Lowcountry Love

Charleston has been topping travel and foodie lists, and it’s easy to see why

 

- Rebecca Wallwork

With winter behind us, it’s time to venture out and enjoy exploring a new destination. Which makes the first week of April the perfect opportunity for a spring getaway to Charleston. There, you can take in the Volvo Car Open—the largest women’s-only tennis tournament in North America—and savor all the charm and flavor this southern city has to offer.

> Food First

If meals are a key part of your travel itineraries, you’re going to love spending time eating your way through Charleston’s piping hot food scene. In fact, you may need to eat more than three meals a day to cover it all.

For a night to remember, plan ahead and get a dinner reservation at Husk (huskrestaurant.com), located in a 19th-century mansion downtown. Chef Sean Brock has earned ardent fans for his devotion to Southern cuisines and ingredients, and earned accolades for honoring Lowcountry traditions in such a deliciously fresh manner.

Seafood tops most visitors’ culinary to-do lists in Charleston, where you can find everything from downhome crab shacks to chic oyster bars. Two of the more modern options include Leon’s Oyster Shop (leonsoystershop.com), which does a mean fried chicken as well as fried fish and freshly shucked oysters— best enjoyed with a crisp beverage on the patio—and The Ordinary (eattheordinary.com), which has turned a 1920s bank into a lively seafood hall and oyster bar worthy of its far-reaching raves.

For dinner on Daniel Island, where the Volvo Car Open takes place, check out Sermet’s Courtyard (sermets.com) which serves Mediterranean dishes from well-known local chef Sermet Aslan, in the dining room or in the courtyard beneath magnificent oak trees.