Lowcountry cooking itself is a fusion of the forces of history and location that shaped the region. Exotic ingredients were brought in on merchant ships from far off places; the diverse colonial population brought traditions from their country of origin; and the African influence, found in rice and, yams, okra and black-eyed peas, peanuts and sesame seeds, is legendary. The water yielded oysters, shrimp, crab and fish, and the land produced fresh vegetables in abundance.

With over 130 restaurants in the historic Peninsula alone, and countless more in the outlying communities, it is impossible to list them all, but a mouth-watering sampling is sure to tempt the palate:

Stone-ground grits, a staple in colonial times, innovatively find their way into every menu. Wild mushroom grits and lobster basil hush puppies are wonderful at Peninsula Grill. Anson uses its own Anson Mill organic grits in remarkable ways. The Boathouse serves them with sushi grade yellow fin tuna; High Cotton flavors them with white cheddar and jalapeno, Cypress makes them into truffled cakes served with lobster.

The importance of breakfast in colonial times is carried on today, magnificently. Try poached eggs on homemade biscuits with mushroom gravy at Hominy Grill, or salmon with poached egg on a croissant at Joseph's.  Diana's serves a simple breakfast, and at Bakers Café , still warm freshly baked goods are just the beginning.

Brunches are sumptuous - crab cakes benedict at Sermet's, lavishly presented selections in the Barbados Room, corned beef and sweet potato hash at Atlanticville Restaurant & Café on Sullivan's Island, shrimp and lobster crepe at High Cotton, and at Vickery's try the Lowcountry sauté, creamy grits topped with shrimp, crab and crawfish tails in bourbon butter, and crispy fried oysters.

 Long, late, lingering lunches, a tradition which began in early Charleston, continues, with many restaurants serving until mid afternoon. Some restaurants open early for dinner, serving especially delicious small plates, perfect with a glass of wine after a long day of sightseeing; others serve several-course creations elegantly set on splendid tables.    

39 Rue de Jean, better known for escargot and sole meuniere, has one of the best hamburgers in town; Fast and French has great soup, delicious with a baguette, pâté and cheeses. For no frills Lowcountry fare, enjoy fried green tomatoes, collards and meatloaf at Jestines.  Don't miss traditional buttermilk fried chicken at the Oak Steakhouse, or sweet potato pancakes at Poogan's Porch. Lowcountry also goes continental: wild boar with beans at Il Cortile Del Re, ravioli stuffed with collards and hamhocks at Mercato, and butternut squash ravioli at Cintra.  

Fresh local seafood reigns supreme. A must is the fabulous seafood tower at Hank's, the Portuguese fish soup at FIG, Carolina Bouillabaisse at 82 Queen, traditional Frogmore Stew, most elegantly rendered at Charleston Grill, local wreckfish with okra and black-eyed peas at Fish. Meat, pork and wild game are not left out. Lamb steak, quail and pheasant are fabulously prepared at Charleston Chops and Grill 225.

There is a whole world of tapas or small plates, filled with savory surprises of exotic ingredients crossed with Lowcountry staples. Sample egg rolls with collards at Magnolias, crispy crab wontons at Meritage, roasted red peppers and hummus at Pane E Vino, grilled shrimp at Raval, roasted quail and maverick grits with shrimp at Slightly North of Broad, pâte at Mistral, seafood tacos at Coast, crispy salmon and seaweed salad at Chai's, calamari with Asian slaw at Cru Café, buttermilk fried calamari at Blossom, Japanese delicacies at Sushi Hiro.

Desserts are creations unto themselves - fresh gelato at Modica, banana fritters at Tristan, the "ultimate coconut cake" at the Peninsula Grill, divine chocolate pâté at Robert's of Charleston, bread pudding with bourbon butter at Poogan's Porch, rich bourbon pecan pie in the Swamp Fox Restaurant & Bar.

Charleston dining is not just about the food - it's about ambience too. Restaurants are cozily intimate, casually fun, grandly elegant. They are filled with antiques or sparsely contemporary. They are in grand historic homes and single houses; in old warehouses, charming gardens, piazzas, and courtyards; on waterfront piers and in creek-front shacks.  

Fine dining spots and casual places line East Bay and Market streets, most in renovated warehouses of the old port city. The Boathouse is in old boat repair warehouse, Anson  in a 100-year-old ice warehouse, Hank's in a 1940s fish house overlooking City Market. Rough timbers set the scene at A. W. Shucks, and Fleet Landing is on a pier in a 1940s naval building over the Cooper River. Magnolia's is in the former customs house, and Hyman's Seafood Company's old building covers a whole city block.  McGrady's, down tiny Unity Alley, looks almost as it did when Washington dined there. Sit in the courtyard of Palmetto Café, at the outside bar of 82 Queen, alongside tiny Fulton Street at Fulton Five.  Dine elegantly in the carriage house of the Victorian Wentworth Mansion at Circa 1886, in the 19th century charm of the historic Planters Inn in the Peninsula Grill, or on the covered piazza of a single house at Cru Café.  

Overlook the tidal marsh at Shem Creek Bar & Grill or, for an unforgettable experience, find a Lowcounty oyster roast at a restaurant on one of the sea islands. For an truly extraordinary evening, drive to Summerville to dine among antiques and under the crystal chandeliers in the 5 diamond Dining Room at Woodlands, one of the grandest restaurants in the South.