We are going to be staying out on Edisto Island for a week. I'd like to pick up some supplies between there and the airport. Is there an upscale grocery store anywhere between the airport and Edisto? The type of store that would have a nice deli, some gourmet cheeses, marinated meats that are ready to cook etc.? Thanks.

topping for JulieS

julies,

I did a google search and came up with these deli's. Give them a call to see if they have what you are looking for. Good luck. http://www.infosourceusa.com/CAT/Gro...Charleston.htm

Got these deli's off of switchboard.

http://www.switchboard.com/Delicates...ellowpages.htm

Hi from the Europe board...

I used to pull my boat into Charleston harbor on occasion and when looking to provision (at a place more upscale than Piggly Wiggly) was told that there was a natural foods grocery (might have been a branch of the Wild Oats chain) on the other side of the bridge from the marina. We also took the marina shuttle to an upscale Kroger in the downtown area, over near the aquarium. Yes, this info is vague, however with some research on your part, you might be able to figure out where these places are and no doubt find them easier to access with a car than I did on foot.

I was staying at the City Marina which is on the west side of town. You might give them a call and try to find someone with some plugged-in gray matter to advise you. (In other words, if the first person you speak to is a dolt, and they are there, keep trying.) Pretend you're coming in on a yacht or something.

Btw, in my experience, the southeast coastal area is pretty much a culinary wasteland, with the exception of a few of very good restaurants. Charleston is probably the best town of any for food, but don't get your hopes up. It ain't no Zabar's!!! Good luck!

Saw your post on the Europe board. I assume when you go to Europe you eat whatever the food is in the country you are visiting and don't spend your trip looking for American deli food. Try that approach in SC. Low country food is delicious. You might try it sometime.

Hahahahaha, looks like your thread got removed from the Europe forum and people are coming over here to answer, as am I!

I googled upscale grocery store, charleston, sc, and came up with the Piggly Wiggly! Before you laugh too hard, look at this website. If it has all that it says it is going to, it might be worth visiting.

http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/is...ws/2766-1.html

Julies' thread is still on the Europe board (http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...en_name=julies) however, we really should be answering it here, not over there. I'm also amazed at how few people seem to be able to do very basic research before posting their questions.

I'm just amazed at how impatient people are when they don't get instantaneous answers anymore. They seem to almost get hostile when anyone suggests they should be a bit patient and that they will get an answer, just not always right away.

The Piggly Wiggly chain has beautiful stores in the SC coastal area. If you want Dean and Deluca you'll have to stop by Charlotte.

The natural foods store is called Earth Fare. It is not realted to Wild Oats, mores the pity, but it's not bad. It's on the road that goes out toward Folly Island on the Ashley River side of town, which means it would be reasonablyl the right direction between the airport and Edisto.

I don't know where you are from, but Delis in the south are not what most people who have ever traveled outside the south would think of as a deli. I suggest you avoid them.

I know you wanted grocery store suggestions, not cooking advice, but I think you should stop by the docks and buy local seafood, especially shrimp. Dropping a couple of lbs of shrimp in boiling water can hardly be more work than making a sandwich, and so much better!

Amy, culinary wasteland?

Any Harris Teeter should have what you want.

GoTravel - for some reason, the Europe board devolves into ugliness and discourtesy faster than this one.
I don't mean that as a slam at Europeans, seems to mostly be Americans with sharp tongues.

Just not sure how someone can paint an entire geographic region as being one way or the other.

Thank you for your insight Litespeed!

I think julies is looking for something along the lines of the Oakville Grocery in Healdsburg, CA. If you've ever been there, you will know what I mean.

A lot of the larger supermarkets now have sections with specialty/gourmet items along the lines she is looking.

GoTravel - Regarding the "entire geographic region" -- if you take careful note of my post, I was refering to the coastal region. It is true that Harris Teeter, and perhaps countless other inland venues, have a reasonable selection of gourmet offerings. My experience from living aboard a sailboat and travelling the East Coast for several years indicates that the coastal areas leave something to be desired. At least, my desires were often left unmet. The norm seems to be less-than-sparkling produce in shrink-wrapped styrofoam trays. In fact, that is the norm here in Florida where I have settled. Even in a relatively upscale town (SRQ) I find the produce to be a disappointment, bordering on a wasteland. So, I am sorry if you felt maligned by my post. My standards are derived from many years in the northeast corridor, where even my very-middle-class grocery had better produce than what I can get here in the fancy-schmancies in FL. Again, I apologize if I offended you.

There is an Earthfare west of town (southern version of Wild Oats, Whole Foods Market). Do an images search in google for charleston and there's a map in the 2nd pg or something like that. Or look on switcboard.

Having lived in the "northeast"..NYC..I can say that the first couple of weeks in Florida have been an interesting exercise in finding grocery stores sort of, kind of , like the stores back "home"..
Harris Teeter was the first store we were told to go to and it does carry many many of the items/brands/sorts of foods we bought in Manhattan and surrounding areas. (Upstate and the Berskshires too)..
But there is another store here called Fresh Market. Anyone have those elsewhere? Forgive me if it is a common store all over the South, we just arrived But if they have them in SC, that might be another place to look.
Having heard the New Yorkers view on food in Florida (something like an old fashioned American view of food in London) I think some people might be surprised at the availability of good fresh food in the South as well as in their beloved North.

Scarlett - Where have you chosen to live in Florida? Do you know they are building a Whole Foods here in Sarasota? In the past I have stopped in at the one in Winter Park on my way home from the east coast. And I schlep stuff south from my summer trips up north to see family. Hopefully, this need will dwindle as the years go by...either I'll get off it or the stores will get better!

There is a Harris Teeter, which carries the items you are seeking, in downtown Charleston near the Market.

Hi Amy, we are in Jacksonville
I will check for Whole Foods, but I don't think there is one here. But of course, we are still finding our way around, so who knows what I am still to discover!