Holiday Weekend! Lots to celebrate...

To celebrate America's birthday, John completing the board exams, and the end of a stressful but successful quarter at work- we took three days off for a five day weekend/staycation. It was an action packed weekend with friends, beach, boating, etc. which usually means great food too. We kicked off the celebration at Al di La on Tuesday night with our friends Tripp, Luci, Stuart and Lee. Al di La has forever been our favorite Italian Trattoria in Charleston. Located in Avondale, a trendy "fork in the road" just over the bridge in West Ashley- we've been celebrating special occasions there for the last five years. http://aldilarestaurant.com/ The menu is small as is the restaurant itself, but the truly authentic Northern Italian cuisine has made a big impression on Charleston. My personal favorite are the light-as-little-pillow ricotta gnocchi with a fresh and simple tomato sauce. The cherry tomatoes are still slightly in tact which gives the dish great texture. A little secret for you... the typically serve this dish with shrimp in it. As much as I love shrimp, it honestly just gets in the way! I ask them for the gnocchi, straight up.

The other dish that John and I order every single time we visit is the prosciutto-wrapped, Gorgonzola stuffed figs! They used to be a staple on the menu, now they are featured as a special when the figs are in season. Absolutely amazing, served with a small salad of arugula on the side. Their balsamic vinaigrette is out of this world- their secret as they tell me is a squeeze of fresh orange juice! I've been trying that at home when I have oranges around. It is particularly good on my baby spinach, goat cheese and strawberry salad!

While Al di La is some of the best food in town- it is actually very affordable, entrees ranging from $12-$18. The wine list is also amazing, featuring almost all Italian wines at very reasonable prices, a large selection by the glass as well.

Our other big night out was Friday. We had a great friend from College in town for the day with his girlfriend who had never been to Charleston before. They arrived mid-afternoon so we took them out to Vickery's on Shem Creek in Mt. Pleasant for drinks out of the deck overlooking the low country. It was a muggy day but it made the cold beers taste even better. That evening, we took them down to E.Bay, the fine dining district of downtown for dinner at Cypress http://www.magnolias-blossom-cypress.com/

Cypress is a bit of an anomaly in Charleston with its contemporary vibe. So many of the restaurants have the old Southern, low country charm which is wonderful, but Cypress is a nice change of pace. They have a chic bar located on the second level where you can chose from a large list of inventive though somewhat pricey cocktails. They now feature a bar menu as well but the place is typically too crowded to find a good spot for eating in my opinion. That would be the case between 7 and 9pm on a Friday or Saturday night anyway... The food is wonderful. They do a REAL Caesar salad table side which is really fun to watch and absolutely delicious. I also like the fried goat brie salad, and the crab cake appetizer- I'll often order just a salad and an appetizer for a lighter meal. They always have a selection of raw oysters available as well. They are currently offering a seasonal menu which was all new to me. Everything looked really light and refreshing- lots of local fresh vegetables, fish and meats. From that menu, I had a roasted king salmon over a bed of fresh beans with a wild mushroom, ginger vinaigrette. YUM. Our friend Vaughn had a piece of grouper cooked to perfection over a hash of southern veggies like corn, lima beans, tomatoes, etc. John had the filet as always which he claims is one of the best in town. The upbeat ambiance and modern flare makes for a really fun evening on the town without the stuffiness. Only complaint would be that the wine list doesn't offer much under $50. The glass selection is pretty good though and more affordable. No room for dessert this time but the chocolate lollipops are DARLING and the molten chocolate cake is one of the best I've ever had!

After dinner, we sauntered down to the roof top of the Market Pavilion hotel for cocktails. It has great views of the market downtown and is always packed with a trendy, lively crowd. Drinks are pricier than most places but the experience is definitely worth it! Note, they won't let you in with flip-flops, boys in particular have to be in closed toed shoes.

Good food is certainly not hard to come by in Charleston. One of the many reasons to enjoy a holiday staycation right here in town!