Now for my absolute favorite aspect of any trip….the local food. One of the reasons why Charleston has become such a popular destination is their culinary diversity. The minute Haley and I arrived in Charleston we began exploring its restaurants. We asked locals what their favorite spots were and we chose Cru Cafe, Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe, STARS Rooftop and Grill Room, and the Grocery. Here’s a little information on each restaurant and a few recommendations for your next visit.
Friday we chose a popular local favorite, Cru Cafe. Set in an old Charleston home, Cru Cafe was an intimate little restaurant. We asked the waitress what their most popular lunch items were and she said the Shrimp BLT and Sweet Onion Soup. We ordered both and also added their Fried Green Tomatoes and Fried Goat Cheese Salad.
While doing research on Charleston restaurants, I came across various articles praising STARS Rooftop and Grill executive Chef Nathan Thurston passion for culinary art. The restaurant lived up to its reputation. We started out by ordering their Honey Thyme Cured Mini BLT’s with fresh tomato, crisp vegetable slaw, and spicy mayonnaise. I can honestly say that this appetizer blew me away. The bacon was unlike anything I’ve ever had before. It was salty, fatty, and perfectly cooked. The slaw and sweet bread it was served on counteracted the saltiness giving it the most amazing flavor.
Hungry yet? I know I am! 🙂
Saturday we started out with some famous Charleston doughnuts at Glazed Gourmets. They make all their doughnuts fresh with real ingredients. The pictures will speak for themselves….
www.glazedgourmet.com
Haley and I had dinner Saturday at our cookingclass which I will be talking about in tomorrows post. For our final meal we went to The Grocery after the chef at our cooking class recommended it. The Grocery was also a speak easy style restaurant with modern Southern food. My inner child took over and I ordered their Green Eggs and Ham. Haley had their Southern Fried Quail over french toast.
