Exploring Charleston, South Carolina, where old south meets new
A carriage ride leaves an impression of the history of Charleston, S.C. Credit: Getty Images / Education Images / UIG
Charleston is happening. There’s still plenty of charm to be found in this venerable Southern town, but it’s starting to feel more like South Carolina’s answer to Austin, Texas, than a museum city stuck in time. Tech is moving in, and Boeing builds its Dreamliner in a vast plant just outside the city. Tourists are coming in droves, too — upward of 5 million visit the city each year. New hotels are rising as development creeps northward up the peninsula flanked to the west by the Ashley River and to the east by the Cooper River.
A visit earlier this winter was thwarted by January’s bomb cyclone, and it was a good thing, too: Charleston was reeling under 4 inches of snow — the Southern equivalent of about 2 feet — and the city was immobilized. But a subsequent trip in February showed the city in its best light, literally. An unseasonal burst of warm, sunny weather offered a preview of April and May, fine months to visit Charleston. This is an eminently walkable city, whose historical neighborhoods and surfeit of gorgeous houses in a variety of styles — Georgian, Queen Anne, Italianate, Greek Revival, you name it — are best seen on foot.
All the major hotel chains have a presence in Charleston. On the higher end of things there is Belmond Charleston Place, a large, family-friendly hotel with a pool and gym that’s centrally located near King Street, the city’s main thoroughfare. And not far from The Belmond is The Dewberry (rooms from $384, thedewberrycharleston.com), housed in a former federal office building from the Kennedy era. Don Draper would have been right at home here.
We started an amble at the Charleston City Market (188 Meeting St., thecharlestoncitymarket.com), an enclosed shed that takes up four blocks and hosts 300 different vendors selling everything from sweetgrass baskets to grits to blown glass. Local favorite Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit does a brisk business and will tempt you with a sausage, egg and pimento cheese triple threat. From there, it was on to East Bay Street through a slightly scruffy stretch and quiet arts district that takes you into the southern end of the city.
More delights were on offer at Carmella’s Café & Dessert Bar (198 E. Bay St., carmellasdessertbar.com), an inviting wine bar, bakery and coffee place that had its doors and windows wide open on a warm day. Grab an Americano, or sample one of the small but rich cakes on offer. (Peanut Butter Passion, anyone?)
Row of Colorful Historic Houses on East Bay Street, Charleston, South Carolina Credit: Alamy
However, the best flavors I found were in Charleston’s evolving northern reaches. Here the South mingles with flavors from far away. Butcher and Bee (1085 Morrison Dr., butcherandbee.com) simply wowed us with its Mediterranean and Israeli touches married to Southern-sourced ingredients. Meze, like spicy carrots, are outstanding and just layered in flavor, as are the kebabs. I can’t say the place itself is charming — this new-school eatery feels like a Silicon Valley-style canteen. Ditto for Edmund’s Oast (1081 Morrison Dr., edmundsoast.com) just across the courtyard, a huge dining room and brewery that isn’t exactly charming yet is serving some of the best craft beer and cocktails in Charleston. But it all came together for me — New South, Old South, the Next South — at The Ordinary (544 King St., eattheordinary.com). Anything but ordinary, this exceptional venture, housed in a 1920s bank with soaring ceilings, offers movie-set glamour and tasty preparations such as smoked mackerel pâté. Oysters and ceviche rule here, and the bow-tied bartenders bring an A game to classics like the Old Fashioned. Sip, feast, enjoy.
We had time for a last meal before catching an evening flight, and headed back to these environs for lunch a bit farther up King Street at the ramshackle lunch spot Leon’s (698 King St., leonsoystershop.com). Once a garage and body shop, it serves up a one-two punch of oysters and fried chicken. Smaller plates stand out, too, including a charred radicchio you will not forget. Packed with tourists and locals, Leon’s was all good vibes and great grub. Historic, yes, but Charleston is also firmly in the now.
For more info, go to charlestoncvb.com.
