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Libby Wiersema lived in California and Alabama before settling in South Carolina 38 years ago,
where she's covered the state's best culinary offerings and tells the stories behind the food.
Chef Michelle Weaver serves as culinary ambassador for all Charleston Place restaurants.
When your staff refers to you as "Mama," you know you've reached the pinnacle of leadership in the kitchen.
While it's true Chef Michelle Weaver's maternal qualities have earned her great affection, make no mistake: She is a firm commander, ensuring that the dining service at Charleston Grill ran seamlessly during her 14-year tenure there as executive chef. During that time, she built a reputation so impressive she was named a South Carolina Chef Ambassador in 2018.
In 2023, Chef Weaver transitioned into a new role as culinary ambassador for all the restaurants of Charleston Place. In this capacity, she oversaw recruitment and training while providing mentorship for new staff and expert direction for recipe and menu development.
For nearly 30 years, Chef Weaver helped define Charleston Place as an incomparable luxury dining experience. In the summer of 2024, when she announced she would be pursuing new opportunities, the community response was seismic. The culinary impacts Chef Weaver had not just on Charleston Place but on the entire Charleston food scene will be felt for years to come.
Chef Michelle Weaver is known for turning simple ingredients into masterpieces at Charleston Grill.
Approach
"Fresh from the garden" is the foundation of Weaver's aesthetic, but that's no cliché. Her mother's talented green thumb meant a bounty of homegrown vegetables graced the family table each day. Weaver carried that tradition into the kitchens at Charleston Place where simple foods became masterpieces that piqued all the senses.
"A chest filled with toys made for a chef's heart" - that's how Weaver thinks of South Carolina's rich culinary abundance.
Chef Michelle Weaver oversees recipe development and staff training as culinary ambassador for Charleston Place.
Backstory
In her mid-20s, Weaver realized her culinary calling, left her home state of Alabama and pursued formal training at the New England Culinary Institute. Then it was on to the gastronomic mecca of New Orleans for an internship in the French-influenced kitchen of Chef Daniel Bonnot.
But it was her stint at Nashville's The Wild Boar that would eventually land her at the helm of one of Charleston's most elite restaurants. There, she worked under the masterful guidance of Chef Bob Waggoner, who took Weaver with him when he accepted the executive chef position at Charleston Grill in 1997. When he left to pursue other opportunities, Weaver was the natural choice to ascend to the helm of the kitchen.
"I was fortunate to land in a place where I could create dishes with a blend of both Southern and global influences," Weaver said. "My palate leads the way."
Libby Wiersema lived in California and Alabama before settling in South Carolina 38 years ago,
where she's covered the state's best culinary offerings and tells the stories behind the food.
