I recently returned from a visit to Charleston with my siblings and their spouses. It was the first time we’ve all vacationed together.

What follows is the lowdown on the low country in two posts. This one covers two dinners worth describing, and the next our breakfasts, where we sat and yakked for hours.

We ended up at Pearlz Oyster Bar because we couldn’t agree on a dining place before we landed, and they could handle the seven of us that night. We shared southern-fried oysters — as some had only tried them raw — and added an order of corn fritters with maple butter ($6.50). The oysters came with bleu cheese and buffalo sauces for dipping. Another app worth mentioning was the asparagus-crab bisque topped with lots of crab.

Some of our plentiful entrees included the mixed grill ($17) and the southern classic shrimp & grits ($25), which had great flavor but way overcooked jalapeno-cheddar grits. The tasty side of broccoli slaw is worth mentioning ($5.95).

That meal ended with a slice of key lime pie ($6.95).

After a visit to Fort Sumter, we dined at Fleet Landing for our final meal, celebrating one sister’s 80th and one brother-in-law’s 86th.

Some items to recommend included the stack of fried green tomatoes ($14) and crab salad; the in-season soft-shelled crab ($17) with a side of fresh asparagus ($5), the ceviche with sweet potato chips ($18) and the seafood gumbo ($10).

I’d recommend a visit to both!

Pearlz Oyster Bar – Charleston
153 East Bay St
Charleston, SC 29401
843-577-5755
pearlzoysterbar.com/location/pearlz-charleston-sc/

Fleet Landing
186 Concord St.
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 722-8100
fleetlanding.net/