Going away from home is hard. Going away from your staple foods is harder. Italian, diners and delis are found on every block back home. But what about when you’re 700 miles away in Charleston? Have no fear, the solutions are here.
1. Jack’s Cafe
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Volavka
Everyone and their mother knows how crucial diners are to New Yorkers and New Jerseyans. Whether it’s a stop in the morning, or a stop late after a long night out, diners can pretty much always cater to our needs. Diners aren’t as frequent down here as they are up north, so when you find a good one, you hold onto it.
2. Sabatino’s Authentic NYC Pizza
Photo courtesy of Sabatino’s Authentic NYC Pizza
Pizza is crucial to the survival of our breed. I’m pretty sure we were all born with tomato sauce running through our veins, therefore we don’t take pizza lightly. It’s not EXACTLY our pizza, but we’ll blame the water for that one. The owner of Sabatino’s grew up in the Bronx, he knows what he’s doing, so we’ll leave it at that.
3. Bull Street Gourmet & Market
Photo courtesy of Bull Street Gourmet & Market
I may be committing some sort of sin for comparing any bagel to one from back home, but I’ll take what I can get until I can get the real deal. Their bacon, egg and cheese on a bagel is just about everything and more, and they cater to my taste buds that so desperately need this. But I’ll keep blaming the water for this one too.
4. Wild Olive Restaurant
Photo courtesy of Wild Olive Restaurant
You can transplant me in another state, but you can’t take away my Italian food. Baked ziti is a craving that strikes 24-7, and when you need it, you need it. This gem is right off the peninsula in Johns Island and is guaranteed to alleviate some homesickness, for sure.
5. East Bay Deli
Photo courtesy of East Bay Deli
Unlike back home, there aren’t 5 delis on every street corner. This requires the eater to do some work in finding somewhere good. So when this place rolled around, I knew I found myself a gem. So many sandwiches, so many flavors, Charleston sandwiches do it right.