The Ordinary, Charleston

Set inside a 1927 bank building with 20-foot ceilings and the old vault still in view, The Ordinary is anything but — it’s Charleston’s definitive seafood hall, and it’s a ten-minute walk from our King Street area homes. The move here is to start with a shellfish tower and let the night unfold: local oysters, peel-and-eat shrimp, smoked fish spreads, and a rotating list of whatever the lowcountry boats brought in. The oyster sliders have a cult following, and the cocktail program holds its own with anywhere in the city. It’s lively rather than stuffy — seafood-shack energy in white-tablecloth surroundings — which makes it work equally well for a milestone dinner or a “we’re on vacation, let’s go big” Tuesday. Reservations open 30 days out and the prime slots go fast, but the bar is first-come and honestly the best seat in the house. Go at opening, snag two bar stools, and order like you mean it.