Uptown Down South

Led by executive chef Donald Drake and his team, Magnolias Restaurant remains at the forefront of upscale Southern cuisine, blending traditional ingredients and cooking techniques with modern flair for artful presentations.The soul of the South meets the spark of innovation in dishes such as the Down South Egg Roll stuffed with collard greens, chicken and Tasso ham, served with red pepper puree, spicy mustard sauce and peach chutney and Shellfish over Grits with sauteed shrimp, sea scallops, lobster, creamy white grits, lobster butter sauce and fried spinach.DONALD DRAKE attended the Culinary Institute of America and trained under Chef Barry Wine at the critically acclaimed four-star Quilted Giraffe in New York City. While working as a chef in South Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, Drake won back-to-back Florida Trends Golden Spoon Awards. In 1991, Drake relocated to Isle of Palms, South Carolina, and he began his career with Magnolias.