Babymoon in Charleston: please suggest eats and sleeps

July 3, 2007 8:23 AM

Babymoon/Romantic weekend in Charleston in July: Can you offer suggestions for best places to eat and sleep? Money no object. Girly pursuits for me alone by day (while husband is at conference) also welcome.

I'll be 4.5 months pregnant with baby #2, and this is our first weekend away from our toddler together. We're both foodies, I'm a writer, and I will probably put together a food story from this trip, so I'm looking for best-of-the-best food, ranging from cheap local hangouts to high-falutin' eats.

posted by mdiskin to travel & transportation (16 comments total)

Just to clarify, do you mean Charleston, SC, or Charleston, WV (or some other city)?
posted by arco at 8:37 AM on July 3, 2007

I had absolutely one of the best meals of my life at Fulton Five. It's not cheap, but the food is excellent, the service is perfect, the atmosphere is cozy and even when full not too loud.
posted by 100watts at 8:38 AM on July 3, 2007

Sorry -- Charleston, SC. I have baby brain-drain.
posted by mdiskin at 8:38 AM on July 3, 2007

We had wonderful meals at 82 Queen and Charleston Chops. For cheaper eats we liked, Trawlers. We stayed at the Elliot House Inn, which is a B&B right next to 82 Queen.

We had an absolutely fabulous time, and still talk about the trip.
posted by jquinby at 8:46 AM on July 3, 2007

Anson should be on your itinerary. You're welcome in advance.
posted by The Beezer at 9:08 AM on July 3, 2007

Two places widely talked about:

SNOB - Slightly North of Broad. Deviled crab stuffed flounder on Wednesdays is incredible. Oyster stew quite good. Definitely add this to your list.

Fig - Average fine dining. Not much character / ambiance. Nothing special.
posted by zander at 9:45 AM on July 3, 2007

Add Jestine's Kitchen to the list if you like soul food.
posted by cdmwebs at 9:55 AM on July 3, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

The crispy flounder at Anson.
posted by initapplette at 10:08 AM on July 3, 2007

I did a romantic thing there too. The food was nice and the place was overall really cool. Don't get suckered in by the condo people looking to get you to sit down for a presentation on condos there.

Go to Ft. Sumter/Ft. Moultrie during the day.
posted by Ironmouth at 10:27 AM on July 3, 2007

Peninsula Grill... also try the people at chowhound.com
posted by chickaboo at 10:56 AM on July 3, 2007

Many thanks so far for the replies.

Corollary question: Any places we should avoid or that are overrated?
posted by mdiskin at 11:18 AM on July 3, 2007

Seconding the recommendation for Jestine's Kitchen, above. Hands-down the very best fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, cornbread, and sweet tea you will ever have in your life.

Overrated: There's always a big crowd for Hyman's Deli, which serves fried seafood. It's good, but it's definitely not worth the wait -- or the hype.
posted by shiu mai baby at 12:19 PM on July 3, 2007

Almost forgot: Sticky Fingers offers outstanding, authentic BBQ -- smoked ribs, smoked pork sandwiches, etc. Terrific.
posted by shiu mai baby at 12:20 PM on July 3, 2007

Hyman's is overrated. Don't do the 2 hour wait for the same seafood dishes you can get at every other restaurant in town.
posted by chiababe at 12:53 PM on July 3, 2007

Beaches-
go to Sullivan's Island to enjoy pristine, huge beaches. After playing in the waves head across the street and have a delicious sandwich at Poe's across the street. Just watch out for those sandbars when the tide comes back in. This is a beautiful beach.

Folly beach is a more laid back beach that offers the most amazing fishing pier I have ever seen. its nice just to walk on it and see the people fishing, peer over the side and look at the dolphins, sharks, and sting rays swimming, eat a great breakfast at Lost Dog cafe.

Food-
Creek front dining/ drinks- If you want to listen to some nice music, while relaxing on the water around warm and friendly people I would recommend Reds on Shem Creek. It's not as touristy as Vickerys (on Shem Creek), but lively.

Downtown- Seafood- Hanks is delicious, for a cooler setting check out Coast. For a very high end very southern dining experience I would suggest High Cotton. This place has incredible service, unique but very southern items on the menu, they even have a wild game section, and often they have some nice blues and jazz in the bar.

Stay away from Bubba Gumps and similar tourist traps that you will find near the market, except Kaminski's for dessert. (get the brownie al la mode)

Shopping- After shopping your brains out on King Street, and the very touristy but have to go and look at sweet grass baskets, Market street head to broad street and have a soup and sandwich at Gaulart & Maliclet French Cafe. very local, very artsy, very yummy.

Don't forget to walk down Broad Street to Waterfront park and enjoy the pier that has porch swings!

Other places of interest- If you are going to check out a plantation I would recommend Magnolia Plantation. Nice walking trails, lots of alligators and wildlife and they even have a restaurant that services a nice lunch. See the Angel Oak which is a 1400 live Oak (you know, those cool trees with the moss hanging from them) It's quite a specimen.

Further but way cool place to go-
Cypress gardens- Only in the South can you grab a boat from a dock and paddle yourselves around an alligator infested cypress pond.

Mepkin Abbey- an amazing monetary that is open to the public and filled with amazing monks that will give you a tour of the plantation. They have an incredible gift shop too filled with artwork made and traded by nuns and monks from different monasteries around the country.

That's all I can muster up for now. Man, you really made me miss Charleston.
posted by brinkzilla at 2:16 PM on July 3, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

The Oak Steakhouse - Chef Brett catered an Italian menu for our wedding on Isle of Palms last year - really wonderful food. I can also recommend Stella Nova for girly indulgences - there's a salon and spa, and the retail location on King Street is pretty awesome. Croghan's has beautiful vintage jewelry. A trip to Sullivan's Island can be wonderful, but the "main" intersection where the bridge drops you off on the island (where the restaurants are) can get kind of packed and rowdy on weekends. Maybe not the most romantic of spots. A great Gullah meal to be had here, but again, not the most romantic spot, but amazing food.
posted by ersatzkat at 4:18 PM on July 3, 2007