricotta biscuit, which is served with a side of their seasonal housemade compote. And for the spring, it’s another Gilchrist favorite: strawberries.

“I’m sure strawberries are nostalgic for everyone,” she said. “I’m from New England. And strawberry season is later in the year. It’s like in June, which is a really fun time in New England. So to me, to have it so early

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“It just makes things easier,” Gilchrist said. “It’s essential to support local, and I think the easier that you can make that for people, the more they’re gonna buy local.

“They send out a list of what’s in season and it makes it basically effortless to work seasonally and locally. And I think that’s really important for most restaurants because you’re so busy. You don’t really have time to go and find every specific product.”

Island Provisions

Jeff Law, the kitchen manager at Island Provisions, is also a fan of using GrowFood to make products.

Photos courtesy The Harbinger

The salad plate (above) and the Strawberries in the Wild Patch Cake (left) are two of the seasonal offerings at The Harbinger and The Harken

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Island Provisions’ seasonal drinks include a butterfly pea flower, jasmine and orange blossom tea; a turmeric-ginger lemonade; and more

Coffee from page 19

“GrowFood is absolutely amazing to work with,” he said. “Everything GrowFood brings in from producers is 150% better than what we can get from any other distributor.”

With GrowFood, Island Provisions gets milk from Lowcountry Creamery — the best milk you can get in the southeast according to Law — butter from Forx Farms in Anderson, S.C., tomatoes from Rosebank Farms on Johns Island, local mushrooms from Lowcountry Fungi, organic fruits and vegetables from Joseph Fields Farm on Johns Island and bee pollen

from Edisto Gold Honey.

“On one occasion, I even requested a tour of their facility, and they were more than happy to oblige,” Law said about GrowFood. “They showcased all the local products they had in their huge walk-ins and provided insights into the different producers they work with.”

But for a wider variety of local products, Law also works with Limehouse Produce and Ghost Grow 843.

“Limehouse is great to work with,” he said. “It is always a phone call away and will go out of the way to have an order ready for pickup in a pinch. It has also allowed me to see samples of products at the facility before placing orders for specials and new menu items.”

With Limehouse, one of the notable items Law orders is Hot Honey from Red

Photos courtesy Island Provisions

Clay Hot Sauce and honey from Bee City in Cottageville, S.C.

“We use [the Hot Honey] on every Boss sandwich that leaves Island Provisions,” Law said. The Boss sandwich is egg, white American cheese, bacon or sausage and Red Clay’s Hot Honey between two slices of an everything bagel. It’s a combo of salty, sweet and heat in the palm of your hands (or in your mouth!).

“Bee City provides the best local honey you can get,” he added. “If you don’t believe me, try it yourself. Also, if you can ever make a trip up to see their zoo, make sure to grab some of the Honey Mustard they make. It’s life-changing.”

For microgreen garnishes, Law heads to Ghost Grow 843, owned and operated by Garret Fleming. Law described Fleming as “a wizard and [someone] truly passionate about his product.”

“If any other businesses are looking for microgreens, I will always provide them with [Fleming’s] contact info,” Law said. “He has any microgreen you can think of, hydroponic greens, and edible flowers — all grown to order.”

Lodi Coffee

Lodi sources items a tad differently. Seasonal and specialty drinks use items you can get from down the road at international grocery stores like El Molino Supermarket and H&L Asian Market.

“We’re constantly picking up new things to try at our [area] farmers market or in Earth Fare in the ‘local section,’ ” said owner Jennifer Grosso.

For its special Churro Frapp for Cinco de Mayo, she heads over to El Molino Supermarket for its house-made churros. “We also make Mangonados and buy all of our Tarugos and the components for these

drinks from them,” Grosso added.

The coffee itself, however, is sourced from Springbok Coffee Roasters right here in Charleston, a partnership Lodi has had since opening its first location in North Charleston.

It’s not just grocery stores or roasters that Lodi likes to partner with, either. Grosso said every year, Lodi partners with the Girl Scouts of Eastern South Carolina to support the local troops and create drinks using some of the iconic Girl Scout flavors like Thin Mint and Caramel DeLites.

“We just love working with local companies because you get to know the people behind the brands,” Grosso said. “It’s about making those local connections and supporting someone else’s dream and craft and knowing that it will ultimately impact our community.”

Lodi’s food menu is getting a huge overhaul, though, Grosso added, working with a local chef to bring breakfast and lunch sandwiches, as well as grit bowls and eggs using grits from Marsh Hen Mill.

Other partnerships

And though some shops don’t carry or make food in-house, they partner with local businesses in town for that local synergy.

At Sightsee on Line Street (soon-to-be on Rutledge Avenue), the shop carries pastries from Little Peanut Pastries. Find items like lemon poppy or blueberry muffins, a gluten-free oat bar and brown sugar and cinnamon pop-tarts.

Newly-opened Philosophers & Fools, a bookstore, bar and gathering spot on Bogard Street, uses coffee from Counter Culture Coffee and chips from Lowcountry Kettle to snack on while you sip, read and hang out.

INTRODUCING THE

CP Hotlist

Here’s where to go if you’re looking for something new By City Paper staff

This issue’s CP Hotlist shines a spotlight on notable, relatively new hot restaurants that impress our cuisine team. We encourage you to check them out and let us know whether you think they should be added to our Top 50 list. Now on the CP Hotlist (in alphabetical order):

Beautiful South (2023), Charleston. David Schuttenberg and Tina HeathSchuttenberg, the team behind James Island’s Kwei Fei, are known for bringing the fiery flavors of China’s Sichuan Province to the Lowcountry. In August, they launched their second project downtown on Columbus Street, Beautiful South, which focuses on cuisine from southeastern China. While the beef and broccoli option is one of the most popular dishes on the menu, Schuttenberg told Charleston City Paper that many customers are excited about southeastern Chinese specialties — including street foods popular in Shanghai and Hong Kong. There are also plans to serve wholeroasted duck and dim sum in the future. Moderate. beautifulsouthchs.com. Lunch

Lost Isle’s menu will change seasonally, but you can always expect a solid selection of proteins to be grilled with a variety of fresh adornments

and dinner Tuesday through Saturday.

Honeysuckle Rose (2023), Charleston. Husband and wife restaurateurs Ryan and Kelleanne Jones opened a tasting menu concept, Honeysuckle Rose, last fall. The couple’s restaurant group, Free Reign Restaurants, includes Southbound, Community Table and soon-to-open Allora. Honeysuckle Rose offers an eightcourse prix fixe meal with wine pairings curated for each course. The restaurant’s small size and darker lighting create a comfortable, carefully curated tasting experience. Honeysuckle Rose hosts just four seatings weekly. The menu changes frequently based on what’s in season; check out the restaurant’s Instagram page for recent dishes. Very expensive. honeysucklerosechs.com. Dinner Wednesday through Saturday.

King BBQ (2023), North Charleston. Shuai and Corrie Wang, owners of beloved Park Circle joint Jackrabbit Filly, opened their Chinese barbecue concept King BBQ last October in North Charleston. The counter service spot opened after months of popular, sold-out pop-ups as well as publicity from national publications like Bon Appetit, which declared the spot one of its “10 Most Anticipated Restaurant Openings of Fall 2023.” The menu features plenty of meat — this is a barbecue spot, after all — in addition to hefty sandwiches and noodle dishes reminiscent of the Jackrabbit Filly offerings that customers have come to know and love. The Wangs also want vegans and vegetarians to feel welcome at King BBQ; Shuai even created vegan Chinese barbecue “pork.” Be sure to follow along on Instagram for the restaurant’s fun and funky food and drink specials. eatkingbbq.com. Lunch and dinner Thursday through Monday.

La Bonne Franquette (2023), West Ashley. This sunny and sometimes loud bistro is a great all-day addition to West Ashley. Stop off for a quick coffee and croissant during

Beautiful South’s menu features Chinese-American takeout classics like General Tso’s chicken, beef and broccoli, plus lots of vegan options and a unique cocktail menu

the week. Or a bistro lunch of quiche and a dressed mixed salad or a simple-butsatisfying French sandwich on crusty bread. At dinner, enjoy outstanding charcuterie and cheese before diving into scallops with butternut squash puree, French petit pots and cranberry gastrique or the classic Steak and Frites. Not on a solid diet? Check out the bar with its tasty libations and good wine list. Moderate. Labonnefranquettechs.com.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner, Tuesday through Friday. Brunch, Saturday and Sunday. Dinner, Saturday.

Lost Isle (2023), Johns Island. Walking into this open-air concept feels a little like walking onto, well, a lost island. The name is fitting for a spot that’s quirky without trying too hard, featuring chandeliers floating among the Spanish moss of live oak trees. After checking out the menu, guests can order food and drinks and seat themselves. Chef Josh Taylor, Formerly of Root Note Food, has crafted a seasonally focused menu with

frequently changing specials and dishes, such as whipped ricotta with smoked tomato, wood-fired oysters with chili butter and Delmonico steak with chimichurri. Moderate. lostislechs.com. Open for dinner daily.

Lowland (2023), Downtown. James Beard Award-winning Chef Jason Stanhope opened Lowland at the end of last year, after leaving his longtime role as chef at FIG last summer. In an essay for City Paper’s winter Dish, Stanhope said that he hopes to “create magic” at Lowland. The upscale tavern menu at Lowland seems pretty magical, indeed, with decadent dishes like bone-in pork chop piccata, sweet potato ravioli and cornmeal crusted skate wing ribs. Be sure to visit Stanhope’s other concept, the re-opened Quinte oyster bar, located in the Pinch Hotel. You’ll find the usual raw bar fare and a fun cocktail list, too. Expensive. lowlandcharleston.com. Open for dinner daily.

Rūta Smith file photo

Rūta Smith file photo

Making memories

In an attempt to make it easier for you to find great restaurants in Charleston when searching for “food” results in a sea of suggestions, we offer The Dish

Top 50 restaurants. From incredible, unique dining experiences like Sushi-Wa or Wild Common to more casual dining joints like Bertha’s Kitchen and Jack of Cups Saloon, there’s no shortage of fantastic dining experiences in town. What sets these 50 establishments apart isn’t price or location. It’s the dedication each establishment puts into providing dining memories. This is the list to give family or friends visiting the city. It’s the list to scan through when you’re undecided. It’s a list with options for every budget. And it’s the list that, like Charleston and the seasons, is ever-changing.

Organized in alphabetical order.

167 Raw Oyster Bar

SEAFOOD

Expensive Downtown. 193 King St. (843) 579-4997 167raw.com

Serving Lunch, Dinner (Mon.-Sat.)

Surrounded by high-end boutiques, swanky inns, antique stores and art galleries, 167 Raw’s King Street home sits along a quiet stretch of storefronts. But fear not, it still boasts the same lineup of New England bivalves and lobster rolls that were much-lauded at its existing original (and teeny) spot at 289 East Bay St., which now operates as 167 Sushi Bar. The first floor of 167 Raw’s ever-so-charming 19th century building is long and narrow, with original brick walls and a walnut bar. Even with four times (at least) as much seating as its original space, 167 Raw gets packed. Arrive early to tuck into your 10-hour carnita taco and tuna burger.

Basic Kitchen

CAFE

Moderate Downtown. 82 Wentworth St. (843) 789-4568 basickitchen.com

Serving Lunch, Dinner (Mon.-Sat.), Weekend Brunch

In a city filled with hearty Southern cuisine, sometimes it’s tricky to find a flavorful, light meal. Not the case at Basic Kitchen.

According to co-owner Ben Towill, that has been exactly the goal since opening the restaurant with his wife Kate in 2017.

“We want to provide massive flavor and a meal that’s hearty but still feels light,” he said. Robin Hollis, who took over as Basic Kitchen executive chef in July 2019, has honed in on this mission by creating more wholesome dishes that highlight vegetables from local purveyors. BK’s lunch menu is divided into small plates, bowls, salads, sandwiches and sweets. For dinner selections, it offers big plates like market fish with peach salsa, cilantro, avocado and lime or chicken or cauliflower schnitzel.

Berkeley’s

SANDWICHES AND SUPPERS

Moderate

Downtown, 624½ Rutledge Ave. (843) 501-7779 eatatberkeleys.com

Serving Lunch, Dinner, Wed.-Mon)

Soak in the North Central neighborhood from the front patio and escape King Street crowds at this spot that feels like going over to a friend’s home for dinner. Berkeley’s keeps its menu relatively simple but packs big flavor into each dish with plenty of options for meat-eaters and vegetarians alike. Opt for a traditional or vegetarian cheesesteak (made with mushrooms) or select another savory sandwich. If you’ve craving something heavier, look to chicken or eggplant parmesan, cavatappi or hanger steak. One satisfied diner said, “The spicy shrimp polenta appetizer has been on my mind for weeks since I first tried it. It’s filling, flavorful and definitely more than enough to share. Pair it with the smoked salmon dip if you want to start your meal with a decadent seafood spread.”

Bertha’s Kitchen

SOUL FOOD

Inexpensive

Downtown. 2332 Meeting Street Road. (843) 554-6519

Serving Lunch, Dinner (Mon.-Fri.)

Head up Meeting Street until you see a twostory robin’s egg blue building with purple trim and a line stretching out the door. The Southern soul food platters here are so tasty, generous and inexpensive, that the line starts forming well before it’s open for lunch. Businessmen, laborers and far-flung

Top 50

tourists alike shuffle through the quick cafeteria-style service counter loaded with a smorgasbord of meat and threes, such as fried pork chops, fish specials, yams, stewed greens, home-style mac-and-cheese, limas nestled with smoked turkey necks, dark roux okra soup, moist cornbread and fried chicken better than anyone’s Grandma ever made. Bertha’s building was announced for sale earlier this year, but has since been taken off the market.

Bintu Atelier

AFRICAN

Moderate

Downtown. 8 Line St. (347) 249-6594

Serving Lunch, Dinner (Thurs-Sunday)

This small restaurant in Charleston’s Eastside serves delicious African cuisine to excited guests who are eager to dive into familiar favorites like jollof rice, a fluffy rice dish with a connection to Charleston’s own red rice. Diners can also dig into dishes like goat egusi, a ground melon seed stew with pumpkin, spinach and a red pepper sauce, served with a side of starchy fufu. Chef N’Daw Young has cooked and traveled around the world, from her homelands of Senegal and France, to various countries in Africa, Europe and the U.S., landing in New York before moving to Charleston. Vegetarian options offered.

Bistronomy by Nico

FRENCH

Expensive Downtown. 64 Spring St. (843) 410-6221 bistronomybynico.com

Serving Dinner (daily), Weekend Brunch

One month after getting the keys to 64 Spring St., Bistronomy by Nico co-owners Nico Romo and Dominique Chantepie opened the French bistro after revamping the space previously occupied by Josephine Wine Bar. The cuisine mirrors the vibrant atmosphere and draws on celebrated dishes from Romo’s 10 years at Fish, which closed in 2017 after 17 years on King Street. Romo calls Bistronomy’s menu approachable French cuisine with an Asian fusion twist. The menu changes seasonally, but at the time of publishing, it included items like frog legs, 24-hour short ribs, bouillabaisse and escargot rice dumplings. If you want to sample Romo’s fare in Mount Pleasant, his original bistro NICO sits right off of Shem Creek.

Bowens Island Restaurant

SEAFOOD

Moderate

James Island. 1870 Bowens Island Road. (843) 795-2757 bowensisland.com

Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sat.)

Don’t expect white tablecloth and maitre d’service at Bowens Island. It’s famously no frills, but it’s worth it. The nightly crowds are a testament to the family fish camp.

Since its founding in 1946, it’s grown from a grimy, albeit quaint, cinder block outpost to a pluff-mud pantheon that offers up damn good fried seafood, hushpuppies and cold local beer in its upstairs dining room. Follow your nose downstairs and elbowout yourself a space at the all-you-can-eat oyster tables and slurp down tasty local oysters by the shovelful that were likely pulled off the marsh that day. Oyster season or not, we have a hard time passing up the Frogmore Stew, a pot full of potatoes, sau-

menu and sit back to enjoy the house jazz band tucked in the corner.

Chasing Sage

MODERN AMERICAN

Expensive Downtown. 267 Rutledge Avenue. (854) 444-3402

chasingsagerestaurant.com

Serving dinner (Mon.-Sat.)

Focused on farm-to-table cuisine, Chasing Sage is always a delight because you never quite know what dishes will appear on the menu. The plates rotate regularly, depending on what’s in season and what local purveyors provide. You might indulge in small plates like corn dumplings with bacon and chili oil or blue crab lettuce wraps topped with avocado and watermelon. Plates are organized by price and designed to be shared. Dishes are often veggie-forward, but there are plenty of options for meat eaters. If you’re dining with a large group, opt for the chef’s choice and let the kitchen decide.

Chez Nous FRENCH

Expensive

Downtown. 6 Payne Court. (843) 579-3060

cheznouschs.com

Serving Lunch, Dinner (Tues.-Sun.), Sun. Brunch

sage, corn on the cob and shrimp steamed together as God intended it.

Charleston Grill

MODERN AMERICAN

Very Expensive Downtown. 224 King St. (843) 577-4522 charlestongrill.com

Serving Dinner (Wed.-Thurs.)

Amid ever-shifting culinary fashions, Charleston Grill has remained one of the city’s crown jewels by delivering a consistently flawless dining experience. Chef de cuisine Suzy Castelloe’s dishes can be decadently lush, like her beef tenderloin with a red wine gastrique or seared foie gras, spiked with a strawberry jam and balsamic vinegar. The dishes are balanced, ingredient-centric creations, while contemporary spins on Southern cuisine are bold and satisfying. The best way to experience the full sweep of the cuisine is to pick out items from each section of the

Most mornings before lunch, the Chez Nous Instagram feed (@cheznouscharleston) features a picture of the day’s menu, handwritten in black ink on a small white card in executive chef Jill Mathias’ eccentric and highly stylized script. Next comes a separate picture of each and every dish being served that day, taken from above in flawless light. Admittedly, it’s only seven pictures total, since Chez Nous serves just two starters, two entrees and two desserts, and the selection changes daily. The setting is charmingly old and the cuisine European-inspired, but it’s hardly a throwback to an older mode of dining. Chez Nous stands alone just as it is, an eccentric outlier. With such a dynamic menu, any review of Chez Nous is by necessity a fleeting snapshot.

Chubby Fish

SEAFOOD

Expensive

Downtown. 252 Coming St. (843) 222-3949 chubbyfishcharleston.com

Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sat.)

Executive chef James London serves a hyper-local, daily changing menu at this vibrant Coming Street restaurant, which opened in June 2018. And while the fish selection may vary, London is known for a few signature preparations. Expect raw oysters, crudos and likely one small plate that incorporates caviar. We recommend ordering several dishes and sharing with

Rūta Smith file photo

Bintü Atelier serves dishes such as okra soup, whole fried fish and fufu

the group before finishing off with sweets from Life Raft Treats’ Cynthia Wong, who supplies Chubby Fish with dessert. Chubby Fish doesn’t take reservations, but it’s well worth the wait for one of 30 or so seats inside a restaurant that prides itself on turning under utilized types of fish into dishes you’ll crave for weeks.

Coda del Pesce

ITALIAN/SEAFOOD

Expensive

Isle of Palms. 1130 Ocean Blvd. (843) 242-8570 codadelpesce.com

Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sat.)

With Coda del Pesce, chef/owner Ken Vedrinski of former downtown mainstay Trattoria Lucca headed out to Isle of Palms to create a beachside Italian seafood restaurant. The beautiful second-story dining room has brick walls, reclaimed wood floors and, in a rarity for the Lowcountry, floor-to-ceiling windows offering a lovely view of the Atlantic. It’s an ideal setting for Vedrinski’s signature high-end Italian fare, which offers plenty of bright flavors and unexpected twists. Masterful pasta anchors the primi selection, which includes ricotta gnudi tossed with mushrooms, guanciale (pork jowls) and vacche rosse parmesan cheese. The secondi highlights fresh fish

like swordfish and swordfish “marsala.” Pair any of these with an Italian wine from the impressive list, and you’ll have one splendid fish tale to share with friends.

Dave’s Carry-Out

SOUL FOOD/SEAFOOD

Inexpensive

Downtown. 42-C Morris St. (843) 577-7943 facebook.com/daves-carry-out -111720082197029/

Serving Lunch, Dinner (Tues.-Sat.)

This soul food joint offers a true taste of Charleston. For under $10 you can get a takeout box filled to the brim with the best of Lowcountry cooking like pork chops, crispy chicken wings and finger-lickin’ ribs. The selection of sides is small but tasty — try the lima beans, thick steak fries, or rice. The lunch specials change daily, but your best bet is to go with a seafood platter, which ranges from $10 for a generous portion of shrimp to $20 for shrimp, fish, scallops and deviled crab. If you want a true local experience, opt for the lima beans and rice. It’s meaty and filling. A few tables allow customers to dine in, but most folks get their Dave’s to-go, whether for lunch or a greasy late-night snack.

Delaney Oyster House

SEAFOOD

Expensive

Downtown. 115 Calhoun St. (843) 594-0099 delaneyoysterhouse.com

Serving Dinner (daily)

The Neighborhood Dining Group — owners of Husk — have converted an old single house on Calhoun Street into a stunner of a seafood restaurant. The raw bar offerings range from local oysters and clams to hackleback caviar, and executive chef Will Fincher’s inventive small plates are stylish and intensely flavored. The menu has featured rich poached lobster tossed with mayo and lemon and scallops served with butternut squash farrotto, brown butter and sunflower seeds. Each dish is finished with a precise visual style that befits the picture-perfect setting. Grab a seat out on the second floor piazza, order a glass of chilled red wine and dig in.

Edison James Island

INTERNATIONAL

Moderate

James Island. 1014 Fort Johnson Road (843) 872-5500 edisonjamesisland.com

Serving Dinner (Wed.-Sun.)

This is a place where you can taste the world

with Lowcountry ingredients. Co-owner and chef Joel Lucas puts his culinary skills to work in the kitchen with creative takes on international cuisine by using a rotating seasonal menu that highlights local produce and seafood available in the area. Start dinner off with the Vietnamese pho taco made with hoisin pork, glass noodles, cilantro, sprouts, ginger aioli and sriracha or the chef’s selection of charcuterie and cheeses, full-bodied sandwiches, soups and salads. Examples: the poached salmon burger, Thai chicken noodle soup and bistro steak salad. There also are hearty entrees like green curry meatballs, blackstrap braised beef short ribs with smoked gouda grits, pan-seared local swordfish with chimichurri, green peppercorns, asparagus and purple sweet potatoes.

Estadio

TAPAS

Moderate Downtown. 122 Spring St. estadio-chs.com

Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sat.)

Estadio, which opened on Spring Street in October 2019, is technically the second outpost of a successful Washington, D.C., Spanish-style bar and tapas restaurant.

continued on page 28

Top 50

The decor and the deep sherry and gin selection echo the D.C. original, but executive chef Alex Eaton’s impressive menu is unique to Charleston. The pintxos and tapas — grilled shrimp on skewers, deviled eggs and caviar and matriano hash browns with black and white anchovies — offer beguiling little bites. Fresh local crudo and flat iron steak cooked with a poblano romesco and served with caramelized leek mashed potatoes are offered on the heavier side. With a slate of sherry cocktails, “gin tonics” made with rare Spanish brands and porróns of wine, Estadio brings a brilliant taste of Spain to the heart of downtown Charleston.

Felix Cocktails et Cuisine

BISTRO

Moderate Downtown. 550 King St. (843) 203-6297 felixchs.com

Serving Lunch, Dinner (Mon.-Sun.), Brunch (Sat.-Sun.)

If you’re looking for a bright, comfortable French bistro in which to relax with delicious food with small plates and a soothing glass of wine or a cocktail, this is the place.

We like a lot of what’s on the menu of this French-style bistro and bar, but will direct you to three classics that won’t disappoint — French onion soup, lobster deviled eggs and steak frites. “Everything is exceptional,” said one patron who returns time and again. “If you are hungry and want a burger, get the Raclette Burger. Do not add any condiments, eat it as served. Be prepared to have a food orgasm.”

FIG

MODERN AMERICAN

Very Expensive Downtown. 232 Meeting St. (843) 805-5900 eatatfig.com

Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sat.)

In 2003, chef Mike Lata set out to prove that “food is good.” After blazing a trail for the robust local farm-to-table restaurant scene, FIG still stands out, winning awards and creating devotees year after year. Although snagging a reservation can be a challenge, the seasonally inspired cuisine and impeccable service are worth the effort. Change is a constant, but stalwart menu standbys, like the pillowy ricotta gnocchi alla bolognese, never fail to satisfy. Be sure to check out the wine offerings, as — along with two nods for Best Chef Southeast — FIG is also a

national James Beard award-winner for Outstanding Wine Program.

Halls Chophouse

STEAKHOUSE

Expensive Downtown. 434 King St. (843) 727-0090 hallschophouse.com

Serving Dinner (Mon.-Thurs.), Lunch (Sat.-Sun.) Sure, there are newer and “hotter” restaurants, but Halls Chophouse is a special occasion classic for a reason. You can’t get better service with your steak, the wine list includes some unexpected offerings and the cocktails are generous. And the steak, of course, is fabulous. Pro tip: order the giant tomahawk cut and split it. One diner told us to order any of the dried aged steaks, especially if you need a reason to cry tears of joy. “While I have only eaten there a few times for dinner,” he said. “I dream of the next opportunity to go back.”

Hannibal’s Kitchen

SOUL FOOD

Inexpensive Downtown. 16 Blake St. (843) 722-2256 hannibalkitchen.com

Serving Lunch, Dinner (Sun.-Sat.)

Hannibal’s Kitchen is a no-frills soul joint on the East Side of downtown

Charleston that, according to owner L.J. Huger, has “been feeding the soul of the city” for more than 40 years. After serving the community for so many years, Hannibal’s has become an institution in the Charleston food scene. It was even listed on The New York Times 2021 top 50 restaurants in the country. Try the signature dish “crab and shrimp rice.” Salmon, shrimp and shark steak are three other hot items at lunch time. And don’t skip out on the traditional Southern sides including lima beans, okra soup, fried chicken, pork chops and collard greens.

Herd Provisions

INNOVATIVE AMERICAN

Moderate to expensive

Upper Charleston. 106 Grove St. (843) 637-4145

Serving Lunch (Mon.-Thursday) and Dinner (all week)

This minimalist, farm-to-table restaurant has a high-end butchery that offers proteins to a kitchen that transforms them into mouth-watering, satisfying dishes like seared steaks, roasted chicken, pan-seared local fish and luscious pork chops. Herd, also known for burgers, offers delightful vegetable-forward dishes, too. Examples: a perfect Caesar salad and portobello mush-

FRENCH

rooms stuffed with artichokes and capers. You also might want to try the restaurant’s spicy and savory dry-rubbed chicken wings, which are moist and pull right off the bone.

Pro tip: Enjoy a relaxing outside happy hour under string lights and greenery with tables, couches and a large fire pit. Happy hour menu every day.

Husk Restaurant

Expensive Downtown. 76 Queen St. (843) 577-2500 huskrestaurant.com

Serving Dinner (daily), Sat.-Sun. Brunch Husk has outposts in Nashville, Greenville and Savannah, but this location — housed in a white mansion on Queen Street — is the original. Here, the kitchen creates must-try marvels with a frequently changing menu like Southern fried chicken skins, “Kentuckyaki” pigs ear lettuce wraps or the hulking Carolina heritage pork chop, while dessert offerings include such innovations as the savory-sweet cornbread pudding. There’s a welcoming, rustic atmosphere indoors, but if weather permits, sit out on the upstairs porch and enjoy what is, without hesitation, Southern food at its best.

Jack of Cups Saloon

INTERNATIONAL

Inexpensive

Folly Beach. 34 Center St. (843) 633-0042 jackofcupssaloon.net

Serving lunch, dinner (Wed.-Mon.)

Jack of Cups Saloon describes its cuisine as “globally inspired comfort food made with love,” and anyone who has dined here understands why. Jack of Cups co-owner and chef Lesley Carroll puts creativity and care into every dish she develops. And she’s always quick to offer a smile or share a laugh with diners. Menu offerings rotate with the seasons and incorporate unique, unexpected flavor combinations like the ever-popular red curry mac and cheese. Other unusual and delicious offerings that have popped up on the menu include Tom Kha Gai gnocchi, a traditional Vietnamese coconut broth-turned-sauce blended with a classic Italian dumpling, and Cap’N Crunch deviled eggs. Check the menu ahead of time to discover the latest Jack of Cups creations. One diner is particularly fond of the ever-changing menu. “The seasonal menu brings new, exciting changes every quarter,” she said. “This summer’s Cashew Korma was hands down

continued on page 30

JOHNS ISLAND’S FIRST FIRE TO TABLE OUTDOOR RESTAURANT & BAR

Rūta Smith file photo

The chili garlic shrimp at Chubby Fish is made with jalapenos and ginger

Top 50

the best curry I’ve ever put in my mouth. Sweet and savory, I couldn’t get enough. I felt like I died and went to curry heaven.”

Jackrabbit Filly

CHINESE

Moderate

North Charleston. 4628 Spruill Ave. (843) 460-0037

jackrabbitfilly.com

Serving Lunch, Dinner (Wed.-Sat.),Sun. Brunch

The menu at Jackrabbit Filly — Shuai and Corrie Wang’s brick-and-mortar jump from their popular Short Grain food truck — takes quintessential Asian fare, and adds some vamp. The pork and cabbage dumplings are where Yangtze meets Ganges, with a rich mix of pork, cabbage, ginger and coriander encased inside the perfectly cooked pasta wrapper. Topped with a pungent chinkiang vinegar and Lao Gan Ma chili crisp sauce, the first bite is like suddenly finding something in life you hadn’t even realized was missing. Short Grain’s beloved karaage endures — the meat is juicy, the coating crunchy and the drizzle of lemon mayo and ponzu, along with some togarashi-induced heat, should be presented with the following disclaimer: “The karaage is a small structure made of chicken. It is delicious, and you are not ready for it.”

Kultura

FILIPINO

Moderate

Downtown. 73 Spring St. kulturacharleston.com

Serving Dinner (Thurs.-Mon) and Karaoke Brunch (Sat., Sun.)

An homage to a Filipino grandmother’s home cooking, Kultura ties the fresh tastes of the Lowcountry to the Philippines with a focus on using as many local ingredients as possible. A must-try dish is the restaurant’s pancit made with rice noodles, local blue crab and vegetables in a calamansi sauce. Make sure you try the Halo Halo cocktail — an enticing blend of purple yam (ube), pineapple, sake and oat milk. Also of note: You know you’ll get good food because Kultura’s chef, Nikko Cagalanan, is one of five 2024 nominees for Best Emerging Chef by the James Beard Foundation.

Kwei Fei

CHINESE

Moderate

James Island. 1977 Maybank Hwy. kweifei.com

Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sat.)

Set next door to Charleston Pour House in the space previously occupied by The Lot, Kwei Fei’s interior looks the same-ish, except now the chairs are yellow and you’ll

Kultura’s menu offers chef Nikko Cagalanan’s own spin on his grandmother Mansueta’s Filipino recipes

find some Asian knick knacks scattered about. But the updates are the only understated thing about Kwei Fei. Pretty much nothing else — from the food to the music to the chef himself — can be described as subtle. Kwei Fei’s menu is an equally wild ride, offering an array of appetizers, entrees and veggie-based sides sorted into blocks labeled “Loud,” “Hot” and “Vibes.” The crescent dumplings are an outstanding way to give your tastebuds a crash course in the events to come. Made with ground pork and redolent Sichuan pepper, the five plump dumplings are served in a soy-based, vinegary sauce and topped with fresh cilantro and chives. Hot, sour, salty, sweet: everyone’s here. On the “vibes” side of things, vegetarians are well-taken care of with the dry-fried green beans. Here some rice makes sense and adds bulk to the dry, fried shiitakes and peppers, which are coated in sichuan peppercorn and fermented bean paste, served with mushrooms and of course, peppers.

Lewis Barbecue

BARBECUE

Expensive

Downtown. 464 N. Nassau St. (843) 805-9500

lewisbarbecue.com

Serving Lunch, Dinner (daily) Lewis’ building houses four custom-built smokers and a sausage smoker that can cook 1,600 links at a time, all hand-built by Lewis and his father. Once inside, you’ll queue up to have meat hand-sliced by one of two meat-cutters stationed behind a long counter directing you to opposite ends. Lewis’ “life changing’’ beef brisket is definitely the star. The infinitely tender meat has a salty, peppery crust and shines with melted fat. But there’s also juicy smoked turkey, pulled pork, pork ribs and Texas sausage called “hot guts” available and priced by the pound (or hot guts by the link). After your tray is filled with your order of meats, choose your sides from mustardy potato salad, lemon slaw, cowboy beans and rich green chile corn pudding.

Ma’am Saab

PAKISTANI

Moderate

Charleston. 251 Meeting St. (843) 259-2660 maamsaab.com

Serving lunch (Fri.-Sat.) and dinner (Tues.-Sat.) If you’re looking for “flavorland,” you should check out this elegant but nonwhite-tablecloth Pakistani restaurant that offers modern takes on time-tested dishes. Owners Maryam Ghaznavi and Raheel Gauba took Charleston by storm with their authentic Pakistani comfort food, first as a pop-up in 2019. The couple introduced a new cuisine to the market, bringing to the table dishes like lamb biryani or aloo gobi. You’ll also enjoy the rich, savory and spicy flavors of chicken tikka and butter chicken. And the fresh naan? It’s to die for. Don’t forget the restaurant’s Mount Pleasant roadhouse called Malika Pakistani Chai Canteen in Towne Center where you can get Pakistani street food such as samosa chaats, aloo tikki, dhamaka burger and more.

Maya del Sol Kitchen

MEXICAN

Moderate

North Charleston. 1813 Suite B Reynolds Ave. (843) 225-2390

raulsmayadelsol.com

Serving Lunch (Wed.-Fri., Sun.), Dinner (Thurs.-Sat., reservation only)

Maya del Sol Kitchen is a good passion project for chef and owner Raul Sanchez, and it clearly shows. When the kitchen first opened in 2021, Sanchez started by offering his five-course chef’s table. He now serves lunch and brunch, too, where you can find Mexican standards like pozole, tamales or tacos al pastor. But if you’re looking for something a little heartier, try items on the rotating menu, such as the beef heart guisado (stewed beef heart) or puerco asado (roasted pork). Pro-tip: Check Instagram or Facebook for the lunch and brunch menus. For dinner, Sanchez is always cooking something special for his chef’s tasting menu, whether he creates dishes inspired by family recipes or hosts a themed night like an Italian dinner or an international ceviche special. Give the restaurant a ring for a seat at the table.

Oak Steakhouse

STEAKHOUSE

Expensive

Downtown. 17 Broad St. (843) 722-4220

oaksteakhouserestaurant.com

Serving Dinner (daily)

Located in a restored 150-year-old bank building, Oak is a long-running favorite for a big Charleston night out. Hefty prime ribeyes and strips are the main attrac

Rūta Smith file photo

We take great pride in making sure you have a safe and comfortable experience at our practice

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tions, with luxurious family-style accompaniments like creamy whipped potatoes and lobster mac and cheese. Within the traditional steakhouse format, there is always a twist or two, like a daily local seafood special or beef belly with sorghum barbecue sauce. The deep wine list focuses on California reds, and the service is reliably top-notch, regardless of whether you eat downstairs in the bar area, with its exposed brick walls and clubby red leather booths, or at the white cloth-draped tables in the second story dining room, its high windows looking out over Broad Street.

The Obstinate Daughter

SEAFOOD/SOUTHERN

Moderate

Sullivan’s Island. 2063 Middle St. (843) 416-5020 theobstinatedaughter.com

Serving Lunch (Mon.-Fri.), Dinner (daily), Weekend Brunch

At The Obstinate Daughter, executive chef Jacques Larson’s big, open kitchen has a plancha and a wood-fired oven, and he uses it to create a beguiling array of pizzas, pastas and small plates. The pizzas bear tempting toppings, like guanciale, white anchovy or pancetta. The dishes on the rotating “plates” menu range in size from griddled octopus with crispy potatoes and black olive tapenade to swordfish siciliana with green olives, capers, tomatoes, raisins and currant. Fluffy ricotta gnocchi are topped with an intensely flavorful short rib ragu with tender strands of beef in a pool of reddish orange tomato-tinged jus. OD boasts a cheery, casual environment for enjoying Larson’s impressive parade of delicate but flavorful dishes. And that makes it one of the best upscale dining destinations not just out on the beaches, but anywhere in town.

The Ordinary

SEAFOOD

Expensive

Downtown. 544 King St. (843) 414-7060 eattheordinary.com

Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sun.)

In December 2012, a historic King Street bank building found new life as an upscale oyster hall. The Ordinary — second child of Adam Nemirow and chef Mike Lata — opened with soaring 22-foot ceilings, the promise of locally sourced seafood and lots of buzz.The Ordinary was the first of its kind. While regularly packed and filled with an upbeat ambiance, The Ordinary’s high ceilings diffuse the jovial noise to a pleasant buzz. Along with six daily varieties of raw oysters on the half shell, the house-smoked oysters are not to be missed. Presented in an oil and vinegar-filled preserve jar and spiked with slices of crisp pickled celery, the

six oysters are so gently smoked that they are still raw. As a result, each is tender and juicy, the delicate hint of ocean flavor touched with woodsy smoke. Served with fanciedup saltines (brushed with butter and Old Bay), rich, cold creme fraiche and vibrant hot sauce, the combination is outstanding: cool, crisp and smoky all at once.

Peninsula Grill

NEW SOUTHERN

Very Expensive Downtown. 112 N. Market St. (843) 723-0700 peninsulagrill.com

Serving Dinner (daily)

There are milestones in life that require a fancy steak. Or at least the kind of place where one can get a fancy steak. If you’re in the midst of such an occasion, Peninsula Grill has got you covered. Even after more than two decades, Peninsula Grill continues to impress with its luxurious fare. Executive chef Kalen Fortuna has taken the helm, bringing with him over a decade of fine dining experience with plans to change the restaurant’s course. “We’re trying to take it in a much more refined aspect,” Fortuna said about the restaurant’s new direction. “A lot less meat and the stuff that’s been there for a long time. It’s really just trying to put nice, beautifully composed plates on the dish and working a lot with local farmers and seafood.”

Post House Restaurant

MODERN AMERICAN

Expensive

Mount Pleasant. 101 Pitt St. (843) 203-7678 theposthouseinn.com

Serving Dinner (daily); Weekend Brunch Post House Restaurant opened in Mount Pleasant in August 2020 after undergoing significant renovations led by Kate and Ben Towill of design and hospitality firm Basic Projects. Post House is a reincarnation of The Old Village Post House, which closed in February 2019 after 16 years at 101 Pitt St. The Towills completely redesigned the circa-1896 space, moving the main dining room to the back of the restaurant and the bar to face Pitt Street. The space is adorned with antiques, vintage rugs, local art, archival wallpaper and handcrafted fixtures. You’ll find seasonal snacks, raw bar options, fresh pastas, local seafood and an assortment of vegetarian dishes at Post House. Local seafood massaman curry, Carolina heritage farm pork with creamy kimchi collard greens and a “backbar” cheeseburger are some of the main dishes that pair with starters like lamb wraps or Anson Mills cornbread. Post House also features an expansive wine list with bottles from around the world, and those looking for a staycation can grab a room in the quaint inn connected to the restaurant.

R Kitchen

EXPENSIVE

Downtown, 212 Rutledge Ave.

West Ashley, 1337 Ashley River Road. (843) 789-0725

rutledgekitchen.com

Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sun.)

R Kitchen brings diners an exciting new experience every night. At both locations, enjoy intimate dining settings while getting up-close and personal with a rotating line up of chefs creating that night’s fivecourse meal. R Kitchen is quick to remind guests that it’s a kitchen, not a restaurant. The menu is always a surprise — to both diners and chefs, who create the dishes each morning based on what ingredients the kitchen received that day. On a recent trip to the West Ashley location, a loaded potato soup, short rib dish and French toast with bacon made an appearance on the menu. Be sure to make a reservation in advance as these kitchens fill quickly.

Rancho Lewis

TEX-MEX

Moderate

Charleston Neck, 1503 King St. (843) 996-4500 rancholewischs.com

Serving Lunch and Dinner (Mon.-Sun.)

Barbecue chef extraordinaire John Lewis adds Tex-Mex to his culinary mix with Rancho Lewis, where he uses his favorite

Hatch chiles in many dishes. The tortillas are made fresh onsite, and, if you can stray from the tempting tacos, the burger — made with brisket — is terrific. Don’t forget in-house classics like the Christmas burrito or fabulous enchiladas. If you’re looking for Mexican fresh, this is the place to visit. One diner raved: “Don’t leave without eating the steak fajitas. Period.”

Renzo

Moderate

Downtown. 384 Huger St. (843) 952-7864 renzochs.com

Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sat.)

This former storefront-turned-hip neighborhood trattoria has a wood-fired oven and knows how to use it. Along with tempting starters like ricotta gnudi, charred broccolini or cavatelli, the menu features a trio of pastas, plus an array of creative Neapolitan-style pizzas. Feeling adventurous? The Cheli offers a tomato base with lamb sausage, tangy pickled peppers, honey and za’atar. There’s a bagel brunch on Sundays, plus Renzo offers one of the area’s largest selections of natural wine.

Andrew Cebulka

The James serves up Maryland-style crab cakes with remoulade

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Top 50 from page 32

Rodney Scott’s BBQ BARBECUE

Inexpensive

Downtown. 1011 King St. (843) 990-9535 rodneyscottsbbq.com

Serving Lunch, Dinner (daily) Rodney Scott made waves in 2017 when, after two decades of cooking hogs at his family’s acclaimed operation in Hemingway, he brought his traditional burn barrel style of barbecue down to Charleston. That splendid whole hog — basted in a pepper-laced sauce and pulled into long, succulent strands — remains the foundation of Scott’s offering on King Street, but he’s added a few new options for the city crowd, like meaty spareribs, crisp fried catfish and craft beer on tap. The flawless collards and the ribeye sandwiches, made from pit-smoked steak sliced thin and piled high on soft rolls, are musttry sleepers.

Royal Tern

SEAFOOD

Expensive

Johns Island. 3005 Maybank Hwy. (843) 718-3434

theroyaltern.com

Serving Dinner (Mon.-Sat.)

development

Set on Johns Island between Wild Olive and Minero, The Royal Tern is a welcome and well-positioned addition to that existing pair of successful Maybank Highway restaurants. With a focus on fish, the menu offers an aquarium-full of options. Along with a raw bar, there are a handful of sandwiches, a half-dozen seafood entrees and a hat trick of wood-fired steaks. The building is also glorious. Outside, it’s effortlessly stylish and would look just as appropriate nestled amongst a row of upscale beachfront estates. Inside, the chic, airy space boasts wood floors and high ceilings adorned with dramatic lights that resemble giant clusters of white grapes. The interior incorporates a number of current trends, including an open kitchen, marble-topped bar and miles of banquette seating. One of the best-looking joints in the area, The Royal Tern offers a hip place to scratch a variety of seafood itches on Johns Island.

SHIKI

SEAFOOD

Moderate Downtown. 334 E Bay St. (843) 720-8568

shikicharleston.com

Serving Dinner (Mon.-Sat.)

One of downtown’s longest standing restaurants, SHIKI delivers fresh sushi rolls, nigiri and more in a cozy, recently renovated dining room. Owner Hae Gon

“David” Park opened SHIKI at 334 East Bay St. in 2001 after moving to Charleston from New York City, where he worked at esteemed sushi restaurants like Yuraku, serving as head sushi chef for five years. The chef prides himself on sourcing the highest-quality fish and his technique when making rolls, sashimi and nigiri that is second to none. Patrons who want to go big can order the chef’s choice “omakase,” which translates to “I’ll leave it up to you” in Japanese. Chef Park will bring out a seemingly endless assortment of sashimi and nigiri bites, allowing guests to try a little bit of everything. For less devout sushi enthusiasts, there are approachable options like tempura shrimp and avocado rolls, teriyaki beef, pork katsu and more. Shiki’s menu hasn’t changed much over the years, but why would it, as the restaurant helps fill a void in a city that has very few sushifocused restaurants. Next time you’re in the mood for high quality sushi, give this family owned and operated restaurant a try.

Slightly North of Broad

NEW SOUTHERN

Expensive

Downtown. 192 East Bay St. (843) 723-3424 snobcharleston.com

Serving Lunch (Mon.-Fri.), Dinner (daily), Weekend Brunch

Slightly North of Broad is the perfect place to take visiting friends for their first taste of Charleston cuisine, for it embodies so much of what makes the city’s dining scene special. Since taking the reins in 2016, executive chef Russ Moore has deftly balanced the restaurant’s traditional dishes with more forward-looking fare. Pristinely fresh seafood gets an elegant Southern touch on plates like New Bedford scallops with tomato ham hock broth or seared tuna topped with crisp fried oysters and tart yellow “mustard Q” sauce. SNOB was a local charcuterie pioneer and a platter of hearty country pate, savory pork rillettes and lush chicken liver mousse is the perfect evening starter.

Sorelle

ITALIAN

Expensive

Downtown, 88 Broad St. (843) 974-1575

sorellecharleston.com

Serving dinner (Mon.-Sun.)

If you consider yourself a foodie, then chances are you’ve heard of Sorelle, one of the hottest and most talked about restaurants of the year so far. It’s a partnership between chefs Adam Sobel and Nick Dugan, bringing their take on classic southern Italian cuisine to the South. Everything on the menu is “a banger,” said one diner who managed to get in. A great

combo, he salivated, would be to order the pane (bread) with fougasse, roasted garlic and olive oil, the cavatelli al tartufo (a mushroom pasta) with ricotta dumplings and truffle parmesan, and the pasta-baked branzino for a dinner to die for. Note: While it’s hard to get a dinner reservation here, it’s attached store (mercado) is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a quick bite.

Southbound

Expensive Downtown, 72 Cannon St. (843) 823-0212 southboundchs.com

Serving dinner, (Mon.-Sun)

Live-fire cooking takes center stage at this new Cannon Street restaurant from the same folks behind Mount Pleasant’s Community Table and BarPizza, formerly Kiki & Rye. The elegant two-story dining room is located inside a historic home, which features a large wood-fire grill on the first floor. The menu, which changes daily and is posted to Facebook and Instagram each day by 3 p.m., makes great use of the grill with items such as dry-aged steak tartare with smoked egg, grilled toast and miso butter, coal-roasted Spanish octopus and grilled bone marrow with fried oysters. Examples of heartier entrees include an Australian lamb chop, crispy Orvia duck and housemade cavatelli with braised rabbit sugo.

Stella’s

Moderate Downtown. 114 St. Philip St. (843) 400-0026 stellascharleston.com

Serving Dinner (Mon.-Sat.)

It’s hard to say what’s most striking about Stella’s on St. Philip Street. Is it the hip, yet boisterous vibe? The large portions at an incredibly reasonable price point? Or the vast, authentic and consistently delicious menu? Regardless of your ultimate conclusion, this is a trifecta worth a visit… or five. The grilled octopus and spanakopita are simple perfection, while the saganaki is a visual showstopper and an excuse to pig out on cheese. Stella’s own recipes — namely her calamari and braised lamb shank with No. 5 noodles and brown butter shank sauce, are at once comforting and elevated, testimony to the woman who inspired it all.

Sushi-Wa

SUSHI

Expensive Downtown. 1503 King St. Extension. (843) 735-8633

sushiwacharleston.com

Serving dinner (Wed.-Sun.)

If you’re looking for an intimate date night with your significant other and a rare

experience in the Southeast, head to Sushi Wa. This restaurant brings the traditional Japanese omakase dining experience to the Lowcountry, with chefs and owners Kazu Murakami and Chris Schoedler taking your taste buds on a culinary journey. The chefs curate what you eat during a special multi-course meal with decisions based on something pre-determined by the chef. Book a night out on Resy, or if you’re lucky by following on Instagram, you might be able to snag a last-minute spot.

The James American Grill

AMERICAN FARE

Moderate to expensive James Island. 1939A Maybank Hwy. (843) 278-1066 thejameschs.com

Serving Lunch (Wed.-Sun.) and Dinner (all week)

A relatively new location for fine dining on James Island, The James American Grill blends the feel of a neighborhood joint with comfortable elegance. It offers lots of nice touches — sumptuous Parker House rolls, tasty lump crab cakes with flair and fresh fish that soothes and nourishes. If you want an extra special treat, start with the creamy, rich mushroom soup with a hint of sherry that is topped by flaky pastry. Also enjoy the cozy bar and its satisfying drinks, including a rockin’ martini.

Vern’s

NEW AMERICAN

Expensive

Downtown. 41 Bogard St. vernschs.com

SPRING INTO SPRING INTO SUMMER SUMMER

Serving dinner (Thurs.-Mon.), weekend brunch

Tucked on the corner of Bogard and Ashe streets, Vern’s is the definition of a friendly neighborhood dining spot. And boy, is it popular. This New American restaurant offers family-style meals, which allow everyone at a table to enjoy dishes like gnochetti sardi, a rich and creamy gnocchi dish with arugula and walnut pesto, or the bavette steak with a sweettart balsamic glaze. If you get the chance to stop by for weekend brunch, don’t miss the sesame seed pancakes that embrace slices of local fruit and whipped ricotta for a delicate balance of sweet, creamy and nutty flavors. This, however, is a dish you might not want to share.

Wild Common

MODERN AMERICAN

Expensive

Downtown. 103 Spring St.

wildcommoncharleston.com

Serving dinner (Wed.-Sun.)

The experience at Wild Common is different every time. Executive Chef Orlando

CINCO DE MAYO BLOCK PARTY

SUN, MAY 5 AT 4PM AT MEX 1 COASTAL CANTINA WEST ASHLEY

CHARLESTON MUSICAL HERITAGE PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS

PS 24 - THE SOUND OF CHARLESTON

WED, MAY 22 AT 7PM AT CIRCULAR CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

The Ravioli Doppio at Wild Olive with collards, pancetta, caramelized onions, ricotta, smoked tomato agrodolce and saba

Top 50 from page 35

LIVE ROLLER DERBY! THE LOWCOUNTRY HIGHROLLERS

DOUBLE-HEADER

SAT, JUN 1 AT 4:30PM AT NORTH CHARLESTON CONVENTION CENTER

WHORE’S EYE VIEW

MON, JUN 3 AT 7PM AT CANNON STREET ARTS CENTER

Pagán changes the menu daily for a oneof-a-kind dinner. Some items on the menu may start with crab rice with kimchi or a baked oyster for some funk. And if you’re feeling fancy AND funky, throw in a caviar course to liven up the night. Other past menu items include the delightfully pink Unicorn grits from Marsh Hen Mill with yeasted cultured butter or a robust duck breast with mushroom quiche. For dessert, expect something playful like the chef’s elevated take on a Fig Newton or the chocolate and blood orange terrine with a citrus marmalade, hazelnut and dark chocolate. No two experiences are ever the same. How cool.

Wild Olive

ITALIAN

Expensive Johns Island. 2867 Maybank Hwy. (843) 737-4177

wildoliverestaurant.com

Serving Dinner (daily) Right off Maybank Highway sits Wild Olive, chef Jacques Larson’s haven for exquisite Italian fare. Since 2009, it has served as the go-to place for anniversary dinners and reunions with old friends. A comfortable bar greets those looking for a casual bite, but don’t let that relaxed

atmosphere deceive you. Larson’s food is anything but. Incredible (and decadent) risotto fritters stuffed with sausage, spinach, Parmesan and mozzarella are a great way to start. And always ask about the specials, of which there are plenty. A past highlight was a pappardelle with prosciutto, pork and escarole. Larson is a firm believer in local and his conviction permeates everything on the plate.

Zero Restaurant + Bar

MODERN AMERICAN

Very expensive Downtown. 0 George St. (843) 817-7900

zerogeorge.com

Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sun.)

On the grounds of the elegant Zero George Street Boutique Hotel, Zero Restaurant + Bar’s romantic dining room is set in a former carriage house built in 1804. Here, chef Vinson Petrillo whips up innovative tasting menus with the option of four or seven courses, plus optional wine pairings. Selections vary with the seasons, but anticipate such treats as lightly grilled mackerel served with foie gras and local citrus, or venison prepared with vadouvan curry and taleggio cheese. Hit up happy hour for a craft cocktail; whether wielding a lead pipe or the candlestick, the bourbon-based Colonel Mustard is sure to pack a punch.

Courtesy Wild Olive

ESSAY

DINNER AT KIKI’S

How I pour myself into a small supper club

By Kirsten Bhattacharyya

Imagine 25 potential strangers crammed (ahem, tastefully arranged) in the backyard of your very regular and ordinary rental home. You’ve frantically hung string lights, you just learned to leaf blow and there’s bug spray wafting in the wind. All of these potential strangers are looking at you to create a good time for them over a four-course dinner.

With so many eyes on you, do you start to sweat? Doubt yourself? Panic-think why on earth would anyone ever want to come to this? Well, that’s pretty much me every time I host my extremely baby, smalltime supper club: Dinner at Kiki’s.

These anxiety- and joy-inducing “dinners’’ originally formed from my love of cooking and hosting friends. My enneagram Type 2 heart (reinforced from a young adult age by my older sister’s propensity to invite anyone and everyone over) gets a bit bigger every time I see friends from different backgrounds melding together.

Even if it’s just for the night, there’s something magical in the meshing of people over something as simple as dinner. I find this especially true in our lonelier, screen-filled, post-pandemmy age.

As the manager of Graft Wine Shop I have been very lucky to interact with and be surrounded by amazing wines. We have a concise menu of cheese and charcuterie, so one of the essential “buckets” of the sommelier profession, food pairing, doesn’t always get fulfilled there. Dinner at Kiki’s not only allows me to fulfill my hosting desire, it gives me a creative space to try out wine pairings and explore bottles that might not otherwise make sense for my 9-to-5 wine-o job.

There is a community of people that helps pull off Dinner at Kiki’s. I’ve been spoiled to have so many talented friends in Charleston who are willing to be partners or lend a hand. While I love to cook, Dinner at Kiki’s requires a seasoned chef willing to “genie in a bottle” a professional cooking operation into my small kitchen.

Chef Rod (currently the sous chef at local favorite Chubby Fish) can be credited with pushing me to continue this dinner series past the first one. (Shoutout to Jamie and Matt of Gingerbug who trusted me with the very first!) We’ve gone from an indoor dinner of ten people to an outdoor series of 25 to 30 people with custom playlists and menus — no small feat in a cobbled together little backyard.

Back to all those eyes on us in said backyard. In the moments of doubt right before a guest shows up and surveys your handiwork,

when all the gremlins in your head are shouting “What the heck are you even doing?!” is the thought that this is perhaps what every small business dreamer must feel before they open the doors: vulnerable. You’ve put yourself out there for your small world to see.

Vulnerability isn’t something I’m particularly adept at in my personal life — looking at you exboyfriend trauma. (Jk. Jk. Sort of.) But with each

Dinner at Kiki’s workshop, I’ve learned to settle into the feeling of stepping off the ledge into an empty frame. The empty space is scary, and it makes you pause, like that ball of air suspended in your stomach before the roller coaster drops. The good part comes when you realize you’ve made something that you catch yourself on and stretch out into, expanding with a pretty cool group of people into a once-empty space.

Ashley Stanol

S tart your culinary or hospitality education right here in the Lowcountry. Choose from an array of in-person and online programs designed to meet the needs of the hospitality and culinary industries. Noncredit courses, community interest sessions and specific industry training workshops are also offered.

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• Hotel Operations

• Sustainable Agriculture S tart your culinary or hospitality education right here in the Lowcountry. Choose from an array of in-person and online programs designed to meet the needs of the hospitality and culinary industries. Noncredit courses, community interest sessions and specific industry training workshops are also offered.

• Food and Beverage Operations

• Hospitality Entrepreneurship

• Hotel Operations

• Sustainable Agriculture