Celebrated Charleston Restaurateur Brooks Reitz on His Favorite Places in the City

Meet the Man behind Leon's Oyster Shop, Little Jack's Tavern, Melfi's & Jack Rudy Cocktail Co.

The Relisher is the place where the world’s top chefs reveal their favorite spots in their home cities. This week, in an expert edition, I met with acclaimed Charleston restaurateur Brooks Reitz.

Reitz is the co-founder and owner of several award-winning Charleston restaurants, including Leon’s Oyster Shop, which has earned spots on both Eater’s Best New Restaurants in America and Bon Appétit’s 50 Best New Restaurants in America lists.

He also co-owns Little Jack’s Tavern, recognized by Bon Appétit as one of the 50 Best New Restaurants in America, and Melfi’s. In addition, Brooks is the founder of Jack Rudy Cocktail Co., famous for its small-batch cocktail mixers, bar tools, and accessories.

Beyond restaurants and cocktails, Brooks writes A Small and Simple Thing, my favorite food and travel Substack. And on a personal note, Brooks stands out as one of the kindest writers I've met on Substack. Below, he shares his favorite hidden gems in Charleston. 

*Note: A Google Map with all locations listed is provided at the end of the interview.

Courtesy of Jack Rudy Cocktail Co.

For the size of the city, we are spoiled for choice. The city's unique food scene stems from a combination of key elements:

Our location on the Atlantic coast provides access to incredible seafood. In my opinion, it's some of the best in the world, with flawless shrimp and briny oysters. There are countless farms growing beautiful produce, and Charleston's strong Southern heritage deeply informs our culinary present. 

Many don’t know that a key factor in Charleston becoming a major culinary destination was the presence of Johnson & Wales culinary school for many years. This institution produced a pool of well-trained talent that staffed local restaurants. As a result, Charleston achieved an incredibly high level of culinary execution early on, putting it on par with much larger, more established food cities. 

Restaurants: Daily Menus, High-End Pizzas & Gourmet Sandwiches

Courtesy of Chez Nous

Chez Nous is my wife's and my favorite restaurant. It's out of the way, down an alley, housed in an old house that was renovated and updated with limewashed walls and antiques.

Chez Nous really stands out to me because of the simplicity and clarity of their cooking. They’ll cook a high-quality, beautiful piece of fish and dress it with a bit of salsa verde. They know when to leave something alone. They have an appreciation for ingredients and the confidence not to over-complicate them, which is my favorite type of cooking. 

Another thing that I love about Chez Nous is their unique approach to their menu. Many restaurants claim to update their menu daily, but usually, it's just a rotation of one or two dishes. Chez Nous quite literally offers a brand new Mediterranean-inspired menu every day consisting of two appetizers, two entrees, and two desserts — that's it.

I've traveled a lot and dined in many restaurants, and Chez Nous is every bit as delicious as any other famous restaurant in the world.

My second favorite is Melfi's, my Italian restaurant that’s dinner only. It has the energy of a big city restaurant with a beautiful symphony of sounds: the clinking of glasses, ice being shaken, conversation, and great music. Like Chez Nous, Melfi's philosophy centers on simplicity and appreciation of quality ingredients, cooking them well and serving them without excess fluff. 

Courtesy of Melfi’s

I'm a big fan of high and low; I don't like anything that's too fancy or too crummy. I love when these elements come together. So even though Melfi's is a white-tablecloth restaurant, we serve pizza, which happens to be my favorite in all of Charleston. 

My favorite is the Stretch Armstrong, topped with fresh, creamy stracciatella cheese (stretched but not quite mozzarella yet) and drizzled with fruity olive oil. The tomato sauce is so good and the crust is really thin and crispy. Another one of my favorite dishes is the grilled branzino that’s served with a fennel salad inspired by Altro Paradiso in New York City. 

For a quick bite, I love to get a sandwich at Counter CheeseMongers, located in Sea Island Farmers Market (my favorite farmers market in Charleston). They specialize in creating these beautiful cheese sandwiches served on freshly baked focaccia.

I appreciate their commitment to using domestic cheeses and thoughtfully sourced or house-made ingredients for every component of the sandwich. During my recent visit, I enjoyed a sandwich featuring their house-made pesto, prepared fresh that very morning.

Must-Visit Restaurants for First-Time Charleston Travelers: Southern Oysters, A Charleston Icon & Soul Food

First of all, if you're visiting Charleston for the first time, I recommend coming for a long weekend. 

Given that we're celebrated for our seafood, a fun way to kick off your trip is to eat oysters at Charleston destination, Leon's Oyster Shop. The menu is always changing; however, we're really known for our Southern delicacy of char-grilled oysters. These are topped with melted parmesan and garlic butter, resulting in bubbly, roasted oysters.

For the best experience, order a combination of raw oysters, char-grilled oysters, and shrimp tossed with Old Bay seasoning, paired with Champagne from our extensive wine menu. This combo allows you to settle in and enjoy a local experience that's both super fun and high-energy, with great food. 

Courtesy of Leon’s Oyster Shop

My second recommendation would be the Charleston icon, FIG. It’s been around for over 20 years, and the owner-chef has done so much to celebrate local ingredients, fishermen, and farmers. For example, he often features interesting fish varieties like triggerfish and tilefish, which were once considered bycatch but are much more common in Charleston now. 

All of the dishes at FIG are delightful, but the must-order dish in the colder months is the fish stew — it's truly righteous. In the warmer months, order the tomato tarte tatin served with fromage blanc, one of my favorite dishes in all of Charleston.

Dining at FIG not only offers an incredible way to sample some of the best ingredients from our region, but also allows you to experience the restaurant that helped transform Charleston into a true food destination worthy of seeking out.

Courtesy of FIG

I think it's important when visiting Charleston to not just seek out what's hip and new, but also to engage with iconic classics like Bertha's Kitchen — famous for its incredibly delicious Southern soul food.

This restaurant is important because it offers a taste of Charleston's culinary history, with many of our recipes stemming from the Gullah Geechee culture (unique African American cultural heritage primarily in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida). The must-order dishes are fried chicken, cornbread, mac & cheese, and fried fish. 

Charleston's Boutique Gems: Curated Interiors & an Exceptional Cheese Shop

Wentworth, a beautiful interiors boutique, was recently opened by a highly successful event planner. I love this shop for its curated selection of home goods, furnishings, and gifts, from candles and plates to books and soaps from international brands. The store itself is beautifully designed, featuring gorgeous millwork and bold paint colors. I feel that Wentworth by GBS has really elevated the retail scene in Charleston.

Courtesy of Wentworth

Goat.Sheep.Cow is an incredible shop, which I would put up against any cheese shop in America. They have a vast selection of cheeses, beautifully sourced wines, cured meats, crackers, jams, and spreads. I prefer their larger location on Meeting Street, where I buy my Parmigiano-Reggiano, available in a couple of different age varieties.

Courtesy of Goat. Sheep. Cow

The must-try cheese is their marinated goat's milk feta. I believe they actually call it "crack cheese" because it's incredibly good — salty, creamy, and spreadable. They also offer sandwich specials, using items from their case to create beautiful sandwiches on freshly baked baguettes.

Where to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth: A Local Charleston Ice Cream Shop

Our go-to sweet treat is ice cream from Off Track Ice Cream, a local favorite with just one location. All their dairy and vegan flavors are made from scratch in-store, adding to the charm. You can even watch the ice cream being made through a large window behind the counter. I usually go for mint or cookies and cream.

Here is a Google Map with all of the locations listed above.

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Favorite Newsletter of the Month

I recently discovered Beth Biundo’s Substack and instantly fell in love with how effortlessly she makes baking feel. HERE is Beth’s ginger caramel pot de crème with bourbon cream recipe, crafted exclusively for The Relisher.

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