Former FIG chef opens restaurant at The Pinch hotel in downtown Charleston

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If you follow the news in the food world, you might already know that Chef Jason Stanhope won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Southeast in 2015. The talented chef recently stepped down from his 15-year stint at Charleston’s award-winning restaurant FIG, to pursue a new venture called Lowland.

The restaurant, which opened in mid-November of last year, is part of The Pinch, a 22-suite boutique hotel on the corner of King and George streets in downtown Charleston.

“It’s an interesting place that has been years in the making,” said Stanhope of the luxury property housed in two original Victorian-style structures that date back to 1843.

The Pinch features two restaurants: The Quinte, an oyster house and cocktail den and Lowland, a full-service restaurant with an outdoor cobblestone courtyard.

Stanhope said that when Philadelphia-based Method Co. approached him with the opportunity, it checked all the boxes.

“The design team at Method.co is very talented and they were able to come in and build something that genuinely fits the area. They have an incredible eye for detail,” said Stanhope, adding that they went to work scouring local antique shops in Charleston and returned to decorate the rooms.

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Other special touches include musical references and some that borrow from Charleston’s 17-day Spoleto Festival.

Lowland’s tavern features both the original wood-burning fireplace and pine floors and is less formal than the upstairs Dining Room. Both occupy the Lequeux-Williams House, which was formerly a private residence dating back to the mid-1800s.

As for signature dishes, Stanhope reserves the right to allow customers to determine those.

“In the end, what stays on the menu is what they decide,” he said.

Right now, he’s marveling at the popularity of his celery salad comprised of celery, dates, walnuts, Iowa cheddar and mint, tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette.

“We’re getting so many emails about how to replicate the recipe and our produce man wants to know what we’re doing with all this celery,” he said, with a chuckle.

Stanhope says that he places the dish in the under-promised, over-delivered category.

Another hit is the Tavern Burger, which Stanhope calls “an adult burger,” deriving inspiration from burgers served at Peter Luger and Minetta Tavern, two well-known New York restaurants.

“In addition to the meat, we add freshly ground black pepper, a few cheeses, crunchy shaved cabbage mixed with an acidic vinaigrette and topped with an enriched bun topped with sesame seeds from Charleston’s Normandy Farm,” he said.

The rotating menu features seasonal, locally sourced ingredients procured by local farmers and fishermen with whom Stanhope has developed relationships over the years.

Lowland’s menu can also be described as a “celebration of seafood,” according to Stanhope. “We purchase lots of shrimp and there will always be a fish dish available, like the current sea trout aioli,” Stanhope said.

Stanhope says that he’s looking forward to what lies ahead for Charleston.

“The customers are very supportive of the restaurants in the area and the chef community wants everyone to succeed,” he said. “I spend a lot of time speaking with my peers and we share ideas of what works and what doesn’t. It’s easy to be happy in Charleston.”