CHARLESTON — Sea salt clings to a bulb of hand-pulled mozzarella. Each flake tingles on the tongue, the warm cheese’s creaminess a nice surprise when the salty sensation subsides.

Fresh tomato slices rest in a pool of balsamic vinegar at the bottom of a scalloped-edge plate with red trim. Brittle basil adds a wisp of crunch, along with notes of anise, to the caprese salad ($19) at Pelato , an Italian-American destination that debuted in May .

The tasty caprese is an example of Pelato (1085 Morrison Drive) at its best: good ingredients and standard preparations with a touch of flair. That it arrives mere moments after we place our order is a bonus — at least at first. It won’t be without friends for long.

Fried calamari ($16), eggplant-filled bread ($15) and stuffed cremini mushrooms

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