Last July, Daniel Island’s pirate-themed restaurant Queen Anne’s Revenge (160 Fairchild St.) closed. After 12 years serving dishes like pecan crusted chicken and shaved prime rib po’ boys amidst cannons, pistols, and other swashbuckling paraphernalia, Neighborhood Dining Group (Husk, McCrady’s) operating partner David Howard told City Paper the spot was shuttered due to a real estate decision. But on Mon. May 5 the space will re-open as The Islander, the latest addition to Holy City Hospitality’s ventures including 39 Rue de Jean, Virginia’s on King, Coast Bar and Grill, Vincent Chicco’s, Victor Social Club, Michael’s on the Alley, and Good Food Catering. And General Manager Eric Foor says the space has undergone a total transformation. “We’ve moved the bar to indoor/outdoor and have focused on outdoor dining with large retractable windows,” says Foor. As for the pirate gear, that ship has sailed too.
Chef John Whisenant, an HCH veteran, has been hired as executive chef. He got his start with the company upon graduating from Culinary Institute of Charleston, opening 39 Rue de Jean. Most recently he was sous chef at the Daniel Island Club. At The Islander, he says, “We’ll be serving anything local I can get my hands on — from fresh fish to sushi, in-house ground burgers to steak.”
And in keeping with the island feel, Foor and Whisenant report that the cocktail menu will feature drinks like calypsos and caipirinhas. “We want to appeal to the relaxing part of what makes Charleston, Charleston,” adds Foor, who also mentioned there’s a possibility the outdoor bar will feature steel drums on the weekend. Given Daniel Island’s notoriously high restaurant turnover, it remains to be seen if the relaxed appeal The Islander promises will be what residents are looking for.
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