The Best Food in America...Starting at $20

I don't know how many people have asked me for a restaurant recommendation in Charleston because too many have for me to count. I almost always answer with follow-up questions... "What kind of meal are you in the mood for?" "What genre?" "Upscale or casual?" "Do you want a beautiful view or a pedigreed chef?" When the travelers answer a few of these questions, I can narrow down my advice. But sometimes they say, "Oh, just anywhere that's good." This is a baffling concept in the Lowcountry, because there are just SO many good choices. I don't want to be rude (that would be very "unCharlestonian" after all), but in my head I think, "we're going to be here for a while if you want me to give you the name of every restaurant in Charleston that is good."

I'm not the only one with this thinking. The Travel Channel and Travel and Leisure Magazine both give the nod to lovely Charleston when listing their favorite cities for food. The Travel Channel puts a spotlight on Hominy Grill and Jestine's Ktchen, and suggests the shrimp and grits at Hominy Grill as a "must have". I know many people who wouldn't disagree. And have you tasted the fried green tomatoes, or squash casserole, or ham steak, or Coca-Cola cake, or ANYTHING at Jestine's? Let's just say that the restaurant's namesake had some pretty good recipes.

Travel and Leisure Magazine call HUSK on Queen Street a "foodie magnet". As many accolades as that restaurant has received, the thing I find more impressive is that if you can't get a reservation there, you simply need to walk directly next door to 82 Queen for their elegant she crab soup. No openings at 82 Queen? Just walk the other direction on Queen Street and treat yourself to some of the most flavorful fried chicken in the land at Poogan's Porch.

Charleston is stacked with high quality talent when it comes to treating one's palate. There's the seared scallops at Hank's, the soup selection at Five Loaves Cafe, the cheeseburger at Blu Restaurant and Bar, or the tomato pie at Dixie Supply. Who am I kidding? If I kept naming dishes and the restaurants they belong to, we'd be here a while.

Lowcountry visitors appreciate the fact that they can enjoy a bevy of culinary delights while surrounded by quaint neighborhoods, National Historic Landmarks, gorgeous waterfront, and friendly locals. But what about those locals? We are just a stone's throw from these places...lucky us. A couple times a year, the Greater Charleston Restaurant Association blesses us with Restaurant Week, a time frame in which participating restaurants offer price fixed lunch and dinner menus consisting of three items for one price starting at $20. Again, lucky us. So if you claim to be a Charleston resident and have been waiting to try a new place or go back and to an old favorite, gather your group of friends or take your honey on date night while taking advantage of Charleston Restaurant Week.

Charleston Restaurant Week will grace us with its presence from January 8-19, 2014. For a full list of restaurants participating in this installment of Charleston Restaurant Week, as well as menus and website links, click here. If you find yourself overwhelmed by the options and need a hand choosing a place, below are my recommendations in each price category. Reservations aren't a bad idea if you can get them. As you can imagine, it's a popular time to dine out. Happy eating, Chucktown.

3 for $20

Basil Thai Restaurant - Downtown or Mt. Pleasant

Caviar & Bananas Gourmet Market & Cafe

Five Loaves Cafe - Downtown

How Art Thou Cafe

Nirlep Indian Restaurant

P.F. Chang's China Bistro

Virginia's On King

3 for $30

39 Rue de Jean

82 Queen

Angel Oak Restaurant

Blu Restaurant & Bar

Butcher & Bee

Coast Bar and Grill

Fish Restaurant

Fleet Landing Restaurant & Bar

Lana Restaurant

Middleton Place Restaurant

Poogan's Porch

Swampfox Restaurant & Bar

3 for $40

Carolina's Restaurant

Fat Hen

Grill 225

Halls Chophouse

Hank's Seafood Restaurant

High Cotton

McCrady's Restaurant

Oak Steakhouse

Peninsula Grill

Rosebank Farms Cafe

The Macintosh

source: Travel Channel, Travel and Leisure, Greater Charleston Restaurant Association, Inc.