West Ashley chefs and brewers represent at the 2026 Charleston Wine + Food Festival
by Jenny Peterson | Contributing Writer
Thousands gathered under the glow of string lights at the Charleston Wine + Food Festival’s (CHSWF) opening night gala held at the College of Charleston’s Cistern, where the city’s culinary superstars were on full display.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary from March 4-8, the festival once again drew acclaimed chefs from across the country for their creative genius in small-bite form.
Michelin-starred chefs, James Beard nominees and TV cooking personalities all had booths serving up their best dishes. And West Ashley restaurants and beverage producers were in that number.
One of the opening evening’s more eye-catching presentations featured a porrón — a traditional long-necked decanter typically used for wine — reimagined with signature suds from West Ashley’s Charles Towne Fermentory.
The hand-blown glass vessel, rooted in Spanish drinking culture, provides a dramatic way to get the beverage to your mouth, requiring a high hand, a careful tilt and a fountain-like stream.
Lines of eager imbibers waited their turn, phones raised to capture the moment as laughter and shrieks followed both triumph and spills.
The brewery’s Hazy IPA and American Lager-in-a-porrón turned into the activation of the night and one of the most talked-about experiences.
The porrón made another appearance at the festival’s signature “Toasted” event that Saturday evening at Firefly Distillery, where barbecue from chiefs around the country took center stage.
That included Swing & Swine, which opened its original BBQ restaurant in West Ashley in 2013 and offered up smoky, spice-laced offerings.
West Ashley chefs continued to showcase their culinary prowess throughout the weekend.
At the Culinary Village at Johnson Hagood Stadium, guests wandered beneath the bright spring sun, sampling bites from across the region.
There, Ruby Sunshine, which has a café location in Avondale, beckoned diners with the most colorful plate of the day.
Their Fruity Pebbles-crusted brioche French toast beignet was a standout, stuffed with strawberry cheesecake, topped with lemon glaze, macerated strawberries, whipped cream and a dusting of matcha powdered sugar.
The best part? The dish is on the West Ashley menu for a limited time – in a much larger portion.
At the highly-anticipated “Street Eats — The Charleston Edition” event, held at Firefly Distillery, chefs were tasked with reinterpreting street food.
That’s where Ms. Rose’s Fine Food & Cocktails — a West Ashley staple for 14 years, recognizable by its glowing red and yellow sign against a slatted wooden exterior wall on Sam Rittebburg Boulevard— held a prime spot near the entrance of the event.
Chef Chris Evans served up a standout shrimp slider topped with his own handcrafted “Carolina comeback sauce” on a sweet Hawaiian roll.
The finely diced shrimp was compacted into a flavorful patty, designed as an elevated take on grab-and-go fare.
Other West Ashley restaurants joined in the Street Eats: Mex 1 Coastal Cantina brought its coastal-inspired flavors, as well as hosting a separate restaurant event during the weekend in its St. Andrew’s Boulevard restaurant dining room that involved crafted tequila tastings and a special chef-curated taco menu by Director of Culinary Chef Rudy Bollat.
Puerto Rican barbecue favorite Palmira Barbecue, located along Highway 61, also hosted a signature dinner throughout the weekend, helmed by chef-owner Hector Garate, a semifi-nalist for this year’s James Beard Award for Emerging Chef.
The Ms. Rose’s team also participated in a private festival event, serving a carrot cake dessert at a gathering attended by legislators and community leaders, said Amanee Neirouz, operations manager at Ms. Rose’s Fine Food & Cocktails.
The longtime restaurant’s presence felt especially fitting for the festival’s 20th anniversary, as did the number of talented West Ashley chefs flourishing just beyond the peninsula.
“We’ve been here every year except one or two,” said Neirouz. “It was nice to chat with people who knew us who came by the booth and enjoy the evening. Twenty years in, we’re just really happy to be here.”
