210: David Adedokun, The War Mouth (Columbia, SC)

It's not just the business of restaurants that is in dire straits right now, but also their placemaking as experimental labs of cultural creative expression. Roll up the garage door on The War Mouth in Columbia, SC, and you'll see a one-of-a-kind eclectic neighborhood joint in the truest sense, where whole hogs are smoking on the back patio, vegetables on the menu are whatever's in season, and bar manager David Adedokun is swirling stories and spirits together in a glass behind the bar. He's newer to that specific position at the restaurant but a mainstay on the scene for years, including as a bartender at Columbia's now-closed Speakeasy and behind a mic as musician and songwriter at many a music venue. His approach to the art of the bar grows out of his sense of community, from co-workers to customers at the bar, to the place he calls home, and that's the cup of good cheer we need this season.