Holiday weekend in Charleston/Savannah

With having four days off, it was only natural that I would want to go somewhere.  I originally had a reservation to visit San Diego, but cancelled.  At 2:30 this morning, I started looking again and found a cheap flight to Charleston, SC.
 
Thursday January 1, 2009
 
My flight didn't leave until 1:30PM, so I decided to have lunch near the airport.  My usual place, Wings, Suds & Spuds was closed for the holiday.  No matter, there is a Primanti Brothers

right across the street.  Other than once getting a to go order for the nearby drive-in movie, I haven't eaten at this location since I met wanderingjew here in 2007.
 
For those who are unfamiliar, Primanti's is a local institution here in Pittsburgh.  The novelty is that they put the cole slaw and fries right on the sandwich.  This seems to be one of those places that you either love or hate and I am a big fan.
 
I parked myself in front of a tv with the Iowa-South Carolina game on (congrats to blizzardstormus, sorry to Nancypalooza).  Many people order the cheesesteak sandwich here, but they have much better choices than that.  I typically go for the capicola with cheese and here it is.

What makes this sandwich so good for me is the way the spicy ham contrasts so well with the sweet, tangy cole slaw.  It did seem to have more cole slaw than usual and less meat.
 
Primanti's seems to be one of the rare chains where the food is just as good at the satellite locations.  This was a delicious sandwich.  But, if you are in Pittsburgh and want to try a Primanti's, please go to the original Strip District location.  The atmosphere there is unmatched in the city.
 
The waitress asked if I wanted to try a slice of pizza for a buck.  Having never tried the pizza here, I said why not.

Although I did enjoy the crispiness of the crust, this was an ordinary slice of pizza.  I will stick with the sandwiches.
 
http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=398&RefID=398
 
Can you believe that my flight into Charleston arrived 40 minutes early!  How often does that happen?
 
Since I didn't have much time to prepare, once I settled into my car rental, I started calling restaurants to see who was open on the holiday.  Pleasantly surprised to find 82 Queen open and not busy, it was an easy decision.  Especially since this is a personal favorite of wanderingjew.  The only problem was changing into nicer clothes in the car.  I can only imagine what people walking past thought was going on in there. 
 
After a short drive from the airport, I arrived outside the restaurant.

Charleston can be a very difficult city to park, but there conveniently was a parking garage directly across the street, which ended up being only $3.00.  Before going in, I checked out the specials board.

 
The hostess led me through a lovely courtyard,

which would probably be a great place to dine in warmer weather (it is only in the 40s down here).  We headed up the stairs and settled into a corner table.  82 Queen is a much nicer restaurant than the typical Roadfood place.  There are white table clothes and a long wine list.  The prices are also much higher than many associate with Roadfood.
 
Without even looking at the menu or reading the Michael Stern review, I knew the she crab soup was a given.

As you can see, it comes served with a small bottle of sherry.  I did put a dash of the liquor in, but this smooth, luxurious soup is so good, it was completely unnecessary.
 
Next, my waiter brought a basket of four garlic cheddar biscuits. 

I usually don't pay much attention to the bread, but these soft, crumbly biscuits were wonderful and disappeared in no time.  The only way they could have been better was if they had been delivered to my table warm.
 
For an appetizer, it was Rock Shrimp Mac 'n Cheese.

Honestly, I barely even noticed the shrimp in this dish.  That was because the tasso ham in it was so good.  Cut up into long, slender pieces, the sweetness of the ham worked so well with the cheddar sauce. 
 
The entree was the Southern Barbecued Shrimp and Creamy Grits.
 
This was a great dish both to eat and to look at.  These grits were indeed creamy to the max.  The barbecue sauce used on the shrimp was very sweet, which my waiter told me was because they use Southern Comfort bourbon reduction, instead of vinegar.  The apple smoked bacon and melted cheddar cheese completed this amazing combination of flavors.
 
My waiter Andrew took great care of me and even provided updates on the Rose Bowl from the tv in the bar.  Including tip, my meal (no liquor) was $62.00.  Definitely more than most would think a Roadfood meal should cost, but I have no doubt that 82 Queen is pure Roadfood.  Needless to say, this place gets a big thumbs up and not just because I was told the owner is from Pittsbugh!
 
http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=6193&RefID=6086
 
I settled into my hotel room in Mt. Pleasant for the night.
 
Much more to come..... 

BB, Whenever I go to Primanti's I always get my sandwich minus the slaw.  The reason is I detest mayo.  The last show I watched on the Travel Channel said Primanti's used oil and vinegar only.
 
Is this true?  No Mayo?  Slaw like my Mother used to make?  Can I truly enjoy the WHOLE Primanti experience?
 
 

We used to hit the raw bar, at the back or the courtyard, three or four nights a week when I worked in Charleston....oh the fresh shrimp and oysters (and scotch) were outstanding.  One of my favorite places.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it.

Joerogo-
The cole slaw at Primanti's is very vinegary, which is just how I like it!  Can't say for 100% sure, but I don't think there is mayo in there.

Absolutely LOVE She Crab Soup.  It's lucious!

BB, you have NO idea how jealous I am.... ohmigawd!!!!!!!!! You rock.

My suggestion is to skip Jestine's (sorry y'all but my meal was avg and service worse), and don't miss the Crab Shack (or is it seasonal?!). What a GREAT choice of places to go.

I must've had a 6th sense about you being there because out of the blue today I said something to my dad about how much I love Charleston & he agreed it's a great place, and then we added Savannah... sigh.

Glad this was still on the current topics list... I'd have hated to miss it!  Have fun!!!!!

That slice of Primantis pizza did look ordinary.  When I'm in Fort Lauderdale though, I always stop at the Primantis there for a couple of much better looking and great tasting slices.

Hope you hit Hominy Grill in Charleston.

cecif-
I have been thinking about you, since unless I get Travelin Manned, I will be having lunch at The Crab Shack today.  What is funny is that Charleston wasn't even in my radar as a destination this weekend.  But, that just happened to be where the cheap flight was going, so here I am.  I do agree with you and your dad, this is a wonderful city.
 
BTW, after leaving 82 Queen, I drove past Jestine's Kitchen and it was packed.  But I wasn't overly impressed with my one meal there, either.
 
signman-
I have had other people tell me about Primanti's pizza, so I had been curious.  Glad I tried it, although it has occurred to me that maybe I should give it another shot at the original location.  It must be fairly good if you always get a slice while in Florida. 
 
A big fan of Hominy Grill here.  But there are so many places around here I want to try, that might not be possible on this trip.  There is just an embarrassment of riches of good restaurants in this town.
 
mar52-
Agreed on she crab soup.  I am a big soup lover and she crab is right near the top of my favorites. 

BB, I didn't get your message until this morning.
I can tell you that you definetely ordered the right things- The She Crab Soup and Shrimp n' Grits. Not only am I Jealous, I'm extremely jealous, I was only given a plain biscuit when I was there last.  Perhaps they do differently for dinner. I should mention that the meal is somewhat cheaper if you go for lunch. But I'm glad you agree that this is truly ROADFOOD!
 
 

<<That slice of Primantis pizza did look ordinary>>

I'm  thinking the fact that it's ordinary is beside the point in this case. A dollar for an edible slice of pizza is not a bad deal at all.

There's a couple of places that have popped up recently in NY City that sell 99 cent slices (and that's all, no other food items). It's not destination pizza, but it's OK, certainly not worse than many other "by the slice" joints in the city, and a bargain besides.

joerogo


BB, Whenever I go to Primanti's I always get my sandwich minus the slaw.  The reason is I detest mayo.  The last show I watched on the Travel Channel said Primanti's used oil and vinegar only.
 
Is this true?  No Mayo?  Slaw like my Mother used to make?  Can I truly enjoy the WHOLE Primanti experience?
 
 

 
Joe,
 
I can assure you there is no Mayo in Primanti's slaw.

Cannot think of any better cities to go for really great food.  I would like to reccommend  "Sweet Potato" in Savannah.  The food is just terrific.  The prices are dirt cheap.  If you decide to go,  you must try the lemon collard greens as one of your vegetables........fantastic!

http://www.toucancafe.com/sweetP.html

wanderingjew

joerogo


BB, Whenever I go to Primanti's I always get my sandwich minus the slaw.  The reason is I detest mayo.  The last show I watched on the Travel Channel said Primanti's used oil and vinegar only.
 
Is this true?  No Mayo?  Slaw like my Mother used to make?  Can I truly enjoy the WHOLE Primanti experience?
 
 

 
Joe,
 
I can assure you there is no Mayo in Primanti's slaw.

 
Thanks WJ,
 
Now I have to get my butt back to Pitt to enjoy the sandwich the right way.

BB almost forgot, if you haven't made it to Lady and Son's, then definetely go, I enjoyed their buffet more  than Blue Willow's. Keep in mind I did go a little over three years ago, around noonish on a Sunday and didn't have to wait on line, I sat right at the bar.

buffetbuster

As you can see, it comes served with a small bottle of sherry.  I did put a dash of the liquor in, but this smooth, luxurious soup is so good, it was completely unnecessary.

Is the sherry more of the cooking variety or is it legitimately drinkable?
 
I've never had crab soup but I'm sure I'd like it!
 
Brad

BB -
 
You could stop right now and the trip would be successful...you ordered all my favorites in one sitting!  How I wish I was there...
 
Happy New Year!  Have fun and keep the reports coming!

buffetbuster

BTW, after leaving 82 Queen, I drove past Jestine's Kitchen and it was packed.  But I wasn't overly impressed with my one meal there, either.

That was an illusion! When I went to Jestine's, the line was out the door & around the corner.  When I went inside to see if I could get take-out, the place was easily half-empty! And a grumpy hostess didn't help me, and worse she was making everyone wait for nothing.  Admittedly, I suspected that they were trying to look like a hot spot by leaving everyone outside... Unimpressive, at best. 

Now I can finish reading this great report (or the latest)... btw this is my first post with quote in the new format & it's quite disconcerting!  

BB, I can't tell you how much I always enjoy your trip reports. I am anxiously awaiting the next  chapter. In the Shrimp and grits dish, was there cheese in the grits? Just curious.

wanderingjew


BB, I didn't get your message until this morning.

I assumed you weren't calling me back because you were upset that I went to one of your favorite places without you!

cecif

buffetbuster

BTW, after leaving 82 Queen, I drove past Jestine's Kitchen and it was packed.  But I wasn't overly impressed with my one meal there, either.

That was an illusion! When I went to Jestine's, the line was out the door & around the corner.  When I went inside to see if I could get take-out, the place was easily half-empty! And a grumpy hostess didn't help me, and worse she was making everyone wait for nothing.  Admittedly, I suspected that they were trying to look like a hot spot by leaving everyone outside... Unimpressive, at best. 

Now I can finish reading this great report (or the latest)... btw this is my first post with quote in the new format & it's quite disconcerting!  

 
What happened to that India report.
 
Nice ta have ya back.

Brad Olsen-
I'm thinking the sherry was more of the cooking variety.  But as the waiter updated me on the Penn State score, I was considering chugging it!

cecif-
That story from Jestine's Kitchen is a horrible way to treat customers.  Surprised they could get away with something like that.

Greymo-
Thanks for the recommendation and the link.  I won't be able to try Sweet Potato on this trip, but after looking over the menu, I want to eat there on a future visit.  The idea of lemon collard greens sounds amazing!

agnesrob-
I am very appreciative of what you said.  There was melted cheddar in the dish, but it was with the shrimp and bacon, not in the grits.

ChiTownDiner called to wish me Happy New Year earlier today.  But this was obviously a thinly veiled ruse because he quickly turned the conversation to dessert at 82 Queen.  Can you believe that I forgot to talk about desserts?  Thanks for the reminder CTD and Happy New year to you, my friend! 
 
The two desserts that intrigued me were the Key Lime pie or the peach praline cobbler.  But, I ended up passing on both, because of how full and tired I was.  Has anyone had that cobbler before?  I am curious to know what I missed.

Friday January 2, 2009 
 
A little more than a hour after checking out of my hotel, I pulled up at my breakfast destination, Blackstone's Cafe in Beaufort.

The first thing I noticed when I walked in was this University of South Carolina print. 

Being a Clemson guy, I felt like I was in enemy territory.  Luckily, I was undercover, wearing my Ole Miss sweatshirt!
 
Blackstone's Cafe is a two story restaurant, decorated top to bottom in US Marine Corp and other military banners, flags, etc. 

With Parris Island so close by, this certainly made sense.  Michael Stern recommended the corned beef hash in the review and that sounded good to me.
 
That is a big portion, but it is mostly hidden by the eggs.  The full-flavored hash had big pieces of potatoes and was unmistakably homemade.  Excellent!  The eggs and hash browns were fine, but nothing special.  The biscuit was warm, but way too hard.  Two bites and I gave up.
 
BTW, Beaufort is a beautiful little town and deserves more exploring on a future trip.
 
http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=1416&RefID=1416
 
Next stop was a place I passed on the way into Beaufort, Carolina Cider Company.

I had originally arrived before they were open, but they had a clever way of insuring that I would doubleback.  They put this sign out front.

How did they know I was coming?
 
Despite the sign, the focus is on other things, like the ciders

and the different types of nuts for sale.  I tried samples of the peach and cherry cider and thoroughly enjoyed them both.  The woman working there told me that there is no sugar added to the drinks and you can really taste the fruit.  Delicious!  I ended up buying large bottles of the peach, blackberry and cherry and a small muscadine grape to drink on the road.

 
Pie wise, I was very happy to see they sold smaller pies, too.  They had pecan, sweet potato and apple crisp ready and I settled on the latter two.


How were they?  Not sure yet.  As soon as I get done typing this, I am going to dig in!
 
http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=1870&RefID=1795
 
Once I crossed into Georgia, my first stop was to find Don's BBQ in Pooler.  Conveniently close to I-95, I was excited when I saw this sign.

What is a Lexington-style bbq place doing in Georgia?  And more importantly, where is everyone?

Guess who I plan on blaming for this revolting development?
 
Much more to come.....

Cliff I'm so glad you hit the 82 Queen finally, and sorry I wasn't around to meet you at Blackstone's--I've been to Blackstone's quite a few times.  I sub out the pecan sticky buns for my bread usually--it's extra but they're too good to miss.  I do love Beaufort, almost more than Charleston.

As for the bowl game results, if we'd won it just wouldn't be us.  :)  Have a wonderful rest of your trip.

Thanks for the prod, Joerogo, I will eventually post but I have not even finished editing my 1,000 photos! Yikes!

Cliff I swear I keep thinking about whether I was exaggerating about the half-empty, but actually it might have been more than half empty... as a former waitress I was seriously appalled (and would've been mad about losing the money on empty tables!).

I'm looking forward to hearing about the Crab Shack and danged if I wasn't online at lunchtime in Tybee Island... if only I hadn't lost your cell number when my phone died, I would have called and told you to go get on their web cam by the alligators and wave at me!!!!  Hope you had a great day! (I think I have the number on email somewhere... only where is the question!)

p.s. Be careful about mentioning (or hinting) the Universities of South Carolina and Southern California in one place... or I will bust out my off-color joke about them! ...apologies for 3 edits!

Oh that corned beef hash breakfast is looking good!!!!! ...those ciders look great too! Thanks.

BB, outstanding once again, good sir!!  I always look forward to your reports and no matter if I just just ate, I am always hungry after reading about your most delicious sojourns (especially in the South)!
 
What exactly is IN She-Crab soup?  That Mac-n-Cheese and those grits look amazing!  Ditto for the hash.

You appear to have left Charleston already, yes?  Are you heading back before a flight out, perhaps?

I ate what may be my favorite breakfast of all-time (technically, I should probably call it brunch, as I ate it late, and it filled me fine until dinner) at Diana's.  Perhaps you need some evidence?



They call this "Low Country Surf and Turf."  I just call it "yummy."  I subbed the poached eggs for scrambled, but you will also find a small rib-eye steak in there, topping an English Muffin.  Atop the eggs are some small shrimp and grilled onions.  Breakfast potatoes are on the side.  It's quite a meal, and would even pass wanderingjew's smell test for "regionally appropriate."

BB, I have stopped at Carolina Cider several times over the years.  I worked in Savannah for a few months and on weekends, I would travel and I passed the place and it always intrigued me.  Great Stop.
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN