Neighborhood Dining Group opens Charleston’s latest see-an-be-seen restaurant
When Neighborhood Dining Group (NDG) founder David Howard explored the former dry cleaner space at 480 East Bay Street, he imagined its potential. “When I walked in, I saw the dimensions, the windows, and the height. And I thought, ‘Where is there anything like this in Charleston?’”
The grandness of the room inspired Howard to create a more upscale restaurant — a modern steakhouse. Marbled & Fin opens on Wednesday, June 12, and will be the fifth Charleston restaurant in the NDG portfolio (the others are Husk, Delany Oyster House, Minero, and the James).
“It’s 2024, and we wanted to do our version of a steakhouse. It doesn’t have to be dark tufted chairs and white tables. I wanted something energetic and vibrant, and I use the word sassy,” says Howard, “I wanted to make it fun, yet still super professional and hospitable. It doesn’t have to be unnecessarily formal.”
Howard worked with Charleston-based firm MB Within to turn the empty space into his ideal modern steakhouse. Now, the room boasts a handsome dining room with contemporary art on the walls, an exposed wine cellar, pops of pink from smooth salmon booths, plants sprouting from every corner, and a luxurious bar accented by glowing lights above it.
On the menu, chef Eucepe “Cepe” Puntriano included all the steakhouse classics plus an emphasis on seafood dishes for non-meat eaters. “I want people to leave here and say, ‘That’s a steakhouse. It’s great — but it’s a whole different level of steakhouse. How did they manage to do that dish?’ We want to push the envelope,” Puntriano says. It’s a fancy menu with seafood towers, wagyu beef, and plenty of caviar.
“Our first inclination is to have some fun,” says general manager Geno Dew, “The service is going to be energetic without being overbearing — and a vibe. When you walk in the door, from the greeting from the host to the lighting to the music, your first thought will be, ‘I’m so glad I got a reservation.’ Because it’s going to be that vibe. It’s a special night out. it’s gonna be a see-and-be-scene spot.”