Charleston — Restaurant in Baltimore

This is a review I did not want to write, but am sharing for the benefit of those with or with loved ones who have food allergies and are considering dining at the Charleston...

I absolutely loved the Charleston. It has been my favorite restaurant for a long time. Each dining experience has been exceptional. Of Chef Wolf’s cooking, I have nothing but the highest praise.

My son recently requested to have a fine dining experience for his birthday. His preference was the Charleston given my high praise; however, he is anaphylactic to peanut, tree nut, and shellfish.

I noted their FAQ on their website says they accommodate food allergies, but even so, booked and reached out via email to confirm they could accommodate in advance.

The manager, Peter, called me to discuss. He was very kind and informative. He conveyed the Chef’s apprehension, provided the “lay of the land” in the kitchen, and asked more about the nature of my son’s allergies. Our conversation left things open ended, but with likelihood favoring that it would not work. Even so, Peter said he would return to Chef with what he learned of my son and I could consult my son’s allergist with what I learned of their kitchen/menu offerings and for me to reach out the next week.

Pursuant to our discussion, I followed up via email on Monday with three questions: What type of peanut oil did they use on site to inform the allergist (highly refined, etc)?

In the event it did not work out for us to dine now, would it be possible in the future when menus change, etc? For example, we have had many restaurants provide us a great kindness in offering for us to come off-peak hours to accommodate, use different frying oil or separate fryers, bake items instead of frying - etc. Peter had mentioned they use corn oil at times. Thus, I was curious if Charleston would ever be willing to do something similar.

In the event they cannot accommodate, could they recommend a place of their caliber to reach out to that may be able to accommodate?

Chef Wolf called me that evening. She advised me that she is quashing the inquiry now. No more involvement of her managers or wasting my time involving his doctor. No, she does not feel comfortable cooking for my son given the seriousness of his allergies. No, she will not recommend another establishment because she would not “put someone else in that position” and frankly it was “unfair” of me to have asked her. She quipped about how she was impressed any restaurant had accommodated and had “all these fryers” to their avail to do so, etc.

Saying no, that she does not feel comfortable - okay. That is fair and reasonable. We are quite accustomed to hearing that response. It is also where it should have ended.

To say it was unfair of me to have asked and that she would not recommend another place for me to try because she wouldn’t put them in that position as though my child is some kind of pariah - it was an oddly hostile and rather hurtful response. It is also why I will not be returning.

Thus, if you or one of your loved ones have a serious food allergy - you can try to contact Charleston to see if they will accommodate as their website suggests they will. I hope they can. However, if they cannot, I hope their refusal is far less charged than the one I...

We dined at The Charleston recently, and, unfortunately, it did not meet expectations. We have dined at a variety of high end restaurants up and down the east coast, and abroad, and, quite frankly, we've had better food and service at local favorites like the Manor Tavern and Barrett's Grill in Hunt Valley.

To start with, I have a severe gluten allergy, and this was noted when making the reservation; however, this note must not have been passed on because our server, the assistants, absolutely no one, knew about this. I told the server, (who was knowledgeable about the gf items on the menu), but he must not have mentioned this to anyone else. I was offered bread multiple times, and when complimentary plates were brought to the table, I had to repeatedly ask if I could eat it. Towards the end of the night I just gave up asking and gave my portion to my husband. They should have known they had an allergy at the table to begin with - and they should have told me the moment they placed it down whether or not I could enjoy it.

While I was not glutened, I didn't feel completely safe about my meal. I have been to much lesser esteemed establishments that do so much more to accommodate my allergy...from putting a little flag in my dish, noting the allergy, to having the meal come out separately from the others to avoid cross-contamination.

Also, at these lesser establishments, I am usually offered substitutes - whether it is gf bread, gf crackers, or even cucumber slices with the cheese board. Absolutely no substitutes were offered at The Charleston, and the server had an air of, well you just can't have it - you'll have to go without. For a restaurant of this caliber, I guess I just expected a bit more. As far as the service, it wasn't bad but, similar to above, for a restaurant like this, I was expecting it to be outstanding. In the beginning, the dishes were brought out at regular intervals, but towards the end, it was very slow. Assistant servers brought the actual dishes out and explained each one, but they were wearing masks and spoke softly, so they were hard to understand. These assistant servers did most of the work - our main server wasn't very involved with our meal at all.

Halfway through, my sister and I went to use the restroom, and when we came back, our dishes were there. I would have thought that the servers would not have served them until everyone was back at the table and seated. Our water glasses were often empty - and we had to flag down a variety of servers to fill them. Overall, everyone was pleasant but not super friendly or personable.

Regarding the food - it was very good, but not outstanding. Had I had this food at a lower level restaurant, I would have been pleased. But when paying $500 for this experience, I expect better. The roasted corn soup was delicious, as was the cheese selection prior to dessert. Everything else was just okay - except the arugula salad. It had a bitter, sour taste. I tried to eat a few bites, but couldn't get much farther. I should have sent it back.

Sadly, I don't think we'll be back to the Charleston. It was far too much money for sub-par food...

Definitely old-school bougie (white table cloths, sommelier with a 50+ page wine list, cheese cart, and 4-6 course tasting menus), but don't get me wrong, I won't turn my nose up at a fancy fine-dining experience. Especially since you often get to taste flavors and try fare that you wouldn't normally be able to find at just any establishment. And for the most part, Charleston didn't disappoint. The scallop course was cooked to perfection, the breaded oysters were amazing - fried on the outside and creamy on the inside - it is RARE to get oysters that perfectly fried. My favorite dish was probably the duck. I am a fan of duck in all its forms... greasy over rice, fried and slathered in a bbq sauce... but this was on the scale of a dish I had in DC, where the duck was so tender it was like eating a seared, well-rested steak. Honest, perfection.

I was a little disappointed in the white truffle fettuccini and their desserts. They had no wow factor like the rest of the meal and the pasta dish didn't even have real truffles. At over $200 per person for 5 courses, I would have expected a few shavings on the miniscule portion. But, 6 out of 8 of our party loved that dish, so maybe I am being too picky :)

The restaurant itself is intimate and upscale, but still approachable. Most guests were dressed up, so it is definitely FANCY, but there is no specific dress code, or at least not one that is enforced from what I could tell. Our party of 8 was seated back in what I am going to call the wine room, where we were surrounded by dimly lit shelves of wine - it was old world and romantic and we had a delightful time.

Their wine list is overwhelming - I am not kidding when I said it was over 50 pages! I asked for a Brunello and the Sommelier told me to turn to page 57... 57!!!! So, if you don't know what you are looking for or what might pair well with your upcoming courses, I would suggest asking for a recommendation.

I also think our party-size was a little overwhelming for the staff. I am not sure they are used to serving that many people at once. There were times that the food didn't come out all at once, which is awkward for the pacing when you are eating a coursed meal, and one dessert came out a full 5 minutes after the rest of the table's. I know this is nit-picky, but it's an expensive meal at one of the premier restaurants in Baltimore, I would have just thought it would have been a little better coordinated. But, like I said, we had a big group. A smaller group may not have the same experience. Despite that though, the waiters and staff were friendly and helpful, explaining the dishes and the wine-pairings that came with them.