Charleston Grill, SC

Rarely can I justify spending $100 on myself for dinner, but I didn't feel one ounce of guilt at Charleston Grill on King Street in South Carolina. The food here was an experience, an explosion of flavors, a culinary roller coaster ride.

I knew it was going to be good when the chef brought out a complimentary taste that was already one of my most memorable bites of food. It was a taste of what is to come. Above is a piece of jumbo lump crab meat served with a yellow tomato gazpacho jelly, vanilla sea salt and lemon crème fraiche. I wanted this for my dinner, but it wasn't on the menu.

We started with the Foie Gras, which was sitting on sauteed apples smothered in a bourbon-cider sauce. To the side of the of the fatty duck liver was a cake doughnut also smothered in the sauce. The little white blob is a creamy, buttery mascarpone. This dish was divine and not like anything I've had before. We took a little bite of the foie gras with a little bite of doughnut and dipped it in the mascarpone to make a sweet and salty marriage that should never get a divorce.

Below is the tuna sashimi topped with a Greek salad, lemon and basil. It was very refreshing. I've never had uncooked tuna with olives and yellow tomatoes, but I adored it.

Tuna Sashimi

For dinner we each strategically ordered something different and everything was toothsome. I ordered safe with the prime beef tenderloin cooked medium and smothered with bourguignon sauce. Just to make sure I was stuffed to the brim, I ordered pimento cheese grits with apple smoked bacon and lump crab meat. It was incredible. The plate was a work of art as well ... as you can see below.

Prime Beef Tenderloin

South Indian Curry with White Sturgeon Fish

Duck Confit with Blackberries and Foie Gras

Everything we tried was nothing less than perfect so I had to ask who the chef was after this meal, because she knows how to entertain a guest with tasty and eye-catching cuisine.

Executive Chef Michelle Weaver incorporates fresh local ingredients prepared simply into four different menus — Pure, Lush, Southern and Cosmopolitan. She wowed us by proving she can do all of these styles well. The atmosphere was alive and warm with jazz music and dim lighting. Click her name to see her story and the series of awards she's brought to Charleston Grill.

Jazz Ensemble with Quentin Baxter

If you get a chance to visit Charleston and have saved a little cash, then I recommend this place. Some people there just grabbed a drink and listened to the band, so don't feel like you can't enjoy this experience without spending tons of money.

(Side note: $100 included tip, french-pressed coffee and dessert. It didn't include wine.)

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