The Ordinary Downtown Charleston. Photo Credit: Squirefox
Visitors coming to Charleston often look for one thing when choosing a restaurant: fresh seafood. Locals know that there’s no better place in South Carolina for local, just-off-the boat shrimp, fish and oysters than this area, and there is strong competition among Charleston restaurants to provide just that. Recently, a new competitor in the seafood genre has opened up downtown: The Ordinary Fancy Seafood and Oyster Hall.
The Ordinary. Photo Credit: SquireFox.
Launched by award-winning FIG restaurant owners, chef Mike Lata and business partner Adam Nemirow, The Ordinary aims to provide the freshest, highest quality seafood to their patrons. The Charleston City Paper stated that The Ordinary’s December 2012 debut was “perhaps the most anticipated restaurant opening of 2012.” And for good reason. Lata has long been a heavy-hitter of the Charleston restaurant scene. After being nominated for James Beard’s “Best Chef Southeast” in 2007 and 2008, he won the title in 2009. He’s also been featured on the Food Network multiple times, including a stint on “Iron Chef America.” His commitment to excellence in the kitchen has been a major component of the success of FIG, his first Charleston restaurant, and is what ensures that The Ordinary will be successful for years to come.
The Ordinary. Photo credit: SquireFox
The Ordinary, in the few months that it has been open, has proven to be anything but. True to its (full) name, this Charleston restaurant has all but a handful of dishes that aren’t exclusively seafood-based. The raw bar includes dozens of oyster option, most of which are provided by local suppliers. The menu mixes seafood favorites like New England fish chowder with favorites-with-a-twist like grouper schnitzel and lobster ceviche. The unique menu is complemented by The Ordinary’s setting: a former Bank of America building constructed in 1927. Lata and Nemirow has kept much of the bank’s elegance, including the original 22-foot ceilings and the bank vault, complete with massive metal door.
The Ordinary Photo Credit: SquireFox
Located at 544 King Street, The Ordinary has become another contributor to the Upper King Street revitalization effort of recent years, and will no doubt become a staple in the Charleston restaurant line up.
Shrimp and Oysters at The Ordinary. Photo Credit: SquireFox.
See the dinner and drinks menus. The Ordinary is open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday 3- 11 PM and is closed Monday. Reservations are strongly recommended.
Sources:
Gorsline, Susie. “The Ordinary Fancy Seafood Oyster Hall.” Dining Around Charleston. 3 January 2013. http://www.diningaroundcharleston.com/2013/01/the-ordinary-fancy-seafood-oyster-hall.html
“Mike Lata.” FIG Restaurant. http://www.eatatfig.com/about/view/mike_lata/
Moss, Robert. “The Ordinary.” Charleston City Paper. Winter 2013. http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/the-ordinary/Location?oid=4255589
Wise, Warren Lance. “The Ordinary Restaurant Opens on Upper King Street.” The Post and Courier. 20 December 2012. http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20121220/PC05/121229955
