Avondale Restaurant Week: An Excuse to get out of Your House

From September 17 to 23, Charleston Restaurant Week’s little sister, Avondale Restaurant Week, will be promoting Avondale’s budding restaurant scene. Here are the stats you need to know before we get to the good foodstuff:

1. Specials are varying by location, but include $20 for three courses, $30 for three courses and a bottle of wine, and two courses for two for $30
2. Complimentary valet parking will be available on the week’s busiest nights

There are seven restaurants taking part in the festivities, and without further ado, here is what you have to try at each location:

1. The Burrata Caprese and Tagliatelle at Al Di La: Maybe I’m partial (I definitely am), but I love a good caprese salad to start out the night at any Italian restaurant. Much like a classic fettuccine alfredo or spaghetti bolognese, it’s a way to judge a place right off the bat. As for a main course, try the Tagliatelle that comes with duck confit and a truffle oil drizzle.

2. The Charcuterie board and pretty much any wine at Avondale Wine & Cheese: Yelp, Facebook and the locals will tell you that this is one of the best places to go in the area for a wine flight and cheese board. One patron recommends the Sweet Sunset cheese, but let’s be honest, any cheese is good cheese, especially with a glass of wine right next to it.

3. A dessert plate and drink at Kaminsky's West Ashley: I would like to file a motion that dessert cafes now officially become a part of any selfcare routine, especially when it calls for a thin mint martini and three layer cake. One look at their menu might send you into a sugar coma, but just remember you can chew on a stalk of celery for lunch the next day.

4. The Pacific Rim at Mellow Mushroom: Hear me out, pineapple can be on pizza, especially when that pizza comes with enough flavor profiles to blow Guy Fieri out of the water. The Pacific Rim pizza is one of my favorites at Mellow Mushroom, but never fear, there are more tame options for those who think fruit should stay far away from the traditional sauce and cheese.

5. Grilled Mahi Tacos at Mex 1 Coastal Cantina: Tacos and tequila are like the adult’s version of peanut butter and jelly -- a.k.a., a classic combination. For some of the best baja tacos in the area, I suggest trying either the mahi or shrimp tacos, and maybe a pitcher (or two) of pineapple habanero margaritas.

6. Peel and eat shrimp at Pearlz Little Oyster Bar: When is the last time you truly got your hands dirty at the dinner table? Well, now you can with the peel and eat shrimp at Pearlz, and then you can wash it all down with one of their signature Bloody Marys. Might I also suggest their crab dip, and of course, a few oyster shooters for good measure.

7. The Holy Sh*t Burger at Triangle Char and Bar: Maybe it’s the preteen in me, but purposefully swearing when ordering seems like a fun experience, especially when you are at the home of Charleston’s best burger, Triangle Char and Bar. This comes topped with pepper jack cheese and jalapeno-bacon jam, and naturally needs to be followed up with a few peach sangrias.