![]() The sweet-spicy cucumbers that arrive on the table as soon as you sit down are heaven in a bowl, and the "table wine" (i.e., sweet tea) is consistently voted Charleston's best. But the difference at Jestine's is that a good portion of those waiting are Charleston locals, drawn by the familiar fare and fair prices. Just like the tourist-heavy Hyman's down the street, there tends to be a long line. Jestine Matthews, who cared for the family of Dana Berlin, the restaurant's owner, and died at the age of 112 in 1997. As the menu and the local press on the walls will tell you, the café's recipes come courtesy of Mrs. The dishes are true-blue Southern comfort food: Fried green tomatoes, Coca-Cola cake, and pecan-fried whiting are the most raved-about plates, as well as the meatloaf, available in a four-ounce or eight-ounce serving size. Homey meat-and-three Jestine's Kitchen sits at the corner of Meeting and Wentworth Streets on the edge of Charleston's historical district, and also occupies the hallowed intersection of Fried and More Fried. And come hungry enough to order the Hominy Grill veggie plate, which means you get to pick four of the sides on offer that day-choices typically include plump fried okra, vinegary collard greens laced with luscious ham, salty and satisfying hoppin' john, "copper pennies" (a sweet-and spicy carrot dish), and the obligatory fried green tomatoes. While the pressed-tin ceilings and white beadboard walls are about as lovely an atmosphere as anyone could ask for to enjoy a plate of buttermilk fried chicken, try to get a table outside on the patio or in the brand-new courtyard if the weather's fine. ![]() Purloo (a rice casserole studded with sausage, ham, and shrimp), she-crab soup, and okra-shrimp beignets are among the delectable dishes served at rows of old-fashioned tables in a building that was once a barbershop. 84 )Įnormously popular and recently expanded, Hominy Grill is the hot table for lunch in this town, thanks to chef Robert Stehling's gently updated Low Country classics. And be sure to arrive early (or stay late) enough to sip a cocktail at the bar next door-we recommend the Herbal Tea cocktail, made of chamomile-infused vodka with a splash of fresh lemon juice and lime caviar. If weather permits, try dining on the second-floor porch. There are some all-American classics on the menu, too: The signature Husk cheeseburger, a kind of haute upgrade of In-N-Out's, comprises different cuts of meat, Brock's secret sauce, pickles, and melted cheese, and is worth every calorie. You'll never eat the same thing twice at Husk, but a few things remain the same: The food focuses on fresh, exclusively Southern ingredients and features invigorating reinterpretations of Southern and Low Country cuisine, from boiled peanuts to cornmeal-fried catfish to knockout Crispy Pig Ears. The menu changes daily, based on the locally sourced ingredients that arrive at the two-story, straight-out-of- Gone-with-the-Wind building near the intersection of King and Queen Streets, at the tip of Charleston's shopping drag. Sean Brock's newest Charleston restaurant topped Bon Appétit's list of the best American restaurant debuts of 2011, and the reasons are obvious. ![]() The chef's tasting menu changes nightly but is always a great bet, jam-packed with local seafood and produce. You might be tempted to write a few thank-you notes yourself after tasting what's on offer: Familiar ingredients are prepared in ways designed to surprise and inspire, as with an heirloom tomato salad made spicy and tangy with jalapeño and smoked corn or juicy, perfectly brined roast chicken atop strips of grilled cucumber. The food is perfectly seasonal and stringently local, and every farmer, harvester, fisherman, and local food-crafter who contributed to it is duly thanked in the menu. Make no mistake, McCrady's is still the big-night-out restaurant in Charleston, and it helps that the space itself is flat-out gorgeous, with a bootlegger-worthy entrance, tucked away in a romantic brick alley, that gives virtually no hint of the expansive rustic-chic interior within, all brick arches, exposed beams, and candlelight. There aren't many accolades that McCrady's and its chef Sean Brock haven't won: Brock was the recipient of the 2010 James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast, among other awards, and sommelier Clint Sloan's wine list is nationally renowned.
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