Food, Glorious Food: Reliving the memorable cuisine and serenades at Robert’s of Charleston

While the decadent, French-inspired menu was enough to entice diners to Robert’s of Charleston, a 28-seat, white-tablecloth classic opened in the Rainbow Market in 1976, it was the in-house entertainment, provided by chef-owner Robert Dickson (pictured), that kept diners coming back. For more than 30 years, Dickson would belt out a variety of operatic arias and Broadway show tunes while moving between tables, dishing out haute cuisine—such as lobster bisque, scallop mousse, and Chianti-imbued beef shanks—to crowds celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and romantic dates. The restaurant would move from its original location to the Planter’s Hotel (seen here) and later to its final address at 182 East Bay Street, (today’s Gin Joint), until it closed in 2010.