In Charleston, with the oak trees covered in Spanish moss, the warm sea air, and the casual sophisticated nature of the people and architecture, where I was grounded in a way no classroom ever could… in the depth, tradition and sophistication of low country cuisine, I found my passion and my profession. My college experience seemed pointless until I found my way to Johnson and Wales University in Charleston, South Carolina. During the four years I spent in formal education, and the additional year doing an internship and working at two of Charleston’s four diamond restaurants, between the classrooms and the kitchens of Charleston I became a chef… and a hospitality fanatic!

I first imagined Hugo ~~ the cuisine, the feel, the name ~~ three years into my culinary program, on the heels of working at Magnolia’s, Charleston’s perfection of low country cuisine and after an “externship” in the swanky, metropolitan kitchen of Highlawn Pavilion, overlooking New York City.

All the elements were there: The sophisticated culinary training and a spiritual connection to the low country tradition fused with the refined and sophisticated “big city” trends. This is the heart of Hugo’s ambiance and cuisine and what I imagined it to be years ago ~~ low country food with a meticulous attention to detail, beautifully presented. The perfect combination of down-home cooking and high-class flare.

People are curious about the name; Hugo, one of the most devastating hurricanes of the century, took with it many local businesses, primarily restaurants. As a part of the city’s revival Magnolias was the first restaurant to open its doors and remains one of the city’s finest places to dine. The name Hugo encapsulates the moment in history when Charleston was to become the blend of southern sophistication and the low country dining experience. The name Hugo also serves to remind me of the pivotal time in my life finding both passion and profession in the experience of all that is Charleston.