When Jordan and I were thinking about where we wanted to go for our anniversary, we immediately thought of Charleston. Neither of us had ever been there, and since we had recently moved to Asheville, we were only four hours away!
We opted for a weekend trip because Jordan had recently started at work, so a longer weekend was out of the question at that point. We squeezed every drop we could out of the time we spent, so I thought I'd share a few pictures and recommendations for anyone planning an upcoming trip!
Friday:
Our first stop after checking into our sweet little B&B, Fulton Lane Inn, was to get some ice cream, of course! We stopped at Jeni's (my all-time favorite) and then continued walking to grab something to eat at Butcher and Bee.
...he's smiling, I swear.
We'd gotten all sorts of restaurant recommendations, so we were set when it came to meals. Between meals, though, we'd decided to just wing it! As we walked, we stumbled upon High Wire Distillery right outside of Butcher and Bee, and noticed they were giving a distillery tour in about 5 minutes.
It turned out that we were the only people there, and that the tour (of course) came with samples of the liquor that they make there. If you've ever been around me drinking, you know I have the alcohol tolerance of a mosquito, so we were feeling real good by the time we left. Hehe!
Not only did we get to drink for free (haaaaay!), but we also discovered our new favorite gin and favorite cocktail mixer, Jack Rudy Small Batch Tonic. If you're a fan of gin and tonics in the summer, buy this. I promise, you'll never look back.
We had dinner that night at F.I.G, where our sweet friend Sally's fiancé is a chef! We weren't able to get a reservation, so we expected to eat at the bar. Luckily, we walked in just as another couple was leaving a table, so we were immediately seated - total fluke, but we were really grateful!
This restaurant was beyond delicious, y'all. If you go in the summer, the tomato tarte tatin is an absolute must.
After dinner, we were totally stuffed, so we went straight to bed, only to realize we hadn't gotten anyone to take our picture that night. So we took a selfie. In our robes. Because we're classy like that.
Saturday:
We were treated to room service breakfast that morning, which gave us a chance to relax and enjoy Jordan's time off! Although both of us kept asking, "Where's Tom Hanks?"
...do any of you dog people constantly think your dog is in the room when you travel, even though they're at home? It's like a phantom limb. Weird.
After breakfast, we wanted to explore the city on foot and eventually end up at the bowery. The houses and yards in this part of Charleston are absolutely stunning. We loved getting to explore - but people: COMFORTABLE. SHOES. Don't be like me and wear sandals you haven't broken in yet. #yourarereallydumb #forreal
You'll notice I snuck a little snack in there. Somehow Jordan doesn't need to be fed but once a day. I need to be fed...five times a day. Men are weird.
You'll also notice that I'm pretty much outfit repeating. That's because I packed jeans and a couple of heavier tops, unprepared for the fact that it was sweltering in Charleston all weekend. SO, you know. Had to!
We had lunch at one of Charleston's coolest casual eateries, Xiao Bao Biscuit. How do you pronounce that first word? I've heard it "Zjhow" and "Zow" and "Djow." So, I don't know. Take your best shot.
So, so delicious. Get the okonomiyaki with a fried egg and pork candy. Just trust me.
We walked back to our hotel to take a quick nap (and watch football) before our dinner reservation that night. At this point, my feet were an absolute mess from walking in the wrong shoes all day, so Jordan cut some bandages to fit over the places where it hurt. And I'm talking fit exactly. These are the perks of having a husband who deals in millimeters all day long.
Jordan would want me to acknowledge that he had just started growing out his beard, and that's why his facial hair is in an in-between stage. ; )
We stopped to get a little appetizer to tide us over at Magnolia Grill, which was amaze. Afterward, we caught up with some friends (hey, AE and Matt!) for a drink at their precious apartment, and got to play with their sweet pup before heading to our late dinner reservation.
Two Boroughs Larder was our dinner spot, and I think this was probably the only culinary low point of the trip. Really, it was only because their menu is very small and we weren't nuts about anything on it. Not a bad restaurant! But check online before you go to ensure maximum deliciousness. The ambiance of the place is wonderful, though - very cozy and romantic.
Sunday:
Sunday morning, we needed to scoot out of town relatively early, so we decided on Husk for brunch. We'd made a reservation at their earliest opening and it was SUCH a good idea.
If you've been to the Husk in Nashville, you know all about my boyfriend Sean Brock, executive chef of Husk. His low country food is not only beautiful and creative, but also made from local ingredients that are so fresh you could just about die. Even their butter is made in-house. Right. Are you salivating yet??
So, even though it was 10 AM, I went ahead and had myself a cheeseburger. And I am not sorry. Because their cheeseburgers are half beef and half BACON. That's right. Bacon IN the burger patty. I'm drooling typing it out.
Jordan had some kind of pork deliciousness, which he annihilated.
I don't even care that I look like a crazed monster, because that's how good it was.
We loved our little weekend getaway and will definitely be back to Charleston soon - there are so many other restaurants we want to try!
Hope this inspired you to plan your own trip there. Have you been? Where did you eat? What should be on my list for next time?