Happy Friday, Charleston! As I’m finishing this issue, on Thursday afternoon, 11 monkeys remain at large. Details are scant as to how 43 escaped from the facility in Yemassee. All at once. There MUST be a Caesar among them.

Congrats to Nick M. from downtown who jumped on our “Where Are We” segment last week! It was way too easy again, as 5 of you guessed correctly within an hour of publishing. Our photo was of White Point Garden on the Battery downtown. This week’s is tougher. I think. 🤔

In today’s newsletter:

• We have the scoop on who’s looking to replace Rutledge Cab Company. It was confirmed by the presence of potholes. 🚘

• Italy continues to have a moment in CHS. As this quick-witted Redditor wrote "Too much pizza" is one of those cases where each single word makes sense, but when you combine them, they make no sense at all. 🇮🇹

• ICYMI. 2 restaurants closed, 2 developments moved forward, and more. 🏗️

Friday 67° / 49° ⛅ 💧7%

Saturday 69° / 49° ☀️ 💧6%

Sunday 71° / 51° ⛅ 💧6%

Friday, November 15

• Vanity Fair Legend discusses “Growing Up Getty” | 12 - 1 PM | The Charleston Library Society, 164 King Street, Charleston | The contemporary story of one of the wealthiest and most misunderstood families in the world, unearthed by leading editor, journalist and Vanity Fair writer-at-large James Reginato, makes a special appearance this Fall to discuss his 2022 book Growing Up Getty: The Story of America’s Most Unconventional Dynasty. In a compelling conversation with George McNeely (historian, lecturer, and writer and the former Senior Vice President of Business Development at Christie’s), Reginato will provide a peek behind the curtain on his extensive research.

• Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestras Fall Concert I 7 PM | Gaillard Center, 95 Calhoun St, Charleston | Join the Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestras live! Performances by the Charleston Symphony Youth Sinfonietta (CSYS) and Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra (CSYO) will showcase over 100 young musicians from the greater Charleston area. General admission tickets are available for purchase at $10.

• YALLFEST | 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM I Blue Bicycle Books, 420 King Street, Charleston | Join YALLFest Young Adult Book Festival features the best young adult authors.

Saturday, November 16

• Tea Farm Creek Canoe Trip | 7:30 - 10:30 AM | Caw Caw Interpretive Center, 5200 Savannah Highway, Ravenel | Paddle into Tea Farm Creek alongside a trained naturalist to witness firsthand how human history has impacted the landscapes around us. View one of the only naturalized understories of tea plants in the country as you travel through abandoned rice fields and forests that have been reclaimed by salt marsh.

• Western North Carolina Artist Makers Market I 12 PM | Pour House, 1977 Maybank Hwy, Charleston | WNC Artist Makers Market I A special PoHo afternoon market for makers/artists/vendors affected by Hurricane Helene to offer them an opportunity to showcase and sell their work free of charge.

• Eastern Conference Final | Charleston Battery vs. Rhode Island FC | 7 - 9 PM | Patriots Point, 85 Patriots Point Rd, Mount Pleasant | The Playoffs are back at Patriots Point! The Charleston Battery are taking on Rhode Island FC for the Eastern Conference Final. Pack the Point! Enjoy a pre-match DJ and dine on Chucktown favorites, such as Home Team BBQ, Coastal Crust and more. Gates open at 5:00 pm and kickoff is at 7:00 pm.

• Holidays at The Den I 7 PM | The Den at Frannie & The Fox, 181 Church Street, Charleston | Celebrate the season in yuletide bliss at The Den, where holiday décor and festive cocktails will transport you to a cozy cabin in the Italian Alps. Enjoy holiday cocktails and savor Frannie’s full menu, all while surrounded by enchanting seasonal decorations that capture the magic of the season.

Sunday, November 17

• Kaleidoscope Holiday Ornament Workshop | 12:30 - 2 PM | Two Blokes Brewing, 547 LONG POINT RD, Mount Pleasant | Join us for a fun and creative event where you can create your own unique holiday ornaments. Let your imagination run wild as you design and decorate your ornaments with colorful ink and festive designs. Enjoy a laid-back atmosphere and sip on delicious craft beers from Two Blokes Brewery while you get crafty. Don't miss out on this opportunity to add a personal touch to your holiday decor!

• 2nd Annual MashFest | 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM I Holy City Brewing, 1021 Aragon Ave, North Charleston | Event Details We're riding with the King! Two of Park Circle's premier establishments, King BBQ and Holy City Brewing are joining forces in our beautiful waterfront venue, The Porter Room, to bring you a Bourbon, Barbecue, and Beer Festival unlike any other. Featuring 3 BBQ Tasting stations A barrel aged beer bar from Holy City Specialty Cocktails Holy City's Raw Bar Live Music Rare & Allocated Bourbons Along with all of our well known flagships and taproom specialty beers, this festival will be unlike any other.

• Thanksiving Pie Baking Class | 4 - 6:30 PM | Mercantile & Mash, 701 E Bay St, Charleston | Hone your pie-baking skills before Thanksgiving with the pastry team at Mercantile.

For a COMPLETE list of events in the Charleston area, bookmark the site below!

RESTAURANTS

Years ago, when I came home with a tattoo of my beloved Liverpool Football Club on my left arm, Kim described it as my mid-life crisis.

Then, when I threw caution to the wind a few years back and bought not a Corvette but a Mini Cooper, those words may have come up again.

Truth be told, they should have been “at-the-very-tail-end-of-what-could-be-described-as-mid-life” crisis.

But I digress.

I loved that car. I spared no expense and added whatever options I could, including the technology package.

But it had a fatal flaw. We called it the “Pothole Finder” because it had an uncanny knack of introducing itself to potholes all around Charleston.

Every. Last. One.

And boy does Charleston have some world-class potholes. I replaced 3 tires on that car due to these urban menaces, including one that rivaled the La Brea Tar Pits at the Navy Yard, when we were going to dinner at MOMO.

Potholes Are A Harbinger

Sometimes potholes are simply an example of a county or town not being able to keep up. But oftentimes, they’re a clue.

One of those times I had to replace a tire on the Mini was when we checked out Heavy’s Barburger on Morrison Drive shortly after it opened a few years back.

If you haven’t been, be warned.

Heavy’s has one of Charleston’s 2 best smashburgers, the other featured at the fabulous Commonhouse Aleworks.

Its parking lot also has some massive potholes. Which I learned, again, when I visited last Wednesday.

What’s Up With Rutledge Cab Company Site?

I reported a few issues ago about Rutledge Cab Company closing after 12 years. In the Post & Courier article about the closing, it seemed clear there was something percolating on the site.

A new restaurant to quickly take over?

So as I was digging into the mystery of who might be taking over the site, I reached out to one of my trusty sources.

She said “the rumor is Heavy’s Barburger is going in”.

My first reaction was “Wait a minute, that’s damn close to the restaurant they opened just a few years ago!”

Then this in-the-know source reminded me that the Heavy’s site is where a hotel development is planned.

So as I navigated my car around some nasty potholes Wednesday evening to eat the unbelievable Barburger, I thought “Yes, this makes sense”.

The landowner didn’t give Heavy’s a long-term lease when they signed. ‘Cause they want to develop a hotel and not allow a burger joint to hold them up.

And why bother repairing potholes when you hope to develop a site soon?

See you at the relocated Heavy’s Barburger in a few months. 😁

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, or email me here. The first person to guess correctly will get a shout-out at the top of our issue next week!

SPONSORED BY THE CHARLIE POST CLASSIC

Charleston Running Club is the O.G. of Chucktown running clubs. In the 70s, the club helped start two of our largest races, the Cooper River Bridge Run and the Kiawah Marathon.

And for the 40th year, the annual Charlie Post Classic 15K/5K takes place on Saturday, January 11, 2025, at 8:30 AM at the Sullivan’s Island Fish Fry Shack, located at 1424 Hennessy Street.

This race honors the memory of Dr. Charlie Post, a well-known Charleston runner, triathlete, and family physician who volunteered his time and medical talents to the running community. Dr. Post served as head of the College of Charleston’s student health services and was the team’s sports physician.

I plan on running this race for the first time this year. I don’t know what’s been keeping me. ALL my running buddies say it’s a great course and a fun time.

 Registration includes a chip-timed 15K run or 5K run/walk, finisher’s medal, shirt, refreshments, and the satisfaction of knowing that you helped College of Charleston student athletes.

Race options include a 5K run and walk, and for you longer distance athletes, a 15K route. That’s 9.3 miles on our imperial system. 😆

Sign up at this link.

RESTAURANTS PART II

If it seems like I’ve been writing a lot lately about Italian food, it’s because I have!

There’s 2 more restaurants to add to our growing list.

Abbracci Italian Cuisine & Cocktails opened this week in north Mount Pleasant. It’s from the owners of Migliori Pizzeria, which has what’s been desribed to me by native New Yorkers as some of the most authentic NY-style pizza you’ll taste in CHS.

All of Abbracci’s pastas will be made in-house and signature dishes include a house-made sausage arancini, crispy octopus, ricotta gnocchi, rigatoni sugo with braised pork cheek, potato-crusted fish, and a traditional cioppino with fresh local seafood.

And in OTHER great news—I could eat Italian food 7 days a week—the owners of Graft Wine Shop are collaborating with a legit pizza shop to open Tutti next to their shop on Upper King.

They’re shooting for an opening in February.

HELP ME SPREAD THE WORD!

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It’ll help me grow CHS Happenings and keep bringing you cool new perks like our events calendar. 🙏🏼

ICYMI

🦪 Johns Island seafood restaurant to close. In another reminder of how tough restaurants are to operate, Blu Oyster will close this week.

🌳 Huge block on Upper King has another groundbreaking. Courier Square Phase II will be 300 apartments plus room for more restaurants.

🏠 Berkeley County lifted a development moratorium and paved the way for more housing. If it’s planned thoughtfully, it’ll help deal with our affordability crisis. A certain close-by town that goes by MTP could take a page from Berkeley’s playbook.

🌮 Asheville-based taco restaurant closed in Mount Pleasant. Unfortunately, it took FOREVER to open after announcing several years ago, which is never a good sign.

🥪 I’ve reported recently about the terrific Italian sandwich shop The Pass. Beginning December 4, this lunch spot will start serving delicious food at night.

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FEEDBACK

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