Why is it steakhouses are the automatic choice for a special occasion? Maybe you like how the servers delicately clear crumbs with a small silver sweeper between courses. Or how dishes are described with a theatrical flair that has you on the edge of your seat. Restaurant review: With prime rib and Parker House rolls, The James is a throwback Or how the sturdy menu feels in your hands, like it's a thesis that needs to be studied over and over again.

Perhaps it's the employees' efforts to make you feel special and cared for during every step of the meal. Those endeavors commence the second you take a comfy cushioned seat at Marbled & Fin in downtown Charleston. An army of staff in spiffy green dinner jackets and slim black ties await their marching orders near the kitchen entrance, offering smiles and nods as we’re escorted to a table.

We immediately notice how practiced they are at their jobs. ReCola cooler cocktail is served at Marbled & Fin, Sept. 18, 2024, in Charleston.

Before we can even get to ordering a cocktail, a complimentary one is on its way. A Nick and Nora glass is filled with a clear liquid that’s less boozy and more citrusy than we expect. The passion fruit gimlet is delivered next to a small silver tray with salmon mousse that we’re directed to spread on a paper-thin cracker.

Pharoah’s catnip cocktail is served at Marbled & Fin, Sept. 18, 2024, in Charleston. The same delivery takes place as diners take their seats across the room.

It marks the start .