Charleston Restaurant News

Already pegged as one of the most anticipated restaurant openings of 2017, partners Geoff Shyatt and James London are pleased to officially announce the opening of Chubby Fish, coming to Charleston in May 2017. Set to open at 252 Coming Street, on the corner of Bogard, the 1,300-square foot restaurant will highlight daily catches from local fisherman, expertly prepared in a casual setting.

So much seafooding.

A post shared by Jay Fletcher (@jpegfletcher) on Feb 9, 2017 at 6:51am PST

Shyatt and London, lifelong friends and South Carolina natives, have a collective 30 years in the restaurant industry, having worked in New York, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Nashville. Their shared experience lends an air of promise to their first collaborative venture. Having identified a need for a reasonably-priced seafood restaurant with a chef-driven menu in Charleston, Shyatt and London believe that Chubby Fish will be the perfect compromise between fine-dining and a classic neighborhood joint. The restaurant’s counter-service model and open-kitchen plan allows guests to enjoy inventive, sustainable seafood dishes in an approachable atmosphere.

Chubby Fish (Facebook)

A preview menu is divided into Raw Bar selections, Small Plates, Entrees, and Whole Fish, complemented by a selection of seasonal side dishes. Early standouts include Chicken Fried Yellowtail Collars, Seasonal Pickles and Comeback Sauce; Hacked Softshell Crab Rice Bowl with Benton’s Bacon, XO Sauce, and A Slow Poached Egg; and Smoked Scallop Crudo with White Soy, Serrano, and Grapefruit. The menu will be rotating continuously, always highlighting the freshest ingredients available. An intelligently-curated bar program will include regional craft beers along with a few big names and an ever-evolving, boutique wine list.

Conceived in collaboration with Atlanta-based interior designer Elizabeth Ingram (Beetlecat, State of Grace, King + Duke, The Optimist), Chubby Fish’s 48-seat dining room will boast a bright, airy atmosphere with subtle nautical touches throughout. The space will have community-style seating, window banquettes, and an 8-seat chef counter. Future plans include a 16-seat patio for communal al fresco dining due in 2018.

A Clemson graduate, Managing Partner Shyatt has worked on some of the Southeast’s most up and coming dining landscapes. Most recently, Shyatt worked at Atlanta’s critically-acclaimed BoccaLupo named as one of Atlanta’s best restaurants by such publications as Southern Living, Garden & Gun, and The New York Times. Chef/Partner London, a graduate of both the College of Charleston and The French Culinary Institute, was the Executive Chef at the Michelin Guide recommended NIKO Restaurant, The Hotel on Rivington and San Francisco’s landmark Elite Café.

ICYMI, The Granary’s new Coleman Blvd location (835 Coleman Boulevard) officially reopened yesterday! The Granary delivers Lowcountry-inspired American fare featuring seasonal ingredients in an expanded and casual new space. The contemporary restaurant mirrors the inviting design previously staged at Belle Hall with a stylish interior featuring dark wood tables, high ceilings, industrial chandeliers and antique farm stools. New to the concept is an extensive raw bar, a 50-seat bar area and an al fresco dining space out front.

At the helm of the menu is executive chef Brannon Florie, a passionate proponent of local farmers, fisherman, brewers and distillers, who takes pride in celebrating the community. Florie works closely with chef de cuisine Chris Wehking, an honorable companion who uses his extensive science and experiment-oriented background to test his hand at new curing and pickling techniques, leading The Granary’s impressive charcuterie program.

Florie and Wehking have created a menu that boasts a selection of starters, vegetables and entrees featuring familiar and approachable Southern components. Entrée highlights include the braised short rib pot roast, duck Cassoulet, and Shem Creek shrimp and grits, as well as a fried shrimp Po boy and smoked barbecue spiced pork chop. Lighter options include vegetable selections of kale with sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and a roasted vegetable curry cauliflower flatbread. A kids menu is also available.

The bar program, led by beverage manager Roderick Weaver, includes an abundant selection of wine, beer, cocktails and whiskeys. Guests are invited to take a front row seat at the bar for happy hour every Monday through Friday, from 4 to 6 p.m. and enjoy $2 off draft beers, $5 house wines and mules, and $6 select small plates. Overseeing the front of house, general manager Lindsay Lenehan manages day to day operations and ensures quality service throughout the guests’ time at the restaurant.

“Chef Brannon has been a long-time partner of mine and I’m excited for him to be able to show off his capabilities in a great new space,” says Steve Palmer, managing partner of The Indigo Road. “We’re confident in the team we’ve put together and look forward to sharing our restaurant with you.”

The Granary now serves dinner Sunday through Thursday from 4 to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 4 to 11 p.m. On Sundays, guests can indulge in half-priced bottles of wine, followed by a Lobster Roll special every Monday. Sunday brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will begin in March. For more information, visit The Granary online and on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

As a lover of food halls that I’ve toured around the country–namely Union Market in DC, West Side Market in Cleveland, and Krog Street Market in Atlanta–I’ve always wished that Charleston had one of its own. Luckily, one of my Charleston culinary heroes, Butcher & Bee Owner Michael Shemtov, along with Chef Jonathan Ory, heard my wishes via ESP and decided to make my dreams come true (or at least close enough) with their concept, Workshop.

Opening at 1503 King Street in Charleston, SC, at the Pacific Box & Crate site this March, this “fancy food court”—elevating the idea of a shared kitchen and dining space with multiple chef-driven restaurant concepts—is the first of its kind on the culinary scene in Charleston and offers a rotating roster of five food vendors with tenancies varying from 1 to 12 months. Butcher & Bee curates the space and tenants, presenting out-of-town chefs a short-term home in Charleston, culinary up-and-comers a brick-and-mortar option, and veteran chefs a venue in which to experiment with new concepts.

The initial lineup of tenants includes:

• “Tex and Mex” concept from Pitmaster John Lewis, featuring barbecue sandwiches and plates inspired by his popular Tex Mex Tuesday nights at the acclaimed Lewis Barbecue
• Pink Bellies from Zagat 30 Under 30 Chef/Owner Thai Phi, building on the popularity of his Vietnamese food truck that currently roves the streets of Charleston
• Slice Co., serving wood-fired pizza by the slice and pie from New York City transplant Todd Lucey, formerly of Best Pizza in Brooklyn
• JD Loves Cheese, a grilled cheese, soup, and salad collaboration between Butcher & Bee Executive Pastry Chef Cynthia Wong and her husband, John David Harmon, a wine professional and self-professed caseophile
• A progressive, vegetable-forward Korean concept by Ory—who will also operate the permanent brick-and-mortar location of Bad Wolf Coffee, offering his much-loved pastries with acclaimed roaster Four Barrel Coffee by day and light dinner fare, snacks, and wine by night.

“At Workshop, chefs, food truck operators, and restaurateurs have the opportunity to open a restaurant in a few days with a few thousand dollars,” Shemtov says. “We wanted to keep the space flexible, adaptable, and accommodating to both the local culinary community and our peers from other cities who would like to test out their ideas and concepts in Charleston for creative development or potential expansion, even if they’re long on passion but short on cash.”

Concept

With its rotating line-up of tenants in five food stalls and a fully equipped prep kitchen, Workshop offers interested chefs and restauranteurs an incubator space in which to try something new or trial a current popup or food truck in a physical space. From street food to delis, pizza to burgers, and beyond, Workshop invites in tenants with diverse offerings and meal periods. Butcher & Bee—which operates in Charleston and Nashville, as well as oversees sister concept The Daily in Charleston—manages the experience, investing in the success of each tenant’s business.

Design

Inside Workshop, there is a separate stall for each tenant, as well as a shared 3,000-square-foot, fully equipped kitchen. The stalls range in size, 300-800 square feet, the largest of which has its own hood. Indoor and outdoor seating can accommodate upward of 300 people, along with ample space for parking. The dedicated, fully equipped prep kitchen also allows for a variety of events, pop-ups, and festivals at Workshop. With the explosion of growth on Charleston’s Upper Peninsula and key anchor tenants signed on for adjacent buildings, Workshop is poised to be a gastronomic hub in Charleston. Interested Workshop tenants can contact workshop@butcherandbee.com.

Pacific Box & Crate

Charleston-based architecture studio The Middleton Group designed Pacific Box & Crate’s two new freestanding 20,000-square-foot buildings, one of which encompasses Workshop’s 10,000-square-foot space as well as the adjacent Bad Wolf Coffee, above which is the Reverb Yoga studio from Ashley Bell. Workshop is already in good company at Pacific Box & Crate: The other Middleton Group-designed building is home to cybersecurity agency PhishLabs, and an 80,000-square-foot warehouse renovated by local architecture firm LS3P includes real estate software developers BoomTown, Edmund’s Oast Brewing Company, and cloud-based communications platform CrowdReach. The Raven Cliff Company has overseen the buildout of Pacific Box & Crate, the initial phase of which encompasses 130,000 square feet across nearly 10 acres of land.

For more information on Workshop, contact workshop@butcherandbee.com, and the full website atwww.workshopcharleston.com launches later this month.

In February 2017, longtime partnersBrannon Florie and Steve Palmer will reopen Mount Pleasant restaurant, The Granary,at a new location on 835 Coleman Boulevard. Joining The Indigo Road Hospitality Group’s family of restaurants, The Granary will continue to deliver Lowcountry inspired American fare featuring seasonal ingredients in an expanded and casual new space. 

Led by executive chef Brannon Florie, the culinary team will serve familiar Southern dishes such as shrimp and grits, fried chicken and pork belly, in addition to distinctively innovative plates like bone marrow and duck pot pie. Popular favorites from the original menu such as the Brussels sprouts and tempura shrimp will also be offered at the new location. A strong supporter of the South Carolina farming community, Florie’s menu will reflect the seasonal bounty of the region with featured ingredients that are sourced from local farms and purveyors such as Sea Island red peas and Jimmy Red Corn grits. The menu will also include extensive happy hour specials, a daily changing small plate, entrée specials and a dedicated kids menu. New to the concept is a raw bar which features local items like Bulls Bay oysters and clams, as well as carefully sourced regional selections from the west and northeast coasts.

“After years of working with chef Brannon, we are looking forward to playing a bigger role in the reopening of The Granary,” said The Indigo Road managing partner Steve Palmer. “The new space will provide a convenient location for our guests to visit and also has allowed us to build a 50 seat bar area, full raw bar and outdoor patio.”

To complement the culinary program, newly appointed beverage manager Roderick Weaver will craft the cocktail, wine and beer menus for the 50-seat bar. Formerly the opening bar manager at Lewis Barbecue, the city’s latest craze, and the director of cocktails and spirits at Sean Brock’s esteemed Husk, Weaver brings more than 20 years of experience to his new role at The Granary. The contemporary restaurant mirrors the inviting design previously at Belle Hall with casual, stylish interior with dark wood tables, exposed industrial elements and antique farm stools.

“Although the place looks a little different, we’re maintaining the integrity of the restaurant by keeping fan-favorites like happy hour offers, the date night menu and lobster roll Mondays,” said Florie. “We’ve worked with Steve and his team to boost the programming and menu with hopes of being a go-to spot for Mt. Pleasant residents and beyond.”

The Granary, located at 835 Coleman Boulevard, will be open Sunday through Thursday from 4 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 4 to 11 p.m. and for Sunday brunch from10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For updates, visit The Granary online and on Twitter, Facebook andInstagram. In anticipation for the reopening, The Granary is actively hiring. If interested, please apply here.