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Restaurant Search
People's Choice Winners
Thursday, March 13, 10 02 a.m.
Steak: 1. Oak Steakhouse 2. Grill 2253. Turtle Point Sports Bar & Grille Italian 1. Al di La 2. Amuse 3. Mercato
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Creating this guide
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
This year, The Post and Courier took a different approach to the production of the annual Restaurant Guide. A team was assigned to "travel on their stomachs" and create a quintessential listing of places for good eats. We ate haute and low, pub food, grub food, fast food, slow food.
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Our team
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
Post and Courier restaurant critic Deidre Schipani has spent a lifetime in the culinary arts, teaching and writing about food and world cuisines, directing a school of culinary arts, managing a test kitchen and serving as the restaurant critic for Minnesota Monthly Magazine. ...
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Restaurant of the Year
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
In a city blessed with many remarkable restaurants, talented chefs, the bounty of the sea, access to the farm and a state committed to the "locavore" mentality, how do you choose the restaurant of the year?
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Fine Dining
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
The gastronomic epicenter of all of our fine-dining establishments is their commitment to excellence. They are mindful of the many reasons people go out to restaurants: to eat, to dine, to be entertained, to celebrate; to participate in glamour and to feel a rush of excitement. They are gods and ...
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Wining
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
In 2008, there is no shortage of exceptional restaurants in the Charleston area with significant wine lists. Over the past 10 years, we have seen these lists improve exponentially. There is a hardworking and educated group of wine professionals that simply did not exist when I landed here in 1997...
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Steak
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
Even on our seafood-centric coast, it's not hard to find great steak on the menu, especially among upscale restaurants in the Charleston area. Restaurateurs say that "turf" usually trumps "surf" on the menu when people treat themselves to dinner and a night out. The requisites for a top-no...
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Fancy Seafood
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
What does a seafood dinner have to be to be "fancy"? It might be just as easy to say what it doesn't have to be: It doesn't have to be fussy. It doesn't have to be elaborate. And it doesn't have to be expensive. For our purposes, a "fancy" seafood dinner is about the imagination, innovatio...
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Live Music with Dinner
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
Many of the great American food cities also are fabulous music towns. Charleston is right up there with the best of them despite the fact that we don't have many music clubs, especially jazz. Places such as New York, New Orleans and Chicago have clubs aplenty with some live music in restau...
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French
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
French restaurants, once the highly sauced culinary playpens for expense-account diners, trace their Charleston roots to the more casual bistro models. Rue de Jean continues as a perennial favorite, and our appetite for its plats du jour, offered seven days a week, runs strong. ...
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Italian
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
'Italian" restaurant has morphed to ristorante, osteria and trattoria. It has taken our tastebuds on a tour of Italy, exploring through food its regions and recipes. Roman bruschetta, Tuscan crostini, Genoese pesto, Parm ham, Neapolitan pizza, tiramisu from Florence via Siena, Sicilian can...
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Tapas/Small Plates
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
Petite portions are all the rage. We're watching our waistlines and wallets after a historic period of growth (economic and otherwise). We're ever-hungry, but worried about the way we consume. Conveniently, both for us and for restaurateurs, the "small plate" has been offered up as a solution. Go...
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Chinese
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
Our appetite was for more of the regional styles of Chinese cuisine. We longed for dim sum, and we hoped to discover Peking duck that did not require an advance order. Our search continues, but what we did discover is three Chinese restaurants that appear not to be the phoenixes of former fast-fo...
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Sushi
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
Some report that the sushi boom is over because the oceans are being over-fished, the fish being served is mediocre and rice — the foundation of all sushi — is clumpy, hard or even soggy. This delicate, ordered experience has come a long way from its Japanese roots. But ...
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Vietnamese
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
The foods of Vietnam bear the culinary imprint of France and other cultures. Sandwiches are served on baguettes, condensed milk is added to coffee, and pates are lunch fare. The spice trade with India can be seen in the curry dishes of South Vietnam, and the Chinese influence is found in s...
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Thai
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
The foods of Thailand are seductive. They begin the attraction by their visual appeal — they get you at the "look" — then they burst forth in your mouth, a melange of salty, sour, sweet and crunchy. They combine peanuts and coconut, ground beef with mint, bright lemongrass with...
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Indian
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
The foods of India are the most complex in the world. Defined by religious beliefs, historical developments, cultural practices and geography, the cuisine has been adulterated, embellished and modified. In a land of sacred cows, it is curious to see the Coburg cow at the intersection of Ni...
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Mediterranean
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
Three continents, 20 countries and some of the finest food you will ever taste. Luckily for us, the Lowcountry provides opportunity to enjoy the flavors of France, Greece, Italy, Spain and just this year, Morocco. ...
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Mexican
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
Rick Bayless, chef-owner of the Frontera Grill and Topolobampo (Chicago), cookbook author and James Beard Award winner, commented, "Mexican cooking in the United States is still in its spaghetti and meatball stage." It is interesting to note that we know so little about the cuisine of our ...
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Barbecue
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
The Lowcountry and the South are blessed with good barbecue restaurants, and a variety of them. There's a barbecue "style" to suit everybody and, as with religion, you should be able to worship at the house of your choice. Barbecue is said to be divisive, but in the end, nobody is really "right" ...
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Sunday Buffet
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
Brunch is a happy marriage of breakfast and lunch, with the "lunch" part being more like dinner when eating out, especially when the setup is a buffet. A good brunch buffet should be about the variety, quality and freshness of the dishes, not the amount of food one can eat. It's an opportu...
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Romantic Spots
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
It's hard to say exactly what makes a restaurant romantic. It's almost easier to work backward. For instance, a good question to ask is: "What doesn't make a restaurant romantic?" That's easy. Loud music, lots of people crammed together in a small space, bright lights, your date's husband showin...
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Unique Restaurants
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
Charleston is no stranger to unique restaurants. In 1976, Robert Dickson and his wife, Pam, opened Robert's of Charleston, which managed to combine his dual passions: cooking and singing. Still hitting the high notes, Robert and company continue to entertain in voice while daughter and che...
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Greek
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
Few countries are referred to as ancient; Greece is one of them. Yet, as we think of her historical age as one of the past, her culinary age is one of the present. Rich in grains and vegetables, flush with seafood, sweet with honey, seasoned with capers, lemons and yogurt, and gleaming in the green-gold of olive oil, the foods of Greece rise up like a phoenix with vitality and passion.
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Fried Seafood
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
Frying is an art and a science. There's artistry in balancing breadings, batters and seasonings in such a way that the succulent shrimp, sea-salty oyster or delicate flounder fillet aren't overwhelmed. And there's science in the cooking process, at least when it's done right — and when it isn't, there's grease in the food.
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Lowcountry/Soul
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
Fried chicken. Fried fish. Pork chops. All the fixin's. It's simple, streaked with grease, Southern in tradition and down-home delicious. ...
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Lunch Counter of the Year
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
This designation is awarded to a restaurant known for its consistency, affordability and versatility, and how well it appeals to a variety of diners and appetites. The menu rocks, the service is cool, it's got a good vibe. You'll want to come back time and time again. Plus, i...
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Family Friendly
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
Forget the fine china and the gourmet dishes. All you want is somewhere you can take the rugrats and you won't have to worry about their behavior the entire time. Charleston is fat with not only fine-dining establishments, but also places where you can take the kids and fill their bellies ...
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Good Value
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
It's not $6 meat-and-three. And it's not $6 sides. It's not a burrito and chips. And it's not flanked by foie gras or drizzled with truffle oil. The good-value category is about proletariat provisions. Restaurants where your dollar stretches so far and the food is so good, that you feel li...
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Gourmet Burgers
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
More expensive than a typical burger, these beauties qualify as real treats, bigger, heftier, delicious. They're like pieces of art — extraordinary, edible pieces of art, the beef usually ground in-house, cooked to order and fitted with cheese. ...
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Everyday Burgers
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
Believe it or not, our fine country celebrates something called National Cheeseburger Day on Sept. 18. That's much too far away. We recommend celebrating year-round, beginning today. Get to it, people, let's pay our respects. ...
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Pizza
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
The search for great pizza is perennial. Maybe that's because of our eternal craving for that famous circular food. Maybe it's because fresh, hot dough and quality mozzarella are impossible to resist. Maybe it's because so few pizzas are any good. ...
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Hot Dogs
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
Mickey Mouse's first spoken words were "Hot dogs! Hot dogs!" Mighty Mouse, Speedy Gonzales, Minnie, Jerry, Stuart Little, Pinky and the Brain, Danger Mouse and the Three Blind Mice could not be reached for comment. So we'll stick with Mickey, just as long as he gives it to us straight - an all-be...
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Neighborhood Spots
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
Sit back, order up, stay a while. Mi casa, su casa, righto, friendo? The joint's as much yours as the guy or gal who owns it. And they're gonna treat you as guest of honor, just as long as you don't forget your wallet. Enjoy. ...
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Power Places
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
In the time of allowed tax deductions (100 percent business expense), it was called the three-martini lunch. Time and the tax code marched on, and then it became the power lunch (perfected at the Fours Seasons, New York). The power breakfast followed to jump-start many a titan's day. Curre...
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Sweet Spots
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
Only in the South will you find the largest population of people born with both silver spoons in their mouths and sweet tooths. The native affection for all things sweet begins with "sweet" tea and ends with "sweet" milk. These are primal comfort foods. --Cupcake: 433 King...
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Vegetarian/Vegan
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
For diners who care not to eat meat, dairy and eggs, the choices are limited. However, one can always find a meat-free option on almost all restaurant menus. Two restaurants committed to a mission of creating healthy foods using organic, local and sustainable resources are The Sprout and D...
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Waterfront View
Wednesday, March 12, 12 00 a.m.
When you live in a coastal city, finding a restaurant with a nice view of the water is easy. It's picking from all the choices that's the hard part. The Lowcountry is no different with hundreds of places that can boast a view of the water. Our criteria for selection in this category were s...
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