Where to Eat in December: The Quinte, Pisco Mar, King BBQ, and More

A raw bar steps from the tourist-traveled King Street, the newest addition to the Hit List this month has taken pains to create its own world in a brand-new space inside The Pinch hotel. In the compact space wrapped in moody dark-stained wood, chef Nicolas Quintero keeps things simple with seafood towers that showcase the bounty of the Lowcountry, along with shrimp rolls, crudos, and, oh yeah, caviar service. Cocktail options range from the traditional Boulevardier to the white Negroni-esque Femme Fatale, sitting alongside a well-edited wine list.

Editor’s note: As of February 2024, Port of Call Food & Brew has changed concepts.

The co-owners of Port of Call met chef Esteban Diaz on a whirlwind trip through Peru while researching what would ultimately become the newest addition to their Market Street food hall. Upstairs, diners seated at the well-appointed bar feast on Diaz’s traditional Peruvian cuisine: Fresh seafood lands as ceviche or shrimp soup, with heartier dishes like duck and rice setting the anchor for the meal. On the drinks side, local beers like Port of Call’s house IPA and bottles of South American red and white await.

Hannah and Zachary Welton and their pup Cookie set up one of the most sought-after pop-ups as a pizza trailer during the pandemic, and now that hard work has paid off with the opening of their own bakery on upper King Street. But if you don’t pre-order your baker’s dozen box Thursday evening for Saturday pickup or get in line for the 10 a.m. opening, you might be out of luck — hate to say it. From silky Portuguese pasteis de nata egg tarts to breads and other pastries, this (appropriately named) little bakeshop has already garnered a following of in-the-know Charlestonians. Don’t even get us started on the Weltons’ Honey Pie…

Order online after glancing at the menu.

Chef Michael Toscano will continue his lunchtime “Da Toscano Porchetta Shop Pop-Up” series in December, serving one-of-a-kind porchetta sandwiches for discerning (and hungry) lunchtime diners outside his Beaufain Street restaurant downtown. Traditional Italian porchetta — boneless pork seasoned, rolled-up, tied off, and slow-roasted — is the definition of a luxury sandwich-filler. Pile it onto Toscano’s housemade focaccia with a slather of salsa verde, and you’ll be a happy camper — at least until next Wednesday.

An all-day cafe in a neighborhood full of locavore residents, short-term guests, and students is hoping to put down roots like its owners already have on Johns Island with the business’ first location. Pick out your walnut and chamomile shaken espresso to enjoy with your breakfast sandwich in the recently renovated St. Philip Street building, rendered into a bright, airy restaurant. Or settle in for an afternoon work sesh-into-happy hour with a chicken salad on ciabatta before perusing the bottle list when your buds finally join in the fun.

Contact Island Provisions at 843-793-4979.

Chill vibes only, please, at this Meeting Street cocktail bar a stone’s throw from the party-hard bar scene on King Street. Couples and crews alike can take over the banquette for a few drinks before the next stop in your night, or post up and work your way through the cocktail list from bathhouse martinis to the High Diver, combining mezcal and amaro with citrus. Want to cruise in and land a table with no questions asked? Grab a Resy for The Annex, a speakeasy-style bar tucked into the back room, perfect for a few romantic sips or if there’s already a crew at the banquette.

The warm curries and spice-packed dishes on this Pakistani menu may be the best-possible cure for the cold weather that Mount Pleasant has to offer. Chicken tikka masala is as satisfying as you would want, and even has a wrap option, tucked into traditional naan bread. Online ordering and pickup is quick and easy, but sitting down inside the Towne Centre spot has its advantages. The dahi puri, tiny crispy pastry shells filled with piquant chutney and potato, make for unforgettable bite-sized flavor bombs. FYI: Be on the lookout for owner Maryam Ghaznavi to open her Maam Saab Pakistani restaurant downtown in the coming months.

Call 843-388-5178 for more info.

If you’ve stopped by this Star Wars-themed food truck-turned-taco spot, you know it has some of the most creative food and drink specials around. But now, with a dramatically expanded dining room, the folks at Rebel are packing it out for their Queso Brunch each Sunday and beyond. O.G. menu go-to, the Beefy Cheesy Soft and Crunchy, squeezes a hard-shell beef taco inside a cheese quesadilla to serve as a base for the endless supply of margaritas you’re about to order. The house marg comes spicy, sweet, and ready to rock, but don’t forget to check the specials board for a rotating cast of guest stars. Pro tip: Check out the Monday special: a Cali burrito with carne asada, french fries, guac, cheese, chile lime crema … you get the idea.

Call 843-619-0104 for more info.

If you need a break from heavy holiday fare, are trying to nudge your diet to include more plants, or just want to keep your energy up with a menu full of good clean options, look no further. Sure, indulge in the Buffalo tempura cauliflower “wings” while you sip a housemade juice, evening things out with a Basic Bowl of sweet potatoes, broccoli, lemony kale, curried chickpeas, chimichurri, and warm grains. Brunch adds knockout avo toast and morning sammies to the mix, along with BK’s staple cocktails and mocktails, like the Go Figure, with Flor de Caña rum, Cointreau, lime, and fig, with a little sweetness added.

The team behind Jackrabbit Filly continues fine-tuning offerings for its next project with pop-ups through December at Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co.. Fair warning: If you’re even a little bit hungry, do not scroll to the King IG page. Chinese barbecue dishes are the highlight, inspired by the deep roots of Carolinas hog farming, chopped pork, and pepper vinegar sauce. We’re talking slabs of deep red lacquered pork ribs, heritage pork sandwiches, hot pot noodles, and as a throw-in for the Jackrabbit Filly stans: co-owner Corrie Wang’s signature hot crab dip.