I'm a first-generation Italian-American from New York now living in the South. For the fourth installment of this series, “Searching for Italy in the South,” I head to North Charleston in the South's Lowcountry.
Set amid historical sites like the Charleston Naval Shipyard and plantations dating back to the 17th century is Amici’s Italian Bistro, a place filled with the sounds of Sinatra playing in the background, red and white checkered tablecloths, and chianti bottle-candles lit on every table. Here, you’ll encounter the aromas of garlic and nana's fresh homemade marinara, old family photos adorning the walls, and chef and owner Jennifer French greeting you at the door with open arms and a forkful of pasta.
Amici’s Italian Bistro is now well-established in Charleston’s famed restaurant community as a place to experience a taste of New York’s Little Italy. French certainly put in the work before launching the restaurant six years ago.
A native New Yorker who grew up in a big Italian-American family, French spent her Sundays cooking alongside her mom and nana in Brooklyn, grating fresh Parmigiano with her nana's metal cheese grater, layering lasagna, and dipping bread into the big pot of sauce simmering on the stove.
French knew even then that she wanted to share her love of food, family, and traditions with the world. But first, she would start a family of her own. As a mother of three, she attended Culinary School at night at BOCES in Orange County, New York. Whenever she could, she watched Giada De Laurentiis on the Cooking Channel, soaking in everything and applying it to her own style of cooking.
Jennifer French, the chef and owner of Amici's Italian Bistro, cooking at home. Photo: Hirokazu Endo
Twelve years ago, French moved to South Carolina with her family and started working as a server in La Fontana Italian Restaurant, in the same building where Amici's stands today. Within a year, she worked her way up to manager and couldn't help but add her own tips, tricks, and knowledge to the kitchen and menu. After a few years, the restaurant was up for sale and French sensed that this was her opportunity. She wanted to share her idea of Italian home cooking with the South. She wanted to give the people of North Charleston the same feeling and experience she had grown up with, pouring her love and joy into her food just like her mom and nana used to do.
She bought the restaurant and named it Amici’s Italian Bistro, playing off the Italian word for friends, reflecting her intention to make the bistro a gathering place. Today, her most loyal customers have official name tags nailed into the stools that line the bar. French’s daughter, son, and son-in-law all work there, extending the family vibe.
Guests come for big portions of classic Italian-American dishes like chicken parm, fettuccine alfredo, pasta e fagioli, and French’s homemade tiramisu. The menu at Amici's is inspired by the same recipes she learned as a little girl from her mother and nana, she says, from the lasagna to the meatballs to the marinara.
Items for sale at Amici's Italian Bistro, including the house seasoning blend Dash of Love.
Another family tradition French sticks to is gardening. She grows herbs in her home garden to season her dishes with what she calls a “Dash of Love”' which she also jars and sells at the restaurant.
The seasoning is another in a long line of projects that have helped French extend her reach beyond the walls of Amici’s. During the pandemic, she began posting cooking videos shot in her home kitchen on social media, leading to television appearances and more attention for the restaurant. She ended up starting an apron line and has published a cookbook featuring recipes she has adapted from the Brooklyn kitchens where she first learned to love cooking Italian food. My Menu of Memories, on sale at Amici’s and soon to be available on Amazon, is a fitting tribute to the mother and nana who taught French the Italian cooking techniques that have led to her success today.