When more than 100 journalists from around the country met in Charleston last week for the annual AAN Publishing conference, they were sure to sniff out cool things to see and do that many visitors miss.
“No. 1 for me wasn’t any one place,” noted Krystal Knapp of the Jersey Vindicator in Princeton, N.Y. “I just loved how friendly, welcoming and helpful everyone was I encountered in Charleston. It made for a very pleasant stay.”
Attendees from Oregon to Arizona to Wisconsin, Texas and Florida saw the Holy City in ways you might not imagine. As you might expect, their observations keyed in on tasty food and concoctions at local restaurants and bars, but there were some surprises too.
“The food has been stellar and everyone has been welcoming and incredibly polite,” said AAN President Jimmy Boegle, who publishes the Coachella Valley Independent in Palm Springs, Calif.
Here are some of the visitors’ discoveries.
Holy City offers great food
Residents know the tastes of Charleston are outstanding, but it’s great to hear from others too. Among the winners to visitors were:
Bowen’s Island Restaurant, where dolphins danced in the Folly River as guests attacked perfectly-cooked shrimp, corn, potatoes and sausage in a Frogmore (Beaufort) stew.
Big Gun Burger. “Enjoyed both the veggie burger and the vegan taco at Big Gun Burger, as well as the order-at-the-bar pub vibe,” said AAN Executive Director Todd Stauffer of Jackson, Miss. “The soundtrack offered a lovely opportunity to relive the hair-band-obsessed days of my youth.”
167 Raw Bar on King St. “(This) was the best seafood I think I’ve ever had,” said Caleb Woloszyn-Duffy of Lansing, Mich.
Great coffee. Woloszyn-Duffy and others also said Charleston offered great coffee at places like Clerk’s near the Market (the iced mocha), Kudu Coffee & Craft Beer (“great cold brew”) and Mudhouse (“Nice iced coffee”) and La Patisserie (coffee).
Other foodie accolades. Also touted by visitors was a “truly exceptional dinner at Edmund’s Oast Exchange,” the braised artichokes and focaccia with three dips at Le Farfalle. Also: fried green tomatoes at Poogan’s Porch, Southern egg roll at Magnolia’s, bagel sandwich at Holey City Bagels and the salad Lyonnaise at Felix Cocktails et Cuisine.
Other Charleston hits
Boegle said his favorite thing about Charleston was the International African American Museum, which a group visited Saturday morning and enjoyed a special tour by CEO Tonya Matthews.
“Our visit was sobering and wonderful at the same time, he said. “I wish all Americans HAD TO visit this museum at this time when so many White politicians are trying to sweep portions of the dark history under the figurative rug.”
Also noted by visitors were:
Looking down on Meeting Street. Florida journalist Stephen Buel said he loved “the fabulous stretch of sidewalk in front of Jantzen Lock and Safe Co., which is encrusted with old keys and lock parts.”
Excellent shopping on King Street. Visitors dipped in and out of shops along King Street throughout their visit.
Great tours. Visitors gave thumbs up to Pineapple Tour Group and Bulldog Tours as companies that helped them know more about the Holy City. “It was so much fun,” said Florida’s Rick Todd, publisher of Watermark Publishing Group. “Our guide was a great storyteller and kept the walk interesting. It’s also the only tour that walked at night through the graveyards. We all had a great time.”
Wandering downtown. “One evening after our group returned from Bowen’s Island, I decided to take myself out for a little date,” said Cassandra Yardeni Wagner, chief marketing officer of Chava Communications in San Antonio, Texas. “I explored a lively King Street, stopping at self-serve wine bar Uncork for charcuterie and a glass, hearing live music spill out of the nearby spots.”
Beautiful music. Tucson (Ariz.) Sentinel publisher Dylan Smith visited Burns Alley Tavern off King Street at least three times during his days in Charleston. He called it the “perfect dive bar.”
“But what truly made that first decision to take a random turn down a dim alley truly a fortunate one was walking in on a night when Ed “Porkchop” Meyer was performing. His deft keyboard playing and varied vocal styles held the small crowd rapt, and his bawdy and self-deprecating original songs cracked them up over and over again.
“Whether crooning a soul paean to ‘The Seafood Lady at Publix’ or shifting up classics from Warren Zevon and Bruce Springsteen to put his own stamp on them, Porkchop’s a hidden gem.”
Smith emphasized that Charleston has a lot to offer visitors.
“But it can be a random left turn down an alley and quick decision that the music tinkling from an open bar door is worth checking out that can lead to a simple, emphatic ‘wow.’”
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.
