Where to Eat in August: Vern’s, Stella’s, Jack of Cups, and More

When this new Elliotborough neighborhood restaurant opened in mid-July, it was instantly one of the hottest Resys in Charleston. Former McCrady’s chef de cuisine Daniel “Dano” Heinze and wife Bethany are back in town after a stint on the West Coast, hanging their shingle in the Bogard Street space formerly occupied by venerated chef Ken Vedrinski’s Lucca trattoria. The menu features compelling spins on fresh locally available ingredients. Opening weekend dishes included sourdough fired to order, farro verde topped with thin-sliced golden beets, three fresh pastas, and show-stopping main dishes like an immaculately plated bavette steak.

“Don’t be mad, be early,” is the reminder from owner Craig Edmunds that you will probably need to plan ahead to come by his West Ashley strip center sandwich shop — he’s been selling out almost every day since opening in early June. Seriously: He sold out of 100+ sandwiches by 9:22 a.m. on the Fourth of July. “You boat fiends are amazing,” he posted. The Kenyan-born art-student-turned-chef renovated the spot himself, with the intent to open a place where food-industry workers like him would want to grab a bite to eat on their days off. Flavor combos come out swinging, with sliced-to-order meat like prosciutto and salamis in addition to ‘nduja, softened by the decadent addition of truffle cream, all served on Saffron Bakery focaccia.

Contact Cold Shoulder Gourmet at 843-642-4680, and check Instagram to make sure they’re not sold out.

Nico Romo strikes again in Summerville, opening his third area restaurant off North Main Street. This time, Romo veers from his native French cuisine to dabble in Italian, inspired by childhood memories of his grandmother Laura’s cooking. And Romo did not skimp on the menu, with generous arrays of antipasti, pizzas, fresh pastas, and main attractions. No kidding: Hungry guests will choose from multiple preparations of steak, pork, seafood, and more. If you’re having trouble choosing, we’ll just note that Romo describes his signature Laura Bolognese as beef bourguignon with tomato sauce. (Glad we could help.) Pro tip: Weekend Resys at Laura got a little easier with the recent addition of Saturday lunch.

Charlestonians old and new have long lamented the lack of a knockout bagel joint in town, a void Holey City Bagels aims to fill. Plain, salt, asiago, cinnamon sugar, and everything bagels are rolled and boiled in-house, with your favorite additions at the ready. Choose from cream cheese, lox, and whitefish salad, or level up with an avocado toast-style bagel or breakfast sandwich. They’ve got your standard B.E.C., or get crazy with Taylor ham, pastrami, or sausage. Line pushing breakfast into late morning? (Oh yeah, there’s a line… these are bagel-deprived downtowners, after all.) Order online or off the menu for brunch bagel sandos.

Check out the menu here. 

Seafood is the name of the game at this casual, buzzy Park Circle spot, like delicate butter shrimp and corn, crispy fried grouper, and a daily whole fish special. But don’t sleep on some of the rest, like the super-seasonal heirloom tomato salad with peaches and goat cheese mousse topped with crispy shallots. Or the Parisian gnocchi, a decadent, bright dish featuring pan-crisped gnocchi and veggies. With a frequently changing menu, chef Paul Farmer, most recently from Butcher & Bee downtown, will continue molding the offerings in the weeks to come.

With its June opening on Johns Island, Charlestonians can once again satisfy their cravings for the former downtown hot spot’s tacos, chargrilled wings, and that monster burrito. Along with old favorites, new items like broiled oysters, carnitas empanadas, and ceviche carry over to the new menu, Latin influences are brought by executive chef Shamil Velazquez, also of Delaney Oyster House — a Neighborhood Dining Group sister restaurant downtown.

Now’s a good time to have a fresh look at Minero’s menu.

Other places in Charleston serve sushi, but nobody is serving it quite like Sushi-Wa off King Street Extension downtown. At two omakase seatings per night, owners Kazuyuki Murakami and Chris Schoedler tag-team to turn out flavor-packed rolls and nigiri that lets their choice ingredients sing. One recent dinner saw silky hamachi tuna, sweet shrimp, crab with caviar, A5 wagyu beef, and more land on our plates. Fair warning: This is sushi you will crave for days. Lucky for you, chef’s choice trays are available for pickup Wednesday-Saturday — check Resy to order your at-home sushi feast.

One of the most unexpected menus in the Charleston area is served at a tiny saloon two blocks from the beach, miles from the hustle of downtown. In-the-know Folly Beach loyalists have been flocking to 34 Center St. for years for curry, noodles, and other Asian-inspired dishes. Tucked in the middle of one of the most awesomely hippie beach towns you’ll find, veg and vegan options abound. And maybe due to its location on the fringe of the Charleston culinary universe, the offerings are also some of the most surprising, even for adventurous eaters. We dare you to find another spot serving both cashew korma and Spam deviled eggs.

Visit Jack of Cups’ website to see their menu and develop an immediate appetite. 

Seafood has been served at 2019 Middle St. for more than 30 years, and with an understated update from Basic Projects owners Kate and Ben Towill, it’s now the coolest spot on the island. Inspired by modest fish camp restaurants that dotted the South generations ago, you’ll find fried seafood basket standards alongside more delicate seasonal vegetables, sandwiches, fried chicken, and creative riffs on crudo, seared tuna, and other fresh catches. Behind the bar, Westbrook Brewing Co.’s Crab Claw — a “crushable light lager” — is exclusive to Sullivan’s Fish Camp.

There’s just something about the salty, bright flavors of Greek cooking that is perfect for these hot summer months, and Stella’s got plenty to offer. A mix of hot and cold mezze lead the way, with the hottest being the saganaki — a dish of flaming kefalograviera cheese served with pita. Dolmades, zucchini fritters, and shrimp ouzo all hit the right notes, along with sauteed calamari served with sun-dried tomatoes, capers, and artichoke hearts. Grab a Resy now or try your luck walking in. Vibes are good at the cozy diner-style bar and the patio a block off King Street makes for a good retreat; both are first come, first served.