By Liisa Sullivan

In the spring of 1973, the Old Fort Pub opened for business on Hilton Head Head Island in South Carolina. Named for its next door neighbor – Fort Mitchel – the Old Fort Pub had a distinct style from the beginning.

The idea, to create a “historical” building, was quite successful. First-time visitors still ask if the building is somehow associated with the fort. A miniature museum features a collection of Charles Fraser’s photos of the period and newly discovered photos of Union troops on Hilton Head.

In 1993, The Lowrey Group purchased the successful restaurant.  After a few months of refurbishing, the doors re-opened.  Today, chef Keith Josefiak is at the helm.  

Josefiak was born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit.  His training began with the Culinary Institute of America, where he earned a degree in Foodservice and Hospitality.  After graduation, he continued his training, working at five-star hotels in Lake Tahoe and Honolulu.

Upon returning to Michigan in the early 1980s, he was hired at the London Chop House, which was then under the direction of celebrated chef Jimmy Schmidt.   Chef Josefiak would spend the next 12 years working with Mr. Schmidt, opening the world-acclaimed Rattlesnake Club restaurants in Denver and Detroit, as well as the Adirondacks in Washington, D.C., in the historic Union Station.

In 1995 he graduated from the School for American Chefs at Beringer Vineyards in Napa Valley, California, under the direction of Madeleine Kamman.  Soon after, Josefiak relocated to Hilton Head where he opened Starfire Bistro and Starfire Wine Bar & Grill.

The restaurants were opened as a joint venture with Randy Bednar, whom he had met at the Rattlesnake Club.
“We always talked about starting our own place, but neither one of us really had the money for such a venture. Eventually, our big dreams combined with family funds and we opened Starfire Bistro on Hilton Head Island in 1995,” he says. “We had a successful run for about six years. Starfire was definitely one of my greatest achievements.”

After closing Starfire in late 2001, he briefly joined The Lowrey Group, working at both the Old Fort Pub and CQ’s restaurants. 
Shortly thereafter, he joined the Beaufort Inn as executive chef, overseeing the culinary staff to maintain the Inn’s dining room as one of the finest in the South, while gaining the AAA Four Diamond Award in 2003.

In late 2005, he rejoined Lowrey as executive chef of Old Fort Pub restaurant, where he strives to preserve and emphasize southern flavors and ingredients.

Today, among the most popular menu items are skillet roasted calamari with sun dried tomatoes, sweet garlic, olives and wilted greens; and Sea Island bouillabaisse with shrimp, scallops, crawfish, mussels, roasted tomatoes, tasso ham, and collard.  Other specialties include crab cakes with black-eyed peas, tasso ham, grape tomatoes, and herb cream; and filet mignon with chanterelles, hazelnut crust, pomegranate jus, and sweet potato tart.

Guests can enjoy these low-country favorites while taking in some of the best views on the island across Skull Creek.    
Chef Josefiak has plans for the future that include making the restaurant less of a “destination” and more of a “neighborhood hangout.”

“I really love the clientele on this island. The people who live here have traveled the world and are ‘foodies,’ if you will; they appreciate fine cuisine.”

Getting to Know
Chef Keith Josefiak

Culinary hero: Madeleine Kamman
Favorite cooking techniques:  Poaching, roasting
Three most essential ingredients:  Achiote paste, candied ginger, and pistachios
Favorite meal: Fried chicken
Most valuable kitchen tool: Kuhn Rikon vegetable peeler
Favorite restaurant: El Charro’s Mexican Restaurant in Fraser, Michigan (Josefiak worked there as a teen)