Suzy Castelloe, a North Carolina native with experience at the former Charleston Grill, has taken over as executive chef at Iron Rose Bar & Restaurant in Charleston's Mills House hotel. She assumed the role in February and is updating the menu to emphasize local coastal ingredients. The restaurant, which opened in 2022, offers daily dining with weekend brunch.
The Mills House, a historic hotel at 115 Meeting Street in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, has appointed Suzy Castelloe as its new executive chef. This pink-hued property, rebranded in 2022 as part of Hilton's Curio Collection, houses Iron Rose Bar & Restaurant, where Castelloe began her duties in February.
Castelloe's background includes leading the kitchen at the now-closed Charleston Grill, where she worked under chef Michelle Weaver. She also has experience at Coda Del Pesce. During her interim leadership at Charleston Grill, her work received positive feedback from critic Robert F. Moss in the Post and Courier.
In her new position, Castelloe aims to refine Iron Rose's coastal cuisine by highlighting local produce, seafood, and suppliers. "We've got a ways to go, but it's all been positive so far," she said. "Really honing in on the local products we have available to us — produce, seafood, all of the great purveyors that we have here in Charleston ... I like letting those ingredients shine for what they are and adding my own twist of flavor or texture or spices."
Her debut dinner menu features dishes such as oyster and shrimp stew with Carolina Gold rice, roasted carrots with whipped tahini and chermoula, tuna crudo with pickled fennel, blue crab fritters, and slow-roasted pork belly served with Alabama white sauce, charred cabbage, and a barbecue jus reflecting her North Carolina heritage.
Beyond dinner, Castelloe oversees breakfast, brunch, lunch, and catering. She is also developing a new menu for the hotel's poolside terrace, including snacks, handhelds, and select existing items. The rooftop bar and dining area, open to hotel guests and the public, will reopen on February 27 for the spring season.
Iron Rose operates daily, with brunch on weekends. More details are available at ironroserestaurant.com.