Are you in the mood for a culinary roadtrip? Do you enjoy eating delicious regional food served by award winning chefs, visiting palm tree lined beaches, enjoying local history, going boating and fishing, as well as viewing majestic live oaks draped with Spanish moss?

If so, then a relaxing foodie vacation in Charleston, South Carolina may be just what the doctor ordered.

The cuisine of Charleston, SC is an addictive combination of such classic Southern and Lowcountry foods as pulled pork barbecue, shrimp and grits, red rice, she-crab soup, roasted oysters, fried fish, cornbread, biscuits, hoppin’ John, boiled peanuts, and red velvet cake.

In 2008, Travelocity named Charleston one of the world’s 10 Best Delicious Destinations for Foodies. Top Chef Judge and cookbook author Tom Colicchio lists Charleston as one of his favorite eating destinations, praising the flavor of its fish as well as the rough sensual delights of its local oyster roasts.

With such Charleston area James Beard Award winning chefs as Mike Lata of Fig and Robert Stehling of Hominy Grill, as well as James Beard winning cookbook authors Nathalie Dupree and Matt and Ted Lee (The Lee Bros.), Charleston is also home to a wide variety of locally based gourmet stores and specialty food shops which help provide inspiration for chefs of every stripe.

Whether you’re planning to visit Charleston (or are lucky enough to live here), below are the addresses for 13 interesting local gourmet shops, markets, specialty delis, bakeries, and more you might want to visit.

Enjoy!

• Caviar & Bananas Gourmet Market and Cafe
  51 George St.
  Charleston, SC
  A gourmet specialty store and deli.

• Charleston Coffee Exchange
  2875 Ashley River Road
  Charleston, SC
  Locally owned. Sells a good variety of coffees and teas.

• Charleston Cooks
  194 East Bay St.
  Charleston, SC
  Cooking classes from world class visiting and regional chefs. Also has a kitchen store.

• Charleston Farmer’s Market
  Marion Square
  Charleston, SC
  Named the 5th Best Farmers Market in the US by Travel and Leisure Magazine.

• Cupcake
  433 King St.
  Charleston, SC
  A cupcake-riffic bakery, with everything made from scratch.

• Doscher’s Supermarket
  1133 Savannah Highway
  Charleston, SC
  An old fashioned Southern style supermarket featuring regional cuts of meat.

• Earth Fare
  74 Folly Rd.
  Charleston, SC
  A large Southern based supermarket featuring such health foods as organic produce, bulk grains and spices, and more.

• Euro Food
  1727 Ashley River Road
  Charleston, SC
  Sells Eastern European and Russian food.

• H and L Asian Supermarket
  5300 Rivers Ave.
  Charleston, SC
  A giant Asian supermarket with a large variety of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other Asian foods and spices.

• The Moon Pie General Store
  48 North Market St.
  Charleston, SC
  Sells a variety of Southern goodies (and yes) moon pies.

• Nelli Indian Grocery
  1901 Ashley River Road (Highway 61)
  (West Ashley) Charleston, SC
  Sells Indian and Pakistani foods and spices.

• The Olive Oil Shop
  316 King St.
  Charleston, SC
  Sells specialty olive oils pressed from all over the world, balsamic vinegar, rubs, spreads, and condiments.

• Ted’s Butcher Block
  334 E Bay St.
  Charleston, SC
  Specialty butcher shop and gourmet market.

Please join us tomorrow to read our newest daily food feature on HuggingtheCoast.Com, Fish For Friday Recipe: Spicy Shrimp and Cucumber Salad with Mint, Lemon, and Cumin Recipe.

If you liked this article on HuggingtheCoast.Com, you might also enjoy:

• Foodie Vacations: A Virtual Tour of Asian Street Food: (Weekend Video Spotlight)
• The Four Corners of Carolina BBQ Road Trip
• 8 Recipes from a James Beard Award Winner: Charleston, SC’s Robert Stehling
• Celebrate National Iced Tea Month With These Delicious Sweet (and Unsweet) Tea Recipes
• Gourmet Grilled Cheese: Southern Style Crab Grilled Cheese Melt Sandwich Recipe
• The “Hand-To-Mouth Meals” Series: Local Shrimp From Charleston, SC
• Fish For Friday Recipe: Chef Frank Stitt’s Lowcountry Pickled Shrimp Recipe
• Ashes and Oyster Shells: The Bowen’s Island Restaurant Fire
• The Great Charleston Mayonnaise Riot of 2009

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