LIFESTYLE DINING
THE ARTFUL PALATE
muse puts a fresh spin on europe’s classics BY WENDY SWAT SNYDER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY HOLGER OBENAUS
Muse Restaurant & Wine Bar is a celebration of Mediterranean foods and wine—and so much more. At this cozy Charleston eatery, Greek myths, Roman legends and storied women of the past leap from history page to dining room, where they play out in a rich tapestry of artwork and décor. Tucked into a narrow space on Society Street, this hidden gem is an expression of culture and cuisine unlike any on the downtown dining scene. To take a closer look at its connections
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with present and past, I returned to Muse recently for a tour led by owner Beth Anne Crane. Ushering me through each of five dining rooms, she points out specific features of the restaurant’s interior and de- scribes their significance. She tells me about her years spent in Italy as a student doing research for a master’s degree and how that immersion inspired her restaurant. “I did a lot of research on Roman viticul-
ture,” explains Crane, a fourth-generation restaurateur whose intellectual interests are centered on history and wine. “As a result, I learned that wine was Pompeii’s main indus- try before it was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.”
Exploring the ruins of Pompeii brought to light surprising discoveries. She was intrigued by the story behind the Villa of Mysteries, an estate excavated in 1908 from the volcanic eruption’s debris. The story involved powerful women who lived during Pompeii’s most progressive years. A seed was planted that would eventually evolve into a theme for her restaurant. She would focus on famous women from different peri- ods of history, letting each room celebrate a
different historical “muse.” When Crane was ready, in 2006, to open a place of her own in Charleston, she had a two-pronged strategy that paired her love of the classical past with a desire to carve out a neighborhood niche for Muse. “I purposely built outside the restaurant zone,” she explains, noting that she is a sole female owner/operator of a restaurant, un- usual not only in Charleston but all over the world. “I wanted people to embrace Muse as their own.” Accessible and inviting, Muse has evolved into a favorite for neighbors and visitors alike. Works such as the famous Flemish tapestries The Lady and the Unicorn inspire the color palette and décor throughout the two-story property. A cobalt blue dining room takes its decorative cues from the sto- ry of Narcissus and Echo. Jewel tones typical of Mediterranean majolica pottery enliven handcrafted plates. A crimson color called “Pompeii Red” flows through many parts of the restaurant, including the intimate and well-attended bar. Its centerpiece, an outsized painting by Karl Beckwith Smith, focuses on Lady Hamilton, Lord Nelson’s mistress and a muse of the court of Naples. Crane designed the menu to reflect the eclectic spirit of Pompeii’s cultural past, filling it with dishes representative of the Mediterranean region. She and executive chef Joaquin Bustos share a rapport that results in straightforward, authentic presen- tations built around seasonal, top-quality products. An alumnus of the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in the heart of Napa Valley, California, Bustos says the West
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