A couple of weeks ago - just after my weekend in NYC, I went down to Charleston for work. Luckily, it wasn't all work and no play since as many of you know, Charleston is one of my favorite cities in the US! Instead, it was work all day and go out in the evening for some delicious food and delightful conversation with my Marms and Jordyn who met up with me there for a girls week! I'm such a food tourist and tend to spend a lot of time trying out delicious food while exploring a new place. This visit to Charleston was no exception - here's some of my favorite pictures along with new restaurant recommendations:
Dinner the first night was at The Library: The decor in The Library reminded me of a charming English garden with soft pastel colors, stripes, portraiture's, and chandeliers...interestingly, I did not find one book in this restaurant. I suppose that it would be a bit cliche to actually have an assortment of books in a restaurant called the Library? I highly recommend having dessert there - I can't remember the name of what we chose and the website has unfortunately, not updated their online menu which makes it tough to do research. We chose a delightful dessert (to which my Marms can attest) a small stack of cocoa crepes filled with banana creme and soft, sweet dollop of whipping creme.
The next evening the ladies took me to have the best fried chicken I have ever tasted. No really, I'm not even exaggerating. AMAZING! If you ever visit Charleston, you must have dinner at a restaurant called Magnolias. Also noteworthy, Magnolia's is one of two restaurants from Charleston that are featured in the popular book, 1000 Places To See Before You Die. Here's the story with the chicken dinner - they serve it with corn, mashed potatoes, collard greens, biscuits and gravy. Even though you might be tempted to order a side of macaroni and cheese - resist the temptation! I ate so much, I made myself sick - I went straight to bed afterward and didn't even have room for chocolate cake, which coincidentally, was the best cake my travel buddies had ever had. Sigh.
Before and After shot
I can't neglect to mention a cute cafe that we visited daily called The East Bay Meeting House - just a block from Magnolias. It was the first stop in our evenings of food tourism - with a lovely happy hour special that we couldn't resist - $4 glass of champagne. Great deal, right?! We went there so often that the owner said, "see you tomorrow" to my Marms on our last day. She didn't have the heart to break the news to him. On our last full day in Charleston I was able to wrap up work a bit early and we decided to drive down to Savannah. Jordyn had never been before and it's only about an hour and forty-five minutes to drive there. Savannah and Charleston couldn't be more different in my opinion. They are both absolutely lovely - and I think I mentioned this in my last blog post...maybe not...but Charleston is very grand, while Savannah feels more authentic and whimsical. Jordyn likeend Charleston to the Disneyland of the South. I think you feel like a little kid in a candy store as you walk down the streets, exploring the grandeur. While in Savannah, I'm surrounded by large trees with Spanish moss, parks and squares everywhere, an artistic vibrancy, both grand and rustic homes...
Anyhow, ever since my first trip to Savannah I've been reading Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The book is an exciting non-fiction novel about the people of Savannah and a particular event that happened there. You can't help but feel drawn to the mysteries and curious nature of the city after reading the book. Because I am a big cheese, I required that my travel buddies stop by Bonaventure Cemetery - a place that I had read a lot about both in the novel and online. I'm actually considering buying a burial plot after our visit - I can't believe how lovely and peaceful a cemetery can be:
Is that not the loveliest cemetery you have ever seen? After wandering around Bonaventure, we decided to wander over to the Mercer-Williams house for a tour - this is where the murder in the book took place, followed by fried food (fried green tomatoes, fried macaroni, and fried something else...and of course, some She Crab soup!) at the Olde Pink House restaurant, followed more wandering, some more delicious chocolate cake and eventually, rolling into our car for the drive back to Charleston.
The Davenport House - handsomest example of Georgian architecture in Savannah.
The birthplace of Juliet Gordon Low, founder of Girl Scouts of America
Another beautiful, historical home surrounded by great trees and azaleas.
I'd like to thank both my Marms and Jordyn for meeting me in Charleston and making my ordinary work trip, extraordinary. And especially for scouting out these fabulous dining spots ahead of time and establishing a game plan for us in the evenings when my brain was shot - you two took such great care of me, I felt spoiled! With that said, Here's to the South: May we travel to Charleston together for many more girls trips!
Posts
