Charleston City Paper: Dish Dining Guide, Spring 2025

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Strawberry croissant at Sorelle

Editor and Publisher: Andy Brack Associate Publisher: Cris Temples

editorial News: Skyler Baldwin Herb Frazier Connelly Hardaway Jessica Mischner Jack O’Toole Contributors: Gabriela Capestany Samantha Connors Helen Mitternight Libby Wieserma

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Courtesy Sorelle

Welcome to spring, Charleston. Whether you’re sneezing through the pollen or just blessing the gods for lifting your seasonal affective disorder, we imagine you’re enjoying the blooms and sunshine as much as the next guy. Our quarterly issue of Dish is here to help you wine and dine your way through the Lowcountry’s most beautiful season. Writer Samantha Connors sought out some of the freshest strawberry dishes around town — including both sweet and savory creations. Don’t miss out on what some of Charleston’s top chefs are doing with this seasonal delicacy. If you’ve noticed more dim sum offerings around town, you’re not alone. Writer Gabriela Capestany talked to restaurants offering the traditional Chinese brunch and detailed places around town to grab the tantalizing small plates. Our Florence-based writer Libby Swope tracked down the history of asparagus in the Lowcountry — it’s fascinating stuff. Find out where to grab the green goods around town this season and check

out a special recipe from a local chef. Pop open a bottle of white, chilled red or rosé, when you sit down to read about the best spring and summer wines for sipping this season. Area sommeliers and wine experts filled us in on some of their favorite lighter bodied wines — and their go-to snacks for pairing with the vino. As always, we’ve got you covered with our Top 50 list of restaurants. Check out something new in this issue: We’ve designated a number of restaurants “Charleston classics,” in a league all their own. If you’re still dying to try the area’s newest and hottest spots, well, you can find those on the aptly titled Hotlist. Happy eating, y’all. —Connelly Hardaway

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Something to shine about

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Spring for local asparagus

Local restaurants celebrate the arrival of this springtime fruit

Dim sum offerings expand in the Lowcountry

Local wine experts recommend the perfect snack pairings for spring

South Carolina was once known as the "Asparagus Capital of the World"

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The best bites

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Time-tested establishments that are sure to please

The places you’ve got to taste

Here’s where to go if you’re looking for something new

Amor Healing Kitchen’s Maria Kelly explains how every bite of local produce counts

Charleston Classics

design Art Director: Scott Suchy Graphic Designers: Christina Bailey Ashleigh Keiser Photographers: Ashley Rose Stanol

distribution Circulation Team: Victoria Connors Aidan Lauderdale David Lampley Aidan O’Connor Darryl Simmons Published by City Paper Publishing, LLC

on the cover Asparagus at The Establishment, photographed by Ashley Stanol.

inside Strawberries served fresh

Advertising Director: Ashley Smith Account Executives: Kristin Byars Hank Lunn Kate Robbins

The Dish Top 50

The CP Hotlist

The power of local

Dish is a publication of the Charleston City Paper and is published quarterly by City Paper Publishing, LLC. All content is copyrighted and the property of City Paper Publishing, LLC. Charleston City Paper P.O. Box 21942 Charleston, SC 29413 (843) 577-5304 charlestoncitypaper.com

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Park & Grove chef Carmine Peluso uses strawberries in a cheeseboardinspired salad Courtesy Park & Grove

Strawberries served fresh 6 || DISH || Spring 2025

Local restaurants celebrate the arrival of this springtime fruit

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By Samantha Connors

hen you taste the sweet, slightly tart tang of a perfectly ripe Charleston strawberry, you know spring has arrived. The Lowcountry’s strawberry season runs from late March through June, and chefs across the city are serving up ruby-red berries in innovative ways — from enriching decadent desserts to sweetening savory salads. continued on page 8

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Celebrate strawberry season with these cocktails, mocktails LPC Kitchen, Summerville: Enjoy non-alcoholic sips at this cozy Italian restaurant. The Straw-ber-ita includes strawberry Monin syrup, lemon juice, simple syrup and sparkling water. Try something a bit more tart with the Jui-cy, made from blood orange juice, grapefruit juice, strawberry Monin syrup and sparkling water. Or, indulge in the Italian Cream Soda with strawberry Monin syrup, heavy cream and sparkling water. Wild Common, Charleston: This eatery offers tasty sips in cocktail and zero-proof form. The Bazooka Barbi combines Four Roses Small Batch bourbon, strawberry, See the Elephant amaro, banana, basil, lemon and egg white. For an alcohol-free option, the Fresa Colada offers a refreshing mix of strawberry, coconut, pineapple and orange bitters. Park & Grove, Charleston: If the strawberry dishes aren’t enough, sip on Park & Grove’s Strawberry Fields low ABV cocktail with strawberryinfused St. Germain, lemon, prosecco and soda water. Beverage director Amelia Ellis said a Strawberry Punch Bowl and dessert shot will also appear on the drink menu this season.

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“There isn’t a bad strawberry in Charleston,” said Michael Zentner, chef and co-owner of downtown restaurant Merci. “It’s probably the best version of something you can get in Charleston right now.” Zentner, who also co-owns The Drifter catering and culinary consulting company with his wife, Courtney, sources strawberries from local farms and farmers markets, including Ambrose Family Farms, Shuler Peach Company, Chucktown Acres and more. These farms are go-to suppliers for many chefs in Charleston in addition to GrowFood Carolina, which is Coastal Conservation League’s food and agriculture program that distributes produce from more than 85 small-scale farms across the state. “The beautiful thing is … GrowFood has an open and honest relationship with their farmers, and whatever produce is looking the best is what comes to our restaurant,” said Nick Dugan, executive chef of Sorelle. “All of the products are really special and unique. It’s quite a blessing to have them I’ve worked in a fair amount of cities and to have this resource, this hub that outreaches to all of the farms in the area is incredible.” But when the South Carolina summer heat dries up the berries, Park & Grove executive chef Carmine Peluso turns to Bradford Family Farms in Sumter, which offers access to regional produce. “Bradford Farms is really cool because [owner Nat Bradford] is expanding his network, and he helps out a lot of small

farmers all throughout the Southeast,” Peluso said. “As soon as strawberries become available in Florida, we could start getting them. Then, as we reach our peak season, we start getting local strawberries. “As our strawberries hit the peak, he starts going towards northern states that are just hitting their peak of strawberries, so we could have strawberries in Charleston for a couple of months as opposed to just a month straight from Charleston.” With expanded access to regional produce, chefs can experiment with fresh, small-farm ingredients. For many Charleston establishments, fluctuating menus with the season is a natural ebb and flow.

“It’s about seasonality,” said Daniel Heinze, chef and co-owner of Vern’s. “We try to buy everything locally, or if not directly local, as regionally local as possible. We try to stay within the Southeast United States.”

Ripe for dessert

A truly delicious, ripe strawberry requires no added sugar — it’s a dessert on its own. But the textural experience of mixing juicy berries with fluffy whipped cream or cool, sweet ice cream is unbeatable. At Vern’s, Heinze and his wife Bethany serve a specialty dessert item: the strawberry granita. “It’s never left the menu since we’ve opened,” he said. “It’s definitely a crowd favorite. It’s very simple, but there’s a lot of complexity and texture.” The granita is a layered sundae with house-made vanilla bean ice cream topped with strawberry jam, followed by creme fraiche made from whipped heavy cream and finished with the granita, shaved ice made from Ambrose Family Farm strawberries. “It’s a nice, light, textural dessert,” Heinze said. At Merci, which opened its doors on the corner of Pitt and Montagu streets in March, Zentner experimented with a version of a layered strawberry dessert — the trifle. It starts with a light cake filled with a housemade strawberry jam before it’s rolled, sliced, and placed in a dish. It’s then topped with fresh strawberries,

lemon- and basil-infused custard, a dollop of lemon gel, Chantilly cream, butter crunch, lemon, black pepper and olive oil. “I think it’s a good representation of the restaurant,” Zentner said. “The flavors go well together, but it’s also a more complex dish even though it’s really simple.” Zentner said simplicity is a theme as he tries to minimize the number of ingredients in most dishes for a simple yet delicious

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You’ll find a refreshing strawberry granita — something that’s never left the menu — at Vern’s

Strawberries from page 6

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Courtesy Sorelle

Sorelle’s cavolo riccio salad mixes pepper-y kale with sweet strawberries

Strawberries from page 8 approach to cooking. But, Zentner doesn’t shy away from mixing sweet strawberries with savory dishes. “They go great on crudo dishes,” he said. “Certain times of the year, tomatoes and strawberries go really well together. “I think they’re very versatile, and they’re easy to do things to. Some other fruits are harder to work with.”

Sweet meets savory

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Though strawberries are known as a tasty sweet treat, many chefs blend them with savory elements. “As far as strawberries go, there’s a lot of things you could do with them,” Park & Grove’s Peluso said. “They are fruit, but they are also great with a lot of savory dishes.” A favorite springtime dish for Peluso is a frisée salad he describes as “a cheese board turned into a salad” that will make an appearance on the restaurant’s spring menu. The dish incorporates frisée, a chicory green, dressed in a vinaigrette of lemon juice, olive oil, black pepper and honey tossed with strawberries and topped with a six month-aged manchego cheese and crumbled candied hazelnuts. With all the cherished elements of a cheeseboard, this salad offers a light, refreshing approach to a savory strawberry dish. But, Peluso’s strawberry experimentation doesn’t stop there. He hinted at the possibility of a strawberry gazpacho making its way to the menu later in the spring. Peluso said dishes seek to balance skill and comfort. “You can come in and get something

that’s really technical, but you could also get something that’s really rustic at the same time,” he said. “Having a French culinary school background, I pride myself in a lot of technical cooking, and my team does too, so to keep us motivated, we need to keep the art and the craft alive. … We can put out fun, approachable food that’s still extremely technical.” At Sorelle, Dugan said he seeks a similar goal — to bring familiar, comforting dishes to life in a new, elevated way. “We take the approach of coupling traditional, relatable Italian technique with really great products,” he said. “We very rarely have more than four to six components in a dish and just really focus on quality technique.” Dugan’s approach to strawberries on his spring menu echoes these elements of simplicity with an air of elegance. Sorelle’s cavolo ricco salad mixes pepper-y baby kale with the sweetness of fresh strawberries, a creamy Gorgonzola dressing and toasted, sliced Macrona almonds. “Creamy gorgonzola can be something that’s a little bit heavy, if you’re just thinking of it on its own,” Dugan said. “Introducing the acidity but sweet, crisp, juicy [strawberries] really complement and cut through the richness of that gorgonzola. … It’s one of my favorite salads we do at Sorelle.” Dugan makes use of local strawberries in the Mercato at Sorelle, too, with a strawberry cornetto, an Italian pastry filled with strawberry mousse and fresh berries. Whether you’re craving a sweet treat or a savory bite this spring, Charleston restaurants are dishing out the good stuff. The season won’t last long, so get your fix while they’re at their best.

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For the leisurely diner, dim sum is a treat. Often a Sunday custom, this Chinese dining tradition brings people together around the table to share a sprawling spread of steamy dumplings and savory bites. Plate after plate is brought to the table in a marathon-style meal accompanied by hot tea, which is a core piece of the meal. Historically, dim sum was served to Silk Road travelers who stopped at tea houses along their long journey. In Chinese, dim sum is commonly translated to “touch the heart,” an apt term considering that the convivial meal is often shared with friends and family around a large table. Until recently, the options for dim sum across the Lowcountry have been limited to the occasional pop-up or weekly event at local restaurants. But with new permanent offerings, dim sum has an eager audience in Charleston.

Dim sum offerings expand in the Lowcountry By Gabriela Capestany

Chef Loong Dim Sum

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One of Charleston’s latest restaurant additions brought authentic soup dumplings to the Holy City. Chef and owner Emely Yan moved from Philadelphia to offer dim sum in the largely untapped market. “[In Philadelphia], we would go to the dim sum place probably every two weeks for the tea and food. We are big fans of soup dumplings,” she said. Yan then spent countless hours studying the process of creating the delicate dish to master the perfect bite.

Ashley Stanol

Ashley Stanol

Chef Loong Dim Sum specializes in soup dumplings, but you can find a wide variety of tasty bites on the West Ashley restaurant’s menu

“Our soup dumplings are handmade. We went to different places [and] tried to study the soup dumpling, how to make them from different chefs. Then we came up with the current recipe we offer,” she explained. Yan offers several classic dim sum dishes on the menu which prioritizes quality and authenticity. “We learned our shumai skill from a Cantonese chef. He used to work in a huge dim sum place. We want to do it the authentic way,” she said. Loong currently has 13 different dim sum–specific offerings alongside a wide variety of dishes from across China. “We focus on the soup dumpling and some real, signature, Hong Kong-style dim sum … [but my] family owns a restaurant back in Xi’an, China. The city is really famous for making hand-pulled noodles,” said Yan. She “decided to do something our own” and combined her love of Cantonese dim sum and Xi’an noodles as the basis for Chef Loong. The communal experience of dim sum is central to Yan’s vision for the restaurant. “It’s really an experience for people who dine here. Some traditional Chinese restaurants, you just [get] take out. But we want to [challenge that] idea and create a full dining experience for the customers.”

Beautiful South

Chef David Schuttenberg’s Sunday dim sum service at Beautiful South aims to transport Charleston patrons back to the old-school dim sum parlors of New York’s Chinatown. “It’s the best way to spend your Sunday.

Beautiful South owners David Schuttenberg and Tina HeathSchuttenberg want diners to feel like they’re in the old-school dim sum parlors of New York’s Chinatown

Old Li’s Restaurant: A longtime fan favorite in Charleston, the mainstay Chinese restaurant moved from West Ashley to North Charleston in late 2024. Proudly self-advertised as “the only real Chinese food in Charleston,” Old Li’s sprawling multi-page menu features a wide variety of Chinese dishes, as well as some core dim sum offerings like panfried dumplings. Dragon Palace Chinese Bistro: Daniel Island’s Dragon Palace offers curated “family dinner” selections for multiple diners. The pre-set menus provide an easy way to try out a dim sum-style meal instead of piecing together different dishes. Each option provides multiple dishes to sample the restaurant’s traditional Chinese cuisine.

[Dim sum] is really built for checking out everything, you get a few pieces to share. Bring your friends, sit around the table, and order it all,” Schuttenberg said. After offering regular Sunday dim sum pre-pandemic at sister restaurant, Kwei Fei, Schuttenberg decided to open Beautiful South with his regular dim sum offering. “Dim sum was sorely lacking here [in Charleston] and now we’re starting to see multiple iterations of it which is great,” he said. “We try to stick with most of the Cantonese stuff since that’s the regional area that we play with. “But when we’re talking about Beautiful South featuring foods of southern China, Shanghai’s right there on the edge just below the Yangtze River and the Pearl River Delta, so I can draw from there too.” Classic dim sum options such as char siu bao, a fluffy steamed bun filled with barbecue-flavored pork can be found on the menu alongside dishes that might not have the same kind of instant recognition. “Turnip cakes are one of my favorite things,” Schuttenberg said. “I have a hard time getting people to actually order them, but once they do, that’s for life. It’s great to have people try those things and start to experience something new.” The chef advised dim sum newcomers to step out of their comfort zones. “We’re really working hard to bring a lot of different options [to the menu],” he said. “I’ve really loved being able to put [things] like lo mai fan, Cantonese sticky rice, on the menu and see people really start to adopt that.”

At Beautiful South you can nosh on dim sum dishes like scallion pancakes, beef dumplings and roasted local mushroom congee

Caroline Herring

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Rūta Smith file photo

Other popular dim sum spots in Charleston

Local wine experts recommend the perfect snack pairings for spring By Connelly Hardaway You don’t have to be tucking into a fancy dinner to enjoy a nice bottle of wine. These days, wine is of, for and by the people and can be paired with just about anything. We asked local wine experts for recommendations for pairing spring and summer wines with snacks — from bites you can find at a gas station to small plates available at local restaurants. With patio season upon us (thank God), now is the perfect time to crack open a fresh bottle of vino and pair it with something tasty.

Estadio’s Max Kuller

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Make your way to Estadio for the perfect pairing: shrimp and sherry. Chef Alex Eaton is serving head-on white shrimp marinated in salsa verde made with mint, parsley and garlic pepper. The shrimp are finished with lemon juice, olive oil and maldon. Estadio’s owner, Max Kuller, suggests pairing the shrimp with La Cigarrera Manzanilla Sherry from Sanlucar de Barrameda in Spain. “Expect sips that refresh, while heightening the subtle fruity and floral notes present in the wine and the crustacean.” he said.

way, can handle and shine with a crisp temperature that makes them great to drink year round in our hot climate.” Spring is the perfect time for a current wine trend — chilled reds. Conway said that he and his team have had to expand the chilled red section at the Coming Street restaurant, The Tippling House. “We always have classics like Gamay from Beaujolais by the bottle and glass and we’ve added Syrah and even some Italian varieties like Pelaverga,” he said. And when it comes to snacking, Conway has several recommendations. “I love crunchy, crisp, unoaked burgundy with Cheez-Its,” he said. “Grower Blanc de Blanc Champagne with buttered popcorn — the acidity with the butter is heaven. Chilled Northern Rhône Syrah with spicy beef

Tippling House’s Matthew Conway Estadio’s spring pairing keeps it fresh and simple: shrimp and sherry Courtesy Estadio

When it comes to warm-weather wines, Matthew Conway said he’s never been so excited about how many great affordable wine brands are currently available in Charleston, such as Combier, Graillot, Cecillon and Clusel-Roch. “The secret is these wines are great with a chill,” he said, adding that: “Syrah, when made the right

Mike Ledford

Sommelier Matthew Conway thinks you should be sipping chilled reds this season

jerky. Lean Provençal style rosé with pita and hummus.”

Sommelier Sarah O’Kelley

Wine & Co.’s Joshua Walker is sipping sparkling wine with his caviar this spring

Conway isn’t the only fan of pairing Cheez-Its with wine: local somm Sarah O’Kelley likes to pair the cheesy crackers with her favorite white wine, Chenin Blanc. “To me, Chenin has this cheesy quality on the nose and palate — so of course you should pair it with cheese, specifically a Cheez-It,” she said. “I do recommend a richer (rather than steely, austere) Chenin to go with the Cheez-It. I love those from Catherine and Pierre Breton, especially their La Dilettante Vouvray. Or also look for Domaine Plaisance. Her entry level Anjou Blanc is so amazing for the money!” O’Kelley admitted she doesn’t typically seek traditional, prepackaged snacks for her pairings — she thanked her “health nut” upbringing for that — but if you’re going to grab a pint of spicy pimento cheese, then she’s got just the pairing for you. “I’ve found that folks generally have skepticism around darker rosé, which is funny because folks these days love lighter reds (and these two categories are really not that different!). But I love a darker rosé, especially with anything spicy,” she said. Buy your dip from the store or check out O’Kelley’s recipe for the Lowcountry classic on her Grape to Table newsletter. Not a pimento cheese person? Snag some Cajun boiled peanuts from your local gas station for another ideal dark rosé pairing. “Even my health nut mom let me eat those,” O’Kelley joked.

Wine & Co.’s Joshua Walker

The team at Stems & Skins

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When it comes to the perfect pairing, Wine & Co. owner Joshua Walker said to look no further than caviar and bubbles. “For me, there’s no better pairing than the delicate, fresh salinity of caviar with the vibrant effervescence of sparkling wine,” he said. “Traditionally speaking, Champagne was the only right answer, but producers like Michael Cruse and Michel Salgues have changed my preference. Their U.S.-made sparkling wines have such a unique character — supple, full of verve and undeniably loud in the most delightful way. These bubbly wines create an exciting contrast to the caviar’s richness, simultaneously enhancing the flavor while cutting through its smoothness with acidity and lively texture.” You can find caviar at a much wider range of stores, bars and restaurants than in years past. The traditionally luxurious dish is

making its rounds in a variety of settings and atop quite a few dishes at local restaurants. Walker recommended Polanco Caviar. “By making caviar more accessible and available for purchase at retail, they’ve opened up a new world of possibilities,” he said. “Now anyone can enjoy this delicious pairing in the comfort of their own home — making every sip of bubbly and bite of caviar feel like a special celebration.”

Park Circle’s popular wine bar, Stems & Skins, has always embodied a snack-andwine mentality, with a menu that features perfect small plates like Marcona almonds, marinated olives and kettlecooked potato chips. continued on page 16

Photos by Ashley Stanol

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Courtesy Herd Provisions

At Herd Provisions you can snack on a meatball with green onion yogurt sauce. Somm Kellie Holmes recommends pairing it with a Sangiovese.

Pairings from page 14 This spring, head to the East Montague hotspot for octopus and olive skewers paired with a 2021 Cellar Pardas “Pur” Xarello from Penedès, Spain. The citrus, white flower and mineral elements of this wine make it an ideal pairing for octopus and briny olives.

Vern’s co-owner

sauce, of course) with a “super light chilled red.” Heinze recommended a liter bottle of Finca Parera “Fins Als Kullons,” which she described as “an electric juicy juice rosémeets-red from Penedes Spain with just the right amount of tart jazzy funkiness.” Keep things really simple, too, with cold fried chicken from Publix paired with a Chenin Blanc PetNat, which Heinze said is an easy-going alternative to Champagne. “My current favorite is the Jean-Pierre Robinot ‘Fetembulles’ from the Loire Valley in France, made by a natural wine legend,” she said. “Energy in a bottle!”

Dr. Jim eers • Crowns • Implants • Richart, Bridges DMD • Dentures Bethany Heinze Bethany Heinze, the co-owner and operaBest of Charleston Finalist 2024 director of downtown’s Veneers • Crowns • Implants •tions/beverage Bridges • Dentures Herd Provisions’ Vern’s, said she’ll be drinking white wine Northbridge Ste A Veneers • Crowns •1164 Implants • Bridges • Dr. Dentures

with oysters this spring. Specifically, she noted oysters from CudaCo, shucked outside and served with a squeeze of lime or lemon. She recommended pairing the bivalves with “a salty, hazy, thirstquenching white wine.” “My hot weather favorite is the Vin des Potes x Jason Ligas ‘Greek Connection’ distributed by Mission Grapes, coming from the tiny island of Samos in Greece. The wine acts as a little sprinkle of sunshine and brine to amp up the salty seafood,” she said. If you’re more of a landlubber, stick to Heinze’s other recommendations, which include grilled chicken wings (tossed in hot

wine director

Charleston, SC 29407 Kellie Holmes 1164 Northbridge Dr. Ste A 1164 Northbridge Dr. Ste A 843·852·3401 Sommelier Kellie Holmes is pairing Herd Charleston, SC 29407 Provisions’ meatball with green onion www.northbridgedentist.com Charleston, SC 29407 843·852·3401

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www.northbridgedentist.com

1164 Northbridge Drive, Suite A, Charleston 843-852-3401 • NorthBridgeDentist.com

yogurt sauce with a Sangiovese this spring. Sip on Italy’s Fattoria Di Sammontana Sangiovese, Trebbiano ‘Albarese,’ Rosso Toscano with chef Jeanne Oleksiak’s meatballs. Holmes described the wine as a “unique, earthy, lighter bodied chillable red that will stand up to the richness of the meatball, but has enough acidity to pair well with the bright green zesty yogurt sauce.”

843·852·3401 www.northbridgedentist.com

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SPRING FOR LOCAL ASPARAGUS By Libby Wiersema

Gabrielle’s chef Reuben Dhanawade makes asparagus chaat at home

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hen you think about Southern vegetables, asparagus probably doesn’t come to mind. Domestically speaking, cooler climate states like Washington and Michigan are far better known for their hearty yields of asparagus.

But it wasn’t always that way. If you learned South Carolina was once known as the “Asparagus Capital of the World,” would you be surprised? While that bit of agricultural trivia is fascinating, the effort that went into acquiring the title is even more so.

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Getting in the game

Once again, give credit to food historian David Shields for shedding light on this interesting chapter in S.C. farming history. In brief: South Carolina’s truck farming industry was the most robust in the nation in the 1880s. That was about the same time asparagus with hollandaise became all the rage among the millionaires in Manhattan. Recognizing an opportunity, the state’s truck farmers decided to strike while the saucepan was hot. The mission:

to be the first to ship asparagus to New York each spring, thereby positioning themselves to demand higher prices. The strategy was a success, and asparagus became a crop darling. The Palmetto, a hybrid variety first grown in Mount Pleasant, was the state’s signature asparagus from the 1890s through the 1920s. The green, chubby spears were grown across the Charleston area and considered the ultimate in asparagus eating. Farmers in Barnwell, Aiken and Bamberg counties distinguished themThe Palmetto was S.C’s selves as prolific producers. Monetta, signature in particular, was once singled out stalk from as the nation’s asparagus king. But, the 1890s like anything that reaches a pinnacle, the Palmetto was destined for a fall. to the 1920s Complex issues affecting cultivation, and

and the emergence of new disease-resistant varieties, took their toll. Now for a weird veggie tale: America’s flapper craze of the 1920s may have also contributed to the fate of the Palmetto. According to Shields, “Physical culturists began insisting that thin asparagus would contribute to a thin torso, and fat asparagus would make one chubby.” Skinny was in, chubby was out, and asparagus “fat shaming” became a real thing. The Palmetto didn’t just hide in shame. It became virtually extinct.

S.C. asparagus today

About that asparagus bundle you just lovingly slipped into a plastic bag and laid in your grocery cart: It likely came from Mexico, not a local farm. South Carolina is, effectively, out of the asparagus business. That’s according toAndrew Fallaw, a fifthgeneration farmer whose family still owns and operates Monetta Asparagus Farm. “Commercially growing asparagus in South Carolina is history,” he explained last year during a lecture at Aiken County Historical Museum. “It doesn’t exist no more.” The days of missing school to help with the labor-intensive harvest and lining crates with green moss to keep asparagus moist during shipping are gone, he said.

But Palmetto State residents aren’t necessarily consigned to eating substandard, dried-out, woody asparagus. Thanks to Fallaw and a few other state growers, you can dine on superior asparagus just like the Manhattan millionaires did. South Carolina might no longer have the Palmetto variety (though Fallaw is involved in a Lazarus-like effort to bring it back), but it still lays claim to some of the best asparagus around. “South Carolina asparagus tastes better than asparagus from other countries,” Fallaw said. “That’s because our soil is rich in iodine. That makes a big difference.”

Lucking out locally

Several restaurants across Charleston, such as Wild Olive, Herd Provisions and The Establishment, boast local brands like Monetta on their farm-to-table menus. GrowFood Carolina is the main artery through which the annual harvests arrive and are distributed. “We typically start seeing South Carolina asparagus arrive the last week of March or the first week of April, with the season running through about mid-May,” said Becca Watson, GrowFood’s farm outreach manager. “Last year, we sourced approximately 7,000 pounds, and demand was indeed strong among local restaurants.”

From a chef’s perspective, it’s a muchanticipated time of year. “Asparagus signals the start of the spring menu,” said Elliott Howells, executive chef at The Establishment. “After a long winter of root vegetables, we are always excited to see its bright green color. In early spring, we love to use the tender, bright green stalks raw, as they are super flavorful.” A simple dressing will best highlight these first arrivals, he said. But as the season progresses and the stalks become thicker, roasting, sautéing and even pickling are in order.

Get your own asparagus

Growing asparagus is an effort in patience. Anyone tempted to give it a try should understand that it takes roughly three years to see those first stalks. But according to the Clemson The Establishment’s Extension chef Elliott Howells Service, once the is always excited root crowns begin to see bright green producing, you asparagus at can expect them GrowFood to deliver for the next 10 years. That’s a pretty good return for all the time invested in fantasizing about continued on page 20

charlestoncitypaper.com || 19 Photos by Ashley Stanol



Asparagus from page 19

Asparagus Chaat Chef Reuben Dhanawade of Gabrielle shares an original recipe from his home kitchen that showcases the versatility of asparagus. Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 5-8 asparagus spears cut into 1-inch pieces, blanched and chilled • 10 cherry tomatoes, halved • ¼ cup diced English cucumber • ¼ cup canned chickpeas, drained • ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt • ¼ cup feta, crumbled • 3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro • 1 lime, juiced • 1 Tbsp. olive oil • Salt to taste • 1 Tbsp. chaat masala • Sliced almonds for garnish • Flaky sea salt (optional)

Method In a mixing bowl, whisk the yogurt until it is smooth and silky – about 1-2 minutes. In a separate bowl, toss the chilled asparagus, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, cilantro. Spread yogurt on the bottom of a plate or bowl, top with the asparagus chaat and garnish with almonds and flaky sea salt (if desired).

Photos by Ashley Stanol

home-grown asparagus. For those who thrive off instant gratification and/or lack a green thumb, opt for the next best thing. The Ambrose Family Farm on Wadmalaw Island is growing asparagus and offering a you-pick option. “Our field is now 13 years old. I guess that’s like 90 in human years,” said farmer Pete Ambrose. “The plants are a bit weak and tired but still producing — just not enough for us to afford putting our harvesting crew to pick them.” Grab a pair of clippers, show up any day during the season between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., and harvest asparagus at a cost of $5 per pound. (You can call the farm to check availability at (843) 559-0988.) It’s a good bargain that may be on course to become a great bargain. With the price of imported asparagus set to rise due to Trump-imposed tariffs, the gap in prices between foreign-grown and locally grown might see some shrinkage. What this means for the asparagus market remains to be seen. Restaurants that rely upon imported vegetables will certainly take a hit and then be forced to pass it along to the dining public. But for Charleston area chefs dedicated to a seasonal, local approach, neither they nor their patrons should feel much of a punch.

20 || DISH || Spring 2025

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Organized in alphabetical order.

82 Queen (1982) SOUTHERN

Moderate Downtown. 82 Queen St. (843) 723-7591 82queen.com Serving Dinner (daily), Lunch (Mon.-Fri.), Sunday Brunch

She-crab soup at 82 Queen

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.)

Courtesy 82 Queen

Charleston Classics 22 || DISH || Spring 2025

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 create a new 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 11 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.

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 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 struggle to pass up the Frogmore Stew, a pot full of potatoes, sausage, corn on the cob and shrimp steamed together as God intended it.

Charleston Grill (1997) MODERN AMERICAN

Very Expensive Downtown. 224 King St. (843) 577-4522 charlestongrill.com Serving Dinner (Wed.-Thurs.)

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

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

Very Expensive Downtown. 232 Meeting St. (843) 805-5900 eatatfig.com Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sat.)

In 2003, chef Mike Lata set out to prove that “food is good.” After blazing a trail for the robust local farm-to-table restaurant scene, FIG still stands out, winning awards and creating devotees year after year. Although snagging a reservation can be a challenge, the seasonally inspired cuisine and impeccable service are worth the effort.

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)

Courtesy Halls

Free range filet of bison with wild mushroom risotto and black truffle butter at Halls Chophouse 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

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

BREAKFAST SERVED ALL DAY EVERY DAY

HOMEMADE BAGELS • OMELETS • CREPES • BENEDICTS SHRIMP & GRITS • SANDWICHES • WRAPS • SALADS

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 (1993) NEW SOUTHERN

Expensive Downtown. 192 East Bay St. (843) 723-3424 snobcharleston.com Serving Lunch (Mon.-Fri.), Dinner (daily), Weekend Brunch

SNOB is the perfect place to introduce visiting friends to 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 forward-looking fare. Pristinely fresh seafood gets an elegant Southern touch on plates like New Bedford scallops with tomato ham hock broth, or seared tuna topped with crisp -fried oysters and tart yellow “mustard Q” sauce. SNOB was a local charcuterie pioneer, so a platter of hearty country pate, savory pork rillettes and lush chicken liver mousse is a can’tmiss starter.

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charlestoncitypaper.com || 23

Expensive Downtown. 434 King St. (843) 727-0090 Hallschophouse.com Serving Dinner (Mon.-Thurs.), Lunch (Sat.-Sun.)

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 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 secondstory dining room, its high windows looking out over Broad Street.

VOTED JOHNS ISLAND’S BEST BRUNCH

24 || DISH || Winter Spring 2025 2025

Ashley Stanol file photo

Xo Brasserie is serving Cantoneseand Sichuaninfluenced cuisine on Morrison Drive

The places you’ve got to taste MUSIC TRIVIA Mondays 6:30pm

Come for Happy Hour stay for Trivia + Prizes

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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.

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Organized in alphabetical order.

Basic Kitchen CAFE

Moderate Downtown. 82 Wentworth St. (843) 789-4568 basickitchen.com Serving Lunch, Dinner (Mon.-Sat.), Weekend Brunch

In a city filled with hearty Southern cuisine, sometimes it’s tricky to find a flavorful, light meal. Not the case at Basic Kitchen. According to co-owner Ben Towill, that has been exactly the goal since opening the restaurant with his wife, Kate, in 2017. “We want to provide massive flavor and a meal that’s hearty but still feels light,” he said. 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 AMERICAN

Moderate Downtown, 624½ Rutledge Ave. 9843) 501-7779 eatatberkeleys.com Serving Lunch, Dinner (Wed.-Mon)

Sunday

BRUNCH BUFFET

FAT BASTARDS BAND 1407 Shrimp Boat Lane (843) 884-4074

waters-edge-restaurant.com

SHEM CREEK! The place to be for Live Music & Great Food

Bintu Atelier AFRICAN

Moderate Downtown. 8 Line St. (347)249-6594 Serving Lunch, Dinner (Thurs.-Sun.)

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.

EVERY WEEKEND WATERFRONT DINING TWO OUTDOOR BARS A FAVORITE FOR BOTH LOCALS & VISITORS BEAUTIFUL

SUNSETS

$3 Domestic Drafts $4 House Liquor $3 Domestic Bottles $4 House Wine Tuesdays 5-10pm

Special

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Frozen COCKTAILS

$3 Deep Eddy Pineapple / $10 Tequila Trio

$8 Cheeseburgers & Half Off Select Appetizers

FRENCH

Expensive Downtown. 64 Spring St. (843) 410-6221 bistronomybynico.com Serving Dinner (daily), Weekend Brunch

continued on page 26

HAPPY HOUR

SERVICE INDUSTRY NIGHT

Bistronomy by Nico

One month after getting the keys to 64 Spring St., Bistronomy by Nico co-owners Nico Romo and Dominique Chantepie

Monday - Friday 4-7pm

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Apply at VickerysShemCreek.com click on JOBS tab.

1313 Shrimp Boat Ln.

(843) 884-4440 VickerysShemCreek.com

charlestoncitypaper.com || 25

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.”

Sat., May 31st | 5-8pm

10AM-2PM

Top 50 Top 50 from page 25 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.

Chez Nous FRENCH

Expensive Downtown. 6 Payne Court. (843) 579-3060 cheznouschs.com Serving Lunch, Dinner (Tues.-Sun.), Sunday 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’s 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

26 || DISH || Spring 2025

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’s 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.

Ashley Stanol file photo

Make a Sunday night reservation at Kultura where you and a group of pals can enjoy a Kamayan feast

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 and 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 stirfried 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.)

New to 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 oysters served with olive oil and fresh crushed tomatoes. Other recent offerings include coastal-inspired fare like Tarvin shrimp, served with sungold tomatoes, garlic and Calabrian chili, and the scallop crudo, served with passionfruit, avocado and finger lime. With a broad wine list and Italian-inspired cocktail list (hello, spritzes), you’ll also enjoy what you drink here.

Delaney Oyster House SEAFOOD

Expensive Downtown. 115 Calhoun St. (843) 594-0099. delaneyoysterhouse.com Serving Dinner (daily)

The Neighborhood Dining Group — owners of Husk — have converted an old single house on Calhoun Street into a stunner of a seafood restaurant. The raw bar offerings range from local oysters and clams to hackleback caviar, and the inventive small plates are stylish and intensely flavored. The menu has featured rich poached lobster tossed with mayo and lemon and scallops served with butternut squash farrotto, brown butter and sunflower seeds. Each dish is finished with a precise visual style

that befits the picture-perfect setting. Grab a seat out on the second floor piazza, order a glass of chilled red wine and dig in.

Edison James Island INTERNATIONAL

Moderate James Island. 1014 Fort Johnson Road (843) 872-5500 edisonjamesisland.com Serving Dinner (Wed.-Sun.)

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. continued on page 28

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charlestoncitypaper.com || 27

Voted Best Lighting Store 2023 & 2024 Best of Charleston®

Top 50 Top 50 from page 26

Estadio TAPAS

Moderate Downtown. 122 Spring St. estadio-chs.com Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sat.), 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 (daily)

If you’re looking for the perfect internationally 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, influenced 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

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 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.

28 || DISH || Spring 2025

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Our go-to restaurant list

Herd Provisions INNOVATIVE AMERICAN

Moderate to expensive Upper Charleston. 106 Grove St. (843) 637-4145 Serving Lunch (Mon.-Thurs.), Dinner (daily)

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

Expensive Downtown. 76 Queen St. (843) 577-2500 huskrestaurant.com Serving Dinner (daily), Weekend Brunch

Husk has outposts in Nashville, Greenville and Savannah, but this location — housed

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

Jack of Cups Saloon INTERNATIONAL

Inexpensive Folly Beach. 34 Center St. (843) 633-0042 jackofcupssaloon.net Serving Lunch, Dinner (Wed.-Mon.)

Jack of Cups Saloon describes its cuisine as “globally inspired comfort food made with love,” and anyone who has dined here understands why. Jack of Cups co-owner and chef Lesley Carroll puts creativity and care into every dish she develops. 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.”

Jackrabbit Filly CHINESE

Moderate North Charleston. 1083 E. Montague Ave. (843) 460-0037 jackrabbitfilly.com Serving Lunch, Dinner (Wed.-Sat.)

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

with some togarashi-induced heat, should be presented with the following disclaimer: “The karaage is a small structure made of chicken. It is delicious, and you are not ready for it.”

Kultura FILIPINO

Moderate Downtown. 73 Spring St. kulturacharleston.com Serving Dinner (Thurs.-Mon), Weekend Karaoke Brunch

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

continued on page 30

WITH A VIEW OYSTERS Serving Local Seafood Since 1946 OFOPR LEUNNCH

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Now Serving, Local Wild Harvested Oysters

Top 50 Lowland

Top 50 from page 29

NEW SOUTHERN

Kwei Fei

Expensive Charleston. 36 George St. (854) 895- 4137 Serving Dinner (daily)

CHINESE

Moderate James Island. 1977 Maybank Hwy. kweifei.com Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sat.)

Lowland’s upscale tavern menu created by a nationally award-winning chef seems pretty magical, with fresh appetizer twists on shrimp, biscuits and fritters. The dinner menu includes decadent dishes like pork schnitzel with savoy cabbage, mustard butter, caper and lemon; shells and seafood ragu with rock shrimp, lump crab and parmesan; and a popular tavern burger served with “fancy cognac” sauce. Pair your meal with one of the restaurant’s inventive cocktails like the Midnight Rider, made with bourbon, cognac, salted cane, orange and angostura bitters.

Set next door to Charleston Pour House, Kwei Fei is not subtle, from its chef to its food. Its menu offers a wild ride, offering an array of appetizers, entrees and veggiebased sides sorted into blocks labeled “Loud,” “Hot” and “Vibes.” The crescent dumplings are an outstanding way to give your tastebuds a crash course in the events to come. Made with ground pork and redolent Sichuan pepper, the five plump dumplings are served in a soybased, vinegary sauce and topped with fresh cilantro and chives. Hot, sour, salty, sweet: everyone’s here. On the “vibes” side of things, vegetarians are well-taken care of with the dry-fried green beans. Having rice makes sense and adds bulk to the dry, fried shiitakes and peppers, which are coated in Sichuan peppercorn and fermented bean paste, served with mushrooms and, of course, peppers.

La Bonne Franquette

Ma’am Saab PAKISTANI

Moderate Charleston. 251 Meeting St. (843) 259-2660 maamsaab.com Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sat.)

Courtesy Ma’am Saab

Ma’am Saab’s vibrant, flavorful dishes will brighten up any dining experience

FRENCH

Moderate West Ashley. 652 Saint Andrews Blvd. (843) 709-7962 labonnefranquettechs.com Serving Breakfast, Lunch (Tues.-Fri.), Dinner (Tues.-Sat.), Weekend Brunch

This sunny and sometimes loud bistro is a great all-day addition to West Ashley. Stop off for a quick coffee and croissant during the week. Or indulge in a bistro lunch of quiche and a dressed mixed salad or a simple-but-satisfying French sandwich on crusty bread. At dinner, enjoy outstanding charcuterie and cheese before diving into scallops with butternut squash puree, French petit pots and cranberry gastrique or the classic Steak and Frites. Not on a solid diet? Check out the bar with its tasty libations and good wine list.

Laura ITALIAN

30 || DISH || Spring 2025

Moderate Summerville. 101 N. Main St. (843) 738-6988 laurasummerville.com Serving Dinner (daily), Lunch (Fri.-Sat.), Sunday Brunch

Nico Romo’s Summerville Italian restaurant, Laura (named after his grandmother), has something for the whole family. Plus, it fills a need for more fine-dining options in the ‘burbs around Charleston. Start with appetizers for the table, like focaccia or arancini, then choose from Neapolitan pizzas such as the Blanca or the Pistachio.

There are additional entrees, too, including veal Saltimbocca and scallops with corn risotto. Bonus: The covered outdoor patio is prepared for all weather conditions with fans and heaters.

Leon’s Fine Poultry & Oysters SEAFOOD

Moderate Downtown. 698 King St. (843) 531-6500 leonsoystershop.com Serving Lunch, Dinner (daily)

The chargrilled oysters at Leon’s embody the restaurant’s approach to food: unfussy and delicious. The “Fry-Up” platter is an awesome choice of battered oysters, shrimp, catfish or clams that are delicately fried and 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’s 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’s “life changing” beef brisket is definitely the star. The infinitely tender meat has a salty, peppery crust and shines with melted fat. But there’s also juicy smoked turkey, pulled pork, pork ribs and Texas sausage called “hot guts” available and priced by the pound (or hot guts by the link). After your tray is filled with your order of meats, choose your sides from mustardy potato salad, lemon slaw, cowboy beans and rich green chile corn pudding.

Lost Isle AMERICAN

Moderate Johns Island. 3338 Maybank Hwy. lostislechs.com 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.

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

Maya del Sol Kitchen MEXICAN

Moderate North Charleston. 1813 Reynolds Ave. (843) 225-2390 raulsmayadelsol.com Serving Lunch, Dinner (Tues.-Fri.), Saturday Brunch

Maya del Sol Kitchen is a good passion project for chef and owner Raul Sanchez, and it clearly shows. When the kitchen first opened in 2021, Sanchez started by offering his five-course chef’s table. He now serves lunch, 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 rotating specials, such as beef guisado (stewed beef) or puerco asado (roasted pork). Sanchez currently has some continued on page 32

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Top 50 Top 50 from page 30 exciting changes underway for the kitchen, like offering beer and wine. Pro-tip: Check Instagram or Facebook for special chef’s table dates.

Marbled & Fin

VOTED BEST

STEAKHOUSE

KARAOKE NIGHT

Very expensive Downtown. 480 East Bay St. ((843) 278-5488 marbledandfin.com Serving Dinner (daily), Sunday Brunch

KARAOKE EVERY NIGHT 6PM-2AM 353 KING ST 2ND FLOOR

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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, firstcome, 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.

The Obstinate Daughter SEAFOOD/SOUTHERN

Moderate Sullivan’s Island. 2063 Middle St. (843) 416-5020 theobstinatedaughter.com Serving Lunch (Mon.-Fri.), Dinner (daily), Weekend Brunch

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Reid

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ing

rk Pa

32 || DISH || Spring 2025

Entrance to & from Reid St.

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.

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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 crème fraîche 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. (843) 640-3132 eatpinkbellies.com Serving Lunch, Dinner (Thurs.-Sun.)

From humble beginnings as a food truck 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 tequilabased tipple with an orange creamsicle flavor that is smoked and topped with cinnamon chips for a s’mores flavor.

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

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Top 50 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.

Top 50 from page 32

Post House Restaurant MODERN AMERICAN

Expensive Mount Pleasant. 101 Pitt St. (843) 203-7678 theposthouseinn.com Serving Dinner (daily), Weekend Brunch

Post House Restaurant opened in Mount Pleasant in August 2020 after undergoing significant renovations led by Kate and Ben Towill of design and hospitality firm Basic Projects (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.

Royal Tern SEAFOOD

Expensive Johns Island. 3005 Maybank Hwy. (843) 718-3434 theroyaltern.com Serving Dinner (Mon.-Sat.)

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

R Kitchen EXPENSIVE

Downtown, 212 Rutledge Ave. West Ashley, 1337 Ashley River Road. (843) 789-0725 rutledgekitchen.com Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sun.)

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

Rancho Lewis MODERATE

34 || DISH || Spring 2025

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

SHIKI SEAFOOD

Moderate Downtown. 334 East Bay St. (843) 720-8568 shikicharleston.com Serving Dinner (Mon.-Sat.)

Jonathan Boncek/courtesy Philosophia

Make your way to Mount Pleasant gem, Philosophia, for a delightful spread of fresh, seasonal Greek food 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.)

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 and 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

One of downtown’s longest-standing restaurants, SHIKI delivers fresh sushi rolls, nigiri and more. Opened in 2001 by New York sushi chef Gon “David” Park, and now helmed by his son, James Park, this go-to is prized for its highest-quality fish and sushi technique. Patrons who want to go big can order the chef’s choice “omakase,” which translates to “I’ll leave it up to you” in the 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 sushifocused restaurants. Next time you’re in the mood for high-quality sushi, give this family-owned and operated restaurant a try.

continued on page 36

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Top 50 Top 50 from page 34

Sorelle ITALIAN

Expensive Downtown, 88 Broad St. (843) 974-1575 sorellecharleston.com Serving Dinner (Mon.-Sun.)

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If you consider yourself a foodie, then chances are you’ve heard of Sorelle, one of the hottest and most talked about restaurants of the year so far. It’s a partnership between chefs Adam Sobel and Nick Dugan, bringing their take on classic southern Italian cuisine to the South. Everything on the menu is “a banger,” said one diner who managed to get in. A great combo, he salivated, would be to order the pane (bread) with fougasse, roasted garlic and olive oil, the cavatelli al tartufo (a mushroom pasta) with ricotta dumplings and truffle parmesan, and the pasta-baked branzino for a dinner to die for. Note: While it’s hard to get a dinner reservation here, its attached store (mercado) is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a quick bite.

Southbound LIVE-FIRE COOKING

Expensive Downtown, 72 Cannon St. (843) 823-0212 southboundchs.com Serving Dinner (Mon.-Sun)

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

Stella’s GREEK

36 || DISH || Spring 2025

Moderate Downtown. 114 St. Philip St. (843) 400-0026 stellascharleston.com Serving Dinner (Mon.-Sat.)

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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

Jesse Ryder-McCann/courtesy Southbound

Southbound on Spring Street uses a wood-fire grill to create unique dishes pig out on cheese. Stella’s own recipes — namely her calamari and braised lamb shank with No. 5 noodles and brown butter shank sauce — are at once comforting and elevated, testimony to the woman who inspired it all.

Sushi-Wa SUSHI

Expensive Downtown. 1503 King St. Extension. (843) 735-8633 sushiwacharleston.com Serving Dinner (Wed.-Sun.)

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

The James American Grill AMERICAN FARE

Moderate to expensive James Island. 1939A Maybank Hwy. (843) 278-1066 thejameschs.com Serving Lunch (Wed.-Sun.), Dinner (daily)

A relatively new location for fine dining on James Island, The James American Grill continued on page 38

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Top 50 Top 50 from page 36 blends the feel of a neighborhood joint with comfortable elegance. It offers lots of nice touches — sumptuous Parker House rolls, tasty lump crab cakes with flair and fresh fish that soothes and nourishes. If you want an extra special treat, start with the creamy, rich mushroom soup with a hint of sherry that is topped by flaky pastry. Also enjoy the cozy bar and its satisfying drinks, including a rockin’ martini.

Vern’s NEW AMERICAN

Expensive Downtown. 41 Bogard St. vernschs.com Serving dinner (Thurs.-Mon.), Weekend Brunch

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

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ITALIAN

Expensive Johns Island. 2867 Maybank Hwy. (843) 737-4177 wildoliverestaurant.com Serving Dinner (daily)

Right off Maybank Highway sits Wild Olive,

chef Jacques Larson’s haven for exquisite Italian fare. Since 2009, it has served as the go-to place for anniversary dinners and reunions with old friends. A comfortable bar greets those looking for a casual bite, but don’t let that relaxed atmosphere deceive you. Larson’s food is anything but. Incredible (and decadent) risotto fritters stuffed with sausage, spinach, Parmesan and mozzarella are a great way to start. And always ask about the specials, of which there are plenty. A past highlight was a pappardelle with prosciutto, pork and escarole. Larson is a firm believer in local and his conviction permeates everything on the plate.

Xo Brasserie CHINESE

Expensive Downtown. 1090 Morrison Drive. (843) 969-1896 xobchs.com Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sun.)

XO Brasserie serves updated Cantoneseand 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 MODERN AMERICAN

Very expensive Downtown. 0 George St. (843) 817-7900 zerogeorge.com Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sun.)

On the grounds of the elegant Zero George Street Boutique Hotel, 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 lightly grilled mackerel served with foie gras and local citrus, or venison prepared with vadouvan curry and taleggio cheese. Hit up happy hour for a craft cocktail; whether wielding a lead pipe or the candlestick, the bourbon-based Colonel Mustard is sure to pack a punch.

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CP Hotlist INTRODUCING THE

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):

40 || DISH || Spring 2025

Abbracci (2024), Mount Pleasant. Local restaurateurs Don and Joanne Migliori opened the popular North Mount Pleasant pizza joint Migliori’s Pizzeria in 2020. They are also investors in downtown Italian restaurant Legami. “We wanted to have a downtown [quality] restaurant in North Mount Pleasant,” Joanne Migliori said of their new upscale Italian restaurant, Abbracci. Abbracci Italian Cuisine & Cocktails features Executive Chef Devin Sansone’s take on Italian dishes like arancini, ricotta gnocchi, pollo al mattone and fresh, housemade pasta. At Abbracci, the Miglioris want to embrace family, friends and good food. Moderate. abbraccichs.com. Dinner (Wed.-Sun.)

Courtesy Merci

Merci’s ever-changing seasonal menu focuses on quality ingredients showcased in an understated way

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 (Wed.-Mon.) 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 chef-owner Félix 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 (Tues.-Sat.) Chef Loong Dim Sum (2024). West Ashley. 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

Ashley Stanol file photo

Get a taste of the Lowcountry — like the Carolina Rice Bowl served with shrimp, field peas, Charleston Gold grits, saffron broth and chow chow — at Lillian’s 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. Moderate. chefloongdimsum.com. Dinner (Wed.-Mon.), Lunch (Thurs.-Sun.) Joyland (2025). Downtown. James Beard Award–winning chef Sean Brock, who made his name at Husk before departing for the climes of Nashville, returns with an ode to fast food at Joyland, which also has locations in Birmingham and the Music City. If you’re looking for one of the tastiest smashburgers you’ve ever had, this is the place. And if you top it off with a chocolate malt shake, you’ll be living in dreamland as well as joyland. The joint across from Marion Square also has biscuits and burritos at breakfast. And later, if you’re in the mood, you can get a boozy shake, too. Moderate. eatjoyland.com. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (daily) Lillian’s Petite Market & Eatery (2024). Downtown. 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 muchloved Harold’s Cabin. The restaurant, which is open daily from 7:15 a.m. 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. Moderate. lillianschs.com. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (daily) Merci (2025) Downtown. Neighborhood bistro Merci, from chef Michael Zentner and his wife, Courtney, opened at 28 Pitt St. in March. The European-inspired restaurant features a small but mighty menu in a cozy 1820’s Federal-style building, with a dining room that seats just under 30 diners. Merci’s carefully honed list of offerings includes 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 (Wed.-Sat.)

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ESSAY

THE POWER OF LOCAL How every bite of local produce counts By Maria Kelly For as long as I can remember, there’s been an undeniable sense of awe in the simplicity of fresh vegetables. The act of cutting open a beet and getting lost in the intricate, almost mesmerizing design within that blood-red sphere has always been a moment of connection to something greater — a reminder of nature’s beauty and bounty. Whether it’s slicing through the crisp, vibrant layers of a Brussels sprout, peeling back the leaves of red cabbage or snapping a celery stalk, the experience of fresh, locally grown produce offers a kind of magic that cannot be replicated by anything mass-produced. While living in Charleston in the early 2000s, I discovered Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). At the time, I taught high school and I quickly recognized the potential of integrating local food into our daily lives. I worked hard to turn our school into a drop-off point for a local CSA farm, and that was just the beginning of my journey. Since then, I’ve been part of four different CSAs, including Rosebank Farms, Compost in My Shoe, Spade & Clover (shout out to grower John Warren — the turmeric and ginger guru of our region), Community Supported Grocery (CSG). For the past three years, I’ve been a devoted customer of Harleston Towles and The Twenty Bag. Each of these farmers has dedicated their lives to cultivating the land and growing food that nourishes our community. One of my favorite things to do is visit these farms. It’s a powerful experience to walk the land, meet the farmers and truly appreciate the blood, sweat and tears they invest in making a living off the land. The stories of struggle and triumph that they share make the food they produce all the more meaningful. It becomes clear that these farmers are not just growing food — they are growing the health and vitality of our community. So, when I left my teaching career seven years ago to start a nonprofit aimed at feeding people in the community facing serious health challenges, it became clear that there was only one way forward: by incorporating our local food system into our efforts to help others. I knew nutrient-dense, organic, locally grown vegetables could — and should — be accessible to all in our community, especially to those needing them most in their healing and recovery processes.

42 || DISH || Spring 2025

Why local food matters more than ever

The truth is, the food we eat can be a catalyst for health, recovery and overall well-being. For those facing serious health challenges, every bite counts. Local produce is full of life, packed with nutrients that can help nourish the body and support healing. By working directly with local farmers and our community partners like Charleston Parks Conservancy, Fields to Families and Lowcountry Street Grocery, we’re able to provide fresh, high-quality produce that can make a real difference for people in need. But it’s about more than just food — it’s about connection, sustainability and community.

Ashley Stanol

If our local farmers were to suddenly disappear, the ripple effect would be catastrophic. Not only would it sever the vital link between our community and the food that nourishes us, but it would also leave a deep void in our local economy and food security. Local farmers are the backbone of our food system, and without them, we’d lose more than just a source of food — we’d lose the health, resilience and richness of our community. As our nonprofit, Amor Healing Kitchen, continues to grow, we are committed to working hand-in-hand with local farmers and partners to ensure that individuals facing health challenges receive the highest quality food that’s grown right here in our community. This isn’t just about

feeding people — it’s about feeding them in a way that supports their healing journey and uplifts the entire community. I encourage everyone to explore our local CSA options and get out to the markets that are sprinkled all over the Lowcountry at various times of the week. Try a new vegetable, get lost in the beauty of the sunshine, rain and love from your grower that went into growing that vegetable and make you and your family a meal that not only brings nourishment and health, but also vibrancy to our community. Amor Healing Kitchen, founded in 2018, prepares and delivers plant-based meals to patients facing serious health challenges. Online at amorhealingkitchen.org.

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