June 2021
Cocktails, Conde Nast Traveler, and Atlanta with some sprinkles on top
Hi all —
Here’s my (try as hard as I can) monthly round-up for those of you who want to learn / keep up a little more with me and the work that I do. Hope you enjoy.
31 reviews. 10 cocktails. Not at the same time.
That’s right. While it understandably took a break in 2020, Conde Nast Traveler’s Best Restaurants of Charleston is back for 2021, and this year, the list is 31. Here’s how it works: I keep an eye (and a fork) on things for months, the editors and I workshop a list, and then it’s updating and writing 31 full reviews. So for all of you who want my real-real recommendations, hit that link above, and then click through to read a deep dive on every restaurant included. It’s a lot of work, a lot of fun, and the team at this magazine teaches me more with each article we do together.
Speaking of collaboration, this piece for Charleston Magazine took a village. I worked with 10 bartenders and the editorial team of the magazine, and then a photographer and stylist took all of that work to build this visually-driven piece. I wanted you to have all those recipes for your own porch and patio sipping this season (that link above), but the online version doesn’t do it proper justice, so if you want a virtual page by page flip through, click here. Expert work by Melissa Monk, the art director of the magazine, made this a joy!
There was also work for Resy and The Post and Courier, and a trip to Atlanta, GA, where I ate and drank and visited and enjoyed days in one of my favorite cities, including an afternoon at a salt and sugar sprinkles workshop. Color explosion.
Sprinkles at Beautiful Briny Sea by Matt Taylor-Gross.
Episode Updates
Suzi Sheffield has an amazing palate, a sharp mind, and a love for all things quirky, so we had a good time talking how salt and sprinkles inspires her and Beautiful Briny Sea, a company in ATL that has partnerships with lots of big names, including Williams-Sonoma.
Suzi started her culinary career in Columbia, SC, and that’s also the home of Kristian Niemi, a chef and restauranteur who has really changed the culinary culture in the South Carolina state capital.
There is so much usable land out there, hiding in plain sight, from plant beds in front of libraries to medians and coffee shop entrances. Jamie Rosenthal and his company, Roots Down, are paying attention to those spaces and working to change DeKalb County, GA into a food forest.
From landscape design to architecture design — David Thompson, who’s designed restaurants from Charleston to Las Vegas, and I sat down to take the idea of dining out down to the studs.
Other podcast episodes I like right now: I loved Dippin’ Dots as a child (who didn’t?), so this How I Built This episode was fascinating and a rollercoaster of business drama. And this excellent episode of Gravy unpacks the story behind horchata.
On my mind: always a million things, especially at 3 a.m. I think a lot about one of the driving forces in our American culture — fear. It seems to fuel our obsession with accumulating things, policies of exclusion, and increasing homogenization of cities and towns through chain businesses. It’s also driving us to self-sort, which is driving loneliness, something none of us really wants to admit.
Cooking soundtrack album: Jaime, Brittany Howard
Best thing I cooked this month: Mustard Broiled Shrimp from Jacques Pepin’s Quick & Simple cookbook. I used Lillie’s of Charleston Mustard BBQ sauce for an extra twang, and of course, Tarvin Seafood shrimp! Happy Summer.
Until next time,
Steph