Limehouse Produce FlashBack Fridays: SNOB’s Review 6.20.14

 

Limehouse Produce Flashback Fridays Review: SNOB
Review Date: Thursday, January 18, 1996

Slightly North of Broad, or SNOB as it is known, has become a Charleston institution. A fixture along East Bay Street, the restaurant embodies the qualities that have made Charleston a top culinary destination. Celebrating their twentieth anniversary last year, SNOB has held true to the maverick philosophy of its roots.

Jane Kronsberg reviewed SNOB for a second time in 1996, and in her review made note of many characteristics that have underpinned the restaurant’s approach since opening more than two decades ago. To discuss SNOB’s success since the review, we recently sat down with the leadership team at Maverick Southern Kitchens, including Dick Elliott, President and Founder; David Marconi, Director of Operations; and Frank Lee, Vice President of Culinary Development and Executive Chef at SNOB and Old Village Post House.

The team at SNOB seemingly has found the balance between consistency and change, and professionalism and whimsy. Most notably, and certainly scarce in the restaurant industry, the tenure of the leadership staff is the very definition of consistency. Elliott founded Maverick Southern Kitchens in 1989, Marconi joined the company in 1991, and Lee completed the team the following year.

Elliott, a self-described recovering lawyer, wanted the challenge of running a restaurant. With a business background, knowledge in marketing and an understanding of customer relationships, he wanted to utilize Lee’s culinary talents and Marconi’s extensive knowledge of the food and beverage business to understand the personality of the restaurant industry.

SNOB (Elliott, Marconi, and Lee): Early on, we agreed to create a great restaurant by following sound business practices. We foremost provide leadership, we understand the fundamentals of the industry, and exude a passion for the community. Our personalities complement each other, and we have come to work as three legged stool, as they say, each possessing a strong entrepreneurial spirit and approaching the restaurant with a sense of responsibility typified by ownership.

Maintained over the years is a commitment to honor their original objective which is to provide the customer with a distinctive experience based on consistency, quality, and value. Recalling a moment from their first two weeks in business, Elliott is still inspired by a comment from a patron who noted on her way out that “it just felt good to be there.” It remains his goal 20 years later to ensure each patron leaves with that same feeling and is, in part, what they attribute to their long-term success. 

SNOB: Remaining relevant and keeping up with what customers are looking for—from local products to a menu full of choices—is certainly part of why we have been around for so long. Also, our commitment to service is extremely important. Employees go through an intense training regime, they are excited about the food, knowledgeable about the wine, and highly informed in the way they speak about the menu. We are proud of our staff’s understanding of both the fundamental and advanced techniques of service—both on the culinary side and in the front-of-house.

In Kronsberg’s 1996 review, she noted that the menu, patrons and décor were surprisingly eclectic. Back then, they described their menu as maverick in style and still consider it as such; the menu remains “wild with possibilities,” as Kronsberg described.

SNOB: Maverick to us means the freedom to express the cuisine in any way we want, veering away from being pigeonholed into a genre. The French technique still holds true, but our team’s personalities have been infused into the food over time. The menu remains eclectic today, but has been enriched with seasonality and the use of products from local farmers. From sweetbreads to quail to grouper, the menu is designed to provide our guests with choices.

The menu at SNOB employs change to balance consistency. The entire menu changes several times a year, however; the specials menu offering more than four unique items changes daily. And they have never been afraid to remove the so-called sacred cows from the menu, including the crab cake and the barbecue tuna. “Lunch is especially an opportunity to express creativity, as well as get to know the locals,” noted Elliott.

Alongside the South of Broad crowd, the restaurant sees many visiting families and even college students. Once described as the “21 Club” of Charleston, lunch at SNOB has come to be the place on East Bay Street for the who’s who in town to dine.

The décor also can still  be described as maverick. The restaurant renovated the bar back when mini bottles were ousted, and, much to Lee’s chagrin, they added rather distinctive lime green barstools. The archway in the back of the dining area continues to define the space; however, if Lee were to get his way, he would add a fountain to the middle of the restaurant—his answer to Elliott’s beloved barstools.
One last nod to consistency and SNOB’s ability to endure for more than two decades, Elliott noted that each of them has been married to their wives throughout their careers for a combined 95 years of marriage—perhaps this is the ultimate secret to their success.

We look forward to working with SNOB, Dick, David, and Lee (and their wives) for many more years.