Vern's
"What were your first impressions when you arrived? Vern's is in a Charleston classic corner store building—like so many small restaurants are here—those unassuming spots whose door faces right to the corner, and had (at one time) residences above. The space was Ken Vendrinski's Lucca before Vern's, but although some of the details remain, Vern's is distinctly itself—the restaurant dream of co-owners Bethany and Daniel Heinze. The mercury mirrors, the close set tables, the corner bar and the visible pass through all refer to a European-style neighborhood restaurant with Charleston ease. What’s the crowd like? If you're scoping out the crowd, that means you're lucky to be in the restaurant—as from the day it opened last year, a Vern's reservation has been one of the hottest tickets in the city. That's because the Heinze's have a long history serving it, so you'll see plenty of locals greeting each other and the staff during any service. It's an experience, so people don't seem rushed to get in or get out, and although the murmur of conversation is lively, it's not raucous. Couples and parties of four dominate the space, and most seemed dressed for an evening out. What should we be drinking? Wine is Bethany Heinze's love language. She leans toward small producers and some old world standbys, curating a list that shifts as the vintages and seasons do. The thing that ties the menu together is low intervention winemaking and pairing with Daniel's food, so all of this means that you might not recognize many traditionally big names on the list, but you should trust your well-educated server to steer you in the right direction. Beyond the vines, cocktails pretty much stay in the aperitivos lane, and there are select beers available too, as well as more than just water for non-alcoholic options. Main event: the food. Give us the lowdown—especially what not to miss. Charleston already knew they loved Daniel Heinze's cooking—he was a long-standing Chef de Cuisine at McCrady's—but when the two returned from California and started a series of pop-ups to begin testing menu items and concept for their neighborhood restaurant, they started a buzz about the inevitable opening. The food came out of the kitchen from the first night with a high level of execution and flavor, and in the months that have passed, they've settled into consistent excellence. There are hints of McCrady's past there, such as the escargot, but make no mistake, the menu is very much Daniel's style of cooking, heralding his favorite Lowcountry ingredients and showcasing them through his own lens. There's charred sourdough, bright salads, almost always a mushroom dish, pastas and proteins like rabbit or Yellowfin tuna to a in-season satsuma confection created from fruit gleaned from a friend's backyard. The cooking techniques are advanced but the plating is beautiful simplicity, and nothing about Vern's says stuffy. And how did the front-of-house folks treat you? The staff is well-educated at all aspects of fine dining service, so they will manage your course roll outs, advise you on wine choices or share info about a farmer, but this is all in a really laidback way. It's that "yes, we all love to eat like this but we don't have to be snobby about it" approach that the best neighborhood restaurants perfect, and Vern's is well on its way to being one of the best. What’s the real-real on why we’re coming here? Date night, brunch with mom and dad, catch-up-time with your closest friend over wine and as many dishes you can share, Vern's is a spot for memory making, but it's also a spot when you're ready for a little laidback luxury. If you want to imagine yourself Paul and Julia Child for a night, this is the spot—but if you're dieting, this is not going to be your shangri-la." - Stephanie Burt
