Doug Svec

Doug Svec spent 10 years honing his culinary skills in Chicago before coming to Charleston to revamp Social Restaurant and Wine Bar.

Since his arrival, more than 80 percent of the menu has changed and is more reflective of his style of cooking, he says, but many of the customer favorites remain on the menu.

Q: How did your interest in food develop?

A: It was pretty typical for a chef. I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with my mom when I was growing up.

Dinner was always family time, and we had lots of friends and family around the table. It was a great feeling.

I'm also a glutton and I love to try new things. I went to college for journalism and gave that a shot, but it never satisfied me in any real way. I gave this a shot and had a knack for it.

Q: How did you get your first job in the kitchen?

A: I moved to Chicago and spent over a year applying to restaurants but had no experience and no culinary education, so I couldn't get a job.

I didn't want to sling burgers, so I just kept beating the pavement.

One day, I saw an ad in the paper for a job at Spiaggia and I just walked in the door, met the right person, and got the job.

Q: Did you ever consider culinary school?

A: Yes. My plan was to

move to Chicago, work con-

struction and save enough money for culinary school. Once I got there, I couldn't find a construction job either, so the school thing went out the window.

Q: How long have you been in Charleston?

A: I've been here four months. I did 10 years in Chicago and I love it, but I grew up in Florida and those winters were wiping me out. I wanted to be in a coastal town with a viable food scene.

Q: What changes do you plan to make to Social?

A: I want to make this a place people consider as an option for a nice meal out. It's not a bar that serves a little bit of food, we're doing great things in the kitchen and I want people to know that.

I want to put Social on the map as a place to go and have a fine dining experience. Our price point is very accessible.

Q: What's your favorite item on your new menu?

A: I love the pan-seared diver scallops served with wood roasted oyster mushrooms from Mepkin Abbey.

Q: How would you describe your culinary style?

A: Eclectic with an Asian slant.

Q: What is your guilty pleasure food?

I'm a frozen pizza junkie. There's no two ways about that.