A fall menu and seasonal cocktails are now on offer at The Peacock, Charleston's three-level dining and entertainment destination in the French Quarter. New chef de cuisine Joshua Luce has introduced dishes including roasted halibut and blue crab and artichoke dip, while the kitchen has kept some familiar favorites. The venue is at 213 East Bay Street.
Luce's career spans fine-dining restaurants, hotels and neighborhood concepts. According to the Post and Courier, he studied at the French Culinary Institute in New York and worked at Jean-Georges, Picholine and Alain Ducasse at the St. Regis before cooking at the Peninsula Beverly Hills. He later served as executive sous chef at the Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles and opened Neighbor, a garden bistro and cocktail bar on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice Beach. Neighbor opened in 2017 with a seasonal, globally influenced menu.
Before moving to Charleston, Luce started Gold Land BBQ, a barbecue and catering company on California's Central Coast. The Post and Courier reported that the venture gave him experience with Santa Maria-style live-fire cooking; New Times San Luis Obispo covered the concept's arrival in downtown San Luis Obispo in 2019. The Post and Courier also reported that owner Michelle Van Jura was looking for a chef whose cooking could complement the venue's design and bring a fine-dining background to its approachable menu.
What's New on the Fall Menu
Two returning dishes are blistered green beans and herb-marinated lamb lollipops. New options range from a roasted acorn squash dessert, served with coffee crème fraiche, chai caramel, almonds and orange, to savory plates such as roasted halibut with romesco, crushed potatoes, fennel and smoked paprika. The menu also adds blue crab and artichoke dip topped with parmesan breadcrumbs and served with seasoned kettle chips, along with crispy Brussels sprouts tossed in hot honey with applewood bacon and blue cheese.
The Post and Courier reported that Luce's menu draws on his technical training and product-focused cooking while incorporating Charleston references. The food is part of a larger hospitality space: The Peacock spans 12,000 to 13,000 square feet across three floors and a rooftop lounge overlooking Charleston Harbor, according to Global Flare. The second floor houses V's, a speakeasy and lounge that hosts live music, as detailed by Charleston.com.
New Cocktails Join the Bar Menu
The seasonal bar additions include Everything Nice, a pomegranate martini made with pomegranate liqueur, strega, fresh thyme, house-made winter spice bitters and lime. The Lucid Dreaming combines house-infused lemongrass vodka, absinthe, dry curaçao, fresh lime and edible pearl dust. For a spicier, fruit-forward option, the Peach Bootlegger mixes house-infused cayenne reposado tequila, peach moonshine, aperol, peach nectar and fresh lime, finished with a Tajín rim and habanero garnish.
For groups, 'Tinis for Two is a $60 offer for two or more people: four full-size martinis are served through a Peacock art deco absinthe dripper for self-serve refills. Guests can choose any gin or vodka and select lemon drops, cosmos, dry martinis or dirty martinis; truffle fries are included.
A Property With a Layered History
The space at 213 East Bay Street has a history of its own. It previously housed The Brick and sat vacant for years following a destructive 2013 fire before being restored into the current multi-level hospitality space, per Charleston.com's account. Van Jura, founder and CEO of New York-based PR firm Intersect Communications, moved to Charleston and expanded into hospitality after spotting a gap in the market for adult entertainment venues, according to the same report.
The venue opened as The Habit in August 2023 with co-founders Zach Dennis, formerly general manager at High Cotton, and founding executive chef Matthew Greene, previously of Hall Management Group; a rebrand announcement came on January 29, per Global Flare's account. Early menus under that original team featured Hash Browns & Caviar, a Habit Smash Burger and lamb lollipops.
The Property’s History and Late-Night Rules
The former Brick site at 213 East Bay Street suffered a destructive fire in 2013 and was later reconstructed. That fire and the property’s later reuse are separate from The Peacock’s current menu refresh. Charleston’s late-night rules also apply to the type of venue The Peacock operates: the City of Charleston says establishments that serve alcohol for on-premises consumption and remain open after midnight must complete its Late Night Establishment permitting process. The citywide requirement does not establish The Peacock’s permit status.
