Ever since the news broke about West Ashley sandwich shop Cold Shoulder Gourmet, owner Craig Edmunds can’t keep his creations in stock and typically sells out before 11 a.m. Edmunds works with top-tier ingredients — like in the Spicy, he layers nduja, salami, parmesan, truffle cream, greens, and truffle hot sauce. 

The menu at Rancho Lewis pulls influences from West Texas, Chihuahua, Mexico, and New Mexico. This is the food famed pitmaster John Lewis and his family grew up eating. Classic fare like enchiladas, burritos, and tacos are there, along with combo plates dedicated to items favorited by Lewis’ grandparents Cora and Lloyd. The margaritas are said to be the coldest in town due to the high-velocity electric shakers behind the bar.

Proprietor Kevin Roach set out to make New York-style bagels in Mount Pleasant, and many people (including NYC transplants) are saying he succeeded with the opening of Ruby’s Bagels. The doughy creations are kettle boiled and baked for an exterior with a snap and a chewy inside. Find over a dozen varieties, including a bloody mary bagel, plus housemade cream cheeses.

This is the second location for quaint cafe Island Provisions, with the first on Johns Island. The Saint Philip Street address now features a bar, table seating, and a commerce area. The space will serve breakfast, lunch, cocktails, beer, and wine. The menu ranges from avocado toast to Italian sandwiches.

Tucked away in the Cannonborough/Elliotborough neighborhood sits American bistro Vern’s. Seats filled up as soon as the reservations opened, because Charleston was interested to see what former McCrady’s employees Dano and Bethany Heinze would do with the space previously held by Italian restaurant Trattoria Lucca. Vern’s is a thoughtful spot exuding easy comfort. Open for dinner and brunch, the menu draws from Dano’s culinary background working with hyperlocal Lowcountry products and California cuisine. Early standout items include a fresh campanelli with rabbit and a perfectly roast poussin in a brown butter jus.

Market Street food hall Port of Call is back on the Heatmap because of its recent influx of new vendors. Here are the newest tenants: Pineapple Hut, serving Dole Whip creations; French bistro Délicieux with sandwiches and pastries from chef Bri Wilson; taqueria Taco Art from chef Jason De Souza; LowCo Seafood Shack with Lowcountry boil, shrimp and grits, and boiled peanuts; and Peruvian spot Pisco Mar with ceviches, empanadas, and pisco-based cocktails.

The team at popular oyster spot 167 Raw created a gorgeous Mediterranean bar right around the corner on Fulton Street. Bar 167 boasts a bar on each floor, and the interiors are full of easy, breezy nautical touches. Food includes fresh-baked focaccia, crudos, and a bistro steak. Cocktails have an emphasis on housemade tonics, along with spritzes and sangria.

The newly renovated Mills House hotel reimagined its former restaurant, the Barbadoes Room, into a sleek new spot called Iron Rose. The space has a more modern look and an updated menu with Southern coastal influences. Highlights include a tuna tartare with benne seed crackers; an autumn panzanella with squash, pears, and beets; and a satisfying burger and fries.

Mexican-meets-Southern restaurant Minero is back in the Lowcountry with a new address. Chef Shamil Velazquez brought back favorites like the charcoal-grilled wings covered in Valentina hot sauce, benne salsa, and the super-stuffed burrito covered in Oaxaca cheese. He also added new menu items to the lineup, like a massive pork chop with guava barbecue sauce, carnitas empanadas, shrimp and snapper ceviche, and a breakfast burrito on the weekends.