Carolina Gold Rice and Chicken Soup Recipe (Charleston-Style)

Carolina Gold Rice macro pic

A Lowcountry Classic with a Sizzling Finish Carolina Gold rice built Charleston’s wealth, yet its history is inseparable from the forced labor and agricultural expertise of enslaved West Africans. Often called the “grandfather of long-grain rice,” this heirloom grain remains central to the story of the Lowcountry table. This Carolina Gold rice and chicken soup …

The First Chinese Restaurants in Charleston (1893–Present): The Hidden Woks of the Holy City

Vintage postcard image of Labrasca's Spaghetti House and Shanghai Lo Chinese restaurant.

Today, as the world rings in the Lunar New Year, the air in Charleston is filled with the scent of ginger, soy, and celebration. While we often think of “Charleston food” as a strictly Lowcountry affair—shrimp and grits or she-crab soup—the truth is that the “hidden wok” of the Holy City has been simmering for …

The Swamp Fox and the Sweet Potato

Historic painting of Francis Marion and a British officer during the Revolutionary War in South Carolina

Francis Marion sharing a humble sweet potato meal during the American Revolution in South Carolina. As South Carolina observes the 250th Anniversary of our role in the American Revolution, few stories capture the spirit of Lowcountry food history quite like the legendary meal shared by Francis Marion, the Revolutionary War hero known as the Swamp …

Additional Dates Added for October and November!

Come explore Charleston's food through the lens of our shared history. Click HERE to Book Directly and Save!

Undiscovered Charleston April Menu

Undiscovered Charleston April menu

Hey Y'all! Here's my Undiscovered Charleston April menu. Are you coming to visit Charleston, SC, want to take a food tour and are passionate about food and history? Then read on! What a fantastic April we've had on our Undiscovered Charleston food and history tour! We had great guests joining us from Toronto, the San …

Happy National Watermelon Day!

Long before I started the best food tour in Charleston I shared some insights in Mt, Pleasant magazine. In particular, amongst our lost flavors, I particularly relish sharing the story of the Lazarus-like resurrection of the Bradford Watermelon:(excerpt as originally published in Mt. Pleasant magazine, 7/2015) Nat Bradford’s in the process of moving his family back …

Southern Food: Reconciling Past & Present

“Nihil sub sol novum.” (There’s nothing new under the sun.)The first phrase in Latin I learned to utter as a young student.Difficult times to be sure. For us all, both here in Charleston and off, there is a sense that we’ve seen this all before. Understandably, anger has roiled up into an outright hurricane of …

REGARDING COVID-19: PLEASE READ!

Dear Undiscovered Charleston Family, As a career chef of over 25 years, hospitality has always been deep in my DNA. My Undiscovered Charleston is a tiny business built around my sincere belief that as a chef my #1 responsibility has always been taking care of my team and my guests. More than ever, this is …

Bourdain: a History in Objects

This is not a post about Charleston, food tours or historic walking tours. But after 25 years in restaurant kitchens, I’m still in love. I love kitchens, and the gifted artisans, technicians, miscreants and psychopaths that inhabit them. No one ever summed up this life and these people so smartly or succinctly as Anthony Bourdain. …

Free! A Chef’s Guide to Undiscovered Charleston

Where do Charleston Chefs eat? Bertha's is a favorite of Undiscovered Charleston founder Chef Forrest Parker's. It's been recognized by the James Beard Awards and their okra soup has been named by Garden and Gun magazine as "One of the 100 Southern foods you must eat before you die." Guests on our Undiscovered Charleston: Food …