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There are many restaurants in the Charleston area who serve local. Everything to fish, beef, poultry and vegetables. One thing to look for is, the places who are part of the sustainability program.
Went to Coast for the first time. Was a little worried when I saw what kind of place (kind of loud & big -- fun place with a bunch of folks), the extensive menu....but surprisingly, my meal was wonderful. Our dining companions were some of the oddest patrons I've ever been with (in-laws). They had more questions -- over and over and over...the guy was patient, informative, pleasant and tolerant......No complaints at our table -- 5 folks, 4 different meals
That standard is called false advertising, and the consequence can be fairly serious.
False advertising is illegal in the state of South Carolina.
Are you sure that a restaurant saying something is "local seafood" when a particular product is imported meets this supposed "false advertising" standard, or are you just making an assumption without having any evidence? Just because there are false advertising laws in place does not mean that every instance of not being completely accurate or using a term that can arguably be interpreted in a few ways meets this standard. I can tell you that SC not having "truth in menu" laws has allowed restaurants to get away with this, so in actual real-world practice the standard of whatever laws are on the books or how they are enforced is not being met when something is called "local" when it isn't.
Further, say you wanted to bring a claim against the restaurant for having eaten imported fish when they advertised local fish? What are your damages? Aside from having been deprived of some free will, you thought you were eating local seafood at the time, so you weren't even deprived of the "experience" as it was in your mind. Your damages are nominal. Typically, false advertising cases that bring any civil liability are situations where you can actually prove monetary harm. It goes back to that classic tort law case about some dude contracting for Cohoe pipe in his home but getting Reading pipe instead - he couldn't recover any damages despite there being a "breach" of contract because the pipe was not substantially dissimilar from a functional standpoint from what he got. So unless you can prove to a court of law that local seafood is a "unique" good like if you had bought the original Mona Lisa but got a reproduction instead, restaurants can go on cutting out round pieces of trash fish and calling it scallops. It's not like you were charged extra for supposedly getting a "local" product - in fact, Hyman's is priced pretty much in line with any restaurant sourcing imported seafood from a Sysco or US Foods truck.
There are many restaurants in the Charleston area who serve local. Everything to fish, beef, poultry and vegetables. One thing to look for is, the places who are part of the sustainability program.
This is a good start, but it can also be overinclusive. Some sustainability programs only require that you show that some (typically small) percentage of your menu is sourced locally or sustainably. So you could still be getting imported fish as long as the restaurant sources local shrimp for parts of the year.
The best approach is to go with restaurants whose modus operandi is specifically to only source local. The most guaranteed local seafood is honestly going to be from a place like FIG or Hominy Grill - chefs with farm-to-table reputations on the line (not like Hyman's, where I doubt more than 1 out of 500 people could even name the chef). There are also great fish shacks scattered about that either fish the product themselves or have strong relationships with local fishermen, like T.W. Graham's in McClellanville, SC; Speed's Kitchen in Shellman Blufff, GA; or Spring Creek Restaurant in Spring Creek, FL. Eat seafood at one of those places and any seafood that isn't local and wasn't swimming two days ago will stick out like a sore thumb.
Are you sure that a restaurant saying something is "local seafood" when a particular product is imported meets this supposed "false advertising" standard, or are you just making an assumption without having any evidence? Just because there are false advertising laws in place does not mean that every instance of not being completely accurate or using a term that can arguably be interpreted in a few ways meets this standard. I can tell you that SC not having "truth in menu" laws has allowed restaurants to get away with this, so in actual real-world practice the standard of whatever laws are on the books or how they are enforced is not being met when something is called "local" when it isn't.
Further, say you wanted to bring a claim against the restaurant for having eaten imported fish when they advertised local fish? What are your damages? Aside from having been deprived of some free will, you thought you were eating local seafood at the time, so you weren't even deprived of the "experience" as it was in your mind. Your damages are nominal. Typically, false advertising cases that bring any civil liability are situations where you can actually prove monetary harm. It goes back to that classic tort law case about some dude contracting for Cohoe pipe in his home but getting Reading pipe instead - he couldn't recover any damages despite there being a "breach" of contract because the pipe was not substantially dissimilar from a functional standpoint from what he got. So unless you can prove to a court of law that local seafood is a "unique" good like if you had bought the original Mona Lisa but got a reproduction instead, restaurants can go on cutting out round pieces of trash fish and calling it scallops. It's not like you were charged extra for supposedly getting a "local" product - in fact, Hyman's is priced pretty much in line with any restaurant sourcing imported seafood from a Sysco or US Foods truck.
Are you sure that a restaurant saying something is "local seafood" when a particular product is imported meets this supposed "false advertising" standard, or are you just making an assumption without having any evidence?
Actually, I simply made a statement about what their menu says and about false advertising. It was you who made statements w/o evidence (save for what "others" have told you...and you assumed they were right).
I make no claims as to what Hyman's serves at this time. I only know what they state to the public.
Now if you were to go dumpster diving and come up with a label that says they sell imported shrimp from Indonesia, well then you would have some evidence. Until then, all you have is the words of chefs who most likely wish they had a piece of the pie the second highest grossing restaurant in Charleston County enjoys (Hyman's). Not saying those chefs are wrong, but at this time what they have told you is only hearsay.
Here is an interesting question for you. Most people hear the word "imported shrimp" and automatically think "China". What do you consider shrimp that are wild caught in Louisiana and sold in a restaurant in Charleston? Just curious.
I will never forget on our first or second ride on the Thriller boat as we went close by Shem Creek, Barbara making the comment to be sure and support the local fisherman in the area as much as possible. She further commented that many of the restaurants are bringing in seafood from china, because it is cheaper. She closed with many fisherman are now out of work, some have lost their boats because of this.
The restaurants should be ashamed and people should be ashamed of themselves for accepting this type of business practice!
We always buy, shop and eat local when possible....it matters!
Went to Coast for the first time. Was a little worried when I saw what kind of place (kind of loud & big -- fun place with a bunch of folks), the extensive menu....but surprisingly, my meal was wonderful. Our dining companions were some of the oddest patrons I've ever been with (in-laws). They had more questions -- over and over and over...the guy was patient, informative, pleasant and tolerant......No complaints at our table -- 5 folks, 4 different meals
I've mentioned Coast in previous posts. I thought the food was wonderful, as well. I liked the casual atmosphere a lot. It was casual but not sloppy (if that makes any sense). We went midweek and it was not loud but I can see how it could get loud. We really enjoyed it there. Their crab dip appetizer....YUM. My husband and I both enjoyed our meal. The alcohol was reasonable (I had a glass of wine). I liked how it was tucked back and the interior was very comforting. The pictures on their website don't do the place justice.
Another thing to keep in mind is that "fresh" in no way means "local". Just something to keep in mind.
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