Meet Kirsten Bhattacharyya | Sommelier and Dinner Host

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kirsten Bhattacharyya and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kirsten, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I think the best businesses stem from things you already enjoy or are currently searching to make part of your life. If it’s missing, chances are you can create it! I loved having people over for dinner and beyond that seeing different friend groups enjoy each others company. I also wanted the chance to build skills in wine buying and event design, so why not have a business that allows me to do all three.

Dinner at Kiki’s provides a safe place to make the connections I think are so vital in not only a small town but also in life. Hopefully it also provides a unique, disarming setting for those connections to flourish. Outside of the benefit for our dinner guests, it provides a learning space my chef partner, Michael Rodriguez (Chef Rod), and I to be creative and flesh out our ability to craft amazing experiences outside of a traditional restaurant setting.

It’s also through Chef Rod’s enthusiasm and encouragement that we have been able to take Dinner at Kiki’s from a one time idea to a recurring series. I wouldn’t do have the things I did without him backing me and telling me it’ll all be good!

Make a habit of making new friends! Preferably over delicious food cooked by Chef Rod. Oh, and with a glass of wine of course.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I started my career in wine when I was just out of college, 10 years ago! I don’t think at the time I knew it would be a career in that field, I just really liked working at this really cute wine shop in my hometown. I also knew I liked being on a small team in a local business. They just hit different.

I realized that the world of wine really aligned with my other interests and degree – history, geology, geography, science, and people! It really does hit on so many different human experiences. After that and a stint at Warby Parker I realized that I wanted to get back into something that had given me so much joy- wine!

I moved to Charleston in 2018 and gave my resume to any wine focused business. I was very lucky to walk in at the right time to Graft. I got to work intimately with the owners and learned so much in my first few years there. They never denied me access to any task I wanted to try out or question I had.

Eventually I became the manager (almost 5 years ago, holy moly!) and got to flex a whole new set of skills. I am very proud of being able to still get excited about wine. It’s easy to lose focus on what brought you joy in the first place and I am still very much in the game of passing that enthusiasm on to others.

Starting Dinner at Kiki’s has definitely not been easy, although it comes naturally. I love trying new things and being creative but the biggest challenge is knowing how far I can push myself and take on as one person. When you’re the lead on something delegating can be pretty pretty hard. Since I have a full time job on top of Dinner at Kiki’s I have to learn when to say no and when to give the green light.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Ohhhh boy, I have a whole PDF document for this! Here’s a fantasy week with people visiting:

I vounteer quite a bit with Charleston Parks so I would take my friend to see Hampton Park and the community garden at Corinne Jones Park, then maybe a quick walk over to the Longborough Docks to see the sunset.

A daquiri and an oyster slider might then be in order at The Ordinary, into dinner at Chubby Fish is one of my favorite evenings. Gotta say hi to my business partner Chef Michael Rodriguez at Chubby!

You can’t have a Charleston week without visiting the beach either. I prefer Folly Beach and cannot go without stopping at Chico Feo for 2 (0r 5) tacos, and on the way back downtown CudaCo is a business you can’t miss. Pick up some fish to cook dinner with and split a fried fish sammy while you’re at it!

The next day you must must see and be seen at Sightsee Coffee shop. I love this shop! The owners are so active in the community and care about coffee like I care about wine. They always have interesting pour over options and roasted beans to take home.

From there, my favorite neighborhood places to dine are Renzo and Vern’s. Both have such a cozy feel and extremely sweet and generous local owners. Plus the food is bangin. Jack Rabbit Philly and King BBQ are also undeniably delicious if you’re venturing to Park Circle.

Of course we would have to stop by Graft to enjoy a bottle or two – I still love the hang there even if I work there hah. If i’m grabbing wine outside of my own work it’s usually Bar Rollins or the Tippling House! I love that even though Charleston is relatively small we have a lot of choice for how wine presents itself.

Other notable hangs: The Record Stop for some perusing, The Station in Park Circle for vintage goodies, Exchange Factor in North Charleston for an eclectic vintage experience, and maybe stop in at Redux Art Studios for a quick tour of their current show.

There’s so much I could include but that’s a pretty good start!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I wouldn’t be able to have the confidence to pull off Dinner at Kiki’s without the support of my employers Miles White and Femi Oyediran. They never discourage me or doubt when I have an idea, and always offer advice when they can. Thanks boys!

Instagram: kirstensgotwine

Image Credits
Ryan Belk
Lizzy Rollins
Caroline Herring
Ben Jack