One of the main draws to come to Charleston is, of course, the world class cuisine. Seems like the local food scene just gets better and better, as more top chefs are drawn here and more creative establishments open their doors.
Everyone in your Charleston beach house has to eat, and eating out is a great option, but it can be a bit daunting, choosing where to go. That’s why events like Charleston Restaurant Week, put on by theCharleston Restaurant Association, are such a help. They make it a little easier to dive into the many dining choices around here.
Coming up this weekend is perhaps the very best such event, where you can sample from among all types and styles of cuisine prepared by local hot spots. It’s the Southern Living Taste of Charleston, when dozens of restaurants come together to give you a smorgasbord of Lowcountry dishes, all in one gorgeous setting.
This year marks the 34th annual edition of the very popular event. It takes place at the famed Boone Hall Plantation in Mount Pleasant, which is a convenient drive from all our SC vacation rentals, both our Folly Beach rentals Charleston and especially our Isle of Palms vacation rentals (it’s just over the IOP Connector and up Hwy 17 from your luxury house on Isle of Palms).
The main event is Sunday, although it’s actually a three-day event. Friday night there’s an Iron Chef Competition, and Saturday evening is a special “Sweet & Southern on Charleston Harbor.”
Sunday’s big day includes the veer-popular Waiter’s Race, pitting the best local servers against each other in a spirited competition, as well as a large kids’ area with all kinds of fun stuff -- crafts, pasta-making, a pots-and-pans percussion play area, balloon kitchen, juggling and unicycling, jump castle, face painting, etc.
Tickets are $17.50 in advance, $25 on Sunday, and kids 10 and under are free. Food and beverages are purchased with tickets inside the gate and range from $2 to $6 each. Check out the official website:http://www.charlestonrestaurantassociation.com/taste-of-charleston/
Participating establishments include:
- 82 Queen/Lowcountry Bistro
- A.W. Shuck’s
- Amen Street Fish & Raw Bar
- Another Broken Egg Café
- Ben & Jerry’s
- BlackJack Barbecue
- Blu Oceanfront Restaurant & Bar
- Boone Hall Farms – Market Café
- Burtons Grill
- Carpentier’s Wine & Dine Deli
- Charleston Crab House
- Crave Kitchen & Cocktails
- Culinary Institute of Charleston
- Dixie Supply Cafe & Bakery
- Eli’s Table
- Graze
- Halls Chophouse/Rita’s Seaside Grille
- Hymans Seafood
- Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q
- La Fontana Authentic Italian Restaurant
- Langdon’s/Opal
- Middleton Place Restaurant
- Montreux Bar & Grill
- Ms. Rose’s Fine Food & Cocktails
- My Father’s Moustache
- Nigel’s Good Food
- Noisy Oyster Seafood/Big Billy’s Burger Joint
- Red’s Icehouse
- S&D Coffee
- Sea Island Grill
- Sermet’s Downtown
- Southend Brewery & Smokehouse
- Southerly Restaurant & Patio
- Stars Rooftop & Grill Room
- Steel City Pizza Co.
- Swamp Fox Restaurant & Bar
- Swig ‘n Swine BBQ
- Tabbuli
- Taziki’s Mediterranean Café
- The Barbeque Joint
- The Drawing Room/Rooftop
- The Gin Joint
- The Granary
- The Green Goat
- The Islander (Holy City Hospitality)
- The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort
- Vincent Chicco’s/Michael’s on the Alley (Holy City Hospitality)
- Wando & West Ashley High Culinary Arts
- Water Dog Grill
- Wild Buffalo Steakhouse
- Wild Wing Café
- Zeus Grill and Seafood
Not only is this a fun event, but it also helps fund some worthwhile charities including The Ronald McDonald House, Hollings Cancer Center, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Hospitality Heroes and local schools’ science programs.
Parking is free but it can be tight, so if you have several vehicles at your beach house Charleston, you definitely want to carpool. They are also offering shuttle service from four different offsite locations, two downtown (which would be more convenient for our Folly Beach house rentals Charleston SC) and two in Mount Pleasant (closer to our Isle of Palms luxury rentals). This is nice since the trolleys will drop you off right at the festival gate, saving you from having to trek in from distant parking lots across grassy fields. All the details, trolley schedules and locales are here: http://www.charlestonrestaurantassociation.com/news/shuttle-service-available-taste-charleston-main-event/ .
So come get a taste of Charleston this weekend. And remember, when you are on the hunt for rental homes South Carolina, call us for themost exclusive luxury beach house rentals SC.
All best, Lowcountry Lisa your Isle of Palms vacation blogger