Not a crumb left at end of Calhoun’s opening night in Bluffton
Those who were left with broken hearts after the closing of Vineyard 55 on Calhoun Street in Old Town Bluffton last year can find love once more now that Calhoun’s, a cocktail bar co-owned by Vineyard’s Jon Rinaldi, opened last week just up the street in the Promenade.
James Groetzinger, who co-owns Calhoun’s with Rinaldi and Rinaldi’s brother, Joey, said the bar had a large turnout at its opening Sept. 8, with familiar faces and even tourists visiting during the opening weekend.
“You really never know what’s going to happen when you unlock that door, you know,” he said. “I couldn’t be more pleased.”
Groetzinger has lots of experience in this regard. He and Joey Rinaldi own the popular restaurant Warehouse in Charleston.
According to Groetzinger, the barrel-aged drinks and frozen drinks at Calhoun’s were all the rage, and the steak, chicken legs and pork cheek with crispy pimento grits were popular among the crowd.
“The first night, we sold one of every item, including every dessert,” he said.
I’ve been dying to try Calhoun’s for some time. Maybe it’s the liberating, yet daunting feeling adulthood causes once you turn 21, but I have a strong desire to drink rum and Coke while also snacking on cookies and milk — both of which are offered at Calhoun’s. Needless to say, I have an agenda once their happy hour starts, which Groetzinger said is in the works, along with lunch and brunch.
Old Town Bluffton has been experiencing a boom in its food scene lately and Calhoun’s is a part of that. They join Alvin Ord’s, which recently opened, Sippin Cow, which is still in its soft-opening, and Twisted European Bakery, FARM and The Depot, which will open soon.
Fujiyama sushi restaurant on Burnt Church Road will even have a presence in Old Town soon when it teams up with The Oyster Bar in the Promenade to expand the raw bar menu there.
This story was originally published September 15, 2016 at 5:03 PM with the headline "Not a crumb left at end of Calhoun’s opening night in Bluffton."