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Thought for Food - A look at the psychology, culture and history of food as well as the latest information on nutrition.


Eating near Charleston
Posted on 6/26/2006 in musings

I used to be a little embarrassed that eating is one of my favorite hobbies but I guess with a blog like Thought for Food, it's kind of pointless to deny.  That said, Rob and I went to Charleston this weekend where he had to do some work between meals. 

While we spent some time in Charleston proper, taking the obligatory carriage ride that always feels embarrassingly touristy but yields interesting history, we spent most of the free parts of the weekend, and our best meals, in the 'burbs.  For me, the gem of travel eating is finding the little spots where the locals eat - not the places that hand out coupons which say they're where the locals eat (like A.W. Shucks in Charleston), a sure sign they're tourist spots.

Dinner the first night was in Mount Pleasant, the 'burb in which the client put us up in a little inn.  The round, dryly jolly, constantly working desk clerk gave us the ole "though a little reluctant, I'm gonna let you in on a local secret" before giving us a pre-printed slip of directions to the Wreck, a sign-less restaurant that matched its name.  Despite the directions, we saw much of Mount Pleasant as we wove through neighborhoods, trying to read the white posts that passed for street signs.   Once there, we were sent back to the car in search of an ATM for this cash-only establishment.  It was all well worth the effort, though: a half-hour after our initial arrival, we were drinking beer and eating perfectly fried seafood and boiled peanuts off paper plates on a screened-in porch with mismatched furniture.  It was awfully tempting to go back for dinner the next night...

Sullivan's Island was the home to our next great meal, a very late lunch the next day at Poe's.  We were directed there by the client who tempted us with reports that they grind their own meat for their famous burgers.  Again, we sat on a porch with mismatched furniture, drinking beer quickly before the sun heated it to English beer temperatures.  (Oddly, we're really not beer drinkers, as evidenced by a few bottles that have been in the back of our fridge since January, but it's vacation at the beach which makes beer seem obligatory and somehow better tasting.)  Rob's burger was exactly as juicy and flavorful as fresh meat promises.  Though tempted by their burger specialty, I couldn't bring myself to have a non-seafood meal and opted instead for the shrimp tacos with blue cheese cole slaw, pico de gallo and a lip-tingling dose of tabasco - it was only through an amazing act of self-restraint that I didn't lick my plate after finishing my meal.

Finally came brunch on Sunday and one last opportunity for a culinary adventure.  We decided to take the client’s other suggestion and head to the Isle of Palms to a place called Seabiscuit.  Again, we saw most of the island in our hunt for food - even stopping for directions got us most of the way there but still no sign of Seabiscuit.  Finally, stomachs grumbling and desperate for coffee, we stop at a brightly painted building with a sign reading Acme Cantina.  The menu was sparse but everything on it was appealing - and our waitress was perhaps the kindest person in all of food service (we overheard her convincing a co-worker to take her tip for all the help the co-worker provided at the table).  She suggested the shrimp and grits when I couldn't decide between everything on the menu and everything else - she liked them so much, she served them at her wedding.  I added a side of biscuits because... well, why not?  The spice-rubbed shrimp and slightly cheesy grits were as great as promised and the biscuits were even better.  Upon leaving the restaurant for a walk on the beach, we finally discovered Seabiscuit... right next door...

 






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