Whoops! Forgot to introduce the post! My brain is broken. Without further ado, give it up for my friend, ID Collection’s Jim Williamson! “Give it to me baby,” I said as we pulled in front our hotel in Charleston. By “baby,” I meant the city of Charleston, of course. Unfortunately, that probably came as a bit of a disappointment to my spouse. If you haven’t been to Charleston, you are missing out on a truly beautiful and historic city by the sea. Tons of dollars and a desire by the people of this city to maintain its historic past mean miles upon miles of beautiful homes and buildings. But don’t worry, it won’t cost you millions to enjoy it unless you want to actually live South of Broad or on one of the many barrier islands where the rich and famous play.
On our recent visit, the weather was actually chilly, which was not how I had experienced Charleston on my last trip during the height of summer. That trip we were definitely all about removing layers rather than adding them. Anyway, we walked, we toured, and we sipped. We also did some laughing, some giggling, and with some joggling.
Charleston is also home to delicious cuisine. I had some of the best curried mussels ever. They just about trump the clams I can’t forget in Capri (and have yet to find in any other city). I also stumbled upon a happy hour at a very popular seafood restaurant with some of the freshest oysters ever and $2 beers. I think my tab was, like, $12 for a dozen oysters and two beers. You can’t beat that.
One restaurant that everyone seemed to be taking about was Husk, so we decided we must go. We arrived, along with what seemed like half the city and a few cruise ships. As I walked up to the hostess and asked if she could accommodate two, I made sure to tap into my original Southern dialect. (You know the one that I tried to erase many years ago with acting classes from a former off-Broadway actress who pretty much spent all of the money I gave her at the whiskey store.) Unfortunately, my efforts were for naught. “Oh no, Sweetie,” she said. “We are booked solid—for like, ever. You may want to try and come back tomorrow about an hour or two before you want to eat and see if someone should cancel.” So we did, but they didn’t. We were told to try the bar next door, where we had a delicious burger and a fantastic cocktail. We also scared ghost-tour guests outside the window with the help of an iPhone light held under my face. And although we still want to try the food in the main restaurant, we decided that would have to wait for another trip with reservations made well in advance.
We also hit the road to Savannah to visit my brother. The details of that visit shall be topic of next week’s blog. It will be titled “Gone with the Wind Meets Prince of Tides By Way of Misery meets Miss Havisham’s” So stay tuned for that.
But you should know that I decided to call Husk one more time in hopes we could have lunch before heading back to Dallas. We inquired about getting brunch. Guess what? They were booked. But the lovely lady who answered the phone suggested that we go ahead and show up and then she would see about getting us on a waiting list for the porch. Since hope reigns eternal (or is that springs?), we decided to go for it. So now guess what my favorite phrase is? “Mr. Williamson, your table is ready.” We were successful! Food has never tasted so good—probably the result of getting a table.
So here’s hoping you get the table of choice this weekend.And don’t forget about the Deep Ellum Arts Festival this weekend. You can have your own little getaway right in your own city. No reservations required.
