Here on the Isle of Palms, Shannon Lindsay’s first bartending gigs were at the Banana Cabana and the One-Eyed Parrot. When she had her little boy, she took a hiatus from the food and beverage industry and accepted a position with IBM. By the time her son reached his junior year in high school, Lindsay was ready to resume her role behind the bar. That was 11 years ago, in 2014, when owner Bret Jones was opening The Dinghy. At the time, Lindsay’s husband Mike, who owns Mike Lindsay Construction, was renovating the building. The stars aligned when a position as daytime bartender at the new restaurant became available. “The rest is history,” Lindsay, now a manager, said. “I love everything about this job, the team I get to work with, the different people I Originally from Brazil, Thalita Costa-Smith started her career there at culinary arts school. When she moved to the United States in 2011, she was hired as a line cook for a high-volume steak house at the Omni Mount Washington Resort & Spa in New Hampshire, where she prepared lunch and dinner for 400 to 600 people a day. After a year there, she moved to R2L, an upscale restaurant located on the 37th floor of a building in downtown Philadelphia. In 2018, an opportunity presented itself for Costa-Smith to work alongside “Top Chef” winner Nicholas Elmi at his Philadelphia restaurant called Laurel. That year, Costa-Smith turned 30 and her husband surprised her with a trip to Charleston, which included dinner at McCrady’s, where she met Chef and Meet the Chef Chef Costa-Smith at Wild Dunes Resort By Sarah Rose 19 IslandVibesIOP.com FOOD & BEV Behind the Bar Sip and spill the tea with Shannon at The Dinghy By Sarah Rose Restaurateur Sean Brock. While here, she fell in love with the Lowcountry and its cuisine. She even envisioned herself possibly moving here someday. As fate would have it, in 2021, she was invited to audition for a position at Wild Dunes. The management flew her in to cook for their team of 10 to 12 people. The chef’s feedback was that Costa-Smith’s meal was the best tasting the group had experienced in 11 years. Three weeks later, she and her husband moved to the area so she could start her new role as chef de cuisine at Coastal Provisions. Now, four years later, as executive sous chef, Costa-Smith oversees all of the restaurants at Wild Dunes. These include Coastal Provisions, an upscale steak and seafood restaurant; Oystercatcher, a tapas-inspired establishment; Laughing Gull, a casual poolside get to meet, the positive vibe and excellent location. We have live music every night and weekends during the day as well. It’s always fun, interesting and challenging. Every day is different because you never know what’s going to happen.” Lindsay added that the tap room supports local breweries with 16 different options, including Holy City and Rusty Bull. Other regulars’ favorites include Jagerbomb shots, Jameson whiskey straight up and Dead Eye Vodka, a new local espresso-flavored spirit. Lindsay added, “My favorite drinks I make are the ones when a customer comes in and isn’t sure what they want. Finding a fun ‘beach drink’ that they like is always rewarding for me and for them.” When it comes to the bar menu, Lindsay said crowd favorite appetizers include the alligator bites. “People often try them for the first time on a dare and they end up loving them. Then they come back for it year after year.” Her go-to for the main course is the Cuban, which she said is hands down the best sandwich, made perfect by pairing with a side of plantains. On this side of the bar, Lindsay spends her spare time traveling with girlfriends, working on the house she has lived in for 21 years, inshore fishing off a friend’s boat or dock, reading a good book, watching a documentary or hanging out with her lab Dixie, morkie Olive, her husband and new grandbaby Audrey Grace. She concluded, “While I love traveling, I always love coming home. I’m blessed to live here.” bar; the Grand Pavilion by the beach; and Huey’s on the Links. “The most rewarding part of the job is teaching new line cooks from all over the world, places like the Philippines, East Europe, Africa, South America and Asia,” she said. “I love watching them flourish and grow. By the time they leave, they are professionals.” Costa-Smith emphasized that, “We are open to the public, so anyone can come to any of our restaurants. You don’t have to be a member to enjoy our menus that change with the seasons.” On the rare occasion Costa-Smith cooks for herself, her go-to is a Brazilian seafood stew called moqueca. She suggested pairing the brothy and comforting dish made with palm oil, coconut milk, fish and shellfish, with a sauvignon blanc or a caipirinha, the national cocktail of her native Brazil.
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