Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Book Review: Food Lovers' Guide to Charleston and Savannah

Food Lovers' Guide to Charleston and Savannah
by Holly Herrick
Globe Pequot Press

I have a fantasy. One day, my children will be independent of me freeing my husband and me to travel and dine without the least concern for whether or not a restaurant is "kid-friendly". But, alas, our children are seven and nine-years-old and, unless a kind-hearted grandparent takes pity on us and offers to keep the children for an extended period of time, "kid-friendly" restaurants are our reality.  

So, to continue with my fantasy, I would travel to Charleston, South Carolina with my husband for a culinary tour of the best restaurants that the city has to offer. In addition to my husband, I would need another companion on this tour - Holly Herrick's Food Lover's Guide to Charleston and Savannah. In this guide, Ms. Herrick, a chef, food writer, restaurant critic, and Charleston resident leads readers through the restaurant and market scenes in both Charleston and Savannah, GA. She also includes a dozen recipes so that readers can recreate these Southern flavors in their own homes.

Blossom
171 East Bay Street
Charleston, SC 29401

The guide is divided into sections of Charleston and the surrounding areas:
  • Peninsular Charleston Below Calhoun Street
  • Peninsular Charleston Above Calhoun Street
  • North Charleston, Hanahan, Goose Creek, Moncks Corner, Summerville
  • East of the Cooper: Mount Pleasant, Sullivan's Island, Daniel Island and Isle of Palms
  • James Island and Folly Beach
  • West Ashley and Points Sound, including Edisto Island
  • Johns Island, Kiawah Island and Wadmalaw Island
The Savannah section focuses on the Downtown/Historic District.

For each area, Ms. Herrick includes her favorite, top-rated restaurants for that location. Each restaurant's entry includes its address and telephone number, the web address, type of cuisine, and price range along with an in-depth description and history of the restaurant.



Magnolias
185 E. Bay Street
Charleston, SC  29401

If you've been reading A Well-Seasoned Life for a while, you know how much my family loves the Charleston area. We stay in the Mt. Pleasant and Sullivan's Island areas and enjoy the restaurants there. But, because we always have the kids with us, we have to choose family-friendly restaurants. Since reading through the Food Lover's Guide, I've found a few more restaurants to try out on our next visit: Dragon Palace Chinese Bistro, The Square Onion, and Stack's Coastal Kitchen. I think it's pretty safe to say that my kids would find Jack's Cosmic Dogs to be a perfect fit.

Slightly North of Broad
192 E. Broad Street
Charleston, SC  29401

And, even though I live near the Savannah area, my dining experience is mostly limited to the southside of the town which is a completely different world compared to the downtown area. However, I have been fortunate enough throughout the years to dine at one or two of the restaurants on Ms. Herrick's Savannah listing.

I spent a beautiful afternoon with two of my best friends at the Gryphon Tea Room located at 337 Bull Street. We laughed and lunched and lingered over delicious chicken salad sandwiches and rich desserts. It's one of my most cherished memories.

If you're planning a trip down here to the Charleston and Savannah areas, go ahead and pick up a copy of the Food Lover's Guide to Charleston and Savannah by Holly Herrick. Spend some time going through the restaurants and visiting their web sites, especially if your time in the area is limited. I find it helps to have a few restaurants picked out before I go to a new area. Even if you're not planning a trip down here, pick up a copy of the book anyway and join me in my fantasy culinary tour. I'll save you a spot!

The publisher provided me with a copy of the book but the opinion expressed here is my own.

2 comments:

  1. When you get "rich" and I hit Mega Bucks, I say we get together on a fun Road trip! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. It would be fun to take a road trip and meet all of my blogging buddies! And, of course, we would need to find some good places to eat!

    ReplyDelete

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