Betsy

Hi.....!

I haven't read too much about this restaurant, but I know the chef, Louis Osteen, is very well known. Has anyone been to his restaurant yet, and if so, did you enjoy it?

Thanks!

Betsy

danna

Louis Osteen used to be the chef at Charleston GRill, where he got a good bit of press. (you probably knew that) I went to his new restaurant Louis's in '98, it was pretty good. I would rate it as one of the best in Chas. along with McCrady's and Garibaldis.
If search for Chas. restaurant posts on this board you will find a zillion. Be aware that most of the "upscale" restaurants in Charleston serve food in a "lowcountry" theme. That means everything will be pecan crusted or have jalepenos or grits or some other southern cliche. I am so sick of this crap I could die!!!! Louis's fortunately did not fall into this category (which includes Magnolia and S.N.O.B.) at least not 4 years ago.

Bon Appetit!

Betsy

Thanks Danna!

I love pecans, and I'm anxious to try real Southern style food, so I don't mind the pecans, grits, etc.....

It's kind of how I feel about Italian food. I love Italian food, but up until fairly recently, it seemed like all of Long Island was populated by Italian restaurants. Enough! Finally, there are other types opening.

Ed

Louis's is closed. The new restaurant in its place is called Upstream. Had dinner there two weeks ago, very good - 8 out of possible 10 stars.

Plenty of good restaurants in the holy city.

Betsy

Louis's is closed? Wow, that restaurant had a pretty short stay. Thanks for the tip on Upstream, Ed. Is this a very new restaurant?

danna

Betsy - re-reading my post, I seem rather irritable, eh? I do want to clarify, however, that I did not mean that the "southern cliche" restaurants served traditional southern food. They serve the same stuff you find in every other "new American" restaurant, except with a little theme going. Traditional southern food(of good quality) is tough to find outside of someone's home. You might try Poogan's Porch for brunch, that's fairly Southern, without pretentions to haute cuisine. Also, you might try the Chowhound.com message board - south. Lots of info there.

Ed: do you know if Upstream is related to a restaurant by the same name in Charlotte?

Gretchen

Louis himself has gone "upstream" and opened a new restaurant in Pawley's Island. It was supposed to open March 20 in the Hammock Shops on Rte 17.

Betsy

I guess that I'm going to have to invite myself into someone's home when I get down there, Danna.....

I used the Chowhounds a lot for my trip to Boston, and I did post on there recently. Unfortunately, my query does not seem to have garnered many responses. There are several posts on Charleston on that board, so that's helpful. There seems to be a consensus on the "best" restaurants in Charleston: Anson's, Carolina's, Magnolia's, Hominy Grill, Charleston Grill, Peninsula Grill......so, that makes my decisions fairly easy. I may be spending an awful lot of time in Hominy Grill, as the menu is mouth-watering, and I've only heard unanimous superlatives......

Betsy