Mount Pleasant Magazine Sept/Oct 2016

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The SOLWill Come
OutTomorrow
In GoodTaste
With the growing
population of the
Lowcountry, there is
a need for more of
everything – more houses,
more restaurants and
especially more SOL
Southwest Kitchen & Tequila Bar. Fortunately, SOL
recently announced plans to open a second restaurant
in Summerville. The owners
are converting the former
Charleston Gold and
Diamond Exchange into a
chic new location, infused
with the same Southwestern
appeal and friendly ambience
as their spot in East Cooper.
Considering the promise of
a sunny, 1,500-square-foot
patio that wraps around the
new restaurant, fans of SOL
who live a bit farther north
could not be more excited.
Owner David Clark
assured me they are staying
true to their roots, keeping
the same menu and featuring
the same fresh-squeezed drinks and flavorful food in
Summerville. With a recent switch to all antibiotic-free
and hormone-free chicken, as well as grass-fed beef, SOL
has pledged to provide its patrons with the highest quality
food. Even the bloody Mary mix is made from scratch,
according to Clark, who ascribes the restaurant’s success to
its commitment to using fresh ingredients.
To illustrate, Clark shared how SOL purchased enough
strawberries from Boone Hall Plantation to last through
the summer of 2016 and flash-froze them to keep them
available. That means every strawberry margarita and
strawberry basil smash that passes over SOL’s bar was made
with juicy, local berries.
“You won’t find a bottled juice in the house; we make
everything behind the bar,” Clark assured me. “Our
facility is nice, but our food and drinks are what has made
By Samantha Sullivan
us popular. We treat the drinks just like the food.”
Fresh ingredients do not end when strawberry season is
over. The menu is always evolving to incorporate seasonal
bests and feature new items that pair perfectly with the
Lowcountry weather. Mid-September through October,
the lauded prickly pear margarita, or “pink drink,” as it
is affectionately called, gets its time to shine. Made from
prickly pears imported from California, this drink is a
unique hit for East Cooper imbibers.
“Not many people like to mess with the prickly pears
because they have so many seeds,” Clark explained. “We
remove all the seeds and drain
the juice for use inside the
cocktail.”
The fuchsia color of the
prickly pair margarita goes along
perfectly with breast cancer
awareness month in October,
making it a seasonal staple.
SOL and the featured tequila
brand, Milagro, which means
“miracle” in Spanish, did their
part by raising money for cancer
research at MUSC. Last fall, the
pink drink helped bring in more
than $3,000 in donations.
“We like to keep money
local,” Clark commented, adding that this year they hope
to include the new location in the fundraiser.
With SOL’s growth comes a snazzy new website, better
suited to assist restaurant patrons. According to Clark, the
updated site will be “more mobile-friendly, with better
images of cuisine.”
Overall, Clark and his partners are satisfied with the
growth of SOL – and are continually inspired to discover
new flavors and ingredients.
“We have evolved over the last couple years, just in
the ingredients we’ve brought in and changed up,” Clark
mused. “Once people get a taste of food made from
scratch, they want more of it.”
To learn more, visit or call
843-388-4502.
Owners Joe Sciortino, David Clark and andy Palmer look
forward to the future of SOl Southwest Kitchen & tequila Bar.
Photo courtesy of SOL.
www.GoldenSpoonawards.Restaurant | www.inGoodtaste.Restaurant iGt 9