Rodney’s love for barbecue started at a young age: He has been cooking whole-hog barbecue since middle school! He opened Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ in 2017 to immediate popularity and well-earned recognition, including a spot on Bon Appetit Magazine’s 50 Best New Restaurants of the year list. In addition to making finger-licking good food, Rodney has a spirit of generosity and positivity to be admired. The restaurant’s motto (“Every Day is a Good Day”) sums it up perfectly!
Sean Mendes opened Gillie’s Seafood as an ode to his grandmother and her comforting recipes. He not only owns the restaurant but is the chef as well, making everything on the menu from scratch with love! His talent in the kitchen is no secret, as he’s been featured on everything from the Travel Channel to Food Network. But even more important at Gillie’s is the warm, homey feeling Sean’s food can provide to all of its customers.
Hannibal’s Kitchen has been in the Huber family since 1985, and is now run by sisters Sani and Felicity Huger. Sani and Felicity are true to their family’s tradition of providing affordable, authentic lowcountry cuisine to the community. They feed the souls and the stomachs of their customers, but they does so much more than that as well. The Huger family has always made sure their restaurant is involved in the betterment of their community, from festivals to cookouts to youth programming.
Nigel Drayton is a perfect example of persistence and working your way up. He started out in the restaurant industry as a busboy and by the ripe age of 25 had become a Kitchen Manager. It was all uphill from there: He now owns 2 locations of Nigel’s Good Food, along with the Slaughter House BBQ and Brew. His skills in the kitchen can’t be denied, but it’s his dedication to his family and community that are really most admirable about Nigel.
The mother and son duo of Carolyn and Kenyatta NcNeil are a force to be reckoned with! They established Nana’s Seafood and Soul in memory of their mother/grandmother and have spent the past decade nourishing both souls and stomachs with their fresh lowcountry cuisine. They can always be found serving up their delicious soul food with a smile!
The owner of Leeah’s Old Village Wine Shop, Ebony Mullins, is impressive for a number of reasons! Not only did she and her wife Kym open Leeah’s in the middle of a pandemic, but Ebony also holds two Masters degrees, and won the “Modern Technology Leader” award at the Black Engineer of the Year awards. Her talents are many and varied, just like the selection of wine, beer, and snacks in her wine shop in the heart of Charleston.
