Search for America’s Best Food Cities

by Walter Hiott on July 28, 2015

Search for America’s Best Food Cities

There is apparently a series currently being run in the Washington post (it may have recently ended, the article I found is from April 2015) called “The Search for America’s Best Food Cities,” and, not so surprisingly, Charleston was one of the stops on the tour.

The first thing that this article accurately mentions is that Charleston has long been known for its culinary achievements. What people might not realize is, that while this has historically been the case, the big restaurant boom going on in Charleston now is a relatively recent phenomenon. From the article: “A modern milestone in the city’s evolution into a dining haven was its first Food and Wine Festival in 2006.” And to illustrate how quickly this evolution has taken place, “The festival’s first year, 5,000 attendees showed up for a two-day program; last month, BB&T Charleston Wine + Food drew nearly 24,000 participants for a party spread over five days.”

While a lot of these restaurants they mention have been local favorites for a long time, it’s nice for them that they are getting written up not only in the local press, but nationally – even though it does make it harder to get a table or reservation. One of the things that the top restaurants do well is stay true to classic, traditional dishes and recipes while serving them creatively, and maybe with a touch of original flare. The vibrant atmosphere of the city certainly doesn’t hurt the atmosphere in the restaurants either.

Filed Under: Walter Hiott Charleston Tagged With: Charleston, food, foodie, restaurants, SC, South Carolina, Walter Hiott

by Walter Hiott on March 2, 2015

High Hopes For South Carolina Tourism

For the past four years in a row, Charleston, SC has has been voted the top domestic tourist destination by Conde Naste Traveler Magazine (and the number 2 destination world wide), and according to this article fro seattlepi.com, people in the area are planning on, and hoping to, see another top notch year of tourism.

The first couple of months each year in Charleston are typically slow in terms of the number of visitors – hence the reason why restaurants in town offer special deals to get the local population in the door during restaurant week. But this is the time of year when tourism picks up. The spring is an amazing time to be in Charleston, when all of the plantations and wonderful gardens are in bloom, and Charleston becomes even more colorful than usual. Moving into the summer, Charleston and South Carolina have excellent beaches, golf courses, and other types of activities perfect for a summer weekend or week long getaway.

The influx of tourists does not only benefit the restaurants and hotels of the area, but just about every other type of store and service in the city, like the museums, aquarium, even the street vendors. in fact, the wide variety of things to do is what makes Charleston such an attractive place to visit in the first place, and all of them reap the rewards.

The above mentioned article ends with a few highlights of South Carolina tourism that people visiting might want to be aware of:

Hilton Head is being heavily refurbished, with almost $300 million being put into an already attractive tourist destination.

The new $12 million Myrtle Beach Sports Center plans to hold various types of amateur tournaments.

The first Carolina Country Music Festival will be held this year in June on the Myrtle Beach boardwalk. Major country bands and performers are expected to play.

See the entire article through the link above.

Filed Under: Walter Hiott Charleston Tagged With: attractions, Charleston, South Carolina, tourism, travel, Walter Hiott

by Walter Hiott on January 7, 2015

Charleston Restaurant Week

Today marks the beginning of restaurant week in Charleston, an exciting few days for anyone who appreciates Lowcountry cuisine as much as most people in Charleston. They do this as a promotional event during weak tourist seasons, like the time right after New Years, but it turns out to be a major benefit for Charleston locals, even if as many people aren’t traveling in from out of town to enjoy it with us.

140 restaurants in the city will be participating, which means there will be a huge variety of places to choose from. The best plan is probably to make a reservation at a different restaurant each night. I bet you will not be disappointed.

One thing that makes this year’s Restaurant Week a little bit different from that of previous years is the pricing flexibility that has been allowed for restaurants. Usually, there are very predetermined prix-fixe menus, offering a narrowed down choice from each restaurant’s usual menu at reduced prices. This year, however, restaurants were given some leeway to come up with their own deals, so they will be better able to feature their best dishes which often are left off of prix fixe menus for pricing reasons, rather than the usual one-size-fits-all discount. So, you might see a better variety of menus being offered.

Restaurant Week is one of those win-win situations. Restaurants in the area get to fill their tables during traditionally slow times of the year, and diners get to enjoy a little bit of a discount at their favorite restaurants, or at restaurants they have been dying to try.

Filed Under: Walter Hiott Charleston Tagged With: Charleston, cuisine, restaurant week, South Carolina, Walter Hiott

by Walter Hiott on August 12, 2014

Welcome

This blog by Walter Hiott will give information about Charleston, South Carolina. This city has an incredible amount to offer, including but certainly not limited to great restaurants, beautiful architecture, gorgeous plantations, and incredible history. These aspects of Charleston and many more will be discussed here.

Filed Under: Walter Hiott Charleston Tagged With: beautiful architecture, Charleston, great restaurants, South Carolina, Walter Hiott