By the Way, From the Stars of ‘Southern Charm,’ Opens With Caviar Bumps and Pornstar Martinis | Eater Carolinas

"A new downtown Charleston restaurant and bar at 45 ½ Spring Street in Cannonborough/Elliotborough is a collaboration between Uptown Hospitality Group and Southern Charm stars Craig Conover and Austen Kroll, backed by the team behind Uptown Social, Bodega, and Share House. “Timing is everything,” says Keith Benjamin, a partner at Uptown. “Would I have wanted to partner with them five years ago? Maybe not. But the version of who they are today is exactly who we want to partner with,” he says. Benjamin, who first befriended Kroll after moving to Charleston to open Uptown Social in 2017, adds, “Over time, Craig and I became buddies as well, and the friendships just kind of evolved.” A golf trip in the summer of 2023 spurred more serious conversation and, when the space became available, “the groundwork had already been laid,” says Benjamin. The result is an upscale lounge with an intimate, genteel atmosphere aimed at evening and late‑night crowds: about 80 seats, an interior by Home Studios that “evokes an old-world tavern” with leather, marble, brick, dark wood, and beveled ceilings, and a large central skylight Benjamin calls “amazing.” “The space is intimate, and we’re proud of that,” says Benjamin. The menu (served until 10 p.m., with a late-night menu forthcoming) mixes trendy items—burrata, ’nduja deviled eggs, poutine, Caesar salad, and steak frites—with pub fare elevated by luxury touches: fried oysters served with caviar and citrus crème fraîche, a French onion chicken sandwich built on a Normandy Farms baguette, wings, burgers, and more. The menu will change seasonally, and the plan is to expand hours in early 2025 to include weekend brunch, a weekday happy hour, and a Wednesday steak frites special. Cocktails are martini-forward: the Freezing Cold martini (vodka, gin, or Vesper-style) emphasizes “accessories” — olives, a lemon twist, a cornichon, or pearl onions — and offers an optional caviar bump ($12) or chilled shrimp ($4); there is a trio of espresso martinis made with vodka, bourbon, or coconut tequila; a Pornstar martini; a hot honey margarita; and a large-format Old Fashioned for six to eight people served in a crystal decanter ($110). The seasonal zero-proof menu currently includes a nonalcoholic grapefruit and basil martini, aligning with Conover’s newfound embrace of “moderation” on this season of Southern Charm. Open 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. on weekdays and noon to 2 a.m. on weekends, the spot is already drawing lines for caviar bumps, Pornstar martinis, and the chance of celebrity sightings that excite reality-TV fans." - Clair Lorell