The 11 Most Anticipated Restaurants in Charleston, Fall 2017

Was that a teeny, tiny break in the humidity? Fall must be around the corner. While summer was breakneck busy, chefs, restaurateurs, and investors have even more new concepts coming this way. While deadlines always shift, this is what what to expect to see in the next few months. These are listed in alphabetical order.

Erin Perkins

BASIC KITCHEN

Location: 82 Wentworth St., downtown
Key Players: Basic Projects co-owners Ben and Kate Towill and chef Air Casebier
Projected Opening: Fall
Basic Kitchen plans to open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The menu will offer fresh and light options in a casual and welcoming environment. Menus haven’t been released, but think grain bowls, sustainably raised meats, and probably something with kale. Customers can take a seat at the handsome white oak bar for a smoothie, juice, coffee, beer, or wine — depending on their mood. There will also be a large communal table and a covered courtyard in the back.

Erin Perkins

CHUBBY FISH

Location: 252 Coming St., downtown
Key Players: Industry vets Geoffrey Shyatt and James London
Projected Opening: Fall
The name pretty much gives away the menu, but the restaurant will focus on local seafood for lunch, brunch, and dinner. Shyatt will man the front of house and London will be in the kitchen.

Erin Perkins

FÉLIX

Location: 550 King St., downtown
Key Players: Restaurateur Félix Landrum and chef/consultant Nathan Thurston
Projected Opening: Fall
A Parisian-style cocktail bar comes to Upper King with menu items for lunch and dinner and brunch on weekends.

Provided

NICO

Location: 201 Coleman Blvd., Mount Pleasant
Key Players: Chef Nico Romo
Projected Opening: Fall
Billed as a brasserie with a raw bar, NICO will focus on local seafood, wood-fired French classics, and plenty of oysters. After years at Fish, Romo ventures out on his own.

MELFI’S

Location: 721 King St., downtown
Key Players: Restaurateur Brooks Reitz and chef John Amato
Projected Opening: Late 2017
Melfi’s will offer thin crust pizzas, easy pastas, and an American wine list. Fans of Brooks Reitz’s other projects, Leon’s Oyster Shop and Little Jack’s Tavern, will know to expect a highly curated, yet laid-back experience.

Erin Perkins

MILLER’S ALL DAY

Location: 120 King St., downtown
Key Players: Consultant/chef Nathan Thurston and farmer/miller Greg Johnsman
Projected Opening: Fall
Miller’s All Day will operate seven days a week, with breakfast, lunch, and, eventually, dinner services. The menu will focus heavily on brunch items, traditional Southern and Charleston dishes, and specialty produce from Greg Johnsman’s farm.

Provided

PURLIEU

Location: 237 Fishburne St., downtown
Key Players: Chefs John Zucker and Jeff Williams and beverage director Jacob Fuhr
Projected Opening: Fall
The menu at Purlieu will include a blend of traditional European cooking with Lowcountry classics. The setting will be neighborhood brasserie.

Provided

RENZO

Location: 384 Huger St., downtown
Key Players: Restaurateurs Erik Hutson and Nayda Freire
Projected Opening: Fall
From the couple that renovated the Faculty Lounge into a hip cocktail hangout, Renzo will offer wine, wood-fired pizza, and a cool room to enjoy them in.

Brian Stansberry

NORMANDY FARM AT 1 BROAD ST.

Location: 1 Broad St., downtown
Key Players: Normany Farm Bakery co-owners Mike Ray and Ben Johnson and chef Kevin Getzewich
Projected Opening: October
The Normandy Farm Bakery team plans to open a breakfast/lunch/happy hour restaurant at 1 Broad St. In preparation for forthcoming eatery for the new (yet unnamed) eatery, chef Kevin Getzewich is testing out brunch menu items every Sunday at 19 Broad St. Look for globally inspired, carb-heavy, West-Coast-meets-Upper-West-Side type of fare.

Erin Perkins

TU

Location: 430 Meeting St., downtown
Key Players: Restaurateurs Duolan Walker-Li, Josh Walker and Joey Ryan
Projected Opening: Fall
Tu is the second restaurant from the team at popular Asian eatery Xiao Bao Biscuit. While the team has talked about space at 430 Meeting St., they haven’t said much about the food, other than it wouldn’t be another Asian restaurant. Pop-up events have featured a rough draft of potential menu items at Tu, including a tamago-style egg topped with caviar, chicken-fried hangar steak with a ‘70s salad, and a pozole-stuffed croquette.

Google Maps

VINTAGE LOUNGE

Location: 545 King St., downtown
Key Players: Restaurateurs Mike and Kathleen Shuler, sommelier Nathan Wheeler, chefs Derek Falta and Travis Biernack
Projected Opening: Fall
Vintage Lounge will be a space where wine drinkers can duck out of the Upper King party-party-party scene and enjoy a few glasses with snacks. Expect fondue and charcuterie to be in the mix.

Also, keep an eye on:

• Bitty & Beau's (Downtown)
• Brown Dog Deli Second Location (Downtown)
• Farmer & Exchange (Downtown)
• Food Truck-O-Rama (Downtown)
• Graft (Downtown)
• Herd Provisions (Downtown)
• IHOP (Downtown)
• Mill Street Tavern (Mount Pleasant)
• Parcel 32 (Downtown)
• Us (Mobile)
• Wahlburgers (Unknown)