Angel Oak Restaurant Coming Late July

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• Jay and Nicole Kees

CIA grad Jay Kees and his wife Nicole are almost ready to open Angel Oak Restaurant. Angel Oak, located on Savannah Hwy in the former Caliente spot, will feature homey yet refined southern cuisine such as Planked Salmon, Buttermilk Fried Chicken, and Beef Short Ribs. All of the pasta will be made in house by Jay.

For the Kees family, this project has been a labor of love from the beginning. Jay Kees, originally from Mississippi, longed for his own restaurant and the southern food of his upbringing, and convinced wife Nicole to set out to find their own place. Once they found it, they started looking for the personal touches that would make this place their own. They sourced every chair in New York, where they lived before moving to Charleston, and refinished them themselves. They found antiques and china back in New York and drove every piece down south to the restaurant. They have been driving back and forth since finding the new spot and completely renovating the restaurant with just the help of some family members.

Their concept for food was simple. They wanted to focus on fresh, local ingredients at a price point that was not out of reach. Believing too many "farm to table" restaurants set the price so high that they become elitist, they were determined to take a different route. The entrees are priced from $12-22, the appetizers are from $6-10, and the snacks are around $4 each. They plan to serve a buffet style lunch that will be their version of a meat and three for $8.95 and Sunday brunch comes in at a very reasonable $8 average per dish. There will be a carefully thought out beer list and a small wine list that will focus on quality over quantity.

For more information or to take a look at the preliminary menu, check out their website.

The current plan is to be open towards the end of July or early August.

· Angel Oak [Official Site]