Bistro For S.N.O.B’s
Charleston, South Carolina
Cuisine Style: Southern, French Bistro
Average Price: $$
Overall Rating: 5/5
Dined in: May 2012
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:
Chef Emeritus:
Frank Lee
"Emeritus" means "Veteran Soldier”
Executive Chef:
Russ Moore
Restaurant Owners:
Operated by the Hall Family
Broad Street connects Charleston Village to the West part of the city on the banks of the Ashley River, and the Medical University of South Carolina to the dead end onto East Bay Street at the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon. This is where S.N.O.B as local Charlestonian’s like to call it is situated. 6 blocks away from the Dungeon which is just Slightly North of Broad. It is smack dab in the middle of downtown near to the main market, surrounded by other restaurants, bars, gallery’s, hotels, shops, and a stone throw from the main port where large cruise ships disembark their passengers. This little Bistro is a wonderful stop over while visiting downtown for a lunch or a more finer dining dinner, blending Southern cuisine favorites with heavy French influence, and sourcing many local, farm raised, organic, and when possible non-GMO products. This is the story of my visit…
S.N.O.B is part of the Hall Management Group which also owns Halls Chophouse (Greenville & Charleston), High Cotton Charleston, Rita’s Seaside Grille, and the Old Village Post House Inn. It is an eclectic bistro that brings together fresh, local ingredients and imaginative, detailed presentation, with a friendly staff. I am very impressed with the local businesses around the Carolinas that S.N.O.B sources from, trying to keep it local. Deliveries to the kitchen come from 1,000 little sources rather than one large distribution center or 18-wheeler.
Menu:
- Soup, Salads, appetizers
- Medium Plates
- Main Courses
- Allen Brothers of Chicago Grilled Steaks
- Sides
- Desserts
- Gluten Free Dinner Menu
- Lunch Menu
- Brunch Menu
The trend of introducing local farmers, organics, antibiotic free products, and non-GMO began ten years ago when the restaurant introduced local Stevenson Place Farm Beef to the menu, with its grass fed beef products. They are used for their beef carpaccio and other meat dishes as well except for the USDA prime steaks by the Allen Brothers, which has been providing award wining prime meats since 1893 out of Chicago.
Additional meat and Seafood purveyors include:
Dave Belanger, Clammer Dave’s, McClellenville
Dan Long, Crosby’s Seafood, Charleston
Chris John, Oyster Point Seafood, James Island
Heritage Farms Pork, Seven Springs, North Carolina
The shrimp and grits dish which is a classic Charleston staple that you see on several menus is purveyed by Tims Mill for the grits, with a historic grinding mill establishment in Pendleton, South Carolina. The pimento cheese, another southern staple is like peas and carrots, you have to put them together like you do the pimento’s, cream cheese, and other ingredients to make the perfect spread. The cheese is served with house-made bacon from the pork belly of pigs grown at Keegan Farms and paired with arugula, pickled okra, and gazpacho. Keegan is another producer that focuses on no animal byproducts, grass-fed pork, with no antibiotics, and provide their products to several restaurants and hotels around the state including several in Charleston.
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| Shrimp and grits dish - picture courtesy of S.N.O.B |
S.N.O.B also sources their poultry from local bird farms such as Manchester Farms for their quail dish, and the Palmetto Pigeon Plant for the pigeon dish served with house-made Tasso ham, which is deep fried and served with stewed prunes, a very French style dish, but southern in the flavor profile.
Other fruits, vegetables, and grains:
Ambrose Farms, Wadmalaw Island
Geechie Boy Mill, Edisto Island
Holy City Farms, Wadmalaw Island
Joseph Fields Farm, John's Island
Kennerty Farms, Wadmalaw Island
Wabi Sabi Farm, Cordesville
Kurios Farm, Goose Creek
Blackbird Farms, Wadmalaw Island
Anson Mills, Columbia
Carolina Plantation Rice, Darlington
Grow Food Carolina, Charleston
Mepkin Abbey, Moncks Corner
For their non-alcoholic beverages besides soda products, they make their sweet tea from leaves grown at the Charleston Tea Plantation on Wadmalaw Island, and their coffee is from King Bean Coffee Roasters in North Charleston. They have a diverse wine list, mainly from U.S producers but a few from Europe and South America. A newer trend that my wife and I are seeing in restaurants now is hand crafted cocktails and mixology, to which they have a good size list of options, and several beers from local micro breweries to which I enjoyed a White Thai from Westbrook Brewing Company out of Mount Pleasant.
Other local and small batch of U.S breweries include:
River Dog IPA, Ridgeland
River Rat Brown Ale, Columbia
Coast Brewing Kölsch, North Charleston
Palmetto Amber, Greensboro
Bold Rock Seasonal, Cider Mills River, North Carolina
Devils BackboneVienna Lager Lexington, Virginia
Lagunitas PILS Petaluma, California
Dogfish Head 90Min IPA Milton, Delaware
Dessert:
Warm sour cream apple pie with local ice cream from Wholly Cow and strawberry shortcake scream southern delight, but fitting with their french theme they have a chocolate pot de crème, and a rotational and seasonal crème brûlée using Celeste Albers local eggs, which produce a very yellow almost orange or tomato in color product. For their cheese platters, they use several dairy farms including a goat cheese from Split Creek Farm, based out of Anderson, the Charleston Artisan Cheese house, the Low Country Creamery, from Bowman, and the Storey Farm, from John’s Island, South Carolina.
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
Hank’s Seafood A classy southern seafood eatery house in Charleston, South Carolina
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:
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Acclaimed high-concept inspired Farm to Table tavern
A top 20 on Wine Dine and Play
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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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
|
|
Refined eatery with Lowcountry fare and Southern Brunch
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
|
Dessert shop with Southern treats, and praline
Charleston, Savannah, Atlanta
|
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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10
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10
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0
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Food quality
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10
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10
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0
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Plate presentation
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9
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9
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0
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Customer service
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10
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10
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0
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Alcohol and other beverages
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10
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9
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1
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Total regular points awarded
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49
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48
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1
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Total percentage Before Bonus
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0.979591836734694
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“Wow” factor BONUS
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5
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2
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0.0408163265306122
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Total percentage with a bonus for the final star rating
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1.02040816326531
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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5
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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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5 of 5 Stars:
95% Rating with a 2 point “wow” bonus
An Extraordinary Dining Experience
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Wine List:
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&
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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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Casual dining
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Cuisine style:
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American, Bistro, French, Lowcountry, Seafood, Southern American
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Farm to Fork, Gluten Free, Grass Fed, Local, Non-GMO, Organic, Pescatarian, Sustainable, Vegan, and Vegetarian Options
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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 to 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, Hot spot, Great bar, Good for special occasions, Great brunch, 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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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
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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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Slightly North of Broad S.N.O.B:
192 East Bay Street
Charleston, South Carolina
29401
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+1 843 723 3424
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Online reservations
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Webpage Contact:
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Serving hours:
Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - 5:00)
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Lunch: Mon-Sun
11:030 am - 2:30 pm
Brunch: Sat-Sun
11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Dinner: Mon-Sun
From 5:00 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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French-American Fine Dining
Yountville, California, USA
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Elegant Modern Australian with Molecular Gastronomy
Melbourne, Australia
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French & Canadian cuisine
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada
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Other Pictures:
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| Picture courtesy of S.N.O.B |
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| Picture courtesy of S.N.O.B |
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
