DOWNTOWN. Enjoy Lowcountry cuisine in a historic area. Menu offerings include award-winning she-crab soup laced with sherry, charcoal-grilled spicy oysters with sesame and soy sauce, a traditional Carolina bouillabaisse, New Orleans-style shrimp-and-chicken gumbo with andouille sausage and okra, and crab cakes with sweet pepper and basil rémoulade sauce. Still hungry? Well then the bourbon pecan pie is not to be missed. Outdoor dining is always pleasant here.

HISTORIC DISTRICT. Set in a historic former warehouse, AW Shucks is a seafood gem. Menu selections include oysters and clams on the half shell, seafood chowder, deviled crabs, shrimp Creole, shrimp and grits, and oysters prepared several different ways. A wide selection of international beers helps to wash it all down. Opt for a table outside on the patio, which overlooks the public market.

HISTORIC DISTRICT. Located just one block off of the Market, this romantic hideaway has consistently served some of the best contemporary local dishes to be found anywhere. Soft lighting and cozy banquettes provide an ideal backdrop for great food and outstanding service. Enjoy some of Charleston's best she-crab soup as well as entrées of shrimp and grits, fried corn bread oysters, and barbecued grouper.

SULLIVAN'S ISLAND. Exceptional cuisine is the hallmark of this relaxed Sullivan's Island restaurant, and awards rain constantly upon its chef and kitchen. Regional dishes are fashioned from premium, local ingredients ­ for example, sesame-seared tuna over jasmine rice or cider-brined pork chops over sweet potato mash and collards. Sunday brunch features such dandies as corned beef and sweet potato hash, fried green tomato and lump crab benedict, and grilled salmon scrambler. A great wine list, impeccable service, and a gracious interior solidify the restaurant's reputation.

HISTORIC DISTRICT. Located in the historic Mills House Hotel, the Barbadoes Room offers an upscale dining experience . Enjoy Southern specialties such as pan-fried Lowcountry crab cakes, grilled salmon glazed with honey jalapeño sauce, pork tenderloin with curried fruit compote, blackened shrimp and scallops with grit cakes, and ginger-encrusted tuna with apple relish. For dessert, the mud pie can't be missed.