Angela Q.
Yelp
Considering Charleston is a hub for culinary excellence, we were shocked that the Edison wasn't recommended to us in any of our inquires, and even more shocked to find it's not listed on any of Charleston's best. The fact that it's on James Island is only a technicality- the drive over is worth it and might be presumptions of me to state but , this was THE best meal(s) we had while visiting. Only discovered through a simple Yelp search, we felt we were going out on a limb making reservations at a restaurant unfamiliar in all of the suggestions we received. It was easily the best decision we made (even more so than feeding stingrays, but that's for another review). Located in a pretty quiet neighborhood, The Edison stands as the only restaurant within a 2 miles radius (I could be wrong on that, but distance isn't my strong suit). Reservations are highly recommended considering the we picked up the last one on both of our visits. It seems to us the menu is seasonal - we didn't even ask. But perusing over the menu, we exchanged many glances- the combinations described on were unique and prior to ordering, we knew we might be in for an experience. On our first visit we opted for the Fromage & Fig as our appetizer. Served with the best crostini I've had, which had a nice give as opposed to the crunchy crostinis I'm not very partial to, a nice portion of goat cheese topped with fig spread and micro greens- this dish easily set the tone for the rest of our dinner. Deciding on an entree was no easy venture, but with the assistance of a most gracious server (Paula, we love you), we ultimately decided on the Steak & Frites and the Chicken & Waffles. As the dishes made their way onto our table, it was clear they put pride in their presentation. Gorgeous colors and appetizing combinations, eager to dig in (but keeping realistic expectations), we drove our forks into our meals. The minute we each took a bite of our meal, we shared yet another look- something between amazement and surprise. When I say the steak was cooked to *perfection*, it is in no way an exaggeration. The fries, which sometimes can be an overlooked complement in this dish, were spectacular. Accompanied by their homemade ranch (did I mention- best ranch ever?), whoever seasoned these fries deserves an award. Chicken & Waffles is a staple dish in the south, but I can say The Edison has this down to an art. Flavorful, crispy fried chicken (unlike the chicken we had the misfortune of having had earlier at a highly recommended restaurant which shall not be named), you must include the waffle and a generous spread of the cholula butter. Each bite is a little slice of nirvana, and you'd be robbing yourself if you don't order this. I would say we ate this silence, but the occasional "oh my god" and "I can't believe this" filled the silence between our bites. Even though there was absolutely almost no room for dessert, there was no way we could leave without tasting whatever sweet delectable they had to offer. Of course we were completely indecisive, and thankfully Paula took the wheel. The Edison Chocolate Bulb made its way over to our table, and I'll be honest- I'm not big on layers and layers of chocolate so I was skeptical. I was again proven wrong. The chocolate from the globe was smooth, it almost melted on your tongue. The brownie was the perfect amount of chewy and the vanilla bean ice cream is a most necessary complement. We couldn't have asked for a better finale to the most impressive meal we had in Charleston. We immediately ran to Resy to make a reservation for the next night, and there was one spot left at 6PM. Accommodating our plans was not even a question- we had to sample more of the menu. As this review has turned into a small novel, I will leave you with this - we returned to that famous southern hospitality, as our server Paula received us with a hug and a heart-warming smile. We left one of our dishes for our server to decide and of course we were not let down. I asked if there was any way to create a mocktail, and they gracefully created what Paula jokingly called the triple A. We opted for a different dessert- a pear & ginger crumble, accompanied with vanilla bean ice cream per a very enthusiastic suggestion. While it cannot compare to the Edison Chocolate Bulb, a best seller for a reason, we can't leave The Edison disappointed. If you've made it this far, here are my personal recommendations (based on our limited tasting of the menu): the Fig & Fromage is easily the gateway to the rest of the meal, please order the fries & ranch, The Bulb will truly blow your expectations and lastly- listen to Paula, under her sweet demeanor is clearly a foodie eager to share her flawless recommendations.