This issue’s CP Hotlist shines a spotlight on notable, relatively new hot restaurants that impressed our cuisine team. We encourage you to check them out and let us know whether you think they should be added to our Top 50 list. On the CP Hotlist (in alphabetical order):
Philosophia (2022), Mount Pleasant.
This East Cooper restaurant blends the joy of dining with friendship and a menu that rocks Greek cuisine. “Amazingly good Greek food served in one of the most attractive new restaurants in the area,” one satisfied gourmand said. Favorites include starters of pesto hummus and Greek pimento cheese and main dishes of pastitsio, whole branzino and stuffed leg of lamb. Wow. Moderate to expensive. Philosophiamtpleasant.com. Dinner Wed.-Sun.
The Quinte Oyster Bar (2022), downtown Charleston.
The Quinte Oyster Bar is another addition to the exquisite line of oyster bars in Charleston. The 20-seat marble oyster bar and booths bring an elegant Parisian affair to King Street. Quinte maintains a small menu with delicate choices of a rotating selection of oysters from around the country, chilled lobster claws and caviar service for its raw bar menu. Its main course is a six-item menu of fresh, raw fish and scallops or steamed local fish. Pair the small menu of seafood with the extensive drink list of cocktails and wines. Expensive. TheQuinte.com. Lunch, dinner, Tues.-Sat.
Rancho Lewis (2022), upper Charleston.
Barbecue chef extraordinaire John Lewis, already known for bringing his tasty Texas brisket to Charleston, adds Tex-Mex to the mix with Rancho Lewis, where he uses his favorite Hatch chiles in many dishes. The tortillas are made fresh onsite, and, if you can stray from the tempting tacos, the burger — made with brisket — is terrific. Another diner raved: “Don’t leave without eating the steak fajitas. Period.” Moderate. Rancholewischs.com. Lunch, Wed.-Sun.
Sorelle (2023), downtown Charleston.
If you consider yourself a foodie, then chances are you’ve heard of Sorelle, one of the hottest and most talked about restaurants of the year so far. It’s a partnership between chefs Adam Sobel and Nick Dugan, bringing their take on classic cuisine from southern Italy to the South. Everything on the menu is “a banger,” said one diner who managed to get in. A great combo, he salivated, would be to order the pane (bread) with fougasse, roasted garlic and olive oil, the cavatelli al tartufo (a mushroom pasta) with ricotta dumplings and truffle parmesan, and the pasta-baked branzino for a dinner to die for. Expensive. Sorellecharleston.com. Dinner, Tues.-Sat.
Sullivan’s Fish Camp (2022), Sullivan’s Island.
This eatery is the third concept from Basic Projects, owner of Basic Kitchen and Post House (both in our Top 50). The food is inspired by chef Hood’s childhood. The tastes are described as playful and perfect for the beach with a focus on Southern ingredients that create new takes on fish camp classics like shrimp linguine by using Tarvin Seafood shrimp, jalapeño and gouda hush puppies and, of course, oysters. Moderate. Sullivansfishcamp.com. Lunch, dinner, daily.
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