Marie Stitt and Edward Crouse dish on their popular aperitivo hours and the peanut drink
CM: You both have some serious F&B cred. How did you meet?
MS: We met during a master’s program in food culture at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Northern Italy. Before opening our first Babas on Cannon Street in 2018, Edward spent time in the kitchens of fine dining restaurants, like Thomas Keller’s Bouchon, and sold wild foraged goods (primarily truffles) in New York.
I came on to work with Babas full-time only last year. I spent the previous 12 years working with local distributor Grassroots Wine. My 20s were spent working in restaurants, on farms, and in vineyards around the world. I grew up in the restaurant business—my father, stepmother, and brother own and operate Bottega, Chez Fonfon, and Highlands Bar & Grill in Birmingham, Alabama. My mother, Frances, was the general manager of SNOB when we moved to Charleston in the mid-’90s and now works at Babas teaching us the true meaning of hospitality.
CM: What does the name mean?
MS: Baba was Edward’s nickname growing up. He’s one of four boys, and they often called each other “baba.” Later, we learned that it’s a universal term of endearment across many cultures—a perfect fit for the welcoming atmosphere we hope to cultivate.
CM: What’s the concept?
MS: Babas is a European-inspired neighborhood café. We loved the cafés in Italy, Spain, and France where guests pop in for their espresso in the morning, grab a ham and butter sandwich for lunch, and a glass of wine or spritz before dinner.
CM: You now have three locations. Tell us about them.
MS: 11 Cannon Street was our first. We prefer a smaller footprint that feels bustling even with just a few guests inside. Our style is cozy and intimate over grand and sprawling. Meeting Street, which we’ve been sharing with Goat.Sheep.Cow. since 2021, is our largest space. Wentworth opened last fall. The location is ideal; Harleston Village is so charming, we’re near the college, and close—but not too close—to King Street. It has a beautiful second story that we are using only for private events—for now!
CM: Are the menus the same?
MS: Basically, however, Babas on Meeting is our home kitchen, so you can find a few additional pastry items there, as well as jamón Ibérico sliced to order, which is really special. Each spot has its own distinct wine list.
CM: Tell us about your popular aperitivo hours.
MS: On Fridays and Saturdays from 4 to 8 p.m., we offer a spread of aperitivo snacks with the purchase of an alcoholic beverage. We love this gesture of hospitality that we discovered during our time in Europe. Have a little snack with your cocktails as you catch up with friends.
CM: And, of course, the crave-worthy Peanut Drink—what’s the secret?
MS: We wanted to offer an alternative milk inspired by regional ingredients, hence peanut milk. It’s a pretty painstaking process, but it has such a huge following that we will never take it off the menu. The Peanut Drink is an espresso mocha made with peanut milk—the combination of slightly bitter, slightly sweet chocolatey mocha and the creamy peanut milk is so delicious. Who doesn’t love chocolate and peanut butter?
