J. Bistro Closes

If you made reservations for Valentine’s Day at J. Bistro, you might want to rethink your plans. Tamir Lerman, who purchased the restaurant from James Burns a couple years ago, has closed the restaurant. The space is currently undergoing renovations and will be reopening in a few months under a new concept. More details to come. —Stephanie Barna

Arrrgh you ready for The Buccaneer?

A new pirate-themed restaurant is coming to downtown Charleston this summer, and it should be a welcome addition to the scene with a moderately-priced menu and an extensive collection of pirate artifacts, according to David Howard of the Neighborhood Dining Group. Howard’s company manages McCrady’s and Queen Anne’s Revenge on behalf of local investor Tony Bakker (Charleston Battery). So, why pirates? “People like to see pirate stuff,” says Howard. Queen Anne’s boasts the largest pirate collection in the country, and the Buccaneer’s should be just as big. They’re currently renovating the old City Bar location on Faber Street. They’ve already removed the hot tub (“That thing was disgusting,” Howard says.) and gutted the place, and will start construction in March. The new 200-seat dining room will have a bar and plenty of nooks and crannies. The menu is currently being developed. “I don’t want to say it will be value-priced because that implies cheap food,” says Howard, “but the menu will be in the $12-$20 range.” And he promises it will be good. Jeffrey Palsa is coming from stints at OK Café and Mary Mac’s in Atlanta to manage the restaurant, while Zack Willard is being promoted from the kitchen of Queen Anne’s Revenge to take the helm at The Buccaneer. If you can’t wait to get your pirate on, you can visit Queen Anne’s on Daniel Island where they’ve just unveiled a big, new outdoor deck with live entertainment. —Stephanie Barna

Basil To Expand?

An item in the business section of last Friday’s Post and Courier reported that Basil had signed a lease with the Beach Company at the Shoppes at Seaside. When reached for comment, Chai Eang said, “Nothing’s really definite.” He said he and his brother Henry had no plans as of yet because they are still trying to find the right location. “There’s no news to report.” Well, he may think it’s not news, but for the countless Basil fans in Charleston who’ve become accustomed to waiting in line to satisfy their cravings for green curry and pad Thai, just the idea of a new Basil is big news indeed. Eang did confirm that they have been looking for a long time to expand. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. —Stephanie Barna

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