So, it’s Saturday and we just returned from brunch at a way cool coffee bistro called The Daily that we discovered on our 6-miler on Friday. The Neuske’s BaconLT and a peaches and Greek yogurt bowl did not disappoint! And I love their Marzocco retro espresso machine, released in 2007 to commemorate the company’s 80th anniversary.
Charleston is an incredible town. 300+ years of important history, with a varied mix of cultures, ages, and socio-economies. In two blocks you can transition from dilapidated tenement housing to a $700 per night hotel room. In our Elliotborough Cannonborough neighborhood we’ve been struck by the friendliest passersby and stoop-sitters, and have never once felt unwelcome.
The last three days have been a whirlwind, the highlights being our visits to Fort Sumter and the International African American Museum, and then Friday night’s fireworks viewing from the highest venue in the city. Here’s a bit about each of those, and then a few details on the extraordinary deliciousness that’s come our way.
Wednesday and Fort Sumter
The weather here in Charleston is at times claustrophobic. We step out the door of our AirBnB and the high-80's heat and 90+% humidity can hit you like a steamed mattress. But after a few hundred steps a cooler breeze will trickle through gaps between buildings and waft along the skin, easing things a bit. Doesn’t take long, though, for the pores to start sweating. Our destination was a 9:30am boarding of the ferry to Fort Sumter with an iced coffee stop at Starbucks on the way.
The half-hour voyage through Charleston Harbor was accompanied by an informative commentary by Park Ranger Gary Alexander, who proved to be the wisdom-wealthiest of the staff. He advised us that the harbor was actually an estuary formed by the junction of the Ashley, Cooper, and Wando Rivers, the coastlines of which are dotted with ruins of various military sites with Fort Sumter at the strategic center, situated as it is in the center of the harbor’s mouth. If you’re interested, here’s his full ferry commentary, both coming and going to the Fort.
The Fort itself is somewhat underwhelming, a mere remnant of its former glory, and requires no more than the provided single hour to survey. On the other hand, seeing in person the actual 1860’s powder-scorched Union cannons and crumbled brick walls, knowing that a single shot fired from Fort Johnson right over there began the whole Civil War . . . yeah, it’s kinda mind-blowing. 30 years to build Fort Sumter, and basically two long days - the first in April of 1861 and then in September of 1863 - to reduce it to rubble. And both battles an embarrassment for the U.S. Army.
We’re glad we booked the tour. Ranger Gary made the hour of boat time and the blistering heat at the fort more than worth it. And if you want a full hour exposure to the history of Fort Sumter, check out this podcast featuring Ranger Gary on the Mike Bates show.
Thursday and the International African American Museum
Another blazing morning stroll, again stopping at Starbucks for iced Americanos, brought us a couple blocks south of Liberty Square and the Fort Sumter ferry to the International African American Museum. Tickets were $14.50 each ($22.50 for you non-seniors) and a quick review of a few websites informed us that 2 to 2.5 hours would suffice for our visit. Uhh, not even close. Our own tour lasted three and a half hours, and though we made a valiant effort in information absorption, another five to ten twenty hours would have been necessary. I felt the same way I did at the Washington D.C. Mall museums, barely scratching the surface of all the factoids within.
The museum itself is gorgeous, well-conceived and configured, with separate sections focused on the origins of African Americans and their routes to America, the experiences and contributions of African Americans in the United States, the interconnectedness of the Atlantic world through the lens of the African Diaspora, the history of rice cultivation in South Carolina and its impact on the region, the history, culture, and traditions of the Gullah Geechee people of the South Carolina and Georgia coasts, and the Center for Family History, providing resources for visitors to trace their ancestry and explore their family history. Most impressive (and frankly, overwhelming) is the chronological timeline of Africans in America, tracing the early slave trade through modern times, with individual factoid plaques and representative photos and documents displaying the details. Dates, names, places, business and government entities, historical records. Every component is explicitly worthy of attention.
And all things considered, unfortunately, Charleston itself is revealed as devastatingly complicit in much of the dark history of early America, serving as a major port for the transatlantic slave trade and a hub for the domestic slave trade, as well as the birthplace of the South’s Secession, and the start of the Civil War.
And all things considered, unfortunately, Charleston itself is revealed as devastatingly complicit in much of the dark history of early America, serving as a major port for the transatlantic slave trade and a hub for the domestic slave trade, as well as the birthplace of the South’s Secession, and the start of the Civil War. Shockingly, stunningly, approximately 40% of all enslaved Africans brought to the United States arrived through Charleston.
Shockingly, stunningly, approximately 40% of all enslaved Africans brought to the United States arrived through Charleston. Perhaps the most poignant image for us was this slave auction notice published in the Charleston newspaper, indifferently placed beside a sales ad for an 8-year old carriage horse.
If you find yourself in Charleston, you’d do well to make the effort.
Shockingly, stunningly, approximately 40% of all enslaved Africans brought to the United States arrived through Charleston. Perhaps the most poignant image for us was this slave auction notice published in the Charleston newspaper, indifferently placed beside a sales ad for an 8-year old carriage horse.
If you find yourself in Charleston, you’d do well to make the effort.
Friday and Independence Day Fireworks
We had learned from several friendly locals that the best place to view the Fourth’s fireworks displays would be along the crowd-heavy waterfront or at elevation atop one of several downtown rooftop lounges, the best of these being the Dewberry Hotel’s Citrus Club, 8 floors high with a 270-degree wraparound patio. First come first served with a 2-hour time limit up top and priority for hotel guests.
Well, duh.
We arrived plenty early, endeared ourselves to the lovely elevator hostess (name withheld to protect her honor), ordered cocktails and snacks in the ground floor lobby bar, put our names on the list at 7:20pm (the Patriot Point fireworks show was scheduled for 9:20 = 2 hours), crossed our fingers and toes, then waited. I checked in again at 7:45 and then 8:00, and learned that the list of hotel guests was long and she doubted that any non-guests would make it to the roof. Then she glanced around, lowered her voice, and whispered, “Unless you and your wife wouldn’t mind sitting inside up there for a while until the show starts.” And I swear she winked.
Okay, so we figured the pyrotechnic show launched from the USS Yorktown would be pretty great, and it was, but what thoroughly and unexpectedly awed us was the two dozen other mini-shows popping off all over the barrier islands surrounding Charleston Harbor. Everywhere we looked there was another dazzling brocade, crossette, or chrysanthemum. (Yeah, I had to look those up. Here’s a whole list.)
Foodie Stuff
Now, here’s a quick - yeah, right - rundown of our food and beverage highlights of the past few days. And believe me, even if we had another week here, we’d just only be getting started.
After Fort Sumter on Wednesday we stopped at Charleston Beerworks for a flight of drafts (they serve 40) and a bite. The Cuban was decent. (Nothing like yours, Graeme!) And the beers were okay. What made the stop memorable, however, was an engaging conversation with retired naval officer Eric from Washington, D.C., tagging along with his wife in town for business. Great guy, cool stories, and it’s he who turned us on to the Citrus Club for our Friday night fireworks. Thanks again, new friend, for the good counsel.
One of the more frequently recommended restaurants in northern downtown Charleston is Chubby Fish, a mere five blocks from our lodging. A simple corner location in our mostly residential neighborhood, and always with a line outside. No reservations, per long established policy, but at 5pm when they open, those immediately wishing to be seated can do so, and others can choose a preferred time later, assuming an average dine time of 90 minutes-ish. We were 20th in a queue that reached 60 people by the 5 o’clock opening, and we opted to delay be seated until 6:30 for a place at the bar overlooking the active kitchen. We filled the next hour at the exquisitely cozy Roseline Wine Bar, a block from our AirBnB. Maddie took good care of us during our wait, as she did again this evening.
Chubby Fish was a complete and utter wow! Sitting at the bar we watched the chef crew craft their culinary creations, from lengths of marrowed bone with shrimp tempura to grilled oysters with crab fat curry. We began with what proved to be our favorites: snapper ceviche with avocado, cucumber, served bruschetta-style on thin focaccia, followed by spring greens with citrus wedges, peaches, and melon. Charred lamb ribs romesco followed our cauliflower cacio e pepe, and we finished with grilled wreckfish risotto. And we were too stuffed for dessert. Five stars!
Post-museum on Thursday we stopped at the quaint bookstore and eatery Philosophers and Fools, a couple of blocks from our place. A half mini-wheel of local cheese, stonewheat crackers, and gherkins, quenched with local sour beers. Lovely place, made even better by the 1-cent Swedish fish. That’s right, a penny a piece. We bought a quarter’s worth to go.
And Friday - pre-fireworks at the Citrus Club - we enjoyed Felix, a Parisian-inspired restaurant & cocktail bar on King Street. As usual, we sat at the bar, where Eric served Nancy a Pora Pora with mezcal, tequila, fresh lime juice, pomegranate molasses, and hellfire bitters, while I partook in La Brise D’été with bourbon, fresh lemon juice, local honey, watermelon shrub, and averna. Both extraordinary.
For food, we went with the Lobster Deviled Eggs (chive, espelette, dijon, lobster, brown butter crumb), Roasted Beet Mélange (tri-color beets, herbed chèvre, toasted pistachios, micro arugula), and the Raclette Burger (double short rib-brisket blended patties, caramelized onion, dijonnaise, raclette, local bakery sesame bun, house cut pommes frites). C’est magnifique!
Saturday Change of Pace
And that brings us to yesterday's transition day. We navigated stormy skies and sporadic rain to grab that aforementioned BLT lunch at The Daily, then Ubered to CHS airport to pick up the rental car that'll motor us to Asheville and Pennsylvania. Then we crawled through Ta few local breweries, and finished the day one last time at Roseline. Thanks again, Maddie, for being such an awesome host.
Today we'll hoof our way around Charleston one last morning, use the afternoon to prep for tomorrow's travels, then dine tonight at the renowned Vern's just down the road. Looking forward to it
We'll be in touch.
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