The Palmetto State-A long weekend in SC
- Samantha Rodolico
- Jan 8, 2019
- 4 min read
I took my first visit to South Carolina this past November to visit family who lived right outside of Charleston in a quaint town called Mt. Pleasant. Planning for this trip was extremely overwhelming. I was only visiting for essentially 3 and a half days and the amount of places to eat and drink were endless. Today's blog will highlight a few of my favorite things that I experienced during my stay.
Best way to see the city: Palmetto Carriage Works
I was so excited to explore Charleston's downtown area but didn't have a whole lot of time, so my aunt suggested we do a carriage tour. Now, before I continue on-I know there is huge controversy around horse and buggy rides and animal cruelty. The reason that we chose this company is actually because of the way they treat their horses. The horses they use are retired horses whose jobs were pulling on farms. Our guide explained that taking us around the city on a carriage with wheels is considered "light work" for them. Also, the horses are required to have at least a 15 minute break between their rides AND get vacation time. They are sent to relax on a farm for 6-12 weeks per year.
Okay, now back to the ride....after we got onto the buggy, we were taken around the corner where a woman puled a BINGO like ball that would determine our route. Due to the streets being so small and filled with pedestrians, tourists, and traffic, the town decided this would be the best way to maneuver the horse and buggies around.
Throughout our 90 minute or so trip, I gained a plethora of knowledge about Charleston;s past. We passed a multitude of mansions, gardens, churches, and different architecture,
A few highlights were:
Rainbow Row-which is a beautiful row of waterfront houses painted the shades to match the, you guessed it, rainbow.
Pirates-We learned that during the war, many pirates tried to come ashore to Charleston. Our tour guide explained that the beautiful park along the harbor with a Gazebo in the center had been the hanging ground for pirates. The reason for this was so the hanging pirates would be the first sight intruding pirates saw and would hopefully ward them off in fear. While this story isn't too odd, the hanging Gazebo is currently a very popular spot for wedding photos.
The re-numbering of houses-During the rise of Charleston, it endured some devastating fires. One way to help prevent future fires was to change the location of the kitchens. Between 1740s and 1820s, a new law was enforced where kitchens needed to be in a separate building than the living quarters in order to help prevent future fires. While some houses and restaurants still abide by this idea, many kitchen houses were not needed as the quality of building material improved. As Charleston grew as a city, these unused kitchen houses were eventually turned into small homes. Since the main houses were already numbered and it would be too much work to renumber the whole city, they added 1/2 as a locator for the kitchen houses. Sadly, there is not a 9 3/4, but it still intrigued my interest.
Best Dinner: HUSK
From the minute we walked up to HUSK, I had a feeling that we would enjoy ourselves. I was a little nervous, as the night before we went to dinner at a very well known restaurant in Charleston and were somewhat disappointed, This was not what we experienced during our time at HUSK. The outside of the restaurant is breathtaking, as it resembles a historic Charleston home. While we waited for our table, we sat outside on the porch swings and enjoyed the passerbyers. Our server was extremely knowledgeable in recommendations of food as well as wine.
The thing that attracted me to this menu is the constant adjustment of the menu. Their menu is based upon what is in season. For my main meal, I opted for a salmon entree-this meal exceeded my expectations. We ordered appetizers, entrees, sides, and dessert-nothing disappointed.
FAVORITE DRINKS: GIN JOINT
The Gin Joint was recommended to me by many people before I got down to Charleston. I am not a huge Gin drinker, so I was confused as to what the draw of this place would be. My question was quickly answered after sitting down. As I reviewed the menu, I noticed one side had a list of adjectives. This section of the menu allowed you to choose two words and then the bartender to create a drink based on your descriptions. I chose floral and refreshing. The drink that came out was exactly what I imagined. It was one of the best cocktails that I have ever had.
Surprise enjoyment: Shem Creek
As I researched Charleston, there were some areas that were not in downtown Charleston that people had recommended. One of these areas was Shem Creek. This area is a compilation of waterfront bars/restaurants along a creek. I can only imagine how amazing this place is during the warm weather.
Favorite meal outside of Charleston: Papi's Taqueria
When I visited Charleston, my main purpose was to visit my aunt/uncle who live in Mt. Pleasant (about 20 minutes outside of downtown Charleston). The last day we were there they suggested we go into Isle of Palm for the morning. I was shocked when we arrived. This is like a mini shore town. We were able to walk along the beach and admire the beautiful beach front properties. For lunch, we opted for Papis Taqueria. Papi's is owned by Zac Brown's executive chef which intrigued me even more. It was a beautiful little restaurant with a great drinks & even better food. I ordered three different tacos:
1. Sucio Italiano-which is chorizo meatballs. YES CHORIZO MEATBALLS as a taco. My grandfather's meatballs are always in the back of my mind when I order mematballs (which I rarely do because nothing has come close)-but these....these are the closest thing I have ever had to melt in your mouth meatballs that brought me back to my childhood.
2. How Ya Durin- This one included crispy prawns and was finished with a delicious remoulade.
3. Tender Time-Braised beef, avocado, cilantro-what more does a girl need in life?
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