Happy dry Friday, Charleston! I know y’all are as tired as I am of grey skies, drenching downpours, and flooded streets. That yellow orb in the sky is making a reappearance, though, and that’s cause for celebration. 😀

I have one simple request (besides reading the newsletter, giving me the equivalent of a 5-star rating, and spreading the word): get out and support your local cafe, restaurant, bookseller, bagel-maker, and exercise studio today! Those hardworking entrepreneurs lost at least 2 days of business this week, so I’m sure they’d appreciate your visit.

In today’s newsletter:

• Get ready for an authentic Italian bakery, CHS! I can barely contain myself. Bakery plus Italian = YUM. 🇮🇹

• Wanna know why a fiberglass cow on a perch in West Ashley has become Charleston’s de facto weathercaster? I thought so. 🐄

• ICYMI. Good stuff this week. 🎬

Friday 89° / 78° 🌦️ 💧59%

Saturday 90° / 77° ⛈️ 💧54%

Sunday 89° / 77° ⛈️ 💧58%

Friday, August 9

• Homegrown at the Point I 5:00 - 7:00 PM I Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, Mount Pleasant I The Bill Wilson Band featuring Bill Wilson, with a distinctive style of his own — a haunting patchwork of blues, jazz, soul, gospel, rock ‘n’ roll, honky tonk and funk.

• Wit's End Presents: Dustin Nickerson I 7:00 PM & 9:30 PM I Wits End Comedy Lounge, North Charleston I Dustin describes himself as “the world’s most average person” but is far from it when on stage. He brings you into his life through his jokes about the struggles of parenting, marriage, and being generally annoyed by most people.

• Friday Wakeboard Happy Hour I 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM I Charleston Aqua Park, Johns Island I Enjoy wakeboarding in a relaxed Friday night atmosphere for only $30 per person on our wakeboard 2 tower cable. We have 1 kicker obstacle available. Gear and instructor included. 

Saturday, August 10

• Extra Chill Fest 2024 I 2:00 PM - Close I Pour House, James Island I Numerous bands playing on the Deck and Main stages, at one of Charleston’s chillest music venues.

• Art Room Surprise I 3:00 PM I Children’s Museum Of The Lowcountry, Downtown I Join CML staff for a guided exploration of a new artistic media or process each week. We’ll try our hands at different kinds of painting, drawing, mixed media, and more! This class is FREE with CML Membership or Admission. No pre-registration is required.

• Charleston Battery versus Memphis 901 FC I 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM I Patriots Point Soccer Stadium, Mount Pleasant I The Battery are in 2nd place, trailing by only 1 point and keeping the heat on Louisville FC! Get out and experience one of the highest-value tickets in town.

Sunday, August 11

• Charleston Sprint Triathlon Series Race #4 I 7:15 AM - 11:15 AM I James Island County Park, James Island I This landmark series includes a 600 yard swim, a 12-mile bike ride, and a 5K run. Participants are divided into: Open / Elite, Masters Open / Elite (Open/Elite competitors over the age of 40), Age Group, Clydesdale (men 220 pounds or greater) and Athena (women 165 pounds or greater). Registration includes one t-shirt for the series. For information and to register visit ccprc.com/CSTS. Spaces are limited and the event is expected to sell out. Open to all abilities and fitness levels.

• First Day Festival I 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM I Gaillard Center, Downtown I First Day Festival is a celebration of the start of the new school year.  Held each year since 2003 on the first or second Sunday in August, the First Day Festival provides families with information on resources and services available, free school supplies, and free admission to the South Carolina Aquarium!

• Queen Flash I 7:00 PM I Charleston Music Hall, Downtown I Freddie Mercury look-alike Johnny Zatylny comes to Charleston with his cover performance of hit Queen songs in a six-piece tribute to relive those exciting, high-energy shows of the past.

CAFES & BAKERIES

Italian Bakery To Open In Summerville In Early October

WAAAAY back in my mid-20s, I was laid off from a finance job. Corporate-speak referred to it as a “reduction in force” back then since 60 of us were s#it-canned in one fell swoop.

Despite the fact I had only been there for 3 months, I received a severance package. To this day, I thank them ‘cause I may have been destined for a career of middle-management hell. But that’s a story for another day.

So I had a little cushion. I put out the word that I was ready to do irresponsible, mid-20s things before I jumped back into corporate America. My version? Trying my hand at waiting tables at an Italian cafe in Baltimore’s Little Italy neighborhood.

A Quintessential Italian Bakery/Cafe

One of my buddies had a cafe-owning cousin, so I got a job at one of the best Italian pastry shops in the country, Vaccaro’s Italian Pastry. Vaccaros’ legacy stretches back to 1956, when Gioacchino Vaccaro of Palermo, Italy opened a tiny shop in Baltimore’s bustling Little Italy neighborhood.

This place was legit. Amazing cannolis, astounding cookies, a rum cake to die for, and the best cappuccino in town.

It was THE place to go to following dinner at one of the many great restaurants in the neighborhood. Some didn’t even bother putting dessert on their menu. They simply pointed to the corner of Albemarle & Stiles.

My Not-So-Long Table-Waiting Experience

Vaccaro’s was SO popular there was always a line out the door on weekends. It felt like Grand Central Station some nights, frenzied and unrelenting.

One Saturday evening it was business as usual, and a table of 6—yes, I remember—placed a lengthy order. One gentleman ordered a Baci Ball.

Imagine this: a huge creampuff shell filled with 3 large scoops of hazelnut gelato, topped with chocolate sauce and whipped cream.

There was no time to breathe. I grabbed orders from the counter at record speed and hustled them to the tables. I made my way upstairs, with the order for that table of 6 on my tray. I was ready to deliver the delicacies that the kitchen had worked so diligently on when another waiter rounded a corner, bumped my elbow, and…

Baci Ball right in an old dude’s lap. Who happened to be wearing bright-colored khakis.

I soon reached a mutual agreement with Nick and Maria, the owners, that maybe this waiting career just wasn’t my cup of… cappuccino.

So What Does This Have To Do With A Summerville Italian Bakery?

Even though that experience is seared into my memory, I recall it fondly. Maybe because I’m obsessed with sweets.

So when I read about a locally-owned Italian pastry shop in the fabulous Facebook group, Lowcountry Eat Out, I was all-in.

Talucci’s Bakery will be opening at 145 Central Avenue in downtown Summerville in early October, if all goes well according to Jacklyn Talucci.

I reached out to Jacklyn and even though she and her husband, Charles, are working very hard to get the bakery open, she graciously agreed to an interview.

Our Interview

Where are you and Charles from? I’m from a small town in central Maine called Albion. We have lobster stew in the winter! My husband, Charles, is from Freeland, Maryland, a town north of Baltimore.

What’s your vision for Talucci’s Bakery? We’re inspired by Charles's Italian heritage and his father's illustrious career as an executive pastry chef. We aim to share the culinary delights we cherish at home, extending our family's passion for baking to our neighbors. With 8 children between us, this venture will be a true family affair, and we are thrilled to impart the invaluable lessons of entrepreneurship and being close to our community to the next generation. What better way to do this than through the exquisite flavors of Italian pastries? 

How did you find that great spot for your shop? We have been looking for quite some time, about 18 months! It had to be the perfect spot. We knew when we saw the space for lease that this was it. We own a small farm locally and wanted to be within 10 minutes of our home. This was the perfect spot to bring our vision of old Italy to Summerville.

What do you want customers to feel when they visit Talucci’s Bakery? We plan to create an atmosphere where every guest is greeted with a warm smile and the most enchanting aroma. Our commitment to excellence in both customer and culinary service will set us apart. Our authentic Italian coffee, a rare gem that transports you straight to Italy, is a hallmark of our offerings. Recently, our team returned from an exclusive barista training in Florence, honing our skills in the art of Italian coffee making.

What will your shop look like? We’ll have a cozy sit-down area, as well as designated spaces equipped with plug-ins for those who wish to connect their laptops, savor an espresso, immerse themselves in productivity, or simply escape for a moment. All while basking in the ambiance of an authentic Italian bakery.

Check out Charles’s handiwork below and stay tuned for their official opening date! 👇🏼👇🏼

taluccis__bakery

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WHERE ARE WE?

Each week, watch this space for a random snap from somewhere in Charleston. Where are we? Only true locals will know. DM your guess on Instagram, and the first that’s correct will get a shout-out at the top of our issue next week!

Come on, people, lemme know! 👇🏼

COMMUNITY

The Coburg Cow & Its Long History As Charleston’s Unofficial Meteorologist

Long before Jim Cantore of The Weather Channel arrived in town this week, there’s been a bovine meteorologist Charlestonians trust to report bad weather.

The Coburg Cow is a familiar landmark at the corner of St. Andrews Shopping Center in West Ashley. The site was once the Coburg dairy farm, which comprised 100 acres along Wappoo Creek.

Coburg Dairy first placed Bessie on a 10-foot rotating platform in 1959 at the dairy’s entrance. She’s often dressed up for the holidays in whimsical outfits, but she’s best known for warning about scary storms.

When she makes her disappearance, that is. The harbinger of hurricanes and dangerous weather is when Bessie is temporarily taken down from her perch.

Bessie’s steward and unofficial adviser is a person who chooses to remain anonymous. They rely on “pure gut feeling” to decide whether she remains or comes down. There’s even a dedicated Facebook page that reports on the latest.

For the record, Bessie braved it out up there this week.

ICYMI

🍴 The owners of Berkeley’s opened The Archer on Meeting Street.  Multiple people have already raved to me about this new place.

👗 Rag & Bone opens on King Street. Located at 383 King Street, the 1,905-square-foot store is a historic space that infuses Charleston’s Southern culture with Rag & Bone’s gritty New York style. I’ve written before about the power of King Street.

🐊 3 things to keep in mind if you come across a gator while paddleboarding. I might need resuscitating if I did.

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FEEDBACK

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