Charleston Restaurant Week is held the last week of January, and, this year, I was traveling for the duration of it.

I am fortunate to volunteer for this event, so I was able to get some behind-the-scenes views of the menus before they were made public. I may have sneaked a few tastes here and there in advance of the week as my own personal restaurant week.

1010 Bridge just always consistently delivers a delicious meal with inspired ingredients.



Tuscan white bean and sausage



Cast iron seared skirt steak with herb & garlic smashed potatoes, winter vegetables, red wine jus



Chocolate silk pie with brown butter graham crust and salted caramel

Soho's churned out the best special menu that I've seen from them in years. I loved everything I tried, especially the baked brie.



Butterflied jumbo shrimp baked and stuffed with crab meat



Baked Alouette Brie in a cast iron skillet, topped with brisure cherries, praline hazelnuts and hot honey and served with toasted ciabatta bread



12 oz. oz. cider-brined bone-in, french-cut pork chop served with rosemary roasted red skin potatoes and herb-buttered broccolini



Manicotti stuffed with ricotta, romano and mozzarella, topped with fresh lobster in a lobster cream sauce



Two-layered strawberry cake with a cream cheese filling and strawberry pieces, covered in dark chocolate ganache, strawberry coulis and fresh whipped cream



Vanilla bean brûlée with macerated Madagascar vanilla pods, crispy oat crust topped with torched raw sugar

Volstead Room is a brand new contender this year, and they didn't pull any punches. One of my favorites from them was this icebox cake, which was ooey and gave me more vibes.



Which restaurants did you enjoy this year?