Weekly Specials CHS: March 7-13, 2025
Drink slow wine at Counter Culture, sample locally made granola at Jadoon's, sing karaoke at Graft, celebrate Philosophers & Fools' first birthday, and dive into a biscuit bar with Babas.
Well, it’s one of the busiest times of the year for foodies in CHS! Beyond all of the official Charleston Wine + Food events going on, there’s tons of offshoot events that are open to the public, and there are some amazing chefs in town right now, too. I’m traveling to Philly this weekend for a lil’ business school reunion, but if I was here, I’d love to drink slow wine and eat local shrimp with the Slow Food folks on Sunday, I’d get a takeout pizza from Tutti, and I would try Chef Luis Martinez’ tuna tostada at his Rebel Taqueria pop-up!
Have a great week!
Weekly specials
Looking for last-minute plans tonight?
The team from Bar Snack in NYC is taking over at Last Saint with signature Campari cocktails! They’re open from 5pm-2pm tonight.
CHS Ceviche is popping up at Dalila’s with 123 Organic Tequila from 7pm-midnight!
Sorelle’s Nightcap party with Sabatino Truffles will feature truffle martinis, wood-fired pizza, and gelato. Stop by from 9pm-1pm, no reservations needed!
Friday, March 7th
Try some of my favorite locally made granola at Jadoon’s this afternoon from 4-7pm! You can try all of Globetrotter Granola’s five globally inspired flavors, including my personal faves, Charleston Chili Chocolate and Samba Sesame. Plus, Bangin’ Vegan Eats will be there with vegan comfort food.
Californian winemakers Beno and Monica Stewart from Catch & Release Wines will be pouring at Monarch Wine from 5-7pm tonight!
Jessamine + Vine is hosting an in-store tasting including a Cava, a red wine from the Canary Islands, and a white wine from Roman winemakers. Stop by from 5-7pm and check out the full line up of bottles in their post here!
Grant is taking over at Pinky and Clyde’s tonight with his championship chili! Grant is a senior at St. John’s High School, and he won the 2024 Wadmalaw Island Community Center Chili Cook Off. He’ll be at Pinky and Clyde’s tonight cooking up his signature chili while supplies last, starting at 6pm. I don’t know why Substack won’t let me embed the Instagram post here directly, but you can learn more about Grant and his chili pop-up here!
Chef Luis Martinez from Taqueria Rosita in Asheville is taking over the food truck at Rebel Taqueria from 6pm until sold out. The menu will include dishes like a shrimp aguachile with cilantro and chiltepin pepper sauce, as well as a tuna tostada with citrus mayo…sounds so good.
Pick your karaoke song at the Karaoke Block Party co-hosted by Graft, Don Luchi, the Hue Society, and First Wives Karaoke. From 9:30-11pm, First Wives Karaoke will be set up, and you’ll get a welcome drink from Don Luchi plus late-night snacks, too. Buy tickets here.
Saturday, March 8th
Three different wine tastings AND dollar oysters from De Mare Raw Bar? That’s a recipe for a fabulous birthday party. Philosophers & Fools is celebrating one year of books, bevs, and great vibes, and you can check out the full line up in their post here. The festivities kick off at 11am!
Babas is hosting a biscuit brunch at Counter Culture from 11am-1pm, complete with a biscuit bar, blood orange mimosas, and live music. Buy tickets here!
From 2-5pm, Bowens Island Restaurant is throwing an oyster roast and fundraiser for our local rescue pups! Support Pet Helpers while indulging in all-you-can-eat oysters along the water. Get your tickets here to help find fur-ever homes for sweet pups like Lisa below!
Frannie & the Fox is teaming up with Absolut Vodka for an espresso martini soiree, complete with light bites. Head to the Den from 5-8!
Stems & Skins is hosting a Women in Wine event from 5-7pm with Kellie Holmes and Shelly Lindgren of Tansy Wines and A16. For Stems & Skins’ full line-up this CHSWF weekend, check out their post here.
167 Raw is hosting a CHSWF after-party tonight starting at 10pm, starring both an open bar and a raw bar with caviar, lobster rolls, and 167 classics. Book your spot on Resy!
The good news? Bar Rollins is back. The bad news? Their party was announced and already sold out in the span of less than a week! They’re taking over Lowland with a DJ and light bites by Chef Evan Gaudreau, too. You can sign up for the Notify list on Resy!
Sunday, March 9th
It’s Second Sunday on King! From noon-5pm, Doughboyz Pizza will be in front of Bin 152 for a perfect pairing of pizza and wine. Bright Light Bakery will be on King Street as well (location TBD - follow her for updates).
The Slow Food CHS folks are hosting a slow fish & slow wine event at Counter Culture from 2-4pm today. Tarvin Seafood is bringing the shrimp dip, Isabella Macbeth, the Holy City Oyster Maven, is shucking Barrier Island Oysters, and wines from the Piedmont Guy, Stems & Skins, and Tansy Wines will be poured! Check out more info, including the suggested donation, in their post below.
Monday, March 10th
Winemaker Akiko Shiba of Shiba Wichern Cellars in Oregon will be at Husk this evening for a special wine dinner. Husk will be serving up a four-course family style menu with Shiba Wichern wine pairings selected by Akiko and Huk’s sommelier, Megan Schneeburger. Reserve your seat on Resy.
Tuesday, March 11th
Sarah’s Dumps is popping up at the Whale tonight from 5-8pm! I love their veggie dumps.
Tasting Tuesdays continue at Tobin’s Market, and this month they’re supporting Slow Food CHS’ slow wine initiatives! Head over at 6pm every Tuesday this month to taste some gorgeous natural wines.
Thursday, March 13th
Clerks’ next Clerks Cues coffee series is diving deep into matcha! From 5-6pm, Holy City Matcha will be co-hosting the class and teaching attendees to make the perfect matcha. Reserve a spot on Hotel Emeline’s site.
Follow me on Instagram for real-time updates on the best events and dishes in Charleston this upcoming week:
New openings
It’s here! The Graft team has opened their new pizza spot, Tutti, right next door to Graft’s wine bar. Tutti is open *for takeout only* this weekend from 5-9pm (or until sold out). Order on Toast Tab here (but FYI you can’t take it next door to eat at Graft!)
Farewells
Spicewalla’s beloved Charleston location on John Street sadly closed last weekend. I’m a huge fan of Spicewalla’s products, and especially in the wake of Hurricane Helene, their Charleston store was a beautiful symbol of the special bond shared by CHS and AVL. Unfortunately, as a business headquartered in Asheville, they and the whole community are still dealing with the varied repercussions from the storm. Spicewalla will be focusing on expanding their flagship store in Asheville, but you can also shop Spicewalla online and at local stockists.
“Charleston will always be one of our favorite places on Earth, and we will never forget how the community welcomed us,” said chef and Spicewalla owner Meherwan Irani, “especially in the aftermath of the storm as we were a representative of WNC in the Holy City. We love you, Charleston.”
Bye bye Bumpa’s :( I was so sad to learn yesterday that Bumpa’s is closing up shop after almost five years. They’ll be closing on March 17th, after they wrap up their annual St. Patrick’s Day party. Stop by before they close and show them some love.
Lil’ updates
Every Tuesday through Thursday of this month, Chef Micah Pearson of the Tippling House is cooking up a three-course dinner menu. A la carte ordering is available, too, as are wine pairings, of course!
Lewis Barbecue just launched their new Secret Sauce, and we can be one of the first to try it! They’re soft launching their secret sauce at the Charleston and Greenville locations on the sauce counter. Plus, you can sign up here to get notified when they start selling bottles.
I don’t eat meat, but I still love BBQ sauce on some grilled tofu or sauteed hen of the woods mushrooms, so I’m looking forward to trying this!
Coming up
Chef Ali Ramee is hosting her next Ali Huriyali dinner series on March 29th! It will be a four-course spring picnic dinner (outside in Huriyali’s courtyard garden, weather permitting) with wines by Graft. Substack isn’t letting me embed her Instagram post below, but check it out here for more info on how to book. I know these Ali Huriyali dinners tend to sell out, so I thought I’d include a heads up this week!
That’s a wrap!
Know of a restaurant or food related event coming up that you think should be included in an upcoming Weekly Special? DM me!
Planning on going to one of the events, bars or restaurants mentioned above in the next week? Leave a comment and let me know your plans! I’m nosy!
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!