Charlestons Sizzling Culinary Scene: From Shrimp n Grits to Spicy Remixes

Food Scene Charleston

Charleston is having a culinary glow-up that smells like wood smoke, sea breeze, and just a hint of hot honey. Listeners who still picture nothing but shrimp and grits are in for a delicious correction.

According to Afar, one of the buzziest new arrivals is Merci on King Street, a 26-seat gem from chef Michael Zentner that feels like slipping into a Parisian hideaway tucked inside a historic Charleston home. The kitchen sends out stracciatella-stuffed focaccia with Benton’s ham and hot honey, followed by beef Wellington in shattering puff pastry – classic French with a Southern wink.

At Charleston Place, Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park has dropped anchor with a yearlong pop-up that filters his plant-forward, climate-conscious style through Lowcountry abundance. Menus might feature tautog crudo brightened with finger limes or celery root schnitzel, all built on the city’s deep connection to its marshes, waterways, and nearby farms.

Global flavors are surging. Afar highlights Rivayat Creative Indian on Rutledge Avenue, where Sujith Varghese and a team from Kerala channel their coastal roots into seafood-forward dishes, showing how Charleston’s own maritime identity makes an ideal canvas for South Indian spice and coconut. The Indigo Road Hospitality Group leans into Vietnamese cooking at Hotel Richemont’s Two Bits, serving clay pot chicken with caramel fish sauce and yellowtail crudo in coconut–cilantro vinaigrette, proof that fish from local waters plays well with Southeast Asian aromatics.

Charleston City Paper’s Top 50 list points to XO Brasserie on Morrison Drive, where updated Cantonese and Sichuan dishes like vegetarian mapo tofu and salt-and-pepper shrimp land in a buzzy, modern space, and to live-fire spots on Cannon Street turning local seafood and dry-aged beef into smoke-kissed theater.

Yet the city’s soul still lives in its Lowcountry staples. Charleston Culinary Tours notes that shrimp and grits rooted in Gullah Geechee tradition, she-crab soup rich with roe and sherry, and Frogmore stew piled with shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes remain must-taste experiences, whether at institutions like 82 Queen, Bowens Island, or Husk.

What makes Charleston singular is the way benne wafers, okra stew, and Planters Punch share the stage with tautog crudo, Kerala-style seafood, and clay pot chicken. History isn’t being replaced; it is being remixed. Listeners should pay attention because few American cities right now marry place, product, and ambition quite as gracefully—or as deliciously—as Charleston..


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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Charleston is having a culinary glow up that smells like woodsmoke,
sea breeze, and just a hint of hot honey. Listeners
who still picture nothing but shrimp and grits are in
for a delicious correction. According to AFAR, one of the
buzziest new arrivals is Mercy on King Street, a twenty
six seat gem from chef Michael Zenner that feels like

(00:20):
slipping into a Parisian hideaway. Tucked inside a historic Charleston home,
the kitchen sends out Strashia Tella stuffed fokacha with Benton's
ham and hot honey, followed by Beef Wellington in Shattering
Puff Pastry, classic French with a Southern link at Charleston Place.
Daniel Hum of eleven Madison Park has dropped Anchor with

(00:41):
a year long pop up that filters his plant forward
climate conscious style through low country abundance. Menus might feature
tadakrudo brightened with finger lines, or celery root schnitzel, all
built on the city's deep connection to its marshes, laterways
and nearby farms. Global flavors are surging. AFAR highlights rive

(01:04):
at Creative Indian on Rutledgs Avenue, where Sujith Vargays and
a team from Kerala channel their coastal roots into seafood
forward dishes, showing how Charleston's own maritime identity makes an
ideal canvas for South Indian spice and coconut. The Indigo
Road Hospitality Group leans into Vietnamese cooking at Hotel Richmont's

(01:24):
Two Bits, serving clay pot chicken with caramel fish sauce
and yellowtail crudo in coconut cilantro vinagrette, proof that fish
from local waters plays well with Southeast Asian aromatics. Charleston
City Paper's Top fifty list points to x O Brasserie
on Morrison Drive, where updated Cantonese and Sichuan dishes like

(01:46):
vegetarian Mapo Tufu and salt and pepper shrimp land in
a buzzy modern space, and to live fire Spots on
Cannon Street, turning local seafood and dry aged beef into
smoke kissed theater. Yet the cities soul still lives in
its low country staples. Charleston Culinary Tours notes that shrimp
and grits rooted in Goulageechi tradition. She crab soup rich

(02:09):
with roe and sherry, and frogmore stew piled with shrimp, sausage, corn,
and potatoes remain must taste experiences, whether at institutions like
eighty two, Queen Bowen's Island, or Husk. What makes Charleston
singular is the way ben wafers, ochra stew, and Planter's
punch share the stage with tatag crudo Kerala style seafood

(02:32):
and play pot chicken. History isn't being replaced, it is
being remixed. Listeners should pay attention because few American cities
right now marry place, product and ambition quite as gracefully
or as deliciously as Charleston