There are fancier small restaurants than Chez Nous, and ones much easier to find, unless you are familiar with the back alleys of Charleston, South Carolina. You might not be dazzled by the décor, which is that of an 1835 single-family house lovingly but not extravagantly restored, with only the fireplaces and the wide-plank pine floors left essentially untouched.
There are quirks to dining here. You might impetuously start a conversation with the guests at the table adjoining yours, which will be close enough that raising your voice isn’t necessary. You will likely have difficulty reading the menu, which is written in an artistic cursive script that requires a Rosetta stone to interpret. (I depended upon the remarkably literate waitstaff to come to the rescue.) And should you find yourself seated on one of the long, hard, uncushioned benches that line the walls, you might fantasize that you’re in a church pew from Puritan days.
