2005 Restaurant of the Year Guide
With so many savory options for dining out in the Lowcountry, picking
just
one "Restaurant of the Year" is like choosing between shrimp, crab and lobster: They're all delicious?what you want just depends on what you're in
the mood for at the time.
This guide features not only an overall Restaurant of the Year, but also the best bets in a smorgasbord of more than 50 categories.
one "Restaurant of the Year" is like choosing between shrimp, crab and lobster: They're all delicious?what you want just depends on what you're in
the mood for at the time.
This guide features not only an overall Restaurant of the Year, but also the best bets in a smorgasbord of more than 50 categories.
Slightly North of Broad
Picking a "best restaurant" is difficult. We set out to nominate those that immediately come to mind when we crave a no-holds-barred, dependably spectacular experience...... [more]
Restaurant of the Year: Runners-up
Peninsula Grill112 N. Market St...... [more]
About Molly and Scott Goodwin
Molly Baldwin Goodwin Molly is a serious, intermittently professional cook with a Charleston addiction and a writing habit. She attended culinary school at Johnson & Wales University then went west to the Birmingham, Ala...... [more]
Best of the Best
Choosing "the best" in anything can be difficult. Nowhere is this more true than in the restaurant business...... [more]
Lunch Counters of the Year
Sesame Burgers & Beer4726 Spruill Ave., North Charleston 554- 4903Casey Glowacki has done it again...... [more]
Personal Best
We've been restaurant critics in Charleston for some six years now, and its hard to remember how long it's been since we went out to a restaurant meal when it wasn't related to work. While it might seem a treat to "get to dine out" two or three times a week or more, a lot of the time we eat in places we would never choose if left to our own devices...... [more]
Best Actor
Basil's Red Curry DuckThis is a dish that's got it all - exotic, Asian curry flavors; crispy, crunchy, boneless meaty goodness; the smoothness of red curry sauce with a moderate kick of heat; and an eye-popping presentation on the plate. It's big enough to share, but tasty enough to test the generosity of even the closest of dining companions...... [more]
Best of Italy
Fulton Five5 Fulton St.853-5555This tiny space on Fulton Street has been producing sublime Northern Italian cuisine for years and is famous for being a perfect spot to have a most romantic meal in downtown...... [more]
Best Chef
Frank LeeScott had a revealing conversation with Frank Lee of Slightly North of Broad earlier in the year in which he discovered the depth of Lee's passion for food and the business of cooking it. Here is a chef who spends at least four nights a week on the line, in touch with his staff and also in touch with the seasonally revolving palette of ingredients available to him...... [more]
Best Steak
Oak Steakhouse17 Broad St. 722 4220The steak lovers in us are drawn immediately to one menu item at Oak: the bonein 36ounce ribeye...... [more]
Fabulous French
La Fourchette432 King St. 722- 6261Late last year, La Fourchette quietly slipped into the old King Fish location and began turning out plate after delicious plate of classic French comfort food...... [more]
Best of the Mex
La Playita1228 Yeaman's Hall Rd., Hanahan 529- 0080The scene at La Playita on a Friday night bears no evidence whatsoever that one is still in the United States...... [more]
Best Supporting Actor (side dish)
Cypress' Caesar SaladThere are a number of dishes presented in a classic, tableside preparation at Cypress, including Steak Diane and the like, but a real standout on our last visit was the Caesar salad. Your server will whisk (no pun intended) to your table with a cart laden with ingredients and a huge wooden bowl, and proceed to crack, mash and blend his or her way to salad perfection...... [more]
Best Deli
Johnny's Grill and Spirits1042 E Montague Ave., N Charleston 747-1841Johnny's Grill and Spirits is a subdued little spot in Park Circle neighborhood that serves up basic good eats hot off the grill...... [more]
Best Newcomer
La Fourchette432 King St., downtown 722- 6261We find that the best newcomer opened late last fall with almost no fanfare at all...... [more]
Best Small Plates
Amuse1720 Sam Rittenberg Blvd., West Ashley 573- 8778We?ve loved Amuse since our very first visit...... [more]
Best by Water
It just wouldn't be dining in Charleston if there weren't places to dine on the water.The sight of a dolphin sufacing while we tuck into a plate is one of the great joys of living here, and it sometimes covers a multitude of restaurant sins...... [more]
Best Bang for the Buck
La Fourchette432 King St. 722- 6261We like to play 'guess the total' when get our check at review dinners...... [more]
Best Burger
To many people, declaring a 'best hamburger' is akin to declaring one form of barbecue ' best.' Fierce loyalties exist to one establishment or another, or to a particular cooking method (grill or flat-top)...... [more]
Best Breakfast
Marina Variety Store & Seafood Restaurant17 Lockwood Drive, City Marina 723-6325The Marina Variety Store & Seafood Restaurant has been serving up classic Lowcountry and American food to locals and tourists, landlubbers and old salts alike for more than 34 years. Originally an Edisto eatery, it made the move to Charleston and the City Marina location above Salty Mike's Deck Bar more than 20 years ago...... [more]
Best Dives
AC's467 King St., downtown 577-6742AC's is a neighborhood bar and grill that is a Charleston institution...... [more]
Outstanding Asians
Red Orchids China Bistro1401 Sam Rittenberg Blvd., West Ashley 573-8787Red Orchids is a restaurant that produces familiar Chinese dishes with every component seemingly raised a notch...... [more]
New in 2006
This year, like any other, saw restaurants close and restaurants open.Triangle Char and Bar is picking up where Avondale Station left off in West Ashley, just across the street from new favorite breakfast and lunch hot spot Marie Laveau's...... [more]
Restaurant of the Year: Runners-up
Peninsula Grill112 N. Market St...... [more]
Big Changes
J. Bistro soldWe're sure many Charleston residents were surprised to hear that James Burns sold his lauded Mount Pleasant restaurant...... [more]
Best of the Med
Lana210 Rutledge Ave. 720-8899Lana Restaurant and Bar opened last year on Rutledge Avenue to critical acclaim, and it?s easy to see why...... [more]
Best-kept Secrets
La Nortena1861 Remount Road, North Charleston 225-7055We guess La Nortena can't be too much of a secret anymore - they've got two stores now, although maybe word hasn't spread a great deal in the non-Hispanic populace yet. Both are in North Charleston, in areas where one might think English is everyone's second language, so success here seems awarded by those who know authentic Mexican when they taste it...... [more]
Gone in 2006
The year has seen a few surprising closures in the Charleston restaurant scene (and a few not-so-surprising ones). Perhaps none surprised us more than the Anchor Line - we drove out to Folly, pulled up in the (empty) parking lot and read the 'closed' sign on the door, shocked...... [more]
Best Producer
The Elliott GroupThe Elliott Group owns and operates three restaurants in the Lowcountry - High Cotton, Slightly North of Broad and Old Village Post House, all three of which enjoy excellent reputations and all of which do a bustling business. A second outpost of High Cotton will debut next month in Greenville, bringing upscale Lowcountry cuisine to the Upstate, and the company's Charleston Cooks!..... [more]
Best Set Design
Cypress167 East Bay St. 727 0111The bar alone at Cypress deserves a mention as one of the most interesting eating or drinking spaces in Charleston...... [more]
Best New Restaurant Spot
AvondaleTrying to determine which event started it all is a challenge - was it the renaissance of Gene's Haufbrau, or perhaps the quiet opening of Al Di La?No matter - what is clear is that the Avondale area of West Ashley, where Magnolia Road intersects U...... [more]
Top Wine Programs
Charleston Grill224 King St., downtown 577 4522By the glass or by the bottle, both methods prove most satisfying at Charleston Grill...... [more]
Best Mobile Meals
EVO Pizza4945 Durant Ave., North Charleston 568- 8338The trailer- cum-wood-burning- oven that is EVO ('Extra-Virgin Oven') pizza seems to keep popping up in Charleston, and its more regular schedule is a very satisfying development...... [more]
Best from the Sea
Hank's10 Hayne St., downtown 723-3474Hank's is at the fancy end of the diveto-fancy spectrum of Charleston seafood restaurants, making it a bit of a different experience than those other ' best' nominees, but that doesn't stop it from being consistently mentioned as one of the city's best places to eat all things aquatic...... [more]
Best Out of Town
Frank's Restaurant & Bar and Outback at Frank's10434 Ocean Highway (U. S...... [more]
Best at the Beach
Eleven Center Street Wine & Gourmet11 Center St., Folly Beach 588- 989811 Center Street While 11 Center Street might be the least 'Folly-ish' of Folly Beach restaurants, it's a place we return to again and again...... [more]
Best Oysters
Bowen's Island Restaurant1870 Bowen's Island Road, James Island 795-2757No discussion of the Lowcountry and oysters is complete without mention of Robert Barber's Bowen's Island Restaurant. For some 60 years, Bowen's has served up steamed oysters (among other things) by the snow shovel to those in the know, and those not thrown off by the bizarre nature of the place...... [more]
About Restaurant Critic Holly Herrick & Wine Columnist Andy Felts
Hello Charleston! Welcome to The Post and Courier's fourth annual Restaurant of the Year Guide...... [more]
Restaurant of the Year, 2005
The Ocean Room says no to Mediocrity The Ocean Room at the Sanctuary 1 Sanctuary Drive, Kiawah Island 768-6253 Hours: Mon.-Wed...... [more]
Lunch Counter of the Year
THE ECLECTIC CHEF 125 Central Ave., Summerville Phone: 821-7733 Hours: Mon...... [more]
Holly's FAVES
I think people believe a restaurant critic's job is glamorous and fun. I suppose that's because it's frequently depicted that way in movies and because most people like to go out to eat, especially when someone else is paying...... [more]
Fine & Fancy Eats
Dining at any one of these spectacular restaurants, steeped in premium protocol in the key areas of food, service and ambience, is sure to make you feel like the fat, happy cat that ate the canary ? served on a silver platter. Each of these deservedly highly decorated restaurants has a distinct personality and is ultra special in every sense of the word...... [more]
Andy's Top Pix
Everybody complains about the traffic now in Charleston, but take a few moments to praise the fact that now, as opposed to only 10 years ago, there are literally dozens of places you can go and sip a good glass of wine instead of something just pulled off the grocery store shelf.Since I am not a full-time wine columnist and have another job, I confess not to getting everyplace...... [more]
Most Improved
Blossom executive chef Aaron Siegel has good reason to smile. The new and improved Blossom is on top of its game and better than ever...... [more]
Best Sweets
A tempting pastry plate from Kennedy's Market and Bakery. Cafe Cafe 177 Meeting St...... [more]
More of the Best Of's
Click on your favorite category to see who is on Holly's Best Of's List! Best Beach Appeal With A Meal...... [more]
On the Line...
Looking for more essential restaurant information?Dial 937-6000 and enter any of the four-digit InfoLine extensions below for more of what you need to know from any of our advertisers...... [more]
The Dining Guide
American/EclecticAsianBarbecueCaribbean/Creole/Cuban Deli/CafeFrenchGermanGreek/MediterraneanIndian Irish/EnglishItalianLowcountry/Soul Mexican/S'Western/LatinPizzaSeafoodTapasTeaUpscale/Southern AMERICAN/ECLECTIC*ATLANTICVILLE: 2063 Middle St., Sullivan's Island...... [more]
Picking a "best restaurant" is difficult. We set out to nominate those that immediately come to mind when we crave a no-holds-barred, dependably spectacular experience...... [more]
Restaurant of the Year: Runners-up
Peninsula Grill112 N. Market St...... [more]
About Molly and Scott Goodwin
Molly Baldwin Goodwin Molly is a serious, intermittently professional cook with a Charleston addiction and a writing habit. She attended culinary school at Johnson & Wales University then went west to the Birmingham, Ala...... [more]
Best of the Best
Choosing "the best" in anything can be difficult. Nowhere is this more true than in the restaurant business...... [more]
Lunch Counters of the Year
Sesame Burgers & Beer4726 Spruill Ave., North Charleston 554- 4903Casey Glowacki has done it again...... [more]
Personal Best
We've been restaurant critics in Charleston for some six years now, and its hard to remember how long it's been since we went out to a restaurant meal when it wasn't related to work. While it might seem a treat to "get to dine out" two or three times a week or more, a lot of the time we eat in places we would never choose if left to our own devices...... [more]
Best Actor
Basil's Red Curry DuckThis is a dish that's got it all - exotic, Asian curry flavors; crispy, crunchy, boneless meaty goodness; the smoothness of red curry sauce with a moderate kick of heat; and an eye-popping presentation on the plate. It's big enough to share, but tasty enough to test the generosity of even the closest of dining companions...... [more]
Best of Italy
Fulton Five5 Fulton St.853-5555This tiny space on Fulton Street has been producing sublime Northern Italian cuisine for years and is famous for being a perfect spot to have a most romantic meal in downtown...... [more]
Best Chef
Frank LeeScott had a revealing conversation with Frank Lee of Slightly North of Broad earlier in the year in which he discovered the depth of Lee's passion for food and the business of cooking it. Here is a chef who spends at least four nights a week on the line, in touch with his staff and also in touch with the seasonally revolving palette of ingredients available to him...... [more]
Best Steak
Oak Steakhouse17 Broad St. 722 4220The steak lovers in us are drawn immediately to one menu item at Oak: the bonein 36ounce ribeye...... [more]
Fabulous French
La Fourchette432 King St. 722- 6261Late last year, La Fourchette quietly slipped into the old King Fish location and began turning out plate after delicious plate of classic French comfort food...... [more]
Best of the Mex
La Playita1228 Yeaman's Hall Rd., Hanahan 529- 0080The scene at La Playita on a Friday night bears no evidence whatsoever that one is still in the United States...... [more]
Best Supporting Actor (side dish)
Cypress' Caesar SaladThere are a number of dishes presented in a classic, tableside preparation at Cypress, including Steak Diane and the like, but a real standout on our last visit was the Caesar salad. Your server will whisk (no pun intended) to your table with a cart laden with ingredients and a huge wooden bowl, and proceed to crack, mash and blend his or her way to salad perfection...... [more]
Best Deli
Johnny's Grill and Spirits1042 E Montague Ave., N Charleston 747-1841Johnny's Grill and Spirits is a subdued little spot in Park Circle neighborhood that serves up basic good eats hot off the grill...... [more]
Best Newcomer
La Fourchette432 King St., downtown 722- 6261We find that the best newcomer opened late last fall with almost no fanfare at all...... [more]
Best Small Plates
Amuse1720 Sam Rittenberg Blvd., West Ashley 573- 8778We?ve loved Amuse since our very first visit...... [more]
Best by Water
It just wouldn't be dining in Charleston if there weren't places to dine on the water.The sight of a dolphin sufacing while we tuck into a plate is one of the great joys of living here, and it sometimes covers a multitude of restaurant sins...... [more]
Best Bang for the Buck
La Fourchette432 King St. 722- 6261We like to play 'guess the total' when get our check at review dinners...... [more]
Best Burger
To many people, declaring a 'best hamburger' is akin to declaring one form of barbecue ' best.' Fierce loyalties exist to one establishment or another, or to a particular cooking method (grill or flat-top)...... [more]
Best Breakfast
Marina Variety Store & Seafood Restaurant17 Lockwood Drive, City Marina 723-6325The Marina Variety Store & Seafood Restaurant has been serving up classic Lowcountry and American food to locals and tourists, landlubbers and old salts alike for more than 34 years. Originally an Edisto eatery, it made the move to Charleston and the City Marina location above Salty Mike's Deck Bar more than 20 years ago...... [more]
Best Dives
AC's467 King St., downtown 577-6742AC's is a neighborhood bar and grill that is a Charleston institution...... [more]
Outstanding Asians
Red Orchids China Bistro1401 Sam Rittenberg Blvd., West Ashley 573-8787Red Orchids is a restaurant that produces familiar Chinese dishes with every component seemingly raised a notch...... [more]
New in 2006
This year, like any other, saw restaurants close and restaurants open.Triangle Char and Bar is picking up where Avondale Station left off in West Ashley, just across the street from new favorite breakfast and lunch hot spot Marie Laveau's...... [more]
Restaurant of the Year: Runners-up
Peninsula Grill112 N. Market St...... [more]
Big Changes
J. Bistro soldWe're sure many Charleston residents were surprised to hear that James Burns sold his lauded Mount Pleasant restaurant...... [more]
Best of the Med
Lana210 Rutledge Ave. 720-8899Lana Restaurant and Bar opened last year on Rutledge Avenue to critical acclaim, and it?s easy to see why...... [more]
Best-kept Secrets
La Nortena1861 Remount Road, North Charleston 225-7055We guess La Nortena can't be too much of a secret anymore - they've got two stores now, although maybe word hasn't spread a great deal in the non-Hispanic populace yet. Both are in North Charleston, in areas where one might think English is everyone's second language, so success here seems awarded by those who know authentic Mexican when they taste it...... [more]
Gone in 2006
The year has seen a few surprising closures in the Charleston restaurant scene (and a few not-so-surprising ones). Perhaps none surprised us more than the Anchor Line - we drove out to Folly, pulled up in the (empty) parking lot and read the 'closed' sign on the door, shocked...... [more]
Best Producer
The Elliott GroupThe Elliott Group owns and operates three restaurants in the Lowcountry - High Cotton, Slightly North of Broad and Old Village Post House, all three of which enjoy excellent reputations and all of which do a bustling business. A second outpost of High Cotton will debut next month in Greenville, bringing upscale Lowcountry cuisine to the Upstate, and the company's Charleston Cooks!..... [more]
Best Set Design
Cypress167 East Bay St. 727 0111The bar alone at Cypress deserves a mention as one of the most interesting eating or drinking spaces in Charleston...... [more]
Best New Restaurant Spot
AvondaleTrying to determine which event started it all is a challenge - was it the renaissance of Gene's Haufbrau, or perhaps the quiet opening of Al Di La?No matter - what is clear is that the Avondale area of West Ashley, where Magnolia Road intersects U...... [more]
Top Wine Programs
Charleston Grill224 King St., downtown 577 4522By the glass or by the bottle, both methods prove most satisfying at Charleston Grill...... [more]
Best Mobile Meals
EVO Pizza4945 Durant Ave., North Charleston 568- 8338The trailer- cum-wood-burning- oven that is EVO ('Extra-Virgin Oven') pizza seems to keep popping up in Charleston, and its more regular schedule is a very satisfying development...... [more]
Best from the Sea
Hank's10 Hayne St., downtown 723-3474Hank's is at the fancy end of the diveto-fancy spectrum of Charleston seafood restaurants, making it a bit of a different experience than those other ' best' nominees, but that doesn't stop it from being consistently mentioned as one of the city's best places to eat all things aquatic...... [more]
Best Out of Town
Frank's Restaurant & Bar and Outback at Frank's10434 Ocean Highway (U. S...... [more]
Best at the Beach
Eleven Center Street Wine & Gourmet11 Center St., Folly Beach 588- 989811 Center Street While 11 Center Street might be the least 'Folly-ish' of Folly Beach restaurants, it's a place we return to again and again...... [more]
Best Oysters
Bowen's Island Restaurant1870 Bowen's Island Road, James Island 795-2757No discussion of the Lowcountry and oysters is complete without mention of Robert Barber's Bowen's Island Restaurant. For some 60 years, Bowen's has served up steamed oysters (among other things) by the snow shovel to those in the know, and those not thrown off by the bizarre nature of the place...... [more]
About Restaurant Critic Holly Herrick & Wine Columnist Andy Felts
Hello Charleston! Welcome to The Post and Courier's fourth annual Restaurant of the Year Guide...... [more]
Restaurant of the Year, 2005
The Ocean Room says no to Mediocrity The Ocean Room at the Sanctuary 1 Sanctuary Drive, Kiawah Island 768-6253 Hours: Mon.-Wed...... [more]
Lunch Counter of the Year
THE ECLECTIC CHEF 125 Central Ave., Summerville Phone: 821-7733 Hours: Mon...... [more]
Holly's FAVES
I think people believe a restaurant critic's job is glamorous and fun. I suppose that's because it's frequently depicted that way in movies and because most people like to go out to eat, especially when someone else is paying...... [more]
Fine & Fancy Eats
Dining at any one of these spectacular restaurants, steeped in premium protocol in the key areas of food, service and ambience, is sure to make you feel like the fat, happy cat that ate the canary ? served on a silver platter. Each of these deservedly highly decorated restaurants has a distinct personality and is ultra special in every sense of the word...... [more]
Andy's Top Pix
Everybody complains about the traffic now in Charleston, but take a few moments to praise the fact that now, as opposed to only 10 years ago, there are literally dozens of places you can go and sip a good glass of wine instead of something just pulled off the grocery store shelf.Since I am not a full-time wine columnist and have another job, I confess not to getting everyplace...... [more]
Most Improved
Blossom executive chef Aaron Siegel has good reason to smile. The new and improved Blossom is on top of its game and better than ever...... [more]
Best Sweets
A tempting pastry plate from Kennedy's Market and Bakery. Cafe Cafe 177 Meeting St...... [more]
More of the Best Of's
Click on your favorite category to see who is on Holly's Best Of's List! Best Beach Appeal With A Meal...... [more]
On the Line...
Looking for more essential restaurant information?Dial 937-6000 and enter any of the four-digit InfoLine extensions below for more of what you need to know from any of our advertisers...... [more]
The Dining Guide
American/EclecticAsianBarbecueCaribbean/Creole/Cuban Deli/CafeFrenchGermanGreek/MediterraneanIndian Irish/EnglishItalianLowcountry/Soul Mexican/S'Western/LatinPizzaSeafoodTapasTeaUpscale/Southern AMERICAN/ECLECTIC*ATLANTICVILLE: 2063 Middle St., Sullivan's Island...... [more]
