If you believe the locals, then you know ghosts lurk around every corner of Charleston. The popular restaurant on the grounds of Wentworth Mansion®, will allow you to indulge in these tales of the city's "spirited" residents
Please call (843) 853-7828 for more information. |
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By Tom Crosby
In a city known for its fine restaurants, the newest star in Charleston's dining firmament is Circa 1886 located on the grounds of the magnificent four-story, 24-room, French Second Empire style Wentworth Mansion.
Circa 1886 refers to the year the Mansion was built by Charleston businessman Francis Silas Rodgers and the restaurant occupies the spot where stables once housed the carriages and horses of the wealthy cotton businessman.
Since opening in January 2000 (a year and a half after the Wentworth Mansion's $6 million restoration was completed and it opened to the public), Circa 1886 has been garnering awards and restaurant reviews for excellence.
It holds a Four Diamond rating from AAA, was one of 23 American restaurants on Conde Nast's 2001 "hot list" of 100 restaurants worldwide, received a five-star rating from The Charleston Post and Courier newspaper and been favorably reviewed in Food and Wine, Charlotte Magazine and House Beautiful magazine and The Atlanta Journal and Constitution newspaper.
The first impression of Circa 1886 is one of history and elegance. Parking is provided across the street from the Wentworth Mansion (so named because it is on Wentworth Street four blocks from downtown). As you enter the grounds, the manicured lawn, surrounding shrubbery and blooming flowers create a magical atmosphere.
Diners stroll under an arbor of Lady Bankshire roses with a stone patio containing three wrought iron tables and chairs on the left and a neatly trimmed, small lawn area on the right.
The entire front entrance area is tastefully separated from the Wentworth grounds by pampas grass and crepe myrtle trees, adding a nice feeling of privacy, especially at nighttime when diners enjoy a quiet and romantic after-dinner drink outside.
Variegated hydrangea plants in purple bloom and azaleas grow underneath a pair of windows on each side of the two-story brick building's door, adding more color and warmth to the first impression of the restaurant.
 Once inside, the bar is straight ahead, in the smallest of three downstairs dining rooms. Six bar stools sit before a marble counter top with a wooden rail bar. Behind the bar, rows of glasses and cooling wines provide ambiance.
To the left of the bar, there is an L-shaped, cushioned-seat booth for quiet conversation and two open area square tables with three chairs each in front of a working fireplace decorated with candles (a fireplace in Charleston seems redundant). The Garden Room, a private dining room for 10, is off the bar.
The other two downstairs dining rooms are the Main Room, which seats 34, and the Wine Room, which seats 22. Upstairs, which once housed the Tack Room, there is a private dining area that can hold 40 people.
The warm ambiance comes from original wooden slat walls now painted in a sage/khaki color, wainscoting, plush wall-to-wall carpeting, original stable doors and a new partially recessed ceiling in the wine room, decorative archways, original heart-pine floors - all blended so expertly that it is impossible to tell the old from the new. Walls sport lithographs and iron art work. Lighting is subdued with sunset draping the interior in a warm glow. Overhead, circular iron chandeliers sport electric candles. The end result is a totally modern fine-dining atmosphere with historic and artistic touches.
Diners sit in high-backed brown suede chairs at tables covered with white linen and decorated with a small red rose in a bubble vase and a burning candle in a small glass chimney. Silverware is from Cristoffe Hotel in France and the custom china is from Brighton Falls, Beaver Creek, CA. The crystal wine glasses are by Spigaleau. Coffee and tea service is Wedgewood bone china from England.
Bottled water offerings are San Pelligrino or Evian ($4.50 each) or city water. (Water prices are not on the menu.)
Attentive waitstaff surpass typical AAA Four Diamond-rated service, with equal knowledge of the menu, wine list and the history of the Mansion and restaurant. Service is efficient but never rushed.
Manager Jose Tortolero, 46, formerly of the AAA-rated Five Diamond Woodlands Restaurant in nearby Summerville, SC, said, "Attention to detail is very important, especially in service. We want to give guests a touch of the southern hospitality that we are famous for."
Added Rick Widman, owner of Circa 1886, "We wanted this is to be a quiet, relaxed oasis, a respite for tourists who want to dine away from the hub-bub."
"We are proud to say we are the quietest restaurant in Charleston," said Tortolero, who instructs his waitstaff that the most important ingredient of service is "to satisfy the customer beyond their expectations."
The other essential ingredient to Circa 1886's success is Executive Chef Patrick Ramsey. After graduating from Kansas University, he developed his culinary skills with stints in Florida, Mexico, St. Lucia and Colorado, serves "fusion cuisine" which he describes as an unusual mixture of ingredients that often creates modern versions of old Charleston cuisine.
 "Charleston was first in fusion cuisine," said Ramsey. "Our warm water port had year-round influences from Europe and the Caribbean, and ships brought in ingredients from all over the world. At Circa 1886, we're exploring that in a modern light. Our food is influenced by history."
For example, locally raised crabs supply a local touch to the crab cake souffle appetizer with mango coulis and sweet pepper sauce. There is also a wild mushroom and brie strudel on warmed asparagus cream.
A Charleston crab bisque soup is offered and a popular salad is riesling poached pear on baby spinach with blue cheese mousse, toasted walnuts and warmed bacon vinaigrette
Chef Ramsey rotates the menu according to season and access to fresh ingredients. Entre items may include brown sugared duck with hoppin' John and collards or a pepper-grilled tuna with cucumber salad.
Desserts, ordered at the onset to properly time service, includes cinnamon beignets with apple cranberry compote and macadamia nut parfait or a blend of pan fried angel food cake, vanilla ice cream and fresh berries.
The extensive wine list covers more than 10 pages and 280 choices that range from a 1998 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Zinfandel for $20 to a 1990 Chateau Mouton Rothchild Pauillac for $670. More than a dozen wines are offered by the glass ($8-$16) with wine tastings of three for $16.
Sparking wines and champagnes are also available.
Domestic wines dominate the selection but there are plenty of French and Italian wines offered, as well as a selection of Australian and South African wines. There are 10 dessert wines to choose from.
Special notes: Last reservations at 9:30 p.m. means plenty of after-dinner time to explore Charleston night life, service so impeccable that noticing a left-handed diner the waitress changed the table setting to a left-handed service, closed only on Sunday (typically Charleston restaurants close on Monday) and ending the meal with a cigar and drink outside the restaurant in the gardens.
Please call 843-853-7828 to make a reservation. |
