Charleston's Sizzling Food Scene: Hottest New Restaurants, Classic Favorites, and Culinary Festivals That'll Make Your Mouth Water!

Food Scene Charleston

Charleston is sizzling with excitement, its culinary scene a perpetual motion machine of innovation and tradition that leaves food lovers positively starry-eyed. Lately, the city’s reputation as a Southern food mecca has been burnished even brighter, thanks to a clutch of new dining rooms, boundary-pushing chefs, and menus that celebrate both local bounty and global inspiration.

The big buzz is all about Costa. Opened by Vinson Petrillo in late 2023, this coastal Italian beauty at the Jasper building flirts with the flavors of Tuscany and the Lowcountry. Petrillo plates up scallop crudo with passionfruit and citrus, candele pasta punched up with anchovy, and the sort of eggplant Parm that silences conversation in pure joy. For seafood fanatics, daily catches like swordfish and grouper are kissed by Charleston’s ocean air and local herbs. The house focaccia practically begs to be dragged through pools of golden olive oil or tomatoes crushed just hours earlier.

In Cannonborough Elliotborough, Kultura is where chef Nikko Cagalanan reimagines Filipino classics with Charleston flair. His pancit and sisig—savory, smoky, and unforgettable—are joined by inventive cocktails (think pandan-syrup daiquiris) and the distinctly Southern liberties he takes with paella Valenciana, packed with local pork, shrimp, and bell peppers. Cagalanan’s next venture, Bareo, promises to push Charleston’s dining envelope even further.

The French accent at Merci is unmistakable. Picture candlelit dinners, flickering gas lanterns, and Chef Michael Zentner's stracciatella-stuffed focaccia with Benton’s ham and hot honey, followed by a majestic beef Wellington crowned in buttery pastry. The ambience alone has listeners swooning—it's Paris-meets-Charleston in a 1820s jewel box on Pitt Street. And just when you think the city couldn't get hotter, Daniel Humm—of New York’s Eleven Madison Park fame—brings a plant-forward, climate-conscious pop-up to Charleston Place with dazzling seafood towers and the rare tautog fish turned into a zesty crudo, all with an unmistakable Lowcountry accent.

Charleston’s food scene draws deep from the local well. Shrimp and grits—made with stone-ground hominy and sweet wild-caught shrimp—is a classic breakfast that has morphed into an all-day comfort staple. She-crab soup, deeply creamy and flecked with briny, orange roe, remains the city’s quintessential spoonful at spots like The Palmetto Cafe. Don’t overlook okra soup, shrimp paste, and Frogmore stew—each telling the story of Gullah heritage, generations of European, African, and Native American influences, and a reverence for the region’s rivers, fields, and coastline.

Uniquely, Charleston doesn’t just serve food—it stages festivals and culinary tours as living exhibits of its edible art history. Listen closely: This is a city where chefs balance daring and nostalgia, where every bite is a conversation between past and future. From inventive newcomers to cherished classics, the Holy City’s restaurant scene proves that tradition and innovation can share the table—and food lovers everywhere should pull up a chair..


Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Charleston is sizzling with excitement. Its culinary scene a perpetual
motion machine of innovation and tradition that leaves food lovers
positively story eyed. Lately, the city's reputation as a Southern
food mecca has been burnished even brighter thanks to a
clutch of new dining rooms, boundary pushing chefs, and menus
that celebrate both local bounty and global inspiration. The big

(00:23):
buzz is all about Costa, opened by Vincent Petrillo in
late twenty twenty three. This coastal Italian beauty at the
Jasper Building flirts with the flavors of Tuscany and the
low Country. Petrillo plates up scallop crudo with passion fruit
and citrus candlelate pasta punched up with anchovy and a
sort of eggplant palm that silences conversation in pure joy.

(00:46):
For seafood fanatics, daily catches like swordfish and gruper are
kissed by Charleston's ocean air and local herbs. The house
fakasha practically begs to be dragged through pools of golden
olive oil or tomatoes crush. Just hours earlier, in Cannon
Brother Elliot Brother Cultura is where shuff Nico Kagalanin reimagines

(01:07):
Filipino classics with Charleston flair. His Pansit and Sissig Savory,
smoky and unforgettable are joined by inventive cocktails think Pandan syrup, Dikeries,
and the distinctly Southern liberties he takes with Paella Valenciana
packed with local pork, shrimp and bell peppers. Kagalanin's next venture, Burrio,

(01:30):
promises to push Charleston's dining envelope even further. The French
accent at mercies, unmistakable picture candle at dinners, flickering picture
gas lanterns, and chef Michael Zentner Stratchiotella stuffed Facacia with
Benton's ham and hot honey, followed by a majestic beef
Wellington crowned in buttery pastry. The ambience alone has listeners

(01:52):
swooning its Paris meets Charleston in a one eight two
zero's jewel Box on Pitt Street, And just when you
think the city couldn't get hotter, Daniel hum of New
York's eleven Madison Park Fame brings a plant forward, climate
conscious pop up to Charleston, place with dazzling seafood towers
and a ware tatou fish turned into a zesti crudo,

(02:14):
all with an unmistakable low country accent. Charleston's food scene
draws deep from the local well. Trimp and grits made
with stone ground homine and sweet wild caught shrimp is
a classic breakfast that is morphed into an all day
comfort staple. She Crab soup, deeply creamy and flecked with
briny orange row, remains the city's quintessential spoonful At spots

(02:39):
like the Palmetto Cafe, don't overlook Okra soup, shrimp paste,
and frogmore stew, each telling the story of Gulla heritage,
generations of European, African, and Native American influences, and a
reverence for the Regent's rivers, fields and coastline. Uniquely, Charleston
doesn't just serve food. It stages festivals and culinary tours

(03:04):
as living exhibits of its edible art history. Listen closely.
This is a city where chefs balance daring and nostalgia,
where every bite is a conversation between past and future,
from inventive newcomers to cherished classics. The Holy City's restaurant
scene proves that tradition and innovation can share the table,

(03:26):
and food lovers everywhere should pull up a chair.