By: Julienne
Eating Out, Travel, , , , , , , , ,

Charleston Series: Eating in South Carolina Part II

rainbow row houses

Let’s talk more about King Street. As mentioned in my Part I post, King street is the city center for dining and nightlife in Charleston. I wanted to share a couple more great spots on King Street and also confirm that Rainbow Row is definitely worth a visit. The little alleys and houses are incredibly charming. (I just wish they didn’t allow street parking!)

Anyway, here are a couple more gems we visited in Charleston.

parcel32

Parcel32

Location: King Street
Pricing: $$$
Points of Charm:

  • This is a gorgeous restaurant inside and out. There’s the main dining room and then a separated space for larger, private parties, which is where we got seated. Definitely gramworthy.
  • Really solid cocktail selection. They make a delicious Bloody Mary.
  • The food is also solid. My chicken and waffles were divine and not too heavy.

parcel32

darling oyster bar

The Darling Oyster Bar

Location: King Street
Pricing: $$
Points of Charm:

  • Beautiful restaurant. I sound like a broken record but really, the architecture is just gorgeous in this city.
  • $1 oysters during happy hour. I know $1 oysters should be treated with caution, but Darling’s are incredibly fresh. Most of our group ate a dozen each. I opted for a half dozen and tried 6 different types. The Midnight Bay oysters from Washington were my favorite, with a fruity, briny taste. $1 oysters only apply to their Gulf Oysters, which are plump, mild, and delicious.
  • Other yummy dishes include the Maine mussels and blue crab tagliatelle.

darling oyster bar mussels

She Crab Soup

She crab soup is a Charleston specialty. It is a rich and creamy bisque made from Atlantic blue crab meat, crab roe, and a little bit of dry sherry. It’s delicious, but you only need a cup or you can share a bowl with 1 or 2 other friends.

The most highly recommended places to get it according to the locals we chatted with are Fleet Landing and Hyman’s Seafood.

If I do visit Charleston again, I’m going to go during the timeframe of the last 2 weeks of May or the first week of June. That is when they have their arts festival where they have live music performances, ballet, a book fair, and more.