Indulgence

It's early Spring. The flowers are starting to bloom, the birds have started to chirp, and the temperatures are starting to climb. What does that mean? That it's time to make the trek to the Charleston Food & Wine Festival, of course! Okay, it's only our second trip, but it feels like a Spring tradition already. Last year, Scott and Geraldine joined us for the adventure, but in 2012, we recruited 2 new couples for Round 2.
Truth be told, it wasn't hard to find willing participants. We actually had to limit the number of couples in our group to avoid the possibility of feeling like we missed out on any special opportunities due to a large group size. Plus, you know what they say...Quality not quantity!
This year's hotel was Charleston Place. While we loved the Vendue Inn last year, Charleston Place is a little more centrally located and therefore took less of a toll on our feet when walking to & from the festival's events.
Upon check-in, Anh and I did a little room-hopping. Initially, we had a balcony overlooking the fabulous shopping on King Street, but ultimately, we opted for the quieter balcony facing the hotel's courtyard. We're too old to enjoy the all night party in the streets!
Ready to celebrate, we all freshened up a bit after the 4-hour drive and set out for the Charleston Aquarium's Opening Night Party.

We posed like red carpet celebrities, and then, we were treated like royalty to what seemed like an endless variety of savory and sweet dishes.

The party was a huge success. The perfect way to kick off the festival, and by the end of the weekend, we unanimously agreed it was our favorite event. The dishes were not only delicious, but creative as well. Plus, the venue was amazing! You couldn't ask for a better backdrop.

Day 2 was spent wandering the grounds of Middleton Place Plantation. This was a repeat visit for Anh and me, but we had such a wonderful time last year, I wanted our friends to share in the experience. The event while fun just wasn't the same. There seemed to be fewer food & wine stations which resulted in longer lines. Not a good thing when the temperatures and humidity are high, but we made the most of our time together since the real highlight was spending time together surrounded by the picture-perfect gardens.

Day 2's Bubbles & Bites evening event seemed just as overly crowded as the plantation which was a definite disappointment because we had such great reviews of the event in the past. As we wandered between the various tasting stations, we often found ourselves trapped in what I can only describe as shoulder to shoulder gridlock. Eventually, we made our way to the rooftop patio where they were serving dessert flavored vodka. Yeah...that made the situation a little better. Ha!
Thankfully, we left Saturday morning and afternoon open for sight seeing and shopping. I think the break from eating and drinking was necessary to truly appreciate the festival's main event, The After Hours Party. This year, the event featured a street party theme complete with food truck and street performers.
The food and beverage stations were plentiful, and the crowd was festive. By all accounts, it was a fabulous night that had a redeeming quality after the two previous disappointing events.
On our final morning in Charleston, the group gathered for Sunday Brunch. I'm sure we all knew it would be best to make the most of our gluttonous weekend together because the only thing awaiting us at home were diet & exercise routines to undo the damage we had delightfully inflicted on ourselves during the festival. Why not go out with a bang? And, that's exactly what we did. The High Cotton Jazz Brunch was exceptional! Seriously, you must go!
Although the crowds were greater, I still say the same about the Charleston Food & Wine Festival. Good food/wine and great friends...that's a combo that's tough to beat!