Chef-owner Mark Bolchoz specializes in elevating local, seasonal ingredients in dishes meant for sharing
Cane Pazzo
Hanahan has a new heartbeat, and it glows through the warmth of a wood-fired oven. Cane Pazzo, a neighborhood osteria that Charleston native Mark Bolchoz debuted in June, hums with “downtown” energy from the moment you walk in: a red La Marzocco espresso machine gleaming at the bar, Italian spirits stacked high, and the flame-kissed kitchen in full view from the chef’s counter seats.
Bolchoz, whose résumé includes stints at Peninsula Grill, The Grocery, and Indaco, builds his menu on a simple philosophy: cook seasonally, source locally, and let Lowcountry ingredients tell Italian stories. That ethos plays out beautifully on plates perfect for sharing. A wood-fired sourdough boule arrives blistered and steaming, ready to be swiped through Calabrian honey butter. Risotto comes laced with spicy ’nduja and velvety stracciatella, while buttery meatballs melt into a creamy bed of polenta at the first touch of a fork.
Inventive, house-made pastas are the soul of the menu. Bucatini twirls around a briny sauté of dayboat shrimp bathed in garlicky lemon-chili butter. A “creamed corn” agnolotti bursts with a summer sweetness that’s amazingly balanced by the acidity of local heirloom tomatoes and a touch of Parmigiano. Bolchoz’s initial menus sported a “she-crab raviolo”—a singular, indulgent pillow stuffed with blue crab and bathed in sherry cream and crab roe—an Italian expression of the Lowcountry’s signature soup. It subsequently vanished when local food writers began lauding its genius, which I take as a sign that this kitchen has no intention of resting on its laurels.
Those in the know come early for a roasted pork chop before the kitchen runs out. Draped with a sweet pepper relish, it pairs beautifully with one of the fizzy red Lambruscos from the thoughtful, value-driven wine list. One could wax on about the bespoke pilsner on tap crafted by Wicked Weed, classic cocktails, and inventive “punch bowls” that serve a crowd; sweet affogato and tiramisu; or the delightfully gooey mortadella croquettes that headline a slate of affordable bar snacks.
Perhaps the highest accolade? The place feels like FIG, 20 years ago, when it simply aspired to be “a humble corner bistro,” offering perfected fine dining service in a town yet to win its first culinary awards. Cane Pazzo is equally personal and grounded in its emerging environs, a lively reminder that Italian tradition and Southern roots share the same flame.
1276 Yeamans Hall Rd., Hanahan
(843) 974-3647, www.canepazzorestaurant.com
Monday-Saturday, 5-10 p.m.
