Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- Heavenly Eats in the Holy City
I'd long heard good things about this charming Southern city called
Charleston. Then one day in the middle of June 2015 a horrendous act
happened and with it many a worm came out of the woodwork. Said worms
made me uncomfortable with South Carolina as a whole. Though I knew that
neither they nor he represented the state as a whole, I wanted nothing
to do with a place that still fly's the flag of a loser. Well eventually
that flag came down and most everything went back to as normal as a
place with so many scars from it's past can be. I started warming up to
the idea of checking it out.
Charleston, SC
We
finally did check out Charleston last May having the chance to do so on
a return trip from South Florida which I drove down to for the month.
Not visiting a place like this would be dumb as there's so many spots
that deserve your business. Charleston might have a checkered past but I
sincerely felt that this most recent incident made the city even more
unified and stronger. It's not the way you want that to happen but I
felt it to be alot less segregated than many Midwestern cities. It
doesn't mean that much has changed (See Walter Scott) but there's plenty
of good going on here as well.
Moment of Silence for the Fallen
The
good pretty much starts with the food for those of us that love to eat
out. Charleston is one of just a few US cities that can claim it's very
own cuisine(s). This alone has long made me intrigued with the city and
it's people. To truly experience the city's magical culture you have to
check out the Gullah spots that still remain. Gullah Cuisine is the food
of the ancestors of people from West Africa brought to Charleston
against their will. Stolen for their knowledge of rice preservation in
hot and humid areas, these people, like all others, brought their
recipes with them. Eventually said recipes were also stolen and came to
be identified as Southern cuisine when in fact most all of the food
favorites in these parts are linked back to the Gullah people and their
culture.
Ravenel Seafood
This
was my first planned stop as we were coming into Charleston through the
small town the family seafood shack is named after. Ravenel Seafood is
run by a family that's fished these parts for a long, long time. Their
shops sits about 30 minutes from Charleston and it reminded me alot of
Chicago's old time shrimp shacks. Places like Calumet Fisheries and
Hagen's. Just different product.
Mural on the Side
They
do Gullah style food made on-site as well as fresh seafood you can take
home. Small space with maybe three booths and such. I was here for the
garlic crabs which I immediately ordered upon entry. As I waited, and
then waited some more, I watched as many of locals came in to pick up
their phone orders. After what felt like forever I quickly forgot about
the wait as soon as the first whiff of garlic crab started rushing my
respiratory system. I was officially in Gullah Country.
Garlic Crab
Those
that love the garlicky bagged seafood that's taken cities like Chicago
by storm will love this dish just as much. Potent amounts of garlic with
tons of spices mixed in. All of which goes great with the sweet
succulent crab meat awaiting inside each shell. I took some
advice and made sure to have a roll of towels and a few waters to wash
our hands down. To go with the crab I got an order of red rice which is
one of the most common sides in Low Country cuisine. Just like Mexican
Rice there's countless recipes for this dish but the basis of it remains
the same. Rice, tomatoes, and pork fat. Who cant get down with that?
This would be the best version of this dish I tried on the trip.
Red Rice
Helluva
first meal and a place I'd highly recommend, you just might want to
call your order in ahead. Get what I got and maybe some garlic shrimp to
go with it and you should be good. In we rolled to Charleston where it
was just about time for Happy Hour, one of our favorite things to do
while traveling.
The Darling Oyster Bar
Aside
from cocktails, Happy Hours were meant for oysters. Especially in towns
where they're abundant. The Darling was said to be a popular HH spot
and that it was. Empty early but pretty much packed half-way in.
Charleston's space is small and their tourism is big so you can pretty
much expect all of the food stops to be popular.
Happy Hour Oysters
I
forget where they were from but these HH oysters weren't from SC waters
but they were still enjoyed with a few fresh punch of the day's. Being
towards the end of May the weather was really heating up and this place
made some extra refreshing drinks. They were equally good at frying
fries as an order of their spuds was definitely the right call. What I
liked most about this spot was the design of the place on the inside. In
no way is that a knock against the food I just thought it was as nice
of a designed restaurant as any I've drank in.
Fantastic Fries
After
some walking around the downtown area it was time for me to refuel. We
drove over to Hannibal's which wasn't far at all. This report is all in
chronological order so in many cases the places posted before and after
each other are relatively close in distance. Though we did have a car so
as always I was all over.
Hannibal's Kitchen
Nice
mixed crowd here both taking out and eating in. I wasn't expecting it
to double as a bar but that's what it did. There's some seats up front
by the cooler of booze and where you place/pick up your order and then
some dining booths up in front of all that. I really wanted to try the
Gullah favorite known as crab rice which is the literal ingredients of
this dish. It's just fresh picked meat from local crabs that's heated
and thrown over a bunch of white rice. Simply delicious.
Crab Rice
After
walking around some more I wanted to get away from the downtown area
and eat some seafood somewhere so Roadside Seafood it was. This is a
place that's made a common transformation similar to so many other
popular dining destinations across the country. It's a food truck turned
brick and mortar. Off we rode to James Island for some grub.
Roadside Seafood
Located
right off the bridge into town and not far from the water is this extra
popular laid back spot. It's all about freshly fried seafood and beer.
Their fried shrimp is said to be some of the best in Charleston and
that's saying something because they take their fried scrimps in these
parts as serious as anywhere. I guess I forgot to snap a pic but the
basket of shrimp was fantastic. Some of the best you'll ever have. All
locally caught and as sweet as the peaches next door in Georgia. Shark
Nuggets (local black tip) are another popular (seasonal) bite and I
enjoyed some tacos with those.
Shark Nugget / Fried Shrimp Tacos
That
was it for day one. We were pretty full and even more so tired having
driven up early morning from South Florida. Rise and Shine. Day two
would prove to be equally delicious. I got mine started right away with
an early rise and walk over to Callie's for a Hot Little Biscuit.
Callie's Hot Little Biscuit
Hidden
amongst some other businesses this is a small space that does most of
it's business via takeout. There's a few places to stand and eat but
most folks are taking their biscuits to go. The menu is equally small
with 3 or 4 biscuits choices changing daily. I got a sausage, egg,
pimento cheese because that's what you're supposed to do when you're in
South Carolina. Although it's something I only recently (last ten years)
started eating I happen to love Pimento cheese and that's probably due
to fact I love Merkt's cheese spread. Like a char burger with Merkt's
this biscuit was a little bit of a mess to eat but man it was
deliciously decadent.
Sausage, Egg, Pimento Cheese
Callie's
also has a spot in Atlanta which is the trendy thing to do in the
Southern hospitality industry these days. You'll find spots from New
Orleans in Nashville, and spots from Charleston in Atlanta and so on.
Send some our way! Back to the hotel to pick up the fiance before
heading off to a Charleston classic for breakfast.
Hominy Grill
This
place is pretty much a planned stop for any first time visitor to
Charleston. They'll search for where to find the best shrimp and grits
and most results will point back to here. But what made me want to check
it out was the fact that it's a weekly stop for many residents of
Charleston. It's one of the city's signature restaurants and loved by
most everyone.
Comp'd Boiled Peanuts
Complimentary
boiled peanuts to start. Something I've liked since first trying them
and then became addicted to while spending the previous few weeks down
in Florida where they had them at my local gas station. Already starting
to feel why people love this place.
Gumbo from the daily specials board
Although
I prefer my gumbo made with a deep brown roux this gumbo was still
delicious and worth ordering again. The tomato presence made for a
Charleston presence as far as style. But what we were really there for
are the shrimp and grits. Hominy Grill is most always the answer when
one asks "Where can I find the best shrimp and grits in Charleston?" and
so it was a no-brainer for a first timer like myself. Best ever? Who
knows. Delicious? F-ck yeah. Everything about the product was top shelf
from the local ground grits to the local fished shrimp. Plus there was
bacon. It might be touristy, but you know what? Pretty much all of
Charleston is. There's only so many spots.
House Special Shrimp & Grits
When
it comes to good food we're all one in the same. Fans of it. Some of us
are bigger devotees than others and will go anywhere to find it. As
mentioned I had a car and was willing to go wherever as long as the
place had fans. Off to North Charleston for my next stop.
Bertha's Kitchen
Bertha's
looks like a mixture of a Northwoods Wisconsin Tavern and a New Orleans
Snoball Stand. It sits in an old house and has some pretty vibrant
colors. I love that all these Gullah spots give their places a unique
feel with art.
Waiting in line for lunch
Bertha's
does daily menus and on this day they had everything I wanted to try.
Although I think all three of the items I tried might be available daily
while some other things are not. I post this picture of the lima beans
below knowing that it isn't all that photogenic but to remind me and tip
to others that it was one of the best sides dishes I ever had anywhere.
Deep smokey flavors with the perfect texture that made them just slide
right down like soup. Who doesn't love them some home cookin'?
Lima Beans
I'm
guessing most all of it here is good but the two things that I kept
seeing mentioned were the fried chicken and okra soup. So those were
what I went with and both wound up being delicious. The bird was well
seasoned and expertly fried with a still juicy breast which isn't easy
to do. Must've been fresh from the fryer because it took some time to
cool down. The okra soup was a new one for me and just like so many
other soups born out of scraps it was extremely comforting. This is one
of those dishes that many in these parts have a recipe for and Bertha's
was a winner. It's a dish that's long been synonymous with the city.
Okra Soup with a Side of Fried Chicken
'Let Boston rave on pork and beans
To such a mess I would not stoop;
Gumbo's the dish for New Orleans,
But Charleston murmurs, 'okra soup!'
Charleston News & Courier, Nov. 17, 1914
Charlie Brown's Seafood
Sticking
in North Charleston I wandered over to this local seafood shack that
Steve Drucker mentions upthread. The pic of the fried crab alone was
enough to get me there on top of the fact he said a return visit had
happened. I didn't get back but I wish I had. Super friendly people,
that know how to fry up some crab! I got three of them and couldn't
resist so I tore open the bag and ate them on the hood of the car in the
90 degree heat. Use your teeth to crack the shell and then suck all
that juicy sweet crab meat out while some cornmeal crusted slurry falls
into your mouth with each bite. What a treat.
Fried Crab
After
a walk thru the famous Charleston City Market it was time for some
Happy Hour Powered AC. It was a hot ass week and a margarita in a cooled
area was what we needed to refresh ourselves.
Minero
Minero
is the Mexican inspired restaurant of well known local chef Sean Brock
of Husk. It sits on the second floor of a building on Bay street and
like pretty much every other chef driven restaurant in town it's
beautifully designed. The cocktails are also well crafted. The original
house margarita was on happy hour and it was a damn fine representation
of the classic. I always try to check out the taco scene of wherever it
is that I'm traveling so despite a nice looking menu we were there to
taste the tacos.
Fried Catfish / pickled green tomato tartar, cabbage, red onion
Just
like they do over at Husk they pretty much work with only the best when
it comes to ingredients. They took the tortillas very seriously which
in my mind is the first thing you need to do when opening one of these
chef driven taco spots. Two types of locally produced corn is used as
well as one from Mexico. The Green Chorizo with Potato taco was the best
chef driven taco I've ever had. Perfectly constructed and full of true
Mexican flavor. I would eat them weekly if I lived anywhere near there.
And surprise, surprise, they have a location in Atlanta at the trendy
Ponce City Market.
Green Chorizo / potato and grilled onion
After
that we started walking down the street and happened to pass a place we
hadn't planned on stopping but it was hot and it was Happy Hour so why
not.
Amen Street
Lots
of tourists, many of them over 50, at this place but they have a great
happy hour so I'm guessing there was some locals hidden in there as
well. I liked these oysters better as they were Ace Blades from Ace
Basin, SC and so we were told they were really good at the moment. I
concurred.
Happy Hour Oysters
Back
to the hotel for a little rest and relaxation before dinner. I wanted
to do at least a couple nice dinners out and the options in Charleston
are excellent. Usually I'll just browse menus and wait until something
catches my eye. That was the case with The Grocery. Not to be confused
with The Ordinary which is where we walked to at first. Luckily The
Grocery wasn't far.
The Grocery
Lively
night but we were able to snag a table via reservation over the phone
the day before. Menu is seasonal with New American fare with different
Southern Accents. I like eating regionally and when I saw a Low Country
Seafood Pilau on the menu I wanted to try it out. Made with Carolina
Gold Rice (the best), local shrimp, clams, and fried flounder fish this
wasn't cheap ($54) but was enough to feed two. If you like a good paella
than you'll enjoy a pan of Pilau because they're pretty similar in
preparation though a bit different in seasonings. The Carolina Gold Rice
is said to be best used in dishes like Paella and Pilau. All of the
seafood was prepared to near perfection. I definitely felt like I picked
right on this night.
Low Country Seafood Pilau
Another
day complete. At this point I was really starting to embrace Charleston
as a whole. The next morning I woke up and took a ride into Mt.
Pleasant to take a look around
Boone Hall Farms.
Definitely worth a stop if you want to bring back some Carolina Gold
Rice, Geechie Boy Grits, and other locally produced stuff. Unfortunately
breakfast wasn't ready for another half hour so I wasn't able to eat at
their cafeteria. Instead I opted for another Mt. Pleasant breakfast
favorite.
Page's Okra Grill
Lots
of good reviews out there on this place which was in the area so I
scooted over for breakfast. Massive space that seemed to be at near
capacity. Half the town must've been dining there. I was able to secure a
stool at the diner counter and waited around for someone to come and
take my order. One of their most popular items ordered is the shrimp and
fried grits which is what I went with.
House Baked Biscuit
I
chose the biscuit over toast and that should be a no-brainer. This
extra fluffy, and extra brittle biscuit was excellent. if I had wanted
to make some sort of sandwich out of I would've been SOL but as just a
biscuit it was near perfect. When my order of shrimp and grits came
out it wasn't exactly what I was expecting as far as looks. I must've
mixed up the description bc I thought there would be fried shrimps when
instead it was the grits, along with cheese, that came fried on this
plate. It was almost like a fried pie as far as texture. I didn't love
that part of the dish but the smoked andouille sausage gravy mixed with
local scrimps was 100% southern.
Shrimp & Grits
After
that I went back into the city and did some walking around of Rainbow
Row which is a street on the water with lots of colorful, million dollar
homes. After that it was off for a snack.
Dave's Carry-Out
More
times than not a quick snack in Charleston is an order of fried
shrimps. Dave's was on my radar long before I knew I was coming here so I
made sure to clear some time for a stop. This place is a fan favorite
for it's fried seafood and soul food takeout. Not much on the inside.
Just one table though the hosts are as friendly as any. Some regulars
were mixing it up with those behind the counter and Game 1 of the NBA
Finals had been the discussion. I saw they had lima beans on the soul
food sides menu and made sure to get an order.
Lima Beans
Again,
not pretty, but oh so good. My favorite side on offer at most all of
the Gullah joints. The customers talking to the friendly lady behind the
counter basically wrote off the Cavs claiming LeBron was done. The lady
who I believe said she was the widow of Dave told them "LeBron aint
losing again" with so much conviction I should've known to place a call
and make a wager. She knew what she was talking about. She also knew how
to fry all sorts of love into some locally caught scrimps. Slightly
salty but the sweetness of the shrimp still overpowered everything else.
Fried Scrimps over Red Rice
Seeing
as how there was a small amount of people outside when driving by 167
Raw we decided to have the second part of our lunch there. The Cape Cod
style seafood bar has a location here and also one in Nantucket. At the
time of our visit this was the city's most popular dinning spot. Most
all of our bartenders rec'd it and it always had people waiting outside.
167 Raw
Small
Space so seating is at a premium. I'd guess they can sit about 40 max
between inside and out. Seats in the AC were at a premium but seats
outside could be had right then and there. So we ate in the sun. Tuna
Burger and a Taco of the Day were both good but not anything I would
feel an absolute need to return and wait in line for. But if you can get
seated right away there's some good stuff going on here. Not cheap but
fresh seafood rarely is.
Tuna Burger / Taco of the Day
Seeing
as how it was our last day in town I needed to make sure I got all my
must stops out of the way. After some more exploring of the city I rode
over to Nana's for some seafood and soul.
Nana's Seafood and Soul
Most
of these Gullah joints do most of their business via takeout. I think
this spot had one or two tables but I was just going to nibble on some
food so I took it to go. What was supposed to be a nibble or two turned
into an all out feast. The days menu didn't feature the legendary garlic
crab many of their customers swear by but that might've been a blessing
bc instead I got what ended up being the best damn fried pork chops
that money can buy.
Fried Pork Chops
These
were super. The coating was heavily spiced, just right, and full of
crunch. Yet the meat was somehow juicy and as tender as a pork chop can
be. As addicting as each bite was the sides might've been better. I
opted for the Low Country classic Rice and Peas dish that goes by
Hoppin' John and with that some hot cabbage and a piece of corn bread.
I'll tell you what. There's alot of chefs out there that are trying to
bring certain food cultures into the mainstream scene but none of them
are f-cking with this. I dont care what culinary school you went to or
who they worked under. None of them are recreating this. It's not
possible. These recipes are all in the family and took generations to
perfect. A visit to Charleston with your sous chef just isn't going to
do it.
Hoppin' John, Cabbage, Corn Bread
All
full from food we took a stroll around town and stopped into some shops
before the lady decided she wanted to relax for a little bit. That left
me to do as I please and since I'd wanted to check out Jack's Cosmic
Dogs I decided to do so.
Jack's Cosmic Dogs
This is a colorful little hot dog stand owned by a guy who obviously
takes great pride in his craft. It's kind of like a Southern style Hot
Doug's I guess. Alton Brown of Food Network Fame put this place on the
worldwide food radar when he named the Cosmic Dog the "best thing he
ever ate". It was for a show so I know it was a shout-out to one of his
many favorites but I was intrigued to try one for myself. First up an
order of perfectly done fries.
Fresh Cut Fries
The
Cosmic Dog isn't the first one listed but it is their most well known.
Alton Brown isn't their only fan as this place is continuously mentioned
for best hot dog in the city. I dont love blue cheese unless it's with
buffalo sauce so I wasn't sure how I'd like the blue cheese slaw topped
dog but it was damn good. Quality wiener and the slaw worked well with
it.
The Cosmic Dog
Well
it's about that time. Happy Hour. We rode over to Edmund's Oast as I
wanted to check out their beer scene. They brew quite a few beers
on-site and stock those next to some international options.
Edmund's Oast
I'm
not a big beer geek. I just like a good product. While I cant remember
which two house brewed beers I tried they were both very strong yet also
refreshing. Even better was this little potato, bacon appetizer off the
happy hour menu. We didn't get to check out the dinner menu but this is
a place I'd put on my return list.
Happy Hour Food & Drink
Onto
the next HH. We walked by 492 when strolling down King street. I had
remembered seeing their special color changing drink and decided to stop
in. Like every other bar/restaurant in town this place was really well
designed. It was a great space and the Happy Hour menu was calling our
name.
492
The
menu here is seasonal New American but nothing really stood out to me
so we stuck with Happy Hour offerings. The signature drink here is a
Pisco Sour that changes colors as you drink it. That's done using
butterfly pea flower that's frozen into the ice used in the drink. As it
melts the drink changes colors. Not bad actually even if a tad bit
sweet.
Disco Sour
They
love pickling stuff in these parts and they also like to fry stuff up.
So it's no surprise that they like to fry pickled vegetables.
Okra gets a bad rap for often being too slimy, and sometimes it is, but
pickling okra and preceding to fry it is delicious as I learned from a
nice plate off the HH menu.
Fried Pickled Okra
I
wanted to do dinner/sunset at an old SC favorite. Bowens Island is a
somewhat off the beaten path place where many folks from around this way
have celebrated one thing or another. It has that signature feel of a
classic seafood restaurant nestled on the shores of the ocean. This
place is all about the immediate surroundings. The restaurant itself has
the feel of the cafeteria at a camp in the Northwoods.
Bowens Island Restaurant
You
walk up and place your order and then they come find you when it's
ready. There's seating throughout the building and if it's a weekend you
can bet most of it will be taken. Which just makes the fact they can
find you so impressive. We took some seats on the deck overlooking the
river that leads into the ocean. The menu features mostly fried seafood
and fresh local steamed oysters when in-season.
Mountain of Oyster Shells overlooking a Sunset
The
fried shrimp is supposed to be fantastic but I was there to try a
signature SC dish. Frogmore Stew is what they call a Low Country Boil in
these parts. It's a simple one pot seafood dinner that's made with
shrimp since that's whats abundant in these parts. Add some potato,
corn, and lots of seasoning and you got yourself dinner. The shrimp is
obviously the star.
Frogmore Stew
I
didn't get any of the highly praised fried shrimp at Bowen's Island as
we had plans for a meal later that evening once the sun went down. FIG
is considered Charleston's original farm to table spot. It's a place
that has to be given some credit as far as the city's fine dining boom
of the last decade. They've been around here since 2006.
FIG
FIG
stands for 'Food is Good' and if all I said was the food here was good
I'd probably being selling it short so instead I'll say it's really
good. I'm not uncovering any type of gem with this once as FIG is a
place many people in search of good meal make it into. The menu is
seasonal but one thing that most always remains on it is the signature
dish of Ricotta Gnocchi and Lamb Bolognese.
Ricotta Gnocchi and Lamb Bolognese
I
would say that this dish is a must order for any first time visitor
such as myself. Everything was above average from the pasta to the
sauce. A candidate for one of the best things ate on this trip. No
longer on the menu is a zucchini pasta that we decided to order after
tasting how good the previous pasta dish was. Once again we were pleased
with the product.
Zucchini Pasta
That
was it for our final full day in town. It was time to head back to the
hotel and prepare for the push back to Chicago the following day. But
not before I crossed off a few more spots. Early morning on our day of
departure we got up and walked the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. The 8 lane
cable-stayed bridge with twp diamond towers was opened in 2005 and it
crosses over the Cooper River, connecting downtown Charleston to Mount
Pleasant, SC. The views are post card material and the structure itself
is proof we can still build beautiful things here in America.
Crossing over Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge
While
riding back to the hotel (there's free parking for the bridge on the
Mt. Pleasant side). I happened to pass a "farmers market" unlike most
others. I saw a sign directing to turn into the lot for fresh caught
shrimp directly from the source. Seeing as how I had a cooler and we'd
be in Chicago the next day I immediately made the decision to bring some
Carolina White back home with me.
Saturday Morning Shrimp Market
They
had about four different guys selling shrimp caught that morning. All
of them from families who've shrimped these waters for at least a couple
generations. These really were some of the best shrimp I've ever cooked
with. The next two days at home were fantastic as far as dinner goes. I
think jumbos without the head were running around $8/lb with the head
on's being even cheaper. Time to visit a legend.
Martha Lou's Kitchen
Seeing
as how Charleston is the Holy City lot's of these spots are closed on
Sunday's including Martha Lou's. So make sure you get here before your
last day other wise you're out of luck. Most everyone knows the story by
now, if not here's the quick rundown. This local treasure was said to
be close to closing for good before local chef Sean Brock gave it a
ringing endorsement and tourists started flocking here. On my visit it
was empty when we got there (around opening) but while waiting for my
order it became fully packed. Pretty sure every table was tourists but
it was an eclectic mix of people. Old, young. Black, white. Everyone
wants a taste of Martha Lou's.
Giblet Rice, Lima Beans, Collard Greens
I
got the fried chicken dinner (served with three sides) which is on the
daily menu each and everyday. If you've never been here before that's
what you're here for. Everything about this was phenomenal. The sides
were all seasoned in a way only those from down here know how to do
while the fried bird itself was some of the best I ever had in that
department. Top 5 All-Time in my Fried Chicken Game. She gave it the
rarely applied two thumbs up as in lets get another order. We both
thought it was that good. Call your order in ahead of time if in a rush
as they fry to order. On this day Martha Lou's was magnificent.
Poultry Gold
On
the way out of town we decided we'd try a chicken sandwich spot that I
showed her. Boxcar Betty's has two locations and they serve
aforementioned chicken sandwiches with southern style sides.
Boxcar Betty's
We
got the namesake fried chicken sandwich and a side of fried pickles to
go with it. I thought the toppings on this distracted from the chicken
itself and the bun wasn't as soft as I would've liked. I guess in this
case the fruity slaw was more of a distraction than it was at Jack's
Cosmic Dogs. The side of fried pickles were exactly the way I like them.
Boxcar Betty Chicken Sandwich (Pimiento Cheese, Peach Slaw, House Pickles, Spicy Mayo) with a Side of Fried Pickles
Near
Boxcar Betty's was a Snoball stand and it seemed like the right thing
to do. I'll always be down for a frozen treat when the weather is hot
and humid. Good stop if you got kids but nothing like those in New
Orleans.
Pelican's Snoball Stand
Final
Stop! I dont even know if this was on the way out or not but I wanted
some scrimps for the road. The original plan was to stop here on the way
in but our order at the first stop took so long we decided just to get
into town as opposed to further delaying our arrival. That said they
didn't have ant soft shells when I called upon arriving but they did on
this day when we were leaving.
Fishnet Seafood
Located
in the town of Johns Island this is a local seafood spot where they fry
to order or sell it to you fresh. Lots of nice stuff behind the glass
but nothing more beautiful than the live soft shell crab. Despite it
being the season we didn't see much of it on any menus so i was happy to
see it here. They removed the eyes as the poor guy was alive and then
dropped him in their seasoning coat and threw him into the deep fryer.
He died for a good cause. A little hot sauce and some cheap white bread
and you got as fantastic sandwich.
Fresh Soft Shell Crab
The
fried shrimps were just as good. Probably the best I had on this trip
and thus some of the best ever. Hard to think of many spots that fry up
scrimps in the same league as Charleston. I pity those with a shellfish
allergy.
Fried Shrimps and Red Rice
So
I'm happy to say that despite some negative outside perceptions,
Charleston is a true All American history, and that means there's both
some good and bad. But the good far outweighs the bad these days. Just
don't forget to pay your respects to those that paved the way as far as
the local cuisine goes.
See ya next time...
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Ravenel Seafood
5925 Savannah Hwy
Ravenel, SC 29470
(843) 889-9500
The Darling Oyster Bar
513 King St
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 641-0821
Hannibal's Kitchen
16 Blake St
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 722-2256
Roadside Seafood
807 Folly Rd
Charleston, SC 29412
(843) 754-5890
Callie's Hot Little Biscuit
476 King St
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 737-5159
Hominy Grill
207 Rutledge Ave
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 937-0930
Bertha's Kitchen
2332 Meeting Street Rd
Charleston, SC 29405
(843) 554-6519
Charlie Brown's Seafood
4726 Rivers Ave
North Charleston, SC 29405
(843) 747-1999
Minero
153 E Bay St
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 789-2241
Amen Street
Rainbow Market, 205 E Bay St
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 853-8600
The Grocery
4 Cannon St
Charleston, SC
(843) 302-8825
Page's Okra Grill
302 Coleman Blvd
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
(843) 881-3333
Dave's Carry-Out
42 Morris St # C
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 577-7943
167 Raw
289 E Bay St
Charleston, SC
(843) 579-4997
Nana's Seafood and Soul
176 Line St
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 937-0002
Jack's Cosmic Dogs
2805 N Hwy 17
Mt Pleasant, SC 29466
(843) 884-7677
Edmund's Oast
1081 Morrison Dr
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 727-1145
492
492 King St
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 203-6338
Bowens Island Restaurant
1870 Bowens Island Rd
Charleston, SC 29412
(843) 795-2757
FIG
232 Meeting St
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 805-5900
Martha Lou's Kitchen
1068 Morrison Dr
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 577-9583
Boxcar Betty's
1922 Savannah Hwy
Charleston, SC 29407
(843) 225-7470
Pelican's SnoBalls
1723 Ashley River Rd
Charleston, SC 29407
(843) 291-7343
Fishnet Seafood
3832 Savannah Hwy
Johns Island, SC 29455
(843) 571-2423
