Cue the Tears of Joy: The Ordinary is Here

As of 3 p.m. this afternoon, the enormously anticipated restaurant from FIG duo Mike Lata and Adam Nemirow The Ordinary will open to the world. The oyster and seafood hall will start out by shucking Caper's Blades and Bull's Bay oysters and other varieties at the raw bar. At 5:30, they'll begin serving up the rest of the menu, and if yesterday's lineup is any indication, Charleston will be hit with a deluge of lobster rolls, oyster sliders and snowy grouper minute ceviche.

"It's not as formal as FIG. It's meant to be a la carte, more casual," said Lata, who is insanely knowledgeable on the topic of oysters, of his new shrine to seafood and shellfish. His vision? Diners will walk in and, perhaps, head to the raw bar and then "keep tasting" as the evening goes on. On a big night, a couple might celebrate with some American caviar done up with potato chips and creme fraiche, which, at $45 an ounce, Lata notes "is pretty cheap for caviar."

City Paper has a slideshow at the interior and trust that The Ordinary is a knockout, with high ceilings and just the right amount of nautical detailing throughout, like oyster baskets and anchor-emblazoned shirts on the staff. There's a 7-foot long raw bar with seats for six, and a long bar made from wood that was reclaimed from a truck bed circa the 1950s. The kitchen is tucked back in behind a vault door, a reminder that the vast and open building was once a bank.

In the words of Lata himself, "Things don't happen like this every day."

Critical details: Open Tuesday - Sunday from 3 p.m. - 11 p.m.

· A Look Inside The Ordinary [CP]
· The Ordinary [Official]
· Mike Lata on FIG and His New Project, The Ordinary [-EN-]
· Charleston's Most Anticipated Fall Restaurants [-ECHS-]
· Lata and Nemirow Ply the Local Waters for The Ordinary Oyster Hall [CP]