My husband and I spent Memorial Day weekend visiting our friend in Charleston, South Carolina. There are many great restaurants in and around Charleston, so we took advantage during our stay.

On our first night, we enjoyed dinner at The Darling Oyster Bar. I’ve wanted to visit the popular seafood restaurant and raw bar since our first visit to Charleston years ago. It was worth the wait! We ordered a seafood tower with raw oysters and chilled shrimp, crab and lobster. To round out the meal we shared smoked salmon dip and a fry basket of fried shrimp, catfish and oysters. Another day, my husband and I split a raw seafood sampler from 167 Raw. It was a perfect late lunch paired with crisp white wine.

Our friend recommended Lenoir for dinner one evening. The bistro-style restaurant offers seasonal shareable plates with a Southern influence. We shared grits and greens, smoked trout toast, asparagus salad, farro, seared scallops and apple and cabbage slaw. The meal was incredible and offered unique flavors throughout.

We enjoyed two great brunches during our stay. The Daily is open for breakfast and lunch. We ordered at the counter and grabbed a seat in the dining area. I indulged in an iced black sesame latte and had a loaded avocado bowl for my meal. The vegetable-packed dish nicely countered the rich latte. The final morning of our stay we enjoyed brunch at the babas on meeting pop-up at Goat Sheep Cow. I continued my indulgent latte trend with an incredible iced peanut mocha latte. It tasted like a peanut butter cup in drink form. We split a cheese plate, and I had a pickled shrimp salad for my entrée. It was a delicious way to end our Charleston culinary experience.

I’m already looking forward to my next visit and finding more delicious dining options!

— Katie Skrzek, vice president/digital director