You Say "Tomato," I Say "The Bin"
An avocado for less than a dollar? Two vanilla beans for three? An ounce of cinnamon sticks for a buck fifty? I don’t think we’re in Charleston anymore.
As it turns out, we are—in a little place called the Vegetable Bin, tucked in between a hardware store and a downtown supermarket. This place is packed with culinary staples like bananas and almonds and a handful of more exotic finds (the vanilla beans, for example).
The best part? Dirt cheap. And so fresh you may even get some dirt with it.
The Vegetable Bin—“Veggie Bin” or even “The Bin” to its devoted followers—is something of a hidden gem…except that it’s not really hidden. A barnyard-like structure right off East Bay Street with a giant green “WHY PAY MORE?” sign, the building could hardly be called discreet, so it’s surprising that every Charlestonite old and new doesn’t know about it.
The ones who do, though, keep coming back. Over the years, the shop’s owner, Bill Leonard, has built relationships with countless customers and their families. “I have a lot of people come in here and tell me, ‘I came in here with my mother, or my father,’” he says. His vendors, mostly farmers, know him well, too. “We’re big on local stuff. All these farmers I’ve known all my life…I have dealt with their grandfathers, and their fathers, and them.” 
Leonard tries to keep it local as much as he can. If you really want to experience the best the Bin has to offer, he advises that you come in summer and come for peaches. “Right now we’re getting about 10% local, in two weeks we’re getting 90% local. Our biggest item we sell is peaches. They’ll be here in June.” The peaches are all from South Carolina, and they’re delivered to the store in handled baskets. “No chain is going to use those because they can’t ship them,” he explains. “They’re tree-ripened, and we’ll sell three or four hundred baskets a week.”
Maybe it’s just the peaches, or maybe Leonard himself has something to do with it. He is quite the charmer. “My birthday is on the 17th of this month, and I’m turning 85,” he tells us. “I’m thinking about starting to go after girls again.”
‘Tis the season for melons, apparently.
The Veggie Bin is located at 10 Society Street in downtown Charleston. It is open from 9-6 Monday-Friday and 9-5 on Saturday.
Story by: Sarah Pinson
Photos by: Hailey S. Ezekiel
Great article! I’m definitely going this weekend.
That’s what I’m talking about.
I try not to get worked up about stuff but I really really hate how Harris Teeter sells west coast peaches, in South Carolina, in the summer.
I will make sure my wife stops by here on mother’s day to do some picking.
Shopped there when they first opened and for many years…your article reminds me that I should return.
In the spirit of summer, here’s a recipe for bourbon-vanilla ice cream that uses those vanilla beans I am clearly so fond of:
(Adapted from restaurant critic Bill Addison)
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean
7 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup bourbon (I use Firefly sweet tea bourbon to lend a little more local flair)
1. Combine cream and milk in a medium saucepan. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the cream mixture.
2. Add the vanilla bean to the cream mixture and bring to just under a boil over medium heat. Remove the cream from the heat and steep, covered, for 20 minutes.
3. Combine the egg yolks with the sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk until the color lightens. Slowly whisk 1/4 cup of the hot cream into the egg mixture to temper it, then whisk the egg mixture back into the cream mixture. Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon without running.
4. Remove from heat and strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Add the vanilla extract and the bourbon.
5. Chill completely (at least 4 hours, or overnight) in the refrigerator, then freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.
I love this place. Especially the melons:)
I love the Vegetable Bin! I discovered it 2 years ago and tell everyone about it. I go at least twice a week in the summer, mostly for the peaches and squash.
Sounds so great, I wish I lived in Charleston so I could go!
OMG i have been patiently waiting for the peaches and i can not wait to hit up this “new” place. Charlie is the best for inside info!
Looking forward to peaches, tomatoes, and corn!
I love the Bin! The family is so friendly and helpful and I like that they get local produce at every opportunity. I never knew vegetables could be dirt cheap until the Bin reopened. Thank you Vegetable Bin for being such a great resource for our city!