Love bites: Locals credit area venues with fueling their romances

Editor’s Note: This online version of our Valentine’s Day feature story is packed with more stories than are in the weekly print edition. We hope you enjoy more, umm, love from the City Paper and our readers.

From first dates to anniversary celebrations, Charleston locals flock to area bars and restaurants to celebrate their love stories. We talked to several couples around town about the establishments that helped them fall in love.

Whether it was Pink Belly’s noodle bowls, the oodles of vegetarian options at Jack of Cups Saloon or O-Ku’s potato rolls, these spots played a special role in these couples’ romances. Cheers to dining, living and loving well in the Holy City.

Lexy Hite and Mike Maiorelle

Blind Tiger

“My fiancé and I had our first date at Blind Tiger on Feb. 2, 2019,” said Lexy Hite of Summerville. “After, we walked the pier and looked through the telescopes at the end at the stars.

“Last December, he wanted to celebrate his birthday there. So I planned it all, texted all of our friends, etc. He wanted to leave early to get there early. He parked by the pier and asked if I wanted to go on a walk. It was a nice day and I was like, ‘Sure why not, we are here super early anyway.’

“We walked to the pier and he said, ‘Remember those telescopes from our first date? I wonder if they’re still there?’ Sure enough, they were! I started looking through and messing with them. I turned to offer him a turn and he was no longer eye-level. He was on one knee proposing! He had a photographer on the corner of the pier snapping the whole thing.

“After, we went to celebrate at Blind Tiger with all of our friends who were already aware he would be proposing. So his birthday party became our engagement party!”
Hite and Maiorelle got married earlier this month.

Chad and Jen Klimaszewski

Wild Wing on Market Street

“In October of 2005, I worked for Wild Wing Cafe in their corporate office (where the Shelter is now) and we were kicking off a karaoke contest at the downtown Wild Wing on Market Street,” said Chad Klimaszewski of Mount Pleasant.

“My coworker who managed events was going out of town and asked me to cover the kickoff that particular Thursday night and unfortunately the forecast was for heavy rains, which were never fun on the market. I got down there early and wasn’t expecting much because of the rain.

The market was flooding, sand bags were out in front of doors, you know, the normal drill for Market Street. So I was milling around waiting for our beer sponsor rep to show up when the door opened and two girls ran in with their jeans rolled up to their knees, boots in hands, laughing at having just waded through the market to get to this promo.

“My main contact introduced me to her coworker and BOOM … that was it. We spent the night judging karaoke performances and laughing our asses off and it was just one of those nights when I wasn’t looking for it, and all of a sudden here was this amazing girl with this huge wonderful smile staring back at me. I went to work the next day and told my coworker and friend, ‘I met the girl I’m going to marry last night!’…and I did.”

Olivia and Parker Phibbs

Pounce Cafe and Pink Belly’s

Parker Phibbs of tktktkt knew his girlfriend Olivia loved Pounce Cafe, so he proposed there before taking her to Pink Belly’s.

“My husband made the [engagement] special by doing a surprise ‘date’ that started at Pounce Cafe with a bottle of wine with dessert surrounded by cats! I’m a huge cat lover … so if you know me, it was a perfect place for me. The staff went above and beyond to make it special. He proposed with an orange cat that I was obsessed with and had the cat collar tag read ‘will you marry me’ on it.

“After that, we went to Pink Belly’s which I was dying to go to. The staff was amazing. They were so nervous as my husband on the reservation stated it was where we were going after the proposal and they wanted to make it special.

“The OG noodles with egg will forever remain my top favorite dish ever! The sriracha-lined bowl to the seasoning makes my mouth water — it’s that good! The Sake juice box is adult nostalgia to the fullest. They also provided a bottle of rosé to celebrate the occasion. Our server honestly made the experience the best; he was so friendly, attentive and went above and beyond to make it one of the best days of our lives! Our anniversary is coming up soon and we definitely will be going back to celebrate and get my noodle fix!”

Frances Boyd and Greg Warr

Muse

Frances Boyd of Kiawah Island said her special night at a local restaurant didn’t take place on Valentine’s Day, but it was romantic enough that it could have.

“We had just begun our relationship and decided to go downtown on a chilly December night to see the lights and such. Dinner at Muse was on the agenda as we walked bundled up arm and arm. We couldn’t have gotten any closer to one another. Once seated in an upstairs room at Muse, I casually noticed, out the window, a little balcony with a table for two. I think I may have said, ‘Oh, isn’t that cute.’

“The meal couldn’t have been better. We had plenty to chat and chuckle about and so enjoyed our time there. I don’t remember this, but he said we would briefly touch hands across our little table for two. When our server came with the check, we told her how much we had enjoyed ourselves.

“Of course, she invited us to come back. ‘Next time,’ she suggested, ‘you can sit out on that balcony right out there. We call that the Romeo and Juliet table.’ Blushing a bit and smiling at one another, we said we would love to. As she left, we marveled that she mentioned that. How did she know that we were new lovers? We’ll be back in warmer weather to sit at ‘our table.’ My Valentine and I are 76 years old. We feel so lucky.”

Chris and Casey Johnson

Jack of Cups Saloon

“My (now) wife and I started going to Jack of Cups in 2016ish,” said Chris Johnson West Ashley. “At the time, we both were vegan / vegetarian and living on James Island. Casey googled the classic ‘vegan near me’ and that’s when it all began. We saw a review for JOC mentioning curries, nachos and other vegetarian deliciousness. Off we went.

“That was the first of many in-person dates, only rivaled by the amount of times when we would get take-out and eat in on the couch in our sweatpants. Whenever we would go there, It always felt like home. Lesley [Jack of Cups owner] was always there, and always made a point to come out and give us a hug / talk to us about what was going on in our lives. It just became our place to celebrate each other, to get away from something or to just enjoy each other’s company. We always said when we got married, we would do anything to have Lesley (and her outstanding food) be a part of it.

“Fast forward to October 2020 whenI was lucky enough to take a job at Jack of Cups. My (and my wife’s) dreams had come true — I could bring JOC home EVERY NIGHT. I proposed in December of 2020 and one of the first things we unanimously agreed on, was that if Lesley was able, we would have JOC do our welcome party food. She did.

“To this day, anyone who attended that welcome party, still talks about the food. Jack of Cups has been threaded throughout our lives since the first time we went. We love it there, and it loved us back.”

Rachael Lolar and Michael Sox

Kudu

“We met through a campus outreach back in 2018. He was a freshman at the Citadel, and I was a sophomore at the College of Charleston,” said Rachael Lolar of Daniel Island.

“When he finally screwed up the courage to ask me out, we met at Kudu on Vanderhorst street for what would be the first of many dates. Every year since for the past seven years we’ve gone back for our anniversary (except for the COVID year), and I’m so glad we were both able to stay here after we graduated so we can continue to revisit and support this local spot that launched our love story.”

Chelsie and Giancarlo Dumenigo

Red Drum

“My husband and I had a destination wedding in Jamaica but wanted to lock in our marriage license here in Charleston,” said Chelsie Dumenigo of Mount Pleasant. “A courtroom wedding wasn’t an option so we decided to create a special moment for us and our immediate family.

“We planned a dinner and little ceremony in the wine cellar room at Red Drum and snapped a couple of pictures that are still so special! We call it our ‘paper wedding’ place and still order the same things, if they are available, every time we go back!”

Brigette Croke and Jay Greenfield

AC’s Bar and Grill

“I met the love of my life at AC’s Bar and Grill — of all places!” said Brigette Croke of tktktk. “It was April of 2019 and I had just gotten into town for Charleston Race Week (the biggest sailing regatta in the area) from New York City, where I lived at the time. I would come down for that event every year and our first stop was always to grab a drink and play some pool at AC’s.

“I didn’t expect to meet my future boyfriend that night and he certainly didn’t mean to fall for a girl who lived hundreds of miles away, but when he spotted me across the pool table he said his ‘blinders were on’ and he needed to know who I was.

“Jay went to CofC and had frequented AC’s hundreds of times, as most of the college kids do, but it’s not where you expect to fall in love.

“That bar will always have a special place in our hearts and we go back to it almost every anniversary. When I moved down here to start our lives together, on March 1st 2020 (a week before Covid started) the first place we went was to AC’s, where it all started.”

Brandon McCracken and Lauren Hall

The Windjammer and O-Ku

“I met Lauren in 2021. I was bartending at Hanahan Amphitheater when Lauren opened for Riley Green. After being left on read* for two years, she decided to just show up at the Windjammer in November 2023,” said Brandon McCracken of Johns Island.

“Lauren states she came there to see me and hopefully talk to me — and the rest is history. … I proposed to her at Red Rocks which is special because she is a musician and both places are music venues and have restaurants. Thank you to the Windjammer for making this love story come to fruition.

“O-Ku is our favorite dinner spot. Lauren likes seafood and I hate seafood. However, this queen has figured out the one and only sushi roll I will ever eat in my life and that is the potato roll from O-Ku. There is no other place than sitting in the window and looking at the famous American Theater which is featured in some pretty decent movies (I think it’s called The Notebook or something like that.) If you want to fall in love, sit in this seat ladies and gentlemen and then leave there and catch a gig at the Windjammer. Y’all can thank me later.”

To be “left on read,” for those who don’t know, means that someone has seen the message you have sent but has chosen not to respond to it.

Alexandra and Devin Tombs

Moe’s Crosstown

“I had just moved to Charleston for a job knowing no one right after finishing my master’s degree in Albany, N.Y. The year was 2010,” said Alexandra Tombs of Mount Pleasant.

“When I first started my job, I met a few people and became close with one of my now best friends, Meg. One night after a long day at work, Meg mentioned we should go out for a drink to celebrate what was about to be our first year of teaching. One of the guys she knew, Devin, told us to meet him at Moe’s Crosstown (the original on Rutledge). At that point, Moe’s didn’t even have air conditioning, it was before the renovation. We met at Moe’s, Devin and I hit it off, and the rest is history!

“Moe’s Crosstown has become such a part of our lives and our friends and families’ lives. We have the best memories of bringing everyone and anyone there, and whoever goes for the first time instantly falls in love. For our fifth anniversary, one of the traditional gifts to give is wood; I actually had an artist paint Moe’s Crosstown on a piece of wood, and it’s a piece of art we keep in our home. To add, we try to go back every August with our boys to celebrate the place and the time when we met!”

Tesh Parris and Raleigh Lumpkin

Vern’s

“My fiancé, Raleigh, and I have loved Vern’s since it opened, and some of our favorite nights in Charleston have been spent enjoying the ambiance, food, wine and company of friends on Bogard Street,” said Tesh Parris of Charleston.

“After 10-plus years together, Raleigh was planning to propose and secured a reservation at Vern’s for dinner on a Friday evening. He called me a few days before to say he had snagged a ‘last-minute reservation’ to celebrate moving in together which had happened a few days prior. He debated proposing on our walk to dinner, but seeing how it was August and scorching hot, decided otherwise.

“After finishing our entrees and a bottle of orange wine, he popped the question right in the front corner booth where we were seated. Barely anyone in the restaurant noticed, until the waiter saw us crying and asked what happened. Owner Bethany Heinz was working that evening and remarked that we were Vern’s first engagement! The team snapped a few pics, and then we headed to a surprise engagement party Raleigh had secretly planned, where all our closest friends were waiting to celebrate with us.

“We still go back to Vern’s on every special occasion, and we already have a rest for Valentine’s Day this year ahead of our wedding in April.”

Maggie Vickrey and Greg Rothman

Wild Olive

“My fiancé and I went to Wild Olive for our first date back in the summer of 2018. I had never been there before or even heard of it. That day changed my life forever,” said Maggie Vickery of Mount Pleasant.

“I often share how I’d take a bullet for two things: him and WO’s ricotta gnocchi. People must think I’m crazy because of how obsessed I am with this place. Of course, the service has been impeccable every single time we’ve gone, the vibe is the epitome of cozy and everything on the menu is crafted from the gods, but I can’t help but wonder if their gnocchi tastes inexplicably magical to me because every time I’ve eaten it, I’ve been with my favorite person in the world focusing on our milestones, achievements and blessings. We’ve celebrated every anniversary there since, as well as birthdays, promotions, half anniversaries…

“We’re even trying to get their tiramisu as the dessert for our wedding! Having our first date at such an amazing restaurant set the tone for the past six years, eating and drinking together at all the spectacular restaurants Charleston has to offer. I wouldn’t trade this life for anything.

“I’ll never be able to express how much this place means to me. It’s truly our happy place and I hope they stay open forever so we can continue this tradition as long as possible.”

Juliet Branch and Jason Chambers

Chico Feo

“It was the cold, tail end of 2020 and the human world was emerging. Businesses were opening and a small population of cabin fever ferals took advantage,” said Juliet Branch of tktktk. Having gone through a recent traumatic and life altering situation, a friend of mine drove me to the ocean. With our windows down, I couldn’t believe what I heard. Was that a guitar!? The first sound of live music since quarantine began! It was none other than ‘Foxy G’s Soapbox’ open mic at Chico Feo.

“There was a place to park in front, and it didn’t take five minutes before I met my match. Jason Chambers is known for his poetry, but I knew him as the man who invited me over for a fire once during quarantine. I don’t think the story would be much different if we met a couple months prior, but because we didn’t, I got to hear him read honest, profound and truly earth-shaking poetry the very first night we met. That night we sat across a picnic table talking as ancient friends. Upon learning I lived with my amazing grandma, he promised to read me a poem the following Monday that he wrote about his own grandmothers, ‘Signs and Wonders.’

“And so began our Monday tradition. My friends (who would also sing and play) and I would look forward to The Soapbox every week! I gleefully fell in love at Chico Feo, a little bit more every Monday. It wasn’t long before our first date, where he finally built me that fire, right between the pond and his Avion camper home, and we stayed up all night telling story after story. Life has unfolded in colorful ways since then, including moving five times in six months, getting proposed to on top of a waterfall, having a basketball sized tumor removed from my abdomen while four months pregnant, and now our baby girl getting snow for her first birthday. Today we’re dedicated to growing flowers and sharing the joy that they bring. We took our daughter to the ocean recently to feed seagulls for the first time and everything came full circle, as she wobbled some of her first steps to the shore. I’m extremely grateful for my poetic Valentine and the wild and wonderful world we weave.”