We've begun an annual tradition of meeting our dear friend Kristi in her home state of South Carolina each summer to spend a few days exploring Charleston and taking in their food and shopping culture. Jim and I have been going to Charleston on and off for over a decade and each time we are there we find more interesting things happening in this quintessentially charming historic city.
The scale makes the city perfect for walking and exploring, Charleston is just big enough to have a lot to offer - but still remains small enough to radiate a quaint coolness.
Our go to hotel is The Zero George (pictured left). Tucked just a few blocks off the main drag of King Street, the hotel is comprised of several historic buildings - two of which were relocated - all centered on a quiet tree-lined courtyard. The rooms are traditional, comfortable and contain all the modern amenities you look for during a weekend away. The rate includes a continental breakfast (think fresh baked biscuits and gourmet quiche not frozen waffles and cereal dispensers) which is just perfect when enjoyed with a cappuccino on one of the lovely outdoor spaces scattered throughout the property. It also includes nightly wine reception with gourmet cheese board hosted in the property's tiny bar. If you want to stay in the Zero George has a well rated restaurant that delivers delicious complex food made out of a closet sized open kitchen in the hotel lobby. Service throughout is top notch and friendly. Seriously this place is heaven.
During our last two trips we've dined at Husk - an early incarnation of the gourmet farm-to-table southern heritage food trend. Housed in a historic house it is very charming and always packed (reservations made well in advance are a must). After our last dinner there we felt they had kind of jumped the shark - but the award winning burger is truly top notch. So I would go back for lunch. Another spot F.I.G. has become a true institution in the city. They were doing farm to table long before it was a thing. Jim and I had a wonderful meal there on our first visit to the area in 2004 and it still remains on every "top list" for the city, and many national ones as well. And for good reason - they keep adapting and evolving to stay on their game.
This trip our two stand out meals were lunches at two places that also seem to be on everyone's list of go-to spots. One was Leon's Fine Poultry & Oyster Shop located in the very Brooklynesque area of Upper Upper King Street. Housed in a former auto repair shop it has a very cool and open vibe. The food has a Southern focus. The fried chicken sandwich was so good - crispy and a bit spicy - on a soft roll with house-made bread and butter pickles. The Salads were fresh and creative and Leon's makes their own ranch dressing (which is heaven). The hush puppies were light and crisp and oysters casino were melty with the oysters not overly cooked. The drink menu has the expected craft cocktail slant - but they also serve Frozen Rose Slushies. #hello #lunchperfection. We had a similarly terrific lunch on our way out of town at Butcher & Bee.This place has relocated from a tiny location on King Street to a large modern space on the outside edge of Downtown. The food is Mediterranean with a Southern Influence. It was hard to get my head around that concept until after I had experienced it. The Menu has a whole section of Mezze (Small Plates). The standout here for us was Whipped Feta with fermented honey and cracked pepper. It was so smooth and delicious with all the right contrasts in flavor and texture. They also had a wonderful chilled pea and avocado soup and a wide assortment of grilled a pickled fresh vegetables. The Pita are super fresh and toasted atop the burners on the gas range (you witness this happening in the open kitchen). The Lamb Pita with spiced yogurt was simply delicious - it sounds boring - but the sandwich was executed so well. And the house Roasted Beef sandwich with smoked onion jam and miso mayo was also a standout. Again all the flavors and textures worked so well together.
During this last stay we also discovered a terrific new place - The Dewberry Hotel.They have been getting a lot of press because their concept is so unique. The developer converted a 1960s era government mid-rise building into a Luxury Hotel. The vibe is very Mad Men Mid-century - which is a noted departure from all of the classic architecture and style you find almost everywhere else in town. We didn't stay there - but a friend who has reports that the rooms albeit modern are very comfortable with may small touches that make them very appealing. They are what we at SPACE 519 like to call "happy modern" vs. the expected cool starkness. Before our dinners each night we sampled both of the bars located on the first floor. The first was housed in Henrietta's the hotel's french Brasserie. The second we checked out was the lobby bar. Both were a lot of fun and provided top notch cocktails and service. Henrietta's for sure had a more old school vibe with the black and white checkered floor and Parisian cafe feel. The lobby bar is a super glamorous brass semi circle nestled amount the notable collection of new and old Mid-century furnishings in the lobby. The hotel does a great job of paying homage to it's 1960s heritage but it also feels very warm and today. It is for sure a must see on any trip.
The city is filled with several different areas for shopping. The majority of the city's stores are housed along King Street - the central boulevard bisecting the city. The middle area of King holds lots of local stores as well as huge national players like J Crew, Louis Vuitton and GUCCI. On Lower King you will find more locally based businesses including some great antique and home stores. There are also some really cool men's stores in this area. Way atop King Street is the more emerging area. It is where you will find Leon's. The whole area for sure has a very Brooklyn/Logan Square/Silver Lake feel throughout with lots of young families remodeling old houses and a focus on independent locally owned business. The majority of the shopping in this area is West of King on and around Cannon Street. This area is officially called Cannonborough Elliotborough - it is largely residential with shops scattered throughout. Another cool assortment of shops is located East of King in Cigar Factory. The majority of the shopping here is within Fritz Porter (pictured) a huge loft space that houses dozens of independent design themed booths/showareas curated by local merchants and designers. There was so much to look at here - with a lot of finds at many different price levels. This is for sure a must stop for anyone interested in interiors. All in all the main fun about the city is the ability to walk and explore - every area listed here is walk-able from one to another.
That concludes my report for now. But one of the great things about visiting Charleston is that there is so much to explore that you are always left wanting to check out a few new things next time around. The places left on my "to-do list" include Hall's Chop House, 167 Raw and Xiao Bao Biscuit. So go and explore and be sure to report back next time you're in the store.
Stop one on the trip - literally - was 
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It might be a stretch to categorize my final food highlight as Cafe Cuisine. But it was certainly very California and we did eat it outside. After we were turned away from the very trendy 
Au Moulin A Vent: Every Saturday night we spend in Paris includes dinner at this not to be missed spot in the Latin Quarter. Opened in the 1940s, little has changed in the classic neighborhood gem. The crusty waiter's apron's are well starched and the menu is full of all the classics which brought you Paris in the first place. And as you are tucked shoulder to shoulder into one of their long banquettes it's fairly certain that someone beside you will be Parisian - a welcome endorsement. This trip it was a chic mother celebrating her 50th birthday with her husband and three twenty-something daughters. However do not fret - the restaurant also has a healthy population of in-the-know tourists and English is freely spoken here. Classics like Escargot in Garlic Butter and Salad Lyonnaise are a great place to start. But it is the restaurant's signature Chateaubriand which is not to be missed. Served with your choice of sauces (I love the Brandy Mustard version in the picture) and to-die-for fried cubed potatoes (I'm still dreaming of them) it is a plat-de-force. Wine is affordable and if you're lucky the Maître D' will send you on your way with an apple brandy "for your warmth." Reservations Required.
Allard: We have been coming here on and off for the past ten years - it was first recommended by an ex-pat friend who lived around the corner in Saint Germain de Pres. Recently Alain Ducasse took the helm of this 80 year French Neighborhood Gourmet Bistro - tuning it up without ruining any of it's cozy charm. Also drawing a mix of tourists and locals alike, Allard is all about french comfort food - with a menu which began with a mother's family recipes later passed down to her daughter in-law. The spot also holds a tradition of female head chefs which continues to this day. The Duck with Green Olives is a stand-out - as is the Roasted Chicken - both of which are served for two in copper roasting pans. I am particularly obsessed with the bread service where hardy slices are served up from a cart with mounds of room temp butter. Also the seasonal vegetable starters are a great bet - this last visit it was perfectly trimmed Asparagus served with Bernaise. The prices on the wine list seem out of step with the well-priced menu. Don't be steered into a $100+ bottle - instead opt for a lesser priced Bordeaux and you can't miss. Reservations can me made via their web site.
Kunitoraya Bistro Udon: Sunday nights can be hard in Paris as most restaurants are closed - many of them on Saturdays as well. Also after a few days of eating rich French Classics, by day four we are ready for a pallet change. This is why after finishing up a long day of buying appointments we happily cue up for a casual Japanese meal at Kunitoraya. Some might scoff at eating Asian food in Paris - but then they are missing the point. All food is taken very seriously by Parisians - including that found in small ethnic enclaves like the Japanese area adjacent to the Palais-Royalle. At this spot the Udon is made by hand daily and dropped into a silky smooth stock which simmers for days. But the stand out here is the Shrimp Tempura. While waiting in line for a table you can observe the magic of the Japanese chefs tenderly filleting shrimp, lightly battering them, and then frying just so. Get an order, served with seasonal tempura veggies, as a starter. It is not to be missed. Kirin draft is the way to go here - service is brisk and effective. For sure ask for an English Menu and point - as the servers here only speak Japanese and French and it is easy to get confused (i.e. all the soups can be ordered hot or chilled). We try to get there before the line forms for the 7:00 pm dinner opening. But even if the cue is long, don't be deterred - it moves quickly. It was in fact the line which initially attracted me to this place. Lines are generally terrific casual restaurant barometers. No reservations - open for lunch and dinner.
Le Servan: This trip we visited this spot in the mostly residential Voltaire. It was our first time there after seeing it show up on many top Paris Foodie lists. I always love to go where the locals go and we were for sure the only Americans in the lively dining room that night. The restaurant is a co-creation of two sisters - Tatiana (chef from L'Arpege & L'Astrance) and Katia (sommelier and hostess) Levha. The menu is farm to table French with light Asian influences. We enjoyed a delicious starter salad featuring Jerusalem Artichokes and another with a perfect soft boiled Scotch Egg. Our shared entree was a Whole Sole which was masterfully cooked, presented to us, and then filleted in the kitchen and finished with small golden potatoes and a light lemon butter sauce. The freshness the ingredients was readily apparent in every bite. Desserts were also well executed - especially memorable a Salted Camel Custard Tart. The wine list is all organic. The friendly co-proprietor steered us to a crisp Appellation Savennieres which was perfectly suited for the meal. As we crawled into the uber back to hotel we for sure felt like we'd had a terrifically authentic Parisian night-out. Reservations Recommended - Counter/Bar Seats Available.
Du Pain et Des Idees: As often is magically the case in Paris - in a hungry moment you stumble upon a tiny neighborhood gem. It's one of life's wonderful cliches. This time we were famished - exiting a trade show late in the afternoon. And then, miraculously in front of us - almost like a hunger induced mirage, was this Bakery. The outside looked like it had been created by Walt Disney for a 1920s movie set. And inside it was just as charming. As we waited in the line we chose the sweet and savory baked goods which would compose our lunch. Sadly, places like this make you yearn to be a Parisian so you could buy bread there every day. The huge loaves all stacked in bins by the register. But as tourists we were happy to settle for still warm Yeast Rolls filled with Cheddar and Bacon or Fresh Herbs and Goat Cheese. A bright green Pistachio Croissant was also a part of the mix - every ingredient in perfect proportion. As was the case with the "Escargot" or snail shaped pastry filled with sweet cheese. There is no spot to dine in - but happily there is a large communal picnic table outside for those who can't quite make it all the way home. Since coming back to the states I have learned that the bakery uses only organic flour. And that the perfect mise-en-scene is likely the result of the fact that the founding baker is a former fashion executive. Trust me - this place is well worth a trip up near The Republic. If you need a tide me over until your visit be sure to check out their web site - where the soundtrack is a feed of people being helped at the counter. And note well - they are closed on the Weekend.
