Graffiti Magazine - Boost the Romance this Valentine's Day

  

We’ve got oceanfront, moss-laden live oaks, picturesque marinas, beautiful weather and rich history. Your chances of finding romance in Charleston are pretty good. The deliciously unique dining scene doesn’t hurt either. Men can safely say they have it pretty easy in finding something to sweeten their ladies with in this town. But, if you need suggestions, here just a few of some of the more romantic, saucy and cuddly spots.

Circa 1886 – Located just behind the Wentworth Mansion in downtown Charleston, Circa 1886, named for when the Mansion was built, offers an intimate dining experience that will start your romantic evening off right. Their special Valentine’s Day Dinner allows sweethearts to enjoy a five-course meal. Including such entrées as seared sea scallop with pimento grits, roasted cornmeal-crusted strip steak and butter-poached red snapper, couples will leave Circa 1886 with their bellies and hearts full. It will be a night to remember. Ask about their luxurious one-night package at the Wentworth Mansion, which includes dinner.

Al Di La – For a relaxed atmosphere with subdued lighting, great Italian food and, maybe most importantly, reasonable prices, try Al Di La in West Ashley. The wine selection is superb, matching well with their authentic menu options. It won’t take long to notice that the chef for this restaurant has meticulously thought out every detail of Al Di La’s dining experience. If the weather happens to be nice on Valentine’s Day, eat outside on the beautiful patio. Celebrate love at Al Di La. 

Middelton Place Restaurant – Before dinner, take a romantic stroll through the enchanting Middleton Gardens and experience the feeling of going back in time to an 18th century plantation way of life. When you settle into the restaurant, you’ll immediately be enthralled with its old south charm and authentic Low Country cuisine. The romantic setting of this restaurant is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Enjoy a dinner by candlelight, while you sip on top choice wine and are surrounded by the beauty and grace that is Middleton Place. Call for reservations.

The Wreck of the Richard and Charlene – Surprise your lovely lady by taking her to a place that may seem like a dive at first glance, but is a hidden jewel once explored. You’ll need to drive past all the hustle and bustle of Shem Creek, out to Haddrell Point. There you’ll find it tucked between two seafood companies. It’s a beautiful location on the water where the marina is less busy and the view is to die for. The Wreck is seafood at its finest and is the epitome of what Charleston seafood is all about. The atmosphere is casual at best and it won’t seem romantic at first, but the candlelight on the plastic table and the warm fireplaces nearby will make this a Valentine’s Day you and your honey will never forget. If you can find it, you’ve got to check out The Wreck of the Richard and Charlene (named for a boat hit by Hurricane Hugo).

Fulton Five – Rich in history and adorned in antique accents, the Fulton Five earns high marks for being romantic and intimate. Located off the beaten path, down an alley off King Street, the Fulton Five offers impeccable service and a picturesque ambiance, creating a scene from Northern Italy. Their menu reflects that geographic location’s specialties as well, offering options that change seasonally, but are always luscious none-the-less. If it is nice out, opt to sit on the second floor terrace. Enjoy a night rich in romance at the Fulton Five.

Cheap Dates:

- Take a picnic out to the Angel Oak on Johns Island. The place is magical. You will have to do that during the day, but who says you have to take your girl out at night only. Make a day of it at the Angel Oak!

- Get some to-go food. Get the food anywhere that you know your girl likes and park at the Battery in downtown Charleston. Watch the boats go by while you and your sweetheart eat your favorite food to go. This way you can head home whenever you want to get the real romance started.

- Send your honey to bed! And then bring in the dinner you cooked up. You’ll both be comfy and you’ll be in bed, so what more could you ask for?

- Decorate the table in your house just like they do at a fancy restaurant, treat her like she is a VIP customer and be a great waiter for the night. She’ll feel so special by seeing all the work you did, that she will be willing to go the extra mile for you in return!

Graffiti Magazine - Party Like You're Really There - The Ultimate Super Bowl Guide

Let’s face it. You will never have tickets to the Super Bowl. So what is the next best thing? Hit the bars of course! On February 3rd, sports bars all around town will be offering Super Bowl specials galore. So, forget your couch and check out these sporty hot spots that will please not only the die-hard football fans, but also those folks just looking for an excuse to party (and who want to check out the cool commercials of course).

Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ – What could be better than some good old fashioned BBQ, the best football game of the year, cold beer and an awesome live band? Nothing. Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ offers a great atmosphere to eat, drink and be merry all while taking in some great football. They’ve got plenty of big-screen TV’s, making for an action packed Super Bowl Sunday that you’ll hope will never end. Enjoy their Super Bowl special of $8 all-you-can-eat oysters starting at 2pm and $10 buckets of domestic beer.

Creekside Bar and Grill – This sports bar in Mount Pleasant will offer second-to-none views of the Super Bowl, as well as spectacular views of Shem Creek and the marsh East of the Cooper. On Super Bowl Sunday, get one of their special $10 buckets of Bud and Bud Light and a $2.50 shot of a Wide Eye Cherry Bomb and you’ll get a raffle ticket that could earn you two 50 yard line hometeam tickets to a Steelers game in Pittsburgh during the 2008 season, gift certificates to Creekside, or various merchandise and other prizes. As they say, “show your freakside at Creekside” this Super Bowl Sunday.

King Street Grille – You won’t have trouble finding a place to watch the Super Bowl at King Street Grille. Just look up. TV’s will surround you. Check out their $10 buckets of Coors Light and their $3 Big Ass Drafts (or 32 oz.). The atmosphere is sheik and the clientele is pretty diverse attracting anyone who seeks out the “good” life. Make King Street Grille your convenient Super Bowl celebration, located none other than in the heart of downtown Charleston on good ‘ole King Street.

George’s Sports Bar and Grill – It would be remiss to not mention Charleston’s “original” sports bar in West Ashley, George’s Sports Bar and Grill. This bar’s impressive outdoor display of 18 Satellites and inside array of 62 TV’s put in place for only their patron’s viewing pleasure (including a 9-footer), is nothing short of awe inspiring. It’s extravagant, it’s fun, but hey, it’s the Super Bowl and would you really want anything less? Check out George’s for a Super Bowl experience that you should have.

Halligan’s Restaurant and Bar – Located in West Ashley, Halligan’s offers a large space for friends to come together and cheer on their favorite team this Super Bowl Sunday. They’ve got 20 plasma TV’s and a 20-foot high definition projection screen all wrapped together in a top-notch surround sound system that will enhance your touchdown excitement to the extreme. Any seat in the house would be great, but if you really want to secure a hot spot, call ahead and reserve one of Halligan’s VIP sections. They’ve also got beer tubes, creating endless rounds that a pitcher just couldn’t match. Halligan’s is sure to be the hottest place for Super Bowl entertainment in town. 

Maybe you don’t want to forget your couch and you look forward to staying in and watching the biggest football game of the year at home. If that is the case, here are some foods that could add a twist to your usual chips and dips.

- Think Coastal Carolina Fair. Now imagine the plethora of fried food options there. The fried Snickers, the fried Coke (just balls of batter and Coke syrup), various fried cheeses, and then of course the beloved Fried Oreo. The options are endless and would certainly create the ultimate Super Bowl smorgasbord.

- Queso – This wonderful creation of melted cheese will be a hit at any Super Bowl get together. There is no going wrong with this spectacular side item. Just get nachos that match the taste-bud pleasure of this mouthwatering dip and you may as well leave the rest of your food in your refrigerator as this will steal the show.

- Cheddar Cheese Fries – Very easy. Just get some fries and drown them in melted cheddar cheese and you’ve got a platter fit for a king. This appetizing hors d’oeuvre is nothing fancy, but is guaranteed to be the one food that you’ll run out of first.

Island Insights - Pinnacle Award for Superb Homebuilding Given to the Cassique Garden Cottages

Since their debut in Coastal Living as its Cottage Retreat Idea House in September 2005, the Cassique Garden Cottages have received local and national exposure. They are now garnering award recognition as well, winning a Pinnacle Award for high standards in craftsmanship in homebuilding by the Home Builders Association of South Carolina.

Each year, the Home Builders Association of South Carolina awards a Pinnacle Award to homes in eight categories. The Cassique Garden Cottage won the category for the price range of $2 million to $4.99 million homes.

Along with winning the award, the Cassique Garden Cottages will be featured in the Home Builders Association of South Carolina's official magazine, Palmetto Home. Palmetto Home Magazine serves to promote South Carolina's homes of excellence and highlight efforts to not only build a dream home, but to showcase communities where exemplary homes are built.

Kiawah Development Partners (KDP) assembled a talented team of architects and interior designers to assist with the project. The design team - KDP's chief architect John Haley, Atlanta-based architectural firm Norman Davenport Askins, Charleston architectural firm McKellar & Associates, and Atlanta-based designer Jacquelynne P. Lanham - developed a single level floor plan designed around a central courtyard, placing nature at the focal point of each home. Nature lovers and privacy seekers enjoy The Garden Cottages for their sure sense of authentic materials, their superb craftsmenship, elegant appointments, and master suites as generous as they are comfortable.

Simonini Builders, widely recognized as one of the nation's premier luxury custom homebuilders, managed the construction of the Cassique Garden Cottages.

The architecture of The Garden Cottages embraces the ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement of a century ago, offering an exceptional mix of English country styling and Charleston's historic preference for gardens. In each home, as many rooms as possible open onto and connect with the courtyard garden.
High ceilings and dramatic tall windows add manor house proportions to intimate surroundings.

For more information on the Cassique Garden Cottages, contact Kiawah Island Real Estate at (843) 768-3400.

Island Insights - The Sanctuary Honored as a Top Hotel

Travel + Leisure ranked The Sanctuary number five in their list of top 100 hotels for the continental US and Canada for 2007. This comes just shortly after being named a five star hotel by AAA earlier this year. Undoubtedly, The Sanctuary's pristine location along the shores of Kiawah Island and its luxurious and exquisite design make it more than qualified for this high distinction.

The Sanctuary offers 255 spacious rooms and suites, including the 3,000 square foot Presidential Suite. It is characterized by grand spaces with high ceilings and traditional but light southern decor highlighted by antiques. There is a view of the ocean from almost every corner, but The Sanctuary's fine dining restaurant, The Ocean Room, may have captured the view the best. The menu offers meals that coincide with the restaurant's elegant atmosphere. The pool, spa, and other eateries inside the hotel also add to an ambience of excellence.

In Travel + Leisure's 12th annual poll, readers named the very best in travel, from hotels to cities to islands, along with all of the operators and outfitters who make the journey possible. The 2007 winners reveal much about the readers' evolving, but always exacting, standards of excellence. The results of the World's Best Awards are compiled through a questionnaire created by the editors of Travel + Leisure magazine and completed by its readers.