Charleston City Paper: Dish Dining Guide, Fall 2025
CHARLESTON’S LUXURY HOTEL
Located in the heart of downtown, Gabrielle offers a dining experience that combines Southern charm with refined flavors. The menu features fresh, locally sourced ingredients, with a variety of dishes that highlight the best of the region. From indulgent brunch options to elegant dinner plates, there’s something to satisfy every palate.
hotelbennett.com
The weather is finally getting cooler, and lower temperatures mean tasty food of a different season. Our new issue of Dish explores some of Charleston’s best fall food treats and traditions. Wrap yourself in your favorite sweater, grab your oyster shucker and get ready to enjoy all that the colder weather brings to the Lowcountry!
November means that hunting season is in full swing. Think duck, quail and the delicious meals that come from sourcing food responsibly. We talked with three sources — a conservation expert, one of the country’s largest quail producers and a rising star in the Charleston food scene — about what game foods mean to them.
The end of the year also welcomes the holidays, and caramel cake is the ultimate celebratory treat in the South. Liz Regalia dives deep into the history of the beloved dessert and shares tips on how to make your own. Just follow the recipe from the Lee brothers that you’ll find in this issue!
Writer Michael Pham looks at how heat and spice can make or break a dish. He talks with several Charleston chefs about finding balance when it comes to chilis and peppers. While spice is welcome 12 months a year, it just hits differently when temperatures drop.
(p6)
Caramel takes the cake
The perfect caramel cake is not just a dessert
(p24)
Charleston Classics
Time-tested establishments that are sure to please
(p12) On the hunt
South Carolina is wild about game
(p26) The Dish Top 50
The places you’ve got to taste
And as the old adage goes, when it comes to eating oysters, you should follow the “R” rule and only eat oysters during months that contain the letter “R.” While modern farming practices and refrigeration debunk that, one could argue oysters just taste better when the air feels crisp. Tiare Solis traces the path of some briny bivalves from Lowcountry waterways to your table.
Our back-page essay is written by Hector Garate, pitmaster and owner of Palmira Barbecue in West Ashley. His restaurant has taken the barbecue world by storm, and Garate beautifully writes about his personal journey from a childhood in Puerto Rico to the Lowcountry.
Finally, our Top 50 list of restaurants has a notable newcomer, and the fittingly named Hotlist and another list of Charleston classics include the hottest places in town. There is much to celebrate in Charleston as autumn sets in. Here’s to a delicious remainder of 2025! —Becky Lacey
(p18)
Eat the heat
Area chefs spice up their dishes for balance, flavor
(p40)
The CP Hotlist
Here’s where to go if you’re looking for something new
(p22)
The bivalve life
An oyster’s journey from farm to table
(p42)
Barbecue is changing
Hector Garate explains how his craft is built on community knowledge, sharing
Lao Salmon Khao Tod at Bok Choy Boy, photographed by John Gaulden.
The braised lamb at Coterie
Caramel TAKES THE CAKE
By Liz Regalia
Sugary. Buttery. Decadent.
The perfect caramel cake is many things. But ask any professional Southern baker to describe it and they will first tell you the one thing it is not: just a dessert.
When it’s done right, caramel cake is an experience. It is a labor of love. Or my personal favorite take, caramel cake is trouble, in the wise words of Anne Byrn, baker and author of Baking in the American South, alluding to the skill it requires to master. With the holiday season upon us, here’s a look at the sweet history of this Southern dessert that uncovers what makes caramel cake so iconic, plus how bakers can achieve perfection.
A look between the cake layers
First things first: If you’re not familiar with caramel cake, forget everything you know about caramel. Unlike the hard candies you unwrapped as a kid, the star here is caramel in frosting form. Think of icing that is smooth, soft and melt-in-yourmouth sweet.
Photos courtesy Caroline’s Cakes
The nationally acclaimed sevenlayer caramel cake from Caroline’s Cakes (above, left)
3RD THURSDAY
JAMES ISLAND, 1531 FOLLY RD
NOVEMBER THROUGH FEBRUARY
STOREWIDE CLEARANCE SALE
The ingredients for caramel frosting are as basic as it gets — milk, sugar and butter. However, caramelizing sugar into icing is notoriously difficult, explained owner of Spartanburg’s Caroline’s Cakes Richard Reutter, son of Caroline Ragsdale Reutter, who founded the company with her seven-layer caramel cake recipe that is now nationally acclaimed.
“Mom always told me that being able to make a caramel cake was like a badge of honor,” Reutter said. “Everyone knows the process of getting the caramel right is so demanding.”
Traditional caramel frosting requires constant stirring to prevent the sugar from burning. This means once you get started, there’s no stepping away from the stove allowed, a lesson Reutter learned the hard way alongside his mother growing up.
caramel cake with this area today. In fact, Mississippi is still the only state where you’ll find caramel cake sold at gas stations.
In the Carolinas, however, home cooks are credited for popularizing caramel cake throughout their communities, none more so than Reutter’s mother Caroline, who is remembered as the queen of caramel cake in South Carolina since her passing in 2017.
“Mom always told me that being able to make a caramel cake was like a badge of honor. Everyone knows the process of getting the caramel right is so demanding.”
—Richard Reutter
“As an impatient kid, I ruined a number of batches,” Reutter said with a laugh, recalling making caramel cakes in his mother’s kitchen as a teen. “I remember stirring and stirring and stirring into oblivion. But it was so apparent when Mom got our caramel perfect. You could feel it.”
That “feel” is all about consistency.
Caramel frosting must be light enough to flow while pouring it over a multi-layer cake yet still thick enough to set in place. The challenge of striking this balance is why caramel cake is so revered (and feared) by southern bakers.
From Southern staple to national treasure
Caramel cake, categorized as a classic layer cake, is as old as baking powder and cake flour, which both became available at the end of the 19th century, according to Byrn.
“Baking powder, which made cakes light, popularized layer cakes,” Byrn said. “As did cake flour, which was lighter and whiter than other flours of its time.”
Swan’s Down Cake Flour hit shelves in 1894 marking a major turning point in America’s baking history.
Caramel frosting, on the other hand, is about 100 years older, dating back to when caramelizing sugar to make candy became popular in New Orleans. Eventually, the practice spread into the Mississippi Delta, which is why many people associate
“My mom served our first caramel cake at my christening in 1982,” Reutter said. “Then word of mouth took over.” Soon, Caroline was making eight caramel cakes a day in their home kitchen for customers to pick up from her porch in Lake City. But everything changed in October 2000 when Caroline received an order from Florida for 2,000 caramel cakes. “As a strong Southern female entrepreneur, Mom said yes without hesitation,” Reutter said. “That’s when Caroline’s Cakes was officially born.”
Today, Caroline’s Cakes ships anywhere in the country in one to two days, and caramel cake continues to be the driving force behind the business.
“It’s our top seller, far and away,” Reutter said. “Caramel cake started our business, and it continues to fuel our growth.
The perfect caramel cake
If you ask Reutter, the secret to the perfect caramel cake is not to mess with tradition.
“The recipe that we use is exactly the same as what Mom made growing up and made in the home kitchen when the business started,” Reutter said. “We just use larger kettles.”
Along with taste, texture is also an important element for those who aim for frosting perfection, according to Ted Lee of the Lee Brothers, a Charleston-bred food writer and cookbook author.
“If you talk to real old-school Southerners and professional bakers, the texture of the icing and the way it melts in your mouth — smooth-melting and not too gritty — is another aspect you have to get right,” Lee said. To that end, some bakers skip the difficulty of caramelizing sugar and melt Kraft baking caramels to guarantee a fine icing.
But Lee prefers the tastes and textures that can only be achieved the old-fashioned way, even if you overdo the tem
Matt and Ted Lee’s caramel cake recipe
When this writer set out on my first caramel cake baking adventure, I was hopefully optimistic due to rave reviews for this recipe featured in The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen. I heeded Byrn’s advice and followed it to a tee. The result? A perfect caramel cake.
TIP: Use a stand mixer when cooling your frosting. Getting to the right temperature took close to 30 minutes of constant stirring which would have been a lot of mixing by hand!
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two round 9 x 2-inch cake pans. Pour about a tablespoon of flour into each of the pans and roll it around, tapping as you go, until the sides and bottom are covered completely with a thin layer of flour. Tip the pans and tap out excess flour.
In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda with a whisk.
In a separate large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until creamy, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar in 1/2-cup measures, beating about 15 seconds after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary, until the mixture has lightened in color and become fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, and the vanilla, beating for 15 seconds after each addition.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in thirds, alternating with additions of the milk. To avoid overmixing the batter, mix gently with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula after each addition, until the ingredient is just incorporated. Beat until all the ingredients have been incorporated, and then just a few strokes beyond. Divide the batter between the cake pans and spread the tops evenly.
Bake until a cake tester or toothpick emerges clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool in
their pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then slide a thin paring knife around the edge of the pans and invert the cakes. Turn each cake again so its rounded top is facing up and cool the cakes completely on the rack.
Pour the milk and 3 cups of the sugar into a large, deep, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, mixing with a whisk. Add the butter and the salt, whisking occasionally until the butter melts. When the mixture just simmers, cut the heat, but keep over the warm burner.
Pour the remaining 1 cup sugar into a saucepan. Cook the sugar over mediumhigh heat until it becomes a syrup, stirring every so often with a wooden spoon as it begins to brown, until the sugar syrup is evenly amber colored, 5 to 8 minutes. Pour the syrup into the warm milk mixture, being very careful, as the caramel will bubble and sputter when it hits the hot milk. Turn the heat beneath the pot to high and, whisking gently until all the syrup has completely dissolved into the roiling milk mixture, continue to cook to the soft-ball stage, about 238°F; this may take 8 to 12 minutes.
Cut the heat beneath the caramel and gently whisk in the vanilla and the baking soda. Dip a spoon into the caramel, and let it cool to taste it. Season the caramel to taste with salt, and pour it into the bowl of a standing mixer (or use an electric handmixer and a large bowl). Beat on low speed as it cools, 15 to 20 minutes depending on the temperature of your kitchen, until the icing is creamy and thick (between 100°F and 105°F). Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and let cool 5 to 10 minutes more, until the icing is between 95°F and 98°F — it should fall off your spatula in a ribbon that remains discernible on the surface of the icing for 10 seconds.
Set the first cake layer on a rack set over a sheet plan lined with waxed paper. Have an electric hand-mixer and the hot water nearby to blend a teaspoon or two into the icing if it becomes too thick to spread. Pour enough of the icing over the cake to cover the top in a layer about 1/4-inch thick (if it drips over the edge in places, that’s fine; this is an early test of whether it’s going to set in place or not). Top the first cake with the second cake layer and pour the rest of
the icing in stages over the top of the cake, letting it run down the sides and using an icing spatula to guide the icing around the cake as it drips, until the entire cake is covered, for a traditional, classic look. (If you prefer the dramatic look of cake layers peeking out from behind a curtain of icing drips, by all means choose that route!) If you need to reuse any icing that overflows into the pan, simply move the cake on its
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
rack temporarily, scrape up the icing from the waxed paper with a spatula and return it to the bowl, replace the rack over the pan and continue to ice the cake.
Once the icing has set, using two spatulas carefully transfer the cake from the rack to a cake stand and let stand at room temperature beneath a cake dome until ready to serve. Only refrigerate if you plan to store the cake for more than 2 days.
perature a bit. “The icing comes out tasting smokier, almost like a burnt marshmallowskin, and very gritty in texture,” Lee said. “I’m sure some bakers would say those are faults, but for us, that’s all part of the appeal!”
At the end of the day, the perfect caramel
cake will be a result of focus — and the right weather forecast, according to Byrn.
“If you follow each step of the recipe carefully, and make this cake on a clear day when it’s not raining or too humid, you will have success,” Byrn said. “But it’s trouble, caramel cake, and that’s another reason people find this cake so special.”
BE SHELLFISH.
Located on Historic Shem Creek in Mt. Pleasant, Red’s is the perfect getaway to enjoy one of the best Lowcountry views in town. Our diverse menu is ideal for fun family dinners and we’re consistently voted the best place to bring out - of - town visitors!
Caramel from page 8
Libby Wiliams
Matt Lee and Ted Lee of the Lee Brothers, a Charleston-bred food writers and cookbook authors
On the hunt
South Carolina is wild about game
By Becky Lacey
e it deer, duck or quail, hundreds of thousands of South Carolinians hunt annually. It’s a way of life for many. And the vast majority of those who hunt do so for the meat.
Whether preparing duck in a restaurant kitchen or raising birds at the country’s largest quail farm, hunting is intrinsic for many in South Carolina.
A lifelong love of duck
River Hill, executive chef at Charleston’s Honeysuckle Rose, grew up in Florence where he spent a lot of time outside.
Whether exploring the woods behind his house or fishing and camping at one of the area’s rivers, he loves the land.
“Connecting with nature has always been an integral part of my life,” he said. “My love of duck hunting started at a very young age as it was something that my dad and I did together. It almost felt like a special event.”
Since duck season in South Carolina only lasts for about two months each year, he recalls spending most of the year looking
River Hill, executive chef at Charleston’s Honeysuckle Rose, puts the finishing touches on duck and dumplings
forward to the next season. He and his dad would wake up at 4 a.m. and be in the woods an hour later, waiting for the ducks to fly over. Sometimes they would bring home ducks and prepare them for breakfast with bacon and cheddar grits. And sometimes they wouldn’t see a single bird fly. But the outcome didn’t matter.
“There’s something truly humbling about being immersed in nature, especially when everything is dark and quiet around you,” Hill said. “Even more so when you’re experiencing the moment with people you love. I learned it’s more important to appreciate the time spent together than what you’re trying to hunt.”
Now at the helm of the Honeysuckle Rose kitchen, he said he feels a great responsibility serving duck.
“I think, if you are going to take an animal’s life, you should pay it the respect it deserves by using every part of it,” Hill shared. “Since I started cooking, butchery has always interested me. Using technique and knowledge of anatomy, you can turn every part of an animal into an ingredient in a recipe that not only feeds people, but makes them happy.”
While breast and leg meat are the most frequently used parts of a duck, Hill said he finds creative ways to use the whole animal to make sure nothing goes to waste. One of his favorite parts of being a chef is getting imaginative with parts that people aren’t really used to eating.
He takes the liver and sweats it down with aromatics like shallot, garlic and thyme. He emulsifies it with cream and butter for a duck liver mousse. He then serves the mousse with a watermelon rind mostarda, grilled sourdough and fresh herbs. He also uses the neck to make a roulade and the feet and wings as the base of a flavorful stock in his duck confit and buttermilk dumplings dish.
While Hill can make magic out of any part of a duck, it is duck breast that he loves cooking most. He starts it in a cold cast iron pan and slowly renders the fat. Once the fat is mostly out and the skin starts to brown, he turns the heat up to crisp the skin before basting the duck in its own fat.
“Cooking duck breast is similar to cooking fish,” Hill said. “You want to do about 90% of the cooking on one side then flip it right at the end. After flipping, I throw in a good knob of butter, some thyme and a couple of smashed garlic cloves. As the butter browns and gets foamy, I keep basting. It adds so much flavor.”
Farms’s Lemon Garlic Quail
diet consisted of. A lot of people have certain preconceived notions about what wild game animals are going to taste like, and I love the challenge of presenting a wild game dish in a way that is approachable and delicious.”
Quail yeah
Manchester Farms outside of Columbia was founded in 1974 by Bill Odom. It was the first quail farm in the United States and today remains one of the largest quail producers in the country. The second-generation, family-owned farm is now owned and operated by Odom’s daughter and her husband, Brittney and Matt Miller.
Manchester raises Pharaoh quail, a breed that originated in Asia. These birds
“When my dad was asked to interview with a company in the early 1970s, they flew him to New Jersey,” said Brittney. “At the end of the interview, he asked ‘how long is your hunting season?’ They responded, ‘two weeks’ and he replied, ‘Thank you for your time and flew home.’
“Game and South Carolina are yin and yang. Much of South Carolina’s population is largely hunters or their family members hunt.”
—Brittney Miller
Hill’s love of game is lifelong, both in the woods and in the kitchen. “I absolutely love working with wild game,” he said. “You can really taste the terroir and what the animal’s
are adaptable to a farm environment and are less susceptible to disease. They grow from chick to full-sized adult in just five weeks, and the females can produce up to 300 eggs per year. Manchester breeds, hatches, raises and harvests around 3 million birds annually.
“That’s when my dad started Manchester Farms. He is an avid quail hunter and started dressing quail in our backyard for neighbors almost 55 years ago. Game and South Carolina are yin and yang. Much of South Carolina’s population is largely hunters or their family members hunt.
continued on page 14
Manchester
Brittney and Matt Miller of Manchester Farms
Courtesy Manchester Farms
Photos by Ashley Stanol
from page 13
“Protecting the land from being overdeveloped to protect the nature and game of South Carolina is critical. Manchester Farms is deeply rooted with game as that is our heritage and our love for hunters and DNR (the S.C.Department of Natural Resources).”
Today, food service companies are big buyers of quail meat. Top-tier distributors like Sysco, US Foods, Shamrock and smaller specialty businesses carry Manchester Farms quail.
Due to the health benefits of quail eggs, there has been huge mainstream growth for the product. Quail eggs are rich in protein, vitamins (A, B12 and D) and minerals like iron, selenium and zinc. They also have antioxidants and essential fatty acids. All these components help boost immunity, strengthen bone health, regulate blood sugar and improve brain function and eye health. Quail eggs and meat truly are superfoods.
Quail season in South Carolina lasts from late fall and into winter, starting the Monday before Thanksgiving and running until March 1. While people still hunt wild quail, there are very few wild birds in the state. Manchester often ships frozen quail to hunting camps to serve to guests so hunters can take home any wild birds they shoot.
Quail is versatile in the kitchen. While fried quail is very popular, you can also grill, bake and sauté it, similar to how you would treat other poultry. And if cooking quail at home isn’t for you, Manchester Farms product can be found at some of Charleston’s best restaurants including The Glass Onion, Halls Chophouse, Husk and Lowland.
Conservation, education and licensing
Duck and dumplings
Recipe by River Hill, executive chef, Honeysuckle Rose Yield: 4 to 6 servings
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (reserve scrapes for stock)
TO MAKE THE DUMPLINGS
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• ¾ cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Sara Green is the executive director of the South Carolina Wildlife Federation (SCWF), founded in 1931 by hunters and anglers who were concerned about the impact that humans were having on wildlife habitat. It’s the state’s oldest conservation group. Green worries that the decline of any wildlife population is habitat loss. The clear-cutting of land as well as air and water pollution contribute to habitat loss, and SCWF actively works to conserve land and enhance wildlife habitat.
“In South Carolina, and across the country, sportsmen were responsible for starting the conservation movement and
on page 16
In a cold, dry cast iron pan, add the duck breasts and place over mediumlow heat, allowing the fat to render slowly.
When the skin begins to crisp, turn the heat up to medium high. Using a spoon, baste the breast in its own fat.
Flip the breast. Add butter and fresh herbs and baste until the internal temperature of the duck is around 135 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the skin is golden brown and crispy to the touch.
Remove the duck from heat. Allow to rest until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit. While the breast is resting, make the dumplings.
CHEF’S NOTE : 90% of the cooking will be done on the skin side. Once flipped, pay careful attention as to not overcook.
In a large mixing bowl, add flour, buttermilk, chives, salt and pepper. Mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
TO FINISH THE DISH
• 2 tablespoons Canola oil
• 2 Vidalia sweet onions, small diced
• 3 large carrots, peeled and small diced
• 3 ribs celery, small diced (reserve celery leaves for garnish)
put over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots and celery and sweat until onions are translucent, but not browned. Add garlic and sweat until soft, add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Using 2 spoons, scoop a spoon full of the dumpling dough and carefully place it into the simmering duck stock. Repeat this step, one dumpling at a time, until the surface of the pot is full and there’s no more space to drop the dumplings in. Cover the pot and let the dumplings simmer for about 8 mins or until the dumplings are slightly firm but still pillowy. Using a spoon, push dumplings to the side and make a hole to add pulled duck confit meat into the duck stock.
Remove pot from heat. Add salt and pepper, hot sauce and fresh lemon juice to taste.
TO PLATE AND SERVE
Using a ladle, spoon out some of the dumplings and duck confit from the pot into desired serving bowls.
Thinly slice the duck breasts. Layer four to five slices on one side of each bowl. To finish, roughly chop the fine herbs and celery leaves and garnish your bowl of duck and dumplings to your liking.
Ashley Stanol
Green
pressing for hunting regulations based on science to protect game species from overharvest,” Green said. “Ensuring that future generations would also be able to hunt and fish was a major motivating factor.”
Green noted hunters still play a significant role in conservation efforts. They buy hunting licenses and tags, and pay taxes on related equipment, which means considerable funding for state wildlife management. This, in turn, supports habitat restoration, research and land acquisition for wildlife preservation.
The impact from conservation dollars from hunters for habitat management far outweighs the harvests of individual animals, she said.
“Most South Carolina hunters are hunting for game species to use the meat to feed their families,” she said. “Deer, turkey and ducks are the main species hunted. [Hunters] greatly appreciate the opportunity to carry on a tradition that often goes back several generations, and also to connect with the land, notice the birds, squirrels and plants, observe the mist on the lake as the sun rises, and just experience the peace and serenity of nature.”
Game from page 14
Courtesy Halls Chophouse
Halls Chophouse served Manchester Farms quail with pepper jack grits and sweet and sour collard greens
EAT THE HEAT
Area chefs spice up their dishes for balance, flavor
By Michael Pham
When the weather gets colder, many may find it important to have ways to warm up in the Lowcountry. Charleston chefs often do the hard work of keeping our mouths hot and our bellies full.
Using a variety of peppers and chilis, chefs add heat to their dishes with intention — and not just to make a dish hot. When using ingredients like peppers or chilis, it allows them to play with the food and try out different flavor and spice combinations.
“It lets you taste food,” said Bintou N’Daw of Bintu Atelier, about habaneros (her favorite pepper). “It’s not completely aggressive and it just warms you up, like giving you a big hug.”
Balance is key
What sets a good meal apart from a great one is balance. When the five flavor profiles — sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami — are in harmony within a dish, your mouth may find heaven.
“As a chef, we have to keep in mind three things,” said Graham Calabria, executive chef of Coterie. “Our bodies are primordially designed for fat, salt, and sugar. That’s what we seek out in nature.” Chefs play with heat to not only add another depth of flavor, but to help balance a dish.
“By adding spice or heat in a dish, they add depth, balance and sensation,” said Set Sison of Bok Choy Boy. “When used right, they can elevate a dish from good to unforgettable.“
Sison added that he likes to add gochujang — a Korean chili paste — for flavor and taste, which is used in many of his dishes and specials (keep an eye on their Instagram, folks). Other ingredients like jalapeño peppers, sambal and bird’s eye chilis are used in dishes like the pork belly noods, banh mi sandwich and in the spicy sauces for its Dan Daniel noodles.
“They’re all mild to medium spice, but add flavor and depth to a dish,” Sison said.
Fatty dishes can also use a little heat for some balance, he added, to cut through the richness. In dishes like the Dan Daniel noodles, which uses a spicy peanut sauce, the heat helps cut through the fatty, chewy noodles while also adding to the overall flavor: sweet, salty and spicy.
Jacob Ritua of XO Brasserie shares the sentiment with Sison and utilizes
Photos by John Gaulden
Bok Choy Boy dishes frequently feature Korean chili paste to add depth, balance and sensation
Ritua
“When we’re looking for a bal ance, usually we look for things other than just the pepper in its raw form whether it’s cooking it out or pickling,” said Ritua.
In XO’s burrata, he usespickled serrano peppers not only to add a little bit of heat, but to give some acidity to balance the richness of the dish.
Calabria achieves the same level of balance at Coterie with the housemade ceviche.
“When testing our ceviche, there was one point where I decided it needed a little bit of brightness in the dish,” he said. “And one thing that can enhance that citrus note is going to be some jalapeno.”
While the jalapeño is raw, Calabria uses other peppers like guajillo and morita to add flavors to the chips served alongside the dish.
continued on page 20
Calabria
Bintu Atelier’s Bintou N’Daw (below) said she uses habaneros in dishes like crab rice (above)
At Coterie, dishes like braised lamb can be joined by spicy chips
Heat from page 19
“There’s not a lot of heat in the guajillo or morita,” he said. “It adds a smoky element to the ceviche that really balances that dish out.”
At Bintu Atelier, N’Daw uses habaneros in all of her dishes for its flavor profile and spice level.
“I do not have one dish without it,” she said. “Even the mildest things you will see on my menu will always have habanero, but you won’t feel a lot of heat.”
Despite the name, the shito spicy crab fried rice isn’t going to be incredibly spicy, she added. In the dish, habaneros are used in the sauce for its mild heat and strong flavor to balance the sweetness of the crab. But, if you want it hotter, N’Daw has a special housemade hot sauce to turn up the heat.
Spicy or not spicy?
Balance isn’t always easy. It’s a constant process of trial and error. Sometimes a dish can be the right amount of spice for a chef, but when it hits the table, it may be too spicy for a customer.
“It’s hard to toe the line because a lot of our consumers aren’t going to have the spice palate that I have,” Calabria said. “When I’m trying to build that balance in the dish,
I’ll test it amongst our front of the house staff and our back of the house staff to kind of see if it’s too hot or not and if I need to dial it back from there.”
It’s a common obstacle among chefs, as Ritua follows the same process when making new dishes at XO Brasserie. Heooks for his palette, then adjusts based on staff and customer feedback.
“It’s really always just tasting every step all the way through the entire dish and then tweaking it if people are saying it’s too spicy or not spicy enough,” he said.
Because everyone’s heat tolerance is different, N’Daw said. She added “spicy” to the name of the crab fried rice to give warning to those with a low tolerance. To her, the dish isn’t very hot, but other consumers beg to differ.
“When people see ‘spicy,’ they ask, ‘can we have this less spicy?’ ” she said. “But it’s like you don’t know how spicy it is.We’ll have some people say it’s not spicy, but then other people will be sweating, so that’s why I call it spicy.”
Sometimes, though, a spicy dish can just be a spicy dish.
“You always have to make sure that the consumer knows what they are going to get,” said Calabria. “If we want to make a spicy dish, then we need to tell the consumer it’s spicy.”
Good for your health
Some chefs, like Bintu’s N’Daw, say a little heat can even be good for you.
“[Peppers] do so many things for you,” she said. “Peppers are therapeutic. In my country [Senegal], there’s a saying of ‘if you sit down and you’re tired, eat some peppers.’ It just gets the blood going again. You’ll break a sweat, but it’ll bring you back to life again.”
At Bintu Atelier, N’Daw utilizes peppers for flavor, but also keeps in mind the effects it can have on diners, such as getting an upset stomach.
“We never really use raw peppers because it can hurt your stomach liner,” she said. “But when you cook peppers, it doesn’t have that same effect. Try to cook your peppers and then you’ll see that it won’t react the same way.”
JOHNS ISLAND’S BEST BRUNCH VOTED
New dishes at XO Brasserie are adjusted based on staff and customer feedback
The bivalve life
An oyster’s journey from farm to table
By Tiare Solis
Charleston oysterman
Thomas Bierce holds up two oyster shells. The first has been washed, tumbled and grated while the other has been plucked naturally from the water in a cluster.
“They respond to that stress by growing a thicker shell,” Bierce said.
He’s right. The wild cluster is fragile and will crumble if shucked. It has to be steamed to be opened without breaking. But the lone oyster shell is thicker. It has grown solo, without the rest of the cluster to protect it from the elements or tumbler.
That strong solo oyster represents thousands that will soon make their way from James Island to the Charleston peninsula and around the city. Each oyster — tucked away in a temperature-controlled van marked “Charleston Oyster Farm” — is representative of years of work and sustainably-focused farming.
When you visit a spot like Bowen’s Island or take a shot of Shots and Vin’s Vince Lendacki’s cleverly named oyster shooters,
An oyster shooter from Shots and Vin features a Perky Sea Cup oyster
you’re likely going to eat one of Bierce’s Perky Sea Cups.
“We serve those for all of our raw oysters,” said Hope Barber, managing operator of Bowen’s Island Restaurant near Folly Beach. “That’s our house oyster.
“They taste exactly like what I think a wild harvested Lowcounty oyster tastes like. It tastes almost like a yummy gulp of saltwater. It tastes like the ocean.”
A sea story
The journey for a Perky Sea Cup oyster may begin at Lady’s Island Oyster Hatchery or Cherrystone Aqua-Farms in Virginia.
“Like a farmer has prized bulls or prize brood stock — whether it be cows, chickens, whatever that they use to raise the offspring — we have the same thing,” said Frank Roberts, owner of Lady’s Island Oyster Hatchery.
“We have our brood stock — oysters that we use just for breeding. Some of them are 10 inches in size.”
Oysters naturally spawn in the spring so Roberts and farm manager Julie Davis simulate the rise in temperature the rest of the year to spur breeding. When the females release eggs, the males go “into a frenzy” attempting to be the first to fertilize the eggs. Roberts said the process is monitored under a microscope until the eggs begin to divide, signaling successful fertilization and the transition from egg to trochophore (marine) larva.
The team feeds micro algae to oysters to grow. They then provide the budding larvae with a crushed shell sized at 300 microns — room enough for one larva — and move them
into a nursery of raw sea water. It is there that they grow to eight to 10 millimeters.
When the oysters reach that point, Bierce comes in to take these seedlings away. He drops the seedlings into bags before they go into floating cages in the water at his Lady’s Island hatchery where they’ll live for anywhere between six months to two years, depending on their growth rate. The farm has roughly 250 cages.
The process during those months is strenuous. Bierce and his crew flip the
cages once a week to expose them to the sun to get rid of unwanted biological growth. This constant movement prevents the growth of barnacles or other organisms. He said any barnacles or microscopic larvae that may land on an oyster are eradicated in that period. In doing so, he prevents clusters from forming. If not, he’ll have to hand cull them with a chisel. From there, they go back into the water for nutrients with the process continuing until the oysters are ready.
Where you can get
Perky Sea Cup oysters
• Bar George
• Bowen’s Island Restaurant
• Husk
• The Darling Oyster Bar
• Pearlz Oyster Bar
• Momo Riverfront Restaurant
• Chubby Fish
• Delaney Oyster House
Bierce has a grader on-site and 50 cages of oysters are graded each week. The grader aids in cleaning and sorting oysters.
The farm is located on Sol Legare Road, just off the Stono River near James and Johns Islands. During the summer months, that proximity is vital when Bierce only has two hours to harvest the oysters, clean them and get them in an ice slurry to ensure they are below 50 degrees before they hit his van and get on their way.
An untraditional oyster shooter
Shots and Vin owner Vince Lendacki has been friends with Bierce for nearly 20 years since they were students at the College of Charleston.
Lendacki started his traveling raw bar in 2021 and has been making the bivalve shooters ever since. Lendacki said he has accumulated over 200 recipes.
Although they are shots, it’s unlikely they’ll get you drunk. They’re delicious and a little boozy.
Lendacki said he doesn’t prepare his shots like a traditional oyster shooter. Instead, he prepares a shot with the oyster on the side. A two-step, if you will. The oysters might have scallions or hot sauce or a plethora of different toppings depending on his recipe.
Lendacki operates his commissary kitchen out of Rebel Taqueria and may pop up at spots like Tobin’s Market or your friend’s wedding, ready to serve an Ol’ George A. Dickel Twist — a lemon-infused oyster over bourbon-infused tea.
Charleston Oyster Farm is located on Sol Legare Road, just off the Stono River
Photos by Ashley Stanol
Charleston Oyster Farm’s Thomas Bierce (left) and Shots and Vin’s Vince Lendacki’s
Bowens Island Restaurant is a family fish camp you won’t want to miss
Ashley Stanol
Charleston Classics
Time-tested establishments that are sure to please
By City Paper staff
With so many great restaurants in Charleston, we thought it would be helpful to have a list of great longtime, proven restaurants that always offer an outstanding experience to create some space in our Top 50 list for the increasing volume of places where you can get a superb meal. Here are 10 Charleston Classic restaurants that we return to time and time again, knowing we’re going to have an enjoyable evening with food prepared by masters. In alphabetical order:
82 Queen (1982)
SOUTHERN
Moderate
Downtown. 82 Queen St. (843) 723-7591
82queen.com
Serving Dinner (daily), Lunch (Mon.-Fri.) and Sunday Brunch
The story goes that in 1982, three local restaurateurs decided to open a restaurant that focused on fresh, local cuisine and quintessential Southern hospitality. The result was longstanding French Quarter favorite, 82 Queen, which serves tasty, Southern fare, from fried green tomatoes to shrimp and grits. You’d be remiss, though, to visit the spot without ordering its famous she-crab soup. 82 Queen’s sous chef Lamont Ferrebee said the 43-year-old restaurant’s soup, made with a pound of white crab meat, is a longtime favorite for a reason: “Experience and consistency are the keys to any great product, and our she-crab soup is no different.”
Bertha’s Kitchen (1981)
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 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.
Bowens Island
Restaurant (1946)
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, sausage, corn on the cob and shrimp steamed together as God intended it.
Dave’s Carry-Out (1997)
SOUL FOOD/SEAFOOD
Inexpensive
Downtown. 42-C Morris St. (843) 577-7943 facebook.com/daves-carryout-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.
FIG (2003)
MODERN AMERICAN
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 awardwinner for Outstanding Wine Program.
G&M Fast and French (1984) FRENCH
Moderate
Downtown. 98 Broad St. (843)-577-9797 fastandfrenchcharleston.com
Serving Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (daily) Gaulart & Maliclet Café, also known as Fast & French, has graced Charleston for more than four decades. While it certainly doesn’t have trouble keeping seats filled, this luscious little jewel doesn’t get half of the praise it deserves. Any place that can actually survive in a downtown location for 40 years is practically a memorial. Fast & French walks the line between relevant and
quaint, trendy and authentic, and it keeps things wallet-friendly.
Halls
Chophouse (2009)
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.”
Oak Steakhouse (2005)
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 attractions, 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.
Peninsula Grill (1997)
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. Pro tip: Don’t forget a slice of the spot’s iconic coconut cake.
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 forwardlooking 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.
Savor the Lowcountry with waterfront dining on beautiful Shem Creek!
• Selection of 200+ Wines
• Fresh Seafood
• Lowcountry Favorites
• Cabana Bar Happy Hour Live Music on weekends
SUNDAY
BRUNCH
All you-care-to eat Buffet. Plus build your own Bloody Mary Bar! 10am–2pm
DRINK SPECIALS FROZEN DRINKS 1407 Shrimp Boat Lane (843) 884-4074
Lunch / Dinner & Sunday Brunch Live Music Friday & Saturday 6:30-9:30pm Sunday 5-8pm
Rūta Smith file photo
A beautifully layered dish at Peninsula Grill
Ashley Stanol file photo
Lillian’s Carolina Rice Bowl is served with shrimp, field peas, Charleston Gold grits, saffron broth and chow chow
The places you’ve got to taste
The Dish Top 50 is an incredible resource that will keep you focused on some of Charleston’s best places to eat without having to filter through endless online suggestions. Our curated list from a panel of experienced foodies includes places where you can have incredible, internationally inspired dining experiences, such as Bintu Atelier or Kultura. For more casual joints, head to Berkeley’s and Leon’s — spots that are special in their unique ways. As you can see from this list, there’s no shortage of fantastic dining experiences in Charleston.
What sets these 50 establishments apart isn’t price or location. It’s the dedication each eatery puts into providing dining memories. This is the list to give to family or friends who are visiting. It’s the list to scan through when you’re undecided and looking to remember a place where you had a great meal or find a new one. Enjoy.
Organized in alphabetical order.
167 Raw Oyster Bar
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 muchlauded 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
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. BK’s lunch and menus are divided into small plates, bowls, salads and sandwiches. Start with the ever-popular corn ribs or cauliflower wings then dig into heartier fare like the salmon bowl, served with grilled salmon, Carolina Gold rice, marinated cabbage, carrot ginger salad, cucumber, seaweed, furikake and orange miso sauce.
Berkeley’s
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.”
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.
continued on page 28
Tasty beer
Specialty burgers, sandwiches salads, crispy wings & blue plate lunches that go great with the largest selection of
in Charleston. With over 160 kinds of cold bottles in stock, plus 17 taps that feature local & regional brews that rotate constantly. Meet friends or make new ones. You’ll meet
good people happy hour
that visit us regularly. Love a good cocktail & appetizers? Swing by any day 4-7pm for
featuring $1 off draft beer, house liquor, wine & $2 off select appetizers.
charleston's neighborhood bar for 73 years!
Thursday:
Top 50
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.
Chef Loong Dim Sum
CHINESE
Moderate
1662 Savannah Highway, Suite 105. (843) 225-8225
chefloongdimsum.com
Serving Dinner (Wed.-Mon.), Lunch (Thurs.-Sun.)
If you haven’t ever tried authentic Chinese soup dumplings, or Xiaolongbao (which means “little basket bun”), you don’t know what you’re missing. But now there’s a shopping center restaurant where you can revel in these delicious bites. These delicate, addictive pouches contain a sweet or savory filling suspended in soup and wrapped in a thin dumpling dough. “We make everything ourselves,” Chef Emely Yan told the City Paper recently. “Like our own chili oil and different kinds of peppers to make our own spices.” Also featured are hand-pulled Xi’an noodles, Peking duck, five-spice chicken and entrees with Sichuan chili heat.
Chez
FRENCH
Nous
Expensive
Downtown. 6 Payne Court. (843) 579-3060
cheznouschs.com
ServingLunch, Dinner (Tues.-Sun.), Sun. Brunch
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 Europeaninspired, 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.)
Celebrated 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 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, longtime area chef/ owner Ken Vedrinski created a comfortable beachside Italian seafood restaurant that offers great tastes with an ocean view thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s an ideal setting for Vedrinski’s signature high-end Italian fare, which offers plenty of bright flavors and unexpected twists. Masterful fresh pasta anchors the primi selection, which may include ricotta gnudi tossed with mushrooms, guanciale and vacche rosse parmesan cheese. The menu’s secondi include fresh fish ranging from a “Torcino style” swordfish or stir-fried triggerfish. Pair any of these with an Italian wine from the impressive list, and you’ll have one splendid fish tale to share with friends.
Costa
COASTAL ITALIAN
Very expensive
Downtown. 320 Broad St. (843)969-2555. costacharleston.com
Serving Dinner, (Mon.-Sat.)
Joining the Charleston scene in late 2023, this restaurant dedicated to coastal
Italian fare features influences from the upbringing of Vinson Petrillo, executive chef of Zero George. The dinner menu changes seasonally and you’d be remiss not to try dishes that feature in-season produce, such as burrata with root vegetables, kale and focaccia crouton . Other recent offerings include coastal-inspired fare like scallop crudo, served with apple, celery and radish and golden tilefish served with roasted mussels, green curry and pineapple. With a broad wine list and Italian-inspired cocktail list (hello, spritzes), you’ll also enjoy what you drink here.
Edison James Island
Moderate
James Island. 1014 Fort Johnson Road
(843) 872-5500
edisonjamesisland.com
Serving Dinner (Wed.-Sun.)
Be prepared for a loud experience at this 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
Downtown. 122 Spring St. estadio-chs.com
Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sat.) and Lunch (Fri.-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. 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.
Gabrielle
MODERN AMERICAN
Very expensive
Downtown. 404 King St. (843) 203-0922 hotelbennett.com
Serving Lunch, Dinner
If you’re looking for the perfect internation ally inspired dinner, this is the place for you. It’s lush, quiet and feels serious without being stuffy. An attentive bar staff pours cocktails as inventors must have imagined.
Chef Edgar Kano’s menu choices, influ enced by Japanese and Latin flavors, makes dining fun, as we wrote in 2023: “Kano’s cooking philosophy is to keep it simple — he said he can’t live without salt and butter — and let the ingredients of each dish shine. He said overwhelming flavors can lead to ‘confusion, not fusion’ and that ‘less is always more.’” Ask about specials and enjoy fresh seafood, flavorful steaks and outstanding produce intentionally sourced from local purveyors.
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
Moderate to expensive Upper Charleston. 106 Grove St. (843) 637-4145
Serving Lunch (Mon.-Thurs.) and Dinner (all week)
This minimalist, farm-to-table restau rant 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
BUFFALO WINGS
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
enjoy what is, without hesitation, Southern food at its best. Pro tip: head to the recently revamped Bar & Patio where you don’t need a reservation to sip on inventive cocktails and small plates like snapper ceviche and country ham and cheese beignets.
Jack of Cups Saloon
INTERNATIONAL
Inexpensive
Folly Beach. 34 Center St. (843) 633-0042
jackofcupssaloon.net
Serving lunch, dinner (Wed.-Mon.)
Husk has outposts in Nashville and Savannah, but this location — housed in a white mansion on Queen Street — is the original. Here, the kitchen creates must-try marvels from executive chef Ray England, who focuses on bright but simple flavors that utilize Southern ingredients. Diners can enjoy dishes like cornmeal fried flounder with dirty rice and collard greens, green garlic mafalda with rabbit confit and seasonal veggies and a country fried pork chop served during brunch. There’s a welcoming, rustic atmosphere indoors, but if weather permits, sit out on the upstairs porch and
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. 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 said this of the restaurant’s Cashew Korma: “I felt like I died and went to curry heaven.”
At Chubby Fish you’ll find a “caviar sammich” served on a potato roll with créme fraîche
Jackrabbit Filly
CHINESE
Moderate
North Charleston. 1083 E. Montague Ave. (843) 460-0037
jackrabbitfilly.com
Serving Lunch, Dinner (Wed.-Sat.)
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 Top
served with a tartar sauce so good we sometimes just dip a fork in it in between bites. If we know anything about restaurateurs Brooks Reitz and Tim Mink, it’s that they know how to design a restaurant that both looks and feels good. Comfortable, delicious and reliable — perfect for your regular rotation of food joints.
Lewis Barbecue
BARBECUE
Moderate to 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
continued on page 32
A DESTINATION FOR EVERY OCCASION AND CELEBRATION
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.
Lillian’s Petite Market & Eatery
AMERICAN
Moderate
Upper Charleston. 247 Congress St. (843) 203-6698
lillianschs.com
Serving breakfast, lunch, dinner (daily) Owner Heather Greene, working with chef Todd Garrigan, pastry chef Allison Brown and mixologist Ruth Wentenhall, has created a comfortable follower for the space formerly occupied by much-loved Harold’s Cabin. The restaurant, which is open from 7:15 a.m. every day until 10 p.m., showcases locally-sourced dishes and craft cocktails designed around a seasonal menu. The all-day menu features breakfast favorites and a great burger. Dinner is satisfying with everything from fried oyster stew to barbecue shrimp. An all-around winner.
Serving Dinner. Daily. Walking into this open-air concept feels a little like walking onto, well, a lost island. Quirky without trying too hard, this spot features chandeliers floating among the Spanish moss of live oak trees. 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 a smoked tomahawk pork chop. Yum.
Ma’am Saab
PAKISTANI
Moderate
Charleston. 251 Meeting St. (843) 259-2660
MaamSaab.com
Lunch, Dinner (Tues.-Sat.)
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 and Dinner (Tues.-Fri.), Saturday brunch.
table dinners regulary by reservation only. Pro-tip: Check Instagram or Facebook for menu and chef’s table dinner updates.
Marbled & Fin
STEAKHOUSE
Very expensive
Downtown. 480 East Bay St. (843) 278-5488
marbledandfin.com
Dinner nightly, Weekend brunch
If you’ve been in the market for a new modern steakhouse — one that serves delicate, flavorful hamachi crudo alongside a big, bold bone-in tomahawk, look no further. The attention to detail at Neighborhood Dining Group’s latest begins the moment you step into Marbled & Fin — the vaulted ceilings and chic interior belie the building’s history as a dry cleaners. Reservations are recommended for the dining room at this buzzy new spot, but guests are always welcome to belly up to the 25-seat bar, first-come, first-served. The details continue to impress throughout the meal, from welcome cocktails to an evening-ending sweet bite. Be sure to try the broiled oysters and bone marrow appetizer. Made with herb bread crumbs, charred lemon and chimichurri, it’s the perfect mix of land and sea. Top 50 from page
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
Maya del Sol Kitchen is a good passion project for chef and owner Raul Sanchez, and it clearly shows. Opened in 2021, Sanchez serves lunch, evening small bites and brunch 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 guisado (stewed beef) or puerco asado (roasted pork).
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.
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 fancied-up 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.
Philosophia
GREEK
Moderate to expensive Mount Pleasant. 909 Houston Northcutt Blvd. (854) 227-5738 philosophiamountpleasant.com
Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sat.)
This East Cooper restaurant blends the joy of dining with friendship and a menu that rocks Greek cuisine. “Amazingly good Greek food,” one satisfied gourmand said. Favorites include starters of pesto hummus and Greek pimento cheese and main dishes of pastitsio, whole branzino and stuffed leg of lamb. A delightful experience.
Pink Bellies
VIETNAMESE
Moderate to Expensive Downtown. 595 King St. Suite 1. (843) 640-3132 eatpinkbellies.com
Serving lunch, dinner (Thurs.-Sun.)
From humble beginnings as a food truck
continued on page 34
Rūta Smith file photo
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
Top 50
serving hungry College of Charleston students to a stall in former food hall Workshop, Pink Bellies has morphed into a bustling hot Vietnamese spot in midtown. Cult-followers enjoy Thai Phi’s spicy, decadent garlic noodles and other Vietnamese fare in a moody, yet vibrant dining room that brings a modern vibe to King Street. Other fan favorites include the spicy lamb dumplings and pho mai burger. Sample the cocktail menu’s Tres Coop Riff, a tequila-based cocktail with an orange creamsicle flavor that is smoked and topped with cinnamon chips for a s’mores flavor.
Post House Restaurant
MODERN AMERICAN
Expensive
Mount Pleasant. 101 Pitt St. (843) 203-7678
theposthouseinn.com
Rancho Lewis
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
PIZZA
Moderate
Downtown. 384 Huger St. (843) 952-7864 renzochs.com
Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sat.)
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 (the restaurant was purchased by Indigo Road Hospitality Group in March 2025). 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, 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.
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.
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 must-try sleepers.
RESTAURANT OWNERS & BUSINESS OWNERS
Top 50 from page 34
Royal Tern
SEAFOOD
Expensive
Johns Island. 3005 Maybank Highway (843) 718-3434
theroyaltern.com
Serving Dinner (Mon.-Sat.)
Set on Johns Island, 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 woodfired 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 East Bay St. (843) 720-8568
shikicharleston.com
Serving Dinner (Mon.-Sat.)
One of downtown’s longest standing restaurants, SHIKI delivers fresh sushi rolls,
Ashley Stanol file photo
Salmon nigiri at Shiki
nigiri and more. Opened in 2001 by New York sushi chef Gon “David” Park, his son, James Park, has taken over the restaurant, prized for its highest-quality fish and sushi technique for making rolls, sashimi and nigiri. 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. 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 sushi-focused restaurants. Next time you’re in the mood for highquality sushi, give this family-owned and operated restaurant a try.
Sorelle
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
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, its 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
OYSTERS WITH A VIEW
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
GREEK
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 Highway (843) 278-1066
thejameschs.com
Serving Lunch (Wed.-Sun.) and Dinner (all week)
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
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 sweet-tart 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 Pagán changes the menu weekly for a oneof-a-kind dinner. Some items on the menu may start with duck confit steam bun 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 dry-aged New York strip, charred broccoli, Sea Island red peas with salsa verde and seared halibut with shrimp, seafood sausage and consommé. . For dessert, expect something playful like a brioche doughnut with blueberry, brown butter and corn ice cream. No two experiences are ever the same. How cool.
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
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.
XO Brasserie
CHINESE
Expensive
Downtown. 1090 Morrison Drive.
(843) 969-1896
xobchs.com
Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sun.)
Xo Brasserie serves updated Cantonese and Sichuan-influenced cuisine at 1090 Morrison Drive. Owner Herman Ng partnered with executive chef Michael Chanthavong to create a modern Chinese American menu, with dishes like vegetarian Ma Po Tofu, salt and pepper shrimp and crab rangoon. In addition to curating the menu’s flavors, Ng and his team carefully created a buzzy space inside the new, multi-use building on Morrison Drive. Brasserie’s interior features clean lines, moody lighting, leafy plants and special touches, like a large custom wine rack.
Some of the larger tables feature big lazySusans that play into Ng’s goal of familystyle dining. “It’s how I grew up,” he said. “You order a bunch of different dishes, and you all get to try a bunch of stuff.”
The Restaurant at Zero George
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, The Restaurant at Zero George’s romantic dining room is set in a former carriage house built in 1804. Here, chef Vinson Petrillo whips up an innovative tasting menu, plus optional wine pairings. Selections vary with the seasons, but anticipate such treats as halibut with Grumpy Pumpkin Farms pumpkin, persimmons and green olive and raw red shrimp with green curry, green peanut and purple muscadine. The bar welcomes walk-ins, offering a light snack menu alongside a rotating selection of seasonal cocktails and zero-proof options.
Clean burning candles, candle making parties, gifts and more! www.IslandCandlesCHS.com
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):
The Archer (2024), Downtown. Marc and Liz Hudacsko, the couple behind popular downtown spot Berkeley’s, opened a buzzier, “more grown up” sister restaurant, The Archer, last summer. Featuring what’s described as “elevated fare” (think oven-roasted wreckfish, duck confit salad), The Archer is located at 601 Meeting St., near the base of the Ravenel bridge. The bar program is curated by Jimmy Chmielewski, previously of Proof and Estadio. Drinks include cocktails like the Ambiguous Bird, made with rum, coconut oolong Campari, pineapple and lime, and a nitro espresso martini on draft. Moderate. thearchercharleston.com. Dinner, Wednesday through Monday.
Cane Pazzo (2025), Hanahan. Chef-owner and Charleston native Mark Bolchoz,an alumnus of Peninsula Grill, The Grocery, Indaco and a former culinary director of Italian concepts for the Indigo Road Hospitality Group, opened Cane Pazzo in June along with his wife Ariana. The Hanahan restaurant’s name translates to “Mad Dog,” Bolchoz’s childhood nickname. It was given by his grandfather, a Hanahan entrepreneur for decades. Handmade pastas, wood-fired proteins and shareable plates highlight Lowountry seasonality; dishes like heirloom tomato toast with burrata, pickled sweet peppers, arugula and sherry vinaigrette shine alongside risotto with corn, confit peppers, red onion, Serrano and pancetta. A thoughtful cocktail list accompanies an exclusively Italian wine list, followed by desserts like tiramisu and affogato. Moderate. canepazzorestaurant. com. Dinner, Tuesday through Saturday.
La Cave (2024), Downtown.
La Cave, an elevated sipping lounge and salon privé inspired by the south of France, opened on King Street last fall, just down the block from its sister restaurant, Félix Cocktails et Cuisine. La Cave is the Parisian-inspired cafe’s softer sister, with natural wood finishes and exposed stone walls designed by Landrum’s wife, Leslie. Diners can look forward to small plates like a petit crab roll with lump crab cake topped with jalapeño-leek aïoli and pickled red onions that is served on a sized-down sesame bun; raw bar offerings ranging from oysters to crudo to caviar service; and roasted prawns with coriander, piquillo pepper butter and grilled lemon. Order the Martini de Luxe, made with fromage washed vodka, saline and Lillet Blanc — and get a caviar crisp on the side. Moderate. lacavechs.com. Dinner, Tuesday through Saturday.
Merci (2025), Downtown. Neighborhood bistro, Merci, from chef Michael Zentner
A
and his wife Courtney, opened at 28 Pitt Street this March. The Europeaninspired restaurant features a small but mighty menu in a cozy, 1820’s Federalstyle building, with a dining room that seats just under 30 diners. Merci’s current, carefully honed list of offerings features dishes like focaccia stracciatella with Benton’s ham and pistachio; spring pea salad with boucheron and green goddess dressing and striped bass with white bean fondue, fennel and olives. Expensive. merchichs.com. Dinner, Wednesday through Saturday.
Pelato (2025), Downtown.
This Brooklyn-inspired, garlic heavy, red sauce Italian restaurant opened in May in the former Butcher & Bee space at 1085 Morrison Drive. A seasonally changing, casual, sharable menu is available nightly in the main dining space, the bar and al fresco. Potato croquettes with mozzarella, garlic aioli and Parmigiano Reggiano and crispy cauliflower piccata with lemon-caper butter are starter choices along with mains like campanelle with shrimp limone and creamy lemon as well as a classic chicken parmigiana with tomato, basil, Parmigiano Reggiano and mozzarella. Sundays host a traditional Italian Sunday sauce, also known as Sunday gravy, dinner serving fusilli with tomato, ribs, braciola, sausage and meatballs. Moderate. pelatorestaurant.com. Dinner daily.
Tutti (2025), downtown.
Femi Oyediran and Miles White, co-owners of Charleston’s Graft Wine Shop, have brought the same expert
touch to pizza that they brought to wine. Tutti opened next door to Graft earlier this year and offers thin crust pizza (aka “round”) and thick, focaccia-like pizza (aka “square”). You can pick a red or white sauce for the foundation and then sky’s the limit with toppings. Tutti’s wine program features by-the-glass and bottle offerings and highlights the same types of organic, biodynamic, low-intervention or sustainably farmed wines on its menu. And for those that prefer to eat their pizza in pajamas on the couch, Tutti offers a handy to-go window. Pro tip: add sesame seeds to your square pizza for an umami flavor bomb. Moderate. tuttipizzachs.com. Dinner Wednesday through Sunday. Lunch Friday through Sunday.
Volpe (2025), Downtown.
Ken Vedrinski, chef of Isle of Palms restaurant Coda Del Pesce and former beloved, downtown Italian restaurant Trattoria Lucca, opened Volpe at 161 Rutledge Ave. in April. Communal dining is the name of the game here, and the menu changes daily and offers a four-course, family-style meal priced at $65 per person (a la carte items are also available). The family-style option includes four different antipastos, a pasta duo, a segunda course that consists of meat and fish followed by dessert. Recent dishes included farro with asparagus, mortadella and roasted peppers, pork Marsala, and a lime and Amaretti cheesecake. The wine list has about two dozen bottles and all white wine costs $44 with all reds being $4 more. Moderate. volpecharleston.com. Dinner Tuesday through Saturday.
Ryan Belk
round pie from Tutti Pizza
Courtesy Pelato
Pelato’s eggplant stuffed bread with tomato, Parmesan and mozzarella
Thanks to our advertisers
Bohemian Bull Beer Garden
Bowens Island Restaurant
The Carolina Chef
Carolina One - K. Johnson
Cedar Creek Tavern
Frothy Beard Brewing Company
Gaulart & Maliclet / Fast & French
Gene's Haufbrau
The Great Greek
Guilty Pleasures
Halls Chophouse
Hanckel Marine
Holey City Bagels
Holy City Brewing
Hotel Bennett
Indigo Road Hospitality Group
Island Candles
Legend Deli
Lewis Barbecue
Locals Sushi & Sports Pub
Ma'am Saab
Middleton Made Knives
Nock Tequila
Northbridge Dental / Jim Richart DMD
Out on a Limb Circus Arts Studios
Pho Saigon
Platia Greek Goodness
Poke Bros
Rancho Lewis
Red's Icehouse
Rick's Lighting
Santi's Restaurante Mexicano
Smashley's Burger Bar
Snackin' and Yakkin'
Sugar Bakeshop
Sunrise Bistro
Tradebank
Triangle Char & Bar
Trident Technical College
Vickery's Bar & Grill
Water's Edge Restaurant
MIDDLETON MADE KNIVES
ESSAY
BARBECUE IS CHANGING
A craft built on community knowledge, sharing
By Hector Garate
Food tells a story and in Charleston, that story is changing. Barbecue has always been one of the South’s favorite traditions, but today, new voices and perspectives are adding to it. My path into barbecue, and what we’re building at Palmira Barbecue, is part of that change.
I grew up in Puerto Rico where food was a way of life. My mom’s recipes, my grandmother’s table, the way we cooked outside over fire: all of that shaped how I see food today. Puerto Rican food is bold, flavorful and always meant for sharing. Everyone had their own spin on cooking with smoke and fire, whether it was lechón roasting all day, ribs over charcoal or beans bubbling on the stove. That way of cooking stuck with me.
When we moved to the United States, I lived in North Carolina, then New York, and eventually Charleston. During the pandemic, my wife gave me an offset smoker and that gift changed everything.
I started out in the backyard and then taught myself how to weld so I could build my own smokers. I studied central Texas traditions, where fire management and technique are everything. In Charleston, Lewis Barbecue showed me how Texas-style could work here and Rodney Scott’s whole hog barbecue has always been something I respect deeply. Along the way, I found support and encouragement from the barbecue community, which reminded me that barbecue is a craft built on sharing knowledge.
Palmira is where all of that comes together. Our menu mixes Southern barbecue traditions with the flavors I grew up with. Smoked beef cheeks, sausages inspired by my mom’s cooking and collards made with sofrito. I’ve lived in the South just as long as I lived in Puerto Rico so both are part of me. Even our logo, with the Puerto Rican and South
Carolina flags side-by-side, shows the connection between the two places I call home.
At first, I wasn’t sure how people in Charleston would respond. This city knows barbecue. But I wanted to stay true to myself, bringing in Texas techniques and Puerto Rican flavors while still honoring Southern traditions. Guests were open to it, and that gave me confidence to keep going.
What’s happening now is also part of a bigger conversation about the third wave of barbecue. The first wave was about regional traditions. The second gave national attention to Texas brisket and pitmaster culture. This third wave is about diversity, heritage and creativity.
Across the country, pitmasters are cooking from
their own backgrounds and expanding what barbecue can be. Palmira is my version of that, blending where I come from with where I’ve made my home.
For me, barbecue is about good food and hard work, but it’s also about people. It’s about the friends, mentors and the community that helped me along the way. And it’s about putting a plate in front of someone that represents who I am.
Charleston is changing, and so is barbecue. Palmira is just one way those changes come together, and I’m proud to be part of that story.
Hector Garate is pitmaster and owner of Palmira Barbecue in West Ashley.
S tart your culinary or hospitality education right here in the Lowcountry at the Culinary Institute of Charleston at Trident Technical College. 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.
