If last week was all about Bourdain, this week was all about restaurant buyouts and openings. Here are a few food news leftovers to sink your teeth into:

Saint Alban reopens for dinner

Thanks to some Craigslist creeping, Eater got the early word that Saint Alban, Tim Mink and Brooks Reitz’s charming all-day cafe, is really going to be all-day again. The place is hiring staffers for dinner service. We reached out to Reitz for a menu, but he tells us it’s still in the planning stages. Stay tuned for an update on when service will begin.

Apartment A opens
The Taco Spot owner Jason Vaughn has opened Apartment A (221 A Coming St.), a nachos, tamales and cocktails restaurant. Vaughn says he’d been working on the project for a few years and finally got city approval to make his dream happen.

We checked out the restaurant last night and got a taste of the signature dish — Southern hot tamales (two for $7, four for $13, and six for $20). Made in the tradition of the Mississippi Delta, they’re beef wrapped in corn dough ground in-house, steamed in a corn husk and served with red pepper and jalapeño dipping sauce and … saltines. According to Vaughn, the classic crackers are the go-to accoutrement for the dish in Harrison County, Miss. If you want to avoid looking like a Southern tamale-eating rookie, Vaughn suggests you take a chunk of tamale, pop it on a saltine, top it with sauce, and enjoy.

Beginning Monday, Apartment A plans to be open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Mon.-Sat.

Oasis is now The Break
Once known as James Island’s home of “face-melting hard rock, punk, and hardcore shows,” Oasis Bar & Grill has transformed into The Break (778 Folly Road). The live shows are gone, but the sports bar feel remains. The new owner Matt Gardner has completely renovated the space that now features five pool tables, 15 TVs (with all major sports packages), skeeball, 10 taps, and team trivia on Mondays at 7 p.m. The Break also serves late night until 11 p.m. with a menu of barroom classics like tatchos, wings, and a little something called pimento cheese grits sticks. The Break is open Mon.-Fri., 4 p.m.-close, and Sat. & Sun., 1 p.m.-close. 

Lee Lee’s Hot Kitchen hosts Mash-Up dinner series
Beginning Wed. May 13, Lee Lee’s Hot Kitchen will host quarterly guest chef dinners. The first will see Lee Lee’s owner Lily Lei partnering with Will Fincher, chef de cuisine of the Obstinate Daughter. The two plan to serve an Italian themed dinner with Chinese incluences. Udon carbonara, chive crespele, and fried Chinese broccoli and farro are all on the menu. The dinner is $65 and there are only 18 seats. To reserve a spot, call (843) 822-5337. 


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