A Weekend in Charleston

I didn’t get to go to the beach this summer, so when we found out my friend Lindsey was getting married on Sullivan’s Island this September, Mom and I planned to make a vacation out of it. Of course, all rational ideas about food flew out the window on the drive down I-26…

The wedding ceremony was Friday evening on the beach, and the weather was perfect.

Sullivan's Island

beach wedding

I grew up with a really tight-knit group of people, so any occasion to get together always results in a whole bunch of fun.

buddies

us kids

I still can’t nail the picture jump.

At the reception, I had a couple of vodka tonics, some lowcountry boil/frogmore stew/Beaufort stew/whatever you prefer to call it, half a pulled pork slider, and a slice of amazing almond cake with coconut icing. (low light = no pictures) Isn’t this cake gorgeous? Sand and sea!

Wedding cake

After the wedding, several of us hung out in a hotel room until the wee hours of the morning, eating chips and drinking beer and wine out of plastic cups.

chips

Girlies

Things started dying down around 2am…we’re getting old.

hotel party

The next day, Mom and I did the tourist thing in Charleston, visiting the Market and not buying much; it has lost its appeal over the years. Now that I understand the difference between class and kitsch, keepsakes and knickknacks, I’m disillusioned by it. They’ve renovated the facilities since I’ve been there, though – it’s much nicer now!

Charleston Market

Mom and I did get souvenirs – mine was this sterling silver key necklace.

key necklace

We ate a late lunch at a vastly overpriced and underwhelming restaurant, A.W. Shucks – a seafood joint right next to the Market. We’ve been here a few times before, and I don’t remember being so disappointed – maybe because I’ve got some food snob in me now? Blogging has ruined me. smile_regular

A.W. Shucks

I did have a couple of S.C. beers; a Palmetto Amber brewed right there in Charleston, and a BottleTree Blonde ale from Tryon, NC.

Palmetto Amber BottleTree Blonde

Instead of getting entrees, Mom and I split a couple of appetizers. We had the crab dip, which was cold (I had hoped for a baked dish), 50% mayo-like filler, and served with packaged crackers…

crab dip

…and a sampler with 2 stuffed/wrapped shrimp, 2 slices of fried green tomato, and 4 buffalo shrimp. It was good, but neither dish was worth its price.

appetizer sampler

We split a bourbon peach bread pudding for dessert. Now THAT was good.

bourbon peach bread pudding

Later that afternoon, we made our way back to Sullivan’s Island where we had some adult juice boxes and enjoyed the beach. Really the whole weekend was a string of occasions to drink, but isn’t that what a good vacation should be about?

wine boxes

Kat in the Atlantic

Sullivan's Island

For dinner, we headed to Vickery’s Bar and Grill at Shem Creek.

Vickery's

This is another place we’ve been to several times over the years, and all I could remember was the neato inlaid design in the sidewalk made from found objects like spoons and bottles.

mosaic compass

I wanted something in a martini glass, so I got a cosmopolitan. It was PERFECT.

cosmo

For dinner, I started with a caesar salad;

caesar salad

…and of course, I got the shrimp and grits with sausage. Definite Charleston fare.

shrimp and grits with sausage

We split a piece of key lime pie for dessert.

key lime pie

On Sunday after checking out of our hotel, we drove to North Charleston where my cousins live and went to brunch with them at this awesome Irish Pub, Madra Rua.

Madra Rua

Fun fact: my dog’s name is Madigan which stems from the word “madra” – Gaelic for “dog.” Madigan apparently means “little dog” (I’m so clever), and “madra rua” means “red dog.” Don’t say I never taught ya nothin’.

I had a “bloody Jerry” – a bloody Mary with a shot of Guinness – and an andouille sausage and cheese omelette with hash browns. Both were DIVINE.

bloody Jerry omelette

Also involved this weekend were some muffins and cookies and pumpkin spice lattes…oh my. My body is exhibiting signs of gluten intolerance today – I’m sluggish, congested, headachey, my stomach has that fake hunger/churning thing going on, and my skin is crawling. I need veggies and protein, STAT.

When you go on vacation to the same place, do you go to the same restaurants or try new places each time? If you’ve been to Charleston, what’s your favorite restaurant there?