Thank the good Lord for grandparents. It’s only because of them that we get to have parent getaway weekends to recharge! This last trip we chose Charleston, South Carolina as our getaway spot. No specific reason except for we had heard good things about their food, which is always at the top of our traveling priority list, and we had some friends that had recently been who recommended it.
All in all, it was the trip we didn’t know we needed. We ate amazing food and got great rest. Nothing special or fancy, just quality time. The only “excursion” we were going to do was take a boat over to see the Charleston harbor, but the weather didn’t cooperate. Ended up being a blessing in disguise, because the conversations and rest we got to have instead were priceless.
So, the things that I am going to recommend are places to stay and places to eat. First up, places to stay. We stayed at The Dewberry. Fantastic hotel with a amazing, southern hospitality and very homey rooms. Our room was equipped with a dreamy bathroom and a great bed comfort wise. However, the location of our hotel left more to be desired with the over all Charleston feel that we were able to get elsewhere. I would recommend staying closer to the water. The closer we got to the harbor, the more we were able to experience the Charleston we expected (read: carriage rides, architecture, water within view, etc.) The Dewberry also seemed to be a hotspot for dining and for people to use the spa, which were both booked before we could experience either. I would definitely recommend booking a spa appointment ahead of time, no matter where you are staying, because they were booked around town.
Second up, food. We ended up going during restaurant week, unbeknownst to us. Winning! This meant most of the restaurants were running specials on 4 course dinners or a specific dish so that you could taste multiple things from their cooks and menus. We made sure to check with our hotel on what they recommended but our best spots came recommended by the people we met out and about the first night and from our taxi drivers from the hotel during the day.
For brunch, we ate at Miller’s All Day and Eli’s Table. Both spots were fantastic and exactly what we were looking for. We didn’t have to wait and they had unique menu items at each. Shelton’s favorite meal was at Eli’s Table. He ordered a Lowcountry Eggs Benedict. It was a fried oyster, poached egg, on an English muffin topped with ham gravy. YALL. It was everything it sounds like an more.
For lunch, we ate at Rarebit in between shopping and then Sunday we just ate at a sports bar they were showing the football games at. Since we were eating such heavy breakfast/brunch items, lunch kind of fell later in the day. Rarebit was a rare find. (ha! get it?) It was in between stores and we just stopped in there thinking we’d grab an appetizer. I ordered the fish and chips and it was melt in your mouth good. There is nothing better than fresh seafood.
For dinner, we ate at Leons for our first round of oysters, Eli’s Table for delivery in our room, and High Cotton for a night out. Leon’s had AMAZING oysters and a great atmosphere. Eli’s Table delivers with Ubereats so we ordered to our room and ate a filet and shrimp and grits right in our bed. It was perfect. Our favorite dinner spot was High Cotton. It was on the pricey end but worth every penny. We were given an amazing wine recommendation and Shelton ordered the best ribeye I have ever had in my life. I ended up sharing more with him than I did eating my own meal. The appetizers were just as superb, as we ordered more oysters. It was fun to learn one of the girls that worked there, her husband was actual the one who brought the oysters in. Can’t get more fresh than that.
All in all, Charleston was a great stop for a weekend with no plans. We walked the streets, shopped, ate, and rested to our hearts content. The next time we go back, we will definitely take friends to experience this great little town with us.
