3 highly anticipated eateries opening in Bluffton this spring

With a trio of new restaurants slated to open in the coming months, Bluffton diners craving a taste of variety in Old Town are in for treat.

Those new eateries are the Pearl Kitchen and Bar on Calhoun Street; Calhoun’s on Promenade Street; and The Depot, a steakhouse and raw bar that will be attached to the Old Town Dispensary.

The Pearl Kitchen and Bar, located on the site of the shuttered wine bar Vineyard 55, is the first of the three slated to fire up its ovens.

Initially scheduled to open over the winter, owner Earl Nightingale said the goal now is to be open by April 11.

“There are a lot of guidelines and inspections to go through when you are opening,” he said Thursday. “A lot of people don’t understand the administrative side of opening a restaurant.”

Despite the delays, Nightingale said, “We couldn’t be more excited (to start serving) customers. The place really looks great.”

The menu, developed by chef Matt Valentino, will focus on seafood and steaks and feature “a little bit of an Italian flair, a little bit of an Asian flair,” Nightingale said.

Alex Nightingale, Earl’s son and business partner, said Pearl’s food philosophy will be “fresh, fresh, fresh.”

The plan is to open for dinner for the first month or two, then eventually expand to lunch and brunch services, he said.

Thomas Viljac, owner of the Old Town Dispensary, said the expansion of that establishment — The Depot, a steakhouse and raw bar — will open in about four to six weeks.

“We’ve got everything in place,” he said. “It’s just a matter of finishing up construction.”

The Depot, co-owned by chef Matt Jording, will be connected to the Old Town Dispensary via a wrap-around patio.

Vijac said the two neighboring establishments will “create a destination” where visitors can enjoy a wide variety of food, drinks and music without having to leave the premises.

With Calhoun’s, the former owners of Vineyard 55 are starting fresh just a few blocks north of their old operation.

The new restaurant, described as a “Southern tavern” by owner James Groetzinger, is expected to open in about six to eight weeks.

“We are well into construction now,” Groetzinger said of the restaurant, which will be located in the space formerly occupied by The Infield Bar and Grill.

Groetzinger, along with business partners Jon Rinaldi and Joey Rinaldi, are working on finalizing the menu.

“We are drawing a lot of influence from the history of the area,” Groetzinger said Thursday.

“The culinary roots here are so deep — you’ve got Caribbean, French, German, Spanish, Gullah influences in the food,” he said. “We want the our food to reflect that.”

Specialty cocktails will also be front and center at Calhoun’s, Groetzinger said.

Viljac said he considers the recent expansion of Old Town Bluffton’s dining scene to be a good thing for everyone involved.

“We don’t look at (other restaurants) from a competition standpoint,” he said. “They all create positive energy for the area, and everyone has something different to offer.”

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This story was originally published March 31, 2016 at 3:16 PM with the headline "3 highly anticipated eateries opening in Bluffton this spring."