A Beautiful Charleston Landmark With an Illustrious History and Lots of Good Events on Tap

This Charleston landmark originally seated nearly 2000 people. It was the largest of its kind in South Carolina to open to the public at the time. Its first showing was a silent film starring Norma Shearer. The South Carolina premiere of Gone with the Wind appeared at this venue, with members of the original cast in attendance, including Charleston native Alicia Rhett, who played India Wilkes in the film. It closed in 1975, not long after a showing of Sound of Music, and then purchased by the College of Charleston. Originally named the Gloria, it reopened in 1990 as the Sottile Theatre.

The Gloria was designed as a smaller version of the great movie palaces of the era and was lauded for the grandeur of its architecture and design. However, the theater's eye-catching wall paintings stole the show and became a source of mystery. Italian artists from New York executed their work on canvas, but the actual artists' names were left unmentioned. 

When the College of Charleston purchased the theater, acoustic tiles covered its walls. During renovations in 2011, the workers removed the tiles and discovered the two large-scale murals hiding beneath the tiles. Apparently, the College was unaware the famous murals were underneath. The south mural had to be removed temporarily due to severe damage. The north mural remained on display, despite having suffered damage and deterioration. Much of the restoration work would involve remediation of the many spots of tar used to attach the acoustic tiles to both murals decades ago. Renovations included the preservation of the theatre's illuminated blue dome and twinkling stars and restoring the south mural to its original location. The most recent large-scale renovation was completed in 2020.

The College of Charleston's historic Sottile Theatre serves as a performance and event venue for the College and the community, including operas, plays, musicals, ballets, concerts, and receptions and conferences. In addition to the 785-seat theatre, the facility offers several lobby areas, an outdoor balcony terrace, and a garden for reception venues.

My partner and I attended the Grande Serenata, a concert of operatic hits by the Charleston Opera Theater. It would be my first operatic concert, aside from an introductory hour-long opera performance we attended at the Charleston Library Society on King Street.

All performances were sung in a foreign language, so if you do not speak those languages, it is not about the words but the power with which they are sung and the music played by the accompanying orchestra. The high level of pitch the woman singers reach is almost glass-shattering, and there were a few of those moments. A screen above the stage displayed the translation, but you could tell what was going on by the body language and facial expressions, and you would miss that if you looked away. One segment was performed in English to honor the Irish festival celebrated that day.

The orchestra was superb. I am not an opera aficionado, so I will just say the featured singers were operatic. Two College of Charleston Artists in Residence, Abigail Erin Oldstrom and Halis Runk, were highlighted in a duet. The stage lighting was captivating and set the mood for each set. The theater was impressive and the seating was comfortable with plenty of leg room.

Grande Serenata was a suggested black-tie event but not required. It felt good to dress to impress, and I pulled out all the guns with a blue-black feather bow tie and brown Steve Madden shoes. I am for experiencing everything, so I can say I did it. So, I did the opera, and frankly, I enjoyed it. I just might do it again. The best part is I shared it with a special friend, and you can not beat that. The evening began with a dinner at Fast and French, making it a complete and satisfying outing. Hey, it's Charleston. So much to offer, so much to do.

The College of Charleston Sottille Theatre is a beautiful venue with an illustrious history and lots of good entertainment on schedule. Sophisticate yourself and check it out.

Upcoming events.

44 George St, Charleston, SC

Three Charleston Restaurants For Breakfast--From The Simple To The Sublime

At the furthest point on the Lower Peninsula, White Point Garden is an ideal place to catch the sweeping brush strokes of the sun's first rays of the morning as they artfully spill over the tall, rooftop silhouettes of Sullivan's Island unto the watery canvas of Charleston Harbor and ascend the railed walls of East Battery Street painting its waterfront homes with a soft, amber hue. With nothing more than the warmth and peacefulness of the moment to contemplate, it is a spiritually uplifting way to nourish your soul and kick-start a new day. Before long, the silent streets will be awakened by the flood of sight-seeing visitors and the clip-clop of horse's hooves pulling carriages loaded with tourists seeking to soak up the charm and history Charleston is renowned for. A suitable time to pocket your ponderings and depart the park to physically nourish your soul at one of the many unique restaurants and cafes located throughout the Historic Downtown District, from the simple to the sublime.

A short walk from the Battery on picturesque Broad Street is a street-side French cafe called Gaulart and Maliclet--also known by locals as Fast and French. Established by artists Gwylene Gallimard and Jean-Marie Mauclet 25 years ago, the restaurant's vision is summarized by their proclamation, "Where there is art, there is community--Where there is community, there is art." Their mission is to provide fresh, affordable, healthy, global cuisine with a French flair in a social environment. The seating in the cafe comes with close quarters. Great for friends who are interested in coming together to catch up on what's been happening around town and personally. Breakfast is served all day beginning at 8am. At Fast and French, emphasis is on simple but results are elegant. French press coffee made to order accompanies all breakfast specials. A variety of filled croissants, baked baguettes, fruit salad and yogurts are all fresh and reasonably priced. Open everyday except Sunday.
98 Broad Street, Charleston, SC
843-577-9797

Turning left off of Broad Street and traveling up East Bay Street just beyond the busy Old Market, the Saffron Cafe and Bakery has been serving Charleston locals since 1986. In a recent remodel, the cafe added an outdoor patio, a game court and a wood-burning oven. It produces freshly baked goods which are delivered daily to hotels, restaurants and coffee shops throughout Charleston. For the exotic shoppers, International goods like pickles imported from Jerusalem, grape leaves from Lebanon, lamb from Australia, dates from California and the Middle East, and Harrisa sauce from Algeria to name a few can be bought here. It has been named the best place for Hummus, She-Crab Soup, and Red Velvet Cake. For your early morning forage, try the French Toast for $7.50--a thick-cut housemade brioche soaked in egg and cinnamon, grilled with cinnamon sugar or Shrimp and Grits for $8.50--shrimp sauteed in brown gravy, over grits with toast or biscuits. Open at 7am everyday.
333 East Bay Street, Charleston, SC
843-722-5588

Back to the Old Market to Meeting Street brings your to the doors of Charleston Place and the main floor of the Belmond. Step through the doors of this sophisticated cafe and you will be greeted by an interior that screams prodigious. The Palmetto Cafe offers its early morning patrons an open, tranquil ambiance crowned by a high ceiling with expansive louvered windows, live green walls, and rich mahogany furniture all overlooking a lush courtyard complete with circular bronze fountain and impeccably kept gardens--perfect for enjoying Charleston's ideal morning weather. Recognized as the only 4 diamond breakfast and lunch restaurant in the city, its menu screams incredible, merging the very best of American Lowcountry cuisine with the freshest ingredients. Breakfast creations include a Peaches and Cream French Toast combining cream cheese stuffed raisin bread with a Georgia peach compote for $18 or a Palmetto Omelet with fresh lump crabmeat, lobster knuckles, mozzarella cheese, and spring onions for $19. The service is impeccably Southern fine. Open Monday to Friday 6:30am to 10:30am, Saturday and Sunday at 9am for Brunch.
205 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC
843-722-4900

One Restaurant That Steps Out Of The Box Of Conventionalism-Bon Appetit

The clue for today's 'Final Jeopardy' answer is: A survey of diners was conducted, which in the final analysis, food quality, atmosphere of the dining area, and fairness of seating order was isolated as their top responses. And the 'Final Jeopardy' question is: What are the top three specific attributes that have a high influence on diners' decisions to return to a restaurant? Sorry, no money to win, just another useless survey informing us about what common sense already substantiates. I would think all three aspects are considered by a dining establishment before it even opens to the public.

When it comes to food quality, freshness of produce is a relevant factor, but the potential patron has no way of verifying this and must accept the reliability of the restaurant. The presentation is another component in the evaluation process. What are the first words you hear a person say when the main dish arrives and is set before them? "That really looks good." Yet, even before you see the food or even the menu for that matter, the atmosphere sets the mood, which includes the decor, noise level, temperature, cleanliness, odors, lighting, and color schemes. Everyone who matters agrees the success of a restaurant hinges on these predicating factors, more or less. Now, having stated these obvious facts, there is always an exception to the rule. There exists a restaurant that blows everyone of these concepts out of the water.

51 Rue Quincampoix

This restaurant was rated one of the "10 Unusual Restaurants Around The World" by Forbes magazine. Since its inception in 2004, it has grown in popularity and expanded beyond its own countries borders. What's so unusual about it? You don't see your food. You don't see the decor. You have no clue of its cleanliness. The lighting and color scheme is of no consequence. Quite literally, when you step through its doors, you are in the dark. Fittingly, the restaurants name is Dans le Noir, which in French means, and this should be of no surprise, "in the dark." It offers you the opportunity to experience what it is like to be blind, of which, all the wait staff at this restaurant are. The kitchen staff, I assume, are not.

You enter Dans le Noir through a lighted bar area where you deposit anything that produces light into a locker, and that especially goes for cell phones. Next, you scan a chalkboard to make your food selections. At this restaurant you have the option of choosing your entree from a chalkboard menu or selecting the "surprise" option, and this is not for the faint at heart, you will have to guess what it is you are eating. Your blind waiter next directs you through a black curtain where you are plunged into total darkness. Now, you must rely on your other senses, especially your sense of touch.

Those who experienced this first hand reported intimacy as a necessity. While navigating their way to the table, each individual in the group was advised to put their hand on the person in front of them or the possibility of embarrassingly ending up in the lap of a stranger loomed large. Once seated, trying to envision the layout and the decor was impossible. The waiter encouraged the diners to get comfortable with the darkness and to get use to doing things for themselves, such as pouring their own wine. The waiter also offered useful tips, like putting your finger in your glass to know when it is full. If you needed the waiters assistance, shyness was out. You had to quite aggressively shout for your waiters attention.

When the entrees arrived, the use of eating utensils almost became obsolete, and here again, the hands were more useful, caveman style. Presentation can't be evaluated and all agreed the atmosphere was loud. For some reason, when people can't see, their communication elevates and the hearing becomes more acute. Sounds and conversation flood in from all directions.

You are not alone.There are over 50 other people in the same room. Uncontrollable laughing and giggling filled the air. Spilling drinks and making a mess was inevitable. It was an experience where you are totally set free from your inhibitions and equality reigned. After all, know one can see what you are doing or what you look like. In my thinking, dry cleaners are beneficiaries.

Realistically, this type of dining experience is something you probably would do once in a lifetime, maybe a second time as a special occasion with curious friends. Paris has the original. Other locations are London, Barcelona, and Saint-Petersbourg. Dans le Noir offers a three course meal and all beverages served ala carte. Coffee, tea, and other hot drinks (for safety reasons) are not served in the dark. Since its opening in Paris, the restaurant has seen over 1,000,000 visitors world wide.


Charleston doesn't have any unusual restaurants like the Dans le Noir. What Charleston does have is a deeply rooted French Huguenot history and its fair share of restaurants with French sounding names like Gaulart and Maliclet Cafe, La Fourchette, and 39 Rue de Jean. In 1973 the area of the city bounded by the Cooper River on the east, Broad Street on the south, Meeting Street on the west and Market Street on the north was designated the French Quarter. It was part of the original walled part of Charleston and where a high concentration of French merchants did business. It was also part of the original Grande Modell of 1680, famous for art galleries and restaurants, and still is today.

Picture by Fast and French

Gaulart and Maliclet Cafe, also known as “Fast and French" by locals, was created by two Charleston artists. The seating in the cafe comes with close quarters. Great for friends who are interested in coming together to catch up on what's been happening over a glass of French wine--just what you would expect of a street-side French cafe. It also has a bar with limited high top seating. The menu is simple and inexpensive featuring French cheeses, soups, salads, and daily dinner specials. It is located at 98 Broad Street. Check out the menu and prices.

Picture by 39 Rue de Jean

39 Rue de Jean is a classic French Brasserie patterned after Brasseries of late 1800 Paris where Parisians feasted on robust cuisine, handcrafted beers, and affordable wines. The menu features burgers, steaks, sushi, salads, and high class entrees with French names. Home to Charleston's favorite burger, ground in-house and served alongside hand-cut pommes frites, said to be the best in town.

The Rue has a beautiful bar with red covered high tops and red bistro chairs throughout. The walls are exposed brick and dark wood tones. Sidewalk dining is available. It was originally a two story brick warehouse built in 1880. 39 Rue de Jean translated to English is its location, 39 John Street. Check out the menu and prices.