Happy day after Thanksgiving, Charleston! Sorry for the later arrival in your inbox. Holiday stuff intervened, including Charleston’s best Thanksgiving Day morning tradition.

Plenty of retailers will beg you to part with your money today, especially one headed by Bezos. Here’s a better idea: Charleston has plenty of fabulous locally-owned businesses who will gladly help you take care of your holiday list. Give them a try. 🛍️😁

Congrats to MK Armstrong, who was the only one to make a guess for our “Where Are We” segment last week! She guessed correctly we were at the Aquarium during the holiday’s Aquarium Aglow festivities. You must check it out if you haven’t been.

I know you’re busy getting ready to shop locally, so I condense things a bit in today’s newsletter:

• Looking for Charleston’s best coffee shops? I have opinions on the matter. ☕

• ICYMI. Martha Stewart eats in CHS, Harold’s Cabin’s next-up, and a cool holiday pop-up. 🧑🏼‍🎄

Friday 54° / 34° ☀️ 💧3%

Saturday 53° / 35° ☀️ 0%

Sunday 60° / 37° ☀️ 💧1%

Friday, November 29

• St. James Episcopal Church HOLIDAY BAZAAR | 12 - 6 PM | 1872 CAMP ROAD, Charleston | Be the first to shop beautiful handmade Christmas trees, crafts, and decor. On Saturday, we'll have children's crafts, refreshments, lunch for purchase, and Santa arrives at 1 pm!!! And on Sunday, shop from 11-4 and enjoy coffee hour until noon. Over twelve vendors will showcase handmade pottery, art, clothes, wreaths, and more.

• Ebenezer Scrooge Presents: Haha! Humbug Christmas Ghost Tour | 7:30 - 9 PM | City Market, 188 Meeting St, Charleston | Join Ebenezer Scrooge on a spirited, interactive walking tour through the enchanting Charleston at Christmas, overflowing with holiday cheer! Embark on a one-of-a-kind Christmas adventure filled with haunted tales, theatrical flair, and endless laughter. Perfect for all ages, this unforgettable experience blends festive fun with ghostly storytelling. Don’t miss the magic!

• Tree Lighting Ceremony | CreditOne Stadium, 161 Seven Farms Drive, Daniel Island | 5:00 - 9:00 PM I Join us for the Tree Lighting Ceremony where a 22-foot Christmas tree, a magical snow show, live DJ, and festive activities like face painting and meeting Santa will kick off the holiday season in dazzling style! Children 13 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Food & Drink: Warm up and refuel with a variety of offerings: S'mores Kits Classic Concessions Hot Chocolate, Cider and Coffee Selection of Seasonal Beer & Specialty Cocktails.

Saturday, November 30

• USC vs. Clemson Oyster Roast and Watch Party I 11 AM | Florence’s Lowcountry Kitchen, 1271 Folly Rd, Charleston | South Carolina’s biggest game day of the season – Clemson vs. USC – is almost here! To celebrate this year’s momentous matchup, we're hosting an all-you-can-eat oyster roast and outdoor watch party. Gamecock fans and Tigers fans are encouraged to come out and cheer on their favorite team (and exercise some healthy competition) while enjoying oysters and tailgate favorites like chili, hot dogs, lemonade, sweet tea and more! Themed cocktails and other alcoholic beverages will also be available for purchase. 

• Adopt + Shop with 843 Market | 1 - 4 PM | Firefly Distillery, 4201 Spruill Avenue, North Charleston | Check out our monthly Saturday Adopt & Shop Vendor Markets to meet a new furry friend! Local animal shelters and rescue groups bring adoptable dogs for you to meet and help dogs in our community find their forever homes. ❤️ We'll have adoptable dogs for you to meet and sip on cocktails while you meet new friends and shop the 843 Pop Up Market. Check back here for a list of rescue organizations who be joining us! Live Music: The Six Foot Tide Food Truck Want to bring your own dog to Firefly Distillery? Dogs are welcome outdoors and on a leash at all times.

• American Express Celebrates its 15th Small Business Saturday | 3 - 7 PM , Meeting and King Street, Charleston | Celebrate the 15th Small Business Saturday. To commemorate the milestone year and its longstanding support of small businesses, American Express will host a holiday pop-up market and a special performance by Noah Kahan. A “Shop & Stroll” on Market Street (between Meeting and King Street) from 3-7pm ET to kick off holiday shopping season; the festive pop-up market will be open to the public and feature local small businesses, food trucks, and interactive stations.

• Charlton Singleton’s Holiday Spectacular I 8 PM | Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St, Charleston | Charlton Singleton and Friends’ Holiday Spectacular Feat. Quiana Parler is always a highlight of the season. With such talented musicians known on various levels, it promises to be an unforgettable night filled with holiday cheer and uplifting music.

Sunday, November 24

• Santa at the South Carolina Aquarium | 10 AM - 2 PM | 100 Aquarium Wharf, Charleston | Santa is spending his weekends at the Aquarium this year, and you can reserve a visit to meet him and pose for a keepsake photo. The fun doesn't stop there, though! Every day this holiday season, Aquarium guests can enjoy dive shows featuring underwater elves, a festive scavenger hunt for a prize, a chance to feed our cownose RAYndeer and so much more!

• Rivalry Weekend at Islander 71 | 11 AM - 10 PM | Islander 71 Fish House and Raw Bar, 80 41st Ave, Isle of Palms | From Friday through Sunday after Thanksgiving, we're bringing all the football action to you with a massive 14-foot TV screen showcasing the weekend's biggest rivalry games. With unbeatable views, incredible football, and coastal flavors, this is the ultimate weekend celebration you won't want to miss.

• A CHRISTMAS CAROL | 2 - 4 PM , 135 Church Street, Charleston | Experience the enchantment of the holiday season with Charleston Stage's dazzling original adaptation of Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL! Every season, audiences are captivated by the breathtaking scenery, gorgeous costumes, and mesmerizing effects. With a delightful score of classic carols and a cast portraying more than 50 iconic characters, from Scrooge to Tiny Tim, this spirited musical brings the heartfelt wonder of Christmas to life once more.

For a COMPLETE list of events in the Charleston area, bookmark the site below!

COFFEE

These are some of Charleston’s best coffee shops

Back in the early-’90s, a coffee shop from the West Coast, with a ton of buzz, started opening cafes in the DC area. I’d heard about Starbucks, and was eager to try the coffee from this Seattle outsider.

I really wanted the full experience, so I bought a French press and a bag of beans from one of these new cafes.

It so happened that my Mom was visiting and we thought we’d spring this new blend on her to see what she thought. I painstakingly ground the beans, put them in the press, hit a timer and waited.

Mom got the first pour. She sipped, paused a micro-second and said “Jimmy, this coffee sucks!”

She wasn’t accustomed to this robust flavor! She was a Folger’s or Maxwell House drinker, after all.

But that’s exactly what Starbucks brought. Coffee that actually tasted like coffee, not watered-down brown liquid. And the concept of a “Third Place”, where you could enjoy your cup along with a good book or people-watching.

Starbucks was almost single-handedly responsible for elevating the consciousness of what the coffee “experience” could be. However, they’ve clung stubbornly to the practice of roasting the living s#it out of their beans.

OK, I know I sound like a coffee snob. But I’ll give credit to Starbucks for also single-handedly birthing locally-owned competitors in almost any American city.

And they always do it better, particularly here in Charleston. So without further ado, here’s my list—’cause I’m the publisher after all—of CHS’s best coffee shops. Notice I didn’t add the qualifier “locally-owned”.

Feel free to also bookmark my comprehensive map of all of Charleston’s locally-owned shops, where nary a Starbucks can be found.

CHS Happenings’ Best Coffee Shops

One more thing: this is not a ranking. All of these places have their own unique vibe, but one thing’s consistent. They commit, really commit, to a fabulous experience and a great cup of coffee.

No matter your jam, whether it’s a regular drip or pour-over (when I’m spoiling myself), or a more complex beverage.

1. Brown Fox Coffee: this is our go-to close to home near Old Village. There’s no indoor seating but plenty outside. Great coffee and you’ll ALWAYS get a smile from any of the baristas. You’ll also get 2 of Charleston’s best pop-ups here pretty regularly: The Biscuit Shed—hands-down Charleston’s best biscuit, where Molly and I always get a fried chicken biscuit—and Mabel Mae’s Bakery, Charleston’s premier vegan and gluten-free bakery. Go for the apple cider donut. 😋

2. Sightsee Shop: I’ve been going here for a while, after I read a COVID-era article about a husband-and-wife team serving great coffee in a tiny home at 125 ½ Line Street. Joel and Allyson found a bigger shop at the corner of Rutledge and Cleveland next to Hampton Park about 6 months ago. They have indoor seating and a nice patio. Plus they sell items made by locally-owned retailers. They’d be a terrific place to visit tomorrow for Small Business Saturday. 😉

3. City Lights Eastside: I wrote about this fantastic new(ish) spot a few issues ago, and posted this video, too. A warm, welcoming vibe, great food (thank you, Greg), a dynamic co-owner named Candace, and a great outdoor patio. Live music Thursday through Saturdays, too, and the occasional food popup including a monthly South African night drawing from Greg’s roots.

4. Odd Duck Market: OK, Park Circle’s Odd Duck is definitely more than a coffee shop, but they do coffee really well. Add great food and a nice patio, too. You’ll be seeking out Odd Duck, like I do, when you’re around North Charleston.

5. Prophet Coffee Roasters: this Park Circle(ish) shop is also owned by a husband-and-wife team. What is it about the power of life partners coming together to be business partners?! (Umm, that’s us). Savanna comes up with inventive drinks, and Bryson serves ‘em up. You may recall seeing their 1996 Subaru van around town before they found their Spruill Avenue shop.

6. Highfalutin Coffee Roasters: If I’m west of town, I don’t need a specific reason to go to either of Highfalutin’s shops—in Avondale or off Harbor View. Both have indoor and patio seating, great coffee and an easygoing vibe.

7. Metto Coffee & Tea: This Coleman Boulevard spot is another of my close-to-home go-to’s. The pastry chef is super-talented here, and there’s a patio to enjoy that amazing homemade Pop-Tart.

8. Mercantile & Mash: This spot off East Bay is another place that’s more than just a coffee shop. They do coffee and food really well. Plenty of indoor seating, a patio and easy parking, too.

9. Bad Bunnies Coffee: Yet another coffee shop owned by a husband-and-wife team, Rick and Carol! The vibe here is super-warm, the coffee damn good and the bathroom art (trust me, check it out) worth a visit. 😁

SPONSORED BY THE CHARLIE POST CLASSIC

Charleston Running Club is the O.G. of Chucktown running clubs. In the 70s, the club helped start two of our largest races, the Cooper River Bridge Run and the Kiawah Marathon.

And for the 40th year, the annual Charlie Post Classic 15K/5K takes place on Saturday, January 11, 2025, at 8:30 AM at the Sullivan’s Island Fish Fry Shack, located at 1424 Hennessy Street.

This race honors the memory of Dr. Charlie Post, a well-known Charleston runner, triathlete, and family physician who volunteered his time and medical talents to the running community. Dr. Post served as head of the College of Charleston’s student health services and was the team’s sports physician.

I plan on running this race for the first time this year. I don’t know what’s been keeping me. ALL my running buddies say it’s a great course and a fun time.

 Registration includes a chip-timed 15K run or 5K run/walk, finisher’s medal, shirt, refreshments, and the satisfaction of knowing that you helped College of Charleston student athletes.

Race options include a 5K run and walk, and for you longer distance athletes, a 15K route. That’s 9.3 miles on our imperial system. 😆

Sign up at this link.

WHERE ARE WE?

Each week, watch this space for a random snap from somewhere in Charleston. Where are we? Only true locals will know. DM your guess on Instagram, or email me here. The first person to guess correctly will get a shout-out at the top of our issue next week!

ICYMI

🎄 For the adults, check out the grand opening of Charleston’s newest holiday pop-up bar. It’s called The Sleigh Room, it’s downtown, and it’s from the folks behind the over-the-top Holy City Halloween production.

🥘 Martha Stewart dined in Charleston recently. Sans Snoop Dogg, though.

🍽️ Wondering what’s going into the old Harold’s Cabin? Here’s a sneak preview, and it’s opening December 1.

🏨 Charleston’s going to get its own version of a Manhattan landmark. Developer hopes to start in early-2025 on triangular site at Meeting and Morrison. Hmm, didn’t I just write about this site a few weeks ago?

🌭 Wondering what a wiener tower is? It’s a feature at this CHS restaurant.

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FEEDBACK

Got 15 seconds? Let us know what you thought about today’s newsletter by replying to this email or voting in the poll below (you’ll be done MUCH faster than cars on Johnnie Dodds at 4:00 PM on a Friday). 👇