If you want to sample Charleston's rich history and culture, the best place to start might just be at breakfast, lunch or dinner. Lowcountry specialties such as she-crab soup, Huguenot torte, benne wafers, fried green tomatoes and sweet potato pone, derived from recipes passed down from generation to generation, capture the true flavor of Charleston.
In many respects, Lowcountry cuisine is much like New Orleans cuisine, which developed from the similar cultural influences. But if New Orleans is number one in the South for its cuisine, then Charleston is number two, and closing.
This emergence of Charleston as a premier purveyor of fine cuisine actually began about 25 years ago. The re-introduction of Lowcountry cuisine into local restaurant menus sparked a food revolution that frequently puts Charleston in the national spotlight. The likes of Esquire, Condé Nast, Food & Wine, The New York Times, Wine Spectator, Southern Living, USA Today, and Gourmet Magazine often highlight area chefs and their restaurants on their mouthwatering pages. And Charleston starring role as a food phenomenon hasn't been lost on the Food Network and other television outlets, which can't seem to get enough of the beautiful city and her cuisine.
But what exactly is Lowcountry cuisine? The English, French, Spanish, Irish, Italians, Africans, and Caribbean Islanders who settled across the South beginning over three centuries ago brought with them the tastes from their native lands. The "melting pot" phenomenon created the luscious obsession locals call "Lowcountry cuisine."
Across the low-lying coastal region roughly stretching from Charleston, S.C. to Savannah, Ga., Lowcountry cuisine reigns supreme, with Charleston being this food style's indisputable capital. Touting more fine dining establishments per capita than any other city in the South, Charleston credits much of its rise to a world-renowned dining destination to the fresh, eclectic tastes of Lowcountry cuisine.
About mid-morning each day, the seductive aroma of this rich cuisine begins wafting into the streets of the historic peninsular city, as dozens of chefs—many of international fame—begin preparing their restaurants' own special delicacies. Lowcountry cuisine is always defined by its fresh ingredients. Shrimp, crabs, oysters and fish caught just offshore, each prepared using an interesting blend of seasonings, top many of Charleston's fine dining menus. Because nearby Johns Island serves as the backyard garden for local chefs, restaurants receive produce fresh-picked. Squash, green beans, broccoli, spinach, okra, collards, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, a number of different lettuces and a variety of herbs are all grown locally. And let's not forget rice, a staple of the region for centuries that even today helps define this unique food style.
To the true connoisseur of Lowcountry fare, the presentation of the cuisine is second only to its fresh taste. Even in dining establishments that don't specialize in Lowcountry cuisine, few local chefs can resist tossing a little Lowcountry onto their menus or into their seasonal specials. Distinctive menu items including such enticements as crab cakes, shrimp and grits and frogmore stew are certain indications that the hungry diner is about to experience something special.
Don't stop with Lowcountry cuisine. While in Charleston, do as the Charlestonians. Pick a variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner foods to sample and savor. You can find everything from our own tangy mustard-based barbeque and the best fried chicken you'll ever taste, to the finest Lowcountry-style food served in surroundings that drip with hospitality and ambience. Tempt your taste buds with everything in between: American, French, Italian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Cajun, Creole, and about anything else the food connoisseur can dream of can be found right here.
There are almost as many dining environments as there are foods to enjoy. They include everything from humming family friendly, to island chic casual, to romantic supping by candlelight.
You may not have come to Charleston for the food, but once you experience the truly unique tastes of Charleston, you'll certainly come back for the food…again and again.
Food Fact: Rice Returns
In its rice heyday, Charleston was one of the largest shippers of rice in the world, second only to Bangkok. But with the abolition of slavery, the labor-intensive rice production screeched to a halt. But after nearly a hundred year absence, rice planting is making a comeback in south Carolina. With the help of modern technology, Plumfield Plantation, located near Darlington, has been producing Carolina Plantation Rice since 1997.
Food Fact: Vampires Begone.
It is undisputed that Charleston is the most haunted city in the country. While our ghost population has grown through the centuries, vampires tend to steer clear of the region. No one is quite sure why, but one theory purports that garlic use in the area keeps these night prowlers at bay. A main ingredient in much of traditional Lowcountry cuisine, garlic is actually one of the oldest cultivated foods.
Food Fact: A Historic Pearl
In season, oysters are practically a Charleston staple. In fact, White Point Gardens, also known as the Battery, got its name from the large mounds of white oyster shells that once covered the point of Charleston's peninsula. They were present in such large quantities that crushed oyster shells once made up the streets and sidewalks of Charleston.
Tristan offers a bold American menu with a global influence in a beautiful, yet relaxed atmosphere that reflects the character of a fine dining establishment. Located at 55 South Market Street (next to the French Quarter Inn), Tristan offers an energetic bar and an award-winning wine list.
In 1978 A.W. Shuck’s opened on The Market. It was a place where you could get a plate of fried shrimp, a dozen raw oysters or an ice cold pitcher of beer. Shuck’s has expanded and evolved, but has remained true to its roots of local décor, local food, and a local atmosphere ... a casual, upscale spot where all feel at home.
Welcome to Charleston. Our heart of pine floors, ceiling fans and walls of hand-made brick have been the signatures of Lowcountry high-life since antebellum times. Even our name is derived from plantation jargon for livin’ large. Our menu is hearty and southern, featuring regional favorites prepared with Maverick artistry.
If you want to sample Charleston's rich history and culture, the best place to start might just be at breakfast, lunch or dinner. Lowcountry specialties such as she-crab soup, Huguenot torte, benne wafers, fried green tomatoes and sweet potato pone, derived from recipes passed down from generation to generation, capture the true flavor of Charleston.
This emergence of Charleston as a premier purveyor of fine cuisine actually began about 25 years ago. The re-introduction of Lowcountry cuisine into local restaurant menus sparked a food revolution that frequently puts Charleston in the national spotlight. The likes of Esquire, Condé Nast, Food & Wine, The New York Times, Wine Spectator, Southern Living, USA Today, and Gourmet Magazine often highlight area chefs and their restaurants on their mouthwatering pages. And Charleston starring role as a food phenomenon hasn't been lost on the Food Network and other television outlets, which can't seem to get enough of the beautiful city and her cuisine.
Across the low-lying coastal region roughly stretching from Charleston, S.C. to Savannah, Ga., Lowcountry cuisine reigns supreme, with Charleston being this food style's indisputable capital. Touting more fine dining establishments per capita than any other city in the South, Charleston credits much of its rise to a world-renowned dining destination to the fresh, eclectic tastes of Lowcountry cuisine.
Don't stop with Lowcountry cuisine. While in Charleston, do as the Charlestonians. Pick a variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner foods to sample and savor. You can find everything from our own tangy mustard-based barbeque and the best fried chicken you'll ever taste, to the finest Lowcountry-style food served in surroundings that drip with hospitality and ambience. Tempt your taste buds with everything in between: American, French, Italian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Cajun, Creole, and about anything else the food connoisseur can dream of can be found right here.
Food Fact: Rice Returns
Food Fact: A Historic Pearl
Tristan offers a bold American menu with a global influence in a beautiful, yet relaxed atmosphere that reflects the character of a fine dining establishment. Located at 55 South Market Street (next to the French Quarter Inn), Tristan offers an energetic bar and an award-winning wine list.
In 1978 A.W. Shuck’s opened on The Market. It was a place where you could get a plate of fried shrimp, a dozen raw oysters or an ice cold pitcher of beer. Shuck’s has expanded and evolved, but has remained true to its roots of local décor, local food, and a local atmosphere ... a casual, upscale spot where all feel at home.
Welcome to Charleston. Our heart of pine floors, ceiling fans and walls of hand-made brick have been the signatures of Lowcountry high-life since antebellum times. Even our name is derived from plantation jargon for livin’ large. Our menu is hearty and southern, featuring regional favorites prepared with Maverick artistry.
