It’s no secret that Charleston is currently undergoing a barbecue boom. In fact, last year the Washington Post called our city “the future of barbecue.” The list below is by no means all-inclusive, but they are my top 5 favorites of the many choices available. They’re the places that I keep raving about to friends, and where I bring out-of-town guests. Let’s take a look. Continue reading
Dining out can be very expensive in Charleston. For lunch, visitors usually don’t want to spend a ton of money, yet they don’t want to go to a chain restaurant either.
Here are my top 5 favorite places to go for lunch in downtown Charleston:
Centrally located on Broad Street, this quaint cafe serves French classics at low prices. Dining is European, meaning the space is crowded and most likely you will be sitting at a bar top knocking elbows with a stranger. But the food is so delicious. I’ve ordered the ham croq’ monsieur on sourdough with melted cheese ($6) and an Earl Grey iced tea ($3). Vegetarian and vegan options are available.
The charming city of Savannah is an easy two-hour drive from Charleston. We usually try to go once a year. The city is known for its unique historic district laid out in a series of squares. One of our favorite things to do (if it’s not too hot) is to walk around the squares and marvel at the beautiful city parks and decadent southern homes. Savannah has a more haunted, Southern Gothic feel to the city than Charleston. It’s no wonder: the city is the birthplace of writer Flannery O’Connor and the setting for the true crime book/film Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Continue reading
There are several reasons why locals love Folly Beach: the breezy, laid-back atmosphere, miles of sandy beaches, and its reputation as one of the best places to surf on the east coast. With an abundance of short-term rentals and eclectic shops and bars, the island is a popular destination for spring breakers. Below are my tips for spending a fun-filled week on Folly. Continue reading
California and firecracker rolls at O-Ku.
Don’t you love it when a random Wednesday turns into date night? Hoping to get into the Christmas spirit, we bought tickets for the screening of It’s a Wonderful Life at the Charleston Music Hall. Since we already went over our budget for this month (hello last-minute Christmas shopping!), we were looking for some place inexpensive to grab a quick dinner before the show.
We went to O-Ku on Upper King for half price sushi rolls–their happy hour is held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 5-7, and also includes half price cocktails and Sake. We sat at the sushi bar and watched the chefs prepare our rolls. Continue reading
Sliced brisket sandwich ($10.50) and the pulled pork sandwich ($9).
Charleston is not lacking in barbecue restaurants. Most of them serve the classic Carolina style: pulled pork with a mustard-based sauce. There are several places that do this wonderfully (Melvin’s, Home Team, Bessinger’s). Continue reading
We visited Leon’s during a surprise tropical storm in mid-September. I describe it as a surprise because the storm formed on land, which no one was really expecting. The sky was gray and it had rained buckets on the city all day. Comfort food was what we needed, preferably fried in lard and seasoned with Old Bay. Continue reading