Charleston is having a culinary moment, and listeners hungry for adventure will find this city’s dining scene more thrilling than ever. Recent months have ushered in a rush of restaurant openings, each adding new flavors to the Lowcountry’s diverse palate. Babylon on Calhoun Street is a nightlife newcomer that channels ancient opulence with a cocktail menu as creative as its decor, perfect for those craving a stylish escape. Meanwhile, chef Brittney Simmons is shaking up tradition at Britt Bratt Garlic Crabs in Moncks Corner, where the Black Box Special overflows with crab legs, shrimp, lobster tail, sausage, and more—a seafood lover’s dream and a nod to Charleston’s crustacean obsession. Theme nights like Soul Seafood Wednesdays and Fry Crab Fridays keep regulars coming back for more.
If a European start to your morning sounds tempting, Café Charlotte in West Ashley brings Berlin-inspired pastries and all-day breakfast to the table, their Italian espresso machine working overtime to entice coffee aficionados. For craft beer, Crafthouse North in Mount Pleasant offers a breezy outdoor patio and a rotating lineup of local brews, paired with Max Sushi’s signature rolls and poke—an unexpected fusion that’s winning fans. The ever-popular Groucho’s Deli, now open in downtown Charleston, sees fourth-generation restaurateur Max Miller dishing up legendary “dipper” subs and salads with their house-made Formula 45 Sauce. Bagel enthusiasts aren’t left out, thanks to Jeff’s Bagel Run on Isle of Palms, where New York-style bagels are rolled, boiled, and baked with loving precision.
Charleston chefs continue to impress with both innovation and reverence for tradition. Vinson Petrillo’s Costa in Harleston Village electrifies the seafood scene by fusing coastal Italian influences—imagine scallop crudo with passionfruit and fresh swordfish caught daily. On the other side of the world’s flavor spectrum, Nikko Cagalanan’s Kultura serves up Filipino classics like pancit and sisig, alongside bold cocktails laced with pandan and lime.
Still, some dishes are eternally Charleston: shrimp and grits, she-crab soup, okra stew, and crispy hush puppies anchor menus across town. These icons, rooted in Native American, African, and European technique, are crafted with local rice, shrimp hauled fresh from nearby waters, and grits ground at historic mills. The annual Lowcountry Oyster Festival and Charleston Wine + Food Festival draw crowds to celebrate this bounty, where homegrown ingredients meet global talent in a true culinary crossroads.
The city’s gastronomy stands apart for its marriage of history and high energy. Here, listeners will taste the soul of Charleston in every bite—where bold chefs, inventive new spaces, and centuries-old recipes combine for a scene that is always delicious, occasionally decadent, and unmistakably Lowcountry. Food lovers beware: once you sample Charleston’s flavors, you’ll never want to leave..
Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
Episode Transcript
Charleston is having a culinary moment, and listeners hungry for
adventure will find this city's dining scene more thrilling than ever.
Recent months have ushered in a rush of restaurant openings,
each adding new flavors to the Low Country's diverse palate.
Babylon on Calhoun Street is a nightlife newcomer that channels
ancient opulence with a cocktail menu as creative as its decore,
(00:24):
perfect for those craving a stylus escape. Meanwhile, Chef Britney
Simmons is shaking up tradition at brit Brat Garlic Crabs
in Monk's Corner, where the black Box special overflows with
crab legs, shrimp, lobster, tail, sausage and more. A seafood
lover's dream and a nod to Charleston's crustacean obsession theme.
(00:45):
Nights like Soul Seafood Wednesdays and Fry Crab Fridays keep
regulars coming back from more. If a Europeans start to
your morning sounds tempting, Cafe Charlotte in West Ashley brings
Berlin inspired pastries and all day break to the table.
Their Italian espresso machine working overtime to entice coffee aficionados
(01:06):
for Kraft Beer craft House North in Mount Pleasant offers
a breezy outdoor patio and a rotating lineup of local
brus paired with Max Sushi's signature rules in Pouquet, an
unexpected fusion that's winning fans. The ever popular Groucho's Deli,
now open in downtown Charleston, sees fourth generation restauranteur Max
(01:26):
Miller dishing up legendary dipper subs and salads with their
housemade Formula forty five sauce. Bagel enthusiasts aren't left out
thanks to Just Bagel run on Isle of Palms, where
New York style bagels are rolled, boiled, and baked with
loving precision. Charleston chefs continued to impress with both innovation
(01:47):
and reverence for tradition. Vincent Petrillo's Costa in Harleston Village
electrifies the seafood scene by fusing coastal Italian influences. Imagine
scallop crudo with passion fruit and fresh swordfish caught on
the other side of the world's flavor spectrum. Miko Kagalanin's
(02:08):
Cultura serves up Filipino classics like pansit and sissing, alongside
bold cocktails laced with panden and lime. Still, some dishes
are eternally Charleston. Shrimp and grits, she crab soup, Okra stew,
and crispy hushpuppies anchor menus across town. These icons, rooted
in Native American, African, and European technique, are crafted with
(02:32):
local rice, shrimp pulled fresh from nearby waters, and grits
ground at historic mills. The annual Low Country Oyster Festival
and Charleston Wine and Food Festival draw crowds to celebrate
this bounty where homegrown ingredients need global talent in a
true culinary crossroads. The city's gastronomy stands apart for its
(02:53):
marriage of history and high energy. Here, listeners will taste
the soul of Charleston in every bite, where bold chefs,
inventive new spaces, and centuries old recipes combine for a
scene that is always delicious, occasionally decadent, and unmistakably Low
Country food lovers beware, once you sample Charleston's flavors, you'll
(03:14):
never want to leave
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.