A few weeks ago, I texted my friend Whitney, “We should go somewhere.”
Last Thursday we were on a plane to Charleston, SC with literally nothing planned other than an Airbnb to stay in and a Google Map with about 100 restaurants pinned. It was bound to be a perfect trip.
We spent the next two and a half days walking the entire city, ticking off as many of the restaurants on our list as humanly possible, gossiping and analyzing every person we know, taking in the architecture and the history, and being in bed by 10:30 like the reasonable 30+ year olds we are. I think we made it to 11:00 one night. This trip was literally everything I wanted.
And the food, you guys. It did not disappoint. In our short two and a half days, we frequented fourteen different establishments, and there wasn’t a single one I wouldn’t go back to. For posterity sake, I’m leaving a list here, so if you ever find yourself in Charleston, you too can enjoy our haphazard attempt to eat our way through the city. Our agenda:
Friday
- Breakfast at The Daily (tahini toast — better than I could have ever imagined)
- Drinks at The Vendue Hotel (go to the rooftop for the view)
- Lunch at Verde (fresh salads, something quick)
- Oysters at The Ordinary (my favorite in terms of ambiance for sure)
- Drinks at Prohibition (bourbon drinks on point)
- Dinner at The Macintosh (would eat everything again, but the gnudi stands out to me, also they have amazing bread and butter)
- Drinks at The Belmont (a great place to end the night)
Saturday
- Brunch at Butcher and the Bee (get all the mezze options)
- Oysters at The Darling (wish we could have sat at the raw bar, it was beautiful)
- Dinner at Indaco (lamb shank and caponata are most memorable)
- Drinks at Bar Normandy (was expecting this to be a bit more interesting than it was, but we did have a great glass of wine and have a philosophical debate, so mission accomplished, I think)
- Dessert at FIG (worth the wait)
Sunday
- Breakfast at Kudu Coffee (we wanted something simple and light)
- Lunch at Leon’s (we wanted something fried and heavy)
- No dinner, see above.
Looking at this list may seem like we’re crazy people, but know that we walked about 10 miles a day and also did take in some cultural sites, I swear.
And this charred radicchio number–it’s an inspiration from a dish we had at Leon’s. Along with our fried oysters and fried chicken, we wanted something fresh and this seemed like an interesting way to balance our meal.
It’s bitter and sweet at the same time. It’s got crunch, chewiness, and creaminess all in one bite. I knew I’d want to recreate something when I got home — to take back a piece of Charleston with me — and I sure as hell was not going to be frying chicken. This though, this can be the gem I keep.
- ¼ cup raisins
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup walnuts
- 1 small to medium sized head of radicchio
- ¼ cup olive oil, divided
- ½ cup whole milk yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, chopped
- In a small bowl, mix together raisins and apple cider vinegar. Let soak while you prepare the rest of the dish.
- In a small pan over medium heat, toast walnuts for about 2-3 minutes, until they are golden brown. Let cool slightly, then chop.
- Tear any lose outer pieces from radicchio. Cut in half, keeping the core in tact. Cut each half into 3-4 wedges, depending on size, keeping a sliver of core in tact for each so it stays together.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a cast iron pan over medium high heat. Add radicchio wedges, cut side down, and cook for about 2 minutes per side, until lightly charred. Transfer to plate.
- In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.
- To plate, spread about half the yogurt sauce over the bottom of a platter. Place charred radicchio wedges on top, sprinkle with soaked raisins and walnuts. Drizzle yogurt dressing on top, then garnish with mint.
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