Monday, December 19, 7:00 pm Members $100, guests $125
Steak and Italian—the two culinary genres Brooklyn native Brett McKee brings together at his newest venture, the Oak Steakhouse in Charleston, South Carolina. A longtime member of the Charleston culinary scene, McKee is now the executive chef and co-owner of Oak Steakhouse, an upscale restaurant so exclusive it features a members-only club with benefits such as preferred seating, invitations to special events, and personalized wine lockers marked with brass plaques. But don’t let these elegant details convince you McKee’s style is too precious for a steakhouse. This 6’2” tattooed chef, whom Clay Barbour of Charleston’s Post and Courier described as “loud, brash and uninhibited,” is man enough for a piece of meat, but refined enough for the most delicate pasta.
McKee headed to St. Barths after college in search of adventure and ended up catching the cooking bug. He returned to the United States to earn his culinary degree at the New York Restaurant School (now the Art Institute of New York City), from which he graduated first in his class. After working in New York City and the Hamptons, he found his way down to Charleston. McKee cut his teeth cooking at several downtown standbys before opening Brett’s Restaurant, which received rave reviews and announced McKee’s presence on the Charleston dining scene. As a co-owner of successful ventures such as the upscale northern Italian eatery Union Hall, a second Brett’s, the fancy seafooder Hugo’s, and Events by Brett Catering, McKee was soon not only a chef but a full-fledged restaurateur who was gaining national attention in the pages of Gourmet and Wine Spectator.
But McKee is more than just a busy chef and entrepreneur—he’s also an active member of his community and a dedicated husband and father. He’s so dedicated that he recently decided to sell a number of his businesses in order to focus his considerable energy on just one restaurant. It’s paid off: a recent review from Charleston City Paper’s Lee Jenkins stated, “The Oak Steakhouse is definitely a special occasion restaurant for most of us—but with McKee’s spirit and the luxury of the menu, it can offer a hell of a special occasion.” |