Latest news with #Merci
Forbes
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Where To Eat In Charleston Right Now
The charming exterior of Italian restaurant Sorelle. Sorelle Charleston may have slipped to No. 3 on Travel + Leisure's 'Best Cities in the U.S.' list—edged out by Santa Fe and New Orleans—but let's be honest: it's not the charm that's lagging. It's the metrics. Locals know this city is in the midst of a culinary moment that rivals anywhere in the country. The city's lingering reputation as a hub of Lowcountry dishes like shrimp and grits, no longer tells the full story. Recently, a Senegalese-born chef opened a West African atelier in a residential spot. A Puerto Rican pitmaster redefined barbecue with beef cheeks and sofrito beans. A moody little French boîte on a quiet corner somehow feels like a Parisian night in the Lowcountry. Meanwhile, the classics are getting creative. Seafood arrives lacquered in beet butter or paired with Txistorra sausage. Steakhouses serve dry-aged Wagyu alongside wedge salads injected with blue cheese. And in a town steeped in tradition, it's the risk-takers—from a Chopped champion plating smoked-caviar arroz caldo to chefs blending Chinese flavors with Southern barbecue—who are attracting national acclaim and full tables. Here's where to eat in Charleston right now. Merci, a French spot, recently opened in downtown Charleston. Lindsey Shorter Photography Merci Opened in March 2025 by chef Michael and designer-partner Courtney Zentner, Merci is a 26-seat European-inspired bistro housed in a restored 1820s Federal-style home. The menu blends French technique with Southern and Italian touches: think stracciatella-stuffed focaccia with Benton's ham and hot honey, plus roast chicken, leeks in vinaigrette, and a pastry-perfect beef Wellington. Courtney's vintage-chic interiors, antique accents, and six-seat bar make dinner feel like a stylish dinner party in motion—equal parts Parisian elegance and Lowcountry hospitality. Estadio Chef Alex Lira brings Southern ingredients into a Spanish framework at Estadio, a lively tapas spot anchored by a bullfighting mural and an open kitchen. Shishito peppers, head-on shrimp, and local vegetables rotate through the menu, which nods to both Andalusia and the Lowcountry. The Crispy Black Carolina Rice with scallops and clams is a standout, as are the Txistorra Pigs in a Blanket. And the patatas bravas, with their pitch-perfect crunch and alioli, are a nostalgic snack evocative of your first backpacking trip through Spain. The upstairs bar at Bar 167. Bar 167 Bar 167 The original 167 Raw still draws tourist lines down the block, but those in the know head to Bar 167—a Mediterranean-inspired offshoot where cocktail lovers and seafood fans put their name in early. Upstairs, the bar turns out some of the city's most inventive drinks, but the food is just as compelling. Salt-and-pepper calamari arrives crisp yet tender; the jumbo lump crab sandwich is unapologetically generous; and a bright watermelon-feta salad topped with (optional) poached shrimp might be the perfect dish on a sultry summer night. Add in a rotating selection of oysters, raw bar towers, and one of the city's most fun bites: Siberian caviar and parmesan custard served in a salted waffle cone. King BBQ Corrie and Shuai Wang, owners of North Charleston's popular Jackrabbit Filly, opened King BBQ in a casual diner-style space in late 2023. Landing on Bon Appetit's list of the 20 Best Restaurants in 2024, Wang's second project offers a Southern-inflected reference to the foods of Shuai's upbringing. Shuai merges traditional Chinese flavors with regional smoking techniques in dishes like soft and meaty spare ribs. Other standouts include five-spice duck legs, piquant Dan Dan noodles, and shrimp toast sliders, all washed down with 'trashy-fancy' cocktails. The dining room at night. Andrew Cebulka Marbled & Fin One of the best new restaurants to open last year, Marbled & Fin transformed a former dry-cleaning factory into a sleek, modern steakhouse, thanks to The Neighborhood Dining Group. The menu spans wet- and dry-aged USDA Prime, plus Australian and Japanese Wagyu. While beef is the star, a crisp head of 'wedge' salad injected with blue cheese and topped in Benton bacon crumble, and a shrimp cocktail finished with freshly shaved horseradish, prove the sides can steal the show. A newly launched brunch might be the most decadent in town. Just budget accordingly—polished service and premium cuts don't come cheap. Palmira In a part of Charleston long underserved by standout barbecue, Palmira has become a major draw for West Ashley locals—and now, for everyone else. Pitmaster Hector Garate, originally from Puerto Rico, blends Texas and Carolina techniques with bold island flavors: adobo-rubbed pork, sazon-spiced ribs, and sofrito-simmered beans. He built his first smoker by hand and has only been studying barbecue for four years, but in 2024, Texas Monthly named Palmira the best BBQ restaurant in America. Favorites like whole hog, barbacoa, and meltingly tender beef cheeks go fast, so show up early. Dishes at Wild Common. Ryan Belk Wild Common Chef Orlando Pagán opened Wild Common in February 2019, earning him a James Beard nomination in 2022. Working inside a lofty candlelit space in the Cannonborough-Elliotborough neighborhood, Pagán can be spotted in the kitchen nightly by those who nab a front-row counter seat. The short, four-course seasonal menu changes often, though it recently included a gorgeously marbled Australian wagyu steak and addictive Carolina sourdough bread made with Carolina gold rice. Legami Legami delivers an immersive Italian escape in downtown Charleston. Set within a meticulously restored 19th-century building, the space features hand-painted, palm-lined walls, Carrara marble tables, pastel banquettes, and a lush enclosed garden. The upstairs cocktail bar feels like a secret, with its plush seating and dim, romantic lighting. Handmade pastas anchor the menu, with standout mains including seafood tagliolini, braised octopus with peas and capers, and Mediterranean lamb in a red wine reduction boosted by an olive-hazelnut tapenade. A thoughtfully curated raw bar and daily crudo selections pair seamlessly with playful cocktails for one of Charleston's most stylish and satisfying dining experiences. Fabulous arroz caldo at Kultura. Ruta Smith Kultura Chef Nikko Cagalanan, a Filipino immigrant, left nursing to open Kultura so he could cook the nostalgic dishes of his childhood. He made the right decision, given a slew of accolades including earning a nod as South Carolina's best Filipino restaurant in 2022, winning the 'Chopped' championship on Food Network in 2023, and soon after, landing a James Beard nomination. Cagalanan gives traditional Filipino dishes a modern twist, like his grandmother's arroz caldo which he tops with smoked caviar, mushroom XO, and chili crisp. Chubby Fish The secret's out on Chubby Fish. This corner seafood spot doesn't take reservations, so diners start queuing at 4 PM to grab one of the first seats at 5 PM—but it's worth the wait for James London's inventive dishes like the fried oyster roll, charred lamb ribs with romesco, and grilled wreckfish drizzled in beet butter. While you're waiting (or want to bypass the line altogether), step into Seahorse, the sleek new cocktail bar next door led by veteran bartender Christian Favier. Sip a smoky olive martini while enjoying small seafood plates; it's both a stylish waiting room and destination on its own. Sorelle's beautiful second floor dining room. Peter Frank Edwards Sorelle Since opening in 2023, Sorelle has remained one of Charleston's hardest-to-snag reservations. Spread across two restored historic townhomes, the space is dressed in Italian marble, mohair-velvet and leather banquettes, and a sweeping hand-painted forest wallpaper by MJ Atelier. It's a setting that balances old-world elegance with modern polish. Chef Nick Dugan blends Southern Italian flavors with Lowcountry ingredients, turning out standouts like the 'pillows of gold' ricotta tortelloni and a seared Bistecca alla Fiorentina built for sharing. Downstairs, the marble bar buzzes with aperitivo energy—perfect for a spritz and snacks before dinner or a nightcap after. Wine lovers will appreciate the sharp sommelier team and one of the city's strongest Italian lists. Bintü Atelier Owner-chef Bintou N'Daw opened this Line Street gem in July 2023 to bring the often-overlooked cuisine of West Africa to Charleston. Born in Senegal and raised in France, N'Daw spent years cooking in New York City before relocating South during the pandemic. A chance vacancy became the home for her namesake atelier, where she draws connections between West African traditions and Gullah Geechee foodways. Dishes use local ingredients like black-eyed peas alongside homeland staples such as fonio and palm oil. A BYOB policy helps keep prices accessible, though since landing on Bon Appetit 's Best New Restaurants list in 2024, the place hasn't seen a slow night.
LeMonde
26-05-2025
- Science
- LeMonde
Lab mice sent to retire in a French elementary school classroom
In Erica Gaudillère's classroom at Exen Pire Elementary School in Schiltigheim, Alsace, students can't stop glancing toward the back of the room. Since last month, that's where six white mice have been spending their twilight days in a cage, after having served as research subjects. The pilot project, named Merci – for "Muridés en retraite chez les instits" ("Retired Rodents with Teachers") – was conceived by Ethosph'R, an organization working with professionals concerned with mitigating the impacts of their research. The organization was chosen, among others, to transform the Orangerie Zoo, which closed three years ago. In its allocated space, which will open to the public in 2026, Ethosph'R plans to welcome other retired lab animals: chickens, rabbits and even pigs. The scientific approach is one of the guiding principles of their methodology, with rigorous rehabilitation and monitoring protocols. At Exen Pire School, four classes (second and third grade) are involved. Teachers have assigned tasks to the children, such as changing the water, giving treats or adding hay.
New York Times
06-03-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Merci, a Second Time Around
Merci has introduced an encore. Just before the start of Paris Fashion Week, the eclectic shopping emporium opened a second location on the Rue de Richelieu, in the heart of the French capital. Inside, half of a red Fiat 500, split from front to rear bumpers, decorates a wall while the other half sits at floor level — a nod to the Instagram-famous car in the courtyard at the original shop. But what Merci 2 doesn't want to create is a sense of déjà-vu. When the original Merci opened in 2009 on Boulevard Beaumarchais, the store was positioned as something of a cabinet of curiosities with a feel-good vibe. Back then, before fast fashion had branched into home décor and vintage went mainstream, shoppers came for housewares, Annick Goutal perfumes and pre-loved clothes by Thierry Mugler, Chloé, Vanessa Bruno and Cacharel. There also was the vintage bookstore-cafe and restaurant. The first store's location in the not-quite-gentrified Upper Marais was not the usual Parisian shopping territory though. 'At the time, there were only galleries, and it felt kind of far out,' said Lisa Chauveau, the associate director of Mafia Agency, a Paris business that helps brands develop retail concepts and experiences. 'They really pioneered the idea of a new destination for lifestyle shopping. All of a sudden, the area was exciting and it became the most bobo neighborhood in Paris,' she continued, using the popular contraction for 'bourgeois bohemian.' In an unusual move at the time, Merci also had a giveback policy: a portion of its profit went to ABC Domino, an educational association in Madagascar. Sixteen years later, Merci has donated approximately 1 million euros ($1.05 million) to charities in Madagascar and in France, mostly for educational support, said Arthur Gerbi, the Merci chief executive. Mr. Gerbi said he had been mulling a new project for years, and even considered opening a shop on a péniche, or barge, on the Seine. But if there were going to be another iteration of Merci, it had to be different. 'With a family business, you have to make a name,' he said, referring to his parents, Gérard and Danièle Gerbi, who founded the midprice fashion brand Gérard Darel in 1971. In 2013, the elder Gerbis bought Merci from its founders, Marie-France and Bernard Cohen, and entrusted its management to their younger son. 'After that, what you have to do is make a first name,' Arthur Gerbi continued. 'I'm 39. For me, this is a very personal project.' Merci's next chapter opened in a former post office, just west of the Palais Royal gardens and up the street from the Louvre. Empty for more than a decade, the 600-square-meter (6,458-square-foot) shoebox of a space had low ceilings and no storefront. But it spanned a city block, offering entrances on both Rue de Richelieu and Rue Molière. Having started his career in commercial real estate, Mr. Gerbi said he looked at neighboring buildings and decided something was above the drop ceiling. It turned out to be a vaulted ceiling of glass cubes, 26 feet high and dating to the 1930s. 'I felt like an archaeologist who discovered a treasure,' he said during a recent visit to the space. There was a pristine coat of white paint on the walls, but vestiges of its former use remained, including the original signage, the footprint of an old lunchroom and a door that, inexplicably, opened onto a wall. Mr. Gerbi declined to disclose the cost of the lease and renovation, but described it as 'consequential.' Like its elder sibling, Merci 2 is an unusual operation for a neighborhood better known for stylish restaurants than fashion. But it is within an easy walk of the Pinault Collection and the future site of Fondation Cartier. And come spring, its section of the street is scheduled to be replanted and pedestrianized. Conceived like 'a loft in SoHo where a Parisian happens to live,' Mr. Gerbi said, the two-level space has an industrial vibe, with concrete floors, exposed ventilation ducts and a mix of custom and secondhand furniture. Its offerings include clothing, accessories, design objects and linens. But where the Avenue Beaumarchais store leans feminine, Merci 2 offers a broader men's wear-and-unisex offering. Niche clothing brands take pride of place on the main floor, among them the Japanese labels The Real McCoy's, Ordinary Fits and the Corona Utility; the work wear brand Arpenteur, from Lyon, France; and the English haberdasher Drake's. Women's wear brands include fashion-insider favorites such as Dôen, Róhe and Cordera. The former lunchroom space displays a selection of kitchen gadgets and linens; farther along, watches and fine jewelry keep company with what the in-house team calls 'Arthur-eries.' Those are the key rings, magnets, sweatshirts, T-shirts, bags and other curios that Mr. Gerbi develops with, for example, Erewhon market in Los Angeles or the New York artist Emma Jaeger. A smaller space is reserved for beauty products, leather goods and footwear. Arty touches have been sprinkled throughout. A bookstore corner, for example, is anchored by a work in copper and steel by the Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek. And there is a lacquered farm table and jewelry by the Japanese architect Jo Nagasaka. The lone shop window, on the Rue Molière side, was to be dressed with a stained glass-pattern curtain by Adam Pogue, a textile artist in Los Angeles. Mr. Gerbi characterized the product mix as 'ultra-curated' and yet anti-status and anti-snob. 'We think of ourselves as post-luxury,' he said. He also sees it as its own entity. 'We're sort of like a traveling circus,' Mr. Gerbi said. 'We want to keep it very Parisian, but without taking ourselves too seriously. That's the fun part.' And when it came time to choose a logo, he chose a four-leaf clover.
