CHARLESTON, S.C. (Jan. 25, 2018) – Charleston’s first luxury lifestyle hotel, The Restoration, has tapped local culinary veteran Jordan Moore as its new Executive Chef, and hospitality maven and sommelier Chelsea Nightengale as Director of Food & Beverage. Together, this culinary powerhouse will reinvigorate the hotel’s food and beverage program with special emphasis on The Watch Rooftop Kitchen & Spirits.
“We’re thrilled to have this dynamic new culinary team on board to elevate the overall experience at each of our food and beverage outlets,” said General Manager Mike Scavo. “We can already feel their passion and energy resonating throughout the kitchen and restaurant, bringing in fresh ideas while honoring in our tradition of Southern hospitality to keep us in the forefront of Charleston’s culinary scene.”
In his role as executive chef, Chef Moore oversees daily operations at The Watch, as well as catering for special events and weddings in the hotel’s versatile event spaces including the newly unveiled Exchange Suite. With years of experience in fine dining restaurants and a keen understanding of the Low Country culinary scene, having opened Ms. Rose’s and led the kitchen at Charleston’s beloved restaurants Juliet and Burwell’s Stonefire Grill, Chef Moore aims to introduce his own take on elevated Southern cuisine to the menu at The Watch, focusing on seasonal dishes while using unexpected flavors not commonly found in the city.
To complement Chef Moore’s approach, Nightengale melds her passion for food, wine and hospitality in her role as director of food and beverage. Overseeing operations and programing for each of the hotel’s outlets including: The Watch, The Rise coffee shop, room service, and more, Nightengale works closely with Moore to align on menu direction to build out enticing programs for guests and locals from special tasting menus, to cocktail classes, and more.
Both are passionate about sourcing local products and celebrating the local community while simultaneously exploring different ingredients and liqueurs to create a juxtaposition of familiar and new flavors. Chef Moore enjoys spending time foraging for mushrooms, sea beans, fruits, and vegetables, and even going out with fisherman and shrimpers to ensure the freshest possible ingredients are represented on his menus – not only for dining, but for cocktails. Nightengale takes this approach one step further with a refreshed beer selection, now focusing exclusively on microbrews from the South.
In addition to revamped seasonal lunch and dinner menus for the restaurant and catering, guests of The Watch can expect a new bar menu comprised of items like pork belly with banana-infused ketchup and a side of tarragon-coconut rice and a pork katsu sandwich made of fried pork loin, homemade nori mayonnaise and topped with fresh cabbage.
As The Restoration closes out its second year in operation, the property continues to evolve and adapt to guests needs with a new culinary direction and regular creative programming to maintain its status as dining destination for guests and locals alike.
