This is a journal of our recent trip to Charleston, South Carlolina. If you’re thinking of venturing into this city, take a minute to look at where we ate… what you must try, and what’s worth skipping!
Friday, February 17, 2017:
- Check in at the Indigo Inn
- 9:00 Dinner at the Peninsula Grill
(4 / 5)
- Gin Blossoms (cocktail) – good, nothing crazy.
- Boulevardier (cocktail) – really good.
- Lobster 3 ways – amazing.
- Charcuterie – the tongue and country pate were great, but the liver mousse tasted precisely like vomit… this was my only criticism of the entire meal. I’m not sure what went wrong here, but it was horrific.
- Lump Crab Salad – delicious. Love the fried green tomatoes and the ratio of crab to salad – very generous.
- Ribeye Steak, cooked rare – literally the best piece of steak we’ve ever had.
- Coconut cake – amazing.
Saturday, February 18, 2017:
- 10:00 Brunch at Poogan’s Porch
(3 / 5)
- Bloody Mary – really, really great.
- Spring Spritzer (cocktail) – good.
- Pimiento fritters – good, heavy.
- Fried green tomatoes – good, a little boring.
- Shrimp and grits – really good.
- Biscuits – amazing.
- 12:00 Haircut and blowout at Aveda Salon (King Street) – big price tag and big disappointment
- 2:00 Lunch at Xiao Bao Biscuit
(5 / 5)
- They close at 2:00 for lunch, so we were really lucky they let us in.
- Taipei Storm (cocktail) – awesome.
- Sichuan Sting (cocktail) – awesome. That pepper leaves your mouth a little tingly and a little numb. Really cool.
- Okonomikayaki with pork candy – a reason for me to return to Charleston (again). One of the most amazing dishes of the trip. Absolute must.
- Som Tum with Chicken – incredible.
- 3:30 Nap/Relax
- 7:00 Dinner at The Obstinate Daughter (5 / 5)
- See my full review
- Don’t skip this place.
Sunday, February 19, 2017:
- 9:00 Breakfast in the hotel lobby
- 11:00 vacation presentation to get free tickets for touristy stuff
- 1:00 Carolina Polo Carriage Tour – really great
- 3:00 Lunch Artisan Meat Share (5 / 5)
- Draft beers – from Tradesman and Frothy Beard Breweries – awesome.
- Slice of head cheese – best head cheese we’ve ever had.
- Bun Mi Sandwich – best sandwich I’ve ever had. Must have.
- Side of Fried Tripe – amazing, salty and peppery.
- 4:00 Cocktails at Prohibition
(2 / 5)
- Bottle aged Manhattan – really great and smooth.
- Finches Fizz – a little too tart and a little boring. The bartender told me this drink is coming off of their upcoming menu and I could see why.
- Jason asked the bartender how many years the Pappy they had on the top shelf, and his condescending response was, “Oh that’s not even our expensive stuff.” He didn’t take the bottle Jason was asking about down, and didn’t offer any helpful information about the bourbon. This just rubbed me the wrong way.
- I also asked if I could see their food menu. I wasn’t interested in ordering anything, but was curious about what they offered. The bartender briskly told me that the kitchen was closed and walked away before I could explain myself.
- 7:30 Dinner at Edmund’s Oast (4 / 5)
- Beers: Gilded, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Bound by Time, and No More Brunch – all great, but my favorite has to be the Peanut Butter and Jelly just because of how much it really tastes like peanut butter and jelly. So weird and good. The rest were recommendations from our waiter and were each great.
- The Lee Roy Selmon (cocktail) – I’m trying to get into rums so I wanted to try this, but I wasn’t blown away by this drink.
- Chicken Liver Parfait – really awesome. A huge portion, and a nice light variation of a liver dish.
- Beef Tartare – really, really great. Interesting twist with gorgonzola cheese.
- Parmesan and Rutabaga Brodo – favorite dish of the night, not because of the agnolotti, but more because of the creamy soup it came in. So creamy and rich.
- Caesar Salad – great, awesome whole white anchovies in it. Loved the crispy toasted parsnip on top instead of croutons.
- Hanger Steak (rare) – really good. Steak was great and the “hashed crown” and egg on the side was a magical bite.
Monday, February 20, 2017:
- 9:00 Breakfast at Hominy Grill (4 / 5)
- We made it in right before the rush… we had no wait at all for our table, and by the time we left, there was a line down the block. Save yourself the long wait and go on a weekday early instead of peak brunch time on a weekend or holiday.
- Bloody Mary – great, but Poogan’s Porch’s version was better.
- Blackberry Collins (cocktails) – I’m not usually a vodka drinker, but this was a good one.
- Fried Hot Chicken on Buttermilk Pancakes – one of the best breakfasts I have ever had. This was a special. The chicken was oddly sweet and spicy at the same time, and the pancake was just perfect together with it. If you have the chance to order this, it’s a must.
- Country Breakfast – standard. Good.
- 10:00 – 1:30 Magnolia Plantation
- Self-guided walk through the gardens were absolutely beautiful.
- Nature train – a 45 minute guided tour through the swamp and grounds was really great. We saw plenty of alligators, turtles, birds, trees and flowers.
- 2:00 Lunch at 167 Raw (5 / 5)
- We arrived at 2:00, waited outside for about 5 minutes, and then were seated at the bar.
- Muscadet (white wine) – recommended by our bartender as a great pairing with oysters. I’m not usually a white wine drinker, but it was delicious.
- Jason did beers on tap, recommended by the bartended. All were great.
- 2 dozen oysters – we tried Cape Spears (North Brunswick), Salten Rock (Massachusetts), Mayflower Pt. (Massachusetts), and Butter Babies (Alabama). They were all wonderful, with the Butter Babies being the most delicate and light, and the Mayflower Pts. being the meatiest and briniest.
- Scallop Po’ Boy – so, so, so, so good. You need this. Must have.
- Lobster Roll – this was our “dessert,” and was the best lobster roll I’ve come across so far. Huge chunks of lobster, and the most amazingly buttery toasty bread. Must have.
- 3:30 Nap/Relax
- 7:00 Dinner at Fig (4 / 5)
- Strange Wind (cocktail) – really great.
- Zebra Question (cocktail) – a little weird, not my favorite. I wish it was served in a rocks glass instead of a large brandy balloon/goblet. I had to drink it from the small mixing straw and it was just weird.
- King Mackerel and Olives – delicious, beautiful, delicate.
- February “a la Grecque” – this was a medley of seasonal vegetables seasoned and served with a light parsley mousse. So light and different and simple.
- Spiced Carrot Soup – surprisingly this was one of my favorite dishes of the meal. Outrageous. Loved the pistachio in it.
- Ricotta Gnocchi and Lamb Bolognese – really light, delicate pasta. They were almost like miniature stuffed shells, with a firm outside and delicate creamy center. The sauce was silky, smooth, and flavorful.
- Chopped Chicken and Carolina Gold Rice – this was right along side the carrot soup as my absolute favorite part of the meal. Jason and I almost never order chicken at a restaurant, and this was without question the best preparation of chicken I’ve ever had. The chicken itself was tender and flavorful, but paired with the Carolina Gold rice, I scooped up every last morsel. Amazing. Must have.
- Butterscotch Pot de Creme – so silky, smooth, and delicious. The cookies that came with it were like pignoli cookies without the pine nuts, so basically almond paste and sugar… so yummy.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017:
- 8:30 Breakfast in the Indigo Inn courtyard – biscuits and gravy and coffee.
- 10:00 Watch mindless TV
- 11:00 Souvenir shopping in the market
- 12:00 Lunch at Jestine’s Kitchen (4 / 5)
- Waited outside for about 10-15 minutes, not bad at all. Just get in line, you don’t have to put down your name… it moves pretty quick.
- We wanted to pick a southern comfort food spot for lunch, and were deciding between Jestine’s, Martha Lou’s, and Bertha’s. We really only went with Jestine’s because it was so close to our hotel, but I am confident that each of these places would have been just as tasty.
- Sweet tea and unsweetened iced tea to drink – really good, but the sweet tea is just way too sweet for me.
- Corn Bread with honey butter – soooooo good.
- Fried Chicken Plate (2 pieces dark meat) with mac and cheese and red rice – the chicken and sides were all really delicious.
- Pecan Fried Whiting basket with fried okra and cole slaw – really, really tasty. The okra is still slimy, but less repulsive when deep fried (like anything). Fish was great.
- Coconut Cream Pie – this was a surprisingly light dessert, and really delicious, we finished every crumb.
- Despite a completely deep fried heavy sounding meal, we left not disgustingly full, and only spent $39 on the entire meal… pretty great!
- 1:30 walk along King Street and stop in the College of Charleston Bookstore.
- 3:00 Nap/Relax/Stupid TV/Read
- 6:30 Cocktails at the Rarebit (3 / 5)
- The French Intervention – very good.
- The Black Manhattan – good.
- 7:45 Dinner at The Ordinary (4 / 5)
- Good Form (cocktail) – a rum negroni. Great.
- Call Me Old Fashioned (cocktail) – a rum old fashioned. Really unusual and great.
- Milk Punch (cocktail) – eh. Tasty, but not my favorite.
- Blackberry Farms Brewery Saison (beer) – light and crisp.
- Crispy Oyster Sliders – insanely delicious. Must.
- Oysters – four Phat Ladies (South Carolina), four Caper’s Blades (South Carolina), two Wallace Boys (Nova Scotia), two Cattyhunk (Massachusetts). All so good. I love how the South Carolina oysters are longer and narrower, like razor clams. The others were larger and higher in salinity. Delicious.
- Jumbo Lump Blue Crab Toast – good.
- Bay Scallop Tart – really, really good. Must.
- Lobster Roll (warm) – so delicious, but I must say, I preferred the lobster roll at 167 Raw.
- Broccolini – really, really good.
- Secret Handshake (cold after dinner cocktail) – very unusual, but very good.
- Carolina Gold Rice Pudding – best rice pudding of all time. Must.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017:
- 9:00 Breakfast at Eli’s Table (2 / 5)
- Bloody Mary – good but still not as good as Poogan’s Porch.
- European Tour (cocktail) – good.
- Beignets – good, a little boring.
- Holy City Croque Madame – fine.
- Lowcountry Benedict – fine.
- Side of Bacon – normal.
- Just felt like a slightly unclean, frumpy, and boring place. It definitely didn’t live up to the hype that some people gave it.
- 1:00 Lunch at Paw Paw (3 / 5)
- Oven Roasted Butternut Bisque – really good, the crab was great.
- Fluffy Beignets – far superior to the beignets at Eli’s Table.
- East Boulevardier (cocktail) – really good.
- The Social Smoker (cocktail) – nice and smokey. Loved it.
- Word of Mouth (cocktail) – very subtle and tasty.
- The “Why Haven’t I met Bill Murray?” – this was a $25 smoked cocktail. It was really tasty and was cool to get the smokiness, but definitely not worth the price tag for an ounce and a half of Basil Hayden.
- 4:00 Watch tv/Relax/Nap
- 7:00 Dinner at McCrady’s Restaurant (3 / 5)
- This meal is a tasting menu; I posted the menu on my Instagram @bacon_boozer. Jason and I decided to keep our phones away for this meal in order to really savor and enjoy every moment, so you won’t find any photos of the food from me. For our seating, it was the two of us and just one other couple, so four people eating in total, with six or seven people working… while I’m sure this was an unusual exception, I’m just not sure how that works from a financial standpoint. Jason and I both just felt that something was missing throughout the meal. Our waiter and sommelier were super friendly, non-pretentious, and knowledgable, but the chef and his kitchen staff made no eye contact with us and promptly left when the last course was served, without any acknowledgement of the diners. Jason and I each did a cocktail to start and then a glass of wine later in the meal which were great. But for over $400 (when combining the meal, tax, tip, and drinks), I’m not sure it was worth it. We’re happy we got the McCrady’s tasting experience, but would probably never want or need to do it again, and would much rather spend under $200 on a meal at Peninsula grill with just as perfectly executed food and leave much fuller.
- 9:30 Cocktails at the Gin Joint (5 / 5)
- The Watson Stache – really great. This was the bartender’s choice based on my adjectives “herby” and “refreshing.” It really was just that.
- 3/4 ounce 15 year Pappy Van Winkle – smooth, but with an intense burn on the finish. Spicy and vanilla notes. Delicious.
- Gin Basil Smash – delicious.
- Old Fashioned – perfect.
- The Last Word – perfect.
- Cheese board with house pimento (so, so, so good), batter park brie, and derby sage – very good.
Thursday, February 23, 2017:
- 5:00 – 9:00 writhe in bed with a hangover
- 9:00 Breakfast in the hotel lobby
- 10:00 nap and writhe in bed some more
- 1:00 Lunch at Smoke BBQ (4 / 5)
- Sweetwater IPA (beer) – great.
- Smoked fashioned (cocktail) – a mezcal old fashioned; really, really good. Smoky, smooth, and sweet. Instant hangover cure.
- The Italian Job (cocktail) – basically an old fashioned with some absinthe – really good, really strong.
- Famous Smoke Wings – confit style, these were some of the best wings I have ever had. Basically sauce-less (you can dip in the hot or cream sauces provided, but don’t need to), these wings let the tender and delicious meat speak for itself. Must.
- Side of Bacon – crispy and delicious.
- The Tommy B. Monster Meat Sampler – this was comprised of slow smoked pulled pork, “true Texas” smoked brisket, smoked chicken confit, perfect “smoke style” ribs, and house smoked pastrami. The pastrami and the ribs were a touch overly salted, but that’s actually a plus in my book; I’m guessing a low sodium dieter probably wouldn’t be eating here, anyways. The pulled pork, chicken, and brisket were all completely magical. Like the wings, each meat was simple and unsauced, allowing you to add one of the house made sauces yourself, if so desired. But this also allowed you to taste the meat exactly as it is, and each bite was flavorful and perfect.
- Famous Hash and Grits – omg amazing. The brisket hash on top of this grits side was incredibly flavorful and addictive. Must.
- Brown Butter Mac & Cheese – good, nothing crazy.
- Shots of house made cinnamon whiskey – yum, surprisingly smooth.
- Owner and chef Roland Feldman spent some time talking to us about his bbq philosophy – allowing the hickory smoked meat to “sing” on its own. He’s busy working towards opening another location in Mount Pleasant, and I’m confident he will find continued success.
- 2:30 Scoop of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream with hot fudge from Republic Ice Cream – so good. There is always room for dessert.
- 3:00 Nap/Recover from lunch
- 5:00 Cocktails at the Bar at Husk
- 7:00 Light dinner at the Bar at FIG
- It was at this point that our bodies began to shut down and we no longer could indulge in full blown meals.
- 9:00 Walk off dinner
Friday, February 24, 2017:
- 9:00 Breakfast in the hotel courtyard
- 11:00 Ben and Jerry’s ice cream Sundae – the final Hoorah
- 12:00 final walk through the historic part of Charleston
While we enjoyed every sip and every bite of our vacation, we actually felt our bodies start to shut down by the end of the trip. Our next vacation is going to focus on more of a balance between doing stuff and eating/drinking stuff. Nonetheless, we had the best time ever, and would like to thank each chef that hosted us. Charleston is a very special (and delicious) place because of each of you.