Upper King Charleston

O-Ku Sushi Hosting EG Vodka Tasting July 1

O-Ku Sushi invites everyone to an exclusive vodka tasting of Inspiration with EG Vodka Thursday July 1 from 9:00 Pm until closing. Please rsvp to media@egspirits.com.

EG, or Enlightened Grain spirits, uses small batch, craft distilled premium vodka infused with sustainably grown ingredients to inspire responsible drinkers to appreciate the birth of the liquid renaissance era of cocktail creation that is upon us, and invites you to experience vodka paired.

For the finest sushi and traditional Japanese cuisine head to O-Ku, the hippest new spot downtown, 463 King Street in the Upper King Design District in historical downtown Charleston. Open Monday to Thursday from 5:00 PM to midnight and Friday and Saturday from 5:00 PM until 2:00 AM.

The Red, White and Blue Sale At Butterfly Boutiques

The Red, White and Blue Sale starts Thursday July 1 and goes through Saturday July 3 at the King Street and Mt. Pleasant Butterfly Womens Consignment Boutiques.

And what a sale! Everything in the stores will be 20% OFF for the Fourth of July Weekend. (Of course, they are closed Sunday.)

Don't miss this sale. Butterfly Women's Consignment Boutique is at 482 King Street in the Upper King Design District in downtown charleston or in Mt. Pleasant at the Belle Hall Shopping Center, 624-H Long Point Road, Or visit their website at www.butterflyconsignments.com.

And just so you know when you see the flag on this our national holiday weekend, the colors on the flag have very special meanings. Red, signifies hardiness and valour; White signifies purity and innocence, and Blue signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice."

O-Ku's Monday! Half Off All Rolls From 5:00 - 7:00

Who can be happy about Monday? We are very happy because O-Ku is having a Monday Special with half off all rolls from 5:00 - 7:00 PM. This is your chance to delight in O-Ku's upscale dining experience with beautifully presented, authentic, traditional Japanese cuisine.

Try this fabulous Double Rainbow Roll with crab, cucumber, avocado, masago and fresh fish. Pick two or three of Chef Sean Park's elegantly prepared rolls. His culinary masterpieces place an emphasis on unique dishes and upscale fare.

For the finest sushi and traditional Japanese cuisine head to O-Ku, the hippest new spot downtown. Ok-u is at 463 King Street in the Upper King Design District in historical downtown Charleston. Open Monday to Thursday from 5:00 PM to midnight and Friday and Saturday from 5:00 PM until 2:00 AM.

Blue Bike Celebrating Local Author's New Website

Join Jonathan Sanchez and the crew at Blue Bicycle Books for the launch of local author Jason Deierlein’s new website on Thursday July 1 from 5:00 – 7:00 PM. Jason has written two books, Return from A Comatose Mind and How Education Can End the Cultural Problem.

The favorite bookstore in the Holy City is Blue Bicycle Books, 420 King Street near the corner of King and John, in the Upper King Design District in historic downtown Charleston.

Summer Fashion Update from Butterfly King Street

Summer hit early, hot, and steamy this year. Butterfly has lots of cool summer dresses, shorts and tops to keep you looking fashionable. Looking at the trend magazines there seem to be two mainline fashion styles for this Summer; tones of whites and creams; built layer on layer--think white linen scarf, pale cream silk blouse, beigeish whitish sandals, pale linen skirt and creamish/goldish jewelry. Then there's the bright happy colorful Lilly look, pink, aqua, lime green, acid yellow, any shade of pearls, gold or other bright sandal and a bright bangle. Both looks are very easy to wear here on the beautiful southeastern seaboard!

In-store you will see that Butterfly now sources and offers new jewelry lines; fun bangles and baubles all the way up to and through 18K gold plated designer pieces imported from Israel and Brazil. The gold used by these designers is a beautiful rich gold and most of the surfaces are hammered or brushed for extra elegance. Both designers use precious and semi-precious stones and crystals. If you love emeralds, check out their Betty Carré pieces featuring Brazialian rough-hewn emeralds, extremely pleasing to the eye! Watch Amanda's blog for tips, trends, events and special finds.

"Ripe: The Search for the Perfect Tomato" Author at Blue Bike

Blue Bike welcomes Arthur Allen, author of Ripe: The Search for the Perfect Tomato on Saturday June 19, from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Allen, a journalist, follows the history of tomato cultivation and breeding from the Chinese Army’s conquest for canned tomatoes to Italian farmers’ devotion to retaining their tomato traditions. Jonathan may even have some juicy heirlooms to sample.

The favorite bookstore in the Holy City is Blue Bicycle Books, 420 King Street near the corner of King and John, in the Upper King Design District in historic downtown Charleston.

Penguin Books 75th Anniversary at Blue Bicycle Books Featuring Sue Monk Kidd Tuesday

King Street’s wonderful little bookstore, Blue Bicycle Books, is one of 10 bookstores nationwide selected to celebrate Penguin Book’s 75th Anniversary with parties and prestigious authors in prestigious places. At Blue Bicycle Books, Sue Monk Kidd, best-selling author of Secret Life of Bees, will discuss and sign her books, Tuesday, June 22 from 4:00 - 6:00 PM featuring Penguin cupcakes, champagne, and, parked out front, the Penguin-mobile, a bright orange Mini Cooper.

The Blue Bike is one of only ten stops on the tour — other events include Garrison Keillor in Minnesota, Michael Pollan in Berkeley, CA and Jan Karon in Charlottesville, VA.

Sue Monk Kidd will sign copies of her latest novel, Traveling with Pomegranates (co-written with daughter Ann Taylor Kidd) as well as her other New York Times best-selling titles.

To commemorate the occasion, Penguin has donated 75 of its all-time bestselling paperbacks to Burke High School. (The Charleston film premiere of The Secret Life of Bees raised more than $20,000 for Burke’s poetry workshops, funding the student compilations So-Called Whisper and Kissing a Biting Spider.

The favorite bookstore in the Holy City is Blue Bicycle Books, 420 King Street near the corner of King and John, in the Upper King Design District in historic downtown Charleston.

Schramsberg Vineyards 4-Course Wine Dinner at Halls Chophouse

Halls Chophouse will host a Schramsberg Vineyards Four-Course Wine Dinner Monday June 21 at 7:00 PM for just $80. This is a rare opportunity to sit and converse with Napa Valley wine expert Jack Davies, who because of his dedication to his business, rarely gets to visit in Charleston.

Chef Matthew Niessner will present a classic, elegant and truly delightful meal with great wines from the Schramsberg Vineyards. Seating is Limited. Reservations are strongly suggested. Call 843.727.0090 or click here to make online reservations.

Nathan Chroman, summed up the Davies' contributions to American wine-making this way: "Some producers will earn a paragraph in the history of sparkling wines in California. The coming of the French will need a page. But it will merit a chapter to spell out what Jack and Jamie have done here."

Halls Chophouse, "The Classic American Steakhouse," is  located in the Upper King Design District at 434 King Street in historic downtown Charleston.

SieMatic Charleston Wins “Showroom of the Year” in Kitchen & Bath Business Magazine's Design Awards

SieMatic Charleston has won top honors for “Showroom of the Year” in the K+BB Design Awards. The award honors SieMatic Charleston showroom, and those who created it, for outstanding design.

The award was recently announced by Kitchen & Bath Business magazine. SieMatic Charleston secured the overall win in the showroom category of the Eighth Annual Awards for Outstanding Design. SieMatic Charleston stood out with a blend of the “Image Kitchen” approach to showroom design that they use for global brand consistency, coupled with warm tone-on-tone colors and whites paired with natural woods, reminiscent of southern charm.

Recognized with SieMatic Charleston’s were local Charleston professionals, who were instrumental in the design and construction of the 2,500 square foot showroom that includes a fully functional demonstration kitchen with seating area. Honorees included Glenn Keyes and Reuben Solar of Glenn Keyes Architects, David Britt, project supervisor from Bennett Hofford Construction Company, Richard Speer from SieMatic Commercial Development, and Randall Goldman of Patrick Properties.

Currently available in over 62 countries on five continents, SieMatic is an industry leader in the high-end kitchen segment with unyielding commitment to innovative engineering and manufacturing excellence.

To see the kitchen of your dreams visit SieMatic Charleston at 444 King Street in the Upper King Design District in historic downtown Charleston.

Felice Designs asks, "Where did you sleep last night?"

There are 1,000 ‘Katrina families’ still in FEMA trailers. Joyce is 67. She has lived in a FEMA trailer since Katrina hit the Gulf, nearly 4.5 years ago. If we raise $5,000 Joyce will finally have enough money to finish her home andleave her trailer.

Felice Designs is excited to offer the Snowflake Pocahontas necklace ($395 value) in hopes of raising money for Joyce’s home. Please go to this secure site to make your $20 donation to enter the drawing. Remember to check that you DO want your name on your donation. The more chances you buy, the better your odds are! This effort is part of the St. Bernard Project, which removes barriers for families who wish to move back into their homes in St. Bernard Parish, a community adjacent to New Orlreans' Lower 9th Ward and arguably the area hardest hit by hurricane Katrina. 

To see more of Felice Killian's beautiful designs, visit 424 King Street.