Our plan to have my wife visit for the long weekend and spend Valentine’s Day in Charleston was nearly foiled by another polar vortex which dumped only 4 inches of snow, but was enough to cripple Durham. After multiple flight cancellations and some franctic rescheduling, Melody finally made it here Friday morning. We filled on crisp pork belly noodles & pumpkin curry at Bida Manda, then crashed in bed all afternoon until dinner at Yamazushi, where the 8-course kaiseki meal was both a gastronomic and visual experience with highlights that included mind-blowing uni and perfectly-seared black cod. We spent the evening trying out Last of Us, which featured a zombie-infested post-apocalyptic world and Naughty Dog’s iconic cinematics and excellent voice acting. The late-night gaming made us oversleep on Saturday, necessitating a caffeine-fueled high speed drive down to Charleston to make our reservation at Husk. Here, the tasty pork belly lettuce wrap appetizer was followed by an amazing shrimp and grits preparation that easily beats out the other versions I’ve tried in NC. We walked off the meal past several old churches and an underwhelming Old Slave Mart Museum, before reaching the Waterfront Park where we relaxed on the swinging bench and enjoyed hazelnut gelato. There were some events related to the Southwest Wildlife Expo, but we opted instead for another nap at the hotel before dinner. At FIG, which stands for “Food is Good,” we dined on soft, fluffy ricotta gnocchi and earthy liver pate appetizers, followed by a salty triggerfish entree and an incredible fish stew that had me mixing in my own roux and sipping the broth in utter ecstasy. On Sunday, we drove out to Magnolia to experience one of several renowned plantations in the area. Although the gardens were devoid of blossoming flora, Melody was more interested in the fauna, which included a small friendly hen and licky deer at the petting zoo, and turtle and alligator sightings at the Audubon Swamp. A tour of the house also gave some insight into the Drayton family and plantation life. After sharing some shad roe scramble and a low country omelette at Hominy Grill, we toured the city market on our way to McCrady’s. Having watched the second season of Mind of a Chef, we had high expectations from Sean Brock’s high-end restaurant, which delivered with a solid 4-course tasting menu for each of us. Afterwards, we stopped by the Peninsula Grill to take home a slice of their world famous 12-layer coconut cake to munch on as we watched Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy’s reprise in Before Midnight on our tablet in bed. We drove back on Sunday, making a pit stop at Fallout-esque South of the Border and grabbing some Korean food for lunch before Melody’s flight back. Once again, our weekend trip felt too short. But amidst Charleston’s charm, the comfort of Southern cuisine, nostalgic video gaming, movie watching in bed, and a box of Girl Scout Thin Mints as a gift – Valentine’s Day has never been more romantic.