The restaurant world is one where chefs often zigzag. Hoping to one day open their own concept, they build skills and connections in different kitchens. It is rare to find someone who stays in the same place for more than a few years. It’s even more unusual to find someone who stays at the same restaurant for more than two decades.
Marc Collins, executive chef and partner at Circa 1886, has done just that. He celebrates 25 remarkable years in June.
A chef’s origin story
When the restaurant opened in 2000, the dining landscape in Charleston was very different. Considered off the beaten path, Circa 1886 founders Rick Widman and Linn Lesesne wanted to create something “memorable and immersive” for guests staying at the upscale Wentworth Mansion. In June 2001, Collins took over the kitchen.
As a child, Collins dreamed of becoming an Air Force pilot, a career halted due to his imperfect vision. At 16, he apprenticed in the kitchen of a private yacht. He was hooked. After attending the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts, he became executive chef at the Fairmount Hotel in San Antonio before moving to Charleston.
“When you get to a place that offers you serious creative freedom and trusts you along the way the whole time, you go, ‘The grass really isn’t greener on the other side,’ ” Collins said about Circa. “It’s more, ‘How can you grow your grass greener and keep it green on your side?’”
Always a student, Collins stepped into his role at Circa as a sponge absorbing the Lowcountry. He tapped culinary luminaries like Hoppin’ John Taylor, David Shields, Glenn Roberts and B.J. Dennis to understand Charleston cuisine, from the Cherokee nation to European settlers and enslaved Africans.
Collins found people often go to Circa 1886 for special occasions and want celebratory, rich dishes. He created a four-quadrant menu with distinct foodways represented which has evolved to the current menu offering of two tasting menus and a la carte choices. The format gives diners the ability to try more and the kitchen an opportunity to experiment.
A chef’s impact
Over the past 25 years across the Lowcountry, Collins’s influence has been immeasurable. He helped launch the first Charleston Wine + Food Festival, which has an annual award in his honor for an outstanding local chef who demonstrates leadership, innovation and dedication.
“I’m not sure everybody understands what part Marc did to bring in the Wine and Food Festival, which helped shape the culinary scene from the beginning here in Charleston,” said Michelle Weaver, former executive chef at Charleston Grill. “People also might not know that he’s been a friend to a lot of us who just needed somebody who understood what they were going through.”
For example, when Weaver’s father was sick, Collins jumped in to help.
“Time and time again, he stepped up and filled in for me when I couldn’t be there for an event or just for moral support. He’s been such a good friend to all of us.”
And it’s not just about the food he’s created.
“I learned early in my chef career that I’m not in that spot without many people behind me giving their all,” he said. “You get in the trenches and you’re working with everybody side-by-side. They see you doing the same things they’re doing and you’re able to train and teach them. You show them, ‘hey, the same thing I’m asking you to put up, I’m putting up.’ ”
Looking ahead
To celebrate Collins’s 25 years, Circa 1886 has special programming planned for June. Its beloved grilled cheese — an ooey-gooey decadence topped with caviar — will be back on the menu. The bar will offer the “Marc Collins,” a twist on the Tom Collins, made with chef’s favorite Highwire Distilling Jimmy Red bourbon whiskey.
Additionally, every guest who dines at the restaurant during the month of June will be entered to win a prize: either a one-night stay at Wentworth Mansion with dinner or a private dinner for six guests prepared by Collins at the guest’s home (must be local).
And beyond June, Collins remains as focused as ever.
“Our job is to stay relevant,” he said. “Never rest on our laurels, continue to check in and see if what we’re doing is what guests are looking for and evolve that a bit. For us, it’s not just stay the course. It’s continuing to forge new roads.”
And what is indisputable is that Collins will do just that while showing his trademark kindness and commitment.
“Chef Collins hasn’t only been the heart of Circa 1886 for 25 years — he is its soul,” said Lesesne and Widman. “He is not only an extraordinary chef, but an invaluable business partner and dear friend. What he has established at Circa 1886 goes far beyond a menu; it’s a legacy of excellence, mentorship and genuine hospitality.”
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