When my editor, Maggie, asked me to write about my favorite restaurant on Hilton Head Island, I didn’t hesitate. I didn’t need to make a list or deliberate over entrees and atmospheres. The answer came easily, from my heart and from my palate: Charlie’s L’étoile Verte.
Now, I could give you the obvious reasons: fresh, local seafood masterfully prepared with French-Lowcountry flair; the handwritten daily menu; the wine list that reads like a sommelier’s dream; the candlelit rooms that feel like the warmest hug. But for me, Charlie’s is more than the sum of its culinary and aesthetic parts. It’s where my love story began.
A Table for Two
On August 24, 2021, I went on a first date with a man named Fred Ricer. He had driven down from Charlotte, five hours away, for our evening together. I was already impressed when he showed up with flowers for me and treats for my Yorkshire terrier, Vivi. But when he told me he had made dinner reservations at Charlie’s, I knew this was someone who understood the importance of thoughtful choices.
We were seated at a cozy corner table, one of those tucked-away spots that feels like it’s just for you. A personalized handwritten note waited at our place settings, wishing us a nice first date. I remember the flicker of candlelight, the quiet hum of conversations around us, and the heavenly aroma drifting in from the kitchen.
We ordered the pâté maison and escargot – classic, French, perfect. Over plates of impeccably fresh seafood and glasses of chilled white wine, we talked and laughed and lingered. That dinner, and that table, became the backdrop for something unforgettable.
Margaret Golson, Sommelier and curator of fine wines at Charlie’s
The Proposal
Fast forward to June 25, 2022. Fred and I were heading back to Charlie’s for another dinner. Just a regular date night – or so I thought. En route, we got a call from our dear friends Mitch and Susan Dyess. Without a second thought, I said, “Why don’t y’all just meet us at Charlie’s?”
What I didn’t know was that Fred had planned something special.
When we arrived, we were once again seated at “our” table, the very same cozy corner spot where it had all begun. Luckily, it was a four-top, so it worked out perfectly with our guests. We ordered cocktails and began catching up. Then, Fred handed his phone to Mitch and casually said, “Take some pictures.”
The next thing I knew, he was down on one knee beside me, holding open a ring box from Forsythe Jewelers with the most stunning emerald-cut engagement ring I’d ever seen. As if on cue, a server appeared with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, pouring glasses of golden bubbles all around. And there it was again – another handwritten card from the staff at Charlie’s, congratulating us on our engagement.
It was absolutely magical. Of course, I said “yes.”
We were married almost exactly a year from our first date, surrounded by the people we love, including Mitch and Susan, who, like Charlie’s, will forever be part of our love story.
A Restaurant with a Soul
If you’ve never been to Charlie’s, let me set the scene. Located just off New Orleans Road, it sits in a charming Lowcountry house draped in ivy. There’s no digital menu – you won’t find QR codes here. Instead, a fresh menu is written by hand each afternoon, based on what the boats bring in. Snapper, triggerfish, grouper, mahi – whatever is biting off the Carolina coast finds its way to your plate with French-inspired elegance.
However, it’s not just about the seafood. The filet is as tender as Freddie’s whispered promise the night we got engaged. The duck is crisp and luscious. The crab cakes, subtly spiced and generously portioned, are a thing of island legend.
Then there’s dessert. I dare you to skip the Grand Marnier soufflé.
The restaurant is helmed by Executive Chef Joe Galluzzi, who carries on the vision first dreamed up by the late Charlie Golson when he opened the restaurant in 1982. With its intimate dining rooms, curated wine list, and lovingly tended herb garden out back, Charlie’s feels less like a restaurant and more like a place where someone invites you into their home and says, “Sit down, we made this just for you.”
A Tradition of Celebration
Since that unforgettable proposal night, Charlie’s has become our go-to spot for every special occasion. Birthdays, anniversaries, random Tuesday nights when life calls for a little sparkle – each visit marked by the pâté maison, escargot, and often a chilled bottle of Veuve. More often than not, they seat us at our little corner table, the one where we fell in love, got engaged, and made memories that will last our lifetime.
It’s that rare combination of consistency and surprise that keeps us coming back. The service is always warm, never fussy. The wine list is always extensive, never overwhelming. And the food? Always fresh, always seasonal, always exceptional.
CH2 writer Cheryl Ricer and her husband, Fred, on the evening they got engaged at Charlie’s.
Even now, when I walk through the front door of Charlie’s and hear the low clink of glasses and smell the butter and garlic drifting from the kitchen, I feel the same flutter of anticipation I felt on that very first date.
Charlie’s L’étoile Verte isn’t just our favorite restaurant, it’s part of our story. It’s where we started, where we celebrated, where we return, time and again, to remember, to toast, to begin new chapters.
And that’s the thing about truly great restaurants. The food can be exquisite, the wine perfectly paired, the atmosphere warm and elegant, but the ones that stay with you are the ones that manage to weave themselves into your memories. Charlie’s didn’t just feed us. It witnessed us. And for that, it will always have a piece of our hearts.
Reservations strongly recommended. Handwritten menu posted daily. Closed Sundays. Come hungry, leave enchanted. Visit charliesgreenstar.com.
