Fantastic restaurants fill hotels in countries across the globe, with top spots housed inside inns and resorts in cities like London and Tokyo. The best ones offer an ambiance that sets itself apart from the sound of rolling luggage rattling its way to a row of crowded elevators.
In Charleston, many lobby eateries — aside from Charleston Grill and Peninsula Grill — have struggled to develop strong culinary identities.
That was the case for years at The Lindy Renaissance Charleston Hotel. The Wentworth Street Marriott property went through several restaurant tenants before Vivian Howard came in with Lenoir and righted the ship.
Gabrielle at Hotel Bennett opened to a frequently underpopulated dining room lacking a personality. Like the Lindy Renaissance, Gabrielle appears to be on the right path forward under the leadership of new chef Edgar Kano.
Part of the Makeready hospitality group, Frannie & The Fox — a restaurant set adjacent to the lobby at boutique hotel Emeline (181 Church St.) — was busy when it opened in 2020 and has stayed that way in the three-plus years since.
Most Fridays and Saturdays bring more than 300 guests to the chic dining room, said Frannie & The Fox General Manager Adam Jimenez.
An assortment of pizzas are presented at Frannie & The Fox.
Emeline/Provided
The restaurant, with rust-tinted stools lining a bar that can be spotted from the lobby, is littered with natural light. Waitstaff wearing blue button-downs and floral-printed waist aprons watch over the large living room, scattered with a mix of chairs, couches and U-shaped green banquettes.
Stroll through the walkway behind the bar for a glimpse at proofing dough and a sizable white-shelled oven, where extreme wood-fired heat brings a bubbly creaminess to taleggio cheese, floating atop a soft circle of crust with burnt honey and cracked black pepper. This is the makings of a pizza that has been a top seller since Day 1.
Beyond the pizzas, Frannie & The Fox’s chefs — led by new executive chef Daniel Dalton — serve a range of Italian-leaning menu mainstays, such as meatballs with whipped ricotta, blue crab fritters, hand-pulled mozzarella with velvety Benton’s ham and braised lamb rigatoni. Many of the other options change with the seasons.
Beyond the pizzas, Frannie & The Fox’s chefs serve a range of Italian-leaning menu mainstays, such as meatballs with whipped ricotta, blue crab fritters, hand-pulled mozzarella with velvety Benton’s ham (pictured here) and braised lamb rigatoni.
Emeline/Provided
With its contemporary backdrop, Frannie & The Fox doesn’t necessarily transport guests to Italy. But whether dining in the back corner behind a row of potted plants or at one of two long tables facing the courtyard, it’s easy to forget you’re in a hotel lobby.
“We want to make everybody happy,” said Jimenez, the general manager, who prepares for more walk-in diners when the hotel is busy. “We want to have the heart and soul of an independent restaurant, but we do have a responsibility to the hotel guests.”
Emeline previously lacked a lobby bar where hotel guests could grab a nightcap. After opening The Den, Frannie & The Fox’s new smaller and more intimate back bar, the hotel has one.
Masked from the hubbub of the main restaurant, patrons can lounge on the cushion-adorned bench seating along the wall or opt for a stool at the bar. Once you’ve cozied up, order a martini or glass of Champagne while snacking on caviar and oysters.
Those lavish items won’t be an everyday luxury for most Charleston diners, which is why Frannie & The Fox was built with the accessibility of a neighborhood restaurant in mind, restaurant representatives said.
That’s not the first time I’ve heard a restaurant described this way; but come to think of it, I really can picture myself swinging by Frannie & The Fox for a chopped salad and bowl of bucatini on a Monday night.
Editor’s Note: The Post and Courier is hosting a Signature Dinner at Frannie & The Fox on March 7 during the 2024 Charleston Wine + Food Festival.
Dining and Cooking