Wild Common
The former Cannon Green restaurant on Spring Street is leaning into its new identity as a high-styled experience. Birdcage light fixtures, “living wallpaper” projections, and the high-backed leather banquette emphasize a spirit of blithe grandeur that chef Orlando Pagán grounds with a sumptuous tasting menu. Small bites, such as the Forbidden Rice arancini with Parmesan and horseradish aioli, offer playful reconfigurations of familiar dishes. While you can order à la carte, if you have the cash to spare (and you’ll need it—a snack and main, without alcohol, will set you back nearly $50), opt for the four-course meal, which showcases the gamut of Pagán’s talents: from stuffed quail to cherry coke sorbet. Best to opt for seats in the fetching dining room, where service is both attentive and informed. wildcommoncharleston.com (opens in a new tab)
Herd Provisions
After a four-year wait, this food truck-turned-butcher shop/restaurant has opened its doors at last. Quality is the top concern here; many proteins are sourced from Virginia-based Leaping Waters Farm, where heritage cattle and pigs roam on owner Alec Bradford’s 843-acre farm. Inside the Wagener Terrace space, beyond the retail counter and butchery window, is a handsome dining room that offers both lunch and dinner service in a casual, warm setting. Get the poutine, fortified by short rib gravy and dappled with Vermont cheddar curds. Vibrant sides, such as the heirloom tomato salad with feta, plums, watercress, and bread crumbs, drizzled with basil oil, offer balance to the mains, which are as hearty as one might expect (porchetta, chicken pot pie, meatloaf). And if extreme farm-to-table is your bag, a server can tell you the name of the cow from which your steak came. herdprovisions.com (opens in a new tab)
Resources
Photographs (Wild Common-2) by Lizzy Smith & (Herd Provisions-2) MaryKat Hoeser