In the first week of February, classes at Wake Forest University were cancelled Tuesday-Friday due to a fertilizer plant fire nearby campus. My friend and I took refuge in my roommates house. During our stay, my friend, my roommate, and her sister and I planned an impulsive trip to Charleston, South Carolina. Here are some culinary highlights from the few meals we had.
Note: For context, I eat plant-based, with the exception of seafood and honey. My friends have no dietary restrictions.
Lunch : Fuel Charleston
We arrived to Charleston around noon on Thursday. We headed over to Fuel Charleston, located at 211 Rutlege Avenue, close to the North end of King street, so we could spend our afternoon walking down towards the water. The restaurant itself looks like a gas station from the outside (trendy!). We sat outside in a spacious courtyard behind the building with lots of greenery and seating options. The ambience was perfect for a sunny and warm afternoon. As for the food, Fuel is "Caribbean inspired" so as an appetizer, we all shared the mango guacamole. The chips were so good, and so was the guac. For my main course, I was in the mood for something light, so I ordered the Grilled Shrimp salad with no bleu cheese crumbles. The salad was very large, and the shrimp and vegetables in the salad were fresh and tasty. The champagne vinaigrette brought it together nicely, and it all went well together. I also managed to snag a few fries from my friends (they were delicious!). The food was great, but I didn't think it was anything to write home about. Nothing life changing, but still a good spot. However, I would still recommend this to anyone looking for lunch in Charleston due to the exceptional ambiance and location. The prices were decent as well, considering the quality of the food and large portion size.
Dinner: Vincent Chicco's
For dinner, we were all craving Italian, so we headed over to Vincent Chicco's. It is located at 39 G John Street, nearby the heart of King Street making a post dinner ice cream stop, drinks if you're over 21, or walk easily accessible. The restaurant was a typical high-end Italian Restaurant, pretty and dim lit (mood lighting for sure). I can see it being a good spot for a date night. The meal came with a free bread basket, which is always a plus. The bread was a typical French baguette, which was delicious dipped in some olive oil. For dinner, I ordered the Shrimp Aglio and Olio. The linguine was homemade semolina flour, and was soft and tender. It was not done al dente, which I prefer. The shrimp was delicious. My only complaint is that I found myself wishing the dish was a bit more flavorful, however I was satisfied after adding a few shakes of salt to it. My meal was expensive, but I didn't think it was too unreasonable, as the price was determined by market prices for seafood. Overall I enjoyed my experience, but I don't think would come back over trying a different Italian Restaurant.
Dessert: Jeni's Icecream
For Dessert, we walked over to Jeni's ice cream. Jeni's is a chain, but I decided to give it a go because I heard they had good dairy free options. I got the Texas Sheet Cake ice cream which was chocolate ice cream with Texas sheet cake mixed in. Overall, the ice cream was excellent as far as dairy free ice cream goes. My friend got the Bramble-berry Crisp flavor and also loved it. Definitely a fun experience due to the specific flavor choices.
Breakfast: Harken Cafe
Harken is located right next to the Hill House by Wyndham where we spent the night. It was very convenient for a morning breakfast and coffee. The inside was small, but cute and had a rustic feel. I ordered the "Green Thing" Avocado toast. It had country bread topped with avocado slices, sesame Tamari, flaky salt, and microgreens. The sesame Tamara was delicious on top. Personally, I prefer my avocado toast topped with some lime or lemon juice as well, but the avocado was fresh and the bread was delicious. It was also only 7 dollars, which is pretty good for avocado toast (which is usually insanely up-charged!). My roommate and her sister split the "Butter Me Up" breakfast sandwich and claim it was made with the "best biscuit they had ever had". The loved it so much they ordered another. For context, they are both from the south and are very familiar with homemade biscuits. Safe to say, their seal of approval meant a lot. I didn't think it was anything special, but I think my roommate and her sister would say otherwise.
Lunch: The Obstinate Daughter
Hands down, my favorite meal of the trip was at the Obstinate Daughter located in Sullivan's island about 20 minutes from downtown Charleston. It's also just a short walk from the beach, making it the perfect location to have a post lunch beach walk. It claims to be a Southern restaurant, inspired by French, Italian, and Spanish cuisine. There is also an extensive variety of seafood available. The inside was rustic and nautical themed, and had a lot of natural light. I ordered "Clammer Dave's Clams". It came with 18 clams in a delicious tomato broth and two slices of sourdough bread. I truly think it rivals some of the best meals I have ever had. It was so good that I forgot to take a picture of it. The clams were fresh in the most decadent and flavorful broth. Surprisingly, what made the dish so special was the bread. I am not exaggerating when I say I do not think I have every had bread that delicious. It was not only tasty, but it was freshly toasted. It was crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. After I finished the clams, I ordered an extra serving of the bread to dip in the broth. The only con was that my meal was very expensive because I ordered fresh seafood. However, my friend's meals were equally as delicious and much more affordable. Despite the price, I still think it was worth it. I would go out of my way to come back to this restaurant, and would recommend it to anyone visiting the Charleston area.
Though my time eating my way through Charleston was short-lived, it was certainly an experience. My next time in the area, I would for sure hit some of these spots again, but would be excited to explore other options in the great Charelston food scene.