New Restaurant at 465 Meeting Street Serves Up Cocktails, Dinner,  Nightlife, & Sunday  Brunch

Jeff Walker,  Entertainment Writer / Food & Beverage Review

By definition the word select has two meanings. Its most used connotation (a verb) refers to choice, that is choosing or picking one thing over another. However, as an adjective select can mean preferred, elite or favored, i.e. 'the show played to a select audience'.

In the ever evolving Charleston food and beverage community the new restaurant The Select embodies both meanings. Should you choose to decide to dine at The Select, you're opting to eat at one of the most select restaurants in the holy city. Inspired by a 1920's free-spirited Paris France brasserie, The Select's menu serves up 'new American cuisine' that is globally influenced. 

Located on the bottom floor of the Greystar Building at 465 Meeting Street and Columbus, The Select is a 200 seat chic eatery carrying an art-deco theme, while offering select (pun intended) evenings including 'Whiskey Wednesdays' and 'Ladies Night with Live Music' on Thursdays'.

Nightlife aside, most patrons visiting The Select will be coming in for their unique menu, signature cocktails, and select (again, pun intended) wine list. The bill of fare provides varied appetizers, entrees, sides, and desserts reflecting low country, American, and cosmopolitan flair.

Almost every downtown Charleston restaurant has mac n' cheese on the menu, but few if any offer up four distinctive medleys including Lobster Mac n' Cheese' and one that is truffle enhanced. They may be listed as sides, but they eat like a meal. I thoroughly recommend the Sweet & Spicy Brussel Sprouts, pop in your mouth savory and roasted sprouts that will excite the taste buds. This side will make you re-think Brussel Sprouts. Yum yum! 

Although the Small Plates are your prescribed starters, several eat like a meal or an ample light bite. The Large Butcher Block ($34) comes teeming with an assortment of cured meats, artisanal cheeses, as well as seasonal jam, sweet & buttery marcona almonds (from Spain), and giardiniera (Italian pickle relish), presented with house made lavash aka Mediterranean flat bread. If two of you come in, order this with a cocktail or glass of wine and you are set. 

If you want to mix and match a couple of small plates and still crave the butcher block, The Select offer a petite meat & cheese tray ($24) that easily complement their Cauliflower Hummus or Lobster Arancini (wild Maine lobster), seasoned with basil pesto, 'nduja aioli (spicy sausage & pepper Calabrian paste), blanketed in a risotto fritter. An eclectic menu for sure. We're talking low country interest with European elegance. Eight appetizers in all.

Under the Soup & Salad heading you'll discover a few Charleston favorites each with their own panache, including a robust Lobster Wedge Salad ($32) clad with cherry tomatoes and bacon jam in a bleu cheese dressing. Craving something to warm the soul, perhaps their authentic French Onion Soup ($15) oozing with real gruyere cheese will satisfy the belly. Ooh la-la! The festive Caesar or Harvest salads may appeal non-meat eaters. 

Current entrees run the gamut, with some listed for a limited time only, including the classic half pound black angus burger which is The Select's version of the very popular smash-burger with dill pickle flowing with cheddar and Russian dressing. If you want to take a walk on the wild side, opt for the Lamb Burger accented on a bed of fresh arugula and topped with mushrooms and goat cheese. Both burgers come complete with house-made seasoned fries.

The 10 main courses have varying appeal. Seafood lovers may be drawn to the colorful Glazed Salmon ($34) dish surrounded by petite potatoes, haricot vert (mild French green beans), maitake mushrooms, and crispy shallots (garlicky onion), all under a sweet & spicy glaze that sits on a warm buerre blanc (a white wine & butter reduction sauce).

Carnivore and poultry lovers have several options. The braised Wild Boar Ragu ($30) in radiatori pasta and smoked ricotta is a hearty dish, as is the always welcome Braised Short Ribs ($36), served with a medley of veggies in a bourguignon jus, in layman terms a seasoned red wine sauce that enhances the flavor of the meat. 

Perhaps you're coming in with a vigorous appetite, then I recommend The Select's Steak Frites brought to your table with a side of their house-made fries. Imagine if you will a moist and tender cut of steak in a veal jus served with both bearnaise and borderlaise sauce (classic French red wind glaze). 

If you haven't been fully satiated and you've left room for a post meal sweet treat, The Select offer a half dozen individual desserts including a few catering to eccentric palates.

The Tiramasu ($11) (mascarpone & coffee liqueur) and the Banana Bread ($8) are safe bets, but if you want to step outside your comfort zone order the Sticky Toffee (date cake) surrounded by candied pecans and a dollop of vanilla gelato, or the Spiced Pear Tart in an earthy & savory cardomon and ginger custard.

I feel certain the skilled bartenders could create any alcoholic elixir you desire, however The Select list a dozen signature cocktails on the drink menu to make your selection easier. Vodka lovers might enjoy the Poison Apple, with a dram of allspice, cynar and lime. The aptly named Pearadise is a blend of ginger liqueur, pear shrub, and sparkling wine, with the Ginger Margarita laced with Lunazul tequila, Cointreau (orange-flavored triple sec), and lime. 

While the list includes three martinis, their namesake The Select Espresso Martini is among their most prominent, a delightful merge of vodka, espresso liqueur, espresso (full bodied coffee), and creme de cacao (chocolate liqueur). If you savor the coffee and cocoa bean, then this is your adult beverage.

The fruit of the vine list is equally as stellar, with exclusive wines from California and several European (Greece, Italy, France, Spain, & Austria) regions. Enjoy white, red, rose, and sparkling wines by the glass or by the bottle. Ideal complements to all their menu items. To sample their cocktails and vino online click here https://www.theselectcharleston.com/menu#menu=drinks

On Sundays beginning at 10am they serve brunch, featuring select (another pun) items from their everyday menu as well as an oversized Cinnamon Bun, Quiche Lorraine, Shrimp & Grits, a Breakfast Burger, and French Toast smothered in strawberries, almonds, and vanilla mascarpone, and whipped cream. All brunch items under $24.

Open Monday thru Saturday at 4pm in the lounge and 5pm for dinner, The Select are doing everything right, including validating two hour parking in the adjacent garage. Trying to find parking downtown is its own chore, so free parking is a nice perk. Enjoy happy hour 4-6pm weekdays. Need a place for a social or a company gathering, consider The Select where they can accommodate 40 to 50 guests in a separate dining area.

Awesome food and awesome drink wrapped inside warm and pleasant surroundings. The Select have created a food & beverage sanctuary like no other in the holy city, i.e a refreshing retreat through which patrons can enjoy a respite from everyday life. The Select may offer a throwback to a different and carefree time period, but they are definitely welcome in 21st century Charleston. They are new, avant-garde, and clearly think outside the food & beverage box. And given all the upscale restaurants around them, The Select are moderately priced for downtown Charleston.  Kudos to Executive Chef Julian Parker and his staff for creating an innovative and affordable menu.

Much like their landlord Greystar (a global leader in investment, development, & management of rental properties) who relocated their corporate offices to 465 Meeting Street, The Select are forward thinking. Realizing the growth on upper King and East Bay Streets, as well as Morrison Drive, that leaves upper Meeting un-tapped. And with major revitalization happening on Columbus and Line Streets it is a sure bet Greystar and The Select have chosen their locations wisely. 

The Select are not trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, or a round peg into a square hole. Quite frankly, what they are hoping to do, is create their own shape. By the looks of it, I'd say mission accomplished. While most of the bill of fare will remain consistent, The Select allow they may adjust the menu and the decor to adapt to the seasons. Nice!

For more incredible culinary experiences in Charleston, check out our guide to the city's best dining destinations. From fresh seafood to Southern classics, there’s something for every palate! View more Charleston dining options here.