Charleston Living Magazine May-June 2021

May / June 2021 

Breathtaking 

Brushstrokes 

Find Inspiration in 

our Arts Issue 

$4.50 US 

Men + 

Women in 

Business 

Mother’s Day 

& Father’s Day 

Dining 

Spoleto 

Festival 

May/June 2021 | 1

CUSTOM HOME DESIGN, 

FROM START TO FINISH. 

ARCHITECTURE + INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE + INTERIOR DESIGN 

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2 | CharlestonLivingMag.com

Unparalleled Oral Surgery and Patient Experience! 

Dr. Matthew Barefoot, a diplomat of the American Board of Oral 

and Maxillofacial Surgery, is devoted to providing high-quality oral surgery 

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Features 

MAY | JUNE 2021 

49 

Men + Women 

in Business 

Meet the exceptional 

business owners 

and experienced 

professionals behind 

Charleston’s best 

businesses in our 

annual spotlight 

63 


and Father’s 

Day Dining 

Where to toast 

your folks 

By Elise DeVoe 

68 

Welcome to 

the ‘Wrens 

Nest’ 

Award-winning 

historic preservation 

in Cannonborough 

Elliotborough 

By Rob Young 

92 

Nature Trip 

A visit to Santee Coastal 

Reserve in McClellanville 

By Jenny Peterson 

PHOTO ALEECE SOPHIA 


EMBRACE YOUR 

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March/April 2013 | 5


DEPARTMENTS | MAY/JUNE 2021 

13 

Buzz 

37 

Well Styled 

77 

Food+Drink 

94 

Travel 

13 Play Ball! 

Riverdogs welcome fans back 

for upcoming season 

37 Coastal Colors 

Make your space a coastal 

paradise 

77 Dining Out 

TW Graham’s & Co. 

Seafood 

92 Day Trippin’ 

McClellanville, a historic fishing 

village, is well worth the drive 

14 Calendar 

Our five musts from this 

issue’s calendar of events 

16 Events 

Your guide to planning your 

social calendar 

38 Design 

How to achieve peak 

coastal style 

40 Art Class 

The Art of Teaching at the 

Blair Center for the Arts 

80 In The Kitchen 

The Flavors of Summer 

85 Restaurant Guide 

The best spots for eating and 

drinking in Charleston 

94 Paradise Remains 

Updates abound at the Amelia 

Island Ritz Carlton, but 

thankfully not everything 

has changed 

22 Entertainment 

Reviews of new movies and 

music 

24 Art Seen 

Italian painter Silvia Belviso 

brings her talent to the 

Lowcountry 

27 Local Chatter 

Project Z non-profit aims to 

tackle ‘bedlessness’ among 

local students 

42 Art Town 

The Charleston area offers 

a plethora of public art 

46 Spoleto Festival 

The beloved event returns 

for 2021 

40 

Fundamentals 

10 Reader Services 

12 Editor’s Letter 

96 The Last Reflection 

28 Newsmaker 

Lowcountry Marine 

Mammal Network 

32 History 

Hugenot History along the 

South Santee 

34 Southern Drawl 

Sara Sharnoff, director of 

Jewish Family Services of 

Charleston, is committed to 

leaving the world a better 

place 

24 

Breathtaking 

Brushstrokes 

$4.50 US 



Men + 

Women in 

Business 



Dining 

Spoleto 

Festival 

ON THE COVER » 

Walking in the Light, 

acrylic on panel 

by Silvia Belviso 


AT SOMERBY, WE’RE TRANSFORMING 

WHAT SENIOR LIVING MEANS AND DOING 

IT IN A COURAGEOUS, NEW WAY. 

We embrace it, nurture it and redefine it with everything we do. From 

exciting activities, inspiring friendships and bold safety measures, Somerby 

helps lead you — or your loved one — to a more enriching life. 

VISIT US AT SOMERBYSPARK.COM 

800.875.7231 

INDEPENDENT LIVING 

ASSISTED LIVING | MEMORY CARE 


LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE. 

CEO & Publisher 

Robert Sweeney 

Direction of Operations 

Emily Sweeney 

■ ■ ■ 

Managing Editor 

Jenny Peterson 

Associate Editors 

Susan O’Keefe 

Julie Yow 

■ ■ ■ 

Senior Account Executive 

Carolyn Silecchia 

Art Director 

Carl Turner 

Graphic Designers 

Kristina Parella 

Shanna Thomson 

Carl Turner 

Contributing Writers 

Elise DeVoe, Denise K. James, Kaitlin 

Gooding, Monica Kreber, Jenna-Ley 

Jamison, Katie McElveen, Suzannah 

Smith Miles, Jenny Peterson, Anne 

Postic, Leah Rhyne, Sophia Rodriguez, 

Liesel Schmidt, Shelby Simon, Brian 

Sherman, Wendy Swat Snyder, 

Rob Young 

Photographers 

Lea Austen, Kaitlin Gooding, Aleece 

Sophia Photography, Jim Somerset, 

James Stefiuk 

■ ■ ■ 

Production Coordinator 

Dana Maskin 

■ ■ ■ 

Customer Service: (843) 856-2532 

CLASSICREMODELING.COM 

KITCHENS | BATHS | OUTDOOR SPACES | ADDITIONS 

Charleston Living (Vol. 10, No. 4) is 

published 6 times per year by DueSouth 

Publishing, LLC, 3853 Colonel Vanderhorst 

Circle, Mount Pleasant, SC 29466. The 

entire contents of this publication are fully 

protected and may not be reproduced, in 

whole or part, without written permission. 

We are not responsible for loss of 

unsolicited materials. Copyright © 2021. 

All rights reserved. SUBSCRIPTION price 

is $24.95 per year. 


Commonly Treated Conditions 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serving the Lowcountry for over 14 Years 

Call Now 843.321.8820 

1709 Old Trolley Road, Summerville, SC 29485 

www.McPhailClinic.com 

Vampire 

 

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843-900-6765 

www.VampireMedical.com 

1709 Old Trolley Road, Suite A, Summerville, SC 29485 


READER SERVICES 

Caregiver Help. 

Lutheran Hospice patients may receive specialized care 

wherever they live—at no cost. 

Tell your Doctor that you choose Lutheran Hospice, a non-profit, 

faith-based ministry providing compassionate end-of-life care for 

patients and families of all faiths and beliefs. 

Medicare, Medicaid, V.A. and other insurance program benefits available 

Learn more. 

843.856.4735 • 800.940.9177 • LutheranHospice.org 

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OCEAN FRONT SUMMER RENTALS 

OCEAN FRONT SUMMER RENTALS 

Gorgeous oceanfront home, very up-to-date and a 

wonderful place to relax on your vacation. 

House has 6 bedrooms and 5 1/2 bathrooms. Four bedrooms on 

the first floor, two with a king bed, one with a queen bed and a 

room with a set of twin size bunkbeds. On the second floor, there 

is a room with 2 double beds and a room with a queen bed. The 

master bedroom has a jacuzzi tub as well as a separate standup 

shower. There are wonderful views of the ocean from all 3 

porches, and the first floor porch has a swimming pool facing the 

ocean. The 3rd floor of this house has a pool table and a video 

game. The spacious kitchen has all new stainless steel appliances 

and dining room table to seat 10. Direct access to the beach. 

Gorgeous oceanfront home, very up-to-date and a 

wonderful place to relax on your vacation. 

House has 6 bedrooms and 5 1/2 bathrooms. Four bedrooms on 

the first floor, two with a king bed, one with a queen bed and a 

room with a set of twin size bunkbeds. On the second floor, there 

is a room with 2 double beds and a room with a queen bed. The 

master bedroom has a jacuzzi tub as well as a separate standup 

shower. There are wonderful views of the ocean from all 3 

porches, and the first floor porch has a swimming pool facing the 

ocean. The 3rd floor of this house has a pool table and a video 

game. The spacious kitchen has all new stainless steel appliances 

and dining room table to seat 10. Direct access to the beach. 

Proudly we are a Locally Owned Small Business 

that has the same technology, experience and 

success as the National Firms! 

Mariner’s Cay is a gated community of residents and 

renters, which offers guests not only swimming and tennis 

courts, but also is only minutes away from the beaches and town 

of Folly Beach, either by car, golf cart, bicycle or walking. Located 

on the third floor of “The Sunset Building,” it is a corner unit that 

offers a panoramic view of the Folly River and the surrounding 

marsh. With a northwestern exposure, the view and the light 

upon entry is one of those “wow” moments. Relax each evening 

on the screened porch or adjacent deck and enjoy the gorgeous 

sunset. Folly Beach and nearby James Island have many good 

107 Ocean Front Villas 

cafes and restaurants, and is the closest beach to historic 

Ocean front Condo sleeps 8. 

Charleston. 4 Bedrooms, There are 3 Baths. 2 bicycles for guests 4 use. Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths. 

Bring your flip flops and enjoy this spacious new 5 bedroom, 

3 ½ bath oceanfront home with excellent views of Folly Pier. 

Perfectly suited for weddings, receptions and other events. The 

whole gang gets to come as this large house is designed for 

multiple families with a Master 

and 2 family suites. TV/DVD’s in all 

rooms with digital cable, wireless 

internet, washer/dryer on each 

level, and hairdryers/magnifying 

mirrors mounted in all baths. 

First Level great room opens to 

large covered deck with 

multiple 

gas grill 

families with a Master 

and 2 family suites. TV/DVD’s in all 

and direct access to the 

rooms 

fun on 

with digital cable, wireless 

the beach. Culinary-designed internet, washer/dryer on each 

kitchen, granite counters level, with and hairdryers/magnifying 

mirrors mounted in all baths. 

bar stools. Lowcountry table seats 10. Second Level has stunning 

First Level great room opens to 

ocean views from the Game large covered Room deck with with foosball, gas grill full wet bar with 

microwave, all centered and between direct access 2 family to the fun suites on (2 bedrooms and 

a full bath each) that open the beach. onto Culinary-designed 

full size sundecks. Spacious decks 

kitchen, granite counters with 

invite your guests to dine and dance to celebrate with you while 

enjoying the most fabulous view of the ocean. 

VACATION RENTAL PROPERTIES 

FRED 

H 

REALTY 

Proudly we are a Locally Owned Small Business 

Mariner’s Cay is a gated community of residents and 

renters, which that offers has guests the same not only technology, swimming and tennis experience and 

courts, but also is only success minutes away as the from National the beaches Firms! and town OLLAND 

With over 75 years combined of Folly sales Beach, experience, either by car, golf in cart, addition bicycle or to walking. Located 

on the third 

being the oldest real estate office With floor 

on Folly over of “The 75 Beach, years Sunset 

puts combined Building,” it 

us in sales is a corner experience, unit that in addition to 

offers a panoramic view of the Folly River and the surrounding 

being the oldest real estate office on Folly Beach, puts us in the 

forefront. Our continual status marsh. as With a Top a northwestern Producing exposure, 

forefront. Our continual 

Real the 

status 

Estate view and the light 

as a Top Producing Real Estate 

upon entry is one of those “wow” moments. Relax each evening 

office on Folly Beach and the Charleston office Folly area Beach is the and result the Charleston of our area is the 

Center 

result of our 

Street • Folly Beach 

on the screened porch or adjacent deck and enjoy the gorgeous 

hard working and highly sunset. knowledgeable Folly Beach hard working and nearby sales and James highly agents. Island knowledgeable have many good sales agents. (843) 588-2325 

Most of our agents live 113 “on E cafes island” Arctic Ave. Most restaurants, with D “Whispering of our agents 

24/7 and availability Palms” the live closest “on island” beach so 315 with 

an to historic W 24/7 Indian availability “Ohana www.fredhollandrealty.com 

Folly” so Ocean Charleston. Front townhouse There experienced are 2 sleeps bicycles agent 10. for is guests always use. available Island house to meet sleeps with 18. you! 

experienced agent is always available to meet with you! 

9 Bedrooms, 7 Baths. 

Bring your flip flops and enjoy this spacious new 5 bedroom 

3 ½ bath oceanfront home with excellent views of Folly Pie 

Perfectly suited for weddings, receptions and other events. The 

whole gang gets to come as this large house is designed for 

bar stools. Lowcountry table seats 10. Second Level has stunning 

ocean views from the Game Room with foosball, full wet bar wit 

microwave, all centered between 2 family suites (2 bedrooms an 

a full bath each) that open onto full size sundecks. Spacious deck 

invite your guests to dine and dance to celebrate with you while 

enjoying the most fabulous view of the ocean. 

FRED 

HOLLAND 

REALTY 

Center Street • Folly Beach 

(843) 588-2325 

www.fredhollandrealty.com 


FROM THE EDITOR 

Give the gift 

that lasts 

all year long... 

a subscription to 

Subscribe online at 

CharlestonLivingMag.com 

$4.50 US 


Breathtaking 

Brushstrokes 



or by calling 

843-856-2532 

Men + 

Women in 

Business 



Dining 

Spoleto 

Festival 

Exploring the 

Lowcountry 

It was one of those days where 

I wish I had a convertible. 

The weather was perfect and the sun 

was shining as photographer Aleece Sophia 

and I embarked on a day trip to McClellanville, 

a quaint fishing village about an hour 

away from downtown Charleston, for this 

issue of Charleston Living Magazine. 

At each turn, I was in awe at how stunning 

this part of the Lowcountry looked: live 

oak trees draped in moss, dirt roads that wind 

around historic churches and a charming 

Main Street that looks just like a postcard. 

Our visit to the Santee Coastal Reserve 

was a welcomed escape into the wilderness 

on our 1.9-mile hike on a boardwalk over a 

swamp and a pine-tree-lined trail to what’s 

left of a 1700s-era brick structure overlooking 

the South Santee River. 

What I found most surprising was 

how welcoming the area’s parks and points 

of interests were. At the Santee Coastal 

Reserve and Hampton Plantation, we were 

free to explore on our own, at our own pace. 

There weren’t gates to drive through or 

tickets to buy. In fact, the ease of getting to 

McClellanville and then feeling like we had 

the place to ourselves was a welcomed break 

from the bustle of Charleston. 

Of course no day trip out of town is 

complete without trying the local cuisine 

and I’m so glad we did – my fried grouper 

platter at T.W. Graham’s & Co. Seafood 

was the best fried fish I’ve ever eaten, period. 

The charming and rustic restaurant in 

the heart of the fishing village is featured in 

our dining out review on page 78. 

Check out our trip highlights on page 

92 and feel free to copy our itinerary for 

your own day or weekend trip. 

Getting back closer to Charleston, I 

was thrilled at the news that The Spoleto 

Festival, Charleston’s beloved arts festival, 

is returning this year with largely outdoor 

venues and pods to keep with social distancing. 

Read about the festival’s welcomed 

return on page 46. I already have tickets 

to the play “The Woman in Black” at the 

Charleston Visitor Center Bus Shed and 

can’t wait for the performance! 

We’ve filled this issue’s pages with many 

art-centered articles to coincide with Spoleto 

Festival, including art classes at the Blair 

Center for the Arts, a profile on Italian artist 

Silvia Belviso, whose life-like painting graces 

our issue’s cover, and many places where you 

can check out public art around town. 

As we approach the longer days of 

summer, with the cotton candy colors of 

sunsets—a work of art in itself!—it’s the 

perfect time to get out, explore and enjoy 

the amazing weather. 

See you out there! 

Jenny Peterson 

Managing Editor 

editor@charlestonlivingmag.com 

We welcome your comments. Please 

send us your feedback to “Letters to the 

Editor,” Charleston Living magazine, 

3853 Colonel Vanderhorst Circle, Mt. 

Pleasant, SC 29466 or you can email us 

at editor@charlestonlivingmag.com. 

Find Us Online! 

Visit us on our website at 

charlestonlivingmag.com 

facebook.com and instagram.com 

@charlestonlivingmagazine 

PHOTO ALEECEE SOPHIA 


Buzz 

YOUR LOCAL RUNDOWN ON NEWS AND CULTURE 

Play Ball! 

The Riverdogs baseball team 

welcomes back fans for the 

2021 season. 

For a full event calendar, 

see page 16 


BUZZ 

CALENDAR 

The Reveal: 

MAY-JUNE 

Our five musts from this issue’s calendar of events. 

Charleston RiverDogs 

Baseball 

Through Sept. 12 

Enjoy a day or night at the ball field this 

summer. The RiverDogs are expecting 

to have fans in the ballpark in limited capacities 

at the Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park in 

First Thursday Gullah 

Spirituals Concert 

May 6 & June 3 

Clap your hands and stomp your feet during 

an exhilarating performance of Gullah 

spirituals and the music of the Sea Islands. 

The ancestors of the Gullah people brought 

a rich heritage of African cultural traditions 

to this country. That extraordinary musical 

inheritance is still part of the Lowcountry 

culture, and we’re delighted to share it and a 

bit of Gullah history with you from 5:30-6:30 

p.m. The historic Unitarian Church c. 1817 

provides an extraordinary backdrop for this 

moving event. 4 Archdale Street. $40 per person 

plus fees. Proceeds benefit the Historic 

Charleston Foundation. Purchase tickets at 

www.historiccharleston.org 


downtown Charleston, one of the premier 

atmospheres in Minor League Baseball. 

The RiverDogs play in the class A South 

Atlantic League and are an affiliate of the 

New York Yankees. The 2021 schedule 

which started in May features 60 home 

games, on Tuesday-Sunday each week 

with Mondays off. Standard start times for 

RiverDogs home games will be 7:05 p.m. 

Tuesday-Friday, 6:05 p.m. on Saturday and 

5:05 p.m. on Sunday. The RiverDogs are in 

the process of putting together a promotions 

schedule for the upcoming season. 

360 Fishburne St. Ticket prices vary. Fans 

are encouraged to buy tickets in advance. 

www.milb.com/charleston. 

74th Annual Festival of 

Houses and Gardens 

‘Glorious Gardens Tour’ 

May 7, 14 and 21 

The Glorious Gardens Tours will offer a 

leisurely stroll through some of Charleston’s 

loveliest private gardens. Guides are 

stationed at each location to provide information 

about garden design, plant material 

and history. This year’s event will be exteriors 

only and will be held on Friday, May 7, May 

14 and May 21. Tickets are $75 per person 

plus fees and benefit the Historic Charleston 

Foundation. 843-723-1623. For tickets visit 

www.historiccharleston.org. 

Spoleto Festival USA 

May 28 – June 13 

For 17 days and nights each spring, Spoleto 

Festival USA fills Charleston’s historic 

theaters, churches and outdoor spaces with 

performances by renowned artists as well 

as emerging performers in opera, theater, 

dance and chamber, symphonic, choral and 

jazz music. Now approaching its 45th season, 

Spoleto Festival USA is internationally 

recognized as America’s premier performing 

arts festival. Spoleto Festival USA is a 501(c) 

(3) charitable organization. This year’s event 

was planned with thoughtful socially-distanced 

guidelines with many outdoor venues 

and limited capacity. For a full schedule and 

tickets, visit www.spoletousa.org. 

Safe Sounds at Firefly Distillery 

Thursdays and Saturdays 

through June 26 

Firefly Distillery will host national and 

regional musical acts for its third sociallydistanced 

concert series, Safe Sounds at 

Firefly powered by REV Federal Credit 

Union. The ticketed outdoor concert series 

is ages 21+ and offers 10 x 10 VIP “Safe 

Sounds Squares” for four guests to watch the 

concert from the field. Attendees will enjoy 

live music, beer and wine and food truck fare 

from the sprawling fields of the new Firefly 

Distillery in Park Circle. Guests are welcome 

to bring their own blankets and chairs to enjoy 

the concert. 4201 Spruill Avenue, North 

Charleston. Visit www.fireflydistillery.com 

for ticket information and a full lineup.

DON’T JUST LIVE HERE... 

LOVE IT HERE. 

GARDEN FLATS 

OPENING SOON 

Residents of South Bay at Mount Pleasant love the living choices, abundant resort-like 

amenities and nearly endless social engagements available to them. Here, residents 

and their families will love the emphasis on nutritious dining options, whole-person 

wellness, an on-site medical clinic and the peace of mind that comes from having 

continuing care on-site should they need it. 

Call 843.886.1124 to schedule a private tour and don’t just live here...LOVE IT HERE. 

1400 Liberty Midtown Dr, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 SouthBayatMountPleasant.com 

A Life Plan Community offered by Liberty Senior Living. 

May/June 2021 | 15 

© 2021 South Bay at Mount Pleasant

BUZZ 

EVENTS 

Live PAIN FREE 

With AHC 

Pain in any area of your body can negatively 

impact your life by limiting mobility, overall 

health, and happiness. Our team of medical 

specialists offers patients guidance and support 

in their quest to reach their optimal health 

through physical medicine and rehabilitation. 

Call (843) 553-2211 

For a FREE Consultation! 

6 

Our Comprehensive Line of 

Physical Medicine Services Include: 

Medical Pain Relief • Physical Rehabilitation 

Chiropractic Care • Joint Injections • Trigger 

Point Therapy • Medical Weight Loss 

Auto/Work Accident Treatment • Hormone 

Replacement Therapy • Platelet Rich 

Plasma Therapy • Botox ® & Fillers 

Alice Ravenel Huger Smith artist exhibition 

Now through January 2022 

A special exhibit showcases beloved Charleston artist Get to know Alice Ravenel Huger Smith 

with. Alice Smith was a leading artist in the movement that sparked economic revival and 

historic preservation in Charleston in the decades between the two world wars. The public 

will have the opportunity to view over 35 rarely-seen works from private collections at Middleton 

Place National Historic Landmark, 4300 Ashley River Road in West Ashley and the 

Edmondston-Alston House, 21 E. Battery in downtown Charleston. The exhibitions coincide 

with the launch of the book “Alice: Alice Ravenel Huger Smith, Charleston Renaissance Artist.” 

The book and the exhibition provide unique insights into Alice as an author, illustrator, 

printmaker, painter, teacher, and historian from the perspective of her family and close friend. 

Exhibits are included in the price of admission to the museums. www.middletonplace.org. 

*Photo/Lotus in the Great Blake Reserve, c. 1926-1936, Private Collection 

Looking to fill your social calendar? 

We’ve got the rundown on what to do this steamy season. 

Due to uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, events are subject to change, please check ahead 

ADVANTAGE HEALTHCARE 

OF CHARLESTON 

Goose Creek Location 

122 S. Goose Creek Blvd., Suite B 

Goose Creek, SC 29445 

Summerville Location 

2039 N. Main Street 

Summerville, SC 29483 

www.ahcwellnesscenter.com 


Charleston RiverDogs Baseball 

Through Sept. 12 

Enjoy a day or night at the ball field this 

summer. The Riverdogs are expecting to 

have fans in the ballpark in limited capacities 

at the Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park in downtown 

Charleston, one of the premier atmospheres 

in Minor League Baseball. The RiverDogs 

play in the class A South Atlantic League and 

are an affiliate of the New York Yankees. The 

2021 schedule features 60 home games, on 

Tuesday-Sunday 

each week 

with Mondays 

off. Standard 

start times for 

RiverDogs 

home games will be 7:05 p.m. Tuesday- 

Friday, 6:05 p.m. on Saturday and 5:05 p.m. 

on Sunday. The RiverDogs are in the process 

of putting together a promotions schedule 

for the upcoming season. 360 Fishburne St. 

Ticket prices vary. Fans are encouraged to buy 

tickets in advance. www.milb.com/charleston. 

North Charleston Arts Fest 

Through May 2 

Residents and visitors 

are invited to experience 

performances, 

workshops, exhibitions, 

and activities in 

venues throughout the city, including libraries, 

businesses, community centers, and parks.

Not too big. 

Not too small. 

For your next mountain getaway, 

Hendersonville is just right. 

playanydaygetawaycation 

Call for your free Visitor Guide 

800.828.4244 | VisitHendersonvilleNC.org 


Mt Pleasant Regional Airport (KLRO) 

700 Faison Road . Mt Pleasant, SC 

843-892-9380 

www.mtpleasantflighttraining.com 

BUZZ 

EVENTS 

All in-person festival events will be presented 

with COVID-19 safety measures in 

place (face coverings, social distancing, etc.). 

Some virtual programming will be offered. 

For a full schedule and tickets, visit www. 

northcharlestonartsfest.com. 

Learn How to Fly! 

WHERE MOM AND POP KINDNESS, MEETS THE BEST AND 

SAFEST FLIGHT INSTRUCTION IN THE LOWCOUNTRY! 

Veteran-owned with 47 years of Air Force leadership and flight experience. 

“Our passion is to serve and pass the freedom and opportunity of flight to 

all who have ever yearned to touch the sky.” 

Schedule a lesson with Scott and Julie today, to start or continue your flying journey. 

Postpartum Support Charleston 

Hosts Virtual Moms’ Run for 2021 

May 3-7 

Postpartum Support Charleston will host its 

18th annual Moms’ Run to benefit moms in 

the Charleston area struggling with maternal 

mental illness. The non-profit organization 

offers peer-to-peer support through 

in-person groups and helps moms get connected 

to counselors and other treatment 

resources. The virtual format will allow participants 

to run or walk 3.1 miles anytime, 

anywhere, from May 3-9. Registration is 

$30 per person. Registration includes a race 

T-shirt and bib. Register at www.ppdsupport.org/events/momsrun2021. 

Participants 

are encouraged to post pictures on social 

media with the hashtag #virtualmomsrun 

and tag Postpartum Support Charleston on 

Facebook and Instagram @ppdsupportchs. 

Listen on the Lawn 

May 5, 14, 21 & 28 

Listen on the Lawn is a socially-distant 

outdoor weekly concert series produced by 

Tobin’s Market every Friday in May at The 

Workshop. Each ticket includes concert admission 

for up to eight people and a 10x10 

open-air square. A full bar and food will be 

available for purchase from five stalls. Doors 

open at 6 p.m. and the shows start at 7 p.m. 

All ages. Ticket prices vary, depending on 

the lineup. 1503 King Street. 

www.citypapertickets.com. 

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You pay for it, so why not use it? 

Take advantage of your dental benefits before they expire! 

Monday: 8am-7pm 

Tuesday: 8am-5pm 

Wednesday: 8am-7pm 

Thursday: 8am-5pm 

Friday: 8am-5pm 

Saturday: 8am-2pm 

843-881-8881 or visit us at www.pleasantfamilydentistry.com 

Wednesday Garden Strolls 

& Wine Tastings 

Wednesdays in May 

Sip and stroll in America’s oldest landscaped 

gardens at Middleton Place while sampling 

old and new world wines. Each Wednesday 

from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., a different garden 

location will be paired with a selection of 

wines for you to sample and light snacks. 

Masks are required for some parts of the 

evening. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 

at the event. Foundation members receive $5 

off. Extend the evening with dinner at the 

Middleton Place Restaurant. 4300 Ashley 

River Rd. www.middletonplace.org. 


First Thursday Gullah Spirituals Concert 

May 6 & June 3 

Clap your hands and stomp your feet during 

an exhilarating performance of Gullah spirituals 

and the music of the Sea Islands. The 

ancestors of the Gullah people brought a rich 

heritage of African cultural traditions to this 

country. That extraordinary musical inheritance 

is still part of the Lowcountry culture, 

and we’re delighted to 

share it and a bit of Gullah 

history with you from 

5:30-6:30 p.m. The historic 

Unitarian Church c. 1817 

provides an extraordinary 

backdrop for this moving event. 4 Archdale 

Street. $40 per person plus fees. Proceeds 

benefit the Historic Charleston Foundation. 

Purchase tickets at www.historiccharleston.org 

Yappy Hour 

May 7 

Check out the new Wannamaker Dog Park 

in North Charleston with your furry friend! 

Enjoy live music from a local Charleston performer 

in an outdoor space and spend some 

quality time with your pup as you explore this 

new facility. Food must be 

consumed outside of the 

dog park gate. Alcohol 

will be available for purchase, 

and a valid ID is 

required. No outside food 

or alcohol permitted. Fee: $2. Free to Gold 

Pass holders. 8888 University Blvd. 

Lighthouse Inlet Bird Walk 


This bird walk focuses on the incredibly 

diverse northeast end of Folly Island. Once 

the home of a Coast Guard station, this 

Heritage Preserve protects maritime forest, 

beach, dune and marsh habitats for wildlife. 

This site boasts one of the largest bird lists in 

South Carolina. At this time of year, guides 

hope to see spring arrivals such as Painted 

Buntings and Wilson’s Plovers, plus much 

more. Entrance at Lighthouse Inlet Heritage 

Preserve, W. Ashley Ave, Folly Beach, 8:30 

a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Cost: $9. Ages: 12 and up. 

www.ccprc.com. 

Going Places Gala: A Night Under the Tent 


A gala to benefit non-profit Going Places will 

be held May 15 at the Patriots Point Pavilion 

at the Golf Links from 7-11 p.m. “A Night 

Under the Tent: Reliving your favorite child- 

Non-Profit, Faith-Based Senior Solutions 

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BUZZ 

EVENTS 

Shop for New 

Summer Fashions 

130 South Main St 

Historic Downtown 

Summerville, 

SC 29483 

843-871-6745 

info@maggieroseboutique.com 

ome Shop Your Holiday 

Favorites 

130 South CHARLESTON 

Main St 

Historic Downtown FLOWER Summerville, 

MARKET 

creative floral and 

SC 29483 

gift boutique 

843-871-6745 

info@maggieroseboutique.com 

hood memories of joy” event will provide the 

funds needed to buy bikes for the 385 disadvantaged 

students. The evening will consist of 

live and silent auctions, entertainment, heavy 

hors d’oeuvres, an open bar, entertainment by 

international magician Scott Wells, an aerial 

bartender and more. Individual tickets, reserved 

tables and VIP tables are available for 

purchase. 7 p.m. -11 p.m. VIP cocktail reception 

at 6:30 p.m. 1 Patriot’s Point Pavilion, 

Mt. Pleasant. www.goingplacesnonprofit.org. 

74th Annual Festival of Houses and 

Gardens ‘Glorious Gardens Tour’ 

May 17, 14 and 21 

The Glorious Gardens Tours will offer a 

leisurely stroll through some of Charleston’s 

loveliest private gardens. Guides are stationed 

at each location to provide information about 

garden design, plant material and history. This 

year’s event will be exteriors only and will be 

held on May 17, May 14 and May 21. Tickets 

are $75 per person plus fees and benefit the 

Historic Charleston Foundation. 843-723- 

1623. For tickets and a full schedule, visit 


Symphony Tour of Homes 

- Historic Charleston 

May 22 & 23 

The Charleston Symphony Orchestra 

League, Inc. will hold Tour of Homes in 

downtown historic Charleston. The selfguided 

tours will be 

held Saturday, May 

22 and Sunday, 

May 23, from 10 

a.m. to 6 p.m. Tour 

tickets are available 

online through May 20 for $55. Proceeds 

will support the Charleston Symphony and 

provide scholarships for local music students. 

www.csolinc.org/tour-of-homes. 

year’s event was planned with thoughtful 

socially-distanced guidelines with many outdoor 

venues and limited capacity. For a full 

schedule and tickets, visit www.spoletousa.org. 

Charleston’s Gardens from André Michaux 

to the Present 

June 11 

Join Charleston native and noted author, watercolorist 

and lecturer Louisa Pringle Cameron 

for a look at the history of Charleston 

gardens and those who influenced their design 

and composition. From French botanist André 

Michaux, who introduced local horticultural 

staples such as the crape myrtle and tea olives 

to Loutrell Briggs, one of Charleston’s most 

celebrated landscape architects, credited with 

establishing the Charleston formal garden, 

Cameron’s brings a thoughtful perspective on 

today’s Lowcountry garden landscape. A book 

signing of Cameron’s book Charleston: City of 

Gardens will follow. 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Historic 

Captain James Missroon House, 40 East 

Bay Street. Participants will enjoy a light lunch 

of salads and sandwiches. Tickets are $55 per 

person and will benefit the Historic Charleston 

Foundation. Advance purchase is required. 


Holy City Farmers Market 

Wednesdays through June 30 & the last 

Saturday of the month 

Two ongoing opportunities to shop local with 

local producers and creative small businesses 

every Wednesday on the lawn at Holy City 

Brewing from 4-7 p.m. and the last Saturday 

of the month at from 12-5 p.m. at Firefly 

Distillery, both in North Charleston, 1021 

Aragon Avenue & 4201 Spruill Avenue. At 

both locations, shoppers are asked to wear 

masks and practice appropriate social distancing 

while in attendance. Follow @holycityfarmersmarket 

for the latest updates. 

Thank you 

for voting us 

BEST OF THE BEST 

1952 Maybank Hwy, Charleston 

843-795-OO15 

charlestonflowermarket.com 


Spoleto Festival USA 

May 28 – June 13 

For 17 days and nights each spring, Spoleto 

Festival USA fills Charleston’s historic 

theaters, churches and outdoor spaces with 

performances by renowned artists as well as 

emerging performers in opera, theater, dance 

and chamber, symphonic, choral and jazz music. 

Now approaching its 45th season, Spoleto 

Festival USA 

is internationally 

recognized 

as America’s premier 

performing 

arts festival. This 

Safe Sounds at Firefly Distillery 

Thursdays and Saturdays through June 26 

Firefly Distillery will host national and regional 

musical acts for its third socially-distanced 

concert series, Safe Sounds at Firefly 

powered by REV Federal Credit Union. The 

ticketed outdoor concert series is ages 21+ and 

offers 10 x 10 VIP “Safe Sounds Squares” for 

four guests to watch the concert. Attendees 

will enjoy live music, beer and wine and food 

truck fare from the sprawling. Guests are welcome 

to bring their own blankets and chairs 

to enjoy the concert. 4201 Spruill Avenue, 

North Charleston. Visit www.fireflydistillery. 

com for ticket information and a full lineup. •

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CUSTOMIZE IT YOUR WAY | DESIGN | SIZE | FABRICS 


BUZZ | ENTERTAINMENT 

Reviews: Movies & Music 

DENISE K. JAMES ON NEW FILMS AND MUSIC 

Scaled and Icy 

Twenty-One Pilots 

After I heard the single “Shy Away” from the 

much-anticipated new album by pop duo Twenty- 

One Pilots, I found myself scouring the internet, 

eagerly looking for more — which should tell you 

something, considering I rarely listen to modern 

pop. Reminiscent of the 1980s with its catchiness 

and energy, “Shy Away” is a promising first tune 

from Scaled and Icy, as is the promise of a live 

stream for their contagious enthusiasm of fans. The 

full album will be available on May 21. This one 

might be worth the build up, y’all. 

The One 

3 Stars 

Netflix, Starring Hannah Ware, Lois Chimimba, Zoe Tapper, Dimitri Leonidas; Mature Audiences 

Most of us have heard fairy tales about falling in love for years, as well as that dangerous 

idea that there’s “one” ideal person, or soulmate, out there for us. Netflix’s “The One” offers 

an answer to how that could be possible — and poses other important questions at the same 

time. As a single woman, I must admit I was eager to watch the show as soon as I realized it 

was based around a matchmaking service. Whodunit mysteries and bio science fiction aside, 

I figured I would relate simply based on the fact that I’ve looked for love using modern ways 

of finding it. Of course, The One takes “modern love” to the ultimate next level: matching 

people to the person they are “genetically guaranteed to fall in love with.” 

Our main character, Rebecca Webb, founder of The One and played brilliantly by 

English actress Hannah Ware, seems impossibly poised and sophisticated—that is, until 

the web she’s woven around herself starts attracting flies. As viewers might guess, a genetic 

matchmaking service doesn’t come without dangers, problems of privacy and other 

caveats. Furthermore, who’s to say that happily coupled people wouldn’t want to find out 

who their scientific match is, a desire that comes with potentially home-wrecking costs? 

We’re introduced to a handful of couples and would-be couples throughout the 

eight-episode season, and we oddly enough find ourselves (or at least I did) rooting for 

pairs with differing origins: some scientific and some “old fashioned.” Naturally, right 

when I was warming up to the idea that The One might just be a philosophical inquiry on 

love disguised as a soapy drama, I realized nope!— mainstream audiences need a violent 

mystery to keep their attention. We have a few here, for good measure, but fortunately, 

it doesn’t take away from the show’s uncomfortable truth about love in the 21st century. 

I write these reviews to tell you just enough and never too much, and while it’s occasionally 

tough to accomplish this, The One made it easy. Not only are we grappling with 

the practical questions of what happened that night and what will happen after episode 8 

concludes, the thinkers among us are tasked with unraveling the most pressing questions 

of all: Can humans do something about chemistry? Can we choose to ignore it? Is love 

just a biological attraction? • 

You Hear Georgia 

Blackberry Smoke 

Southern band Blackberry Smoke has garnered 

listeners across the region, and no doubt their latest, 

You Hear Georgia, will add a glut of fans to 

the list. I was practically dancing around my living 

room to “Hey Delilah” (which one YouTube 

commenter astutely compared to Little Feat) and 

once I downloaded the title track “You Hear Georgia,” 

well, let’s just say I was more than ready for a 

Southern road trip. 

PHOTOS: THE ONE/NETFLIX;TWENTY ONE PILOTS/WARNER ARTISTS; 

BLACKBERRY SMOKE/LDRS 


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BUZZ | ART SEEN 

Art from Across the Ocean 

Italian painter Silvia Belviso brings her talent to the Lowcountry 

By JENNA-LEY JAMISON 

Silvia Belviso is a Southern gal; however, her cultural roots and artistic prowess 

weren’t birthed in the Palmetto State. The internationally-renowned and classically-trained 

Spainter hails from a boot-shaped Motherland more than 4,000 miles from the Holy City. 

For at least two years, Belviso seesawed between 

continents, traveling between her native 

Italy and the United States in order to create 

and show off her art as she awaited word of 

her Visa approval, securing spots to display her 

work in two prestigious local fine art galleries: 

Dale Gallery in downtown Charleston and 

Sandpiper Gallery on Sullivan’s Island. 

Belviso’s big move to the Western 

world occurred last January, just prior to the 

onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. It 

was a long-awaited milestone moment that 

finally uprooted her from Italy’s Southeastern 

coastal city of Bari. Settling in Charleston, 

Belviso found a similarly cozy, friendly place 

celebratory of art. 

“I love the American style,” she said. “I 

thought it was the best place for me, and I 

love the ocean.” 

Belviso’s admiration for the sea is evident 

in her paintings, as she often crafts pieces featuring 

waves and sea life. 

Silvia painting 

“The Passenger” 

at the Blair 

school of realism 


“I paint a lot of ocean scenes; I love all the 

blues and turquoise colors,” she said. 

Belviso is not beholden to waterway landscapes 

and scenes; she also portrays people, figures 

and animals, often using a photo—many 

she’s snapped herself—as a reference point. 

“I go take my own pictures of the beach or 

kids on the beach; other times when I paint a 

shark or lion, which is very difficult to take a 

photo of, I try to find a nice reference,” she said. 

Also evident is Belviso’s immense range. 

Just a quick glance at one of her paintings 

and there’s no denying her talent. Her work 

is anything but amateur, with her skills seemingly 

limitless. They span the artistic spectrum 

between the diverse painting styles of impressionism 

and photorealism, among other styles. 

Belviso further explained the distinction between 

the two. 

“Realism is something that looks most 

like a photograph and it’s probably the highest 

level of artistic technique,” she said, “I enjoy 

that because it’s very challenging for me.” 

On the other hand, impressionism is less 

stringent on accuracy, encouraging more autonomy 

with the brush. 

“With realism you have to be really accurate 

with colors and very precise with details. 

Impressionistic (style) is more loose, so (you) 

use big brushes so very more instinct(-like) 

technique,” Belviso said. 

While she is most well-known for her oil, 

acrylic and airbrush paintings, her aptitude for 

art far extends into clay sculptures and draw-

ings—one of her first artistic tinkerings. 

“I think I was born with a pencil in my 

hand,” she said with a laugh. “Since I was a 

little child, I really couldn’t help myself; every 

time I had a pencil or marker or something, I 

had to do some doodles.” 

As to the origins of her imaginative abilities, 

Belviso has always been slightly stumped. 

No one else in her family paints; however, her 

father is musically-inclined. 

“I think it’s something that was in my 

blood,” she said. “My father used to play music 

and sing and had some artistic passion.” 

It was a unique combination of drawing—and 

sculpture—that helped launch her 

successful career. Both niches luckily led a 

17-year-old Belviso to the door of Bari’s Bottega 

d’Arte G.De Nittis, where the Italian 

maestro Giuseppe “Peppino” Signorile worked 

and housed his magnificent masterpieces. 

At the time, Belviso was studying languages 

and literature in college, along with art 

history—the greater interest among her studies. 

In pursuit of that passion, the teen entered 

a local art competition in Bari, but just days 

before the event, the sculpture she fashioned 

crumbled. Devastated but still determined to 

submit an entry, Belviso worked to secure plan 

B: produce a drawing. 

“It was a holiday, and most of the stores 

were closed that day, and I wanted to get some 

paper and pencils to make a drawing very fast, 

in a few hours,” she said. 

(Clockwise from top): Fresh Waves, 2019, oil on panel, 

9.75 x 13.75; Endless Beauty, 2020, oil and acrylic on 

panel 18 x 24; The Passenger, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 18; 

That Feeling, acrylic on panel, 24 x 18. 


BUZZ | ART SEEN 

Much to her surprise, a local frame shop 

owner suggested she speak to Signorile. Having 

never met him, Belviso knew much about 

the famed 70-year-old—his legendary name 

and revered reputation made her reluctant at 

first; but that didn’t halt her courage. 

“I was very shy at that time,” Belviso said, 

“But all of a sudden I thought, ‘I have to do this. 

I have no choice,’ so I introduced myself, and I 

saw his paintings and tools all over the wall of 

his shop.” 

The maestro’s response proved 

life-changing. 

“He said, ‘Don’t worry; I have whatever you 

need. I give it to you,’” Belviso said. “He said, 

‘Go home, do your drawing and bring it back.’” 

After she returned with her drawing, Signorile 

framed it for his wall. He even helped 

her repair her broken sculpture. 

“After that, I never left,” Belviso said. 

The unlikely pair’s seemingly destined encounter 

turned into a decade-long mentorship 

and friendship. After Belviso secured a Fine 

Arts degree in 1979, she studied and refined 

her craft under Signorile. 

“I was very lucky to meet him,” she said. 

Belviso now finds herself in the mentor 

role as she teaches local amateur and advanced 

artists at Blair Center for the Arts in Mt. Pleasant, 

where she teaches a variety of painting 


techniques like oil, acrylic, watercolor, drawing, 

and even some clay work. 

“A little bit of everything,” Belviso said. 

“Most of our students are beginners. I enjoy 

teaching the adults more because they are more 

challenging for me; but I love kids, too. 

And it’s that insatiable craving for challenge 

that drives her to create one-of-a-kind 

pieces—never duplicating. 

“Every time, I want the challenge to be different,” 

she said. 

She’s created countless paintings, on 

surfaces ranging from canvas to wood panels, 

and is hard-pressed to pick a favorite; each one 

special in their own way. 

Belviso detailed one wildlife painting that 

most sticks out to her. Titled “The Passenger,” 

the piece showcases quite the odd pairing of 

an egret and an alligator. According to Belviso, 

while painting the scene of the coastal white 

bird resting upon a rock, passersby observing 

her enticed her to change the rock to the hairraising 

reptile. In response, she combined two 

photos for that piece. 

“But, you can’t see the alligator right away,” 

she said. “It’s kind of muted with the environment. 

After a few seconds, you realize that 

there is an alligator.” 

For Belviso, picking up a paintbrush is 

more than a hobby; it’s a way of life that invigorates 

her. 

“It makes me feel alive,” she said. “I feel 

that it’s something that I need. If I don’t paint, 

I’m not as happy. 

And the feeling is one she hopes to convey 

to her audience. 

“For me, my art is something that helps me, 

and I think I can help other people to feel better,” 

Belviso said. “I don’t want to create something 

that gives you anxiety. That’s my style; I 

try to transmit positive feelings.” 

While the pandemic has prompted many 

artists to reflect the reality of the times in their 

work, Belviso has remained true to her artistic 

goal—to capture beauty, whether it’s the face 

of a white tiger, the physique of a woman 

resting on the sand or the warm, interwoven 

cloud colors of a sunset. 

“I see a lot of artists paint a lot of stuff about 

COVID and people with masks,” she said. “I 

decided I didn’t want to do that. The moment 

was really difficult, and we already knew it was 

happening. I didn’t want to put those feelings 

on my paintings.” 

Belviso’s next series entails something new, 

but she’s currently keeping details of the project 

under wraps. 

“I don’t want to spoil it too much,” she said. 

“It’s going to be different things, different subjects—some 

of them are about life and nature.” • 

For more information on Silvia Belviso, visit 

www.sandpipergallery.net/ARTIST/ 

SILVIA-BELVISO. 

(Top) Fun on the Beach; (Left) White Horse, acrylic, 14 x 8.25

BUZZ | LOCAL CHATTER 

A Place to Rest 

Project Z non-profit aims to tackle ‘bedlessness’ among local students 

By SOPHIA RODRIGUEZ 

There’s a scene in the movie 

The Blind Side when Leigh Anne 

Tuohy, played by Sandra Bullock, 

is showing the very tall, very timid 

Michael Oher the bedroom she’s 

set up for him in her picturesque 

Memphis mansion. 

PHOTO JAY MANTRI/PIXABAY 

She points out the various pieces of furniture 

and says, “Oh, Sean says all the pro athletes use 

futons if they can’t find a bed big enough, so 

I got you one of those. Of course, the frame 

was heinous—was not about to let that in my 

house. But I got you something nicer.” When 

Oher says he’s never had one before, Leigh 

Anne says, “What? A room to yourself?” And 

he responds heartbreakingly, “a bed.” 

It’s an all-too-real issue for many right 

here in the Lowcountry. Jane Elieff has spent 

the last few years as a teacher in both Charleston 

and Berkeley County schools, and even 

though she would bring food in or do laundry 

for students who were in need, she still felt she 

was missing an important part of their lives 

that would lead to a better understanding of 

some of their behavioral and performance issues. 

Elieff said that as she became more attentive 

to their needs, she started noticing how 

many students would come to school tired. 

She even had a student who would come in 

so exhausted that she would sleep under her 

desk for over an hour when she first arrived at 

school each morning; otherwise, the student 

could barely stay awake in the classroom. 

When she started researching, she realized 

the need that wasn’t being met in their 

lives was an essential one: sleep due to improper 

bedding, or child bedlessness. 

This includes sleeping on the floor with a 

sleeping bag or just blankets, sleeping on an air 

mattress, bunking up with other family members, 

sleeping on a mattress with mold on it or 

sleeping on a couch or recliner instead of a bed. 

“I feel like it’s one of those problems 

that, unless you’ve experienced it yourself or 

witnessed it firsthand, it’s almost impossible to 

A new non-profit aims to provide beds and bedding 

for students who don’t have their own bed. 

be aware of,” said Elieff. “When I first started 

learning that my students weren’t sleeping well 

because they didn’t have beds, to be completely 

honest, I felt ignorant because I genuinely had 

no idea that this problem even existed.” 

One in eight children live in high poverty 

rates, according to a 2019 report from the 

Children’s Trust of South Carolina. 

Once Elieff was armed 

with information, she decided 

to tackle the issue head-on by 

creating Project Z. The new 

nonprofit aims to donate beds to 

children who are at an economic 

disadvantage. 

Project Z will encourage 

Title 1 schools in Charleston 

County and local child services 

professionals to recommend recipients. 

A committee will determine which 

children receive beds based on specific criteria 

and the organization will provide a complete 

bedding setup: a new twin-sized rollaway folding 

bed, sheets, comforter and pillow. 

“Choosing a rollaway style bed was inspired 

by a former student of mine who, when 

any company would enter the door of the 

apartment, had to put the beds their family 

used against the walls so that people would be 

able to enter the home,” said Elieff. “If it weren’t 

for my students and the things I learned about 

what they were experiencing, I wouldn’t know 

to make such specific choices like this.” 

She said support is the most important 

thing at this stage of her newly-formed organization 

by way of donations and awareness. 

“Project Z wants to change 

the lives of children here in our 

community. By providing a bed, 

we will be providing children 

with the sleep they need to be 

successful in school,” she said. 

“Charleston has the means and 

the resources to end child bedlessness 

in our area and what we 

need is for people to join us in 

fighting the fight against child 

bedlessness. Our children deserve it. Every 

child here in Charleston deserves a fair chance. 

Project Z stands by our belief that every child 

deserves a good night’s rest, and our hope is 

that community members will stand by that 

belief, too.” 

For more information on how to donate, 

visit www.projectzlowcountry.org or email 

projectzchs@gmail.com. • 


BUZZ | NEWSMAKER 

Strand feeding, common among 

Lowcountry dolphins, is practiced 

almost nowhere else on the planet. 

Strand Feeding and 

Other Fascinating Facts 

Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network has a heart for dolphins 

You might spot a large but graceful mammal pop out 

of the ocean for a few seconds during a day at the beach 

on one of the Charleston area’s islands, but chances are, these 

highly intelligent beings are just passing through. The 350 or so 

Atlantic bottlenose dolphins who call the Lowcountry home spend 

the bulk of their time in one of five major rivers along the coast. 


By BRIAN SHERMAN 

That’s just one of many fascinating facts 

about the dolphins who inhabit the Cooper, 

Ashley, Stono Wando and Edisto rivers and 

their smaller tributaries year-round who 

have perfected a method of feeding found 

in only a few other places in the entire world. 

“They spend 90 percent of their time 

in the rivers, and, because our water is so 

brackish, they can deal with it just fine. They 

grew up here and they’re used to the water,” 

said Lauren Rust, founder and executive director 

of the Lowcountry Marine Mammal 

Network (LMMN). “Sometimes they go 

pretty far upriver.” 

Rust says that some of the dolphins 

spotted near shore at the beach might be local 

residents who venture into the Atlantic 

Ocean in search of a meal or, in some cases, 

to get from one river to another. She said 

in the summer, migratory dolphins usually 

show up in the Charleston area, so it can be 

difficult to tell which ones live here perma- 

PHOTOS LOWCOUNTRY MARINE MAMMAL NETWORK

A sign educating visitors about what not to 

do around dolphins is placed along a local 

waterway on Kiawah Island, made possible 

by a grant through the Lowcountry Marine 

Mammal Network. 

nently and which are just in the Lowcountry 

for a short visit, unless they are among those 

that have been tagged and tracked by the 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

(NOAA). 

Rust said for more than 20 years, 

NOAA has been maintaining a database 

that includes many local Atlantic bottlenose 

dolphins, and she pointed out that 

the LMMN staff and volunteers recognize 

many of them based on scars, injuries, birth 

defects or other defining characteristics. 

They’ve even named some of the dolphins. 

For instance, a pair of calves born a few 

years ago are known by the monikers Koko 

and Kai. 

Established in 2017, the nonprofit organization’s 

main purposes are to educate 


BUZZ | NEWSMAKER 

the public and respond to sick and injured 

marine mammals, in collaboration with 

Coastal Carolina University and NOAA. 

There’s a lot to learn about marine mammals 

found along the Carolina shoreline, including 

spotted dolphins, pygmy sperm whales, 

humpback whales and right whales. 

An Eye on Dolphins 

LMMN’s main focus is Atlantic bottlenose 

dolphins, a species that in the Lowcountry 

secures nourishment through strand feeding, 

a method practiced almost nowhere 

else on the planet. They corral their dinner, 

usually mullet, against a dock or sand bar 

and push the fish ashore, grabbing them on 

land and pulling them back into the water. 

“It’s a unique feeding behavior only seen 

in a few places around the world. They typically 

do it in small creeks or inlets—anywhere 

they can trap the fish,” said Rust, who pointed 

out that “they learned it from their mom.” 

The staff at the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network 

recognize some of the local dolphins well enough to give 

them names. This pair is KoKo and Kai. 


Rust explained that though dolphins 

do not have what humans would define as 

families, the mom spends three to five years 

with her calves before they are required 

to face the world on their own. One of 

the things they learn is how to cooperate 

with other members of the pod during the 

strand-feeding process. 

“This incredible behavior is a coordinated, 

synchronized foraging behavior only 

seen in South Carolina and Georgia on the 

East Coast and only in a handful of places 

worldwide,” she added. “And because it’s 

passed down through generations, not all 

dolphins in South Carolina strand feed.” 

Rust said that in addition to the feeding 

habits of the local dolphin population, 

it’s also unusual for a group of the mammals 

to live in one place throughout the 

year. Because there’s plenty of food, few 

predators and not much traveling involved, 

some of them reach the age of 40 or older, 

about 15 years longer than dolphins that 

inhabit the ocean, Rust said. 

“We’re lucky to have a unique, local 

population,” she said, although between 

55 and 70 marine mammals die each year 

in the Lowcountry, many of them Atlantic 

bottlenose dolphins. 

Some fall victim to viral infections, 

malnutrition or simply old age, and a 

few newborns don’t make it as well, but 

dolphins also are struck by boats, injured 

by fishing gear or entangled in crab traps. 

Through LMMN’s education and outreach 

programs, Rust hopes to eliminate at least 

some of these unnecessary fatalities. 

For the past three years, through a 

grant provided by the towns of Kiawah and 

Seabrook islands, the Lowcountry Marine 

Mammal Network has been running a program 

on the two islands aimed at educating 

the public and “encouraging onlookers to 

give the dolphins space to feed.” 

She noted that few areas on the East 

Coast can boast of having a year-round 

dolphin population, other than Charleston 

and Sarasota, Florida. 

“We feel if the community knew more 

about the local dolphin population and how 

unique they are, they would not only stop 

engaging in these negative behaviors but become 

leaders in this conservation movement.” 

The organization also works to educate 

residents and visitors about what they can 

and cannot do when it comes to interacting 

with the local dolphin population. Because 

they are a federally protected species, people 

are not allowed to feed, pet, swim with 

or chase them – or harass them in any way, 

a term that encompasses “anything that 

disrupts their natural behavior,” Rust said. 

“A lot of people don’t realize what the 

long-term effects of feeding them could 

be,” Rust noted. “The animals might start 

begging for food and get too close to boats. 

They might teach their young how to beg.” 

The LMMN is a member of the South 

Carolina Marine Mammal Stranding 

Network, which is authorized by NOAA 

to respond to marine mammal strandings. 

Rust pointed out most states along the 

coast have between five and 15 response 

teams, while in the Palmetto State, there 

is only one. LMMN partners with the SC- 

MMSN, administered by Coastal Carolina 

University, to respond to strandings along 

the South Carolina coast. 

“Because they are federally protected, 

you need authorization to touch any marine 

mammal, dead or alive,” Rust explained. 

“We help collect valuable data related to genetics, 

diet, age, reproduction and stomach 

content.” 

Intent on initiating the education process 

at a young age, Rust started a summer 

camp program for 8- to 13-year-olds. Last 

year, they met at Demetre Park on James 

Island and discussed what needs to be done 

when a dolphin is stranded. Around 200 

kids learned about possible injuries and 

illnesses and how they should respond to 

help the animal. She said the 45-minute 

program would be available again this 

year, hopefully with twice that number of 

participants. 

Rust said she hopes to partner with 

Camp Sewee this year, providing the 

youth-oriented program to campers one 

day a week at Folly Beach. 

Rust earned her bachelor’s degree in 

marine biology at the College of Charleston 

and a master’s in ecology at the University 

of Wales. When she returned to 

the Lowcountry after spending time at the 

Marine Mammal Center in San Francisco, 

she was surprised at the lack of education, 

outreach and volunteer opportunities for 

people interested in dolphins and other sea 

mammals. 

“Starting a nonprofit was the best way 

to provide this education and outreach,” 

she said. “We want to be a bridge between 

the scientific community and the general 

public.” • 

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BUZZ | HISTORY 

Hugenot History Along the South Santee 

French settlers and Indian tribes thrived in the Carolinas 

By SUZANNAH SMITH MILES » Photos by WILLIAM BALDWIN 

The lower portion of the Santee River is one of the most beautiful natural areas in 

the country. It is also one of the Lowcountry’s most historic. It was named by early settlers 

after the Santee tribe, who, along with their neighbors, the Sewee, had inhabited the lower 

river basin for centuries. From the 1690s until the turn of the 20th century, the river became 

one of the largest producers of the valuable commodity called Carolina Golden Rice. 

“There’s never a time I’m on or near the river 

that I don’t see or learn something new,” says 

Randal G. McClure, director of the Village 

Museum in McClellanville, about 40 minutes 

from downtown Charleston past Mt. Pleasant. 

This small, intimate regional museum 

features a number of displays focusing on the 

river’s centuries-long experience with the rice 

culture. As McClure explains, the social and 

natural histories are intertwined. 

“The social history here is not only interesting 

and complex, but it has an intriguing 

dependence on the region’s natural history. The 

rice that flourished here could not have succeeded 

without the river and the land’s natural 

attributes. Both are fascinating studies.” 

The first Europeans who settled along 

the lower Santee were the Huguenots, refugees 

from France who began arriving in the 

late 1680s. Persecuted for their Protestant 

beliefs following the Revocation of the Edict 

of Nantes that had formerly granted them 

religious freedom, they had to flee France for 

their lives. 

“The transition to life in the Lowcountry 

wilds could not have been easy for these 

early French immigrants,” explains Mc- 

Clure. “They came from almost every part of 


France and some had left fortunes behind. 

Here they faced entirely new basics. They 

found themselves in an alien frontier semitropical 

environment, one dramatically different 

from what they had known in France 

and with a host of unfamiliar dangers such 

as alligators and poisonous snakes. Their 

neighbors were the Santee and Sewee tribes 

who spoke entirely different languages. Yet 

they not only survived, they thrived. It’s 

quite a story.” 

Perhaps the most vivid description of 

the Huguenot experience is found in a letter 

written by Judith Giton, who was married 

first to Huguenot Noah Royer and upon 

his death, Pierre Manigault. The letter was 

written to her brother some years after their 

arrival. Like other refugees, her family first 

made their way to Holland and then to 

England. After a three-month struggle, they 

were finally able to make passage to South 

Carolina. They arrived penniless. 

“After our arrival in Carolina, we suffered 

all sorts of evils,” wrote Judith. “Our 

eldest brother died of a fever eighteen 

months after coming here… We ourselves 

have been exposed, since leaving France, to 

all kinds of afflictions, in the forms of sickness, 

pestilence, famine, poverty, and the 

roughest labor. I have been for six months 

at a time in this country without tasting 

bread… Indeed I have spent three or four 

years without knowing what it was to eat 

bread whenever I wanted it.” 

When Englishman John Lawson explored 

the Santee in 1700, he visited the 

French settlements, writing, “With hard 

Rowing, we got that Night to Mons. Eugee’s 

House [Daniel Huger], which stands about 

fifteen miles up the River, being the first 

Christian dwelling we met with in that Settlement, 

and were very courteously receiv’d 

by him and his Wife. Many of the French 

follow a Trade with the Indians, living very

conveniently for that Interest. There is about 

seventy Families seated on this River, who 

live as decently and happily, as any Planters 

in these Southward Parts of America. The 

French being a temperate industrious People, 

some of them bringing very little of Effects, 

yet by their Endeavours and mutual Assistance 

amongst themselves (which is highly 

to be commended) have out-stript our English, 

who brought with ‘em larger Fortunes, 

though (as it seems) less endeavor to manage 

their Talent to the best Advantage.” 

Carolina Gold Rice Reigns 

For over two centuries, the lower Santee 

eventually was almost entirely devoted to the 

growing of rice. The natural wetlands seen 

today that stretch for miles on end were once 

neat, efficient, squares of rice fields, the necessary 

flooding and draining of the fields 

accomplished by an extraordinary system of 

dikes and water-filled ditches. Water flowed 

in and out as required through a remarkable 

engineering device called a rice trunk. 

“The working models we have in the 

museum of the rice trunk and the milling 

process are probably two of our most popular 

exhibits,” says McClure. “Since the exhibits 

move, even young school children can understand 

how the trunks worked and how 

the milling was achieved.” 

The rice culture came to an end at the 

end of the 19th century following the Civil 

War and a series of back-to-back hurricanes 

that caused irreparable damage to the fields. 

As the former fields and plantations began 

to be reclaimed by nature, a new rebirth occurred. 

In the early 1900s, many of the former 

plantations were purchased as waterfowl 

hunting retreats for wealthy northerners. 

Today’s Santee Coastal Reserve Wildlife 

Management Area is such a story. It 

encompasses the grounds of the former 

Eldorado rice plantation which later became 

the Santee Hunt Club, one of the most prestigious 

hunting clubs of the 20th century. 

Today, under the S.C. Department of Natural 

Resources, this 24,000-acre property includes 

hiking and biking trails as well as boat 

and kayak access to the water. It offers an 

unparalleled natural exploration of uplands 

and both fresh and saltwater lowlands, with 

lakes graced by canopies of tall cypress trees. 

The reserve is Edenic, wild, and now almost 

reverted back to what it was like when the 

first Huguenots arrived. 

McClellanville author, historian and 

photographer William P. Baldwin has written 

numerous books about the region and 

has a special connection to the area. “My father, 

a forester, was on retainer at the Santee 

Gun Club for many years. My father-in-law 

Malcolm Morrison had worked there as a 

child and delivered the mail there for decades. 

I clammed and oystered on the Santee 

for years. Fished and hunted up there when I 

was a young man. But it is really since retirement 

that I’ve come to love the area. I kayak 

and walk there at least twice a week.” 

One of the best features of the Santee 

Reserve is an elevated wooden walkway that 

allows visitors to enter deep swamp with 

relative safety, deer flies and mosquitoes notwithstanding 

(absolutely wear long sleeves 

and keep insect repellant on hand). Here one 

gets an up-close-and-personal view of nature 

at its purest, with sightings of such rare birds 

as the bright yellow promontory warbler and 

endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. 

For those who enjoy kayaking, there are 

various places that provide safe water entry. 

Yet, as Baldwin explains, go prepared. “I go 

often. Two three times a week. Sometimes 

every day of the week. But I always make 

sure folks know exactly where I’m going and 

when I’ll be back. I carry a portable phone— 

only reason I have one. I have a whistle and 

compass in my pocket and a pocket knife. 

Take plenty of water. Bug spray. A hat and a 

raincoat of some sort. 

“As for the history,” Baldwin continues, 

“like others, I obsess on the darkness, the 

complexity, and the history that is still being 

lived.” Indeed, a visit here is a truly magical 

experience, one that transports you far away 

from the hustle and bustle of the present and 

into a fascinating Compare natural Shipping world Rates. of the past. • 

We’ll Pack It. She’ll Love It. 

Want to go? 

The Village Museum, 401 Pinckney St. Mc- 

Clellanville, SC. (At end of Pinckney Street 

next to the Town Hall). Website: 

www.villagemuseum.com. 

Santee Coastal Reserve, 220 Santee Gun Club 

Rd., McClellanville. 843-546-8665. Email: 

lynchg@dnr.sc.gov. or go to website: www. 

scgreatoutdoors.com/park-santeecoastalreservewma.html 

Opposite page: Paddling in the Santee Coastal 

Reserve; The Santee Coastal Reserve is a paradise for 

wildlife; An alligator in the Santee Coastal Reserve. 

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BUZZ | SOUTHERN DRAWL 

A Heartfelt Mission 

The Jewish Family Services 

of Charleston organization 

sponsored and participated in 

the Charleston Pride Parade 

in 2019. 

DIG SOUTH Shindig at Mt. Pleasant Waterfront Park 

Director of Jewish Family Services of Charleston is committed to leaving the world a better place 

By HOLLY FISHER 

When Sara Sharnoff Tick was a child, she didn’t ask her mom for bedtime stories. 

Instead, she wanted to hear about her mom’s work as a clinical social worker. Forget the fairy 

tales. Tick was interested in how her mom had helped someone that day. It’s no surprise that 

Tick went on to study psychology and family therapy. Her nonprofit work over the last decade 

further cemented Tick’s overwhelming desire to help people facing hard times. 

“Being a therapist is wonderful,” Tick said. 

“You get to hear people’s stories. You walk 

by people on the street and never know who 

they are and what they’re going through. But 

(as a therapist), I get to spend an hour with 

someone talking about their life. It’s an honor 

to do that, to help them reach their goals and 

transform. It’s the best job in the world.” 

Tick wears her therapist hat and several 

others as executive director of Jewish Family 

Services of Greater Charleston. 

Her hands were full over the last year 

managing community needs in a pandemic 

and launching Jewish Family Services as a 

standalone nonprofit. There are just two 

other staff members: full-time director of 

senior outreach and case management Judy 

Hinman and part-time Jewish community 

chaplain Rabbi Aaron Sherman. 

While the organization is, as Tick says, 

“tiny but mighty,” the small team accomplishes 

a great deal of good for the greater 

Charleston community. 

Since Tick came to Charleston in 2012, 

the need for mental health services, a kosher 

food pantry and emergency financial assistance 

has grown. Her first job in Charleston 

was director of Jewish Social Services, which 

was at the time, a new department within the 

Charleston Jewish Federation. She was tasked 

PHOTO JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES OF CHARLESTON 


Sara Sharnoff Tick 

Director of Jewish 

Family Services of 

Charleston 

Education 

Bachelor’s degree 

in psychology and 

gender studies from 

Indiana University; 

master’s degree 

in family therapy 

from University of 

Massachusetts, Boston 

Hometown 

Columbia, S.C. 

Family 

Husband, 4-yearold 

son and three 

stepchildren 

Hobbies 

Spending time 

outdoors enjoying 

the Lowcountry 

PHOTO MARK SWICK 


BUZZ | SOUTHERN DRAWL 

with helping address emotional and financial 

needs in the community. 

The requests from families, seniors and 

other vulnerable populations increased. In 

2014, Jewish Social Services became the 

Charleston Jewish Family Services, joining the 

Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies. 

The organization kept growing and expanding, 

Tick said. As it became financially 

stable, Tick said it was time to launch Jewish 

Family Services of Greater Charleston as an 

independent organization. The newly-minted 

nonprofit officially launched in January 2021 

with its new name, but the same mission of 

helping those in need. 

Expanding Community Needs 

Jewish Family Services works throughout the 

tri-county area providing much-needed assistance 

to mainly families and seniors. Tick 

said the global pandemic was incredibly challenging 

for the community on so many levels, 

including mental health. 

As a licensed therapist, she offers counseling 

to all ages and often pro bono. 

“We don’t turn anyone away,” she said. 

“I’m a therapist first. Mental health service is 

something people cut if they have to choose 

between that and groceries. But if you don’t 

take care of your mental health, it’s hard to 

get back on your feet. We want mental health 

care to be accessible.” 

She saw a spike in depression and 

anxiety during the pandemic as well as more 

hospitalizations. 

“All around, it was a tougher year,” Tick 

said. “So, I’m passionate about offering that 

service.” 

Volunteers from the 

Jewish Family Services 

of Charleston at a local 

food pantry. 

In addition to mental health services, the 

organization runs a kosher food pantry. That 

service was also in high demand during the 

pandemic. With their office in West Ashley 

closed, Tick said they were able to open a 

drive-thru food pantry at Sherman House, an 

independent living complex in West Ashley 

for seniors and those who are disabled. 

Tick said right now they plan to keep 

the drive-thru kosher food pantry running 

at Sherman House in West Ashley every 

other Friday. One of the benefits of being 

a small organization, she said, is that they 

can quickly adjust to community needs and 

circumstances. 

Charleston’s older population is burgeoning 

as people retire to the coast—and 

Jewish Family Services is feeling the impact. 

Judy Hinman, director of senior outreach 

and case management, stays busy checking in 

on seniors who may not have family close 

by. Particularly during the pandemic, seniors 

have been isolated so Hinman and volunteers 

made phone calls or dropped off groceries and 

other necessities. 

Jewish Family Services also provides 

emergency financial assistance for seniors 

who need medication not covered by insurance 

or help paying their rent, mortgage or 

utilities. 

“A lot of seniors are on a fixed income. 

And we have many clients over 100 years old. 

They have outlived their means,” Tick said. 

Staying True to the Mission 

Thanks to donations and grants, Tick said 

Jewish Family Services can stretch its dollars 

and do a lot of good despite being its small 

staff. Part of that is staying focused on providing 

case management, mental health and 

emergency financial aid. 

“We try not to expand too much. We try 

to zone in on how we can be the most effective,” 

she said. “We’re trying to help people 

get out of crisis.” 

One of the misperceptions about Jewish 

Family Services is that the organization only 

serves people of Jewish faith. Not so, Tick said. 

While Jewish Family Services will certainly 

assist any of Charleston’s more than 

11,000 Jewish families, the organization has 

an open door to the community at large. 

“We are here to help anyone we can,” she 

said. “We are here for people who are in need.” 

So why leave “Jewish” in the organization’s 

name? It’s simple, Tick said. “We want 

to make sure we are running the organization 

with Jewish values.” 

At the heart of Jewish Family Services’ 

mission are two fundamental Jewish values: 

tzedakah (charity) and tikkun olam (repair of 

the world). Tick said her team is committed 

to leaving the world a better place. Other core 

Jewish values that drive their work are an obligation 

to create justice in the world, treating 

others with dignity, compassion and caring 

for others, and acts of kindness and assistance 

toward others. 

Tick’s own Jewish faith is integral to her 

work and her desire to help. 

“I’ve always felt very tied to my Jewish 

identity,” she said. “Especially growing up in 

South Carolina and being a religious minority. 

It made me realize I have to be tolerant 

of all people. You can’t tell who someone is 

by looking at them or their name. Inclusivity 

of all people, races and backgrounds is 

something I carry with me through this job 

every day. I treat people the way I want to be 

treated.” • 

The Jewish Family 

Services of Charleston First 

Responders Project volunteers 

dropped off food to first responders 

who serve the Lowcountry. 

PHOTOS JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES OF CHARLESTON 


Well Styled 

DESIGN | ART CLASS | ART TOWN | SPOLETO FESTIVAL 

Coastal 

Colors 

Make your space 

a coastal paradise 

See page 38 

PHOTO MARGARET WRIGHT FOR MEGAN MOLTEN/@MARGARET.WRIGHT 


WELL STYLED | DESIGN 

S 

Summertime is just around the corner, and what 

better time to incorporate what we all love about life in the 

Lowcountry this time of year—a relaxed, beachy vibe. Whether you 

are looking for ways to add some Lowcountry seaside flair to your 

space or looking for seasonal accessories for when you host loved 

ones for a summertime meal, local designer Megan Molten, luxury 

interior designer and founder of Megan Molten Interior Design in 

Mt. Pleasant, shares her tips on how to successfully pull off a refreshing 

seasonal style throughout your home, both indoors and outdoors. 

Inspired by Charleston’s cool, coastal colors, 

Molten describes her go-to aesthetic as light, 

bright, clean, modern and airy. 

“Summer means a lot of white, always 

my base, and then we add in natural colors 

and woven textures topped with soft colors 


Beach Vibes 

How to achieve peak coastal style 

By SHELBY SIMON 

like blue and grey,” says Molten. She tends 

to gravitate towards designing with these 

neutral hues at the front, paired with greenery—lots 

of palms, a nod to the Lowcountry—and 

a combination of woven materials, 

glass and wood accents. 

For woven accents indoors or outdoors, 

Molten recommends incorporating rattan 

furniture. “Mixing and matching rattan elements 

throughout your home gives a subtle 

coastal nod,” she says. It also provides a contrast 

against other upholstered pieces. 

Another coastal decor detail to consider 

is repurposed driftwood, which can elevate 

any space with its one-of-a-kind character. 

Molten recommends using driftwood as a 

beautiful addition to a coffee table, as dining 

room table centerpiece, on a built-in bookshelf 

or even hung above a bed. 

Whatever area of your home you’re 

sprucing up, starting with a clean color palette 

and adding coastal art and accents can 

say summer without overdoing it. 

“Some accessories that can consistently 

be updated throughout your home are things 

like artwork, throw pillows, accessories and 

greenery,” she says. 

Molten tends to choose neutral upholstery 

and add pillows in soft colors and art 

prints, which can always be moved around 

to keep things fresh and seasonal. For your 

porch or outdoor centerpieces, filling large 

white planters with large tropical plants and 

seasonal flowers can make a vibrant statement. 

When entertaining guests, it’s the little 

thoughtful details that can make a memorable 

experience. Home accessories, including kitchen 

items perfect for setting a summer table: cutting 

boards, bowls, serving trays and utensils, can be 

found in Molten’s online shop, MeganMolten- 

Shop.com, as well as her shoppable warehouse, 

open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10-4 p.m. at 

612 Johnnie Dodds Blvd. in Mt. Pleasant. 

“Our kitchen items are a mix of glass, 

woven, white and wood to help you create 

a collected yet cohesive look for your indoor 

or outdoor summer tables,” Molten says. She 

also offers a variety of faux greenery, woven 

candle holders and textured white vases and 

planters for centerpieces. A nod to Molten’s 

own love of collecting and decorating with 

local original artwork, her shop also features 

artistic talent from around the Lowcountry. 

“I’m a big fan of indoor/outdoor living 

and making your spaces inside and outside 

your home cohesive,” says Molten. She now 

offers full-service design services, virtual 

design services and an e-commerce shop for 

clients in the Charleston area and beyond. 

Her most important piece of advice? 

“If you can only do one thing to make your 

home feel summery, paint everything white,” 

says Molten. “It will immediately make your 

home feel clean and fresh.” • 

PHOTO MARGARET WRIGHT FOR MEGAN MOLTEN/@MARGARET.WRIGHT


WELL STYLED | ART CLASS 

A 

Blair Center for the Arts 

exterior in Mt. Pleasant. 

The Art of Teaching 

Budding artists welcome at Blair Center for the Arts 

Art is extremely important to the world. It affects 

and influences everything, from fashion to architecture. It’s 

also one of the most effective ways to express thought and emotion, 

making viewers feel and think for themselves—even if they may 

not understand exactly what the artist is trying to convey. 

For organizations like the Blair Center for the 

Arts in Mount Pleasant, art is the language that 

everyone speaks and giving students a stronger 

voice is at the very heart of their reason for 

being. Created in 2019 when the Blair School 


By LIESEL SCHMIDT 

of Realism merged with Creative Arts of 

Mount Pleasant, BCA built upon established 

programs and expanded them, offering a wider 

scope of instruction to a broader base of students. 

The foundation was strong: The School 

of Realism’s reputation as an international art 

school with incredible talent at its helm and in 

its classes, along with the standing of Creative 

Arts of Mount Pleasant, created an initiative 

filled with possibility and purpose. 

“The concept was to offer artists of all 

ages the highest quality art instruction delivered 

from wide range of art teachers,” said Dru 

Blair, founder of the Blair School of Realism, 

who worked with Italian artist Silvia Belviso 

and Kathleen Fox, owner of Creative Arts of 

Mount Pleasant to establish BCA. “We 

wanted to cater to artists who are serious about 

improving their art 

but also want to have 

fun while doing so. 

Kathleen had taken 

Creative Arts in that 

direction, and our 

desire was to build 

upon that.” 

What BCA brings 

to the community is 

more than just an opportunity to gather and 

create—it also provides children a supplement 

to the art programs offered in schools. 

Unfortunately, school art programs are often 

either underfunded or non-existent. For adult 

artists, BCA offers programs to take their art 

to the next level. Budding artists also find a 

place to plant roots and bloom. 

“By offering art courses designed to 

inspire and motivate, we help developing artists 

nurture their talent,” said Blair. “Many of 

our instructors are classically trained and can 

establish solid foundations and skill-building 

direction for these newly emerging artists.” 

Over the past two years, BCA has established 

a reputation for itself, both for the quality 

of its instruction as well as its work with the 

community in establishing a firm foundation 

in the arts. “The artistic range of our instructors 

is amazing,” noted Blair. “We have instructors 

that can create paintings indistinguishable 

from a photograph, and others who specialize 

in pure abstract expressionism. They are masters 

in each of their mediums. For children’s 

programs, we have teachers with decades of 

experience who bring a high quality of art 

education to young students—often blending 

history and education within the lesson. They 

ensure that we offer a robust program of hourlong 

afterschool classes for children aimed at 

nurturing their artistic development.” 

Funded by donations from the School 

of Realism and by class tuition, BCA is not 

dependent on the generosity of benefactors 

to keep its doors open and its classes financed. 

PHOTOS BLAIR CENTER FOR THE ARTS

A student’s pencil drawing 

at the Blair Center for the Arts. 

And while that particular hurdle may be 

cleared, they still encounter challenges. 

“One big issue for us has been orchestrating 

more than 40 different classes each week 

with only 18 instructors and three studio 

spaces, then doing it again every five or six 

weeks,” said Blair, whose background in art is 

both impressive and expansive. 

Originally planning to enter the field 

of medicine, Blair shifted his focus to fine 

art as an undergraduate when he discovered 

his artistic ability and switched majors in his 

senior year at Furman University in Greenville. 

After earning a master’s degree in Fine Art 

and working as a commercial illustrator for 

two decades, he founded the Blair School of 

Realism in 1997 to teach photorealistic painting 

techniques. He then went on to tour the 

world as a guest instructor and teach at various 

art schools all across the globe. That period of 

travel and teaching enriched his artistic expertise, 

giving him a wealth of knowledge to share 

with his students. 

“The best part for me is watching the 

transformation of an artist as they develop 

skills, understanding, and the capacity to command 

their subject and medium,” said Blair of 

what he enjoys most about working with BCA. 

“Aside from the personal joy that art brings, a 

culture is defined by its art. One often-overlooked 

benefit is art’s ability to teach creativity 

and imagination. Creativity is how every invention 

came into existence, and any invention 

we enjoy was born from someone’s imagina- 

tion. To quote Einstein, ‘Imagination is more 

important than knowledge. Knowledge is 

limited. Imagination encircles the world.’” 

Offering a broad range of mediums in 

their classes, the teachers at BCA specialize 

in classical oil painting, acrylic, watercolor, 

pastel, airbrush, drawing, sculpture, pen and 

ink, colored pencil, pouring, printmaking, 

and fabric arts. Children’s classes are one 

hour in length, and adult classes range from 

90 minutes to three hours. Private instruction 

is also available. 

BCA is located at 1125 Bowman Road #100, 

Mount Pleasant. For more information, call 843- 

936-6351 or visit www.creativeartsofmp.com. • 

Children’s 

drawing class. 

Blair Center for 

the Arts adult 

watercolor class. 


WELL STYLED | ART TOWN 

artwork and rotates exhibits. The gallery can 

be accessed through St. Philips Street. 

The Gibbs Museum welcomes visitors 

with an activity-filled first floor that is free 

and open to the public. Visitors can purchase 

tickets to view galleries on the upper floors, 

and there is also a museum store with jewelry, 

gifts, art supplies and more. The museum is 

located at 135 Meeting Street. 

The City Gallery at Waterfront Park 

Art on the Town 

The Charleston area offers a plethora of public art 

Mt. Pleasant 

The Town of Mt. Pleasant previously invited 

artists to submit applications for their art to 

be painted on 4-foot fiberglass oyster shells 

that will be installed throughout town, at locations 

including Dunes West and Park West, 

Memorial Waterfront Park, a pocket park 

near Red’s Icehouse by Shem Creek, near the 

farmer’s market on Coleman Boulevard, near 

the tennis courts on Whipple Road, at the 

bus stop in front of Town Hall, on Pitt Street 

and on Carolina Park Boulevard. 

The town has purchased eight more that 

will need to be painted. 

There are more than 20 painted metal 

traffic boxes throughout Mt. Pleasant, featuring 

images of everything from local seafood, 

to a basket weaver, to a map of Charleston. 

This program started in 2016 as a way to 

showcase local artists. 

By MONICA KREBER 

W 

Whether it’s getting your picture taken in front 

of a mural or checking out sculptures crafted by college 

students, the greater Charleston area offers a plethora of public 

art for residents and visitors to check out. Below is a roundup of 

free art exhibits and displays throughout Charleston. 

City of Charleston 

The City Gallery at Waterfront Park features 

contemporary artwork from the Lowcountry 

and Southeastern United States with six to 

eight exhibitions a year – more specific information 

is available on the City Gallery’s website. 

The gallery is located at 34 Prioleau St. 

More contemporary artwork can be found 

at the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art 

at the College of Charleston. The institute is 


named for Charleston artist William Halsey, 

who passed away in 1999. The Halsey Institute 

hosts five to seven exhibitions a year, 

highlighting work by emerging and midcareer 

artists of national stature. The institute 

is located at 161 Calhoun St. 

On the first floor of the Cato and Simmons 

Center, attached to the Halsey Institute 

of Contemporary Art, is the Hill Gallery, 

which displays College of Charleston student 

The Mt. Pleasant Culture, Arts and 

Pride (CAP) commission partners with the 

College of Charleston Sculpture Department 

each year to display two students’ sculptures 

at the pocket park on Coleman Boulevard 

near Moultrie Middle School. There are several 

permanent sculpture displays at the Park 

West Recreation Complex program building, 

the R.L. Jones Center and the Mt. Pleasant 

Regional Library on Anna Knapp Boulevard. 

PHOTO JENNY PETERSON; OYSTER PHOTO GREGORY WILSON

Mt. Pleasant has an interactive art map 

on the town’s website showing where to find 

free art around town. 

North Charleston 

The Park Circle Gallery, located at 4820 

Jenkins Avenue, rotates exhibits on a 

monthly basis – and it’s all within walking 

distance of Park Circle’s bars, restaurants 

and shops. The gallery also displays prints, 

notecards, jewelry and other fine craft items 

by local artists, available for sale. 

More than 75 art pieces are featured in 

the City’s Public Art Collection. Artwork 

is displayed along the atrium areas of three 

floors in North Charleston City Hall, located 

at 2500 City Hall Lane. 

Summerville 

Sculpture in the South has installed more 

than 25 figurative bronze sculptures to display 

throughout Summerville since 1999. 

These sculptures can be found in Azalea Park, 

downtown Summerville, Gahagan Sports 

Complex, Shepard Park and more. The Summerville 

Visitor Center offers a brochure for 

a self-guided tour of the collection in town. 

The B.I.R.D.S. Program brings together 

the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest, 

Sculpture in the South and Summerville 

D.R.E.A.M. to highlight Summerville’s native 

bird species. There are more than 20 life-sized 

bronzes overlooking the town from their 

“perches” on balconies, windowsills, shop signs 

and rooftops. The first sculpture was unveiled in 

2013. (Learn more at scupltureinthesouth.com) 

The Public Works Art Center in downtown 

Summerville showcases both local and 

national art. The center hosts free events like 

Third Thursday Open Studios, art show openings, 

documentary screenings, artist talks and 

more. Fresh shows debut every six weeks. The 

Center is located at 135 W Richardson Ave. 

Summerville also has a number of murals 

throughout town, such as a large image of two 

American redstart birds on the side of the parking 

garage downtown, and a giant Mason jar on 

the side of the Summerville Chamber of Commerce 

building. • 

Riverfront Park 

PHOTO OF OTTER SCULPTURE APRIL WARD 

Artists from around the world participate 

in the National Outdoor Sculpture Competition 

and Exhibit, a component of the annual 

North Charleston Arts Fest (held in April). 

Although the Art Fest is over, sculptures 

from the competition are installed in North 

Charleston Riverfront Park (1001 Everglades 

Drive) for display until next March. 

Open to the public year-round and set 

on the banks of the beautiful Cooper River, 

North Charleston Riverfront Park is a favorite 

destination for residents and visitors. 

There are several permanent pieces from the 

City’s collection on display in the park, and 

the Naval Base Memorial at the park has 

some sculpture components. 

Another component of the Art Fest is 

the African American Fiber Art Exhibition, 

showcasing original creations by African 

American fiber artists from across the nation. 

These curated-themed exhibits will be on 

display on all three floors of City Hall until 

the end of June. 

Murals Around Town 

Photo enthusiasts can check out Limelight 

Custom Sign Co.’s “interactive mural” at 

the Elan Midtown Luxury Apartments 

located at 441 Meeting Street. The mural is 

accessible to the public and located inside 

the lower parking deck off Spring Street. 

Famed Charleston muralist David 

Boatwright has many murals around 

Charleston, including a an eye-catching 

mural at 341 East Bay Street shows a 

Charleston street scene past and present. 

Romney Urban Garden, located at 

222 Romney Ct. in Charleston, features a 

50-foot-long mosaic mural across a cinderblock 

wall. Local mosaic artist, Meryl Weber, 

created it in June 2015 with help from 

about 40 volunteers. 

A large cluster of local murals can be 

found in West Ashley’s Avondale neighborhood. 

Visitors might recognize some 

familiar faces in the artwork such as late 

Lowcountry blacksmith Philip Simmons, 

or naturalist Charles Darwin. 

A vibrant depiction of Jimi Hendrix 

can be found on the side of Charleston 

Pourhouse on Maybank Highway. Muralist 

Riivo Kruuk completed the project this 

past year. 

If one ever wondered how big a Great 

White shark is, there is a scale painting of 

Mary Lee, a shark that was tagged off the 

coast of South Carolina in 2012, at Half- 

Moon Outfitters, located at 425 Coleman 

Boulevard in Mt. Pleasant. 

Renoir Redux by David Boatwright 


“Great is Thy Faithfulness” 

Sheryl Stalnaker 

Exhibiting at 2021 Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition • May 28 - June 12 

sherylstalnaker.com • sheryl@sherylstalnaker.com • 843-754-1994 


“Reflection” 

From the serene landscapes she 

painted while raising twins, to the 

pet portrait commissions that provided 

comfort during 2020, to the 

wandering journeys she’s painted 

since the recent death of her mother 

and the cancer diagnosis of her father, 

Charleston-based artist, Sheryl 

Stalnaker has used her work to retreat 

“Shake it Off ” 

“Testing the Waters” 

from the world into places beloved 

and familiar: paint and canvas. 

“If you look at my website, you’ll see a 

variety of subjects. However, as I look at 

my work over a span of time, I find that 

a series of paintings often emerge from 

what is going on in my life,” she says. 

Her works, while varied, seem to 

share a common use of color scheme 

and texture. 

“I paint with both a palette knife and 

a brush,” says Stalnaker. “I’ve always 

CHRISTINE HAMRICK PHOTOGRAPHY 

been attracted to art where you can 

see definitive marks from the artist’s 

hand. It has an energy that I’m drawn 

towards.” She uses paint straight from 

the tubes, sometimes mixing cold 

wax medium to add extra texture. “I 

do go through a lot of paint,” she says. 

Also a teacher, she tells her students, 

both young and older, to start with 

painting what they love, and she 

finds that her own art works best 

when she follows her own advice. 

“Summer Geraniums” “Golden Sail” “Island Path” “Alley View” 

“If I love a subject and really understand 

it, there will be art collectors who also 

feel the same way,” she said. During 

one art show, a customer purchased 

an ocean painting. “She shared that she 

had been going through a very difficult 

time in her life. She found peace when 

looking at my painting and wanted to 

have it hanging in her home. As an artist, 

those experiences are very rewarding.” 

Rewarding and beautiful, just like 

Stalnaker’s work. 


WELL STYLED | SPOLETO FESTIVAL 

Spoleto 2021: 

A Welcome Return 

to a (New) Normal 

Spoleto 2021 guarantees the cultural experience we’ve all missed 

By LEAH RHYNE 

Throughout its distinguished 45-year history, Spoleto Festival has endured hardships 

but remained a cornerstone of the south’s cultural calendar. From using its 1990 festival to signal a 

return to life for the city following the devastation of 1989’s Hurricane Hugo, through economic 

crises, to an eventual revitalization of the Holy City thanks in part to this annual celebration of 

culture and the arts, it is the anchor of every Charleston spring. That is, until the COVID pandemic 

of 2020 forced Spoleto to close its doors, the first ever cancellation in the festival’s storied history. 

Chamber music will be 

performed in front of a 

limited audience at the 

Dock Street Theatre. 


In 2021, however, Spoleto is back, from May 

28 through June 13, marking a return to a new 

normal with two weeks of music, theater and 

dance that promises to fill hearts and minds 

with light after a dark year. This festival also 

signals the end of another era: longtime general 

director Nigel Redden will say goodbye. 

A free, virtual gala on May 22 will celebrate 

Redden and the careers he has impacted over 

Spoleto’s 45 years. The gala will feature prerecorded 

performances and messages from 

festival friends such as Laurie Anderson, Ayodele 

Casel, Steve Reich, Rhiannon Giddens, 

and Bill T. Jones. The event is free and will be 

available to stream through June 13. Donations 

from the event will support the Nigel Redden 

Emerging Artist Fund, created in Redden’s 

honor to bolster future programming efforts. 

The festival lineup features live, in-person 

events, as well as specially crafted virtual 

experiences that can be viewed from home. 

In scope, it will only represent approximately 

25% of prior years’ festival events and attendees, 

but that’s by design. 

“In many ways, this season will be quite 

different—not least because of the reduced 

number of performances and seats as a result 

of physical distancing,” says Redden. “Still, 

despite the constraints and challenges, this 

season will be remembered for its moments 

of immense beauty. I want each audience 

member to have an unforgettable, magical experience—the 

kind that can only come from 

seeing live performance.” 

More Outdoor Venues 

To safely accommodate in-person performances, 

Spoleto got creative and will make 

more use of outdoor spaces than normal. 

2021 festival venues include: 

There will be a virtual 

performance called “A 

Thousands Ways: Part 

One (A Phone Call) 

Ballet Under 

the Stars will be 

performed on an 

outdoor stage. 

Four-time 

Grammy 

award winner 

Sarah Jaroz. 

» The Charleston Visitor Center Bus Shed: 

Nightly performances of The Woman in Black, 

adapted from Susan Hill’s novel by Stephen 

Mallatratt and directed by Robin Herford, will 

take place at 8:30 p.m. As the Bus Shed is in 

use as a transportation hub by CARTA daily 

until 5:00 p.m., these theatrical performances 

will require the building and dismantling of 

the stage and seating every night. 

» Rivers Green at College of Charleston: 

This new outdoor stage will feature three 

dance programs: Caleb Teicher & Company; 

Ephrat Asherie Dance; and the program Ballet 

Under the Stars, performed by American Ballet 

Theatre and New York City Ballet’s Isabella 

Boylston, Adrian Danchig-Waring, Joseph 

Gordon, Unity Phelan, and Calvin Royal III. 

» The College of Charleston Cistern Yard: 

All performances associated with the Festival’s 

Wells Fargo Jazz and First Citizens Bank 

Front Row series will take place at the outdoor 

stage at the Cistern Yard. Performances 

will include a celebration of the music of the 

Great Migration - a period from 1910 – 1970, 

when Black families fled racial violence in the 

South and traveled North and West – as well 

as the historic Preservation Hall Jazz Band. 

» The Dock Street Theatre: The building 

that occupies the site of the first purpose-built 

theater in the United States will continue its tradition 

of hosting the Spoleto Chamber Music 

Series, albeit with a decreased capacity to allow 

for physical distancing and safety protocols. 

Schedule Highlights 

The Spoleto at Home series offers two bespoke 

virtual experiences for those who do not 

yet feel ready to partake in in-person events. 

A Thousand Ways: Part One (A Phone Call), 

“Odeon” will combine 

breakdance, hip-hop and 

more from award-winning 

choreographer Ephrat Asherie. 


WELL STYLED | SPOLETO FESTIVAL 

created by 600 Highwaymen, is one of those 

experiences. The event’s description is cryptic: 

“Pick up the phone. Someone is on the line. 

You don’t know their name, and you still won’t 

when the hour is over, but as you follow the 

recorded instructions, a portrait of your partner 

will emerge through fleeting moments of 

exposure.” This “social experience” promises to 

be fascinating. 

Odeon by Ephrat Asherie Dance will 

layer breakdance, hip-hop, house, and vogue 

for a high-energy, hybrid creation for six 

dancers from award-winning choreographer 

Ephrat Asherie. It combines the legacies of 

street and club dance styles and remixes them 

to challenge choreographic contexts. 

And for jazz fans, the New Orleans Jazz 

Celebration will be nothing short of spectacular. 

Celebrating the music of Danny Barker, a jazz 

raconteur who helped spark a resurgence in the 

New Orleans brass-band tradition in the 1970s, 

an eight-piece all-star band—led by clarinet 

virtuoso Dr. Michael White and Grammywinning 

vocalist Catherine Russell—will bring 

the Cistern Yard to its feet. 

Safety Protocols 

To safely produce an in-person festival, 

Spoleto staff began working immediately after 

the cancellation of their 2020 season. Says 

Spoleto Director of Marketing and Public 

Relations, Jessie Bagley says, “This journey 

included endless pivots, re-imaginings and 

hurdles to jump through. We knew from the 

start that we had to prioritize the return of 

live, in-person performances, and to do it as 

safely as possible.” 

The festival partnered closely with 

Preservation Hall 

Jazz Band 

Two Wings: The Music of 

Black America in Migration 

will be performed outdoors. 

MUSC’s Back to Business program. “We 

had doctors, consultants, and administrators 

informing all our decisions,” continues Bagley. 

Wanting the festival to feel both welcoming 

and safe, they established the following 

protocols: 

» Masks required for all visitors and staff 

» Tickets are sold in “safe seating pods” for 

groups of 2-4 to allow for social distancing 

» There will be no refreshments sold during 

performances this year and no intermissions. 

» A flexible ticketing return policy. 

“We never want finances to be a reason 

for you to put yourself or others at risk,” adds 

Bagley. In short: if you feel sick, stay home. 

You’ll get a refund. 

And with most artists already fully vaccinated 

against COVID-19 prior to their 

travel, Bagley anticipates a healthy and exciting 

2021 Spoleto Festival for all. 

What about Piccolo Spoleto? 

Of course, no Spoleto season would feel 

complete without its cousin-festival, Piccolo 

Spoleto, which focuses on smaller 

venues with a wide variety of artistic 

genres, including literature and comedy. 

This year will be no exception – within the 

framework of the new normal, at least. At 

the time of the writing of this article, Piccolo 

Spoleto has announced a 2021 festival 

with the same dates as Spoleto. None of 

its events will be ticketed and safety will 

come first. The full schedule will not be released 

until mid-May. We all look forward 

to the eclectic lineup of the first COVIDera 

Piccolo Spoleto. Visit www.piccolospoleto.com 

for more information. • 

The Woman in 

Black theatrical 

play 

The Journey will be an 

interactive and bespoke 

digital production. 

The Wood Brothers will 

perform in the Cistern 

Yard at the College of 



The 

‘A’ 

List 

Men+Women 

in Business 

While the Lowcountry may be known 

for its beautiful beaches and unbeatable 

sunshine, what makes our city truly unique 

is the amazing businesses you’ll find in 

every neighborhood. Our Men + Women in 

Business feature highlights the exceptional 

businesses that have made Charleston the 

amazing place we all know and love. Read on 

to learn about how these owners got started, 

what motivates them in their job and why 

they love doing business in Charleston. 

Photos by LEA AUSTEN 

PHOTO PIXABAY 


Advanced Window 

Fashions 

502 Wando Park Blvd, Unit 105 

Mt. Pleasant • 843-881-8858 

advancedwindowfashions.com 

(L-R) Lauren Mccrae, office assistant; 

Jacquelynn Maxwell, partner/ 

operations manager; Nancy McCrae, 

partner/design consultant and 

Rachael Lolar, marketing specialist 

When/how did you decide your career? I realized co-owning 

Advanced Window fashions was an opportunity for me to 

succeed, to learn something new, and challenge myself in a fun 

field. I discovered a career that allowed me to meet amazing 

customers that I have formed long-term relationships with. And 

with each new day comes the opportunity for a new, unique 

project. – Nancy McCrae, partner and design consultant 

Where/when did you start out? We started out of our home in 

the very beginning, then we moved into a shared space with 

some decorators. Once we grew our customer base, we opened 

up our first gallery in 2008 on Coleman Blvd. When that space 

became too small, we moved in early 2009 to a leased space in 

Seaside. We moved into our current location on Wando Park 

Boulevard in 2010. – Nancy McCrae 

What do you enjoy the most about what you do? I love the 

process from start to finish and getting to see the customer’s face 

when they get to see their new product. I love that I don’t do the 

same thing every day. There’s always a new project and a new 

challenge. – Jacquelynn Maxwell, partner/operations manager 

Carmella’s 

Café and 

Dessert Bar 

198 East Bay St, Charleston 

843-722-5893 

carmellasdessertbar.com 

Brian Solari, owner 

Describe your business. We are a European/Italian-style 

cafe. I added the term “Dessert Bar” to our name because 

it’s not common to go to a place and get alcoholic 

beverages, especially liquor drinks, in cafes in the U.S., 

as it is in Europe. We offer not just coffee and dessert, 

but also gelato, sorbet, daily cakes and a full cafe with 

sandwiches. We also make cocktails with the dessert 

products, like alcoholic milkshakes, sorbetto frose and a 

customer favorite, the espresso martini. 

Where did you start out? I grew up in and around the 

Atlantic City, NJ area. Most of my family is from South 

Philadelphia and I grew up in an atmosphere where 

eating was the most important thing you did. There were 

always people gathering at my grandmother’s, Carmella’s, 

house throughout the day, eating last night’s leftover 

pasta, grabbing some biscotti, or making sandwiches. 

Good, casual food was always a priority and when you 

weren’t making it, or eating it, you were talking about it. 

It really was all encompassing. 

What do you love about what you do? I have heard many 

times that Carmella’s is someone’s favorite place to hang 

out in. I have also heard a few times that my place was the 

reason someone moved to Charleston, and that is truly an 

incredible compliment. 

What do you like best about doing business in 

Charleston? I love Charleston, and I love working 

downtown. It’s such a beautiful city. And the people that 

come to visit are really in awe of how unique it is. The 

city lends itself to great beauty and art, and food is truly 

art. So when I decided to open Carmella’s I wanted to 

make sure that we represented ourselves in a way that 

complimented the city. 


The 

‘A’ 

List 

Men+Women 

in Business 

Recitals Hair Salon 

1710 Shoremeade Rd, Ste 430 • Mt. Pleasant 

843-936-6827 • recitalshairsalon.com 

William Murphy, master stylist, colorist, and proprietor 

Describe your business. We are a full-service hair salon with a 

talented team of artists with a price structure to make luxury 

beauty affordable to any budget. 

When did you decide your career? I decided to pursue cosmetology 

in the early 90’s while living in Connecticut after a career in 

education and was inspired by a brother of one of my friends who 

was a “rockstar”stylist and salon owner and was very successful. 

How did you get to Charleston? I ended up opening the Recitals 

Hair Salon in February of 2020 after relocating to Charleston 

with my family from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. My son had earned 

a scholarship to play football for the University of South Carolina 

and we wanted to be close to see him further his career. After a 

visit to Mt. Pleasant, I saw the need for a luxury full-service salon 

and found space centrally located in Mt. Pleasant in the new Indigo 

Square Plaza right across from Towne Centre. 

What do you enjoy the most about what you do? I enjoy helping 

people look and feel their best and I enjoy mentoring up-andcoming 

stylists to reach their full potential and have a successful 

career. 

You’d never guess that… I was once a collegiate football player like 

my son. 

Why do you love about doing business in Charleston? I love the 

business culture in Charleston because people really do shop local 

and support independent businesses. As a true Southern city, the 

residents always want to look their best. 

Anything new coming up that we can look forward to? We are 

launching our ‘Ladies Night Out’ event monthly on the third 

Thursday of every month to give ladies a night out to learn the 

latest buzz in beauty combined with light snacks and craft libations 

from 5 to 8 p.m. 


Fred Holland Realty 

LaJuan Kennedy, Broker in Charge 

106 W Hudson Ave A, Folly Beach 

843-588-2325 • fredhollandrealty.com 

Describe your business and what it entails. Sales and 

management of real estate. We sell in Folly Beach and 

James Island as our primary area, but can sell all over 

the state. We manage vacation rentals and long-term 

accommodations. 

When did you start out? I was approached by Fred 

Holland, who had just opened an office at Folly 

Beach, to come work for him as a sales agent in March 

of 1973. In 1976, we went into vacation rentals and I 

took over management of most of that operation and 

became broker-in-charge. 

Best business advice you’ve received? Always be 

honest with your customers. 

You’d never guess that…I love working on the beach, 

but I never go in the water. 

What do you love about doing business in Charleston? 

Charleston and the surrounding areas are very 

unique. We have history, beautiful beaches and great 

weather. 


The 

‘A’ 

List 

Men+Women 

in Business 

Describe your business. We operate five local 

Charleston seafood restaurants with 250 team 

members. Our style is casual and fun. 

When/how did you decide your career? After 

managing RB’s On Shem Creek in the 80’s for the 

legend Ronnie Boals, I knew that I would make 

hospitality my profession. 

Where/when did you start out? I started as a burger 

flipper at McDonalds at 15 years old, then stayed in 

the food & beverage tunnel for the past 55 years. 

How did you end up in your current role? Gambled 

and rolled the dice in 1990 to open the first 

Charleston Crab House at Wappoo Cut. We worked 

hard and it paid off. 

What do you enjoy the most about what you do? It 

is something different every day, there is nothing 

monotonous about being in the hospitality business. 

Things change on a dime and we adjust and adapt 

quickly to take care to the needs of staff and customers. 

You’d never guess that…I was born in Montreal and 

played soccer (goalie) at East Carolina University. 

What do you love about doing business in 

Charleston? Charleston has one of the most unique 

restaurant customer markets in the world. We cater 

to the families on vacation, to the sports team, to 

the locals with local knowledge, to the historians, 

the military, the beach bums, the poor ,the rich, all 

races and all countries - everyone in the world wants 

to come to Charleston. 

Anything new coming up that we can look forward to? 

I like the way our fast casual restaurant AW Shucks 

Seafood Shack is doing on King. Looking to grow that 

concept in the near future. 

– Answers by John Keener, owner 

(L-R) Scott Larymore, Chaz Wendel, 

Kim Jackson and John Keener, owner, 

at the Crab House Dock at the Wappoo 

Cut on James Island. 


Crab House 

James Island & downtown 

Shem Creek 

Crab House 

Mt. Pleasant 

A.W. Shuck’s 

Seafood Shack 

downtown 

Oyster House 

Seafood 

Restaurant 

downtown 

charlestoncrabhouse.com 



MHK Architecture 

and planning 

60 Broad St, Charleston 

843-203-6028 • mhkap.com 

Mitch Lehde, regional director of the South Carolina and 

North Carolina offices and Matthew Kragh, founder 

Where/when did you start out? I studied at the University of 

Florida and first began my career in architecture working in 

Naples, Florida. 

What do you enjoy the most about what you do? I love getting 

to know each of our clients on a deep, personal level and 

the discovery process of helping them through the design 

process to make their home everything that they want it to be. 

You’d never guess that…. I originally was planning on a career 

as a naval pilot. 

Why do you love about doing business in Charleston? I love 

the deep history of the community, the culture of the people 

and the atmosphere /context of being able to create designs 

that draw from history and the beautiful environments 

therein. 

Anything new coming up that we can look forward to? We are 

excited to bring some of the new amazing coastal designs that 

we have been doing in the Florida market to the Charleston 

area that draw on some historical elements while providing a 

design that adopts to the modern living and open living floor 

plans. — Answers by Mitch Lehde 


The 

‘A’ 

List 

Men+Women 

in Business 

Backyard Retreats 

554 Johnnie Dodds Blvd, Mt. Pleasant 

843-856-0049 • backyardretreatssc.com 

Mother and daughter team Darla Miller and Sharon Campbell 

Describe your business. We are known in the Lowcountry 

as the place to go for quality outdoor furniture. We are the 

outdoor furniture boutique in the Lowcountry featuring 

outdoor furniture, accessories including outdoor pillows, 

rugs, lamps and much more. 

How did you get started? After graduating from The 

College of Charleston, I made the decision to come to 

work at Backyard Retreats rather than teach. It was one 

of the best decisions I have made in my life. I love what 

I do. Working with people and helping them create their 

own Backyard Retreats is a very rewarding career. I cannot 

imagine working anywhere else. Also, working with my 

Mom is a great experience. -Darla Miller 

Best business advice you’ve received. “Always treat 

customers like you want to be treated” – Sharon 

Campbell 

Why do you love doing business in Charleston? We love 

living and working in the Lowcountry and also working 

with all the great residents including the ones already 

living here and all the new ones moving to our wonderful 

area. We find it very rewarding to create beautiful 

retreats in our customers own backyards. 


Black Magic 

Cafe 

1130 Folly Rd, James Island 

1716 Ashley River Rd, West Ashley 

blackmagiccafe.com 

Eran and Jennifer Maron 

with Evie and Benny 

Describe your business and what it entails. We are a 

worldly family with five children and come from different 

parts of the world, Israel and upstate New York. Together, 

we were inspired to create a place that has great food and 

drinks, in a family-friendly atmosphere, where you can 

kick back and relax with breakfast and lunch daily and a 

large variety of gourmet coffee and cocktails. 

Where did you start out? We opened the first Black Magic 

back in 2009 on Folly Beach. At the time, there were 

no coffee shops on the island, and you had to drive 20 

minutes to get coffee. Who knew back then this would 

expand and turn into what is it today? 

What do you enjoy the most about what you do? We 

enjoy creating together! Taking an old 1950s “house” 

and turning it into a full-service restaurant took vision. 

Reclaimed lumber from the original fence was used for 

decorative wall paneling across the dining room, and 

many of the nostalgic/retro signs from past travels. We 

also enjoy creating the “right vibe” so the atmosphere 

complements your mood. 

Reinvented 

Upscale 

Resale 

847 Savannah Hwy, Charleston 

843-769-8110 

Beth Cook, owner 

Describe your business and what it entails. We are an 

upscale resale ladies clothing consignment store. We 

strive for quality. 

When/how did you decide your career? I have been in 

business 15years. I love my career because it changes 

every day. Never old, always exciting. 

Who do you credit with your success? My family, John, 

Lydia and Mathew believed in me. My team and I 

transformed the space on Savannah Highway into the 

whimsical space it is today. Hard work and dedication 

wins every time. 

What do you enjoy the most about what you do? I am 

very much a people person. I have so much fun meeting 

and talking to all walks of life everyday. I love to make 

people feel special. It makes me feel special too. 


Reinvented Upscale Resale changes daily. It is the thrill of 

the hunt. Watch us every Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. on 

Facebook Live. 


The 

‘A’ 

List 

Men+Women 

in Business 

Oral Surgery & Dental 

Implant Specialists SC 

Dr. Matthew Barefoot, DDS, MD 

1203 Two Island Ct, Ste 102, Mt. Pleasant 

843-849-5188 • osscarolina.com 

How did you end up in Charleston? Upon finishing 

my residency training at the University of Alabama at 

Birmingham in 2010, I became a partner of a Savannah, GA 

based surgical group. In 2015, I purchased a solo practice 

in Mt. Pleasant. 

Describe your business and what it entails. OSS Carolina 

is a private oral surgery practice offering the full scope 

of oral and maxillofacial surgery services, specializing in 

dental implant placement and wisdom teeth removal. I hold 

dual degrees as both a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) and 

Medical Doctor (MD) and am a board-certified oral and 

maxillofacial surgeon. 

What do you enjoy the most about what you do? I love to 

help patients get to a place of comfort and health. 

Best business advice you have received? Anything is 

possible with the right frame of mind and attitude. 


I fell in love with the culture, the people, and the beauty 

of Charleston immediately. I feel honored that I can make 

a difference in the lives of people in our community and 

blessed call this vibrant city home. 


Our annual “Wisdom for Wisdom” program provides 

a deserving student with free wisdom teeth extractions 

to help offset college expenses. Learn more at the Oral 

Surgery & Dental Implant Specialists South Carolina’s 

website, applications will be accepted through June 3rd. 


McCay Kiddy 

Certified Public Accountants 

and Advisors 

Three Charleston locations 

843-881-4477 • McCayKiddy.com 

The McCay Kiddy team: (L-R) Justin Kiddy, Danny Quirk, 

Melissa Kiddy and Russell Deal. 

What makes you different than others in your 

profession? 

We figured out 10+ years ago that we needed 

to meet the higher-level needs of our clients 

and prospective clients in areas other than 

just taxes. Our client accounting services 

and outsourced CFO services addresses 

day-to-day operations by providing accurate 

business performance, management of cash 

flow and not draining the budget with an 

internal finance team. 

What do you enjoy the most about what you do? 

Simply put – adding value. It is very gratifying 

to help clients succeed with the financial 

management of their business. Most clients 

do not have that background so we get to use 

our “Heart of a Teacher” to educate them for 

successful financial growth. 

Anything new coming up that we can look 

forward to? 

We have some BIG news coming up and we 

want to share it with you! Something totally 

different than what you know about McCay 

Kiddy. Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, 

Facebook, Twitter, or sign up for our emails 

and newsletters on our website through a link 

at bottom of our homepage. 

Rhodes Boutique 

92 Folly Rd Blvd, Charleston 

843-225-5244 • rhodesboutique.com 

Caroline Rhodes, owner 

Describe your business. A retailer of ladies apparel, accessories, shoes, baby and 

men’s gifts, wedding registry, home décor, in-house design and embroidery services. 

We have trunk shows, book signings, and events with local jewelry designers and 

artists on a regular basis. We are a one-stop shop for apparel and gifts. 

How did you end up in your current role? My husband bought a Fly Fishing store 

in 2000, and needed help running it since he was a pediatrician and not able to be 

on site much. I stepped in to help with marketing at first then running the store. I 

added gifts to the retail mix there and began corporate and personal embroidery 

services. When I moved into South Windermere, I began to expand on gifts and 

ladies apparel. It all grew from there. 

You’d never guess that… I was a “June Bug” on the June Timmerman Show when I 

was a kid in Columbia. 

Anything new coming up that we can look forward to? New deliveries of apparel 

come in everyday! We will be hosting at least one trunk show per month and having 

guest speakers in Rhodes Home & Gift, two doors down. 


The 

‘A’ 

List 

Men+Women 

in Business 

McPhail Clinic for 

Regenerative Medicine 

Dr. Drew K. McPhail 

1709 Old Trolley Rd, Summerville 

843-419-5115 • mcphailclinic.com 

Describe your business and what it entails. McPhail Clinic 

for Regenerative Medicine is an ever-growing practice 

that that is driven by the passion of our providers, staff 

and wonderful patients. Our goal is to help patients 

defeat chronic degenerative conditions without the use 

of unnecessary drugs or surgery. Through Regenerative 

Medicine, chiropractic, medical and a multitude of 

therapies available, we strive to help our patients to regain 

their comfort and mobility and ultimately achieve their 

God-given inborn potential. 

Best Business Advice I’ve Ever Received. People do not care 

how much you know; they want to know how much you 

care. So, every day, every patient, give them the best care 

you possibly can. 

Why I Chose This Career. I suffered a low back injury 

that I was told would require surgery. I went to a local 

chiropractor and in two weeks I was pain free and have 

been ever since. That injury changed my life so much, I 

relocated my family and went back to school for another for 

years. Now 20 years later, I have the opportunity to change 

lives every day! 

You’d Never Guess That… I was a pretty good surfer in 

High School, then went on to be an All-American Offensive 

Lineman in College. 


Cowboy 

Brazilian 

Steakhouse 

2411 Mall Dr, North Charleston 

843-744-9000 

cowboybraziliansteakhouse.com 

Armelindo Conte, head chef 

Our business. Cowboy Brazilian Steakhouse is an unique “all you can eat” 

experience. We serve 16 cuts of beef, lamb, chicken and pork carved at your 

table. A house favorite is the “Picanha” a tender, juicy cut of beef grilled to your 

desired temperature. 

How did you get started? The owner, Edson Munekata, was originally born and 

raised in Brazil and first opened our Columbia, SC location 10 years ago. We 

were overwhelmed with the response and decided to expand to other markets, 

including Charleston. Sherrie Hughes is the general manager. 

What do you enjoy the most about what you do? It is an awesome experience 

when you run dinner service and everyone is enjoying themselves. You can come 

into our restaurant and start eating immediately. 

What do you love about doing business in Charleston? Being in Charleston, we 

have customers from all over the world! 

The Bed Swing 

1135 Bowman Rd, Suite 521 

Mt. Pleasant 

843 813-4040 • thebedswing.com 

Martin Shuler, owner 

Describe your business and what it entails. 

We handcraft hanging bed swings and 

accessorize them with comfortable and stylish 

outdoor fabrics. Although we have several predesigned 

beds, we can customize the size and 

style to meet the customer’s needs. Sunbrella 

is our go to fabric brand but have expanded 

our design selections by offering additional 

outdoor fabric brands. 

How did you start out? 

Growing up on a dairy farm in S.C. I learned 

how to fix almost anything. I combined my 

acquired carpentry skills with my passion for 

design and started The Bed Swing in early 

2016. I have grown the business over the past 

five years and have a woodshop and showroom 

in Mount Pleasant. 

Best business advice you’ve ever received? As 

with life, patience, planning and persistence is 

the key to getting to where you want to go. As 

the old adage says, “measure twice, cut once.” 

Anything new we can look forward to for the 

future? We are working on creating more 

accessories and complimentary pieces of 

furniture such as floor cushions, ottomans and 

coffee tables to go along with our bed swings. 


The 

‘A’ 

List 

Men+Women 

in Business 

The 

‘A’ 

List 

Men+Women 

in Business 

Classic Remodeling 

& Construction, Inc. 

1832 River Rd, Johns Island 

classicremodeling.com 

843.763.3297 

(L-R) Jason Wagner, 

Production Manager; 

Gianna Sweet, 

Design Consultant; 

Bob Fleming, President; 

Christy Ammerman, 

Project Consultant/ 

Lead Designer; 

Ben Dammeyer, 

Draftsman 

Describe your business and what it entails. 

Classic Remodeling is a full-service, design-build 

remodeling firm. We are the only Charleston-area 

contractor who specializes exclusively in high-end 

residential remodeling. Our projects range from kitchens 

and bathrooms to additions and whole house renovations. 

Our clients get the benefit of working with one company 

from design through construction. Additionally, we take 

care of obtaining all necessary neighborhood approvals 

and permits. Once construction begins, our homeowners 

have a dedicated project craftsman. By having this whole 

team under one roof, we can provide a turn-key remodeling 

experience for our clients. 

What do you enjoy the most about what you do? 

Seeing the transformation of the space, and how the change 

can truly improve the way our clients live, is very satisfying. 


We can find ourselves working on everything from 

a modern beachfront home to a historic downtown 

property. Every project is unique and presents different 

opportunities for problem-solving and creativity. 


Booze Pops 

Woody Norris, founder 

boozepop.com 

Woody Norris (right) and his brother Wesley Norris, 

who will soon open a location in Columbia, SC. 

Describe your business and what it entails. Booze 

Pops is a local, veteran-owned, family- friendly, 

business, that is focused on bringing communities 

together one Booze Pop at a time, creating jobs 

and a safe place to wait for your ride. Alcoholinfused 

popsicles are sold out of an ice cream 

truck at various locations around Charleston. 

What do you like best about what you do? I truly 

enjoy the happiness Booze Pops, a company 

built for my daughters, brings to the community. 

What do you like best about doing business 

in Charleston? It is amazing doing business in 

Charleston and being able to see the difference 

we are making. I figured we can’t stop the party, 

but we can help control the party and make 

those dark parking lots much safer. 

Anything new we can look forward to in the 

future? We have tons of new products being 

released this summer, all tested by customers. 

Customers design our menus. We will also be 

open very soon in Columbia, SC. 

The 

‘A’ 

List 

Men+Women 

in Business 

Men + Women in Business 

Get to know these seasoned entrepreneurs, business 

owners, and leading men and women in the greater 

Charleston community. 

Advanced Window Fashions – Nancy McCrae............................................................50 

Carmella’s Dessert Café – Brian Solari...........................................................................50 

Recitals Hair Salon – William Murphy.........................................................................51 

Cowboy Brazillian Steakhouse – Armelindo Conte......................................................52 

The Bed Swing – Martin Shuler......................................................................................52 

Charleston Crab House – John Keener..........................................................................53 

McCay Kiddy CPA – Russell Deal..............................................................................54 

Rhodes Boutique – Caroline Rhodes.............................................................................54 

Backyard Retreats – Sharon Campbell and Darla Miller..............................................55 

Black Magic Coffee – Eran Maron................................................................................56 

Reinvented Upscale Resale – Beth Cook.......................................................................56 

Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Specialists South Carolina –Dr. Matthew Barefoot......57 

MHK Architecture – Mitch-Lehde...............................................................................58 

McPhail Clinic for Regenerative Medicine – Dr. Drew McPhail...............................59 

Fred Holland Realty – LaJuan Kennedy.......................................................................60 

Classic Remodeling – Bob Fleming...............................................................................61 

Booze Pops – Woody Norris........................................................................................ 62 

A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION OF 

CHARLESTON LIVING MAGAZINE. 


Delicious Ways to 

Celebrate Mother’s Day 

and Father’s Day 

Memorable Meals On the Town 

By ELISE DEVOE 

I 

t’s been a tough year, so it’s time to go all out and curate a special 

meal for mom & dad this year. Treat mom to a true Charleston brunch with 

mimosas and Bloody Mary’s galore, and then take dad out for a luxurious steak 

or seafood dinner to show how much you care. After over a year of being apart, 

taking time to share a great meal together will keep both hearts and bellies full. 

Prohibition Koji-Aged NY Strip 

A brunch spread at Park Cafe 

includes their famed avocado toast. 



The Obstinate Daughter 

2063 Middle St. 

Sullivan’s Island 

@theobstinatedaughter 

Treat mom to a decadent brunch at the Obstinate Daughter on Sullivan’s 

Island followed by a walk on the beach to make this Mother’s Day one 

to remember. If you’re in the mood for a savory brunch, try their quiche 

of the day or “eggs in purgatory.” For dessert, try out their sweet roll 

with caramel drizzle and toasted pecans or their sweet potato waffles 

with maple cream cheese, brown butter caramel and spiced candied 

pepitas. Toast to mom with a Bloody Mary, mimosa, or one of their 

cocktails on tap tap, like The Kings Honey with Highwire vodka, St. 

Germain, Cannonborough Honey Basil soda and lemon—the perfect 

light sip before a relaxing walk on the beach. Reservations recommended. 

Brunch 10 a.m. -3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. 

Gabrielle at Hotel Bennet 

404 King St. 


@gabrielledining 

A Stylishly Southern a la carte brunch at The Plaza at Hotel Bennett 

overlooking Marion Square is sure to make mom feel special. They will 

have live musical entertainment and your choice of indoor or outdoor 

seating on Mother’s Day. The beauty of the food will match the ambiance 

with their vibrant mixed berry tart or their burrata served alongside 

juicy heirloom tomatoes and crispy grilled bread. They have an extensive 

wine and cocktail list to make your lunch extra refreshing. Reservations 

are available from 11 a.m.-3 p.m on Mother’s Day. To book, call 

843-990-5460 or visit www.GabrielleDining.com. 

The Park Café 

730 Rutledge Ave. 


@theparkcafechs 

Take mom to the Park Cafe to try what many say is the best avocado 

toast in town. Other brunch favorites include their “Walk in the Park” 

breakfast sandwich and their creamy kale toast. Their brunch beverage 

selection is excellent, whether mom wants to get caffeinated or kick 

back with an “Aperol Something.” Their Charleston Fog featuring Earl 

Grey tea and a homemade lavender marshmallow is a warm and cozy 

way to start the day. When you’re done with brunch, you can take mom 

on a stroll through Hampton Park across the street to see the latest floral 

displays. Brunch served Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. 

NICO 

201 Coleman Blvd. 

Mt. Pleasant 

@nicoshemcreek 

Enjoy a decadent brunch on NICO’s sunny patio or cozy up to their 

indoor or outdoor bar. You’ll feel transported to a French café with their 

brunch features of crepes, waffles, tartines, croissants and omelets. 

Gabrielle Burrata is served 

alongside juicy heirloom 

tomatoes and crispy grilled bread 

at Gabrielle at Hotel Bennett. 

PHOTO ANDREW CEBULKA 


A baked omlette with gruyere 

cheese is offered for brunch at NICO. 

You can enjoy their fresh seafood in their play on steak and eggs, 

“Salmon + Eggs,” or in their “Crepe de Fruit de Mer”, which is stuffed 

with crab and shrimp, potatoes, peppers and topped with gruyere bechamel. 

If you wanted to treat mom to a Saturday lunch instead of a 

Sunday brunch, they offer their happy hour on Saturdays from 12-4 

p.m. with $5 craft beer or house wine, $3.50 house beer, $4 well drinks, 

and $12 “Proper Champagne.” Reservations recommended. Brunch 

starts at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays. 

Fresh and healthy bowls 

at Basic Kitchen. 

Fresh produce is the star 

of many dishes at Basic 

Kitchen downtown. 

Basic Kitchen 

82 Wentworth St. 


@basic_kitchen 

Explore downtown Charleston with mom and end the tour at Basic 

Kitchen for a seasonally and locally-driven menu that changes daily. 

They will have a special cocktail, main dish, and dessert especially for 

mom that will be announced on Mother’s Day. Although the daily 

special will be a surprise, you can expect vibrant spring and summer 

produce from the Lowcountry beautifully presented on the plate— 

anything but “basic.” They recommend booking a reservation ahead of 

time in their “little magical garden” out back to celebrate mom in the 

best way possible. Although Basic Kitchen is in the heart of downtown 

on Wentworth Street, their back patio is a sweet little escape that 

makes for a special dining experience. Brunch is from 10 a.m. until 3 

p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. 


Bowen’s Island 

1870 Bowens Island Rd. 


@bowensislandrestaurant 

Take dad off the beaten path to Bowen’s Island Restaurant right at 

the entrance to Folly Beach with unmatched Lowcountry waterfront 

views and fresh seafood for a Saturday night dinner in advance of the 

big day. They have been in business for 60 years and are a no-frills 

counter service operation, known for their fried shrimp and piledhigh 

seafood platters. Other must-try items include their Frogmore 

stew with sausage, shrimp, corn and potatoes. In addition to the delicious 

food, treat dad to a day on the water with Charleston Outdoor 

Adventures. If you book a kayaking tour with Charleston Outdoor 

Adventures on Friday or Saturday of Father’s Day weekend, you can 

enjoy 10% off your order at Bowen’s Island. No reservations. Open for 

dinner Tuesday-Saturday 5 – 9 p.m. 

A chicken & pecan 

waffle at Grace & Grit 

Grace & Grit 

320 Wingo Way #100 

Mt. Pleasant 

@graceandgrit_mtpleasant 

Turn brunch into a discussion of flavors at Grace & Grit where you 

can try a flight of grits and mimosas! Grace & Grit is known for their 

signature flavored grits and the flight comes with four different flavors: 

pimento cheese, brussels pesto, blueberry and sweet potato. In a similar 

fashion, their mimosa flight comes with four different juice flavors 

mixed in. You can discuss your favorite flavors from the flights on their 

spacious landscaped patio. Reserve your table through their website as 

it’s sure to be busy on Mother’s Day. Brunch Sundays from 9:30 a.m. 

-2:30 p.m. 

Father’s Day 

A spectacular sunset 

at Bowens Island 

Stella’s 

114 St Philip St. Suite A 


www.stellascharleston.com 

Kick off Father’s Day weekend with Meze Ora on Friday from 4-6 p.m. 

at Stella’s, a beloved Greek restaurant downtown serving rustic and 

modern Greek dishes. Enjoy discounted drinks as well as shared small 

plates (meze) all weekend. They are known for their Saganaki, which 

is flaming cheese served with pita. Their perfectly tender and smoky 

grilled octopus is another must-try meze item. For the entree, any of 

their dishes in the “Comfort” section of the menu will make you feel 

right at home. You can reserve a seat at the bar or on their patio via 

Resy. Friday and Saturday hours 4-10 p.m. Closed Sunday. 


167 Raw 

193 King St. 


@167_raw 

Stroll along lower King Street with dad until you arrive at 167 Raw’s 

new location. They are not open on Sundays, but they are open on the 

Friday and Saturday before Father’s Day. When you walk in, you will 

see an expansive raw bar as well as a covered patio. The fresh and bright 

nautical theme of the decor speaks to vibrant flavors you will find on 

the plate. Start off with a light and fresh crudo that changes daily and 

move on to one of their signature seafood rolls for an entree. Their 

lobster and scallop rolls are the perfect treat on a sunny Charleston 

day. Their seating is first-come, first-served, so arrive right when they 

open for the best chance at getting a spot! Friday and Saturday hours 

are 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. 

Oak Steakhouse 

17 Broad St. 


@oaksteakhouse 

Zero Restaurant+Bar 

0 George Street 


@zerogeorgest 

Treat dad to a delicious multi-course tasting menu with wine pairings 

at Zero Restaurant + Bar downtown. Choose between regular wine 

pairings and a multi-course tasting menu for $145 or rare wine pairings 

and a multi-course tasting menu for $200. Finish your meal with 

a curated and rare whiskey selection that’s perfect for Father’s Day. For 

a more hands-on experience, join Zero Restaurant + Bar around ‘The 

Pass’ in their historic demonstration kitchen from 11 a.m. -1 p.m. for 

a fun, informative, and immensely delicious Sunday cooking class with 

Executive Sous Chef Tyler Chavis. The class includes three courses 

with paired wine for $150 per person. All reservations for cooking 

classes and dinners release 30 days in advance on Resy.com. Sunday 

dining hours 5 – 10 p.m. 

Bourbon selection at 

Paddock & Whisky 

This classic American steakhouse is located on Charleston’s historic 

Broad Street, which can lead to a great walking tour before or after 

dinner. Treat dad to a wet or dry aged certified Angus beef steak and 

accent it with a selection of fresh local seafood. They also have an expansive 

wine list and a great cocktail selection. The ambiance of this 

historic bank building will show dad that you have curated an evening 

especially for him. 

PHOTOS JONATHAN BONCEK 

Whiskey service at 

Zero Restaurant + Bar 

Each dish is a showstopper 

at Zero Restaurant + Bar. 

Paddock & Whisky 

1962 Maybank Hwy. 


@paddockandwhisky 

Head to James Island for pre or post-dinner drinks at Paddock & 

Whisky. They are offering 10 percent off their “Barrel Pick’’ bourbons 

especially for Father’s Day. Their curated selection of four bourbons 

includes Eagle Rare, WhistlePig, Woodford Reserve and Russell’s 

Reserve. The mission at Paddock & Whisky is to educate people 

about bourbon in a relaxed environment. You can enjoy your bourbon 

mixed in a cocktail or straight up. Either way, you will have a great 

time with the bourbon aficionados behind the bar. Open at 4 p.m. 

seven days a week. • 




Welcome to 

the ‘Wrens Nest’ 

Award-winning historic preservation in Cannonborough Elliotborough 

By ROB YOUNG 

To view the Wrens Nest—a collection of five buildings within the Cannonborough 

Elliotborough neighborhood—one might be curious about the original vision. 

“I was aiming to initially build an office,” Tift Mitchell jokes. “Turns out, this 

might be the most expensive office in the history of mankind.” 


Wren blue front 

Alas, it’s more than an office, the infill development comprising 11,000 

square feet and a quarter acre of property on Cannon Street in downtown 

Charleston. The center building represents a mixed-use commercial 

space also housing Tift’s office. 

One building was brought back to life as a single-family home, 

and the rear houses are new structures created to be short-term rentals. 

The last building is the centerpiece, the rehabbed property at 133 Cannon, 

and winner of the Preservation Society of Charleston’s prestigious 

Carolopolis Award. The designation is given to extraordinary properties 

that represent the very best in preservation projects. 

“We’re sentimental about this project,” says Mitchell Tift’s wife, 

Taylor, who did the interior design. “We poured our hearts and souls 

into it and we hope that it shows through in the final product.” 

Purposeful Rehab 

Really, it just made sense. Expensive sense, sure, but also new, purposeful 

sense. Mitchell owned the property at 131 Cannon, which he originally 

bought to serve as an office space. But he quickly found the land couldn’t 

accommodate his plans. “We were short a little bit of land to build an 

additional structure,” Tift says. “We thought it was large enough, but it 

was 100 square feet short.” 

So they ended up investing in the house next door, buying the 

property in 2017. Then, it was a boarded-up, dilapidated structure only 

steadied by support beams. The Mitchells wanted to make sure the 

project fit into the Cannonborough Elliotborough neighborhood. 

“We were in a four-story height district. We could have done 

another hotel or build tall structures,” Tift says. “But we wanted to 


Blue guest bed 


The Wrens Nest consists of 

five buildings that share a 

central courtyard. 

The kitchen leads to a 

second-floor porch. 

Boho accents fill what 

is dubbed “The Pink 

House” in the complex. 

stay within the fabric of the community and the specific nuances the 

architect wanted on the exterior. We wanted to keep the feel of the 

neighborhood. An apartment building would have been similar to one 

that could have been in Atlanta or Charlotte. But our process was better, 

and the end product was much better.” 

Building a Team 

Enter Andrew Gould. The building designer proved to be a catalyst 

for the project. Gould, who owns the New World Bynzantine home 

design consultants studio, specializes in designing residential buildings 

in the Charleston historic district. 

“He is, for sure, the brains behind the project. He deserves the 

most credit for what we’ve done,” Tift says. “Our business partners 

have become dear friends and remain a stronghold behind the scenes.” 

Among Gould’s previous projects: Edmund’s Oast Exchange; the 

historic Mugdock Castle on Sullivan’s Island; and several sacred spaces, 

including Orthodox churches and monastery chapels. He’s known as 

an emphatic proponent for traditional design and authentic materials. 


Whimsical interior 

design elements were 

chosen by owner Taylor 

Mitchell. Each building 

has a different feel. 

“I would go to the neighborhood meetings with my previous 

project. I would try to get approved and Andrew would often squash 

it. He was very vocal about what should and shouldn’t happen,” Tift 

recalls. “So we decided to hire him for this project. His design is really 

cohesive. He’s not motivated by money, which was surprising. If he 

thinks a design should be a certain way, he fights for that.” 

One only has to look to the exterior to understand. “Each piece of 

siding is mitred within specifications of the 1800s,” Tift explains. “It’s 

twice as labor intensive as new construction.” 

The Mitchells also partnered with builder Travis Arnett to construct 

the complex. His practice, Arnett Construction, focuses on 

residential and commercial properties. His work has included projects 

such as Vintage Lounge, Charleston Beer Works and Ellis Creek Fish 

Camp. 

“The Carolopolis Award belongs 100 percent to Andrew and 

Travis,” Tift says. “We just had really good people in place to execute 

the project.” 


Each piece of siding is mitred 

within specifications of the 1800s. 

Naming the Nest 

Tift arrived in his career in a roundabout manner. He focused on travel 

during his younger years, attending junior colleges and eventually finding 

himself at The College of Charleston. As an English major, he 

moved to Thailand following graduation to teach English as a second 

language and pursue an interest in rock climbing. 

“I used to be into rock climbing a lot, and I saw an article in 

a magazine of a person hanging off a rock at a beach in Thailand. I 

found the climbing first, and bought a one-way ticket to Thailand,” 

Tift recalls. 

He returned to South Carolina, took his time graduating from 

The College of Charleston and began working at Lennar Homes, 

starting as an assistant warranty manager helping homeowners carve 

through their punch-lists. He spent time as a builder and then in sales. 

“I experienced some success, but it could also be miserable,” Tift 

says. “Taylor and I had just had our first child and I’d work all weekends. 

I had started to make some money but was unhappy.” 

After a stint at another real estate company, he started his own 

company—Tift Properties. 

“It was a big and scary leap of faith, but it’s what I wanted,” 

he says. “I try to work really hard for people and put myself in their 

place. Then I’ll reinvest the capital from sales into personal investment 

opportunities.” 

Similarly, Taylor experienced a career renaissance of her own. 

A talented creative, Taylor attended graduate school at The Citadel 

and worked as a school psychologist for 10 years. Once Tift started 

Tift Properties, she put 100 percent of her focus towards helping him 

launch his business. 

She began furnishing properties, starting with the Wrens Nest, 

and realized she had a knack. She recently began her own design stu- 


dio, Reason + Rhyme. 

“I was always interested in design,” Taylor says. “I grew up loving 

it and through the Wrens Nest, I found the confidence to go for it as a 

career. I want to stay true to my philosophy and help all who may need 

interior design help, or to get an amazing space on a budget.” 

The couple first met through mutual friends while students at the 

College of Charleston, both working in the food and beverage industry. 

“We fell in love with the city and never left,” Taylor says. 

As for the Wrens Nest—it was an easy moniker to conceive. The 

Mitchells named the Nest after their 9-year-old daughter Wren. They 

hope to be lucky enough to have another project in the future to name 

after their 4-year old son Charlie. 

The Finish Line 

Tackling an award-winning historical preservation project wasn’t 

an easy journey, but it was worth it. COVID-19 greatly affected the 

projects and deadlines. The build also necessitated several rounds of 

reviews from the city’s Board of Architectural Review and the Technical 

Review Committee. 

In the end, it was worth it. The renovation to the Carolopolis 

Award winning structure, which consists of four bedrooms and threeand-a-half 

bathrooms, features new hardwood floors, high ceilings and 

architectural antiques. 

The front porch gives way to a bright, airy living space, which 

showcases modern interior design, and the original, exposed brick 

fireplace. Large bay windows provide natural light, while furnishings 

include a modern flare. 

New stone sink countertops, tile flooring, and fixtures adorn the 

bathrooms, and the kitchen enjoys a rustic, modern feel with a fullyexposed 

wood wall from Taylor’s family farm and new stone countertops 

as well. 

Just like the main building, the twin homes behind it were each 

meticulously planned and crafted. “There’s a different feel for each 

house on the interior,” Taylor says. “One house is very whimsical and 

pink, and the other twin is very dark and bold.” 

And perhaps there are similar projects to be cast in the future. 

“Now that we’ve had success in this one, we’re going to actively 

pursue mixed-used projects and urban infill development,” Tift says. 

“Now with our experience, I think we could do it more efficiently and 

with less stress.” • 

Vendors 

Building Designer 

New World Byzantine 

andrew@newworldbyzantine.com 

Developer 

Tift Properties 

843-514-8566 

tift@tiftproperties.com 

Interior Design 

Reason + Rhyme 

843-860-4121 

Insta @reasonandrhyme_chs 

Arnett Construction 

843-271-8668 

travis@arnettconstructionsc.com 

Instagram-worthy wallpaper 

accent a kitchen nook below a 

lofted area at the Wren’s Nest. 


Spend a year 

on the coast 

of Charleston, South Carolina 

January / February 2019 

Table forTwo 

Romantic Restaurants 

in the Lowcountry 

Dream 

Kitchens 

Transformations 

for Every Lifestyle 

SNOB’s 

Russ 

Moore 

Oceanside 

on Kiawah 

Expert 

Interior 

Design Tips 

Subscribe Today! 

The Perfect Gift for Everyone Who Loves the Coast. 


www.CharlestonLivingMag.com/subscribe 

or (843) 856-2532

Food 

DINING OUT | IN THE KITCHEN | RESTAURANT GUIDE 

Fried Feast 

“Gert’s Famous Crab Balls” are 

loaded with local blue crab claw 

and back fin meat at T.W. Graham 

& Co. Seafood in McClellanville 

see page 78 

PHOTO JAMES STEFIUK 


FOOD | DINING OUT 

By WENDY SWAT SNYDER 

Photos by JAMES STEFIUK 

T.W. Graham & Co. 

The finest seafood straight from the docks 

T 

The coastal enclave of 

McClellanviille offers the visitor a 

glimpse into a bygone world where 

life is lived a little closer to nature and folks 

know their neighbors. And you need not 

venture any further than the tiny heart of the 

downtown historic district to be wowed by 


authentic, fresh-off-the-boat seafood served 

with a hefty side of Southern hospitality, 

courtesy of T.W. Graham & Co. Whether 

you’ve spent the day exploring a local rice 

plantation, boating to a pristine wildlife 

refuge or taking a slow stroll back in time 

along live oak-shaded Pinkney Street, the 

town’s main corridor, choosing the right 

dining destination can add just the right 

touch of local color to your getaway. 

In a region known for its local seafood, 

T.W.Graham & Co. owner Patrick Runey 

understands well that guests’ expectations are 

focused on quality when stopping for a bite 

to eat in a fishing village. 

“You can’t be too far off the wall out 

here,” says Runey with a laugh. “We try to 

stay simple, we do what we know, and we do 

it really well.” 

A native of Charleston, Runey maintains 

that while he’s worked at lots of restaurants, 

he enjoys working for himself the best. During 

a stint at Wild Dunes Resort, he followed 

an impulse when he saw a business-for-sale 

ad and made a bid for T.W.Graham & Co. 

“There’s a point where you just have 

to do it,” Runey says. “Failure wasn’t an option—and 

I wanted to be my own boss.” 

Closing a deal with then-owners, Pete 

and Claudia Kornack, was not a given, according 

to Runey. The couple had declined 

offers from other potential buyers, saying 

“you’re not the right people, it’s a very small 

town—you won’t make it in McClellanville.” 

In operation since 1894, T.W. Graham 

& Co. has a history central to McClellanville’s 

small town life—which Runey characterizes 

as “the other Mayberry.” 

“It’s not always been a restaurant,” notes 

Runey. “It began to evolve around 25 or 30 

years ago. It was originally a general mercantile 

store, then started selling sliced meat, then 

cheese, and eventually wrapped sandwiches. 

With the waterfront right there, they decided 

to get a fryer and started selling seafood.” 

Today, the casual eatery is itself a funky 

repository of artifacts with a “pirate’s cove;” 

walls and ceilings displaying all manner of 

memorabilia, some nautical and some not, 

and a suspended surfboard and kayak, to boot. 

“It made me feel really good when 

the Kornacks gave it to me,” Runey shares. 

“I love food and I love people—I’ve done 

everything there is to do in a restaurant—I 

knew it was time for a change.” 

In the seven years he’s owned 

T.W.Graham & Co., Runey has carried on 

the restaurant’s legacy as a Lowcountry seafood 

institution, going to the nearby docks 

on a daily basis to survey the fresh catch. 

“Pete and Claudia had a great following—there’s 

nothing broken here. We’ve put 

our own little touch on things,” says Runey, 

pointing to the lavish pies—key lime, coconut 

custard—that are made by his wife, Stacey, 

and his own recipes for sauces, like a unique 

Jamaican mayonnaise and a barbeque sauce so 

light it’s a kiss of flavor on whatever it touches. 

A core team stayed on in the kitchen 

after the Runey purchase of the eatery, carrying 

on a tradition established over decades 

of food service. 

Chef Josh McClellan got his culinary 

start washing dishes as a teenager for the 

Kornaks, and was quickly entrusted with 

greater responsibilities. With the Runey sale

(Opposite) T.W. Graham’s is on picturesque Pinckney 

Street in McClellanville; T.W.Graham & Co. owner 

Patrick Runey (center) with chef/ farmer Thomas 

Hodgin and Chef Josh McClellan; T.W. Graham’s 

get its seafood fresh and local from the docks just two 

blocks away; “Gert’s Famous Crab Balls” are plump 

and delicious, a passed-down recipe loaded with local 

blue crab claw and back fin meat. 

came the same trust and friendship—a good 

fit for everyone. 

“Packy and his wife are great people,” 

says McClellan of Patrick and Stacey. “He 

takes care of each and every one of us—he 

fell right in to this little town, and is loved 

by many.” 

“A lot of Josh’s family work the river,” 

notes Runey of the town’s founding fathers. 

“We sell some of their products—the shrimp, 

clams, oysters they gather—there’s a lot of 

full circle right here.” 

Additional purveyors in which Runey is 

on a first name basis with include Carolina 

Seafoods, Livingston’s Bulls Bay Seafood, 

Georgetown Seafood, Independent seafood, 

Lowcountry Shellfish and North Carolinabased 

Garland Fulcher. 

Rounding out the back of house team 

are chef/ farmer Thomas Hodgin and “Miss 

Gertrude,” a T.W. Graham institution. 

“I work with Miss Gertrude every day,” 

says McClellan. “She’s the wind beneath my 

wings. She’s been a fry cook probably as long 

as I’ve been alive. Every plate we put out, she 

and I feel it’s as close to perfect as possible— 

and would feel comfortable serving to our 

grandmothers.” 

Seafood dominates the menu, and the 

mantra, “less is more,” rules the kitchen. 

Flavorful fillets of flounder on platters piled 

high with fries and McClellanville shrimp, 

fried or grilled to order, are lightly seasoned 

and dredged in an old school flour mixture 

that requires no further enhancements. 

Starters from the fryer include calamari, 

crawfish tails with Jamaican mayonnaise, 

crunchy grouper “fingers” and local baby 

clams that are also offered steamed in a white 

wine garlic broth. 

“Gert’s Famous Crab Balls” are one of 

Miss Gertrude’s many contributions to the 

restaurant—plump and delicious, they’re her 

mother’s recipe, loaded with local blue crab 

claw and back fin meat. 

Hodgin, whose portfolio includes stints 

at upscale Charleston establishments such as 

Anson, Garibaldi’s, Le Mistral, Le Midi and 

Coco’s, sums it up this way: “The same care 

and attention to detail that I’d put into classical 

French cuisine goes into making shrimp 

and grits. The fact that it’s seafood and red 

rice and collards—soul food—takes it back 

to my Sullivan’s Island roots.” 

T.W. Graham & Co. has all the right 

ingredients for an over-the-top Lowcountry 

getaway—classic Southern seafood created 

with an eye on quality and a lot of love, by 

staff that feels like family. • 

T.W. Graham & Co. 

810 Pinckney Street 

McClellanville 

843-887-4342 

www.facebook.com/TWGrahamCO 


FOOD | IN THE KITCHEN 

Flavors of Summer 

If you had to choose your favorite flavor, the best taste 

imaginable, what would it be? It’s hard to pick just one, 

but for us, it would have to be the bright and delicate flavors of 

summer, perfect to enjoy on warmer days. 

Recipes and photos by KAITLIN GOODING 


Raw Oysters with 

Blood Orange 

Mignonette 

Servings: One dozen oysters 

1 blood orange (juice) 

1 tsp soy sauce 

1/2 tsp sugar 

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

1/2 shallot (thinly sliced) 

4 tsp rice wine vinegar 

Directions 

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a small 

bowl until it is well combined. Serve 

with 12 oysters on the half shell over ice. 

Haricot Verts with 

Tahini Drizzle 

Servings: 2-3 side dishes 

12 oz haricot verts 

2 shallots (thinly sliced) 

2 tbsp butter 

1 tbsp pistachios (chopped) 

1-2 radishes (thinly sliced) 

mint leaves for garnish (can use herb of choice) 

Directions 

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a 

boil over high heat. While it is heating 

up, add ice water to a separate bowl. 

2. Place the beans in the boiling water and 

cook for 5-6 minutes. Once finished 

cooking, drain the water out and add 

them to the ice water. After the beans 

have cooled, drain the water, and set aside. 

3. Create your sauce by adding all the 

ingredients into a bowl and mixing until 

smooth. Add one spoonful of water at a 

time to thin, until you have reached the 

right consistency and then set aside. 

4. In a sauté pan, add two tablespoons 

of butter and the sliced shallots. Cook 

on medium heat until fragrant 

and then stir in the beans and radish. 

Stir in the pan until they are 

warmed through and fully coated. 

5. Remove the haricots from the pan and 

place in a bowl or plate. Drizzle tahini 

sauce over top, sprinkle the pistachio 

crumbles, add salt and pepper, and 

garnish with any herb of choice. Serve 

immediately while the beans are warm. 

Tahini Drizzle 

1/4 cup tahini 

2 tbsp lemon juice 

1 garlic clove (minced to a paste) 

1 tsp Dijon mustard 

pinch of fresh ground pepper 

pinch of sea salt 

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

1 tbsp maple syrup 

2 spoonfuls of water (can add less or more) 



Roasted Branzino 

Servings: 2 

2 branzino whole fish (scaled & gutted) 

1 lemon & lime (1 inch slices) 

1 sweet onion (diced) 

1 tbsp Dijon mustard 

6 sprigs thyme 

2 garlic cloves (thinly sliced) 

4 bay leaves 

handful of parsley 

sea salt & pepper 

extra virgin olive oil 

Directions 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Add the fish to a baking sheet 

lined with parchment paper. 

2. Drizzle olive oil over the fish and rub 

it all over the skin of the fish. Use your 

fingers to spread one tablespoon of 

Dijon mustard to the inside of the fish. 

3. Season the fish inside and out 

with salt and pepper. 

4. Stuff the inside with the diced onions, 

garlic slices, chopped parsley, bay 

leaves, and lemon/lime slices. Use the 

rest to lay over the top of the fish. 

5. Add to the oven for 20-22 minutes. 

Once finished cooking, remove from 

the oven, and allow to cool until you 

can handle it with your hands. Drizzle a 

little lemon juice over top and sprinkle 

with salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy! 


Tomato Farcies 

Servings: 2-3 

6 large tomatoes 

1 lb ground chicken 

2 garlic cloves (minced) 

2 shallots (finely chopped) 

3/4 cup milk 

2 slices stale bread (prefer sourdough, 

cut into small cubes) 

1 tsp Dijon mustard 

1 tbsp salt 

1 tsp ground pepper 

2 tbsp parsley (roughly chopped) 

+ extra for garnish 

2 tbsp grated parmesan 

extra virgin olive oil 

Directions 


2. Slice the top off each tomato, setting 

aside for later. Use a spoon to scoop 

out the seeds and insides of the tomatoes 

but be careful not to pierce the 

skin. Sprinkle the inside with salt and 

flip the tomatoes over on a paper towel 

to allow the excess liquid to drip out. 

3. Add the bread to a bowl and 

pour milk over top to soak. 

4. In a large mixing bowl, add your 

ground chicken, salt, pepper, garlic 

cloves, shallots, parmesan, and Dijon 

mustard. Drain the milk from the bread 

and mix it into the large bowl until 

well combined, creating the stuffing. 

5. Fill each tomato with stuffing, replacing 

the tops. Place the tomatoes on a baking 

dish or tray and spray or drizzle each 

tomato lightly with olive oil. Add to 

the oven and cook for 35-40 minutes. 

6. Once they are finished cooking, remove 

from the heat, and allow them to cool 

for about five minutes. Sprinkle the 

tomatoes with sea salt, pepper, and 

garnish with chopped parsley. Serve 

while the tomatoes are still warm. 



Strawberry 

Mascarpone Galette 

Yields: 1 galette 

4 cups strawberries (halved) 

1/4 cup mascarpone cheese 

1 tsp balsamic vinegar 

1/4 cup sugar + extra for sprinkling 

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1 tbsp fresh thyme 

1 tbsp cornstarch 

1 tbsp butter 

1/4 tsp salt 

1 tbsp honey 

CRUST 

2 cups flour 

2/3 cup chilled unsalted butter 

2 eggs 

pinch of salt 

2-4 spoonfuls of water 

Grapefruit Fizz 

Servings: 1 

5 mint leaves 

1.5 oz gin 

2 tsp honey 

1/2 grapefruit (juice) 

1 lime quartered 

sparkling water to top 

Directions 

1. Lightly muddle the mint leaves, 

1 quartered lime, and honey 

in the bottom of a glass. 

2. Add the grapefruit juice and gin and 

combine by stirring to dissolve the honey. 

3. Add ice, top with sparkling water, and 

garnish with a mint sprig. Enjoy! 

Directions 


2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the 

salt and flour. Add the butter into the 

dry ingredients. Crack the eggs and mix 

into the dough mix. Add 2-4 spoonfuls 

of water depending on how wet 

or dry the mix is. Knead the dough 

for a few minutes and then form into 

a ball. Place in a covered bowl and 

put in the fridge for 20 minutes. 

3. In a mixing bowl combine the strawberries, 

sugar, balsamic vinegar, cornstarch, 

salt, cinnamon and thyme. Set aside. 

4. Remove dough from the refrigerator 

and roll it out on a lightly floured 

surface into a round, about 12-14 

inches. Slide the dough onto a baking 

sheet lined with parchment paper. 

5. Spread the mascarpone into the 

center of the dough and leave about 

1.5 inches from the border. 

6. Pour the strawberry mix into the center 

of the dough leaving the 1.5 in border 

uncovered. Fold the dough over the 

filling as you pleat around the edges. 

7. Melt the butter and brush it along 

the pie crust. Sprinkle with additional 

sugar. Bake for 30-35 minutes 

or until the crust is golden brown. 

8. Allow the galette to cool completely and 

drizzle honey over top before serving. 


Restaurant 

Guide 

House oysters on the half-shell 

at Pearlz Oyster Bar. 

American 

Ready to Eat? 

Use our restaurant listings to find the best 

eating and drinking in Charleston. 

**Due to the coronavirus pandemic, restaurants have reduced capacity and hours. 

Please call ahead or search for places on social media for up-to-date information.** 

Blackbird Market (J) 1808 Bohicket Rd., 559-01. 

This Johns Island local seafood and vegetable specialty 

grocery store includes a rustic café attached serving 

piled high sandwiches and plates with hefty sides 

including collards and mac n’ cheese. Daily specials can 

include a pulled pork plate and goat cheese flatbread. 

Offering to-go service during this time. 

Eli’s Table (D) 129 Meeting St., 405-5115. High-end 

bar and eatery with artful decor & locally sourced 

Southern fare for breakfast, lunch & dinner. Bold, 

worldly flavors using fresh and local ingredients, 

outdoor seating and live jazz every Thursday night. 

Daily breakfast 8 am – 3 pm, lunch 11 am-5 pm and 

dinner 5 pm-until. Brunch Sat and Sun. 

Husk (D) 76 Queen St. 577-2500. An ever-changing 

menu of locally-sourced Southern dishes play to what 

local purveyors have seasonally available at any given 

moment. Situated in a restored Victorian-era home, 

Locations: (D) Downtown; (DI) Daniel 

Island; (FB) Folly Beach; (IOP) Isle of 

Palms; ( J) John’s Island; ( JI) James Island; 

(KS) Kiawah/Seabrook; (MP) Mount 

Pleasant; (NC) North Charleston; (S) 

Summerville; (SI) Sullivan’s Island; (WA) 

West Ashley 

Husk is a memorable Charleston location. Open for 

lunch Mon-Sat from 11:30 am – 2:30 pm and dinner 

daily at 5:30 pm with brunch on Sunday from 10 am 

– 2:30 pm. 

The Obstinate Daughter (SI) Pizza, pasta, small 

plates and a raw bar are the focus of the menu. 

Changing seasonally, the creative menu—think 

redfish with farro, kale pesto and boiled peanuts—is 

rooted by the burgeoning farms and fishermen in 

the Lowcountry who supply superior products to the 

restaurant. Lunch 11am-3pm and dinner from 3 pm 

-10 pm. Sunday brunch at 10 am. 

Rutledge Cab Co (D) 1300 Rutledge Ave. 720-1440. 

Voted best authentic American restaurant. Family 

friendly serving omelets, burgers, wings, sandwiches, 

kabobs and entrees like grilled salmon and sirloin 

steak. Full bar. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 

R Kitchen (D) 212 Rutledge Ave.; (WA) 1337 Ashley 

River Rd., 789-4342. Reservations-only intimate 

atmosphere with seats for up to 16 guests in the 

kitchen or 20 including the covered patio. Five courses 

for $50. Menus are tailored to guests and change 

daily, from filet to red snapper. Visit the restaurant’s 

Instagram page @rutledgekitchen for a chalkboard 

photo of the menu. Downtown location reservations at 

6 pm and 8 pm nightly. West Ashley location Thurs- 

Sat at 6 pm and 8 pm. 

Sermet’s Courtyard (DI) 115 River Landing Dr., 

471-1777. Upscale service and family friendly. 

Area restaurants provide this information to Charleston LIVING magazine. It is published according to space 

availability. No advertising or other considerations are accepted in exchange for a listing. To participate in our 

restaurant guide, call 843-856-2532. 

VOTED #1 IN 2020 FOR BEST 

SHRIMP & GRITS 

Page’s Okra Grill 

302 Coleman Blvd, Mt. Pleasant 

843-881-3333 

Shem Creek Mobile Kitchen 

by Page’s Okra Grill 

142 Brighton Park Blvd, Summerville 

219 Carolina Ave, Moncks Corner 

pagesokragrill.com 

Exceptional Wine • Champagne • Craft Beer 

DIY Mimosas • Charcuterie Boards 

Coffee • Espresso 

Located in Old Village Mt. Pleasant 

115 Pitt Street, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464 

858.401.2732 

www.leeahsoldvillage.com 


RESTAURANT GUIDE 

Seasonally-rotating menu serves up fresh seafood, 

pasta, beef and local produce. Mon-Sat. 5-10 pm. 

Stacks Coastal Kitchen & Stacks Evening Eats 

(MP) 1440 Ben Sawyer Blvd. #1107, 388-6968. A 

Mt. Pleasant favorite—where their famous tomato 

pie is available anytime by the slice or whole to-go 

from the refrigerated case—also has a number of 

sandwiches and salads for lunch. An elegant dining 

room for dinner serves up many options including 

grilled salmon over housemade spinach fettuccine, 

tuna nachos and cornflake-crusted flounder. 

Asian 

Basil (D) 460 King St., 724-3490 (MP) 1465 Long 

Grove Rd. 606-9642. Traditional Thai entrees using 

the freshest ingredients in a chic and relaxed setting. 

Lunch, Mon-Fri. Dinner nightly. 

O-Ku (D) 463 King St. 737-0112. Bold and stylish 

décor set the tone for this upscale sushi and Japanese 

eatery. Menu selections include Chilean sea bass and 

yellowtail carpaccio. Dinner nightly. 

Xiao Bao Biscuit (D) 224 Rutledge Ave. (no phone). 

Creative, multicultural Asian cooking and specialty 

cocktails in a trendy converted gas station. Select lunch 

and dinner dishes from China, Taiwan, Thailand and 

Vietnam prepared locally and inspired by tradition. 

The menu changes seasonally, with rotating daily 

specials and family style dinner service. 

Bakery 

Christophe Artisan Chocolatier (D) 90 Society St., 

297-8674, (WA) 1901 Ashely River Rd., 225-9133. 

Unique combination of French pastries, chocolate 

sculptures and hand-painted chocolate pieces. 

Cupcake Down South (D) 433 King St., 853-8181. 

(MP) 664 Long Point Rd., 856-7080. A cupcake 

lovers’ dream offering an array more than a dozen daily 

rotating flavors such as red velvet and salted caramel 

chocolate. “After-dark” cupcakes, like Bourbon pecan 

pie, have alcohol infused inside. Gluten free and vegan 

options. 

Carmella’s Café and Dessert Bar (D) 198 E. Bay 

St., 722-5893. A rotating case of delectable cakes and 

pies available by the slice plus dessert cocktails, gelato, 

sorbetto and wine bar. 

La Pâtisserie (D) 404 King. St., 843-990-5418. La 

Pâtisserie serves the Holy City’s finest coffee, breads 

and pastries, and breakfast sandwiches and quiche. 

Renowned French Pastry Chef Rémy Fünfrock 

ensures both authenticity and freshness. 

BBQ 

Rodney Scott BBQ (D) 1011 King St., 990-9535. 

Famed pit master Rodney Scott brings his awardwinning 

BBQ to Charleston, with whole hog cooking 

to a trendy, counter-service location on King Street. 

Mediteranean cuisine 

with Homemade 

Pastas & Bread 

Celiac & Vegan Options 

Outside Dining 

Sauce is slathered on the hog while its cooking in a 

closely-held recipe. Options include piled-high plates and 

sandwiches, ribs and more with classic sides like collards, 

baked beans and fresh baked hand pies. Open daily 11 

am. – 9 p.m. 

Martin’s BBQ Joint (JI) 1622 Highland Ave, 790-0838. 

Pit masters come in at 5 a.m. every morning at this James 

Island location and smoke a whole hog for 20 hours over 

hickory hardwood coals. In addition to pulled pork, beef 

and chicken, Martin’s serves up delicious smoked wings 

and brisket, and Southern sides and pies are made inhouse. 

An outdoor area and lively bar has cornhole games. 

Open daily 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. and until 10 p.m. Fridays and 

Saturdays. 

Lewis BBQ (D) 464 N Nassau St., 805-9500. The first 

thing you’ll notice when you pull up to Lewis Barbecue 

are the massive, custom-made smokers, welded by the 

pitmaster himself. Order at the counter, where John Lewis 

is slicing up true Central Texas barbecue, cut-to-order and 

daily specials to enjoy indoors or on the patio. 

Bessinger’s (WA)1602 Savannah Hwy., 843-556-1354. 

Family-owned and operated for 81 years, Bessinger’s are 

the “first family of barbecue” and the original mustardbased 

BBQ restaurant in Charleston. Try the pulled pork 

slathered in their signature sauce, ribs, chicken or a burger. 

Patrons can enjoy the sandwich of the day, side and a drink 

for only $10. 11 a.m.- 9 p.m. daily. 

Home Team BBQ (D) 126 Williman St., 225-RIBS ext. 

4; (WA) 1205 Ashley River Rd. 225-RIBS ext. 2; (SI) 

2209 Middle St., 225-RIBS ext. 3. Extensive BBQ list 

including three-meat platters and BBQ nachos in a hip, 

family-friendly atmosphere. Award-winning dry rubbed 

wings are not to be missed. A number of housemade BBQ 

sauces are available on the table to douse meat as you 

please. 

Bars and Taverns 

Dunleavy’s Pub (SI) 2213 Middle St., 883-9646. 

Traditional Irish-American fare offering excellent burgers, 

pub dogs, sandwiches from crab cakes to roast beef, salads 

and plate specials. Large beer selection and outdoor seating 

available. 

Moe’s Crosstown (D) 714 Rutledge Ave., 641-0469. 

No-frills vintage pub located near Hampton Park has 

an extensive menu of burgers, sandwiches and late-night 

menu for bar bites. A pool table and multiple TVs brings 

in sports fans and cold draft beer and happy hour specials 

brings in a regular crowd. 

Indoor Dining 

To Go Curbside 

Pick Up 

75 Wines 

by the Glass 

Dinner Daily: 5 - 10pm 

We Continue Social Distancing for Safety for Everyone 

With Private Dining Space for Private Groups 

82 Society Street • Charleston, SC 

843-577-1102 • www.charlestonmuse.com 

Poe’s Tavern (SI) 2210 Middle St., 883-0083. Festive 

local pub serving fish tacos, sandwiches, salads and the best 

burgers on the island. Lunch and dinner daily. 

St. James Gate (FB) 11 Center St., 588-0002. This classic 

tavern on Folly Beach has Irish entrees like bangers and 

mash and Shepherd’s Pie, many whiskeys and live music. 

Pair a classic Irish dish with their famous frozen Irish 

coffee or a perfectly-poured pint of Guinness. 

Café 

Aaron’s Deli (D) 213 Meeting St., 723-6000. A New 

York deli with Southern hospitality. Serving fresh, sliced 

meats and cheeses daily. Real Jewish pastrami (not 

trimmed) and corn beef. Homemade desserts. Voted best 

Ruben in Charleston. Real turkey, not processed, sliced 

from the breast. You can also order from Hyman’s Seafood, 

its sister restaurant, next door. 




60 Bull Cafe (D) 60 Bull St., 718-3145. Upscale 

eatery offers elegant deli sandwiches, soups, salads 

and breakfast bites, as well as a variety of homemade 

prepared foods, deli meats and cheeses, produce and 

boutique wines and beer. Open daily. 9 am- 9 pm. 

East Bay Deli (D) 334 E Bay St. Ste H, 723-1234. 

Mouth-watering deli sandwiches with all the 

trimmings and an abundance of side dishes and 

specialties are all the rage at East Bay Deli. Choice 

meats and fresh-cut veggies, along with oversized 

spuds, make this a popular breakfast, lunch and dinner 

spot. 

Five Loaves Café (D) 43 Cannon St., 937-4303; 

(MP) 1055 Johnnie Dodds Blvd., 849-1043. Gourmet 

soups, salads and sandwiches in a relaxed atmosphere. 

Daily soup menu includes nearly ten rotating 

selections. Lunch and dinner, Mon-Sat. Sunday 

brunch 10 am to 2 pm. 

Laura Alberts Tasteful Options (DI) 891 Island Park 

Dr., 881-4711. An array of housemade salads, gourmet 

sandwiches and seafood dishes. Large selection of 

wines and craft beers. Lunch daily, dinner Wed., 

Saturday brunch. 

Saffron Café & Bakery (D) 333 E. Bay St., 722-5588. 

Freshly baked goods like breads, pastries and desserts, 

signature sandwiches and salads, pizza, housemade 

pasta and Middle Eastern specialties like saffron 

chicken and shrimp curry. Breakfast, lunch and dinner 

daily. Live music on the weekends. 

Ted’s Butcherblock (D) 334 E Bay St., 577-0094. 

Old-fashioned butcher counter and gourmet deli 

has prepared foods to take home or eat at cafe tables. 

A neighborhood butcher, Ted’s offers quality meats 

and seafood handcut to order. There’s a large variety 

to choose from, including the monthly featured 

sandwich, paninis and elevated prepared foods. 

Eclectic/Fusion 

Barsa Tapas & Lounge Bar (D) 630 King St., 577- 

5393. Elevated Spanish tapas, paella & cocktails are 

the draw at this stylish lounge with rare downtown 

parking lot attached. Open daily for lunch & dinner. 

Cru Café (D) 18 Pinckney St., 534-2434. A local 

favorite serving up gourmet foods with an Asian 

flair like Chinese chicken salad and ginger glazed 

salmon. Indoor or front porch dining. Lunch & dinner 

Tuesday-Saturday. 

Graze (MP) 863 Houston Northcutt Blvd., 606- 

2493. Diverse eclectic cuisine with small “grazing” 

plates. Dishes include spicy tuna tataki and Koreanstyle 

chicken wings. Lunch & dinner Mon-Sat. 

Jack of Cups (FB) 34 Center St., 663-0042. Global 

and flavorful dishes like pumpkin curry soup, Thai 

noodle salad and a roasted poblano mac and cheese 

can be found on this seasonally-rotating menu. Enjoy 

a homemade sangria or pick from the curated beer, 

cocktail and wine list inside the cozy space or on the 

large outdoor patio. 

Red Drum (MP) 803 Coleman Blvd., 849-0313. 

Traditional Lowcountry cuisine with a Southwestern 

flair. Charred octopus BLT, crab meat tostaditas and 

steaks in a casual atmosphere. Dinner Tues-Sat. 

Fresh Seafood and 

Lowcountry Dishes 

from Local Farmers 

and Fishermen 

Fine Dining 

Charleston Grill (D) 224 King St., 577-4522. Worldclass 

dining at one of Charleston’s top eateries inside the 

Belmond Charleston Place. An ever-changing menu 

from Chef Michelle Weaver is uniquely divided into four 

main groups – Social & Shared, Roots & Stems, Waves 

& Marsh, Field & Pasture. Live jazz Sat, Sun & Mon. 

Dinner nightly. 

Circa 1886 (D) 149 Wentworth St., 853-7828. Delectable 

cuisine is served up at the Wentworth Mansion with 

dishes like crabcake souffle and braised pork shank. 

Dinner Mon-Sat. 

Fig (D) 232 Meeting St., 805-5900. Nationally-acclaimed 

bistro serving fish, locally-sourced food. Menu changes 

daily with selections like fish stew provençal and chicken 

liver pâté. 

Gabrielle (D) 404 King St., 843-990-5460. Bold and 

flavorful Southern cuisine that celebrates local bounty like 

grilled local swordfish and grilled oysters. Located inside 

Hotel Bennet, dine for lunch or dinner daily in the indoor 

dining room or outdoor dining terrace, which overlooks 

historic Marion Square. 

High Cotton (D) 199 East Bay St., 724-3815. Southern 

cuisine offered high-fashion style, with fresh local 

vegetables, seafood and charbroiled steaks accompanied by 

tasty sauces like bearnaise and cabernet. Dinner nightly. 

Magnolia’s (D) 185 East Bay St., 577-7771. A refined 

take on traditional Southern cooking served in a warm, 

sophisticated environment. Pan seared sea scallops are 

served with a sweet corn hoe cake, pickled okra relish and 

brandy bacon cream. Lunch & dinner daily with Southern 

brunch on Sunday. 

Peninsula Grill (D) 2 Unity Alley, 577-0025. Southern 

classics served in an elegant, yet relaxed setting. Bold 

flavors and impeccable service make this a local favorite. 

First class wine list and romantic courtyard dining 

available. Dinner nightly. 

French 

Bistro Toulouse (MP) 1220 Ben Sawyer Blvd., 216-3434. 

Modern interpretations of classic French cuisine including 

mussels, cassoulet, escargots & steak frites. Over 20 wines 

by the glass, full bar, housemade desserts. Lunch, dinner 

and weekend brunch with a number of savory crepes and 

beignets. Tues-Sun. 

Café Framboise (DT) 159 Market St., 414-7241. Quaint, 

family-owned French nook with delicate light and 

affordable fare that includes gourmet sandwiches, crepes, 

pastries & coffee, plus an outdoor patio. 8am – 4pm Mon 

through Sat, 9am – 2 pm Sun. 

Lunch: Tues-Sun 11am-2:30pm 

Dinner: Thur-Sat 5pm-8:30pm 


810 Pinckney St. 

McClellanville, SC 

843.887.4342 

Chez Nous (D) 6 Payne Ct., 579-3060. Pint-sized and 

romantic neighborhood spot with elevated food and wine 

from France & around Europe in a cozy space. Only six 

dishes are served for lunch & dinner and changes daily. 

Check the restaurant’s website or Instagram page to see 

what’s being served today. Closed Monday. 

Fat Hen (J) 3140 Maybank Hwy., 559-9090. A popular 

hangout offering country-French cuisine such as 

barbeque-roasted duck, steaks, bouillabaisse, pork chops 

and locally-raised fat hens. Dinner nightly. Sunday brunch. 

Gaulart & Maliclet Fast and French (D) 98 Broad St., 

577-9797. Providing French food in Charleston since 

1984 on iconic Broad Street. Lunch items include an open 

faced Croq’ Monsieur and daily lunch specials for $13 

that include a glass of French wine. A popular chef special

Gourmet Sandwiches 

Pastries & Desserts 

Gelato & Sorbetto 

Wine Bar 

Dessert Cocktails 

 

198 E. Bay Street 


843.722.5893 

carmellasdessertbar.com 



fondue is featured on Thursdays for dinner. Breakfast, 

lunch & dinner Mon-Sat. Closed Sunday. 

Italian 

Indaco (D) 526 King St., 727-1228. Trendy eatery 

featuring Italian fare & wood-fired pizzas, handcrafted 

pastas, homemade salumi and cured sausages 

plus a patio and extensive wine list. Dinner nightly and 

Sunday brunch. 

Mondo’s Italian Restaurant (JI) 915 Folly Rd., 

795-8400. A favorite local hangout serving traditional 

Italian baked dishes like Italian sausage lasagna and 

housemade pasta with a number of sauces beyond 

traditional red sauce, like vodka sauce over penne and 

gorgonzola cheese sauce over fresh rigatoni. Patio 

dining available, weather permitting. Dinner Mon-Sat. 

Closed Sunday. 

Trattoria Lucca (D) 41 Bogard St., 973-3323. Rustic 

Italian fare at a neighborhood corner spot serves up 

veal scallopini, local flounder piccata and unique pasta 

selections like housemade tagliolini with blue crab 

from the kitchen of Chef Ken Vedrinski, a three-time 

James Beard Award semi-finalist. Dinner Mon-Sat. 

Closed Sunday. 

Wild Olive (J) 2867 Maybank Hwy., 737-4177. 

Rustic-chic dining with a simple menu of artisanal 

Italian dishes, excellent Italian desserts & a sizable 

wine list. Dinner nightly. 

Mediterranean 

Muse (D) 82 Society St., 577-1102. Eclectic cuisine in 

a secluded and quiet atmosphere inside a Charleston 

single house. Entrees include grilled swordfish, sea 

bass, short ribs, duck, risotto, homemade pasta & bread 

and a large wine selection. Dinner nightly. 

Stella’s (D) 114 St. Philip St., 400-0026. Classy 

throwback diner for Greek dishes and meze to share, 

plus Mediterranean Sunday brunch. Check out the 

whole fish of the day, topped with ladolemono, a 

traditional blended extra virgin olive oil and fresh 

lemon dressing. Dinner daily and Sunday brunch. 

Tabbuli (D) 6 N. Market St., 628-5959. Locallysourced 

fresh tapas and authentic Mediterranean 

cuisine including salads, kebobs and a mezze 

platter with hummus, babaganoush, tabbuli salad, 

jerusalem salad, basmati rice, falafel and grilled 

veggies with warm pita. Tabbuli boasts “the best patio 

bar downtown.” Opens at 3 pm Mon-Fri, 11 am 

weekends. 

Mexican 

Santi’s (D) 1302 Meeting St., 722-2633; (S) 114 

Holiday Dr., 851-2885. An array of authentic 

Mexican dishes in a comfortable dining atmosphere. 

Voted best margaritas. Lunch & dinner, Mon-Sat. 

Taco Boy (D) 217 Huger St., 789-3333; (FB) 106 

East Ashley, 588-9761. Fresh Mexican entrees like fish 

and fried avocado tacos and an array of beer, margarita 

selections and their famous frozen screwdriver. Lunch 

& dinner daily, along with weekday discounted menu 

item specials. 

The Taco Spot (WA) 1301 Ashley River Rd., (843) 

225-7426. An unassuming spot for all your taco and 

burrito cravings with an impressively large menu, 

breakfast tacos served all day and Taco Tuesday 

specials. The blackened fish taco is not to be missed. A 


full bar includes delicious margaritas with house-made 

agave mix. Lunch & dinner daily. 

Pizza 

Monza (D) 451 King St., 720-8787. Ranked 50th 

best pizzeria in North America. Neapolitan woodfired 

pizzas plus salads & pastas are offered in a chic 

bistro setting. Try a garlicky four-cheese pizza with 

mozzarella, ricotta, pecorino Romano and parmigiano 

Reggiano or build your own pie. Italian desserts, like a 

boozy tiramisu, are made in-house. 

Evo Pizza (NC) 1075 E Montague Ave., 225-1796. 

This local favorite serves creative Neapolitan-style 

wood-fired pizza using seasonal, locally-sourced 

ingredients. Try the adventurous pastrami and corn 

or pistachio pesto pizza or stick to classics like the 

margherita. Lunch & dinner daily. A new location, 

Baker & Brewer opened in downtown Charleston at 

94 Stuart St. open for breakfast, lunch & dinner daily. 

Fams Brewing (JI) 1291 Folly Rd., 225-4646. Local 

pizzeria and microbrewery serving New York and 

Chicago style pizza. Pair the Chitown classic—loaded 

with mozzarella, double pepperoni, double sausage 

and chunky sauce—with an award-winning craft brew. 

Large outdoor seating area. Lunch & dinner daily. 

Seafood 

Amen Street Fish & Raw Bar (D) 205 East Bay St., 

853-8600. Traditional raw bar with fresh seafood choices 

including oysters, clams, flounder and shrimp. Extensive 

beer and wine selections. Lunch & dinner daily. 

Blu Restaurant & Bar (FB) 1 Center St., 588-6658. 

Fresh local seafood at an oceanfront setting. Spend a 

day at the beach and then enjoy tapas-style entrees. 

Breakfast, lunch & dinner daily. 

Bowen’s Island (FB) 870 Bowens Island Rd. 795- 

2757. Known for its locally-harvested oysters, fried 

shrimp, hushpuppies, Frogmore stew, flowing beer 

and unmatched view of the river, marshes and islands, 

locals and visitors flock to this one-of-a-kind counterservice 

restaurant with their appetites and cameras. 

Dinner 5pm - 9:30 pm Tues through Sat. 

Charleston Crab House (JI) 45 Wappoo Creek 

Dr., 795-1963; (D) 41 Market St., 853-2900. 

“Family owned for 30 years and still crackin!” Fresh 

Lowcountry seafood served in a casual, family 

atmosphere. Featuring fresh blue crabs, snow crab legs, 

ahi tuna, fresh salads and sandwiches, seafood platters 

and more. Lunch & dinner daily. 

Coast (D) 39-D John St., 722-8838. Relaxed 

atmosphere with an array of fresh local seafood dishes 

including fresh ceviche and an outstanding drink list. 

Dinner nightly. 

Hyman’s Seafood (D) 215 Meeting St., 723-6000. 

A Charleston landmark and voted best seafood 

by Southern Living Magazine nine years in a row. 

Seafood favorites like shrimp and grits, lobster bisque, 

she-crab soup, whole crispy founder and more. 

Sandwiches, salads and a full bar for cocktails. Lunch 

& dinner daily. 

Pearlz Oyster Bar (D) 153 East Bay St., 577-5755; 

(WA) 9 Magnolia Rd., 573-2277. Fun, eclectic 

locations serving the freshest seafood in a casual 

dining atmosphere. Oysters prepared raw on the half 

shell, baked Rockefeller-style, fried or steamed are 

served all day. Lunch & dinner daily. 

The Royal Tern (J) 3005 Maybank Hwy., 718-3434. 

Nestled in the heart of Johns island, The Royal Tern is an 

elevated neighborhood eatery with daily seafood specials 

and inspired cuisine. Chef David Pell provides guests with 

an array of freshly-prepared seafood and steaks as well as 

seafood towers, carpaccios and tartares from the raw bar. 

Open for dinner Monday-Saturday. 

The Boathouse at Breach Inlet (IOP) 101 Palm Blvd., 

886-8000. Overlooking the Intracoastal waterway with 

fresh seafood, steaks and pasta. A local favorite for over a 

decade. Lunch, Tues-Sat. Dinner nightly. 

The Ordinary (D) 544 King St., 414-7060. Southern 

seafood hall and oyster bar located in an old bank. The 

fancy seafood menu celebrates the bounty of Coastal 

Carolina waters supporting local and regional fishermen, 

crabbers, oystermen, farmers and producers. A lively bar 

highlights the stunning space. Dinner Tues-Sun. Closed 

Monday. 

T.W. Graham & Co. (McClellanville) 810 Pinckney St., 

843-887-4342. A charming, old-timey restaurant in the 

fishing village of McClellanville that only uses fresh catch 

for their platters of grilled and golden fried seafood, along 

with house-made sides and pies. Lunch Tuesday-Sunday, 

lunch and dinner Friday and Saturday. Closed Monday. 

Southern 

82 Queen (D) 82 Queen St., 723-7591. A swanky bar 

& intimate courtyard make this refined Southern spot a 

special-occasion favorite. Favorites include grilled salmon, 

seared duck breast, Carolina crab cakes and seasonal 

mussels. Excellent wine list. Lunch & dinner daily. 

Slightly North of Broad (D) 192 East Bay St., 723-3424. 

Delicious, upscale food like grilled Carolina quail, oyster 

stew and shrimp and grits in a casual setting. Lunch, Mon- 

Fri. Dinner nightly. Brunch Sat and Sun. 

Virginia’s on King (D) 412 King St., 735-5800. Upscale 

yet relaxed atmosphere serving up traditional fare like fried 

chicken, deviled crab, po’boys and an array of side dishes. 

Breakfast, lunch & dinner daily. 

Steaks 

Burwell’s Stone Fire Grill (D) 14 North Market St., 737- 

8700. “The next generation of steakhouses” coined by those 

in the know of beef trends, Burwell’s serves up choice cuts 

of beef, including Wagyu hanger steak, along with local 

seasonal vegetables and sustainable seafood. Great location 

on the Market. Full bar. Dinner nightly. 

Grill 225 (D) 225 East Bay St., 266-4222. Upscale and 

fancy with private booths and white-jacketed service, 

serving up prime USDA steaks and select seafood entrees. 

Lunch & dinner daily. 

Halls Chophouse (D) 434 King St., 727-0090. Familyowned 

and high-end dining with a rich interior setting and 

impeccable service, offering up steaks cooked to perfection 

and choice seafood dishes. Dinner nightly, Saturday lunch 

and Sunday gospel brunch with signature steaks and 

Southern favorites. 

Oak Steakhouse (D) 17 Broad St., 722-4220. Upscale 

steakhouse fare in an impeccable setting, serving certified 

Angus beef and freshly-caught seafood. Award-winning 

wine list. Dinner nightly. 

The Ocean Room at the Sanctuary (KS) 1 Sanctuary 

Drive., 768-6253. Rich mahogany sets the tone for this 

upscale eatery, serving up choice dry aged beef and fresh 

local seafood from an ever-changing menu. Dinner Tue-Sat.

843-200-8422 

boozepop.com 

cocktails for 

Grown-Ups 

Safe place to go when the bars 

close and catch a safe ride home! 


TRAVEL 

Day Trippin’ 

McClellanville, a historic fishing village, is well worth the drive 

By JENNY PETERSON » Photos by ALEECE SOPHIA 

A 

hop, skip and a jump away from Mt. Pleasant sits the 

historic and quaint town of McClellanville, just past 

Awendaw. Far enough away for an old-fashioned day trip with 

memorable sights and experiences and you can still be home by 

dinner. With plenty of things to do and explore, a day outing—or 

even a long weekend in McClellanville—is well worth the drive. 

If you don’t keep a sharp eye out driving down 

Highway 17, you could miss it. You’ll know 

you’re getting close when you start to see old 

churches dotting the side of the road. A dark 

green sign for McClellanville with a picture of 

a shrimp boat lets you know that you’ve arrived. 

Take a hard right off Hwy 17 and the 

sprawling oaks envelope you almost immediately, 

like a scene right out of a postcard. Clapboard 

homes on large lots line either side of 

the road on Pinckney Street—McClellanville’s 

Main Street—and once you enter the main 

strip, you can see why visitors fall in love immediately. 

McClellanville is picturesque town—a 

fishing village evident by the dozens of shrimp 

boats docked at the end of the street—that has 

retained its old-world charm. 

Looking to explore? Check out a loose 

itinerary below for ways to enjoy this slice of 

Charleston County. 

» 10:00 a.m. There are many historic 

churches in McClellanville, and the Old 

Bethel AME Church, built in 1872, is a marvel 

to behold. Down a dirt road, the church 

stands among the large oak trees, striking 

in its construction, with unique cypress fish 

scale shingles. It is hailed as the oldest African 

PHOTO JENNY PETERSON 


American Episcopal (AME) church in Mc- 

Clellanville. The church is not currently open 

to the public but received a moment in the 

spotlight when it was a location for the Neflix 

show Outerbanks. 398 Drayton St. 

» 10:30 a.m. The Santee Nature Preserve 

is a wonderful, passive state park where you 

can choose your own adventure among a 

number of nature trails and points of interest. 

It’s run by the South Carolina Department 

of Natural Resources and free to explore. The 

marshland trail, right off a parking lot, is an 

easy and family-friendly 1.9-mile round trip 

trail that brings you to over a swampy boardwalk. 

The Cape Trail, 5.4 miles round trip, is 

the best option to see alligators. 220 Santee 

Gun Club Road 

» 11:15 a.m. A history buff ’s dream, the 

1.6-mile El Dorado trail at Santee Nature 

Preserve takes you to the crumbling, yet majestic, 

ruins of a former 1700s-era plantatiion 

home that was previously owned by Thomas 

Pinckney, an early American statesman. In 

its later years, it was the home to a gun club. 

Nature has taken over the remains, but the tall 

brick chimney and brick foundation remains, 

and you can envision the grandness—with a 

marvelous view of the South Santee River to 

boot. 220 Santee Gun Club Road 

» 12:00 No trip to McClellanville is complete 

without stopping in for a bite at T.W. 

Graham & Co. seafood, on picturesque Pinckeny 

Street, where you’ll find seersucker-clad 

locals, tourists and even a few park rangers enjoying 

the best and freshest fried seafood in the 

Lowcountry. Owner Patrick Runey is a regular 

in the dining room and screened-in patio, seating 

tables and catching up with the regulars. 

He buys the restaurant’s catch just blocks away 

from Carolina Seafoods and will convince you 

to indulge in the house-made pies—worth the 

extra calories. 810 Pinckney St. 

» 12:45 p.m. Right across from T.W. 

Graham’s is the McClellanville Arts Council 

museum and gift shop, where a variety of local 

artwork, from paintings to seashell wall 

hangings, is up for sale. Rotating art exhibits 

highlight South Carolina artists. The current 

exhibit, Unseen, is a collection of portraits and 

botanical paintings by Elizabeth DuBose 

Porcher Mahoney, born in 1908 in Porcher’s 

Bluff, SC, the former curator of education at 

the Charleston Museum. 733 Pinckney St. 

» 1:30 p.m. A drive down to the docks at 

the end of Oak Street and you’ll see why Mc- 

Clellanville is known as a fishing village. So 

many shrimp boats are docked along Jeremy 

Creek, they’re double-parked. Shrimpers are 

hard at work unloading their catch, which 

they sell directly to Carolina Seafoods and 

Livington’s Bulls Bay Seafoods, right on the 

water. 22 Oak St. 

» 2:15 p.m. Spend the afternoon on the 

sprawling grounds of the Hampton Plantation 

State Historic Site and marvel at a 

230-year-old oak tree that George Washington 

saved from removal in the year 1791. The 

Hampton Plantation State Historic Site is 

home to the final remnants of a colonial-era 

rice plantation and home, once owned by 

the Pinckney and Rutledge families. Many 

informative plaques dot the area and tell the 

difficult history of slavery on the grounds. The 

plantation now serves as an interpretive site 

to learn about the system of slavery and rice 

cultivation in the region. The area is run by 

South Carolina Parks and is free to explore. 

1950 Rutledge Rd. • 

(Opposite) The Bethel AME Church; Sign to 

McClellanville; Shrimp boats along Jeremy Creek; 

T.W. Graham & Co. Seafood; Hampton Plantation 

State Historic Site. 


TRAVEL 

Paradise Remains 

By KATIE MCELVEEN 

Updates abound at the Amelia Island Ritz Carlton, 

but thankfully not everything has changed 

I 

n the hotel business, first impressions matter. Pulling into the Amelia Island 

Ritz Carlton, I was greeted by a valet, who, when I missed his outstretched hand and dropped 

my car key into the footwell, grabbed a flashlight and, without the slightest hint of an eye roll, 

spent the next five minutes digging around under the driver’s seat. When he emerged, sweaty and 

triumphant, my embarrassment vanished, and I knew I was in for a wonderful stay. 


Ten minutes later, I found myself in a place I hadn’t been in almost a 

year: a restaurant bar. Since the pandemic began, I’d enjoyed a handful 

of outdoor meals at restaurants, but I missed the camaraderie of dining 

at a bar. At Coquina, the Ritz Carlton’s stunning (and brand new) 

open-air tapas restaurant, I’d found a gorgeous one where I could look 

out over the cobalt Atlantic as I dug into grilled mahi tacos. Tables 

offer equally atmospheric dining, with spaces – some set with rattan 

hanging chairs – available around firepits, under a pergola or in an 

orchid-strewn outdoor garden overlooking the pool. 

Coquina is one of many recently unveiled changes at the resort, 

which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2021. Several new dining options, 

including casual Tidewater Grill and a new coffee shop called 

First Drop, have expanded the Ritz Carlton’s culinary scene. 

The resort has also been transformed both visually and functionally: 

rooms have been redone in cool earth tones and now feature bathrooms 

with double vanities and larger showers. There are also outlets 

galore, bedside charging stations and smart TVs in every room. 

Thankfully, not everything has changed. The spa is again offering 

its full array of pampering treatments, many of which are unique to

the resort. My advice? Skip the more typical services and reserve a big 

block of time in your schedule for a specialty treatment that will allow 

you to take advantage of cool equipment like balancing crystals and 

a zero-gravity hammock. My Ocean Healing treatment began with 

a colorful chromatherapy bath – underwater lights to transform the 

water into a rainbow of relaxation – followed by a salt scrub, a quick 

shower, and finally, a full-body massage. The only thing I would change 

is my arrival time: had I gotten to the spa a bit earlier, I could have 

enjoyed the private spa pool and, perhaps, a glass of champagne. 

Amelia Island’s Lowcountry landscape – it’s part of the same sea 

island chain that includes Isle of Palms in South Carolina and Jekyll 

Island in Georgia – has also remained blissfully unchanged. Tall dunes 

line the shore; most days, you can spot gopher tortoises as they make 

their way with excruciating slowness through the dune grass. Yards 

away, dolphins zip through the calm surf like silver torpedoes. Just off 

the beach, bike trails twist and turn through the island’s cool marine 

forests, offering an easy way to explore the island. Head south a couple 

of miles (Ritz Carlton guests have complimentary use of bikes each 

day) and you’ll arrive at American Beach, which is home to NaNa 

Sand Dune, Florida’s largest. The massive tower of sand was named for 

MaVynee Betsch, whose great grandfather, Abraham Lincoln Lewis, 

developed American Beach in the 1930’s as a resort community for 

African Americans. After a brilliant music career that took her all over 

the world, Ms. Betsch, who called herself The Beach Lady, gave away 

her fortune and lived on the beach in the shadow of the dune that’s 

been named in her honor. 

It’s about 10 miles north to Fort Clinch State Park, a 1,400-acre 

site set on a peninsula that’s loaded with freshwater ponds, ancient 

marine forests, creeks, marshes, a massive Civil War-era fort, and 

several beaches. On the Atlantic side of the peninsula, shark’s teeth 

dot the sand and surfers catch surprisingly decent waves. Head to the 

northern tip for views across St. Mary’s Inlet to Cumberland Island 

and, if you’re lucky, a glimpse of the wild horses who live there. It’s also 

one of the best places on the island to spot highly endangered North 

Atlantic right whales who visit the calm water each winter to give 

birth. Submarine buffs might also want to consider a visit: The United 

States Navy uses the inlet to move Ohio class Trident subs from Naval 

Submarine Base Kings Bay into the open Atlantic. 

Long before the creeks, rivers and marshes that comprise Amelia 

Island’s west coast became a popular destination for paddlers and other 

sporty types, legend has it that pirates, buccaneers, and other scoundrels 

hid from authorities within the twisty maze. It’s easy to see why: 

beyond offering options galore for hiding out and burying treasure, the 

island’s 13 miles of wide beaches lapped by an azure ocean made being 

on the lam pretty appealing. Who could blame them for wanting to 

escape to paradise? 

Today, the pirates may be long gone, but paradise remains. • 

A guest room 

with an ocean 

view. 

Coquina, an openair 

tapas restaurant, 

overlooks the pool. 

Newly-redone 

bathrooms at the Ritz 

Carlton Amelia Island. 

The resort-style pool 

overlooks the ocean. 

PHOTOS DEREMER STUDIOS 

Guest bathrooms 

have double vanities 

and large showers. 


THE LAST REFLECTION 

Not Taking the Bait 

Turning life’s lemons into lemonade 

By ANNE WOLFE POSTIC 

The weather is perfect, a balmy spring day 

where nothing can go wrong. Maybe you’re 

wearing a sun dress, enjoying the sun’s warmth on 

your shoulders and the light breeze blowing 

through your hair, not enough to turn it into a rat’s 

nest, but just enough to make you feel cute. You’re 

headed to dinner, looking forward to consuming a 

cold, mildly effervescent lemonade to wash down 

all the delightfully fried seafood. But then someone 

says, “Oh! Your dress is so…elegant.” 

“But it’s perfectly casual,” you argue. “And I got it on sale!” You share 

the price, though no one asked. 

There was something in the tone of the (you assume backhanded) 

compliment, so now you feel overdressed and silly, and you sense 

your hair turning into one big messy clump. 

Back up a few seconds and find yourself. Instead of hurtling 

down the easy road of self-doubt, just say “Thank you!” And carry on 

with your bad self. 

Instead of responding to someone’s tone, respond to the words. 

At best, you’ll change everyone’s day for the better, and at worst, 

they’ll assume you’re a bit stupid and give up. My son and I were in 

a big box store recently, his first shopping trip since the pandemic 

started. There’s still a mask ordinance in effect here, which they kindly 

and firmly enforce. My son, who’s been exceedingly conscientious in 

the face of COVID, was concerned, but I assured him I’d had nothing 

but positive experiences in this store during the last year. (I’m 

the primary hunter and gatherer in our family, so I’ve been to plenty 

of stores recently, and this one is among the best in terms of safety.) 

All went well, until we were at the cash register. As I wrote a 

check, the next patron in line walked toward the cashier to ask a 

question. He was behind a plastic barrier and everyone was wearing 

masks, which made it hard for him to hear her. I assumed positive 

intent on the customer’s part and guessed that, in her attempt to 

be heard, she moved within a foot of us without thinking. My son 

inched toward me as I backed up a few steps. She then removed her 

mask and continued trying to talk to the cashier. 

After many years of practice, I was able to continue to assume 

she was a rule follower like I am and had good intentions. 

“Pardon me,” I said. “Could you please give us a bit more space? 

I’m almost finished.” 

“Really?” she responded. I started to suspect she might be…not 

so positive. I managed to dismiss that thought. 

“Yes, thank you so much. My mother-in-law is older and we’re 

trying to be extra careful to protect her.” I smiled, even with my eyes, 

so she could feel the warmth from behind my mask. 

“Or PARANOID.” Okay, it was getting harder to assume 

positive intent. She moved closer, letting us know she had JUST 

RECEIVED A NEGATIVE COVID TEST ON MONDAY. I 

noticed she was wearing scrubs, and I continued the clueless act. 

“Oh! That’s wonderful!” I spoke softly, still smiling. “And I see you 

work in healthcare. Thank you so much for everything you’re doing.” 

She gave up, just like that. I won’t lie – my son and I did glance 

behind us as we walked through the parking lot, just in case she had 

a little more aggression to express. 

Assuming good intentions when responding to other people, at 

home, at work, and everywhere else, goes a long way. It’s possible 

they have good intentions but suffer from perma-frown, or an inability 

to use a sweet voice. When a potentially sticky situation arises, 

challenge yourself to turn it around. At the very least, it’s an exercise 

in mindfulness. And you can go about your day knowing you didn’t 

make anyone else’s day worse. • 


A Record 

of Success 

in the 

Courtroom 

As one of South Carolina’s premier 

personal injury law firms, Gedney M. 

Howe III, PA has a reputation as the 

place injured people and other firms 

turn to for tough litigation cases. 

“Litigation is hard work and we 

keep our focus on the client.” 

—Gedney Howe III, 

chosen once again to 

the South Carolina 

Super Lawyers list. 

Attorneys 

(left to right): 

Caroline West, 

Gedney M. Howe, III, 

Alvin J. Hammer 

A A RecoRd 

RecoRd of 

of SucceSS 

SucceSS 

in the 

in the couRtRoom 

couRtRoom 

The firm represents 

victims of wrongful death, 

personal injury, trucking 

and automobile accidents, 

Attorneys (left to right): 

Robert J. Wyndham, 

defective products and 

Gedney M. Howe, III 

premises liability, as well as 

and Alvin J. Hammer 

medical and government 

Practice Areas: 

negligence. Howe also 

Personal Injury and 

Criminal Defense 

handles business litigation 

and criminal defense. 

As As one one of of South South Carolina’s premier personal injury law law firms, firms, Gedney Gedney M. M. Howe Howe III, III, PA PA has has 

a reputation a as as the the place place injured people and other firms turn turn to to for for tough tough litigation cases. cases. 

“Litigation is 

CHOSEN TO 2013 

is hard hard work and we keep our focus on on the the client,” says says Gedney Gedney Howe Howe III, III, 

SUPER chosen LAWYERS 

once again chosen to the once South again Carolina to the Super South Carolina Lawyers Super and Charleston Lawyers list. Best Lawyers lists. 

The firm The represents firm represents victims victims of wrongful of wrongful death, death, personal personal injury, injury, trucking trucking and and automobile accidents, 

defective accidents, products defective and products premises and liability, premises as liability, well as as medical well as and medical government and government negligence. 

negligence. Howe also Howe handles also handles business business litigation litigation and criminal and criminal defense. defense. 

Practice Areas: 

Personal injury and 

Criminal Defense 

Gedney M. Howe III, P.A. | attorneys at law 

8 Chalmers Street | Charleston, SC 29401 | 843-722-8048 | www.gedneyhowe.com

Charleston Living Magazine May-June 2021

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