Bar Rollins

"Natural wine spot with Vilda Gonzalez’s pop-up, local persimmons, lamb skewers, and sourdough flatbread." - Erin Perkins

"Natural wine hangout Bar Rollins (194 Jackson Street, Charleston) welcomes chef Vilda Gonzalez into the kitchen every Sunday this month. Gonzalez has worked in restaurants most of her life, but after an autoimmune disease caused her to take a break, she decided to study holistic nutrition and how foods could heal. She developed relationships with farmers and focused on cooking for true nourishment. Gonzalez brings this philosophy to Bar Rollins with a menu of meticulously sourced items like a recent course of local persimmons tossed in olive oil and served with hand-pulled mozzarella braids. Also, look for items like delicate lamb skewers with fresh oregano or flaky sourdough flatbread. She’s in the kitchen from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. each Sunday." - Erin Perkins

"Natural wine spot Bar Rollins officially opens the doors at 4 p.m. on Friday, June 24, at 194 Jackson Street in Charleston. The bar offers a selection of natural (wines made with the least amount of modern manipulations) whites, reds, and rosés by the glass with a few non-alcoholic options and snacks of meats and cheeses. Owners Chris Rollins and Jess Vande Werken spent the past few years drumming up excitement for their bottle selections in Charleston with pop-ups featuring prominent chefs like FIG’s Jason Stanhope. They finally found an address for their “wine dive bar,” and it’s a charming establishment with mismatched bistro furniture, exposed brick, and shelves of colorful bottles. The team renovated the space on their own with the help from architects and designers Evan Smith González and Diego A. González. The room was down to the studs when Rollins and Werken found the building. “It’s the first time I’ve done limewash or painted floors or ceilings,” says Rollins. Now it’s a spot for friends to gather in a casual, yet hip, room to sip selections handpicked by Rollins. Located on Jackson Street with a slew of newer businesses like casual bar Tobin’s Market and fancy barbershop Circa, the recent establishment openings highlight the rapid changing of the East Side neighborhood, which historically housed lower income families and a large percentage of downtown Charleston’s Black population. With the lease prices soaring on King Street and in the Cannonborough/Elliotborough neighborhood, it’s expected that more businesses will begin to move into the East Side. Bar Rollins is open Thursday through Monday, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m." - Erin Perkins

"Bar Rollins will focus on natural wine and snacks. Every time there’s a Bar Rollins pop-up, all the cool Charleston kids show up en force and sell out the event. What makes them so popular? They don’t take themselves so seriously, pour great bottles, and as the slogan goes, 'Bar Rollins Loves You.'" - Erin Perkins