Yes, that's a whole fish (minus the head) on my plate in the photo on the left. Crispy Flounder is the #1 best-selling item on the menu at Hyman's Seafood restaurant in downtown Charleston. And I can tell you why! I have never, ever enjoyed fish as much as this 16-20 ounce whole, bone-in flounder. It is "scored" to make it easy to eat (that's what all those little squares are for) and then is lightly pan-fried. It is then served with a delightful chutney for dipping the fish, coleslaw, hushpuppies (the best I've had) and a choice of sides (I chose a baked sweet potato). Hyman's is apparently "the place" to eat when you visit Charleston. Its other "signature" dish is called Carolina Delight. It consists of your choice of seafood (including crab cakes) served on top of grit cakes and smothered with a creamy, rich, garlic Alfredo sauce. Neither my husband nor I ordered it, but it looked amazing! Hyman's has just about every type of seafood dish you can imagine on its menu and a bevy of appetizers and desserts, all of which made us drool as we saw them being carried from table to table. It doesn't matter what time you go there - there will always be a small crowd waiting outside of this Charleston favorite. And it is well worth the wait. (We went there at around 2:00 and only waited 10-15 minutes - not bad!)
The other restaurant that really stood out for us was just outside of Charleston and is called Hominy Grill. One of their signature dishes is Shrimp sauteed with scallions, mushrooms, and bacon, and served over cheese grits. My husband ordered it and thought it was great! I had a platter consisting of 3 vegetable sides with corn bread, which was one of the moistest and tastiest I have had. For an appetizer,we had Fried Green Tomatoes dipped in a ranch-type dressing. Very nice.... We had no room for dessert, but were told their Buttermilk Pie is to die for.
Something unique about Carolina cuisine is that, at both of these restaurants, instead of placing a basket of bread on the table for you to eat while you wait for your meal to arrive, you are served a bowl of boiled peanuts.
Charleston is arguably one of the most lovely cities in the South. With its old mansions, perfectly manicured gardens, and oceanside location, it is a throw-back to days long ago forgotten. Horse-drawn carriages ferry people from one end of Meeting Street (where all the "action" is) to the other. A Daughters of the Confederacy Museum containing baptismal gowns of babies who later grew up to serve in the Confederate army, and other such endearing artifacts, is smack-dab in the center of town, juxtaposed by banks and restaurants. If you should find yourself anywhere near this charming city, it is well worth the visit!
As today draws to a close, I would like to wish you all a very happy Easter. Christ is risen and death has been conquered. Praise our risen Lord! Until next time, may God bless you all.
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