Our taste-and-tell guide to some of the latest food-and-beverage openings in Charleston
Revival
If retro dishes are fading from the dining scene, chef Forrest Parker is here to change that. At Revival, a sunlight-flooded restaurant located at the base of The Vendue hotel, the chef took inspiration from the past to create a modern, yet familiar, dinner menu. To start, try the chopped salad—a mix of romaine, artichokes, onions, and green olives made from a recipe that originated at the 1904 World’s Fair—and share a plate of decadent crab cakes. If you’re seeking a lighter main, opt for the grilled scallops served with mashed sunchokes and citrusy salsa. Hungrier diners may indulge in the hearty pirlou dish filled to the brim with lobster, crabmeat, and Carolina gold rice, or an old-school fried fish platter à la Edisto Motel, with crispy seafood, slaw, and hushpuppies crafted with Jimmy Red corn. revivalcharleston.com
Bistro A Vin
Charleston has certainly polished up on its French as of late, with Parisian-inspired restaurants popping up throughout Upper King and the West Side. And now, lower peninsula pedestrians don’t have to wander far for a glass of Provençal rosé and warm, pillowy gougères. Bistro A Vin is the perfect foil to its next-door sister eatery, Café Frambroise: while the latter is painted neon pink and beloved for its sugary crepes, the former boasts elegant wood-and-brick interiors, dim lighting, and a satisfying bistro menu. Come for weekday happy hours—when a glass of house red, white, or rosé only sets you back $6—and stay for the goat cheese salad served with balsamic-drizzled baguettes; savory quiche Lorraine stuffed with Swiss and bacon; and DIY fromage and charcuterie boards with items like soft Bûcheron goat cheese, Spanish Manchego, garlicky sausage, and pork pâté. bistroavin.com
