Before we get into the food, the wine and what I have affectionately decided to call The Donnie Show, we need to talk about where the hell we actually are.
Because this is Charleston, and naturally you cannot simply go to dinner. You have to go to dinner in a house that has been standing there since 1858.
Welcome to Muse Restaurant & Wine Bar, 82 Society Street, tucked just off King Street in one of those wonderfully Charleston buildings that has lived about nine lives before somebody finally decided, “You know what this house needs? Wine.”
And frankly, they were correct.
The house dates to 1858 and was once both the residence and dental office of Dr. Patrick. The dental practice was downstairs; the family lived upstairs, and subsequent generations continued the family dental tradition there.
So yes, before people were sitting downstairs drinking Bordeaux and eating Mediterranean food, somebody was sitting downstairs having a tooth pulled.
I strongly prefer the current arrangement.
Fast-forward about a century and along comes Beth Anne Crane, a fourth-generation restaurateur with a background in food, wine and art history and time spent studying in Italy. She reportedly waited roughly a year and a half for 82 Society Street to become available.
Muse opened in December 2006, and rather than trying to make an old Charleston house behave like a conventional restaurant, they embraced it. The staircases, individual rooms, artwork, intimate corners and wonderfully quirky layout became part of Muse.
And then there was the wine.
Muse established itself early with an ambitious wine program, at one point offering more than 100 wines by the glass. Nearly two decades later, it remains one of those increasingly rare downtown places that actually feels like a neighborhood restaurant.
But now we need to discuss Donnie.
Donnie is something of a local celebrity, and while many people know he got his start behind the bar at Muse, if we are really spilling the juice, his start in the hospitality business was actually with…
Me.
Don’t fall over.
Picture it: a gorgeous Charleston evening, a giant rooftop restaurant with 440 seats, every one of them seemingly wanting something simultaneously, and we were, as I delicately like to put it, getting our asses handed to us.
Up walks this spry young college soccer player.
“Hey man, can I have a job?”
“Who are you?”
“My name’s Donnie. I’m from Memphis.”
“Are you any good at counting?”
“What?”
“Are. You. Good. At. Counting?”
And I swear his response was:
“Well, my dad’s an accountant.”
Perfect.
“Get your ass to the expo window and get me out of the weeds.”
Within about ten minutes, the entire thing was running brilliantly.
And I knew immediately there was something different about him.
Donnie possesses a talent that you cannot teach. He remembers your face. Then he remembers your name. Then he remembers your drink. Then your food order. Then your husband’s name.
That’s not simply good service.
That is hospitality.
And nearly two decades later, he’s still doing it.
Donnie has stories. Lord, does Donnie have stories. And people began requesting him so frequently because an evening with him wasn’t simply dinner, it became an experience.
Finally, I looked at him and said, “You know what you need? You need The Donnie Show. If people are requesting this experience, Muse needs to make it an actual experience.”
Well, the son of a bitch listened.
And now they are doing it.
Here is where this gets ridiculous in the best possible way.
The Donnie Show is $89 per person, plus tax, gratuity and whatever you’re drinking.
You arrive to a glass of bubbles. Donnie takes allergies and dietary restrictions into account, and then the table begins receiving a progression of cold and hot appetizers, followed by entrées for the table and dessert.
Donnie handles the rest.
It may be one of the best dining values in Charleston.
I probably should shut my damn mouth because once everybody figures this out, the place is going to be jam-slammed packed.
Now, THE FOOD.
We brought a proper tasting crew: members of our social media team, two concierges, my buddy Robbie and me.
We started with bruschetta with ricotta, followed by heirloom farmers-market Johns Island tomatoes with burrata, fresh peppers, balsamic, cracked black pepper and sea salt.
Simple ingredients have nowhere to hide. These didn’t need to.
Then came something new in its presentation: pickled shrimp with fresh peach salsa.
WOW.
And I need to say something here because restaurant reviews are pointless if we’re going to pretend every restaurant has been perfect every day since opening.
Muse has had incarnations when the kitchen was absolutely rocking.
Muse has also had incarnations when you went for the wine and perhaps played it safe with the food and didn’t order.
Let me save you the suspense:
THE FOOD IS WHERE IT SHOULD BE.
If you haven’t been back lately, you’re missing out.
Next came sliced grilled duck breast rubbed with sumac, accompanied by Madeira onions and pomegranate molasses.
Holy cow.
Then the yellowfin tuna—so fresh you wondered whether someone had introduced themselves to the fish that morning.
And suddenly Donnie throws French fries into the equation.
I looked at him.
“What is this?”
“Just trust me.”
Famous last words.
Double-fried, served with spicy aioli, and absolutely fantastic.
Then came the entrées.
Chilean sea bass, wrapped in prosciutto and served with yellow squash and zucchini.
Perfection.
Now let’s discuss Brussels sprouts.
Everyone does Brussels sprouts.
Everyone.
These were, without exaggeration, the best damn Brussels sprouts I’ve had in more than five years, served with a chili-style aioli that had the entire table going back for more.
Then, veal scalloppini with asparagus–tender, elegant and lovely.
And finally, dairy-free, gluten-free ricotta gnocchi, served with pistachios and sage butter cream over spinach.
Yes, GNOCCHI.
And yes, we were done.
Dessert was technically coming, but none of us could move, so we surrendered.
Now, back to what makes The Donnie Show work.
It isn’t simply about having somebody choose dishes for your table.
It’s story time.
It’s conversation.
It’s Donnie actually listening to you.
It’s knowing when to arrive at the table and, perhaps more importantly, when not to.
It’s remembering the detail you mentioned 30 minutes ago and bringing it back at exactly the right moment for the punchline.
That cannot be scripted.
As someone who produces and directs experiences for a living, I recognize that for exactly what it is:
Talent.
True luxury hospitality isn’t about hovering over somebody and asking every seven minutes whether everything is tasting okay.
It’s making a guest feel heard.
It’s remembering.
It’s anticipating needs before somebody has to ask.
It’s creating comfort without making the mechanics of service visible.
I preach it every single day.
Donnie does it naturally.
So, do yourself a favor.
Go rediscover this little 1858 house at 82 Society Street. Let Donnie run the show. Drink a great bottle of wine—and remember, you absolutely do NOT have to spend $250 to drink beautifully. There are terrific bottles around $60 and below, and Donnie can walk you through them.
Eat.
Listen to the stories.
Stay awhile.
And experience one of those wonderfully Charleston places that reminds you why personality still matters in hospitality.
Muse Restaurant & Wine Bar for the win.
★★★★★ FIVE STARS.
And Donnie?
Not bad for a kid from Memphis whose dad was an accountant.
