One of the perks of living in the south is that the Farmer's Market, as well as most other outdoor activities, tend to have a longer lifespan throughout the year than say, Wisconsin and Minnesota :) Saturday ended up being quite nice, probably a little nicer than average, with a high around 70. Perfect temp for walking around with Bill and Jan. Andy and I have been to the market a handful of times so there really isn't anything new to see, but, let me tell you what there is a lot of, and that is samples. If there are ever free samples hanging around, look out, cuz Andy will most likely be making a beeline for them and I will probably be following.
I'm not sure if it was just the time of year or just the lighting, but the produce this time around looked more colorful than usual, had to take a few photos.
These next items are definite fan favorites...Pecans! Any kind you want...praline, cinnamon sugar, and sweet and spicy. And then, the brie. If you don't know this already I have a weakness in my heart for cheese, any kind really, but especially brie. This vendor in particular has this awesome brie that just melts in your mouth. I could eat an entire wheel if left alone and Andy wouldn't argue with that, whoops!
Appetizers were then followed by brunch. The market tends to have a pretty good turn out of food carts to choose from. I opted for the bbq bowl topped with a fried egg, Andy went for the Charleston omelet stuffed with shrimp, Jan chose the gluten free waffle and Bill chose the ham and cheese crepe. It took everything in me to not pick the monte cristo crepe that Andy and I shared the last time we were here, but I figured I should probably try something new. I was not disappointed and I'm pretty sure everyone earned a spot in the clean plate club. Nom nom.
My second favorite reason for making a trip to the farmer's market is that this place is dog heaven!! That is, there are dogs everywhere! If you ever visit, you will notice that Charleston is a very dog-friendly city. Water bowls at almost every restaurant, leash free hours at the public beaches and dog treats being handed out at most businesses. Being a dog lover in this city is great. Andy will roll his eyes at this. Between me stalking manny_the_frenchie and cooper_da_corgie on instagram and stopping to pet every dog that passes me by, you might say I'm a bit obsessed. All I have to say to this is "whatever." They make me happy and that's all that matters. Here are a few of the furry friends I found on this trip!
After the farmer's market we headed down to the Historic District, walking down Meeting Street, which by the way is slowly making it's way up on my list of most scenic streets in Charleston. Here are a few photos of some of the mansions that line this road. Homes and buildings greater than 70 years old in Charleston County have to go through a very extensive reviewal process in order to make any kind of change to the structure. This makes making changes very difficult, but this is what gives downtown Charleston a very unique feel. I don't think I will ever get sick of walking around downtown. It almost feels as if you're walking on a movie set. The houses and landscapes are beautiful.
After being tourists we headed back to our apartment to cheer on the Badgers in the annual fight for Paul Bunyan's Axe. Luckily we came away with our 10th straight W, ON WISCONSIN!
We finished the day with an awesome dinner at HUSK downtown...ribs, corn bread, steak, chicken, catfish, brussel sprouts, sweet potato mash, apple crisp and chocolate pudding topped with toasted marshmallow. Oh, and some bourbon. Let's just say we had to be rolled out of there and we all slept well that night.
Sunday we got up early and headed to John's Island to take a look at Angel Oak. This is a tree that is over 1400 years old!! What was even happening in the world that long ago?? Unfortunately, I didn't get the memo that this tree was fenced in and had visiting hours, my bad. Luckily, the tree was still within eyesight and we were able to sneak a peak. The tree really is something incredible. It gives off a magical feeling...like you're in the Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. It's probably best we weren't able to get next to the tree. This thing just screams "climb me!" Not sure if Bill and Jan would have enjoyed that adventure...
To end the weekend and continue our food coma, we stopped at a place recommended by a few friends down here, called The Fat Hen, known for it's Lowcountry French Cuisine and mimosa carafes. We started the meal with an appetizer of steak tartare...this was completely unnecessary, but completely delicious. I had never had it and was pleasantly surprised. Bill, Andy and I ate it up, Jan didn't touch it. Bill ordered the creme brûlée french toast, Jan two eggs, Andy the duck and apple sausage gratin and I ordered the most gluttonous thing on the menu...the sausage and french toast sandwich. Just listen to this description...crème brulee French toast, house made sausage, fried egg, jam, smoked gruyere, with bacon cheese grits. This thing was so good. I told Andy, it was everything I want when I go to brunch. Usually I'm torn between two entrees. I want an omelet, but I want a waffle. This was the best of both worlds, sweet and savory....later that day Andy told me his Dad made a comment about how he couldn't believe that I ate that entire thing. I don't think Andy was surprised.
After brunch Jan and Bill headed out to Hilton Head where they are staying for the week until we see them back in Charleston for Thanksgiving. Overall I would say it was a great weekend. We ate, drank and ate some more. Saw some cool things and got to hang out with two very fun people. Can't wait for Thanksgiving! Here's a pic I would like to end with...can you tell they are related???
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