Now that tourist season has opened in Charleston, I feel it is my obligation to call-out all the overrated places everyone says you must go and try to provide better substitutes. In this economy, no one has money to waste on substandard tourist traps. A good rule of thumb while downtown is if it’s on Market Street it’s for tourists.
Further, I was on a walking tour of Charleston this weekend and someone asked the guide for some restaurant suggestions and he told them for a great burger go to Five Guys. Now, Five Guys is okay, but it certainly isn’t the best burger and definitely not local. I was secretly hoping the guide didn’t suggest Poe’s or Sesame because he didn’t want them to get more crowded than they already are. But as someone who prefers to go where locals go when traveling, I thought I would offer the following suggestions.
Tourist trap: Hyman’s Seafood
Better alternatives: The Boathouse, Fish, Seel’s Fish Camp (Sullivan’s Island), Seewee Restaurant (N on 17 past Mount Pleasant)
Hyman’s was actually the first place I ate at in Charleston. When I saw the sign on the door indicating there can be 90 minute waits, I thought it was a good idea to go when there wasn’t any wait at all. Any local will tell you this place is for tourists only. It’s not bad, just not great and certainly not worth a 90 minute wait. It is basically over-priced calabash seafood. There is far better and less fattening seafood to enjoy.
Tourist trap: Jestine’s
Better Alternatives: Hominy Grill, Gullah Gourmet (Mount Pleasant)
When visiting the low-country, one probably wants to try some low-country treats. I am not the biggest fan of low-country cuisine, but if you must, try these alternatives instead.
Tourist trap: Kaminsky’s
Better Alternatives: Basically anywhere, but specifically Baked, Cupcake, Modica (gelato)
I thought Kaminsky’s deserts are on par with the gooey over worked deserts of the Cheesecake Factory. Baked is my favorite desert place downtown with interesting and unique combinations like sweet and salty and cinnamon red velvet. Modica has some of the best handmade gelato this side of Italy.
Tourist trap: 39 Rue de Jean
Better Alternative: La Fourchette
If you truly want a French bistro experience go to La Fourchette. This unassuming small bistro provided one of the best meals I have had in Charleston and I have never had better flan. My only gripe is that like most every place that claims to have real pomme frites is that they aren't.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Local haunts Charleston
When I travel I always try to go to local favorites as opposed to the homogeny of chains like Outback or Olive Garden. Although Citysearch and Urbanspoon have made finding hidden gems easier on visitors, I still find it hard to find the best of local places. Especially in these current economic times, I want to do all I can to help my favorite places stay in business, so here is my contribution to the cause:
($ - Less than $10 an entrée, $$ - $11-$20 and entrée, $$$ - $20+ an entree)
Poe’s
Sullivan’s Island
The best hamburgers evar! (Their fish tacos are pretty good too)
Low end of $$
Taco Boy
Folly Beach
Cool atmosphere, great fish tacos
Low end of $
Carvel
Mount Pleasant
(okay, not really local, but kind of out of the way in Towne Center, so I thought I would give it a shout-out)
Softserve with sprinkles, what more can you want?
$
Five Loaves, Mustard Seed, Long Point Grill, Boulevard Diner, Sette
Mostly Mount Pleasant, various other local locations
I put these together because they are all owned by the same people and all serve good food at a reasonable price. Long Point Grill is my least favorite of the dynasty. What I like most is the large variety of daily specials each place has, which keeps the menu interesting for each visit. If you are looking for some serious comfort food, Boulevard Diner is as close to mom’s as you get. My only gripe is the lack of website, but maybe that helps them stay a local secret. Also, all locations are closed on Sunday.
$
EVO
North Charleston
Super thin crust real Italian pizza
$
The Square Onion
Mount Pleasant - Ion
Sandwiches, soup and such, great lunch place – limited seating
$
Fat Hen
John’s Island
Country French – Worth the trip for a special occasion
$$$
La Pizzeria
Mount Pleasant
Pizza and Italian
$-$$
Modica
Downtown Charleston
Gelato – Real stuff, complete with football (soccer) playing on the TV
$
Red’s
Mount Pleasant – Shem Creek
Bar food – You don't come to this local institution for the food (but it's not bad), but for the view of the creek and great outdoor atmosphere
$
This list should keep any traveler to Charleston busy for a few days. Soon will be a list of overrated Charleston, the places everyone says you should go, but you really shouldn't.
($ - Less than $10 an entrée, $$ - $11-$20 and entrée, $$$ - $20+ an entree)
Poe’s
Sullivan’s Island
The best hamburgers evar! (Their fish tacos are pretty good too)
Low end of $$
Taco Boy
Folly Beach
Cool atmosphere, great fish tacos
Low end of $
Carvel
Mount Pleasant
(okay, not really local, but kind of out of the way in Towne Center, so I thought I would give it a shout-out)
Softserve with sprinkles, what more can you want?
$
Five Loaves, Mustard Seed, Long Point Grill, Boulevard Diner, Sette
Mostly Mount Pleasant, various other local locations
I put these together because they are all owned by the same people and all serve good food at a reasonable price. Long Point Grill is my least favorite of the dynasty. What I like most is the large variety of daily specials each place has, which keeps the menu interesting for each visit. If you are looking for some serious comfort food, Boulevard Diner is as close to mom’s as you get. My only gripe is the lack of website, but maybe that helps them stay a local secret. Also, all locations are closed on Sunday.
$
EVO
North Charleston
Super thin crust real Italian pizza
$
The Square Onion
Mount Pleasant - Ion
Sandwiches, soup and such, great lunch place – limited seating
$
Fat Hen
John’s Island
Country French – Worth the trip for a special occasion
$$$
La Pizzeria
Mount Pleasant
Pizza and Italian
$-$$
Modica
Downtown Charleston
Gelato – Real stuff, complete with football (soccer) playing on the TV
$
Red’s
Mount Pleasant – Shem Creek
Bar food – You don't come to this local institution for the food (but it's not bad), but for the view of the creek and great outdoor atmosphere
$
This list should keep any traveler to Charleston busy for a few days. Soon will be a list of overrated Charleston, the places everyone says you should go, but you really shouldn't.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Turkish Delight
I will be the first to admit, I am not crazy about the food in the triangle. It seems like any good restaurant that tries something different fails while the Outbacks and Applebees of the world flourish. So it is always with great joy and happiness when we find a place that is worth returning to. We found this last weekend in Cary at Bosphorus. It continues to amaze me how the best restaurants seem to be in the most unassuming strip malls.
Bosphorus is a Turkish restaurant with the standard kabobs, hummus and baklava. What makes it different is that it feels authentic. It seems like a typical restaurant you would walk into in Istanbul with the locals. It isn’t a Disneyfied version of its culture like so many ethnic restaurants are.
The place is small, so there was a short wait, but the waiter was so warm and inviting, we didn’t mind. When we sat down, we were greeted with a basket of warm garlic pita. We started with one of the best Greek salads I’ve ever had with a zesty, but not overpowering dressing and some of the best grape leaves. For our entrées, we got lamb kabobs and Turkish pizza. I will forgive the lamb being over cooked (no lamb should be cooked more than medium rare) with it being served with cucumber yogurt sauce and a unique bulgur pilaf. The spinach feta pizza was under seasoned, but the crust was really good. We are curious to try the beef pepperoni pizza. Since it was such a cold night, I decided to order hot tea, I am a sucker for any place that brews their tea like coffee and gives refills, and my tea did not disappoint. The pièce de résistance, however, was the baklava. I am pretty sure it was made by a little old Turkish women by hand in the back, and if not, it surely tasted like it.
Our only disappointment was when we wanted to try lunch on Monday, we found out they were closed on Mondays.
Lunch – $6-$10
Dinner - $10-$15
Bosphorus is a Turkish restaurant with the standard kabobs, hummus and baklava. What makes it different is that it feels authentic. It seems like a typical restaurant you would walk into in Istanbul with the locals. It isn’t a Disneyfied version of its culture like so many ethnic restaurants are.
The place is small, so there was a short wait, but the waiter was so warm and inviting, we didn’t mind. When we sat down, we were greeted with a basket of warm garlic pita. We started with one of the best Greek salads I’ve ever had with a zesty, but not overpowering dressing and some of the best grape leaves. For our entrées, we got lamb kabobs and Turkish pizza. I will forgive the lamb being over cooked (no lamb should be cooked more than medium rare) with it being served with cucumber yogurt sauce and a unique bulgur pilaf. The spinach feta pizza was under seasoned, but the crust was really good. We are curious to try the beef pepperoni pizza. Since it was such a cold night, I decided to order hot tea, I am a sucker for any place that brews their tea like coffee and gives refills, and my tea did not disappoint. The pièce de résistance, however, was the baklava. I am pretty sure it was made by a little old Turkish women by hand in the back, and if not, it surely tasted like it.
Our only disappointment was when we wanted to try lunch on Monday, we found out they were closed on Mondays.
Lunch – $6-$10
Dinner - $10-$15
Burger Wars Part Duex – Palmetto Style
Something I am going to miss about Charleston is the ability to get burgers cooked to order. As one who like burgers cooked correctly (medium-rare), a burger is never quite as good in places that don’t cook to order. I am willing to take the health risk for my meat.
On Sullivan’s Island (near Charleston, SC), Poe’s is a local haunt with by far the best burgers I have ever had. So named for the time Edgar Allan Poe spent in the area. Don’t let the theme scare you off, this place has some top notch food. The burgers are their staple and by far the best choice on the menu, but if you want lighter fare, the fish tacos and sesame tuna salad are also tasty options. Back to the burgers, they are large (1/2 lb probably), juicy, cooked to order perfection with amazing peanut oil fried shoe-string fries (if you aren’t into the best french fries ever, you can get blue cheese potato salad, onion straws or side salad). If you happen to be there when the Hawaiian is on special, a cheeseburger with grilled pineapple, I highly recommend. This place is packed all the time, especially in the summer. In nicer weather, there is also outside seating, which is where I prefer to eat my burger.
So it was with dubious skepticism when everyone told me Moe’s Crosstown Tavern had better burgers and thus we must try.
Moe’s is way off the beat path and the location would probably sketch out non-locals (there is also a downtown location off East Bay). Even on the beautiful day we ventured there it was dark and dingy inside with no windows, even the door was covered. Granted it is mostly a sports bar, but from the outside it looks more like a strip club. We each ordered our respective cheeseburgers. Moe’s does gets points for their soft buns and grilled onions, but it just wasn’t quite as good as Poe’s.
Moe’s is perfectly adequate if you need some hangover food or you are closer to downtown, but it’s no Poe’s.
On Sullivan’s Island (near Charleston, SC), Poe’s is a local haunt with by far the best burgers I have ever had. So named for the time Edgar Allan Poe spent in the area. Don’t let the theme scare you off, this place has some top notch food. The burgers are their staple and by far the best choice on the menu, but if you want lighter fare, the fish tacos and sesame tuna salad are also tasty options. Back to the burgers, they are large (1/2 lb probably), juicy, cooked to order perfection with amazing peanut oil fried shoe-string fries (if you aren’t into the best french fries ever, you can get blue cheese potato salad, onion straws or side salad). If you happen to be there when the Hawaiian is on special, a cheeseburger with grilled pineapple, I highly recommend. This place is packed all the time, especially in the summer. In nicer weather, there is also outside seating, which is where I prefer to eat my burger.
So it was with dubious skepticism when everyone told me Moe’s Crosstown Tavern had better burgers and thus we must try.
Moe’s is way off the beat path and the location would probably sketch out non-locals (there is also a downtown location off East Bay). Even on the beautiful day we ventured there it was dark and dingy inside with no windows, even the door was covered. Granted it is mostly a sports bar, but from the outside it looks more like a strip club. We each ordered our respective cheeseburgers. Moe’s does gets points for their soft buns and grilled onions, but it just wasn’t quite as good as Poe’s.
Moe’s is perfectly adequate if you need some hangover food or you are closer to downtown, but it’s no Poe’s.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Burger Wars
This was the Burger War weekend. The two contenders in the ultimate burger cage match were: Only Burger and Buns.
Both were cheap – came in under $15 for 2 people with more than enough food and unpretentious – Goes with being cheap I suppose, but I still want to point it out that there isn't a hipster hostess sneering at your poor fashion choices.
Only Burger
Sadly, it seems Only Burger had a mishap with their truck in December and has not returned to the street. Only Burger has triumphantly returned. Find location @OnlyBurger.
Despite what one might think, food from a truck can be good. The menu is simple, single or double, standard toppings, fries and soft drinks. The burger itself was quite yummy with real beef, soft bun and fresh toppings. Fries were enough for 2 to share one order. Being a little obsessive about having ice in my soda, I was lucky there was a gas station across the street I got a fountain drink. The only downside is the lack of seating at the location we found the truck, but we made do leaning on a wall of Duke’s campus eating and watching the Gay Pride Parade. I guess being a truck, seating options vary by location. Location can be found via website or Twitter.
Buns
Being only one block off Franklin Street on Columbia, they were impressively inexpensive. They know their target demographic. I went with traditional beef, but they had quite the variety of burger types including turkey, veggie, tuna and salmon. They also had a good selection of toppings and various sauces for burgers, fries also came with a dipping sauce of choice. In addition, they offered the choice of white or wheat buns, not a choice you get a McDonald’s. The toppings were fresh and tasty. I was quite excited about the caramelized onions. A combo comes with fries and a drink, but there are more than enough fries in one combo for two people. Unlike Only Burger, there was seating and with a nice bird’s eye view of Columbia Street and on Sunday afternoon, fun to watch the hangovers walk by.
Winner
Tie. I thought the actual burger at Only Burger was better than Buns. Although Buns had great toppings and a wheat bun option, the burger was over grounded and over cooked for my taste. On the other hand, Buns is open everyday, veg friendly, Twitter not needed for locating and has seating, which is why I am calling a tie.
Both were cheap – came in under $15 for 2 people with more than enough food and unpretentious – Goes with being cheap I suppose, but I still want to point it out that there isn't a hipster hostess sneering at your poor fashion choices.
Despite what one might think, food from a truck can be good. The menu is simple, single or double, standard toppings, fries and soft drinks. The burger itself was quite yummy with real beef, soft bun and fresh toppings. Fries were enough for 2 to share one order. Being a little obsessive about having ice in my soda, I was lucky there was a gas station across the street I got a fountain drink. The only downside is the lack of seating at the location we found the truck, but we made do leaning on a wall of Duke’s campus eating and watching the Gay Pride Parade. I guess being a truck, seating options vary by location. Location can be found via website or Twitter.
Buns
Being only one block off Franklin Street on Columbia, they were impressively inexpensive. They know their target demographic. I went with traditional beef, but they had quite the variety of burger types including turkey, veggie, tuna and salmon. They also had a good selection of toppings and various sauces for burgers, fries also came with a dipping sauce of choice. In addition, they offered the choice of white or wheat buns, not a choice you get a McDonald’s. The toppings were fresh and tasty. I was quite excited about the caramelized onions. A combo comes with fries and a drink, but there are more than enough fries in one combo for two people. Unlike Only Burger, there was seating and with a nice bird’s eye view of Columbia Street and on Sunday afternoon, fun to watch the hangovers walk by.
Winner
Tie. I thought the actual burger at Only Burger was better than Buns. Although Buns had great toppings and a wheat bun option, the burger was over grounded and over cooked for my taste. On the other hand, Buns is open everyday, veg friendly, Twitter not needed for locating and has seating, which is why I am calling a tie.
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