Where You Should Go In Charleston Now
If you amble down Legare (pronounced Luh-gree) Street, one of the prettiest streets in Charleston’s South of Broad, you pass filigree ironwork gates and secret gardens, antebellum mansions and live oaks. Then suddenly, in front of one of the mansions, there’s a large stone half circle on the street.
“Can you guess what that is,” asks Bill Harris, founder, co-owner and extremely knowledgeable private guide of Oyster Point Tours which specializes in detailed, authentic walking tours around the city. I ask whether it relates to the cotton or rice trade, the industries that led to the fortunes of many of the former residents of this street. A mark of a secret society? An industrial accident? “Think of a woman wearing a voluminous hoop skirt climbing into a carriage,” Harris says. “She can’t get into it from the street but she can if she stands on this stone, half of a grinding wheel.” In that moment, one image makes history come alive; it’s easy to imagine the personalities, the social life, the day to day activities of this street and with it, of this beguiling city.
Charleston has long been admired as the belle of the south, with street upon cobblestone street lined with those terraced, colorful mansions and flowering trees. The history, of course, is more complicated than that. When you stand on the Battery and look across Charleston harbor, you can see Fort Sumter, the attack on which started the Civil War. Looking out through the windows of the impressive International African American Museum which opened last year and describes the African diaspora in extensive detail, you see Gadsden’s Wharf where an estimated 40% of African captives entered this country as slaves. In 2018, the Charleston City Council passed a resolution acknowledging and apologizing for its slavery role.
On a lighter note, even the city’s very proper image may not be as true as it seems. “Charleston is a drinking town with a history problem,” according to a guide I overheard walking his guests past the multicolored houses of Rainbow Row. It may not be as obvious about it as a well known party town like New Orleans, which it reportedly exceeds in alcohol consumption, but residents clearly like to have a good time and the lively bar and restaurant scene reflects it.
Among the best of many options: The Citrus Club atop the Dewberry Hotel combines cocktails with rooftop views of the city; the subterranean Bar Vauté below Brasserie La Banque has more of a speakeasy feel; Proof, street level on King Street, specializes in high end craft cocktails with a large list for wines by the glass. Other popular bars also feature top notch food such as Xiao Bao Biscuit located in a former gas station with a pan-Asian menu and 39 Rue de Jean, a lively, brick walled brasserie.
The restaurant scene is, as always, energetic with some familiar chefs back on the scene in new ventures. The Elliotborough neighborhood bistro Vern’s represents a return to town of Bethany and Dano Heinze, formerly behind the Charleston institution McCrady’s, and it’s a tough reservation to get. (There are, however, seats at the small bar for walk-ins.) The menu is American/Lowcountry/idiosyncratic with sizeable portions of really delicious options such as Jumbo Lump Crab Cake with Cherry Bomb Pepper, Cabbage and Smoked Hollandaise, Grilled Pork Loin with Lion’s Mane Mushrooms, Sweet Potato and Black Truffles, the scalloped pasta Campanelli with rabbit, black pepper and Vacche Rosse cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano taken to the next level) and Charred Sourdough with Allium Butter and Dill.
After 15 years and a James Beard Award at the ongoing culinary powerhouse FIG, Jason Stanhope opened Lowland alongside the Method Co. team last November in the former Lequeux-Williams House, a former private residence that dates to 1834 on George Street, now part of The Pinch hotel complex. Originally, the three dining rooms, each decorated with early Americana artifacts and wall coverings/murals featured a tavern menu downstairs and tasting menu upstairs but all three serve the tavern a la carte menu now and the flavors displayed are enticingly vivid. Among the appealing featured dishes: Chicken + Shrimp Skewers which deserve a better name because they’re a piquant/slightly sweet knob of lacquered chicken wrapped around the shrimp not pieces stacked alongside; Covington Sweet Potato Ravioli with brown butter, sage and amaretti; Rigatoni + Calabrian Pork Ragu; Crispy Quail and Pork Cutlet Parmigiana. Plus, for dessert, an irresistible version of a classic English dessert: Banoffee Pudding.
Across the alley from Lowland and also part of The Pinch, The Quinte Oyster Bar originally opened in 2022 and reopened under Stanhope’s direction also in November. The curated menu includes a daily changing menu of local oysters, Tuna Crudo with Salsa Criolla and Horseradish, Seafood Chowder, Chilled Tarvin Shrimp with fancy Cognac sauce and soft serve vanilla ice cream with either aged balsamico and extra virgin olive oil or brown butter and pecans.
Naturally, in a city renowned for its seafood, it isn’t alone. James London, the chef of Chubby Fish, down the street from Vern’s, was recently named a 2024 James Beard Award semifinalist for his globetrotting creations such as Grilled Oysters with crab fat curry and cashews. A panoply of seafood, some with a distinctly Latin tilt and all of it sparkling fresh, fills the menu of Delaney Oyster House; dishes include Roasted Oysters with Creole Butter and Hushpuppy Crumble, Spanish Octopus and Royal Red Shrimp and Bucatini. Fleet Landing is a longstanding, reliable spot for Seafood Towers, Crab Cakes, Fried Seafood Platters, Blue Crab Dip and She-Crab Soup with waterfront views from the terrace overlooking the Cooper River. And smack in the middle of the historic district on East Bay Street, Amen Street Fish & Raw Bar is brimming with oyster varieties and dishes such as Sweet and Spicy Shrimp and Lowcountry Seafood Pirlou (Charleston’s version of Jambalaya.) It’s also across the street from Carmella’s Cafe and Dessert Bar with its large, rich, sweet and incredibly popular (order online to avoid waiting on line) chocolate peanut butter, carrot and cannoli cakes.
Where to Stay: With both Lowland and The Quinte Oyster Bar as part of the hotel, guests of The Pinch might not feel the need to have a kitchen but each of the 25 suites spread among three buildings here has one and a deluxe one at that with marble or black walnut countertops and top of the line appliances. The overall tone of the hotel is fresh and contemporary but with a mix of designs and furnishings from different eras giving it a more layered, nuanced depth. It’s also on the corner of George and King Streets, nirvana for shoppers given the lineup on King Street and for checking out other restaurant options. The only drawback: suites facing busy King Street directly may get some street noise; additional soundproofing would be useful.
In contrast, the tenor of Zero George at the other end of George Street, could not be quieter and more relaxing; behind tall gates, it’s a complex of five 1800s-era buildings with historic residences and brick carriage houses surrounding a private garden courtyard with separate areas of chairs, couches and tables. Guests use them during the day for alfresco dining with the generous complimentary breakfasts, including flaky biscuits and a cooked kitchen option, the complimentary wine and charcuterie hour at 5:00 every day and for general hanging out in-between sightseeing and after dinner.
The overall tone is cossetting and old fashioned in the best way: traditional, European-influenced décor in the 16 suites and one-to-three-bedroom residences and a staff that seemingly can’t do enough for guests. The property is also home to The Caviar Bar and the esteemed Restaurant at Zero George from chef Vinson Petrillo (who also recently opened the coastal Italian restaurant Costa in town) which draws locals and guests from other hotels in town for creative, whimsical tasting menus with courses that actually taste as good as they look. And positioned on the corner of East Bay Street, it’s an easy walk south from the hotel to the major historical sites. (Also since the restaurant doesn’t serve lunch, it’s an easy walk to Ted’s Butcherblock, a market and cafe around the corner to pick up a sandwich such as their bestselling Wagyu beef with caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms and blue cheese aioli on a ciabatta roll.) If there weren’t so much else to see and try in town, though, it would be tempting for guests to not leave the grounds at all.
While in Charleston: It’s easy to venture north or south for a sidetrip. About an hour north, the historic town of Georgetown is a fishing mecca with tournaments from January through April; kayaking tours are also available through tranquil coastal rivers. The town also has a new, design forward boutique hotel The George with a restaurant The Independent featuring spins on Southern dishes such as She-Crab Soup, BBQ Clams, Skillet Corn Bread with Honey Butter, Blackened Flounder with Lump Crab & Andouille Sausage Pileau and Hummingbird (spice) Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Icing, Salted Caramel Sauce and Spiced Pecans that are so delicious they would justify a trip here on their own.
In the other direction, Kiawah Island Golf Resort, a well-known residential beach and golf destination, is an hour south of the city. Set to open in August on the banks of the Kiawah River on nearby Johns Island: The Dunlin, Auberge Resorts Collection will feature 72 rooms in breezy, Southern style of honey oak floors, mint green accents and rustic prints along with a classic Southern menu and activities utilizing the 20 miles of waterfront.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lauriewerner/2024/04/06/where-you-should-go-in-charleston-now/?sh=3ef4e9ac3f4f
