Walking into Lost Isle, an open-air concept located at 3338 Maybank Highway, feels a little like walking onto, well, a lost island. The name is fitting for a spot that’s quirky without trying too hard, featuring chandeliers floating among the Spanish moss of live oak trees.
The outdoor space, which is covered by swaths of sail cloth, fits a niche that owner TJ Lynch said he and partners Thomas Wilson and Josh Taylor have been looking to fill for a while.
“We’ve been trying to do this for a long time,” said Lynch, who noted that it can be difficult to find the right zoning for this kind of establishment. “It’s odd how many people don’t want you to cook in a way that we used to cook.”
And while modern zoning requirements may force live-fire establishments through more hoops than usual, the method of live-fire cooking appears to be as popular as ever.
Last year, finedininglovers.com declared that “open flames and heat” were “dominating the narrative” of dining out; earlier this year, Club Oenologique, an online publication for fine dining and wine lovers, stated, “The primal art of live-fire cooking is at the cutting edge of the restaurant world.”
Sure, Bon Appetit magazine deemed live-fire all the rage back in 2015 — which may just go to show that the trend is more than a trend and that the technique is now firmly situated in our modern dining landscape.
Why so serious?
“It’s super casual. There are enough people around to answer your questions,” said Lynch of Lost Isle’s bar service model.
Lynch, who, along with Richard Knapp, opened New York City’s Mother’s Ruin, a “dive-meets-cocktail bar,” as described by Punch magazine, in 2011, is a fan of order-at-the-bar establishments. Lynch told the Charleston City Paper that after years of working in fine dining, he appreciated the laidback nature of a bar service model.
And while drinks are integral to all of Lynch’s spots, high quality doesn’t have to mean picky. As he told Punch in 2017, “Everything’s up for interpretation… You might not even get the same drink in the same kind of glass twice.”
After walking into Lost Isle and checking out the menu, guests can order food and drinks and seat themselves. If it’s cold out, Lynch said fire pits and blankets will keep guests toasty. Think of it like attending a best friend’s bonfire, with the added benefit of housemade cocktails, a curated wine list and fresh, made-to-order dishes.
Chef Josh Taylor is joined in the kitchen by sous chef Matt Priede and lead cook Sam Tucker. Formerly of Root Note Food, Taylor has crafted a seasonally focused menu with frequently changing specials and dishes, like whipped ricotta with smoked tomato, wood-fired oysters with chili butter and delmonico steak with chimichurri. Sticking to that laidback, casual vibe, Lynch said Lost Isle isn’t in the business of serving up $60 steaks; he and his team want visitors to have a “quality supper” without breaking the bank.
“Chef Josh and I had so many ideas,” Lynch said. “It was hard to narrow it down into a produce-able menu.” They managed, though, and although the rotating options help keep things interesting — “so we don’t get bored,” joked Lynch — there will be a core selection of grilled options, including a whole fish, tomahawk pork chop and cauliflower steak.
While Lynch hammers home the idea of a casual spot, he is sure to note that Lost Isle will stick to its posted hours. Currently the restaurant is open 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. daily, but it’s never a bad idea to check out the spot’s Instagram beforehand if the weather is particularly bad.
“We’ve been doing this way too long,” laughed Lynch. “A lot of people are just excited for something different. When options become very similar, it gets boring very fast.”
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