This article is devoted to dining in Charleston's historic downtown area, mainly because that is where I most enjoy exploring on foot the beauty and history that makes this city such an interesting locale to visit. During my last visit, The Planter's Inn on N. Market Street provided the perfect location to begin what I hope is but one of many visits. I mention the Inn because they serve up an excellent continental breakfast, offer iced tea and lemonade during the early afternoon before setting out hot tea around 4 pm and the wine and cheese in the evening. By the way, The Citadel is a must-see while visiting Charleston. It is just stunning, even on an early Sunday morning in January.
Charleston is also noted for its cuisine offered by many fine restaurants that I look forward to visiting on future trips. In the ones my wife and I were fortunate enough to dine, I hope I can do them justice in print, because we really did not have a bad meal the whole time we were here.
Because we arrived in Charleston late at night on this trip, our first sample of the local dining scene was T-Bonz Gill and Grill, which served up a really awesome steak sandwich in addition to offering a great selection of import and domestic beers. Over the next three days, we sampled the seafood at Hyman's Seafood Company, tried to get into 82 Queen without a reservation, and indulged ourselves at Wet Willie's, which serves up frozen daiquiris and assorted specialties while also offering a small but tasty selection of Southwestern fare that goes well with their frozen alcoholic concoctions!
I have nothing but praise for the folks at Poogan's Porch, a lovely restaurant on Queen Street named for the famous "porch pooch" who used to keep an eye on things from his spot on the restaurant's front porch. Afterwards, it's was off to Kaminsky's, a nice little coffee known for its outstanding desserts, coffee drinks, and other beverages. We also dined at Captain Stacks for lunch and decided to try the seafood buffet at the Palmetto Cafe in the Omni Hotel. All in all, another excellent weekend complemented by the outstanding service and accommodations at the Planter's Inn on the corner of Meeting and Market downtown.
Upon arriving in Charleston and settling in at your hotel or inn, I strongly suggest finding a copy of the Menu Book, which is free and provides an exhaustive rundown of places to eat and dine, maps to get you there, and reviews of almost every restaurant in town. I found the reviews to be accurate and the menus helpful in selecting different restaurants so as to maximize our cash outflow.
