In many cities, this elegant but casual, ingredient-focused mainstay would be the best-known restaurant in town. The Upper King Street location is prime, and tall windows make the high-ceilinged dining room feel palatial. But despite chef-owner Kevin Johnson’s 2014 nomination as the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef Southeast, the warm, chic dining room still feels like a well-kept local secret, even as it fills with smiling diners eager to feast on shareable family-style plates of local beef short rib, fresh triggerfish, or bone marrow brûlée. The open kitchen, centered around a majestic wood-fired oven and framed by jars of preserved vegetables, delivers magic. The Grocery helped bring farm-to-table sourcing to the city before it was easy to do, and introduced pickled onions, celery, and okra to fine dining plates. Even the light, crispy table bread—with extra salty creamed butter—speaks to the detailed approach and fine balance found in each dish and cocktail served at this must-visit on a Charleston dining itinerary.
