willowjane

We attended the Hibernian Ball in Charleston about a week ago and I think I have sufficiently recovered to manage a short trip report.. The Ball is put on by the Irish Benevolent Society and is a great event and fun for all - like prom night for grown ups with much better food and drink. We stayed in the Elliott House which is right downtown and 1/2 block to the hall where the ball is held. We had a lovely room with rich decorations. The hotel was extremely clean and the showers in the newer rooms were awesome. We preferred this hotel to the Meeting Street Inn. There was a wine and cheese afternoon hour and there is a nice hot tub in the courtyard. One of the young men at check in does a guided walking tour of the city and he is quite personable and knowledgeable.
We started out by having lunch as we drove into town at Hominy Grill. I had liver with greens and field peas. Oh my! They were wonderful! DH had pork cheeks that just fell apart. Really good Bloody Mary's here! We just wandered around the town and examined little things that we had not taken the time for in previous visits. We had not noticed Washington square park in the past and had a lovely time just walking around and reading the information in the park.
We had a "get together" with the people that invited us and they told us they were going to take us to Taco Boy the day of the ball for lunch. I have to be honest and tell you that I was so devastated to hear this news. "Taco Boy, in a town with so many good restaurants"?!! Well, was I ever wrong! What a surprising find. The guacamole was the best I have ever had, the kimchi taco was amazing as was every other taco we tried! We had wonderful frozen screwdrivers with Grand Marnier floaters (WOW)! We had the best time here (I swear it just wasn't the screwdrivers -haha) and I was grateful that no one could listen or see me roll my eyes when it was suggested. That will teach me to judge a book by its cover.
The morning (noonish) after the ball we had brunch at High Cotton. The music was awesome, the food was fabulous and we just generally had a great time. What a pretty restaurant this is!
We had another great day just wondering around with no particular direction. We looked at neat doorways, beautiful patios, balconies that we pined for and homes that were just breathtaking. We did manage to do some shopping on King Street. We had dinner at Husk. What a special meal it was! I started with glazed pig ear lettuce wraps (OMG) and finished with duck confit. It was all done to perfection. DH had pork belly and field pea stew to start and finished with Black Bass and Shiitake Mushroom Consomme. Another in our group had the flat iron steak and it was a great steak.
We have been to Charleston before so we had done most of the tourist things, but this was a nice weekend to just walk around the city and soak in the atmosphere. It is a wonderful and glorious place.

DebitNM

Yum! Thanks for sharing, sounds delish. We had some mighty fine meals when we were there in Sept.

JanetKMR

I have not had a meal in Charleston that wasn't fabulous. We loved the Hominy Grill.

Daniel_Williams

I too loved Hominy Grill and Husk. Your meals sound delicious! Thanks for reporting!

ahotpoet

A food centric visit! You are a girl after my own heart. I am looking forward to chowing down in Charleston soon. Thanks for posting.

suewoo

Sounds like you had a great time. And yes, Taco Boy is quite the scene. The food is great, the drinks are better, and it's all eco-friendly. Was it warm enough to sit outside?

How was the ball?

willowjane

Taco Boy had heaters outside but we stayed inside at one of the long tables near the bar. It was such fun! The ball was wonderful! I was less nervous this year as I had one year under my belt and knew a little bit more what to expect. I am generally an introvert so big crowds are hard for me to handle.hahaha The food was fabulous (lamb chops, shrimp and grits, crab cakes, smoked salmon, bowls of oysters, sushi, etc...) and the band was fun and we had a blast dancing and just enjoying the beautiful hall. I hate that we missed the Oyster Festival as i have heard it is really a lot of fun. We may try to get out there next year.

suewoo

That sounds fabulous.

DO you mean the Oyster Fest at Boone Hall? I went once: crowded, muddy, and not really fun. If you want to do an oyster roast, Sullivan's Island Fire Dept does one once a month during oyster season. Lots of non-profits do them as fund raisers on Goldbug Island. Let me know when you go back and I'll help you find one.

willowjane

Suewoo, you have a deal!

volcanogirl

Sounds wonderful!