Mr & Mrs CHM Visit Charleston, SC

[chileheadmike]

We drove down from Lexington, KY yesterday. Beautiful drive but at 8 hours we were not ready to do any excursions last night. We checked into the Market Pavilion and had dinner at Grill 225. I was a little apprehensive about eating at the hotel restaurant, but I needn't have worried. Everything we had was excellent.

Being in Charleston, I wanted seafood, but the emphasis here is on steaks. Seafood included Maine lobster, Alaskan Halibut, etc. Our server mentioned that all steaks are prime, and that they are 45 day dry aged. SOLD. I had a 12oz ribeye, Mrs CHM had the filet. Both were cooked perfectly and one of the best steaks I've ever had. We split grilled asparagus and some potatoes that had been sliced and broiled with butter and parmesan.

More later, I think we're going to try and get reservations at HUSK. We're not familiar with Charleston so any recommendations are welcome.

[DTBarton]

Here's another Charleston thread, some of the last entries are fairly recent.

I'm partial to FIG: http://www.eatatfig.com/

Also partial to Seewee but it is a bit of a drive up 17 north from the city. Great job of all things fried.

http://www.hollyeats.com/Seewee.htm

[Holly Moore]

If you don't mind getting a bit down and dirty, Bowen's Island for shovelfuls of Roasted Oysters. Just off the road to Folly Beach.

[FrogPrincesse]

My husband, the photographer for my Foodblog the other week, travels to Charleston occasionally for business and just came back from there last week. He ate at FIG and McCrady’s, and highly recommends both. He says that FIG is more casual, while McCrady’s is more gastronomic and formal. Both make good use of local ingredients to elevate classic dishes. At FIG, the John’s Island tomato tartine and the corn chowder were outstanding, as was the locally caught triggerfish. The pork trotters were also excellent, if you’re a bit adventurous. At McCrady’s, the stone crab and uni (urchin) was his favorite dish, along with the Berkawattabaw pork. Both restaurants have first rate cocktail menus. FIG even has a dedicated Manhattan menu, with a choose-your-own list of bourbon, bitters, and vermouth!

Otherwise, he tells me that the best cocktails in town can be found at The Gin Joint, which is also on East Bay, just down the road from McCrady’s. They pride themselves on their authentic vintage Prohibition-era cocktails, and they make their own syrups, bitters, and tonics, while also carrying an impressive selection of hard-to-find spirits. As you may know, one of the secrets to a good cocktail is good ice, and they hand carve their own cubes. They even have a machine which melts a block of ice into a giant sphere for the perfect Old Fashioned. They serve great small plates for a good snack, too.

He also likes Husk, which apparently belongs to the same owner as McCrady’s, but is more on the casual side.

For an authentic and casual Charleston seafood experience, he says that you must go to The Wreck in Mount Pleasant. It’s overlooking a beautiful old fishing port and you’ll think you’re lost trying to find it (behind a residential neighborhood and a boat storage facility). But the food couldn’t be any fresher and it’s got all the ambiance you’ll ever want – but bring bug spray! The Stone crab claws are his favorites there.

He apparently has a lot of fun on his “business trips”.

On another note, I am trying to convince him to open an eGullet account so he can report his experiences directly, but it looks like I still have to work on him.

[chileheadmike]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. The Gin Joint sounds like something Mrs CHM would love. It's not really my thing, I stick to mostly beer. Cheap American Macro. I know, it's a character flaw, but you like what you like. I'm sure I can get a nice cold Budweiser.

FIG, SNOB, McGrady's all sound terrific. Queen 82 looks promising as well. We have a tough decision to make regarding our one super nice meal.

We're heading up to the Francis Marion state forest and maybe a beach today, The Wreck sounds like a perfect stop on the way back.

We didn't eat much at all yesterday. A quick nibble for breakfast at the concierge lounge. A small, late lunch at Mad Rivers. Mahi tacos were tasty for me, and a build your own salad was pronounced the best ever by my wife. The place used to be a church and is a really cool setting for a bar and grill. Dinner was at the hotel. (Damn those vouchers the hotel gave us. We (Mrs CHM)feel(s) obligated to use them up).

Looking for more adventure today. Thanks again for the help.

[catdaddy]

Look up the Hominy Grill.

It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner local style and ingredients.

Be sure to have the buttermilk pie and shrimp'n'grits.