From a landmark institution bracing for staff furloughs to a 25-year-old brasserie, a pitmaster headed to TV, and a cruise port gone quiet — here's what the press has been tracking in Charleston.
This week's list is assembled from the past month of Charleston press: the IAAM's financial crisis, Palmira Barbecue's pitmaster hitting television, Husk landing on People's 'Best of America' list, the Charleston Place's $150 million renovation pushing into resort territory, and Harlow and Pearl opening its doors to a city that was clearly ready for it. Read before you visit. A few of these require updated plans.
The Briefing was direct: 'The IAAM remains open; go, spend money in the gift shop, book group tours. The institution needs the community's foot traffic now more than ever.' Six months of staff and leadership furloughs begin in July — the museum stays open through it, but this is the moment to show up.
Pitmaster Hector Garate is taking his West Ashley whole hog and beef cheeks to television — City Paper reported the appearance as confirmation that Palmira, just over two years old, 'has punched well above its age in national barbecue circles.' The Briefing's advice: 'The lines will only get longer after airtime.'
People magazine named Husk to its 'Best of America' list this month — and the Post & Courier reported simultaneously that the Ravenel House, which the restaurant occupies, has completed a restoration of its iconic portico. Whatever your feelings about the post-Brock years, the building has never looked better.
The Post & Courier's July 11 report on the $150 million renovation confirmed the next phase is complete, with the Meeting Street landmark pushing further into resort territory. And a separate Briefing item noted that chef Daniel Humm's restaurant inside the hotel has dropped the tasting menu entirely in favor of à la carte Lowcountry sourcing — a meaningful shift if the commitment was what kept you away.
The Cooper launched an all-day café serving Mediterranean pastries, coffee, and wine this week, with a retro burger concept previewed over Fourth of July weekend still to follow. Per the Briefing: 'The Cooper's food-and-drink program is filling in fast; the café is open now if you want a low-commitment reason to see the space.'
The pink-and-purple café with a substantial social media following officially opened this week, per a Post & Courier feature published July 20. The Briefing's take: 'Go soon, before the lines calcify. Decide for yourself whether the look is the point or a bonus.' The rotating specialty menu — banana pudding lattes, birthday cake lattes — has been the calling card at the existing North Charleston location.
The Post & Courier and City Paper both covered the end of Charleston's cruise era this month: the Norwegian Jewel sailed from Union Pier as the final ship on SC Ports' calendar, and a scheduled July 4 call was scrapped due to a mechanical issue. The Briefing noted: 'What replaces Union Pier will reshape the northern peninsula. Follow SC Ports and City Council closely in the months ahead.'
Rue de Jean turned 25 this year — the City Paper Briefing put it plainly: 'Twenty-five years on King Street is a serious run.' The French brasserie opened in 2001, before Charleston had arrived on the national restaurant map, and has outlasted dozens of trendier successors. The anniversary is a good excuse to return for the moules frites, or to go for the first time without the tourist guilt.
The sandwich institution that has been feeding Charleston since 2009 announced the site of a fourth Lowcountry location this week, per the Post & Courier. The Briefing's note: 'Check the Post & Courier piece for the exact address — it may be the closest one to your neighborhood yet.' Three locations have built a devoted following on the Mockingbird chicken sandwich alone.