Charleston's Sizzling Culinary Scene: From Butter-Drenched Charm to Michelin-Star Magic

Food Scene Charleston

Charleston is having a moment, and it smells like butter, benne seeds, and wood smoke. The Holy City’s culinary scene is sprinting into the future without letting go of its cast-iron past, and the latest restaurant openings prove it.

According to AFAR, one of the buzziest newcomers is Merci, a 26-seat jewel box from chef Michael Zentner and designer Courtney Zentner, where Charleston charm slips into something Parisian. Gas lanterns flicker outside, candlelight glows inside, and plates like stracciatella-stuffed focaccia with Benton’s ham and hot honey or a golden-crusted beef Wellington make the room feel like a very well-fed fantasy of a French salon in downtown Charleston.

At Charleston Place, the Daniel Humm pop-up has brought the three-Michelin-star aura of Eleven Madison Park to King Street, but firmly grounded it in Lowcountry terroir. Humm’s plant-forward, climate-conscious tasting menu leans into local seafood and vegetables: think rare local tautog sliced into bracing crudo or a celery root “schnitzel” that treats a humble root like it’s royalty, all filtered through Charleston’s relationship with its marshes, fields, and waterways.

Global flavors are threading themselves through the city’s historic fabric. AFAR highlights The Two-Bit Society at Hotel Richemont, a Vietnamese restaurant from The Indigo Road Hospitality Group, where fragrant pho, clay pot chicken with caramel fish sauce, and yellowtail crudo in coconut–cilantro vinaigrette are served in a moody, wood-and-brass room that nods to vintage train travel. Charleston City Paper points to XO Brasserie on Morrison Drive, where owner Herman Ng and chef Michael Chanthavong are serving modern Chinese American dishes like Ma Po tofu and salt-and-pepper shrimp in a buzzy, contemporary space.

Yet under all this innovation, Charleston’s culinary soul still tastes like she-crab soup, shrimp and grits, Frogmore stew, and benne wafers. Lowcountry Walking Tours notes how shrimp and grits, once humble fisherman’s breakfast, now appear on menus across the city, often built on heirloom Anson Mills or Geechie Boy grits. Charleston Magazine celebrates she-crab soup as a blue-crab bisque perfumed with sherry and roe, a dish that tells a story of tides, seasonality, and quiet luxury in a single silky spoonful.

What makes Charleston unique right now is this tension—heritage dishes rooted in Gullah Geechee and Lowcountry traditions sharing the spotlight with creative Indian at Rivayat, Vietnamese comfort at The Two-Bit Society, and refined European technique at Merci. For listeners who care about where ingredients come from and where food culture is headed, Charleston is no longer just a charming Southern stop; it is one of the most exciting, flavor-forward cities in America, and it is only getting hotter..


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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Charleston is having a moment, and it smells like butter
bend seeds and wood smoke. The Holy City's culinary scene
is sprinting into the future without letting go of its
cast ire past, and the latest restaurant openings prove it.
According to Aphar, one of the buzziest newcomers is Mercy,
a twenty six seat jewel box from chef Michael Zenner
and designer Courtney Zenner, where Charleston charm slips into something Parisian.

(00:25):
Gas lanterns flicker outside, candle light glows inside, and plates
like Strachietta stuff for Katcha with Benton's ham and hot
honey or a golden crusted beef Wellington make the room
feel like a very well fed fantasy of a French
salon in downtown Charleston. At Charleston Place, the Daniel hum
pop up has brought the three Michelin star aura of

(00:46):
eleven Madison Park to King Street, but firmly grounded it
in low country. Terrowir Come's plant forward, climate conscious tasting
menu leans into local seafood and vegetables. Think rare local
tadawug sliced into bracing crudeo or a celery root schnitzel
that treats a humble root like its royalty. All filtered

(01:07):
through Charleston's relationship with its marshes, fields and waterways, global
flavors are threading themselves through the city's historic fabric. Afhar
highlights the two bit society at Hotel Richmont, a Vietnamese
restaurant from the Indigo Road Hospitality Group, where fragrant foe
plate pot chicken with caramel fish sauce and yellowtail crudo

(01:29):
in coconut cilantro Vinagrete are served in a moody wood
and brass room that nods to vintage train travel. Charleston
City Paper points to Exo Brasserie on Morrison Drive, where
owner Herman N and chef Michael Chantavon are serving modern
Chinese American dishes like Mapo tofu and salt and pepper

(01:51):
shrimp in a buzzy, contemporary space. Yet under all this innovation,
Charleston's culinary soul still tastes like she crab soup, shrimp
and grits, frogmore stew and Benny wafers. Low Country Walking
Tours notes how shrimp and grits once humble Fishermen's breakfast
now appear on menus across the city, often built on

(02:14):
heirloom as mills or Geechee boy grits. Charleston Magazine celebrates
she crab soup as a blue crab bisk perfumed with
sherry and row, a dish that tells a store double
watch food. What makes Charleston unique right now is this
tension heritage dishes rooted in Gulagichi and Low Country traditions

(02:36):
sharing the spotlight with creative Indian riviat, Vietnam comfort at
the two bit society, and refined European technique at Mercy.
For listeners who care about where ingredients come from and
where food culture is headed. Charleston is no longer just
a charming Southern stop. It is one of the most exciting,

(02:57):
flavor forward cities in America, and it is only getting hotter.