southern charm.

December 26, 2015

I was able to escape quite a bit this year to explore new places, and a highlight was Charleston, South Carolina! This southern hot spot had been on my foodie travel wish list for the last year, and I finally ventured there this fall with a group of girlfriends.

Let me just say this: Bravo hit the Southern Charm title nail on the head — there is no better descriptor of the city. Everything was charming — the history, manners (and accents!), and architecture. My friend Miss A was even serenaded by a random older gentleman in a seersucker suit singing Dixie one evening while we were eating dinner. (True story!) Here are a couple of snapshots I took of an old wooden sailboat and flower boxes that I was obsessed with — aren’t they simply charming?!

If you are planning a trip to Charleston, get ready for some amazing food… and pack some oversized Vince dresses/elastic waistband pants! 😉

Our first foodie stop was 39 Rue de Jean for the ultimate ladies lunch. The only word you need to know here: MUSSELS! The Pistou and Curry preparations were my favorites, and the french bread to mop up the extra broth was so tasty.

We ventured to Magnolias for our first dinner, and it did not disappoint! The ambiance was elegant, and we were transported back to a time where couples dressed for dinner in colorful preppy style. I opted for fresh seafood and went with the lump crab stuffed rainbow trout — it was so fresh and tender, just melted in my mouth! A few of my friends ordered their signature buttermilk fried chicken breast, and loved it! You cannot go wrong with anything you get here!

In true fan girl style, we had dinner the next night at Sermet’s, a restaurant where several scenes from Southern Charm were filmed. No Shep or Craig sightings, but our waiter was a very handsome guy from South Africa that made up for it! The food here was just average — I ordered the parmesan encrusted salmon, and recommend just snagging a drink at the bar for the sake of pop culture.

Our very last brunch on our weekend getaway was my most favorite — you definitely need to make at stop at Low Country Bistro! Imagine the cutest little rustic spot that serves soul food that a Southern grandmother would spend hours making from scratch. We started (cue the Vince dresses/elastic pants!) with the biscuits and jam… these were AMAZING! They were so amazing that I didn’t even snap a picture because we were too busy stuffing our faces with the warm, fresh out of the oven bits of buttery heaven. I ordered the shrimp and grits for my entree, and that was another brilliant decision! The grits were creamy, and the fried green tomatoes provided the perfect amount of crunch with fresh shrimp. It was every bit of Southern perfection, I was just waiting for Kathy Bates to jump out and give me a giant hug!

Enjoy a long weekend in Charleston — we did everything from taking a carriage ride, to sailing by Johnny Depp’s house, and learning about the ghosts that haunt this historic city. I cannot wait to go back! Tell me: what are some of your favorite foodie spots in America’s Friendliest City?