Simply put: Charleston stole my heart. The seafood was the freshest I have tasted. The biscuits were more buttery and flaky than I could have imagined. The homes made me feel as if I were on the streets of a movie scene. You don’t need to be in the city long to realize what a gem it is. Buildings are painted in pastel colors, the water is walking distance away from incredible restaurants and the Spanish Moss is enchanting. Exploring on a work trip in March, the only complaint I can really think of is the parking. However, what can you expect from a historic city that is still paved in cobblestone?

I found the best crab cakes, fried green tomatoes and ribs. The top right picture of the crab cakes is from Eli’s Table. I ordered them for lunch with a side of grits and savored every just-been-caught-crab-filled bite. The stacked fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese were my favorite dish of the weekend. Pimento cheese is a new obsession. More on that later. For dinner, we got to experience Poogan’s Porch. By experience, I mean you actually feel as if you are dining on the porch of your family’s historic southern home. I could have had a whole meal out of the fresh baked biscuits and pimento cheese fritters as a starter. But then I went to cloud nine devouring the hickory smoked pork ribs stacked over and gouda mac and cheese. While the mac and cheese was slightly chewy for my taste, it had just the right amount of richness. As for the ribs, the meat fell off the bone it was so tender and sauce was unlike any other sauce I’ve tasted. I guess that’s what happens when you put an Arizona girl in South Carolina.

We didn’t even have an agenda as we explored the streets. Up and down, we roamed through boutiques, stopped for sweets and photographed the contrast of the old and the new. There’s so much on my list left to see in Charleston. I can’t wait to go back and spend (hopefully) more time soaking it up.

Any recommendations for my next visit? What are your favorite spots in Charleston?

Love food. Love self. Love life.
Gabriela