We went to Charleston in late March and ate at many places that were previously mentioned but I wanted to add another, Xiao Bao Biscuit, to the list. It's in an old gas station a bit off the beaten path and has really fantastic food. It is primarily Asian fusion, which I'm normally not a big fan of, but the flavors are really bold and exciting and everything is supremely fresh. Lots of spicy food and updated versions of classic dishes like Kung Pao Chicken (Gong Bao Ji on their menu). We ate about 5 different items between the two of us and enjoyed it so much we were all set to go back for lunch the next day (high praise when we had limited time and a lot of restaurants on our list) but got there too late and they were closing for the turnaround to dinner. Sad!

The menu changes frequently. At the time we went they only had about half the items that were on the online menu and the rest were new. From the current menu, in addition to the chicken, we also had the Brussels sprouts and eggplant dish and the Banh He, both of which were excellent. The other things we had have cycled off the menu.

Xiao Bao Biscuit
224 Rutledge Ave.
http://xiaobaobiscuit.com/

We also had a very nice lunch at XBB recently. Ours was on a gloriously sunny day in early April . . .


Xiao Bao Biscuit - 224 Rutledge Ave, Charleston



Beverages



Okonomiyaki | Japanese cabbage pancake with egg and bacon added (for $1 and $2 respectively)



Bun Thit Ga | chicken, vermicelli, carrots, herbs (daily special)



Som Tum with Chicken | black bean fried chicken over rice and spicy papaya salad



Pad Kra Pao | ground beef, thai chili, basil and garlic, with roasted green beans and fried egg over rice (daily special)



Mapo Dofou | spicy Sichuan tofu in chili oil and broad bean over rice with ground pork added (for $2)

I really liked the food and thought the dishes were enjoyable and fun -- and certainly distinctive for Charleston. Otoh, coming from Chicago, where many of these dishes are available in a more 'balls to the wall' style, I found the flavors a bit muted. But the preparations and the ingredient quality were both very high. It's certainly worth checking out if you're visiting (especially on a longer visit) but if I lived in Charleston, I'd be eating here all the time.

=R=

Newer spot Edmund's Oast was one of our favorite meals last week in Charleston. We had 5-6 dishes, all exquisite.

Pickled shrimp toast, fried carrots and chicken & crab porridge all wonderful. They are a brewery as well, though haven't yet started brewing on site, but had a very impressive 36-40 craft taps of.

Speaking of beer, Westbrook Brewery is definitely worth checking out if you're the taproom type. Their IPA is one of my more recent favorites, and they had a really interesting Imperial Stout on last week called Mexican Cake

jfibro wrote:Newer spot Edmund's Oast was one of our favorite meals last week in Charleston. We had 5-6 dishes, all exquisite.

Good to hear. I'm really sorry we didn't get there on our most recent trip. It's owned by the same folks who own the Charleston Beer Exchange (about which I posted upthread), which is a great shop.

=R=

Edmund's Oast
1081 Morrison Dr
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 727-1145

Charleston Beer Exchange
14 Exchange St
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 577-5446

Our consensus favorite meal during our most recent trip to Charleston was at FIG. It was our first time in but it certainly won't be our last. We loved everything about it. The bar, the space, the food and the service were all exceptional. If you're into food and dining at all, you owe it yourself to have at least one meal here (I'm sorry for the poor pictures but it was really dark in there) . . .


FIG (Food Is Good) - 232 Meeting St, Charleston, SC



Bread | from Normandy Farm Artisan Bakery
Fantastic bread, especially the hearthy one on the right. I'm not sure if these are baked exclusively for FIG or if they're also available at Normandy. We visited there late in the day (before our meal at FIG) and didn't see them on the shelf but what we did buy there was excellent. The place is definitely worth a visit.



Capers Blades Oysters | horseradish, mignonette, lemon
A great start to our meal. I'd read about these proprietary oysters but hadn't tried them before. They were clean and briney with just a touch of sweetness. They were so perfect that the horseradish, mignonette and lemon went completely untouched.



La Lune 2011
A nice, food-friendly bottle of Chenin Blanc that we enjoyed throughout the meal.



Suckling Pig Head Cheese & Chicken Liver Pate | pickles, gribiche, brioche (not pictured)
Expertly prepared renditions across the board -- rich, satisfying and flavorful.



Ricotta Gnocchi | Sea Island Grass-Fed Jersey Bolognese
Light gnocchi and some insanely decadent Bolognese.



Chilled and Marinated Razor Clams | fennel, golden raisin, pine nut
Great flavors and textures all worked together here.



Fish Stew in Cocotte | white shrimp, squid, mussel, potato, rouille
This main course was a perfectly cooked and delicious potpourrie of phenomenal seafood. FIG turned out seafood that was superior to that served at a few places in Charleston that supposedly specialize in it.



Eden Farm Pork Schnitzel | polenta spin rosso, braised carrot, mache, natural jus
I got one awesome bite of this before my son made it disappear.



Roasted Alabama Ribeye | salt potato, arugula, maitre d'hotel butter, bordelaise
First time ever having an Alabama ribeye (at least that I know of). It was a great prep -- on the rare side of medium-rare (as requested) and paired nicely with the rich bordelaise and peppery arugula.



Sides: Sauteed Greens | garlic, chile, Roasted Snap Beans | chorizo, sweet onion
Both excellent. I loved how the ancillary components were combined with the main ingredients.



Sticky Sorghum Cake | Calvados ice cream
This was my favorite of the 3 desserts we ordered. The cake had a lightly crispy exterior, a moist interior and a complex, long-lasting flavor. The Calvados ice cream was an inspired accompaniment.



Meyer Lemon Pudding | sour cherry compote, mascarpone, shortbread
Loved the combination of the lemon and cherries. Their multi-faceted tartness was foiled perfectly by the mascarpone and butterylicious shortbead.



Chocolate Espresso Cake | almond, mint chocolate chip ice cream
All meals must end in chocolate -- and this was a most worthy finish.

I mentioned above how great the service was but I just wanted to reiterate that seriously important point. Our server, Philip, was phenomenal. A Charleston native, he knew a ton about the region and the farms from which the ingredients were sourced. And being an industry veteran, he knew even more about the best places to eat and drink in and around town. It was a pure pleasure having such a seasoned, knowledgeable professional taking care of us . . . and even answering our query about other places in town he thought we'd be into. The day after this dinner, we ran into him having lunch at Butcher and Bee (see post upthread). Clearly, this is a man knows his stuff, and his generosity reflected the very best of the spirit of Charleston, a city we have come to love over our multiple visits.

=R=

FIG (website)
232 Meeting St
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 805-5900

Normandy Farm Artisan Bakery (website)
19 Broad St
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 789-4509

Ronnie-

Great post. Charleston is on my list for a trip someday. I have to laugh -- your "poor pictures" are better than my good pictures will ever be.

I recently had the pleasure of attending a 4 day conference in the Historic District of Charleston and managed to get a lot of good eating in despite lack of a car.

I hit up Rarebit, Kudu Coffee & Craft Beer, Xiao Bao Biscuit, Two Boroughs Larder, Hominy Grill, The Belmont, Virginia's on King, Poogan's Porch, Proof, The Ordinary, The Grocery, the Saturday morning Farmers Market, Leon's Oyster Shop, Jeni's Ice Cream (just opened), Gin Joint, Cypress, and Husk (make reservations FAR in advance).

My top experiences were probably at Hominy Grill, The Ordinary & Husk. The Saturday AM Farmers Market was really fun as well.

I wish I'd had time to hit up the Macintosh (esp their bacon happy hour), and do more than just "sample" Cypress & the Grocery.

--

The Rarebit: Late lunch on a Weds afternoon at the bar after a multitude of flight delays and rebookings. Nice bartender, formerly from NYC (of course, I always end up meeting people who used to live in NYC when I go out of town). Gorgeous, perfect grilled shrimp on my Cobb salad. Not ashamed to say I wiped the plate clean. Deliciously spicy Moscow Mule. Beautifully weathered mugs. Loved the space. Conveniently located to the Hampton Inn. Would love to have this spot in my neighborhood. Reminded me a bit of the retro venues in Palm Springs, CA.

Kudu Coffee & Craft Beer: Lovely spot to sit on the patio & drink am iced coffee between conference session breaks. Very peaceful, just off King St. Liked the building it was in; didn't seem like a business at first.

Xiao Bao Biscuit: A little piece of Brooklyn in Charleston? Extremely hip. Interesting drink list. Had dinner here at the bar, friend met me here, and wasn't too crowded or busy. It was Wednesday night, though. I'd been bracing myself for bigger crowds. I had a Taipei Storm with Goslings, sloe gin, coconut milk. Crispy mapo duck with greens and savory broad bean chili sauce was good but hard to eat as it was 1/2 a duck and not cut up into smaller pieces. Felt a bit medieval tearing apart the duck leg, thigh, etc with my hands. Well prepared and tasty though. Couldn't finish my food. Probably best to come here with a group. Friend later raved about a biscuit sandwich he'd had during lunch.

Two Boroughs Larder: A short walk off of King Street. Nice lunch here with a small group. Clammer Dave's clams were fresh, briny, meaty, paired well with ramps and pancetta and peas. The arugula salad with snap peas, fava beans, shaved duck egg yolk and some shaved ham was also good, but very heavy on the peas. More of a pea salad than an arugula salad. Inadvertent lunch of mostly peas! Pretty quiet here on a weekday for lunch. Charming space, good fresh food, but I could see how some feel the portions are too petit.

NB: While I had read that much of "Downtown" was walkable, the area directly west of King St where XBB, Hominy Grill, and 2BL are located didn't seem to have electronic walk signs at more than a few signaled intersections (at least those that I I encountered), and the sidewalk was very narrow / uneven / broken up in places.

Hominy Grill: I ate dinner on the patio here. Humid! Short wait, maybe 10 minutes. Groups of two or more were quoted long wait times of 45-60 especially if they wanted to sit inside. Super sweet host and servers. Reservations definitely recommended. Perhaps because of the Penn and Teller show, or just general tourist traffic, on a Thursday. Loved the silky she crab soup, with just the slightest hint of spiciness at the end of the cup. The fragrant and savory shrimp and grits with bacon and mushrooms were wonderful but too large a portion size for me. No room for dessert. Great spot.

The Belmont: Quick nightcap of a Shark Week. Deliciously refreshing, with rum, citrus, dry vermouth, became more tart and dry as the Campari ice cubes melted. Liked the way the menu was set up with icons describing the drinks. Would definitely come back.

Virginia's on King: Solid breakfast here of biscuit, fried country ham, eggs. Convenient to my hotel and conference, decent coffee.

Poogan's Porch: A friend really wanted to go to Husk for lunch this day so we hightailed it down King St from John St only to be quoted an hour long wait. Went next door instead as we were short on time. The special of fried okra with Parmesan and balsamic was awesome. Great combo of flavors. Famous fried chicken salad was solid but not revelatory. Liked the creamy jalapeño dressing. Enormous salad, couldn't finish. Thought my friend's she crab soup was good--thicker and more creamy than Hominy Grill's (not necessarily a good or bad thing, just different). Biscuits here also seems rather sweet; not sure if that's a stylistic thing?

Proof: Fun bar around the corner from the conference. Had a Charleston Buck which was gingery and refreshing. Soup du jour was the Tears of Our Enemies. I didn't try any. Happy hour seemed very quiet.

The Ordinary: Phenomenal. Amazing place. Beautiful space in a former bank with lofty ceilings. Sat down at a mainly empty bar around 5:30 on a Friday. The bar slowly filled with more people but wasn't at full capacity while I was there. Had a few wonderful Caper's Blade oysters. Briny, delicate, as big as my hand. I knew I had to order them when the bartender mentioned they'd be out of season soon. Next was their famous banh mi style slider with a fried oyster. Tasty but perhaps over hyped? I thought the sweet Hawaiian roll was a bit much. But oh those hickory smoked oysters with butter & old bay saltines, coriander aioli, and housemade Fresno chili pepper sauce. Damn. That is one fine dish. Would eat here again and again.

The Grocery: After having oysters three different ways, I headed across the street for some non-seafood snacking. The pork skin pad Thai was great. Very interesting concept, thinly sliced strands of pork belly. Chewy and meaty, with peanuts, sprouts, lime, some chili sauce. Rest of the menu looked good as well.

Charleston Farmers Market: Breakfast on a warm sunny day was a crispy chicken biscuit with jalapeños and three year pimento cheese from Outta My Huevos. And lots of iced coffee on a very humid day. Definitely hit the spot. The other options looked great as well.

Leon's Fine Poultry & Oysters: Grabbed a cab here for lunch. Nice char grilled oysters, perhaps a touch heavy on the butter and Parmesan, but that might just be me. Also had the iceberg stack salad with shrimp. (The shrimp in Charleston is just so dang good.) A delicious buttermilk dressing with tons of fragrant fresh dill. Very good if slightly over dressed.

Jeni's: A little ice cream sandwich with salted caramel and toasted almonds was refreshing on a muggy, rainy Saturday.

Gin Joint: After a walk along Waterfront Park, grabbed the last open bar stool here for a Yosemite Sam (a citrusy drink with tequila, lime, grapefruit, Aperol, and red pepper jam). Vegetal, refreshing. The lone bartender holding down the fort on a busy Saturday evening was doing a great job.

Cypress: Made my way over to the bar in the mezzanine at Cypress for a snack. Three spreadable salamis with grilled bread. The spicy, dark nduja was my favorite though I did like the sweet fennel spread and the salsa verde. It was a lot of food for one person, and I was starting to get full... The rest of the bar menu looked amazing, though.

Husk: Finally, Husk. Got a seat on the balcony as the sun was setting. Wonderful, charming setting. I could move in here. I ordered two appetizers, hoping I could squeeze in more food. The crispy pig's ear lettuce wraps were sweet and crunchy and porky, served with kimchee style cucumber. I noshed my way to 3 and 1/2 out of 5, wishing I'd packed a second stomach. Tried some of the pimento cheese with crispy ham on benne crackers. Creamy and savory and delicious but I ended up taking most of it back to the hotel, having seriously misjudged portion sizes.

Sat a while on the balcony marveling at the enchanted setting, and then strolled back up King St, happy but exhausted, and not looking forward to the early morning flight home.

Charleston, Day 1: After a five hour drive, our first stop in Charleston was early Saturday afternoon at Charlie Brown's Seafood.



So superb that a return visit was mandatory our day of departure one week later. A well balanced cornmeal based coating caught all of the hot garlic oily richness. For us, dining was al fresco at our car trunk atop our cooler. You crack the claws with your teeth and suck out as much meat as possible. Our first crab's shell was somewhat soft, so cracking came easily and we even could get the claw meat out no problem. You then pull the legs and eat them. Whole. Crunchy. Garlic-y and crisp--like salt and pepper shrimp shells. Then finally, the reward: the crabs are cleaned before frying so what's left now is the softer underbelly shell and all the lump meat. Hot, crispy, garlic-y. MORE!

Jumbo Hot Garlic Jacksonville Fried Crab



The flounder dinner included several sides. We just had the fried okra and hushpuppies. Both estimable. And yes--we had old fashioned handi-wipes in the car (note--these seem to be very hard to find these days).

Next up was EVO in the Park Circle area of North Charleston for artisanal pizza. Not much to say, it didn't call us back--over cheesed which although hand made was intensely over salted, doughy crust for this style but good sauce. We seemed the outlier, all around us were celebratory locals in communion with tattooed staff. Excellent sourdough boule from the EVO Craft bakery in back.

Dinner was at Lana, a small bistro scale place which shares the Uptown Charleston intersection with Hominy Grill and Two Boroughs Larder. Excellent local sourcing evidenced by the baby arugula and b-line red snapper identical to what we saw stiff and clear eyed at $6.99 per pound at Charlie Brown's Seafood earlier that day.

Lamb spanakoprita:



Local baby arugula and feta:




Pan roasted b-liner snapper amply portioned at 7-8 ounces per filet (b-liners are thicker fleshed and not so wide belly to backbone as more common 'Lane' snappers) atop deconstructed chilled ratatouille featuring local tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant:




Photo shy: Lemon olive oil pound cake and fresh berries, espresso ice cream and chocolate flourless cake.

Excellent craft cocktails and a price approachable wine list. We will definitely return

End day 1.

Lana Restaurant

Charlie Brown's Seafood

EVO Craft Bakery

Charleston, Georgetown and Orangeburg SC

Mt. Pleasant.
Boone Hall Market Cafe.
Heading north to Georgetown and the beaches just beyond, at the northernmost reach of Mt. Pleasant we passed the large Boone Hall farm stand on the opposite side of the road surrounded by fields, then the cafe on the northbound side.

One of the Sunday specials was an $8.95 Shrimp and Grits, so I figured at that price I should forego my instinctive aversion to cheese, corn meal and shrimp with smoky andouille. And I'm glad I did. In summary, every time we switched plates I inwardly tried to grab back this very tasty bowl.


The similarly priced short rib special with fried okra was no slouch either.


They make their own ice cream, and it was good. Maybe not drive out of your way good, but better than any port in a storm good.

For the permanent record:


Georgetown
The third oldest town in SC, a fabulous natural harbor and still a thriving International Paper paper mill. Pray for friendly winds when you visit. Independent Seafood, a wholesale/retail shrimp dock directly on the harbor was where we sourced fresh shrimp, flounder and grouper. And a $4.95 bag of locally ground white grits when similar products were $8.95 everywhere else.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Independ ... 5444130589

All this bounty resulted in another first--shrimp and grits a la casa. Shameless admission--I had packed andouille in advance anticipating just such an occasion.


Grouper with linguine and marinara (photo shy) and flounder buerre noire.


Back in Charleston for our last day/night, lunch at Bertha's Kitchen in North Charleston. Superior buttermilk brined fried chicken, vg mac and cheese and collards, so so red rice, okra and tomatoes and lima beans and execrably sweet cornbread.


Before siesta, terrific ice cream at the absolute cleanest, best run cafe/fast food stand ever, anywhere. Ice cream was Kemp's Double Cream low over run restaurant pack, not too sweet and truly terrific at Ye Olde Cafe. A run don't walk for everything they serve.



Orangeburg.
This agricultural town is about 35 minutes south of Columbia and maybe 80 min north of Charleston. It's where, we found the local farmers market at the fairgrounds transformed into Family Fun day. Camo clad buzz cut youths were directing parking. "Is there a farmer's market" I asked. "No. Family Fun. Move on." "But I just want to buy vegetables" I said. "Family Fun only. Move on."

On the way out of town we found the Brown Derby II. It was 11:10AM Saturday when we pulled into the empty sun baked parking lot. It looked like a juke joint the morning after. Inside, however, we found treasure.

A flat out, run don't walk make it point to get there at the top of your bucket list humble chef driven neighborhood soul food place. They opened at 11, and were still getting ready. This is the first thing we saw


The bill of fare:


What we ate, and would eat gladly again and again. Not sweet cornbread (thank goodness), excellent collards and fried okra.


Pit cooked ribs (next time I'll ask for the mustard based sauce on the side)


And after 20 minutes of cooked to order bliss--excellent fried chicken.


The view from outside.


Brown Derby II, 1397 Belleville Rd, Orangeburg, SC 29115

This is such a great thread, in the best LTH tradition.

We are driving between Charleston and Savannah twice on a trip later this month (once in each direction), with no hurry either way. Does any of the recent Charleston intel extend southwest into the Lowcountry? Anything Charleston travelers also have enjoyed (recently or historically) at the Savannah end of highway 17?

Santander wrote:This is such a great thread, in the best LTH tradition.

We are driving between Charleston and Savannah twice on a trip later this month (once in each direction), with no hurry either way. Does any of the recent Charleston intel extend southwest into the Lowcountry? Anything Charleston travelers also have enjoyed (recently or historically) at the Savannah end of highway 17?

Spent a little time in both Savannah and Charleston last month - enough for about 3 meals in Charleston, similar number in Savannah...both are just gorgeous cities with terrific food (and drinks), very much worth spending time in. I envy your trip already

In Charleston, a lot of places are listed above - did Hominy Grill for the shrimp-and-grits, which was as good as advertised. Not really downscale food, the way one might expect it to be (its "only" shrimp and grits, after all) - the prices are up there. But a dish very much worth getting. (The she-crab soup was decent..and the biscuits not bad either. Both, obviously, much better than in our vicinity - but neither blew me away. I had a lot of biscuits on my trip, and the single best ones were at Tupelo Honey in Knoxville, TN).

Also in Charleston, stopped in at Boxcar Betty. Charleston has several places that seem to battle for "best fried chicken sandwich" - and Boxcar Betty, a tiny little spot that opened only a few months ago, offers up a terrific version, a worthy contender for the top spot.

Also hit Fiery Ron's in Charleston a couple of times - not bad, but frankly none of the BBQ in Charleston/Savannah (the little I tried) blew me away, there is better to be had in other parts of the South, I think. (Smokin Pig in Valdosta is much better than anything in this area, IMHO).

In Savannah - the single best place you should IMHO not miss on this drive is Narobia's Grits and Gravy (recommended elsewhere on this site). The Seafood Omlette was recommended on LTH, and is awesome. The "Smothered Shrimp" with Grits is just fantastic - I got that *twice* on 2 trips (its just smothered shrimp as a breakfast item - you can get it iwth toast if you wish, but the waiter recommended grits for it. And its *great*). All their breakfast stuff, really, is terrific - took a couple of breakfast sandwiches with me that were consumed much later, and those were very good too.

Also in Savannah - explored a downscale spot that is very LTH, but not reported on here at all...Bobo's Seafood Market. Very very good "low country boil" - and a huge amount of fresh seafood for a ridiculously low price (about 10 bucks would be enough for 2 meals). A bit "Chicago-south-side-y" in its lack of atmosphere and its carry-out-only ethos (tho Asian owned, it seemed, from everyone behind the counter) - but terrific food at terrific prices.

Oh, and if youre driving the 17, you'll pass 2 different stores of the "Carolina Cider Company" I think its called. Id recommend a stop. They have lots of things to sample - which might help you narrow down some things you might want (some outstanding flavored butters, spreads, honeys etc). And, of course, ciders - I actually brought a Strawberry Cider back with me, it was quite excellent.

c8w

"(Smokin Pig in Valdosta is much better than anything in this area, IMHO)."

Smokin Pig does have surprisingly decent barbecue for an institutional operation. It's two locations in Valdosta and Macon are huge buildings with bus parking, salad bar, ice cream bar and gift items. They also operate Ole Times Country Buffet and Mama June's. A better choice near Savannah would be Gerald's Pig & Shrimp, an open air operation on the side of US 80 heading into Tybee Island. Wall's BBQ In savannah is also recommended.

Thanks for the great recommendations. I happened to have a beer with Tybee Gerald (whose interactions with Tripadvisor are legendary, and worth a browse), but he was not cooking that day.

This is what we hit there and back again, most quite recommendable.

Tattooed Moose (http://tattooedmoose.com/), Charleston craft pub, one of the only places opened late enough on a Thursday for our hankering. Featured on Triple D, packed a great beer list, really good Cuban sandwiches with house pickles, Cobb salad with lardons, sharp bleu, pickled eggs, avocado, smoked turkey by their butcher shop, totally reasonable prices (a recurring theme in the Lowcountry).

Two Boroughs Larder (http://twoboroughslarder.com/), Charleston, which Ronnie mentioned earlier. They open at 10 AM and have some stellar breakfast sandwiches due to affiliated butchery and baking. This was Publican Plus at a good value, from bacon and egg on boule to cotechino and fried peppers and salty scrapple, great coffee, intriguing arts and crafts and market offerings. They were also fantastic with kids. Very near the worthwhile South Carolina Aquarium.

Carolina Cider Company (http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Over ... er-company), 17 towards Savannah, cited by c8w, very quiet during lowseason but well-stocked with tangy ciders and some rustic, staining, crunchy, rich blueberry pie the kids picked. This is very near the Old Sheldon Church ruins which are really worth the short detour, haunting anytime of day (http://www.sciway.net/sc-photos/beaufor ... hurch.html).

80 East Gastropub (http://www.80eastgastropub.com/), Tybee. This is a new venture by the well-known Sundae Cafe folks, and is notable for being a gastropub literally in a gas station. It was ridiculously packed and competently staffed and had some solid wings (including Dr. Pepper flavor) and smoked duck flatbread accompanying a nationally-selected list with some less common locals. I am bummed to see checking the link that the executive chef passed away two days ago.

The Breakfast Club (http://thebreakfastclubtybee.com/styled-10/index.html), Tybee. Entertainingly managed by loud Blackhawks fans. Pecan maple waffle with smashed chorizo patty, egg over easy with Texas Pete, and a side of shrimp and grits. I'm just not sure what could go wrong here, and I'd eat there every morning if there wasn't an hour line in high season like the last time we were there.

Lighthouse Pizza (http://lighthousepizza.net/), Tybee, not destination pie, but totally credible hand-tossed puffy dough with tangy sauce and reasonable real cheese. Shaved ice, dessert pizzas, breadsticks, salad and baked pastas were better than they needed to be. A second location is about to open later this season.

A-J's Dockside (http://ajsdocksidetybee.com/), Tybee. We wanted oysters and local fried fish and heard many opinions (Social, Sundae, Crab Shack, MacElwee's) and settled on this place mostly for backbay charm and then were totally delighted by the spread - cilantro potato salad, hush puppies, a textbook Caesar salad, fried oysters, fried flounder, scratch cocktail sauce and remoulade packed with capers, juicy lemon, perfectly sweet service. This place is a little hard to find in the dark and has very limited parking but is worth the effort (felt like a bayou shack three states west).

The Pirate's House (http://www.thepirateshouse.com/) in Savannah was closed for renovation so we detoured to Spanky's (http://liveoakstore.com/spankys) for similar cobble and lived-in plank surroundings. Tempura "spuds" and house-cut chicken tenders are an attraction for kids, but pizza and burgers were skippable, and the Bloody Marys a barebones poor showing in a zone brimming with some of the best.

Boxcar Betty's (http://www.boxcarbetty.com/) back in Charleston - I only had one thing, the signature sandwich, which was winning, beautifully put together with vibrant colors and flavors including the pimento cheese and peach slaw and sauce on an airy grilled bun. This is an Instagram-era designed place. It made me glad I avoided Chick-Fil-A this whole trip.

Bessinger's Barbecue (http://www.bessingersbbq.com/), Charleston. This is a Russell's-era 'cue enterprise similarly complacent on sauce fame (the sauces are quaffable), but executing the meats at a higher level and with much better sides. Plates come with a giant fried onion ring and pickled pepper, and the mac and cheese, collards, and jalapeno cornbread were very tasty. Not much bark in the pork but the smoke is there and the portions prodigious. Satisfying.

Plates, prices, and people were kind the whole trip - can't wait to make it down to relations in the area again soon.

We made the 14 hour drive to Charleston with the intention to find good food, and we weren't disappointed.

The one thing I found odd... After a day of being tourists, going to dinner, and then having some cocktails, we were not able to find any places that did late night carry out. There were some bars that served food, but no quick take out places near Bay St. that we could find. We ended up going to Taco Bell and I was complaining till my next 'real' meal. Anyways...

Hominy Grill- Started here when we first got to town. Even though it was a week day around 9am there was still a 20 minute wait. The Fried Chicken was good, but not mind blowing. I was pretty dissapointed with both slices of pie we had.

Pearlz Oyster Bar- Stopped in for dinner during Happy hour. Everything including beers were a fantastic price. Oysters were fresh and big, and the corn fritters were delicious bar snacks.

Poogan's Porch- We were unable to get in at Husk, so figured this was the next best option. The house/ restaurant was beautiful. We had both the crab cakes and cheese fritters to start, and they were both amazing. My SO then had the pork chop which was good. However my waitress recommended stuffed chicken breast was a complete miss for me.

Magnolias- Had a fantastic lunch. Fried green tomatoes were perhaps the best I have ever had. Their Po Boy was a bit refined, and just as good as I remember them being in Nola. Shrimp and grits were also fantastic.

Slightly North of Broad- Probably my favorite meal while we were in Charleston. Their drinks were absolutely amazing. I had the barn raiser and continued ordering it through the night. They use a local honey in several drinks, and its the perfect sweetener without being too sweet. Started off with their Beef Carpaccio which nearly melted in your mouth. Shrimp and grits had a nice twist on them, and they were amazing, BBQ tuna was also great and fresh. We did not want dessert, but given how great everything was, I ordered the Apple Pie. Was happy I did even for a couple spoon fulls, was flaky and not too sweet.

Anybody been recently, and can comment on:

Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit - new from the same people who do Callie's biscuits via mail oder
Artisan Meat Share - Chef from Cypress' new sandwich, charcuterie, etc. shop
The Daily - for coffee, pastries, snacks, new from the Butcher & Bee people
Wildflour Pastry - worth it on a "non-Sunday sticky bun" day?
Husk - for lunch, their tea brined fried chicken, fried in multiple fats (not the skins, this is proper Southern fried chicken)

I'm heading there today and most of those are on my list for the week. I'll be sure to report back.

Oh, nice, have a great time!

All my meals this week are solo since I'm here on business...

First up--Edmund's Oast. Started with some bar pickles (radish, brussel sprout, green tomato) which were too sweet by themselves but nice with my cocktail (Dark Horse in Copenhagen--Dark Corner Rye {straight from the barrel}, Braulio, Root, Chareau, Lapsang-Souchong/Sassafras bitters). Next up was the mixed lettuces salad which wasn't as boring as it sounds--charred spring shallot green goddess, English peas, sunchokes, toasted seeds. Wish the dressing had been more of an assertive garlic Green Goddess but very fresh. Finished up with the highlight of the night--combo of the chicken and Carolina Gold rice porridge with jumbo lump blue crab and young onions accompanied by the Edmund's Oast/Evil Twin - Julian Was Here (sour amber brewed with apricots). WOW. That porridge was completely addictive.

Light WAY too dark for photos of porridge but just to give you an idea...



Edmund's Oast
1081 Morrison Dr, Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 727-1145
http://edmundsoast.com/

Day 2: File under "I really want to move here".

Started the day with coffee at St. Alban, a newish spot a bit off the beaten path on King St. (Not THAT part of King St.) La Columbe coffee and ridiculous banana bread.



Client slightly derailed my lunch plan (Butcher & Bee or Artisan Meats)--ended up at Hom--and it was really good. Smallish but rich brisket/chuck/short rib burgers--mine was with arugula and herb aioli with fried mushrooms--worth a stop.

And dinner...

Had my eye on R. Kitchen since the trip last December. Place didn't have much press beyond Yelp (but that was very enthusiastic) until I pulled up this month's Eater Hot List and, yup, it was there. No openings for Wed. but walk-ins welcome tonight so headed over. So glad I did! Nothing fancy but a solid, satisfying, entertaining meal (choice of patio or indoor table or chef's counter) of 5 courses, chef's choice only (no menu) for $25--yup. And no dessert so that's all savory fun stuff. My preferred meal

Pics don't do it justice but these young guys are having a blast. If you're here for a few days and want to do something a bit different, I highly recommend R. Kitchen!

Dinner began with Kitchen Sink Soup--no pic--as you can tell from the name, this wasn't pretty but it was delicious--great stock base, pork, cumin, kale, rice, who knows what else!

Next, a lovely (and generously portioned) shrimp lightly poached and tossed with a bright sauce--there were 5 of these on the plate.



Next course was one of my favorites--truffled mushrooms, spring greens, and a beautifully fried baby zucchini with blossom.



Next up was a lamb vindaloo--this one was a bit disappointing because it really wasn't lamb vindaloo. Not really sure what it was. It was still tasty--just a bit underseasoned and bland. But, of the 5 courses, it was the only one that I wasn't crazy about.

Last up (my kind of dessert!) was Pork Pad Thai. Again, not Pad Thai--but in this case, that was a good thing. More like pork and peanut glass noodles--but I was happy to keep eating it!!



Chef doing his thing!



St. Alban
710 King St, Charleston, SC 29403
http://saintalbanallday.com/

Hom
563 King St, Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 573-7505
http://www.homcharleston.com/

R. Kitchen
212 Rutledge Ave, Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 789-4342
http://www.rutledgekitchen.com/

Thanks for the real time reports!

More to come--just trying to fix my pictures first!!

And Callie's is a must stop! No pics-planned on saving them for the plane and figured I'd shoot them first--scarfed 'em right on up in the car while driving. Shameful. But delicious. Ham biscuit with pimiento cheese. Likely the most decadent thing I ate on the trip. Maybe ever!

Stay tuned!

Next up...Wednesday.

Started the day at The Daily--sister cafe to Butcher & Bee, and located in the same complex. Odd place. Kind of a half hearted stab at retail--some of the nastiest looking ramps I've ever seen along with some other tired veggies in a cooler case with miscellaneous cheese, charcuterie and other refrigerated items. Some wines. Some books. Some knick knacks.

Menu is very limited which was fine--I knew I wanted something simple and fast. Scored on the first count. Avocado/Tomato/Z’atar Toast was absolutely fresh and delicious. But it took the poor, nervous looking grill guy about 20 minutes to smooth some avocado on a piece of toast, add a tomato (GORGEOUS) and some olive oil, salt and pepper and put it in a container. And did I mention there are only about 5 seats in this establishment. And it's not a small place. ODD. But the toast was perfect for the rainy morning. And the Stumptown coffee was excellent as well.

Skipped lunch (I was there for a client project and it was a crazy day) and wasn't feeling up for a big dinner so decided to check out Sean Brock's new taco spot, Minero.

Good call--fun spot. Started with the El Solitario cocktail: aged rum, tamarind, bittermilk no. 6 (a locally produced cocktail mixer line) and lemon.

First up, some fresh chips with a trio of salsas--nicely presented and all three salsas were good (pumpkin and sesame seed one was like a mole--the other two were fairly traditional green and red versions).



Didn't feel like a heavy main course so opted for the charcoal grilled wings doused with Valentina hot sauce--nicely charred wings that they place in a lined paper bag, added a few generous shots of the hot sauce, then shook and served. Cute.



I knew I'd never finish the wings but had to have dessert--so couldn't resist ordering the Pork Carnitas Taco (confit, jowl, chicharron, salsa verde ,chilmole). One of the best things I ate on the trip.



I will say that having now been to all 3 of Brock's Charleston establishments (Husk, Husk Bar and Minero), I prefer the casual spots--Husk was good but left me kind of cold. Minero reminded me a bit of Antique Taco, foodwise--and I consider that a good thing.

As I mentioned above, my last "meal" was an order of biscuits from Callie's that I grabbed on my way out of town the next afternoon (Thursday). Possibly the guiltiest I've ever felt after consuming a food item. Obscenely rich. Appropriate ending to the trip.

Biggest surprise of the trip--discovering what a truly great coffee town this has become. Least surprising--that for every place I crossed off the list, I added 3 more while I was there. Can't wait to go back!

The Daily
652 B. King Street, Charleston, SC
843.619.0151
http://shopthedaily.com/

Minero
155 East Bay St. Charleston, SC
(843) 789-2241
http://minerorestaurant.com/charleston/

Callie's Hot Little Biscuit
476 King St, Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 737-5159
http://www.calliesbiscuits.com/pages/ca ... e-biscuits

R KITCHEN: I arrived on a steamy Sunday evening, feeling the 90 degree heat, and opened my trip with dinner at R Kitchen, thanks to the kind invitation of a fellow local foodie (thank you, T!).

It's a postage stamp of a place, counter seats lined up against an open kitchen, and Chef Ross cooks up whatever ideas he's been playing around with. He showed us some scribbles for that night's menu, written in a sprawling hand, captured in a spiral bound notebook. Great, friendly, talented guy. It's definitely a fun and inexpensive, interactive experience, and worth doing for the absurdly low price of $25pp.




We started with a ton of wine and a cool and refreshing watermelon, mint, and feta salad. I loved the "succotash" soup, a take on the traditional dish, as he layered puréed vegetables into tiny bowls. Another hit was a classically seared, succulent scallop served with a smear of creamy brie and a classic cream sauce.



Our next dish was flaky red snapper and curried vegetables, a dish he said he'd cook for himself at home, just "some things" he'd been craving like brightly colored squash swimming in coconut milk and his own fragrant custom curry powder. The finale was slices of steak and his deliciously complex mole sauce with some guacamole, on a bed of fried potato wedges. Then an off the cuff, not too sweet Marcona almond baklava ended the show.

HUSK: During the conference lunch break, I hustled down King Street to make my Husk reservation on time. Tons of folks waiting an hour or more for a table during weekday lunch! Wonderful staff there, especially one who immediately refilled my ice water glass, after I downed the whole damn thing, as he noticed I looked quite warm. Started off with a lovely cocktail named Mile Zero, a refreshing drink of rum, lime, palm sugar, and pink salt.



And then… I couldn’t resist the siren song of the Husk fried chicken, you know… the famous four-fat fried chicken (butter, chicken fat, bacon fat and country ham fat). Served at lunch, only. I had it with slices of red onion and cucumber, marinated in pickle juice, and a wedge of cornbread. That hot, crispy skin. Juicy, moist chicken meat. Perfection on a hot June day. My server stopped by to ask if I was enjoying the chicken, and I literally could not form a sentence. I had no words. Only thoughts of that hot, crispy, perfect fried chicken. I polished off both pieces, and went for a sorghum tart for dessert - also fantastic.



A simple tart, surrounded by a ring of rich, creamy chèvre, dotted with tiny popped kernels of sorghum as well as bits of candied lemon peel and micro herbs. Wow.

Perhaps the second best meal I had in Charleston (a tough feat in such a foodie town). I wish I had that fried chicken again right now.

FIG: I stumbled in, a bit sweaty from the long walk, for dinner, here as well. And marveled how packed it was on a Monday night, even the bar area. The best meal I had while in Charleston.



I chose to order two appetizers and save room for dessert. The Keegan-Filion farm chicken liver pate was excellent. “A poor man’s foie gras,” described my server for the evening. Served with pickles, fresh blackberries, a smear of pungent dijon mustard, and perfectly toasted slices of brioche. A fantastic start to the evening, especially since the blackberries were the very first of the season.



Next up was the gorgeous and fresh garganelli & razor clam vierge with Valencia tomato, Arbequina olive oil, plus sea beans foraged by one of their chefs locally. This dish was bursting with flavor. Possibly some of the best, if not the best, razor clams I had ever eaten, extremely tender and flavorful. A little bit of acid, a little bit of heat, sprinkled with fresh herbs. And the most tomato-y tomatoes I’ve had in a long time.



And for dessert, the refreshingly creamy blackberry & mascarpone curd, served with a light coffee meringue and toffee crumbles, as well as fresh blackberries (a little sweet, a little tart). Simple, elegant, and very, very fresh tasting, and not too heavy after a meal of pate and pasta.

ARTISAN MEAT SHARE: I had a pretty good porchetta sandwich, with 'nduja, pork cracklins, watercress, caramelized onions, mayo, and ciabatta bread, but found the bread to be a bit too soft. So, much of the filling fell out as I ate it. The porchetta was very good, though perhaps a bit out of balance due to the large amount of carmelized onions on the sandwich. Though I did feel that the mayo, watercress, and pork cracklins did work well together. It was tasty and I nearly ate the entire thing, what can I say? (And I do love ‘nduja.)



THE ORDINARY: Had an insanely good meal at the bar here. They didn’t seem super busy at first (Tuesday dinner) but the bar eventually filled up. Razor clams with apple, jalapeño, cilantro, were presented beautifully and were wonderfully cold and refreshing, the sauce more of a salsa verde than a true ceviche. It’s easy to see why this is a signature dish, though they all seem to be signatures at The Ordinary.



Feeling like some hot food next, I had the broiled oysters with ramp butter and parmesan. Served piping hot and decadent. (I’d been eyeing the scallop hush puppies but they seemed rather large & heavy.)



I had been waffling for my next dish, unsure of what to order, when the bartender steered me towards the steak tartare with crispy oysters. A great contrast of textures and flavors. A very classic steak tartare, finely chopped and well seasoned, paired with cornmeal breaded oysters, hot and meaty on the inside.



BUTCHER & BEE: A very cute, hipster-ish place with a butcher shop vibe that felt like a joint out of Brooklyn, doing fantastic sandwiches. The fried chicken banh mi (served Wednesdays) was amazing and worth the long walk and longish wait (very popular place for weekday lunch). Hot juicy chicken. Sweet soy sauce, jalapeño, pickled vegetables, lots of fresh herbs, and chopped peanuts. Great contrast of flavors and textures, and most excellent crusty bread. I’d definitely go back and try some of the other items.



XIAO BAO BISCUIT: I had the cabbage pancake (okonomiyaki) with pork candy and egg added on at the bar. This was delicious, cabbage mixed in with carrots, kale, and scallions, and I loved the stripes of Kewpie mayo, Sriracha, furikake, and more on top. Salty and full of umami flavor. But also a little overwhelming about halfway through. It’s definitely a dish for more than two people; I spied the couple down the bar from me actually giving up on theirs after a while.

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While I enjoyed the dish I had there at the bar, after my 2nd visit, I think I’d rather expend my energy on other Charleston places.

TWO BOROUGHS LARDER: I had amazing service here and loved the menu, sitting at the bar to order two of the smaller plates and desserts. However, I found the bar stools affixed to the floor to be very uncomfortable after a while - I’d get a table next time. I did have an amazingly refreshing chilled peach soup with buttermilk, cucumber, and thin slices of country ham on a hot day. Nearly licked the bowl clean. A perfect combination of flavors.



I followed that up with Clammer Dave’s clams, served on top of a baked potato and sour cream like sauce/soup, and covered with a flurry of cheese. Very rich and hearty, which wasn’t what I was expecting, but the clams were delicious.



As for dessert, I couldn’t resist the chocolate budino with olive oil, sea salt, and pistachios! I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to finish, but just about licked the little jar clean.



BREAKFAST & BAKERIES

CALLIE’S HOT LITTLE BISCUIT: Yep, I went four times in four days. Yes I said goodbye to clear arteries at HLB. No regrets!





I started the first visit with a fantastic bacon, egg, cheese biscuit. Fantastic, flaky, buttery biscuits. This little joint with only a small long ledge and a handful of stools to eat at rotates between a few specials each day, but consistently had two different breakfast sandwiches over the four mornings that I visited. I started with the bacon, egg (scrambled), cheese biscuit the first day. The second day, I moved onto the Glass Onion sausage (split into halves in order to fit into the sandwich form - they hope eventually to get patties), with fiery pimento cheese (what else), and scrambled eggs. This was spicy, creamy, buttery, fantastic, and flavorful, making the bacon/egg/cheese (which was great), somehow seem less interesting. The third day, I went out on a limb and chose the grits in a biscuit bowl special, topped with shrimp and green onions. Also pretty tasty, and photogenic, but I think I preferred the simplicity of the biscuit sandwiches more. So on my final day, I went back to the sausage, egg, and biscuit sandwich, before heading off to the airport.

They also had some iced coffee, which didn’t seem good/strong enough to me for the price, given the great cold brew you can find around downtown elsewhere.

BROWN’S COURT BAKERY: Blackberry iced coffee was very subtly flavored (not overwhelming) and an interesting contrast to “normal” iced coffee. I also tried their awesome peanut butter Sriracha croissant. It’s not overly filled or overwhelmingly spicy, but just a hint of nutty, garlicky goodness, as a stripe throughout the pastry. Delicious! Would eat again.



COFFEE

I tried cold brew or iced Americanos at a few places, and greatly enjoyed both THE DAILY as well as TRICERA. Both had great tasting products and nicely pulled shots.

For whatever reason, the iced Americano I had at KUDU just didn’t taste as good as that I found elsewhere around town.

COCKTAILS

Aside from the drinks at restaurants, I tried the Beachcomber at COCKTAIL CLUB: butter infused rum, lime, smoked pineapple, cream, and grenadine. Hit the spot and felt very apropos (tropical).



I also had the amusing Disco Sour at 492 — where blue Butterfly Pea tea ice cubes react with citrus to turn the drink purple over time. A novelty, yes, but also delicious and well balanced, like an actual Pisco Sour should be.

This is a wonderful list of Charleston restaurants. Does anyone have any newish favorites in the greater Charleston area, especially Mt Pleasant and islands near Isle of Palms? We're headed to Isle of Palms in July for family vacation. We've been to IoP more than a few times, but we haven’t ventured past some of the mainstays nearby (Poe's, Boat House), which seem to be increasingly mediocre. Thanks.

We are at Isle of Palms right now and although we did not drive too far for food yet, we managed to enjoy our lunches and dinners a great deal. Few spots we have been are below and everything we ate was delicious:

Bushido
Asian -- tried some rolls, Hibachi chicken and pineapple fried rice
1517 Palm Blvd
Isle of Palms, SC 29451

Boone Hall Farms
Grocery store, farmers market, cafe-- tried crab melt, BLT
2521 Hwy 17 N
Mount Pleasant, SC 29466

Page's Okra Grill
Southern, Seafood -- tried pulled pork, chicken fried chicken, fried shrimp and redneck rolls
302 Coleman Blvd
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

Taco Mamacita
Mexican-- tried Peruvian chicken, taco trio
2213 Middle St
Sullivan's Island, SC 29482

I am not used to having good food at tourist towns, apparently SC beach towns are exception.

Thanks for the update. I can also add a place, as a start to answering my own question: for excellent brewpub, we enjoyed the Coleman Public House. It's been a year or two since we've been there, but the food was solid and the craft beer list excellent.

Coleman Public House
427 W Coleman Blvd
Mount Pleasant, SC

Hell yeah! http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20151015/PC0301/151019563/fat-rice-is-first-committed-tenant-at-pacific-box-crate-food-hall

Wake up, thread! It looks like I'll be in Charleston in early October. I've been almost everywhere in this country, but somehow I've never been here. This thread was great to peruse, if a bit overwhelming. Fig and Husk were foremost on my radar, but any new must-eats in the city? (I'm sure there are.) And any specific recommendations for a group of 8?

Nana's Seafood and Soul, a GNR exemplar is located in a daytime safe neighborhood 4 minutes from the River North like tourist and crowd magnet of King St. Seafood is sourced from small providers and the soulfood whups the likes of Bertha's and Martha Lou's.

Garlic crabs.


$9 side order of local scallops


Soft Shell crabs (2 medium $13 with 2 sides). Photo shy aka we fell on these so quickly they were savaged before I could reach for a camera.

The Darling, King St, raw bar happy hour. James River oysters $1 were near their peak. Nuff said. Two fisted pour on drinks and a buck off drafts.

Chez Nous. 24 seat chef owned restaurant in an alley. Two apps, two mains and two desserts daily. Superb french food. Like deli I guess--if this is a cuisine you crave this is absolutely the place.

Asparagus sauce grebiche, salad of local greens, veal milanese over haricots verts, grouper with fingerling potatoes and caramelized cipollini onions, tarte tatin.










Congress, Mt. Pleasant. A recently opened restaurant helmed by a young chef from Austin and his wife. His mother is from Oaxaca, his father from Italy. This is superb food--and not fusion. Rather, the menu features food from both cuisines but through the lens of this young chef. Unlike practically every foodie celebrated restaurant in downtown Charleston (i.e. Fig, Husk, The Ordinary, SNOB, etc) there's no PR agent or 'restaurant group'--just a young couple trying to figure out how to deal with their opening in a repurposed restaurant followed by two off the chart local reviews in the span of seven weeks. We started with a $7 plate of chile composed entirely of precisely cubed 3/4" cut brisket, no beans with the deep flavor of guajillo and ancho chiles and a touch chocolate. Then a $6 salad crammed into a small bowl that would have been a $9 dollar salad down town. Finally a $28 substantial portion of superb local flounder on a plate I might have composed myself: baby butter beans, swiss chard, caramelized carrots and pea shoot tendrils. 7 minutes across the bridge (after rush hour) from our hotel on King St. After the get it while you can/River North bar hoppers on the stroll party hearty ethos of King St, Congress was a breath of fresh air.



No pictures:
Normandy Farms Artisan Bakery, West Ashley. Excellent breads and bagels. They have a branch down town, too.

Ye Old Cafe, ice cream. Still great.

The Ordinary. Arrived for happy hour, took a seat at the bar. Barkeep was occupied, after a minute or two he signaled for us to wait. Several minutes later he came over for our order. 'How are the oysters?' I said. 'What time do you have' he answered. I waved my hand over my phone '6:32'. 'Too late. That's what I have, happy hour ended at 6:30, my computer won't let me do it'. Thanks I said, got up and left and decamped to The Darling--and as noted above, glad I did.

Soup nazi notes: at several places (Chez Nous, Normandy Bakery) we asked for substitutions which were firmly but politely rejected. I liked and respected this. It showed that the establishment knew exactly what they were doing, that a great deal of thought had gone in to composing their plates and menu and that they were confident that they were right. In ten words or less: they weren't Burger King.

OK, visting Charleston with a group in early October, already eating at Husk (while others are hitting Outstanding in the Field). We're working on getting into the Ordinary, but it looks iffy. Anyone have a strong opinion on:

Fat Hen:
http://thefathen.com

Feathertop:
http://feathertop.scarecrowandco.com

Harold's Cabin
http://www.haroldscabin.com

Darling Oyster Bar
http://thedarling.com