Subjectively The Best Brunch In Town
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
Cuisine Style: Southern American Lowcountry
Average Price: $$
Overall Rating: 4/5
Dined in April 2014
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine, Dine, and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Executive Chef:
Shawn Kelly - 2014
Daniel Kane - current
High Cotton is a great representation of true Lowcountry southern cuisine and a staple to the city of Charleston. It is owned by the Hall Management Group who own five other restaurants to include Halls Chophouse, Post House Inn, Slightly North of Broad (S.N.O.B), and others. Sunday is always a good day in Charleston, all though Charleston is known as “The Holy City," with several hundred churches, some dating back to the 1600s, I was referring to something even holier, and that's Brunch. I have nothing against the church, but I like to sleep in on Sunday’s, then eat a good Brunch, and High Cotton fits the bill every time I visit. Charleston is a highly overlooked city known mainly for its historical contributions since the founding, separation, and rejoining of the country. The area that is overlooked the most is the cuisine. One of the top one hundred restaurants in the world is in Charleston, not bad when you’re competing against New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Another two Charleston restaurants are on the top 100 list of America as well.
The restaurant is built into a historical building in the downtown district also known as restaurant row. As you enter the building you’re greeted with the sounds of jazz as a band plays near the bar, and see murals painted onto the wall, along with other local artwork. The restaurant is a wonderful atmosphere with neatly shaped fans, and old oak tables, combined with the great food and wonderful service makes High Cotton a must visit your list.
A YouTube video of the Jazz ban, taken in 2011 on my first visit to High Cotton:
Brunch Menu:
- Starters
- Entrees
- Sides
- Desserts
Other:
- Lunch
- Dinner
Local Farmers & Sources
The Steaks come from the Allen Brothers of Chicago
I started with a bloody Mary, and as we reviewed the menu, a basket of homemade cornbread came out, which was one thing I always looked forward to when I came here. Made from local cornmeal grains, not the prepackaged crap that you just add water to, this was some of the best cornbread I have ever had. I dined with my daughter two times here at High Cotton, and one time was solo. We decided on two courses for our meal starting with the crispy salmon spring rolls with a dill crème fraîche dipping sauce. My daughter had the soup of the day which was the Charleston crab bisque with blue crab, chives, and sherry butter.
For our entrée’s my daughter had the fried chicken and waffles, which had a great presentation. I was expecting a nice large piece of boneless chicken breast, but when the plate was served it had two small round deep fried balls of chicken over a delicious golden brown waffle. Now take into account that this was spring, and the menu changes often, so some of the things I review may not be on the menu when you make your reservations, but everything so far based on my visits, no matter the season is wonderful.
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| Fried chicken and waffles |
For my entrée, I had the High Cotton eggs benedict served over cornbread instead of an English muffin or biscuit, with a house-cured pork belly, two poached eggs, smoked serrano hollandaise, and watercress garnish. I am very predictable when it comes to brunch, and most of the time always get an eggs Benny dish. They also have a wide variety of other brunch items including shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes, steak and eggs, other benedict options, along with omelets to name a few.
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| High Cotton eggs benedict |
Dessert:
Every time I have been, I’ve never had room to try their dessert options, but if there anything like the food from the regular menu, then I’m sure they will be amazing.
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Other Noteworthy Southern cuisine Articles & Restaurants:
Commander’s Palace Refined and elegant creole fare since 1880 in New Orleans, Louisiana
Food 101 Farm-to-table eatery offering Southern classics in Sandy Springs, Georgia
Lobby at Twelve Boutique hotel bistro, New American, and Southern favorites at Atlantic Station, Atlanta
Mojo Old City BBQ Vibrant Southern cuisine & BBQ in St. Augustine, Florida
Noble Crust Modern contemporary Italian and Southern dishes in St Petersburg, Florida
Stella’s Restaurant Southern-inspired comfort eats and diner in Gulfport, Florida
The Floridian Restaurant Modern and locally sourced café for southern grub in St. Augustine, Florida
The Gumbo Shop Acclaimed gumbo and Creole staples in the French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana
The Mill Restaurant New American fare with a southern spin in St. Petersburg, Florida
Willie Mae's Scotch House Acclaimed soul food spot for fried chicken in New Orleans, Louisiana
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other Charleston restaurants and articles on Wine Dine and Play:
|
Acclaimed high-concept inspired Farm to Table tavern
A top 20 on Wine Dine and Play
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
|
A classy southern seafood eatery house
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
|
Top 10 American fine-dining ornate chophouse
A top 20 on Wine Dine and Play
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
|
|
Enduring southern seafood eatery
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
|
Bistro w/Southern & Lowcountry cuisine
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
|
Classic Mediterranean dishes and wine bar
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
|
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Final notes, review basics, observations and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings
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Max Points Possible:
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Total Points Awarded:
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Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
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9.5
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9.5
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0
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Food quality
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9.5
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8.5
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1
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Plate presentation
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8.5
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7.5
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1
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Customer service
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9
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6
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3
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Alcohol and other beverages
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10
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8
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2
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Total regular points awarded
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46.5
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39.5
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7
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Total percentage Before Bonus
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0.849462365591398
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“Wow” factor BONUS
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5
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1
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0.021505376344086
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Total percentage with bonus for final star rating
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0.870967741935484
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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4
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**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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4 of 5 Stars:
87% Rating with a 1 point “wow” bonus
An Outstanding Dining Experience
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Wine List:
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Wine rating:
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6.5 of 10
Old World selections:
France, Spain, Italy, Germany
New World selections:
Argentina, New Zealand, California, Oregon, Washington State
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Corkage fee’s:
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This Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge
$25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant style:
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Conservative dining
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Cuisine Style:
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American, Lowcountry, Southern American
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Farm to Fork, Gluten Free, Local, Organic, Pescatarian, Vegan Options, Vegetarian
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Reservations:
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Not Required, But Recommended
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Dress code:
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Casual attire or Conservative attire
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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Experiences:
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Place for foodies, Contemporary, Trendy, Hot spot, Great bar, Good for special occasions, Beautiful décor, Great brunch, Intimate, Classy, Upscale, and a Neighborhood gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Valet, Public lot, or Street meeter parking
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Medium to Loud
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking restaurant
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Patio or terrace:
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No
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
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Price
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$$
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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££
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$$$
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
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€€
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High Cotton:
199 East Bay Street
Charleston, SC 29401
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+1 843-724-3815
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Online reservations
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Email Contact:
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Serving hours:
Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - 5:00)
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Brunch: Sat-Sun
10:00 am - 24:00 pm
Dinner: Sun-Thur
5:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Weekends: Fri - Sat
5:30 pm - 11:00 pm
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Social Media
&
Accolades:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
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Medieval-style British cuisine banquet plus 2-hour dinner show
London, England, UK
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California cuisine & fine dining chain
Orlando, Florida, USA
|
French & Canadian cuisine
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada
|
Other Pictures:
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
