From a surprise Michelin star nominee landing on the Spoleto bill to Rodney Scott's King Street doors going dark, here's what Charleston's press got right this month.
The past few weeks of Charleston coverage ranged from genuinely exciting — Vern's and Sorelle pulling James Beard semifinalist nods, Sorelle quietly opening a second location in the old Macintosh space — to genuinely sobering, with Rodney Scott's BBQ shutting its doors without a reopening date. Throw in a Greek-food moment on the peninsula, a Sondheim run at Queen Street Playhouse, and a Little Stranger homecoming at the Windjammer, and it's been a fuller news cycle than usual.
Eater Charleston reported that Vern's landed a James Beard semifinalist nod for Outstanding Wine Program — one of three Charleston rooms on this year's list, the strongest showing for the city since 2019. The restaurant is also confirmed for Spoleto's food village, which is, per Eater, 'its biggest stage yet.'
Eater Charleston broke the news that Sorelle opened a second location inside the old Macintosh space on upper King — same pasta menu, heavier amaro program. The City Paper separately noted the restaurant threw a sold-out late-night pasta party that turned upper King into a two-week Spoleto pre-party.
The news no Charleston barbecue regular wanted to read: the City Paper reported Scott's flagship King Street location closed abruptly 'until further notice,' with no timeline offered. The closure, per the City Paper, 'blindsided regulars and rattled Charleston's barbecue community.' Hold off on visiting until Scott's social channels say otherwise.
The City Paper put Taverna Philosophia at the center of a May feature on Greek cuisine in the Lowcountry, examining how the kitchen handles olive oil, lamb, and seafood in a region that barely knew saganaki five years ago. The piece makes a case that Greek food now has real footing here.
The City Paper flagged that Charleston-bred Little Stranger — 'quietly one of the biggest acts in the Southeast right now' — is returning to Isle of Palms for a two-night homecoming at the Windjammer. Tickets at this scale move fast; check the calendar before the weekend.
The City Paper reviewed the Footlight Players' production of Sondheim's Company — the 1970 Broadway landmark about marriage and the dread of it — calling it one of the more ambitious local-theater efforts of the season. Remaining dates are worth checking before the run closes.
A City Paper feature on Charleston's tea culture traced the city's long, underappreciated relationship with the leaf and landed, inevitably, on the Tea Garden's 127 acres in Wadmalaw — still the only working commercial tea plantation in North America, and rarely as crowded as anything on the peninsula.
The City Paper confirmed that High Water Festival will return to Riverfront Park in spring 2027 — Shovels & Rope are back, and lineup hints point toward a North Charleston-leaning bill. The festival's 2026 hiatus is over; mark the calendar now.
The Post & Courier reported that the pier's renovation won't wrap until spring 2027, with concrete supply delays pushing the reopening back another year. The temporary boardwalk remains open through summer; for a proper fishing or sunset trip, the Mt. Pleasant Pier is currently the longer and better-equipped option.
