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Best Spots to get BBQ in Charleston!

Thursday, May 28 is National Brisket Day, so what better way to celebrate than sinking your teeth into barbecue at one of these spots? Check each restaurant’s social media for updated dining options.
Warning: this post may cause you to drool.

Rodney Scott’s

The story goes that Rodney cooked his first hog at 11 years old and that the fire has never gone out. This beloved local restaurant has mouth-watering ribs, hushpuppies with honey butter, and Ella’s banana pudding (you’ll want two orders.)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAhoJVrFxXr/

Lewis Barbecue

Recognizable for the giant, custom-made smokers out front, Lewis Barbecue has Texas roots represented by the delicious, 18-hour char on their meats. Try their sausage, brisket, and more.

Poogan’s Smokehouse

Not to be confused with the haunted restaurant Poogan’s Porch, this East Bay location brings the flavors of South Carolina. Try their local black-eyed pea salad or a mouth-watered pulled pork sandwich slathered with cheese.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAft6QvB1ZE/

Melvin’s Legendary Bar-B-Q

The secret’s in the sauce! According to their website, Melvin’s has been “South Carolina’s Original Family of mustard-based BBQ” since 1939. Now 80 years strong, their savory sauce is available in-house and for individual purchase.

Bessinger’s Barbecue

Bessinger’s is known as the legacy of “the first family of bbq” and has been featured on multiple shows on the Travel Channel. Don’t forget to order some of their famous onion rings to go with your brisket!

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_7r0lvhdHy/

Home Team BBQ

For this Lowcountry treat, bring an appetite to one of their three Charleston-area locations. For something different try house-made pork cracklins, a smoked turkey burrito, or a brisket taco with chipotle sour cream.

Swig & Swine

Last but not least on our list is Swig & Swine, a popular spot offering beef brisket, smoked turkey, smoked pork belly, housemade sausage, chicken wings, ribs, and more than 60 craft beers.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAfqAIohJlN/

New In Charleston

Carnival Won’t Resume Cruises from CHS Until September

Feature Image Source: Carnival Cruise Lines

Carnival Cruise Line’s Charleston-based cruise ship, Sunshine, will not start sailing again until at least September 2020, according to ABC4 News.

Carnival announced earlier in May that all cruises in its global fleet will be canceled for at least the next three months amidst the COVID-19 crisis. This comes after Carnival initially suspended cruises for a minimum of thirty days in mid-March, a suspension that expired on May 11.

The cruise company plans to allow eight ships to cruise again from Miami, Port Canaveral, and Galveston before August, while cruises from most other North American and Australian ports are projected to open on Sept. 1.

Cruises aboard Charleston’s Sunshine are tentatively scheduled to resume Sept. 5, 2020, with a five-day cruise to the Bahamas. Other trips to Bermuda and the Caribbean out of Charleston are now accepting bookings through 2022. All schedules are subject to change in the coming weeks as the pandemic continues to unfold.

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Lowcountry Colleges Release Plans for Upcoming Classes

Multiple higher institutions around Charleston have come to decisions regarding upcoming summer and fall classes as the cornoavirus pandemic continues.

Here is a list with the latest information released by colleges in our area regarding class structures:

The Citadel

Summer classes will remain online with the exception of certain lab-based courses planned for in-person instruction during the second term (July 4 – August 7) as social distancing allows. On May 12, Citadel President Glenn Walters announced intentions for cadets to return in August for in-person classes. The college plans to welcome freshman on August 17 and have upper-class cadets return on August 25. Classes will tentatively start for graduate students on August 26, and on August 28 for cadets.

College of Charleston

Summer classes are currently only being offered online. Earlier this month the college established “internal working groups” to research various possibilities for the fall semester including, “Evaluating everything from instruction delivery and housing to employee work schedules and campus events/activities,” communication director Michael Robertson said. Proposed recommendations will be submitted in mid-June.

Trident Technical College

Classes will remain online throughout May, and a small number of hands-on courses will be offered starting June 15 with increased safety measures, according to a college spokesperson. There has not yet been an announcement about fall courses as of May 13.

“These measures include the mandatory use of masks, reconfiguration of work spaces in labs where needed, installation of barriers where appropriate, closure of common areas, making hand sanitizer widely available, marking spacing for queues, and extensive signage explaining safety protocols and our expectations for behavior while on campus,” said public infomration director David Hansen. “While we are preparing to reopen June 15, that date could change based on the availability of PPE and other factors.”

News

McMaster Takes Steps to Reopen Businesses

Feature Image Source: WCIV

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster took steps to reopen the state’s beaches and businesses this week, announcing on Monday that he will allow public beaches, docks, piers and ramps to open. Additionally, McMaster modified existing executive orders to allow some nonessential businesses to reopen, including department stores, florists, furniture stores, book stores, and also churches. All businesses that have reopened must enforce strict social distancing measures, both for staff and customers.

At this time, South Carolina schools are still closed indefinitely. McMaster also lifted restrictions on restaurants, allowing outdoor dining services with social distancing guidelines. Restaurants opening back up will need to space tables for outdoor seating at least eight feet apart, and seat no more than eight people per table. Additionally, all tables, chairs and seats must be sanitized after every customer is finished using them, and social and physical distancing guidelines should be followed by staff.

Featured

Challah for Hunger Supports Lowcountry Food Bank

Feature Image Source: The College Today

A group of College of Charleston students are baking bread for a good cause during the coronavirus crisis. They have already raised over $1,200 for a local food bank! Student club Challah for Hunger, which typically meets every other week to bake loaves of special Jewish challah bread, has organized an online fundraiser for the Lowcountry Food Bank.

“We are so pleased that the College of Charleston’s Challah for Hunger chapter is conducting a virtual social media fundraiser to help feed our neighbors in this time of uncertainty,” says Pat Walker, president and CEO of the Lowcountry Food Bank. “Challah for Hunger is a great example of our neighbors sparking positive change and working collectively to solve urgent challenges, right here in our community.” 

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Books from Local Authors to Enjoy in Quarantine

Feature Image Source: SueMonkKidd.com

While you’re stuck indoors, why not pick up a new book? The Charleston area has gifted us a plethora of wonderful authors over the years, and if you miss the marshes, city streets, and unexplored beaches, these are the books for you.

Pat Conroy is a beloved Southern author with a bibliography of work all set at least partially in the Lowcountry. Although Conroy passed away in 2016, he is survived by classic books like “The Prince of Tides” and “The Great Santini.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-XF_0nlt2q/

Dorthea Benton Frank is a prolific Charleston-based author whose twentieth novel, “Queen Bee” is now on sale. Several of her books reference Lowcountry locations, including “Folly Beach,” “Return to Sullivans Island” and “Pawleys Island.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-xXXKchRVC/

Sue Monk Kidd is the bestselling author of “The Secret Life of Bees” and “The Invention of Wings,” with a new novel called “The Book of Longings” on the way in late April. Read up on her books for Southern nostalgia and feel-good settings. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B70_qG4gHIQ/

Featured

Firefly Distillery Begins Hand-Sanitizer Production

Featured Image Source: Firefly Distillery

In light of the coronavirus crisis, Charleston-based Firefly Distillery has switched from making their signature sweet tea vodka to making hand sanitizer for the masses.

Firefly, the state’s oldest working distillery, will be producing 180 cases with each run and started offering the sanitizer to the public last Friday. According to ABC News4 the distillery is selling half gallons of hand sanitizer on a first come, first serve basis. While the public is limited to one bottle per person (at $25), hospitals, state departments, military and other institutions will be the first to receive Firefly’s hand sanitizer through its office supply distribution.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_C8WrxBY9J/

If you’re interested in purchasing your own, head over to the distillery located at 4201 Spruill Avenue, North Charleston.

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How to Support the Charleston Community During COVID-19

As the coronavirus continues to tear across the country, here are a few ways you can help support Charleston while self-quarantining.

Order Takeout

Restaurants and bars across South Carolina are no longer able to operate with dine-in options under an executive order issued by Gov. Henry McMaster, so be sure to check Charleston City Paper’s comprehensive list of delivery and takeout options. The list has been continually updated and broken up into different areas of town for simple ordering, so get ready to eat!

Donate Blood

The American Red Cross has an ongoing critical need for blood donations during the pandemic to help those affected, as well as other patients. Although many blood drives in Charleston and across the country are being cancelled, the Red Cross urges healthy individuals to schedule an appointment in their area. Click here to see where you can go to help!

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-h-q2_hxGe/

STAY HOME!

The easiest thing that we all can do during this time is stay home in order to keep ourselves safe. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster issued a mandatory “home or work” order on Monday requiring that people should stay home unless they are “working, visiting family, exercising outside at a safe distance or obtaining necessary goods or services.” For more information on the order, click here.