Charleston, SC

Charleston is a great southern city. The food is phenomenal and the older historic buildings in downtown are beautiful. It has nice beaches on the south and east sides of town (Folly and Isle of Palm). The one thing that Charleston lacks though, is a good brewery. The only brewery that I found in Charleston was Southend Brewery. Simply put, the beer and food were both bad. It was one of the worst breweries that I have visited across the country. While Charleston lacks a good brewery, it makes up for it with the phenomenal southern style restaurants and rooftop bars. The rooftop bar at the Vendue Inn is great. It provides an incredible view of downtown and the harbor area including all of the sailboats and shrimp boats coming in off the ocean. There are several other rooftop bars in the area, but Vendue is my favorite. As for restaurants, 82 Queen tops the list. The Rock Shrimp Macaroni is the best mac n'cheese dish I have ever tasted. The seafood pasta is also fantastic as are the steaks. Of all the meals that I have tried at 82 Queen, all have been excellent. It is a little pricey, but it is well worth it. For an appetizer, two entrees and a couple of drinks, you are looking at $100+. For those looking for a cheaper southern fare, Poogan's Porch and Hominy Grille are both very good alternatives. Each has a great brunch and offer lots of options for dinner as well. I was a fan of the biscuits and gravy at Poogan's and the fried chicken is excellent at Hominy. Each offers southern sides and vegetables. If you watch the Food Network and see any shows on Charleston, Hominy is visited in nearly all of them.