Dining

Charleston is blessed with a bevy of Southern-inflected selections, from barbecue parlors to fish shacks to casual places serving tourist favorites such as shrimp and grits. If you'd like to try something new, there are plenty of places serving updated, inspired versions of classic dishes. Before you leave, you'll definitely see why Charleston is considered one of the greatest food cities in the world.

The city's dining scene status continues to rise, boosted by a group of James Beard Foundation repeat award winners. Rodney Scott of Rodney's BBQ, Mike Lata of FIG and The Ordinary, and Jason Stanhope of FIG each earned a Best Chef: Southeast award, as did Sean Brock when he was associated with the now-defunct McCrady's and Husk. Bertha's Kitchen received a Beard Foundation "America's Classic" award in 2017. Their culinary progeny are now cooking around town, too, so it's sometimes a challenge to find a less-than-stellar meal here.

As for attire, Charleston invites a crisp yet casual atmosphere. Don't forget, it was recognized as the Most Mannerly City in the country by Marjabelle Young Stewart, which means that residents are slow to judge (or, at the least, that they're doing so very quietly). On the whole, the city encourages comfort and unhurried, easy pacing. The result is an idyllic setting in which to enjoy oysters on the half shell and other homegrown delicacies from the land and sea that jointly grant the city its impressive culinary standing.