I was useless today.
I've spent the majority of the day enjoying this ridiculous hotel. For those of you unaware of the website sniqueaway.com, definitely check it out. Each week, this website has several luxury hotels here or throughout the world at a discounted rate. That's how I first built this trip in the first place. The hotel I'm in is called The Restoration on King. It's advertised as a luxury hotel. It's more like a luxury apartment. I checked in last night. I was told about the car valet, the wine and cheese at 5 PM, and the milk and cookies later in the night. Then I was accompanied to my room, Room 304. The first thing I noticed was the doorbell outside my door. I walked in and noticed a long hallway. I was shown to my immediate right, up three steps, towards a bedroom with a king-sized bed, flat screen TV, and amenities, including an iHome docking station. He showed me the large bathroom and, apparently, the intricate instructions to use the shower in case I needed hot water to go "above one-hundred degrees." Next we walked down the long hallway where he showed me the full kitchen, the many complimentary drinks, coffee maker, toaster, microwave, often, and island counter. He showed me the living room that contained a second large flat screen TV, Blu-Ray player, and another iHome docking station. The large windows overlooked King Street. He left and I explored some more. Tall, tall ceilings. Free internet. Cozy and comfortable couches and chairs. Washer and dryer! What? I took a shower and the shower pressure was perfect. I didn't exceed one-hundred degrees Fahrenheit. I noticed the two flush pressures on the toilet; I didn't realize I could choose flushes! The bed was very comfortable. I woke up refreshed. The shower in the morning was once again excellent. I opened the front door to peak outside and noticed a picnic basket with a danish, bagel, orange juice, and a copy of USA Today. I wondered how I would toast the bagel. Then I remembered the fully-loaded kitchen. This "hotel room" is probably about 1000 square feet. On King Street. In downtown Charleston. I'd love to stay here again. That's for sure.
Husk **** - I met Joel, Christy, and Alison for lunch at Husk. Despite how we highly regard FIG and Cypress, this may be the consensus favorite. Granted, brunch/lunch is a different experience than dinner, but I immediately felt very relaxed and comfortable at hunch. I loved the inside decor; it actually seemed most in line with a brunch/lunch setting since it had such a light but lively feel. We powered through our orders since Joel and Christy had a flight to catch. The only dish I wasn't sold on was the fried pickles. The oysters were out of this world. The clam and sausage dish was also delicious. The buffyaki chicken wings are appropriately named, incredibly tasty, and unlike any other chicken wings I've had (and I've eaten my share of wings in Buffalo, NY). I went with the catfish BLT; I don't think I've had a variant BLT that didn't involve an egg. The catfish was so light and so fresh, a contrast to the massive appearance of the sandwich bookended by Texas toast, and a pleasure to devour. I had the benne beignets for dessert. They were good. Once I reminded myself that no beignets will ever compare to Cafe du Monde, I found that these are still good beignets. This restaurant suits my personality. I was excited for Husk and I found myself (and the others too) pleasantly surprised and impressed.
I really had no goals for the afternoon. I drove Alison home and said Goodbye to her, Walter, and Maybelle. I came back and watched TV.
Andolini's Pizza * - I had my heart set on Jestine's Kitchen for some soul food. But sadly it was closed. I didn't feel like venturing far and this place was across the street. I had read that this was one of the best spots in Charleston for pizza. Now, there was a reason I went to NYC in December specifically for pizza, bagels, and pastrami: because NYC is one of the best places in the world to get these items. I love NYC pizza. But I also love Chicago pizza. Outside of these places, I tend to find non-gourmet pizza very disappointing. So my conclusion? Next time I'm in Charleston, I'll be sticking with low-country cuisine and fine dining. The pizza was bland. Oh so bland. And I ordered the special, which is essentially a supreme pizza. A pizza loaded with toppings, that's tasteless? Is that even possible? It's disturbing. In fact, I was more entertained by the ICU book I was reading than the pizza.
I'm back at my hotel. Blog is updated. No more goals tonight. And that's fine by me.
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