Eating Southern at Hominy Grill Restaurant

Sometimes I wonder about people that travel and don’t try the local foods. Because in my world, travel is guided by the constant search for local foods in the specific city I am in. Basically, I travel for the food. Today’s post is about just that – discovering Charleston, South Carolina and the food this delicious city has to offer, starting with award winning restaurant, Hominy Grill. 

Hominy Grill is located in a Historic Charleston single house and when you walk in through the patio, you’re transported to simpler times. Once you get the menu in your hands, you’ll understand what James Bard Award winning chef and owner Robert Stehling wants to achieve. A focus on Low Country’s unique cultural history but with a showcase on flavor and traditional techniques. You’ll sit down and a friendly waitress will bring a paper cup filled with the most perfectly boiled peanuts, a staple of the South. Snack on these while you browse the menu – but if you’r reading this, I have three recommendations for you: She Crab Soup with Sherry, Shrimp & Grits, and the Charleston Nasty Biscuit.

The She Crab Soup with Sherry might look like nothing special, but once you take that first spoonful, you’ll realize how incredible this soup is. If you’re from New England, you might consider it similar to a clam chowder but made with crab, to paint you a picture. It’s known that this soup has been around since the 1700s when Scottish settlers brought over a version of “crab and rice” which then was elevated by adding crab roe to their home recipe. A creamy concoction, the She Crab Soup is then finished with a drizzle of sherry wine which gives it a delightful aroma.

If there’s one dish I’d fly back to Charleston right now for, it would be this: the Charleston Nasty Biscuit with fried chicken breast, cheddar cheese and sausage gravy. Oh dear Lord, this is what I’d want as my last dinner. The biscuit is quite perfect, tender and the crumb just melts in your mouth; the fried chicken is moist and flavorful, with a hint of spice. But what takes it over the top is that sausage gravy. The most savory, most delicious thing to ever grace this Earth, we raved about this over and over again. Please, promise me you’ll order the Charleston Nasty Biscuit. Promise!

Last, but definitely not least, are Hominy Grill’s Shrimp & Grits. These are served up with mushrooms, scallions, and bacon, all sautéed with the shrimp and served over cheese grits. Seriously, you can’t go wrong with a bowl of comforting shrimp and grits and at Hominy Grill they are cooked to perfection: shrimp tossed with that crispy bacon makes for the best meal and this creamy, cheesy grits? Heavenly.

If you’re planning a visit to one of the best foodie cities in North America, Charleston, South Carolina is where you should go! Not only is the food incredible, the people are the friendliest, and the city is incredibly easy to walk around and explore on foot. Make sure to read my past travel posts and make 2017 a year of adventure!