kitchen countertopsIn West Ashley, SC

When Charleston residents are asked about the city’s barbecue, they likely mention Rodney Scott (Rodney Scott’s BBQ), John Lewis (Lewis Barbecue), Aaron Siegel and Taylor Garrigan (Home Team BBQ), and Anthony DiBernardo (Swig & Swine).

Many will soon be adding Hector Garate of Palmira Barbecue to that list.

After introducing beef cheeks, sofrito-spiced sausage and his own take on whole hog barbecue to Charleston at Port of Call Food + Brew Hall, Garate is taking the next step in his career.

The Puerto Rican-born chef will open a brick-and-mortar restaurant by March 2023.

Also named Palmira Barbecue, the forthcoming establishment will be located at 2366 Ashley River Road, previously occupied by Sunflower Cafe, which closed in September.

“We’ve been actively looking for a location for the past five months,” Garate said. “Port of Call was a great stepping stone, but for us, we’re ready for that brick and mortar. … It’s overdue for us.”

Once open, Palmira Barbecue will likely serve customers Thursday through Sunday, common hours for family-owned barbecue restaurants with slim staffs. Sweatman’s Barbeque in Holly Hill, for instance, is only open Fridays and Saturdays.

Garate is looking to create that type of approachable setting at Palmira Barbecue.

“That’s the type of feel we want,” Garate said. “We’re expecting to do a lot of volume, so we want to prep throughout the week.”

Those who have visited Garate at the food hall or one of his pop-ups know to expect a few signature items, all of which will be served at the new restaurant.

Beef cheeks, vinegar-sauced whole hog from Marvin Ross at Peculiar Pig Farm and arroz con gandules, an ode to his Puerto Rican heritage, are among the options.

Garate’s sausages also set Palmira apart from your run-of-the-mill joint. The pionono, made from the trimmings of the beef cheeks, is laced with sweet plantains, sofrito and cheese. The smoked cotechino uses bits from the hog heads accented with allspice, cinnamon and white wine, creating a rosy-hued sausage.

These items and others he has been serving at the food hall will form the base of the menu at Palmira Barbecue, though Garate is open to adding new options, like wagyu beef cheeks and smoked vegetables.

A Puerto Rican designer will help Garate revamp the former café space, equipped with a whole hog cooker and two 500-gallon smokers the pitmaster is currently building himself. Both will be situated near the front of the restaurant, with the goal of making this barbecue experience more interactive.

“We have the passion and the drive to create the best barbecue we can,” Garate said. “When you walk in you’re going to have that feel.”

Nov. 15 was Palmira Barbecue’s last day at Port of Call Food + Brew Hall, though Charleston barbecue enthusiasts can sample Garate’s food at an upcoming pop-up. He will also appear at the Charleston Wine + Food Festival and collaborate with other Charleston area restaurants ahead of the opening.

Palmira Barbecue’s schedule can be found on Instagram @palmirabbq.

Charleston County parks is looking to spend millions of dollars on a new park in West Ashley near Charles Towne Landing.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Charleston County parks is looking to spend millions of dollars on a new park in West Ashley near Charles Towne Landing.

Behind a gate off Old Towne Road sits 67 acres of land called Old Towne Creek County Park, the majority of which is protected for conservation. The county wants to add features to the land and open it up for the public to use.

“As you look around, you see different pockets of where the sun is shining through, and people will be able to peer into different spaces and different windows into the landscape,” Charleston County Parks Senior Planner Matt Moldenhauer said. “Obviously, we’re on a peninsula surrounded by Old Towne Creek, which is spectacular, and so people really get to appreciate all we have here.”

The county is accepting construction bids for the planned park. Moldenhauer said they want to add a one mile, Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible walking trail, build a park center with restrooms and a pavilion as well as create separate entrances for vehicles and pedestrians.

There are three historic structures on the property. The county plans to fix up the outside of two homes built in the 1910s, but people will not be able to go inside.

“That [conservation] easement not only protects the landscape of most of the property but also two of the structures, which were built in the early 1900s,” Moldenhauer said.

Officials also hope to add a playground and an elevated overlook of the creek, but it depends on the bids they get back from contractors.

Moldenhauer said the park has been in the works since the county bought the property just over 10 years ago. The property had been privately owned up until then.

Neighbors said they are excited about it potentially opening, since the site is only open for certain events, such as Wine Down Wednesdays, which will be cancelled until renovations are complete.

“We have to keep our eyes open where it’s available for us to go,” neighbor Noel Beatty said. “We’ll frequent it more if it’s made more available to the general public.”

Moldenhauer said these improvements are part of phase one of the park. There is no timetable for a second phase at this time.

Officials hope to start construction early next year and have it open to the public in 2025.

“We hope that when they come out here, we’ve really done our best to take a very light touch on this already immaculate landscape,” Moldenhauer said.

The county will be holding a meeting Wednesday at 10 a.m. for contractors to visit the site and come up with quotes for potential bids.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)- Two new dining options are moving into the West Ashley area, including a brunch spot and a New York pizzeria.

‘Breakfast is a meal, brunch is a lifestyle.’

That is the motto for Ruby Sunshine, a New Orleans-based brunch eatery that opened the doors of its second Charleston-area location on Friday.

Ruby Slipper Restaurant Group has taken over a space in The Victory at 835 Savannah Highway in West Ashley, joining the other location at 171 E Bay Street in downtown Charleston.

The spot will offer a Big Easy-inspired take on traditional Southern brunch fare including eggs benedict, shrimp and grits, omelets, and award-winning cocktails.

“We love the city and we fell in love with it the first time we came to see it,” Founder Jennifer Weishaupt said. “There’s such a great connection between Charleston and New Orleans and it has so many similar, parallel vibes in terms of the people, the architecture, and the history so that part of it is really fun.”

Ruby Sunshine in Avondale will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on weekdays and 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.

You might have seen this food truck roaming the streets from Moncks Corner to Mount Pleasant serving up New York-style slices, but now it’s putting down roots at a permanent location in West Ashley.

Pizza A Modo Mio is moving into the old Ladles location at 3125 Bees Ferry Road in January.

The spot will offer fifteen different styles of 18-inch pizza pies served by the slice, garlic knots, chicken rolls, subs, and other selections you would expect to find at a traditional Long Island pizzeria.

Owner Michael Pitera ships all the dough in from New York and each week makes the homemade sauce and fresh mozzarella that tops the pies.

“Being from West Ashley and having the store in West Ashley, I can really bring that New York flavor to Charleston,” Pitera said. “I wanted to bring that style to my own neighborhood.”

As a bonus, Pizza A Modo Mio will double as an Italian ice shop, offering 16 different flavors of the popular dessert.

A grand opening is planned for Jan. 10, 2023, according to Pitera. Hours will be Tuesday-Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Joe Griffith Miracle Field in West Ashley is home to the Charleston Miracle League, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) baseball league for people with special needs.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Before the sun peeks over the treetops on any given Saturday, miracles are taking place on the diamond of the Joe Griffith Miracle Field in West Ashley.

It’s home to the Charleston Miracle League, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) baseball league available to children and adults in the Charleston and Lowcountry area who have special needs.

Miguel Mata is over the Charleston Miracle League and says they are always excited to have groups come out and volunteer with them.

“What we have going on here, it makes such an impact in the community not only in the community that it serves, the special needs Community, but also the communities that come in and volunteer today”, Mata says. “The overall importance that our volunteers bring is that one of our missions that we have here at the Miracle League is like we like to say we put smiles on faces.”

“It’s baseball…but it’s a different type of baseball,” Monica Scott says.

Scott is the director of Queen’s Being, a mentoring group under Lowcountry Youth Services. Her girls and the young men from the Distinguished Gentlemen’s Club performed community service with the Charleston Miracle League two weekends ago.

The young people are there to assist the players, men and women of varying physical and mental abilities. The Phillies took on the White Sox this past Saturday.

McKendrick Dunn, the director of DGC, says he enjoyed watching the young men in his mentor group waking up and warming up to the concept of providing service to a different community.

“They’re seeing people who have special needs that still enjoy the sport of baseball,” Dunn says. “Their Spirits are high, they’re laughing they’re giving high fives. They’re enjoying themselves.”

ReZsaun Lewis serves as executive director of Lowcountry Youth Services, the umbrella group for DGC and Queens’ Being. Lewis says the value of community service cannot be overemphasized. His organization is made up largely of male and female volunteers, and he says he doesn’t want the young people to lose sight of the fact that the mentors could be doing other things.

“We want our young people to understand that they are part of that Village. They’re a part of that cycle. So getting them to give back to their communities is essential to making sure that we’re making that desired impact,” Lewis says.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Congratulations to Wren's Ashley Stein, the winner of SBLive South Carolina's Athlete of Week award as voted by South Carolina high school sports fans.

Stein, a 6-foot-1 junior outside hitter, smacked 16 kills in the AAA Upper State finals against Powdersville. Wren won 3-1 and then went on to win the state championship.

If you would like to nominate an athlete, please email athleteoftheweek@scorebooklive.com or message us on Twitter or Instagram at @sblivesc.

Here are all the other athletes that were nominated for Oct. 31-Nov. 5:

Chas Smith, Gaffney, Football

A freshman running back, Smith had 152 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 17 carries. He also caught 2 passes for 37 yards. That's making an impact early in a player’s career.

Bri Mahoney, Aiken, Volleyball

The Wofford-bound outside hitter had 22 kills and 17 digs in a 3-1 victory over rival South Aiken in the Upper State finals. She then helped lead the Green Hornets to a 3-2 win over North Myrtle Beach for the AAAA state championship.

Aliam Appler, Dutch Fork, Football

The Silver Foxes’ senior quarterback threw for 193 yards, ran for 61 and accounted for 4 touchdowns.

Scott Saylor, Carolina Forest, Football

Saylor threw for five touchdowns and set the school record for passing yardage in a season as the Spartans overcame River Bluff 42-28. The senior quarterback was 12 of 19 for 268 yards without a turnover.

Drew Arant, Saluda, Football

It doesn't get much sharper than this. Arant was 12-of-14 for 204 yards and 5 touchdowns - all in the first half - as Saluda easily dispatched of Liberty in the AA playoffs.

Darren Floyd, West Florence, Football

This was a huge performance. Floyd erupted for 360 yards and 5 touchdowns on 27 carries as fourth-ranked West Florence pulled away from Lugoff-Elgin 52-27. He scored on runs of 41, 26, 37, 39 and 75 yards.

Jarvis Green, Dutch Fork, Football

Green seemingly does this every week. The James Madison recruit had 152 yards and a pair of touchdowns rushing. He caught 5 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown as Dutch Fork improved to 10-1.

Demarius Foster, Dorman, Football

The star tailback ran 25 times for 274 yards and a touchdown in Dorman’s 37-7 win over Clover. He also caught 2 passes for 62 yards and a touchdown.

Tyler Smith, Barnwell, Football

Smith had a huge night for the undefeated Warhorses, running 22 times for 343 yards and 6 touchdowns. He’s been doing this all season.