Another awesome Charleston Wine + Food festival has come and gone, and I’m only just now overcoming my too-much-eating-and-drinking-and-not-enough-sleep hangover enough to come write about what an amazing time I had this year. It was 5 days of tastebud overload and I loved every second of it. Ready for a recap? Buckle your seatbelts; it’s going to be a loooong ride!
Syd was sick the day we took this. So bummed she’s not in it! Just pretend!
Wednesday: Opening Night – $150
Opening night is always a great way to kick off the festival. This year’s opening night was even bigger than last year, with 2 full tents in Marion Square full of food + drink vendors. Some of my favorite dishes came from Trattoria Lucca / Coda Del Pesce, Red Drum, Parcel32, and drinks from Whispering Angel and Mex 1.
Thursday: Bowen’s Island Fish Camp – $135
Bowen’s Island Fish Camp is always one of my favorite events! When the weather is nice, there’s really no beating the ambiance at Bowen’s. This year’s weather was perfect–albeit a bit windy–and the food and drink were fantastic. My favorites were the pakora fried catfish from Saltbox Seafood Joint in Durham, the Smoked Shrimp Sausage Corn Dog from Bourbon in Cola, and the Grilled Oyster from Hank’s here in Charleston, but all the food was fantastic! You definitely get your money’s worth of food, drink, and entertainment at this event.
Thursday: Winederlust – $95
Marketed as Pinot NV’s younger, hipper cousin, I was really excited for Winederlust. The atmosphere was gorgeous–under a tent at Lowndes Grove–but the threat of rain killed the mood toward the end of the event. The crazy wind and long lines for food and drink were also kind of a buzzkill (literally and figuratively), and having just come from Bowen’s Island, the event was just lacking a certain something. A fun event if you’re into wine, but not worth leaving Bowen’s early for.
Thursday: That’s Amore – $85
The night events are always among my favorites, and if you’re going debating how to spend money on individual festival events, the night parties are definitely the way to go. That’s Amore was a celebration of Italian food + drink at the bus shed downtown and was a whimsical way to end our Thursday! My favorite thing, hands down, was the Carbonara Pizza from Dough Boyz, made with house-cured pork belly, egg yolk, garlic crema, scallion, fresh mozzarella, pecorino and parmesan.
Friday: Cooking With Heritage + Joy – $175
This was my first “excursion” event, which has transportation provided by Lowcountry Valet. We were picked up at the bus shed downtown and taken to Sullivan’s Island for a chat with James Beard Award-winning author Toni Tipton-Martin who chatted with us about the importance of African-American culture on Charleston’s culinary evolution. We then traveled to Red Drum in Mount Pleasant for a 4-course luncheon provided by visiting African-American chefs. I unfortunately had to leave after course 1, but wish I had been able to stay, because the food was delicious!
Friday: Kith + Kin – $195
I would say this was probably my favorite daytime event of the entire festival. It took place at RiverOaks out in Awendaw (again, transportation was provided by Lowcountry Valet), a gorgeous home situated on the Wando River. The scene was picturesque and there were about 20 or so vendors providing food with the theme of recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. My favorite dishes were the Pork Braciole from Purple Pig in Chicago, the cornmeal-fried catfish from Richard’s Southern Fried in Atlanta, and the Lebanon Bologna sandwich with pepper jelly from Josephine in Nashville. But all the food and wine was fantastic; there literally wasn’t a single thing I didn’t love about this event. If it happens again next year, I’m definitely signing up!
Friday: A Bourbon Affair – $115
So I’m not a huge bourbon drinker (I drink it, but not enough to be able to pick out all the subtle nuances from brand to brand), so I was worried that this event was going to be a little lost on me. Held in the courtyard of the American College of Building Arts on Meeting Street, it was actually a really fun event that’s perfect for both novice and passionate bourbon drinkers.
Friday: Pecha Kucha + Choir! Choir! Choir! – $45
Pecha Kucha is one of my favorite events that happens in Charleston (a few times a year), and when they partner with Wine + Food, I love it even more because it focuses on my passion: food (duh). This year, the timing of the event meant that it happened basically at the same time as the Nassau Street Saloon, which was one of my favorite events last year, so I left early to attend that. I was able to see 2 speakers and visit with some of the companies of those speaking beforehand, so I felt like still got a good feel for the event. The Music Halls is the perfect venue, and next year I hope they stagger the events a little more, as it’s such a good one to attend!
Friday: Nassau Street Saloon – $75
This year, the paired the street saloon with the popular Chicken Shit Bingo event that happened last year, so there was lots of fun things happening at Lewis Barbecue throughout the night. It seems like I wasn’t the only one who loved this event last year, because this year it was packed to the brim (and some of those old folks who attended were mean about waiting in line). I got to try awesome food, like a Bologna Schwarma slider from Holeman and Finch in Atlanta, Deviled Eggs from Fine + Dandy in Jackson, MS, and pineapple cider from Austin Eastciders.
Saturday: Cast Iron Cookin’ – $135
Spurrier neé Turnquist attended this event, as we only had 1 ticket and I needed some time to recover from Thursday & Friday. She enjoyed learning how to care for and extend the life of cast iron skillets, and the class came together to make a paella to feed the whole crowd.
Saturday: Shucked – $85
Held at North Charleston’s Riverfront Park, this oyster-focused event is definitely one for those who are really into seafood. There wasn’t a lot of food for non-oyster or fish lovers, but luckily Syd & I love all food all the time, so we had an awesome time. Some of my favorite dishes were the Fried Oyster Steam Bun from Cru Cafe, the Smoked Cod pierogi from Salthouse Catering, and the cocktail from Fine and Dandy (clearly we all need to go to Jackson, bc this place is a winner).
Saturday: N. Chas Night Bazaar – $75
Ok so this was definitely the best night event of the festival. Held on the lawn of the Garco Mill building in Park Circle, they strung up some lights and setup a DJ and a dance floor and gathered together what felt like 100 vendors to enjoy. There was a constant hum of food and drink, and we definitely tore up the dance floor until they kicked us out. The food was “globally-inspired” and it was a fun change to be able to enjoy things like curries, steam buns, duck tacos, and the spiciest hot dog I’ve ever encountered.
Sunday: Queens on King – $125
The festival definitely went out with a bang, a flash, and a flurry of feathers with the event Queens on King, a drag show brunch that felt like it was made specifically for me. Upon entry at the William Aiken House, we were greeted with pink cocktails with a cotton candy garnish, breakfast nachos, and sequins and feather boas as far as the eye could see. Food was served family-style, and although the food was delicious, I can’t describe anything in detail, as I was too busy watching the awesome drag show to take time to actually taste anything. PLEASE bring this event back in the future, as it was MY FAVORITE EVENT OF THE ENTIRE FESTIVAL AND WORTH EVERY DAMN PENNY. No contest.
