Charleston! (Part Three)
Sunday was our last full day in Charleston. We had planned to return to Toast again for brunch. But because it was Sunday, it was totally packed. The wait was just too long. So we walked a little further to Joseph's (another restaurant that had been recommended to us). We still had a thirty minute wait. So Anita and I walked across the street to explore a church cemetery.
The guys waited patiently on the steps and I read Joseph's menu online while we waited the last few minutes. What captured my interest most was their sandwich menu. I had decided (since it was 11:00 by the time we were seated) that I was going to have an early lunch instead of a late breakfast. I had my sandwich all picked out. And then I found out that lunch isn't even served on Sunday. Boo Hoo! But I have to tell you, what got me over the hump of my disappointment was our server, Adam Breakey. This guy should be doing stand-up. His jokes were funny and he had a dry delivery that reminded me of Jim Gaffigan (one of my favorite comedians). He really cracked me up. And he was also a great server. No matter how good the food is (or isn't) a server can make or break your dining experience. I love a server with a personality; someone who isn't just doing their job but enjoying the interaction with their customers. I will be honest. Although the food at Joseph's was not my favorite of the trip, Adam was definitely my favorite server because he was so witty and fun. Adam, I hope you're reading this. I'm paying you a high compliment because we had excellent servers at several restaurants. But you were the most fun! (And you were the only one who wrote down your full name for me!)
I had my heart so set on a certain sandwich that I wasn't really in the mood for breakfast, so nothing sounded all that great to me. I'm not an omelet person. I didn't want pancakes. And I hated to order an ordinary "traditional" breakfast with no flare in a place like Charleston. So I decided to try the Spinach and Artichoke Benedict (since I love creamed spinach). It was rich. And it was actually very good, just a little too lemony for my particular taste. John had an omelet and he said it was just as good as the one he'd had at Toast. Mark and Anita both had pancakes.
Mark had the GIANT pancakes, which were much more than he could possibly finish. But they made a great picture. I think John was the only one who cleaned his plate.
On our last night, John and I both had a Caesar Salad, followed by the Parmesan Crusted Flounder. It was served over jasmine rice and shrimp pirloo with sweet corn, tomato and asparagus salad, lump crab and a lemon beurre blanc sauce. It was delicious. Mark and Anita ordered one flounder and one buttermilk fried chicken and had half of each. I tasted the chicken and it was just wonderful. But I was glad I ordered the flounder. It was fresh and mild. The sweet corn was cut right off the cob and so crisp. I loved the corn and asparagus together. It was a great blend of flavors and the rice was creamy. (Our service at Magnolias was satisfactory, but not impressive.)
We went back to the room after dinner, thinking we would just pack and go to bed. But John suggested we walk back over to Coast (the first restaurant we had eaten at) to have one last drink and listen to some live music before calling it a night. We had such a good time. The guitarist was Graham Worley and we thoroughly enjoyed his playing. It was a romantic ending to a wonderful long weekend in a very charming city.
The guys waited patiently on the steps and I read Joseph's menu online while we waited the last few minutes. What captured my interest most was their sandwich menu. I had decided (since it was 11:00 by the time we were seated) that I was going to have an early lunch instead of a late breakfast. I had my sandwich all picked out. And then I found out that lunch isn't even served on Sunday. Boo Hoo! But I have to tell you, what got me over the hump of my disappointment was our server, Adam Breakey. This guy should be doing stand-up. His jokes were funny and he had a dry delivery that reminded me of Jim Gaffigan (one of my favorite comedians). He really cracked me up. And he was also a great server. No matter how good the food is (or isn't) a server can make or break your dining experience. I love a server with a personality; someone who isn't just doing their job but enjoying the interaction with their customers. I will be honest. Although the food at Joseph's was not my favorite of the trip, Adam was definitely my favorite server because he was so witty and fun. Adam, I hope you're reading this. I'm paying you a high compliment because we had excellent servers at several restaurants. But you were the most fun! (And you were the only one who wrote down your full name for me!)
I had my heart so set on a certain sandwich that I wasn't really in the mood for breakfast, so nothing sounded all that great to me. I'm not an omelet person. I didn't want pancakes. And I hated to order an ordinary "traditional" breakfast with no flare in a place like Charleston. So I decided to try the Spinach and Artichoke Benedict (since I love creamed spinach). It was rich. And it was actually very good, just a little too lemony for my particular taste. John had an omelet and he said it was just as good as the one he'd had at Toast. Mark and Anita both had pancakes.
Mark had the GIANT pancakes, which were much more than he could possibly finish. But they made a great picture. I think John was the only one who cleaned his plate.After breakfast, we drove to the Fort Sumter National Monument and walked through the museum. We got there a little after noon and the next ferry left for the island at 2:00 or 2:30. Instead of waiting, we decided to drive over to Kiawah Island. And I was so glad we did. We drove out to The Sanctuary Resort and explored. We walked out to the beach, and then the four of us sat and talked while Anita and I enjoyed a frozen drink at the poolside Loggerhead Grill. It was such a relaxing way to spend the remainder of our last afternoon.
We drove back to the hotel for a little down time before going to dinner at Magnolias.
On our last night, John and I both had a Caesar Salad, followed by the Parmesan Crusted Flounder. It was served over jasmine rice and shrimp pirloo with sweet corn, tomato and asparagus salad, lump crab and a lemon beurre blanc sauce. It was delicious. Mark and Anita ordered one flounder and one buttermilk fried chicken and had half of each. I tasted the chicken and it was just wonderful. But I was glad I ordered the flounder. It was fresh and mild. The sweet corn was cut right off the cob and so crisp. I loved the corn and asparagus together. It was a great blend of flavors and the rice was creamy. 
We went back to the room after dinner, thinking we would just pack and go to bed. But John suggested we walk back over to Coast (the first restaurant we had eaten at) to have one last drink and listen to some live music before calling it a night. We had such a good time. The guitarist was Graham Worley and we thoroughly enjoyed his playing. It was a romantic ending to a wonderful long weekend in a very charming city.
In the words of our boat tour guide, "I wasn't born in the South, but I got here as fast as I could." : )
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