The Best of North Carolina, South Carolina and Beyond.

Blind Tiger Pub 38 Broad Street. Tel: 843-577-0088. A real find in the nightlife district near the Old City Market. Live music and a casual menu from the Four Corners Cafe next door make this former speakeasy a favorite with Charleston insiders. $ The Bookstore Cafe 412 King Street. Tel: 843-720-8843. Monday-Friday 9am-2pm, Saturday-Sunday 8am-2pm. www.bookstorecafecateringandevents.com "Novel"breakfast and lunch menus served at tables set up in a bookstore create a very unique dining experience. You can browse the shelves while you eat. $ California Dreaming Restaurant and Bar One Ashley Point Drive. Tel: 843-766-1644. Sunday-Thursday 11am-10pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm. www.californiadreamings.com Large menu features a variety of popular casual fare, including ribs and seafood, served in a fort-like building with a stunning view overlooking the Ashley River. This family-friendly spot is one of the most popular eateries in the area. $$	Hank's Seafood Restaurant 10 Hayne Street. Tel: 843-723-3474. Sunday-Thursday 5pm-10:30pm, Friday-Saturday 5pm-11:30pm. www.hanksseafoodrestaurant.com Classic Charleston fish house serves recipes from a famous restaurant of the 1920s. The she crab soup is something special at this local favorite. $$ Peninsula Grill Planters Inn, 112 North Market Street. Tel: 843-723-0700. Sunday-Thursday 5:30pm-10pm, Friday-Saturday 5:30pm-11pm. www.peninsulagrill.com At this AAA Four Diamond and Mobil Four Star restaurant, you can order from a traditional steak and chops menu or the trendy Champagne Bar menu, heavy on the seafood cocktails. Coconut cake here is renowned. $$$ The Seashell 41 Center Street, Folly Beach. Tel: 843-588-9001. Daily 8am-11pm. Carolina coastal cuisine, such as Frogmore stew and Crab Cake Benedict, served is a retro diner with large patio on Folly Beach, a short drive from downtown Charleston. $
Hotels
Charleston Place 130 Market Street. Tel: 843-722-4900 or 800-611-5545. Fax: 843-724-7215. The city's premier hotel, an Orient Express property, consistently ranks among the world's best. Pass through the elegant marble lobby to the gas-lit patio where you'll find the Charleston Grill, one of the city's most celebrated, and most romantic, restaurants. Other amenities include indoor pool, hot tub, European spa, concierge floor, retail shops, marble tubs. $$$$ Doubletree Guest Suites on the Market/Historic Charleston 181 Church Street. Tel: 843-577-2644. All-suite hotel surrounds a courtyard where you can relax in a large whirlpool spa. Spacious units combine Charleston style with full kitchens, living rooms and separate bedrooms. Complimentary breakfast buffet, afternoon reception, fitness center. Francis Marion Hotel Westin 387 King Street. Tel: 843-722-0600 or 800-433-3733. Fax: 843-723-4633. Relive the Roaring '20s when Charleston's local dance went international at this 12-story 1924 landmark. Restaurant, lounge, fitness center. Holiday Inn: Riverview 301 Savannah Highway. Tel: 843-556-7100 or 800-465-4329. Located across the Ashley River Bridge from the historic district, this local favorite is known as the "Round Holiday Inn" thanks to its unique architecture. A roof-top restaurant and bar provide award-winning views. Even the pool here has a view. Complimentary shuttle to downtown.	Holiday Inn: Charleston On the Beach 1 Center Street, Folly Beach. Tel: 843-588-6464 or 800-465-4329. The area's only oceanfront hotel overlooks the beach just south of Charleston. Restaurant, two lounges, pool. The Mills House 115 Meeting Street. Tel: 843-577-2400 or 800-874-9600. Fax: 843-722-2712. Robert E. Lee and Teddy Roosevelt both enjoyed stays at this famous antebellum inn. Actually, this is a reconstruction on the original site, but a good one, nicely appointed with antiques from the period. Restaurant, lounge, pool. $$$$ Planters Inn 112 North Market Street. Tel: 843-722-2345 or 800-845-7082. Fax: 843-577-2125. 1844 inn is beautifully renovated with four-poster beds and marble baths. The Penisula Grill, in the garden court, is one of the city's most popular eateries. Concierge, business center, room service. John Rutledge House Inn 116 Broad Street. Tel: 843-723-7999 or 800-476-9741. Fax: 843-720-2615. Once the home of John Rutledge, a signer of the U.S. Constitution, this fully renovated 1763 beauty could as easily be a museum as a hotel. Afternoon tea (or sherry) in the ballroom is a Charleston tradition. Business center, data ports. $$$$