Destination Charleston: DINE
It’s all about Chucktown, as evidenced here. The world’s a-buzz, and our brides are just a few of the lovely people who come traipsing through town looking for the history and the hot spots. There is so much to do in our little mecca that we’re just bursting with pride to tell you all about it. Our clients often ask for the local scoop on what their guests can do during their wedding weekends, so we thought we’d share … starting with (can you guess?) FOOD.
Now don’t get us wrong: there is certainly something gracious about a day-of-the-wedding brunch, a Sunday send-off, and various and sundry little food-related gatherings throughout the wedding weekend. If that rings Mom’s bell, don’t start a squabble over family’s intentions to feed their guests in grand style.
However, if your “modern” thoughts and ways include allowing guests some down time to explore Charleston, you may want to consider leaving them enough time to sample the Holy City’s finest noshes, too.
For starters, you might be here during one of many to-die-for food-related festivals:
(March 4-7, 2010)
From sip-and-strolls to dine-arounds and tastings, CF+W draws the finest chefs, sommeliers, critics, and foodies from all over town and the globe to the Peninsula for old-fashioned fun (lowcountry gospel brunch anyone?) and some serious Iron-Chef-ish action.
Boone Hall Lowcountry Oyster Festival
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Boone Hall is one of our area’s most sought-after venues for rehearsal dinners and weddings alike. You may remember this little gem from The Notebook? You can visit a wedding we designed there by clicking here and browsing our lookbook. The entrance to the plantation alone is lined by hundreds of old live oaks, and is enough to transport folks back in time. What better spot, then, for a gaggle of wedding guests to be introduced to the fine Lowcountry tradition of an oyster roast? What you’ll need: an old golf glove, a spare shucker, a hankering for steamed oysters, and plenty of pluck.
Thinking instead of a quick nibble? Here’s where locals might pop in for a bite between 11 am and 3 pm:
The best dogs around, bar none, with blue cheese coleslaw to break your heart.
Gaulart & Maliclet (aka “Fast and French”)
Croque Monsieurs et Madames, anyone? The soups are delish, especially when paired with their French white burgundies.
Fish tacos and an ice cold Palmetto on tap….what more could you want? This little joint is on the strip at one of our fave beaches- Sullivans Island.
All dolled-up and nowhere to go? We’d tell you to nab a reservation at one of these spots:
Although its menu is rife with fantastic things, Peninsula Grill in the Planters Inn is most known for its famous coconut cake.
High-brow comfort food- from Brett’s Meatballs to the finest steaks.
Saturday craving or Sunday Funday? Sure-fire brunch choices:
Perennial favorite Cru Cafe is Chef John Zucker’s little hidden jewel on Pinckney Street. Zucker’s food is the antithesis of the tourist traps along Market and Meeting. Sit on the porch, order the mac, watch the horse-and-carriages roll by.
Just do it: order the Big Nasty and call it a day.
Palmetto Cafe at Charleston Place
A classic in the heart of historic downtown … sit in the Courtyard and linger for hours over fresh peach iced tea with simple syrup.
Boasting live jazz and killer beignets, Joseph’s is a ideal nesting spot for a lazy Sunday brunch.
Bonne anniversaire de mariage, Caroline + Keat!
A very happy Thanksgiving to all of you, and especially to Caroline and Keat Crown, for whom this holiday will always remind them of their beautiful big day in Charleston. Congratulations on the journey….from a surprise L’Arc de Triomphe proposal to a candlelit ceremony and reception at Middleton Place nuptials to now! The Chicago natives’ lovely 2008 wedding was featured recently in Martha Stewart Weddings Fall 2009, posted here if you missed it. Click here to view our website lookbook for even more shots from the wedding weekend affair. Happy first anniversary!
Bicoastal
Catching our breath from a whirlwind Fall season, we are just now uploading pictures from a few jaunts in between weddings. In early Fall, we hauled off to Napa and San Fran for a few days to unwind before the siege. We rationalized the trip (ha!) as so much of our influence comes from the West Coast. They always seem to be one step ahead of us, and yet somehow right in line with the hospitality and gentility that mark Southern affairs.
On the drive from San Fran to Napa, we took a Pacific Coast Highway detour to Stinson Beach, where fresh fish tacos and cold beer hit the spot (and you thought wedding planners couldn’t relax?):
Our immediate thought: what Spring 2010 bride may like the idea of a fresh taco station?
Lunchtime toast…
Old friends…
Funky little lifeguard huts and the requisite guitar-playing surfer… maybe he wants to play some of our cocktail parties.
West coast beaches are cool, too…
———-
Eight strong, we bunked on Soda Canyon Road in the hills of Napa and simply took in the breathtaking views:
You know you’re high up in the hills when you’re eye-level with hot air balloons…that would be a killer end-of-the-night getaway?
Sunset from our vantage point…
———-
The next day was filled with private tours at boutique wineries and more landscape eye candy:
A morning glass of bubbly at Artesa… our champagne-loving clientele would be proud!
Maybe we can build our next tented affair into the side of a mountain? (die!)
Aged French oak at Artesa
Sampling grapes during the crush…
Imagine this lovely space (Bistro Don Giovanni) filled with raucous college friends, and a MadoroM vintner…
The Roquefort Fig Pizzettes were just horrible. Terrible. Really.
———-
High-tailed it in our shameless prom limo to the last stop of the day, David Arthur Vineyards. Of course we talked shop with the proprietor, David Long, and his daughter, Laura Long, who are eagerly campaigning for Napa vineyards’ allowance to host weddings. We had a blast brainstorming how to get BME back to plan a few West coast affairs.
Can’t you just see a cocktail party here?
A David Long sandwich at David Arthur…
———-
Evening chow at a darling Mexican joint was followed by shopping along Main Street in St. Helena, where Martin left us jaws a-gape.
The scale and unique nature of each piece just floored us. If only we could have packed a few key pieces back to Charleston for our weddings!
Confession: late night dancing back on Soda Canyon Road!
———-
Another day, another winery? We started off at Fontanella, which only produces about 1000 cases a year of the most delightful vino, including killer Zins and big, bold Cabs.
Then Yountville’s Bouchon for lunch:
Someone has a green thumb…
Attempt at being healthy…
A Croque Monsieur sabotage…
Couldn’t resist their bakery next door…
Can’t say that we shared this… must we repeat that this is all “research”?
———-
After a few days in Napa, we popped back to San Francisco to paint the town red (or should we say blue?)
We picked up cheeses and charcuterie to pair with wine from our trip and trekked over to the free Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in Golden Gate Park.
You can take the girl out of the South, but you can’t take the South out of the girl! Toggling between Emmylou Harris and Little Feat made our night.
———-
A day of eating and walking our way through SF included:
Just like Charlestonians, San Franciscans make the best of tight spaces…and we do love us some orange.
After lunch at Rose’s Café, we shopped our way through Cow Hollow, the Marina, and Pacific Heights.
Nighttime brought us back to that area for dinner at the über-trendy A16, where we sampled buttery gnocchi and peppery proscuitto with abandon.
———-
The next day, we piled onto the ferry for a trip to Sausalito to sample SF’s best sushi at Sushi Ran:
That evening, we had drinks at The Big Four at the Huntington Hotel, which was old school and cozy and just called for a whiskey neat (or something seemingly dapper and manly):
Our entire trip was capped off by dinner at La Mar, on the Embarcadero:
The highlight of the night was the Santa Maria, a wedding-worthy signature cocktail of: Pisco, pomegranate-infused tequila, lemon juice and ginger syrup. Insert deep sigh of contentment.
