With Mark Bolchoz, Chef/Owner, Cane Pazzo
Photos by Andrew Cebulka, Jonathan Boncek
For years, our “Travel Like a Local” series has taken Good Grit writers to beloved destinations across the South. In search of best-kept secrets and can’t-miss experiences, we’ve endeavored to guide readers to experience these cities and towns the way locals do. This year, we’re taking that idea even further, inviting true locals to show us the city through their eyes. In Charleston, South Carolina, we went straight to celebrated chef and proud native, Mark Bolchoz.
Bolchoz lives and breathes the Lowcountry. From fishermen he knows by name to the pubs and landmarks woven into his childhood, Chef Bolchoz welcomes us into the Charleston that raised him. And when we asked him to map out the places and people that define his hometown, he offered exactly the kind of insight only a true local can.
Mark Bolchoz is the Chef & Owner of Cane Pazzo, a neighborhood osteria in Hanahan, South Carolina, a trending destination just minutes from historic downtown Charleston. Bolchoz has been recognized as one of Zagat’s 30 Under 30 Charleston Chefs (2016) and FSR Magazine’s 40 Under 40 Rising Stars (2024), and is best known for his interpretation of traditional Italian and Italian-American cuisine through Lowcountry ingredients.
A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, Bolchoz cut his teeth in kitchens from Palm Beach to the Hudson Valley, including several years cooking under renowned Italian Chef Gianni Scappin of Upstate New York’s lauded Market Street. A native Charlestonian, Bolchoz returned to his hometown in 2016 to work in some of the city’s most notable restaurants, including Peninsula Grill under Chef Graham Daily and The Grocery under Chef Kevin Johnson. Most recently, he served as the Executive Chef of Indaco Charleston, and then as Culinary Director of Italian Concepts for James Beard-nominated Indigo Road Hospitality Group.
Together with his wife, Ariana, a fellow CIA graduate and expert baker, Cane Pazzo translates the chef’s Southern upbringing and love of Italian cooking. It’s a “coming home” moment for Bolchoz, whose family has a long history of entrepreneurship in Charleston, including his grandfather, who opened and operated a business in Hanahan for over 30 years, and gave him his childhood nickname, Mad Dog, for which the restaurant is named. Growing up, he spent countless hours at his uncle’s popular King Street pub, Calder’s, and shrimping and fishing the waters East of the Cooper River, shaping his passion for the cuisine and culture of the Lowcountry.
Who is your favorite local purveyor or farmer to work with?
I have too many to pick just one, though a few of my favorites include Keegan-Filion for pork, Storey Farms for eggs and chicken, and Lowland Farms for vegetables.
Do you have a go-to fisherman or seafood source?
My go-to seafood source is Crosby Seafood, where I source local fish directly from the boat.
From fishermen he knows by name to the pubs and landmarks woven into his childhood, Chef Bolchoz welcomes us into the Charleston that raised him.
What are a few of your hidden gems or off-the-beaten-path spots in Charleston?
Seanachai on Johns Island is one of my favorite off-the-beaten-path pubs, with the best Guinness in town.
What do you wish more people knew about your hometown?
I wish more people knew that Charleston has so much more to offer off the main peninsula.
What are your favorite Charleston classics or must-visit landmarks?
My favorite must-visit spots are The Battery, Patriot’s Point, and the Aquarium.
What’s the first place you take out-of-town friends or family?
The first place I take out-of-town friends or family is Home Team BBQ downtown on Williman Street.
What’s the most Charleston thing you’ve ever done?
The most Charleston thing I’ve ever done is be born here, be baptized on Sullivan’s Island at Stella Maris, and bait shrimp in the Copahee Sound.
What’s something about Charleston that hasn’t changed—and you hope never does?
The close-knit and collaborative hospitality industry in the city–everybody lifts each other up.
About Cane Pazzo
Cane Pazzo is a neighborhood osteria from Chef Mark Bolchoz, blending classic Italian flavors with Lowcountry ingredients. Expect handmade pastas, wood-fired dishes, and an old-world wine list served in a warm, convivial space inspired by Charleston’s charm and Italian tradition.
In search of best-kept secrets and can’t-miss experiences, we’ve endeavored to guide readers to experience these cities and towns the way locals do.
