Just outside Charleston, South Carolina, at the entrance to Charleston Harbor, Sullivan’s Island attracts visitors for its pristine beaches and small-town charm—and its restaurants. Among them is the Obstinate Daughter, which opened in 2014 and won a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2024. (The name is a cheeky nod to a Revolution-era cartoon that dubbed Sullivan’s Island an “obstinate daughter” for preventing British troops from entering Charleston.) Savvy diners come to the restaurant for its Southern-inspired takes on Italian cuisine, a style that’s become part of a larger culinary renaissance in Charleston. They also come for the stellar, exclusively Italian wine list.
An All-Italian Wine List
Sommelier Kerrin Deretchin pours from a program of around 100 selections, with 14 offered by the glass, and there are more than 1,000 bottles in the cellar. The list has been all-Italian since the restaurant opened. “Ten years later, we have stuck with this concept because it just works,” general manager Annie Vieira told Wine Spectator. “The wine world of Italy is vast, and there is always more to learn and share with our guests.”
Highlights include Nebbiolos from Paolo Scavino, Damilano and Gaja, plus Brunello di Montalcino from Caparzo and other Tuscan wineries. Beyond reds, there are solid choices in bubbles, rosés and orange wines, as well as a generous span of food-friendly whites from across Italy. The list is sensibly priced, with many bottles in the $50 to $80 range (the most expensive bottle on the list, at $500, is a Romano Dal Forno Amarone).
Beyond wine, the restaurant offers two cocktails on draft, plus four signature cocktails that riff on Southern flavors (one marries blanco tequila with Key lime, Caribbean pineapple and South Carolina peaches). There’s a serious selection of local beers, with four Charleston brews and 10 more from across the state.
Southern Cuisine with an Italian Twist
Chef Jacques Larson’s menu is inspired by European, especially Italian, cooking, but it remains rooted in the Southern culinary tradition. More than anything, the food reflects a love for the local ingredients Larson sources from farmers and fishermen throughout lower coastal South Carolina, known as the Lowcountry. “It is not uncommon to see farmers, fishermen, oystermen and local bakers clambering together in our prep kitchen with deliveries,” Vieira notes.
Dishes include Sicilian-style swordfish, vegetable tonnato and griddled octopus. You’ll also find Frogmore chowder (a Lowcountry classic featuring shrimp and sausage), Lowcountry polenta frites and more. Pastas include ricotta gnocchi with short rib ragu, horseradish and pine nut gremolata, as well as campanelle with seasonal fish, green olives and Calabrian chiles.
The wood-fired pizzas are whimsical, with something for everyone: “Weird Fishes” features white anchovies and black olives, while “Porky Peach” marries peaches, prosciutto, red onion and gorgonzola. For the more classically inclined, Larson gives his takes on pizza Margherita (with both red and green tomatoes) and a white clam pie (with clams sourced from Clammer Dave).
The Obstinate Daughter is open for lunch and dinner daily, with brunch on Saturday and Sunday. A pizza-only menu is served each day from 3–4 p.m. While reservations are encouraged, patio and bar seating is always reserved for walk-ins.
