Charleston’s Newest Neighborhood Bistro, Merci, Opens This Saturday | Eater Carolinas
"Occupying the former neighborhood bodega at the corner of Pitt and Montagu Streets in downtown Charleston’s Harleston Village, this European-style bistro is the new project from the team behind The Drifter, whose founders Michael and Courtney Zentner are known for staging Instagrammable culinary events. The kitchen is led by culinary director Michael Zentner with Alex Cotler (formerly of Costa) as sous chef, and the menu leans French with Southern touches—playful and less formal, described by the team as an “argument between your French and Italian grandmothers.” A flagship dish is a quartered focaccia stuffed with stracciatella and finished hot with shaved Benton’s ham, pickled peppers, hot honey, and pistachios, offering a balance of refinement and playfulness. Housed in an 1820s Federal-style building redesigned with local designer Helen Riceto and fitted with custom cabinets and tables by woodworker Brad Hubbard of the Knotty Log, the 20-seat dining room (plus six at the bar) mixes vintage art, antique furniture, and collected silverware to feel approachable yet like fine dining. Reservations are available online ahead of the opening on Saturday, March 22; once open it will serve dinner Wednesdays through Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and may occasionally reinterpret classics like steak frites or French onion soup to suit its style." - Erin Perkins
