Henry’s Flounder à la Gherardi: A Mid-Century Charleston Masterpiece

A vintage color illustration of a signature meal at Henry’s Restaurant. An oval platter features Pompano à la Gherardi, a whole fish stuffed with crabmeat and shrimp, garnished with lemon wedges, radishes, and a bed of golden-brown julienne potatoes. The table setting includes a cup of black coffee, a glass of iced water, and a full set of silver utensils. The word "Henry's" is written in elegant script on the bottom left.

Adapted by Chef Forrest Parker, from Molly Heady Sillers Our version at Revival, TripAdvisor's #1 Fine Dining Restaurant in North America 2026, included lobster. "Henry's was the much more famous palace of cuisine and was much more central to the evolution of restaurant dining in Charleston." Dr. David S. Shields In the mid-20th century, when …

Resurrecting Marianne’s French Onion Soup in Charleston

Vintage storefront window of Restaurant Marianne at 235 Meeting Street in Charleston, featuring the restaurant name painted on glass with a handwritten chalkboard menu visible in the reflection.

In the humid, salt-crusted twilight of 1970s Charleston, Chef Serge Claire understood a fundamental truth: the most beautiful things are built on ruins. At 235 Meeting Street, he transformed a derelict shell into Restaurant Marianne—one of the most important French kitchens in Charleston history—and in doing so, gave the city a dish that still echoes …

The Cellar in the Cistern: The Southern Gothic History of Restaurant Marianne in Charleston

In the humid, salt-crusted twilight of 1970s Charleston, Meeting Street was no postcard. It was a landscape of heavy silence and crumbling brick that felt more like a scene from Poe than a travel brochure. Long before the city found its polish, it was a reliquary of subterranean secrets. And beneath one ruined building at …

Perdita’s Baked Crab Meat Remick: A Historic French Quarter Recipe.

By Forrest Parker Vintage postcard displaying World Famous Perdita's, inside and out. This historic gratin served as the calling card for Perdita’s, the midcentury Charleston landmark at 10 Exchange St. that once shared a pedigree with the finest dining rooms in Paris. Unlike its more modern, heavy-handed cousins, this Remick is a study in balance. …

Carolina Gold Rice and Chicken Soup Recipe (Charleston-Style)

Carolina Gold Rice macro pic

A Lowcountry Classic with a Sizzling Finish Carolina Gold rice built Charleston’s wealth, yet its history is inseparable from the forced labor and agricultural expertise of enslaved West Africans. Often called the “grandfather of long-grain rice,” this heirloom grain remains central to the story of the Lowcountry table. This Carolina Gold rice and chicken soup …

The First Chinese Restaurants in Charleston (1893–Present): The Hidden Woks of the Holy City

Vintage postcard image of Labrasca's Spaghetti House and Shanghai Lo Chinese restaurant.

Today, as the world rings in the Lunar New Year, the air in Charleston is filled with the scent of ginger, soy, and celebration. While we often think of “Charleston food” as a strictly Lowcountry affair—shrimp and grits or she-crab soup—the truth is that the “hidden wok” of the Holy City has been simmering for …

The Swamp Fox and the Sweet Potato

Historic painting of Francis Marion and a British officer during the Revolutionary War in South Carolina

Francis Marion sharing a humble sweet potato meal during the American Revolution in South Carolina. As South Carolina observes the 250th Anniversary of our role in the American Revolution, few stories capture the spirit of Lowcountry food history quite like the legendary meal shared by Francis Marion, the Revolutionary War hero known as the Swamp …

Undiscovered Charleston April Menu

Undiscovered Charleston April menu

Hey Y'all! Here's my Undiscovered Charleston April menu. Are you coming to visit Charleston, SC, want to take a food tour and are passionate about food and history? Then read on! What a fantastic April we've had on our Undiscovered Charleston food and history tour! We had great guests joining us from Toronto, the San …