I guess the thing about Charleston is that the history and culture of the area is so important that development of the future is focused on improving the presentation of that history. The Museum of Charleston has an excellent presentation of the history and ecology of the low country, and is the oldest museum in the United States. Fort Sumter stands as a reminder of the beginning of the Civil War, and Civil War memorabilia is available just about everywhere. The entire downtown district is a historical artifact of times gone by, and horse- or mule-drawn carriage tours are available about every twenty minutes. The USS Yorktown is moored across the bridge at Patriot's Point, offering regular tours of the WWII aircraft carrier. Ghost walks offer the visitor an opportunity to see and hear about the spirits said to haunt this area, and are an experience not to be missed.
Food
Carolina's
10 Exchange Street, Charleston, SC 29401 Tel: (843) 724-3800
This place seems to belong somewhere else: you walk in off the busy
street and find yourself in an elegant hall, decorated with fresh flowers,
linen tablecloths and soft candlelight. The service is impeccable and the
wine selection is quite extensive. The menu features a selection of
appetizers and entrees which combine the best points of classic
continental cuisine and traditional Lowcountry cooking. The great thing is
that you can walk away from the experience with most of your wallet intact
- although it isn't Little Caesar's, you can manage with an appetizer,
entree, modest bottle of wine and dessert for around $45-$60 per
person.
Cat Daddy's Cafe
99 South Market Street Suite, Charleston, SC 29401 Tel: (843) 579-0333
The weekend livens up a bit at this Market Street piano bar and
seafood restaurant. The classic "dueling pianos" concept lives on, in
addition to live jazz performances throughout the week. The warm weather
often found in Charleston allows diners the added bonus of dining out in
the front courtyard. Personally, any restaurant offering prime Alaskan
snow crab legs for $15.99, all I could eat, gets brownie points in my
book.
North Towne
2093 Eagle Landing Boulevard, Charleston, SC 29406 Tel:(843) 863-1001 Greek food is one of the last things I would have expected to find here, and definitely not this good. Located just off Rivers Avenue, this unassuming little restaurant offers a selection of Greek favorites just short of heaven. Classic dishes such as pasticchio, moussaka, dolmades and gyros in several different varieties (lamb, chicken, beef or vegetarian) fill you just enough to make you wonder if dessert is a good idea or not (of course it is!) With each entree comes salad, bread, and a delicious and intriguing lemon, egg and rice soup (also known as avgolemono). I could make a meal out of that all by itself. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.
Poogan's Porch
72 Queen Street Charleston, SC 29401 Tel:843-577-2337
I took it as a sign of providence that we even found this place at
all, considering my deplorable sense of direction and the scarcity of
building numbers in Charleston. Moreover, as with many things in this
area, the exterior conceals the true quality of the establishment within;
from the outside, you'd swear they only have room for a maximum of four
tables. Still, once you get in, you enter history and mystery - rumor has
it the place is haunted. The food is quite creative - they featured a
grilled swordfish Napoleon, and my mahi-mahi steak with apple-horseradish
crust and citrus marinade was a commendable achievement. Chris' cajun catfish was a little salty for her taste, though, which keeps our review to a low two smileys instead of possibly approaching a three smiley rating.
Tommy Condon's
160 Church Street, Charleston, SC 29401 Tel:(843) 577-3818 Perhaps not the most authentic Irish pub in the world, this mid-sized pub in a quiet corner of downtown Charleston manages to preserve at least the spirit of one. Twice a week (check for times) they feature live entertainment (yes, Irish music... what did you think?), and always have a number of imported as well as domestic beers on tap. There are a handful of traditional Irish favorites, as well as some lowcountry classics. The prices are quite reasonable, and the quantity of food you get is impressive to say the least.
Taste of India
273 King Street, Charleston, SC 29401 Tel:(843) 723-8132 I think this may be the only Indian restaurant in Charleston, but worth a stop if you're downtown. They offer a lunch buffet of Indian classics, including several curries, plain and garlic naan on the side, dals, saffron rice, and of course a mango lassi to finish. For dinner, a more standard menu of classical Indian cuisine is offered, all for very reasonable prices. We only made it for lunch, so we can't testify to the quality of the dinner choices, and as a result, we can't give this three smileys, though it is the best of its category in the area (being that it's the ONLY ONE in its category in the area) Don't let that discourage you; it's worth a stop.
A.W. Shucks
For reservations call Kevin Condon at 1-800-849-0085.
Looking for larger-than-life dining? This place is almost always
busy and usually loud, but for simple, tasty seafood, they deserve to
claim this is where the locals come for seafood. When we visited, I had to
try the house crab boil, a Lowcountry favorite consisting of steamed
vegetables, mussels, oysters, crab claws and shrimp, all boiled in heavily
seasoned water and served with cocktail sauce. Just getting a dish with
whole ears of corn and baby potatoes tossed in with delectable seafood was
enough to keep me happy the entire evening.
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