The June Hit List: Sullivan’s Fish Camp, Pink Bellies, Girl Next Dough, and More

Walking in may feel like a step back in time, but you know Ben and Kate Towill, the husband-and-wife team behind Basic Kitchen and Post House, sweated every detail to make it feel that way in their newest project, re-opened in the former space of the long-standing Sullivan’s Seafood Restaurant on Sullivan’s Island. Now a nod to the cozy, casual eateries alongside historical fishing settlements, the fish camp restaurant has a long history in the Carolinas. Variations on crispy-fried standards dot the menu, like truffle Parm-fried shrimp and a beer-battered catfish sandwich. But this is not your grandparents’ down-home fish camp. Ice-cold oysters, peel-and-eat shrimp, gumbo, crudo, and pork schnitzel level up the traditional offerings. And cocktails like frozen piña coladas and palomas set the tone for a fun night at one of the newest spots in the Charleston area — if you can get a Resy. (Hint: Let Notify be your friend.)

Arrive by water and sidle up to the Boat Ramp Bar outside or park your car and head inside for a night out at the newest addition to Isle of Palms. Transforming the former Morgan Creek Grill space, Islander 71 aims to be a throwback to a simpler time on IOP, with a little something for everyone. The sit-down dining room awaits with a slate of starters, salads, seafood and other proteins, as well as sandwiches, along with a full wine list. According to co-owner Dave Lorenz, snacks like she-crab fries (think: Lowcountry poutine) are a unique addition to the menu, which also includes crab cakes using a generations-old family recipe. Out at the Boat Ramp Bar, tie one on with frozen cocktails and “boat drinks,” like the A Day on the Waterway, with toasted coconut rum, apricot liqueur, pineapple, and coconut puree.

Husband-and-wife co-owners Shuai and Corrie Wang keep the Jackrabbit faithful returning for the latest additions to their seasonal menus, like the crab omelet, dry-fried green beans, and nightly specials like smoked tuna belly croquettes or gnocchi in Massaman curry with pork and chiles. But the regulars also are sure to order mainstays like fish tartare and karaage (Japanese fried chicken) slathered in lemony mayo. Lunchtime features a slew of one-of-a-kind sandwiches, like the recent chopped cheese piled high with shredded lettuce, ground beef, and, of course, cheese. Haven’t tried brunch yet? Make your spot now for Charleston’s only dim sum brunch, with even more chances to try Shuai’s inspired bites, like some of the best shrimp and scallop shumai dumplings you’ll ever have. Need a brunch pick-me-up? Order their version of a michelada, the Ox.

Come mid-spring, when local fishermen are reeling in tuna, it’s a highlight on most Charleston restaurants. At Chubby Fish, it’s a no-brainer. Serving only sustainably caught fish like those from Abundant Seafood, many of chef-owner James London’s creations start with whole fish that are butchered on site and prepared for service within a day. For tuna, it’s often crudo. A generous selection of fresh oysters also awaits, some local and some from up north, with varying flavor profiles. Freshly prepared vegetable plates like asparagus toast and charred lamb ribs land among the small plates, while chile garlic shrimp and clam tagliatelle stand out among main dishes on the ever-changing menu. All this contributes to long lines and a long wait, so go early.

No reservations.

Recently voted Best New Restaurant by City Paper readers, chef-owner Thai Phi’s brick-and-mortar restaurant has been open on King Street since late October, but regulars have kept his garlic noodles in their hearts for years. From cult-favorite beginnings as a food truck serving College of Charleston students, the airy, psychedelic Upper King dining room is the manifestation of Phi’s fun approach to seriously inventive Vietnamese American cuisine. Those garlic noodles are the star, but creativity abounds on the frequently changing menu, including recent takes on hot and spicy beef noodles and banh xeo. Asian-inspired cocktails like the Yuzu Disco (dark rum, vermouth, calamansi, lemongrass syrup, and tonic) are perfect for hot Charleston summers.

Opened in 2018 on Meeting Street next to iconic dive Local 616, El Pincho Taco owner Sandra Aguirre set out to showcase the flavors she grew up with in Mexico City. Now serving up at least six different tacos and other plates daily at the bar and small lunch counters, it’s one of a few places downtown where you can find tacos for $3 each. The killer 5 for $15 deal is perfect for sampling the housemade fillings, like cochinta pibil (pulled pork) and al pastor, served with flavor-packed salsas.

Pitmaster John Lewis’ ode to his El Paso, Texas childhood opened in May as one of the most eagerly anticipated new spots of 2022. Red and green chile peppers characteristic of Lewis’ bordertown homeland appear all over the menu, from chile con queso to the aptly named Christmas burrito. (Red and green … get it?) Every corn tortilla that lands on your table was produced in-house, and you can check out the machine for yourself along the back wall. Behind one of the longest bars in town, even the house margaritas get special treatment: Fresh ingredients and ice are poured into shakers and clamped into a Japanese milk tea shaker machine. The result is icy perfection to complement those smoked beef ribs you ordered — yes, some of Lewis’ barbecue specialties show up on the ranch.

Note: Rancho Lewis is currently walk-in only.

Former FIG pastry chef Caitlin Schumacher has been serving picture-perfect bagels and breakfast treats from her food truck for in-the-know James Islanders since September 2021. Usually situated at 1230 Camp Road, near the corner with Dills Bluff Road, on Saturdays and Sundays, Schumacher regularly draws a crowd searching for her sourdough bagels, biscuits, doughnuts, tarts, and cinnamon buns — she is a former FIG pastry chef, after all. Check Instagram for daily specials, or just to make yourself get out of bed and head to James Island.

Already a neighborhood favorite in a part of town with plenty of star restaurants, Chasing Sage flexes its muscles as the springtime harvest flows into the kitchen. The spring tart sees foraged and farmed goodies — green strawberries, peas, green beans, fiddleheads — arranged delicately on a pastry shell lined with goat cheese. Even a modest-sounding recent dish of spring radishes impresses, served three ways over avocado and topped with puffed grains and trout roe. Crisp veg touches also accent proteins on the menu, with green garlic, peppers, avocado, and green beans alongside the yellowfin crudo. And leave no stone unturned, creative cocktails are ready for you, and even on the dessert menu, where a locally foraged loquat sour had a tryout recently.

Chef and co-owner Jill Mathias’ rustic-but-elegant dishes have been a hit in Charleston for almost 10 years. With a daily handwritten menu posted on Instagram depicting four dishes and a dessert, you can get an idea of the treat you’re in for before you even step into the door. Fresh offerings like shrimp and cauliflower salad are balanced with decadent dishes like veal chops, swordfish steaks, and grilled octopus. Tucked away on Payne Court, just away from the hustle of the Elliotborough neighborhood, the cozy dining room inside a converted house fits its name — Chez Nous is French for “our house.”