Chive Blossom- Pawleys Island, SC

She Crab Soup

The Chive Blossom Restaurant in Pawleys Island is where I had the absolute best Fried Green Tomato BLT ever. It's a small, cute place with a large crowd. 

We started with the She Crab Soup. This is a Southern delicacy and if you're not familiar with it it's a crab bisque with sherry in it and it is quite tasty. Definitely try it sometime if you have the opportunity. 

Burger

Teresa had the burger which came out cooked to her medium-well on a ciabatta roll with Fontina cheese, mushrooms, onions and fries for twelve bucks. Quite nice. My Mother and Step Father both had the chicken salad sandwich at eleven bucks which came with a small salad and they said it was good. 

Fried green tomato BLT

And that magnificent creation pictured above is the Fried Green Tomato BLT, one of the best things I've ever eaten and definitely the best fried green tomato BLT I've ever had. What made it so perfect the combinations of ingredients, each one done to perfection. 

The first thing was fresh multi-grain bread that was toasted on the grill using plenty of butter to get a nice golden brown crunch with a soft inside. Next up was avocado and lettuce with some fried green tomatoes on top. Add in some crisp bacon and the magic ingredient, house-made pimento cheese. This combination of ingredients covered the taste spectrum with sweet, sour, salty, crunchy and soft to create a heavenly, perhaps life-changing, experience for twelve bucks.

Ambiance is nice. Service is excellent, Cornella took very good care of us and accommodated my parents well. Prices, at lunch anyway, are reasonable. Food is amazing. Stop by and see what I mean.

Hominy Grill- Charleston, SC

Fried Green Tomato BLT

Another restaurant on the short list for our Charleston trip was the Hominy Grill on Rutlege. One nice thing is that they have a small parking lot for customers. One rough thing is that they are popular, so be prepared to wait a few minutes if you arrive at peak times.

I had the Fried Green Tomato BLT, shown above. That dish on the side is tomato pudding and the best way to describe it is a fancied-up stewed tomato. It was quite good. The sandwich was also good, but the bread was a bit stale and dry which detracted a bit. Teresa ordered four different vegetable sides. I tasted the mac and cheese and it was amazing. We finished off with a slice of delightful pecan pie. 

Overall, a cute Southern restaurant with fair prices and good food. Our server was excellent. I'd pop in the next time we're in town.

A.W. Shucks- Charleston, SC

A.W Shucks is a large place on the corner of State Street and Market in Charleston and they've been around for a while. Inside it's well appointed giving a modern seafood ambiance. Outside, where we chose to eat, is comfortable and casual. Bear in mind this is a reasonably inexpensive seafood restaurant in a tourist city so it does get crowded and don't raise the expectations all that high.

That said, my food was quite good, and quite reasonable. I got the steamer pot, shown above, which consisted of crabs, clams, shrimp, mussels, oysters, corn, potatoes and sausage swimming in a broth with some Old Bay for $23.00. It was very good.

Teresa ordered the 'award winning' stuffed shrimp, but I don't know who gave it the award. I tasted it and it was pretty good.

So overall, nice ambiance, reasonable prices, good food and good service. I'd go again.

Magnolias- Charleston, SC

Seafood and Grits

Another place I put on the short list for the Charleston trip was Magnolias on East Bay Street. Magnolias is a bit pricey for dinner, but the lunch prices were reasonable. In retrospect, it was probably the best dining experience I had in Charleston.

I had the seafood and grits at $16.00. It consisted of grits, really good buttery tasting grits, some fresh tasting shrimp, a scallop and a small piece of lobster. The portion was just right for the middle of a hot summer day. My best seafood and grits so far.

Teresa had a vegetable wrap which she said was a bit bland for her taste, but not bad. She did comment that the collard greens she ordered as a side were amazing.

Wonderful ambiance and excellent service. Our server, Eric, did a great job. I will definitely go back again. 

Poogan's Porch- Charleston, SC

When were planning to take a trip down to Charleston, I did some culinary research. I was looking mostly for Southern Style and Low Country food in a variety of price ranges and settings. One place that interested me was Poogan's Porch, and that was mainly because they offer an alligator salad as well as shrimp and grits. 

Alligator Salad

We were seated in the front dining room, it's an old house, and given menus. There was the alligator as an appetizer so I ordered it. Well, the alligator was delicious. It was fried to a golden crispness with a moist inside and served on a bed of salad greens with an amazing dressing. It was my first time eating alligator and if you haven't tried it, you should. The taste is difficult to describe, but the consistency is similar to chicken. Something that needs to be experienced to appreciate.

Scallops

Teresa ordered the scallops which were delightful. There were four large ones with a mound of greens and a risotto cake in a nice sauce. I tasted one, and some of the risotto, and I would have been quite happy with that as my meal. 

Shrimp and Grits

Instead, I had the shrimp and grits and I was quite happy with that. The shrimp tasted fresh and were cooked perfectly. There were three colors of peppers to give some color and sweetness, taso ham and a nice sauce covering perfectly cooked grits. 

Nice ambiance, reasonable prices and excellent service. A lovely dining experience.