James Islanders luck out with Kwei Fei’s unlikely arrival and bold flavors (Charleston City Paper)

by Vanessa | Dec 12, 2018 | Legacy

What do an eighth century Chinese consort, an ’80s new wave soundtrack, and a dogged journeyman chef have in common? No, not a Jon Favreau time travel themed sequel to Chef, but a permanent — and much-deserved — home for chef David Schuttenberg’s...

With some fine tuning, Kid Cashew could be Mt. Pleasant’s newest go-to (Charleston City Paper)

by Vanessa | Dec 5, 2018 | Legacy

Some day in the not-too-distant future, a young, would-be hip-hop artist in Brazil will come up with the perfect rap name and Google it, only to find it’s already been taken by a restaurant chain founded in Charlotte, N.C. Alas, while Sao Paolo will never...

With a refined menu and sophisticated service, Tradd’s is a beautiful newcomer (Charleston City Paper)

by Vanessa | Nov 28, 2018 | Legacy

When Cypress shut down in May 2017, it was hard to imagine anything filling the venerable farm-to-table restaurant’s shoes. A year-and-a-half later, Tradd’s — now occupying the stunningly renovated space — has arrived on remarkably nimble feet. To start,...

With standout aperitivo and made-to-order creations, Babas on Cannon hits the mark as a unique local cafe (Charleston City Paper)

by Vanessa | Nov 21, 2018 | Legacy

Just when you thought Charleston couldn’t possibly support another small plates, European-inspired bar, along comes Babas on Cannon. With its high ceilings, full-length picture window, and white marble everywhere, elements of the airy space certainly look like...

The Royal American serves up stellar music, boozy punches, and solid bar bites, with a few standouts (Charleston City Paper)

by Vanessa | Nov 14, 2018 | Legacy

As your eyes adjust to the dark inside the former forge warehouse on Morrison Drive, you might notice the old photo booth, stained glass church windows, or a row of five top hats hanging above the stage. Certainly it’s hard to miss the vintage painting of a...

Melfi’s brings a convivial space and fresh, classic Italian to Upper King (Charleston City Paper)

by Vanessa | Nov 7, 2018 | Legacy

Recently, I found myself Googling things like “Brooks Reitz Crazy Bastard” and “Tim Mink Hard Start.” Hey, I didn’t write the menu. It turns out these totally harmless, not-at-all-weird searches leads one again and again to Neighbourhood,...