That evening we dined at the beautiful, Peninsula Grill in The Planter’s Inn. I’d been here numerous times before, but just for the coconut cake. Real food seemed unnecessary here. That is, until I read the menu and started salivating over the scallops. I had to have them.

The restaurant is small, but warm and hosts one of the most dressed up crowds that I’ve seen in Charleston. The restaurant is perfect for a special occasion, even if that occasion is banging your head into the velvet-clad walls. So snuggly.

We started with the she-crab soup which was SUPER sweet and freaked me out a bit. Then, I moved onto these massive scallops. They were accompanied by lobster meat, grilled romaine, mashed potatoes and a citrus broth. The dish was good, not great, and for $46! it should have been great. The scallops that I make at home are crispier and tastier than these. Though if size is your thing and lobster impresses you…here ya go.

Finally, the piece de la resistance, the famous coconut cake. Vogue, among a million other sources, claim this is the best coconut cake in America. And it is. My friends, not huge coconut fans agreed as well. The cake is moist, yet light, sweet yet not overly so, the toasted coconut on the side provides a nice crunch, and the icing on top provides a bit of cream cheesy richness. Perfection. Sharing this cake with two other people was not ideal, so the next day I may have snuck back over to pick up a piece to eat in bed alone later. Mmmm

Come for the cake, don’t stay for the food.