Customers are singing the praises of our new Head Chef, Joe DiMaio! His desire for innovative cooking techniques and passion for using regionally sourced ingredients has brought a fresh energy to Stars Rooftop & Grill Room. It’s an exciting time to be a part of the Charleston restaurant scene, and we are proud to have such a creative talent as part of our “All-Star Team”. One of Chef DiMaio’s major accomplishments has been in pioneering and developing what is now being called the “Carolina Cuisine” movement among local foodies and Southeastern critics alike. It is, on the surface, just as the name implies, a push toward the use of produce, meats, cheeses, seafood, and other ingredients sourced from purveyors in all six geographic regions of North and South Carolina. But the Carolina Cuisine movement actually reaches much deeper.
This new style of cooking and sourcing that’s catching on like wildfire in the region is defined by two main components. The first is the development of personal relationships with the fishermen, cattle ranchers, and farmers who grow and harvest the ingredients that go into our Menu items. Because Chef DiMaio and his team reach out to local and regional farmers, he knows what produce is in season at any given time of the year and how regional weather will affect certain crops. This allows him to plan the freshest menu items, using ingredients found anywhere from the South Carolina coast to the mountains of North Carolina. The second component of Carolina Cuisine is the use of a live fire grill, spit roasting, flame baking and the flat-top plancha griddling techniques to prepare fresh meat, fish and vegetables.
By reaching around the region for ingredients, we hope to bring the idea of farm-to-table dining sharply into focus and support a cycle of sustainability for the Carolinas we love. We hope you’ll join us in supporting the farmers and fishermen who, like Stars Rooftop & Grill Room, call the Carolinas their home. Visit us on historic King Street, in the heart of downtown Charleston, SC and taste why with Chef Dimaio at the grill, it’s easy to appreciate the bounty of delicious foods our corner of the country has to offer! Then head upstairs for a “Carolina Cuisine Sunset” on our Rooftop Bar.
