BLACKSHEEP

Beaufort’s Above-Average Dinner Party

story by ERIN WALLACE          photos by PAUL NURNBERG

A couple new to Beaufort steps into a newly established restaurant close to their apartment that caught their eye during the pandemic. After just one bite of a three-course meal, consisting of marinated mussels, parsley aioli mushrooms, and beans with octopus, the homesick husband is immediately transported back to his hometown in Catalonia, Spain. After their unforgettable first experience, they return to this neighborhood restaurant once a month, excited to see where they would be teleported next as the menu changes every month.

This restaurant is Blacksheep. It is nestled in a small building with Owner Matt Wallace and General Manager Krista Duffy running the whole show. The restaurant seats 14 people, the lights are dim, the room is cozy, the music is enchanting, and the curiosity of what the new menu for that month will bring to your table is overwhelmingly exciting. Even the space is specifically curated to give you the notion that you’ve walked into an above-average dinner party. If you’re like me or just about anyone who uncovers this hidden gem for the first time, you will beat yourself up that you didn’t find Blacksheep sooner. If you go to Blacksheep’s website, you’ll read the words: “Blacksheep is modeled after the spirit of what restaurants have been forever — a neighborhood place where food is the conduit for community,” and that could not be more accurate.

Cooking is what Matt has always known. Eating the food from his mom and his grandmothers, all three who were extraordinary cooks, imprinted an indelible love of food upon his life. Overall, food was central to Matt’s family story, but as for Matt’s individual story, he didn’t start in the food industry until after ten years of healthcare work. Matt was on the management side of things in a hospital setting and was highly successful, but he never liked it as it just never resonated with him. Although a career in food was always on the forefront of Matt’s mind, at age 27, with an impressive salary, paid time off, and healthcare benefits, he took stock of what was truly important to him. He realized it was finally time to pursue his long-lost love of all things food. Over the next ten years, Matt worked jobs in the food industry as a manager and chef, but not necessarily impacting food as much as he would have liked. Though in the back of his mind, he knew that his time would come to open up a place of his own, which helped keep the fire within him burning in moving forward. I asked Matt if he felt like everything in his life prepared him for where he is now with Blacksheep, and he said without hesitation: “No, because the only way to get to know how to do this is to do this.” A profound statement to a question the world typically answers “yes” to, I found his answer refreshing and applicable to just about any area of our lives.

Many wonder why the restaurant is called Blacksheep. The idea originated in Matt’s journey through the food industry, where he longed to be mentored but never found a willing sage to guide him. To counteract this, Matt made it a priority to mentor others. One of his mentees, Brandon, has been a real lighthouse for him. They met each other at pivotal times of their lives, and through seeing Matt’s impact on Brandon through food, he was reminded that “sometimes the best possible scenario for all of us is to listen to whatever light shines inside of you and follow that recklessly and relentlessly.” Therefore, it’s not about always walking the straightest path that gets you to where you need to be. Instead, it’s walking against the grain, and this path brought him to where he is with Blacksheep.

If you’ve met Krista and Matt, you’re swiftly enraptured by their easygoing nature, relatability, and overall authenticity. They make you feel incredibly welcomed as soon as you enter their doors; you feel like you’ve been friends with them forever. Though they have guests dining for about 20 hours a week, they work a staggering amount of hours outside of that timeframe doing planning and preparation. It is just the two of them maintaining this restaurant that offers a distinct 3-course meal (excluding dessert) with an all-new monthly menu rotation!

So how did this indefatigable duo join forces? Matt and Krista originally crossed paths at sister restaurants in 2019, with Krista as the GM at Local Pie in Bluffton when she onboarded Matt as the GM at Hilton Head Local Pie, where he was initially the chef. They become fast friends through their interactions in the same position. Matt had finally saved “enough” money to open his restaurant, and Krista had personal goals of a new beginning in Spring 2022, so she made the leap to Blacksheep. At this time, Krista had not eaten much of Matt’s cooking. She mentioned one of the first dishes she tried “was a soup that wasn’t even served out of a proper bowl,” though Matt was quick to chime in that it was “clean!” As they each told their side of the story with laughter, their dynamic chemistry as friends and coworkers is unmissable.

If you’ve heard anything about Blacksheep, you’ve probably also heard how fast reservations fill up on their website. This has been a mixed bag that has caused much consternation for Matt and Krista. On the one hand, they are encouraged that the work they put in has enraptured the hearts and appetites of so many, but on the other hand, they are often misunderstood by some who feel that it is too difficult to book a reservation. The Blacksheep duo emphatically clarified that regardless if you’re a regular or want to go for the first time for some special occasion, everyone is invited to participate in this otherworldly dinner experience. It is not impossible to get a reservation! As Matt stated, “It’s not a restaurant for 20 people. It’s for everyone.” Krista is in charge of their Instagram page titled blacksheeponboundary, and whenever they get a cancellation which often happens, at least once a week, she posts the available opening on their page. As soon as you see the “post” on her story, you click the link on their Instagram page, and the rest is history.

Compounding Matt and Krista’s love for the community, when I asked them what makes Blacksheep worth getting out of bed in the morning, without hesitation, they said the people who walk through their doors. Then, with deep gratitude in their voices, they filled me in on the countless people that mentioned how a particular meal Matt made reminded them of their grandmother who passed away, or how this one meal brought them back to a moment in a significant part of their life. The stories are seemingly endless. There are often tears when these individuals share their stories with both Matt and Krista, and it truly goes to show that these two remarkable human beings are creating more than just a place to eat good food. It’s a home away from home, a safe haven that began at the start of the pandemic over two years ago.

Once Covid entered the scene, Blacksheep took all of the precautions necessary to be safe yet still carry on business; hence, the limited seating and reservations made ahead of time. Lucky for Matt and Krista, they hadn’t even opened their doors for business quite yet, so what they started with is still how they operate today from Wednesday to Saturday (the only days they’re open). When this darling little restaurant opened its doors during the pandemic’s peak, guests could finally escape their homes and feel safe in our quaint little town. It’s unique and exquisite food right in front of their eyes; it’s a celebration with those around you at the table. It was a formative time, and as Matt says, “The people defined the restaurant.” Blacksheep opened at the perfect time for Beaufort. It is a restaurant where one can relax and be oneself while eating food that speaks to you. And maybe you can experience a transcendent bite that transports you to a moment in memory that you may have thought was lost forever.