Restaurant Openings

Last week, Rob Cassi–owner of one of Charleston’s most popular gourmet sandwich restaurants (and one of my favorite restaurants), Persimmon Cafe–broke ground to start construction on his new location in the Summerville Center (next to the new Earth Fare at 1097 Main St), and plans to open in early Summer 2016.

Spanning 1600 square feet with 40 seats inside and 20 seats on their patio, Cassi wants the Persimmon Cafe in Summerville to be an integral part of rising culinary scene as the city continues to develop and add several new restaurants.

Persimmon Cafe plans to hire 20-25 employees, all who will get health insurance and vacation pay.  This is a stand alone restaurant that, unlike the one downtown, will not share a space with a laundromat.

Persimmon Cafe in downtown Charleston is located at 226 Calhoun St. Charleston, SC 29401, and has fed the community for 3 years.

Follow on social media:
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/persimmoncafe/
Instagram: @persimmoncafe
Twitter: @persimmoncafe

5Church Charleston is scheduled to open on Friday, Nov. 20, 2015 in an historic old church (Church of the Redeemer and Harriott Pinckney House) in downtown’s bustling Market Street district.  Offering New-American cuisine, creative craft cocktails and visually-stunning décor, 5Church Charleston will be open for dinner, lunch and brunch. The restaurant’s elaborate, modern décor features awe-inspiring stained glass windows, a white concrete bar, black leather banquettes, eye-catching chandeliers, large-scale pop-art and hand-painted written verbiage of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” on the church ceiling.

5Church Charleston’s executive chef, Jamie Lynch, will be at the helm, dishing out 5Church menu favorites such as the famed “60 Second” NY Strip Steak and5Church Lamb Burger with red onion marmalade and gorgonzola fondue, along with new, locally sourced dishes unique to the Charleston restaurant. A 150-bottle wine list curated by an in-house certified sommelier and a selection of specialty cocktails and craft beers will complement Lynch’s menu.

5Church Charleston will seat 170 guests with an outdoor patio and bar area, as well as a private dining room available for events. 5Church Charleston is located at 32B North Market St., near the corner of East Bay Street. Complimentary valet parking will be offered for all 5Church Charleston guests.

I’ll be going for dinner tonight, so I’ll let you know what I think! 

The Darling Oyster Bar, set to open at 513 King Street this winter (aka the old Union Provisions location), has named Joe DiMaio as Chef for the casual neighborhood restaurant.

DiMaio honed his culinary skills at numerous renowned Charleston-area restaurants, including the Old Village Post House and the Ocean Room at the Sanctuary Hotel. That career path has exposed him to classic styles of cooking, which will be showcased on The Darling’s yet-to-be-released menu. 

DiMaio counts among his mentors Chef Frank Lee (Post House), and The Darling Oyster Bar’s consultant, Nate Thurston, with whom he worked at the Ocean Room. Most recently DiMaio was Executive Chef at Stars, where he enjoyed participating in a restaurant from concept to opening and beyond. DiMaio earned his culinary degree from the Art Institute of Charleston. 

In helping to craft The Darling’s culinary story, DiMaio emphasizes that a chef’s ability to adapt is critical; creating meals that delight guests consistently and with creativity “will help The Darling live up to its moniker as something near and dear to the heart,” he said.

Follow The Darling‘s progress on Facebook and Instagram.

Attention oyster lovers! Cove Bar & Grille in North Charleston is celebrating its grand opening tonight with a ribbon cutting by North Chuck mayor Keith Summey, live entertainment, menu specials and more! The fun starts at 5pm!

5Church Charleston is scheduled to open Fall 2015 in a historic old church (Church of the Redeemer and Harriet Pickney House) in downtown’s bustling Market Street district.  Offering New-American cuisine, creative craft cocktails and visually-stunning décor, 5Church Charleston will be open for dinner, lunch and brunch. The restaurant’s award-winning food, top-rate service and nationally-acclaimed design will mimic its sister property in Charlotte, N.C., which opened in 2012.

What happened to 1-2-3-and-4Church?

“Our team’s desire to do business in Charleston pre-dates 5Church’s existence in Charlotte,” says Owner Patrick Whalen. “We chose Charleston because we want 5Church to be counted amongst the culinary elite and for anyone living in the Southeast, Charleston is the stronghold for great restaurants.”

5Church Charleston’s elaborate, modern décor features awe-inspiring stained glass windows, a white concrete bar, black leather banquettes, eye-catching chandeliers and large-scale pop-art. The crown jewel of the restaurant’s interior is the hand-painted written verbiage of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” in its entirety on the church’s ceiling. 5Church Charleston will seat 200 guests with an outdoor patio and bar area, as well as a private dining room available for events.

Jamie Lynch, who is both a partner and the restaurant’s executive chef, boasts an impressive culinary background including Le Cirque, Aureole and Café Boulud, as well as Blue and Barrington’s in Charlotte. Since opening 5Church in Charlotte, he has been recognized as Charlotte Magazine’s Best Chef for the past three consecutive years. The 5Church Charleston menu will feature many 5Church favorites such as the famed “60 Second” NY Strip Steak and 5Church Lamb Burger with red onion marmalade and gorgonzola fondue, along with new, locally sourced dishes unique to the Charleston restaurant. A 150-bottle wine list curated by an in-house certified sommelier and a selection of specialty cocktails and craft beers will complement Lynch’s menu.

“Our success at 5Church has been built on addressing the three critical components of dining out: ambiance, service and food,” says Owner and Marketing Director Alejandro Torio, who along with Whalen and Lynch, recently moved to Charleston to operate the restaurant locally. “5Church offers a very high level of all three of these factors, blending unique and creative interiors, top-notch cuisine and exceptional service to create an elevated culinary experience for diners.”

5Church Charleston is located at 32 N. Market Street, near the corner of East Bay Street. For more information, please visit www.5churchcharleston.com, call 843.937.8666, or follow the restaurant onFacebook, Instagram and Twitter.