New fine-dining restaurant opens on Daufuskie. There’s more to come in next few weeks
Brad Klieve saw the need for a new fine-dining restaurant on Daufuskie Island, but even he didn’t anticipate the huge response to the soft opening of Bell’s at the Beach.
“Even with zero advertising, it has taken off,” he said. “It’s absolutely incredible.”
Klieve is the owner and executive chef of Bell’s at the Beach, located in the former Melrose Beach Club, with co-executive chef Calvin Polite. Klieve also owns Lucy Bell’s, a small cafe on Benjies Point Road that was featured in 2018 on the Cooking Channel’s “Seaside Snacks and Shacks.”
Bell’s at the Beach “is something totally different,” Klieve explained. Once his plans are fully realized, the restaurant will offer three distinct dining experiences:
- Indoor seating with air-conditioning and a more formal atmosphere for those who want to dress up.
- Seating on the screened in porch that will be more casual.
- Deck seating with a bar and sweeping views of two swimming pools, the Atlantic Ocean, Hilton Head Island and Tybee Island.
Repairs to the restaurant space have been extensive. In addition to replacing most of the kitchen equipment, the new owners had to install new flooring and repair walls, the pergola and porches.
“It had been neglected,” Klieve said. “The landscaping had been let go for years.”
Work to clean and resurface the pools is ongoing, but they should be open within the next few weeks.
The building where Bell’s at the Beach is located was part of the once-luxurious Melrose Resort. After multiple bankruptcies, criminal charges alleging fraud, legal proceedings and damage from Hurricane Matthew in 2016, the resort closed and the Island House Inn fell into disrepair. Portions of the property, the restaurant space and beach cottages included, have since been revitalized under new ownership.
Bell’s at the Beach is open Thursday through Sunday for now, but Klieve’s goal is to be open seven days a week once he’s hired enough staff. He said about 16 people are on the staff so far, and he could use a dozen more.
The menu
Klieve wants to offer diners at Bell’s at the Beach fresh local seafood options plus some classic steakhouse dishes and an extensive drink and wine list.
“We’re kind of going a little bit old-school,” he said, “bringing back some old favorites that people recognize.”
Starters fitting that classic vibe include Baked Brie en Croute and Oysters Rockefeller. And, yes, there is a traditional Caesar salad among the array of salads and soups, though there’s some original creations on the menu, too. A duck breast salad has heirloom tomatoes, gorgonzola crumbles, sliced strawberries, pine nuts and a blueberry-pomegranate vinaigrette.
Main course choices include the Kentucky bourbon ribeye, Baked Stuffed Shrimp Daufuskie or the cleverly named Three S’s over Angel Hair — that’s shrimp, sea scallops and spinach in a lemon wine garlic and herb sauce.
Klieve said there will be specials every day, and the lunch menu includes lighter fare, sandwiches and burgers.
If you go
What: Bell’s at the Beach
Where: 175 Avenue of Oaks on Daufuskie Island (formerly Melrose Beach Club)
Hours: Lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Brunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Phone: (843) 785-3700
Facebook: facebook.com/Bellsatthebeach
Website: bellsatthebeach.com
Note: Reservations are recommended
