Charleston, S.C.

This is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the nation, the subject of endless magazine listicles and breathless influencer reels. Is it possible to sidestep the algorithms and really see and hear and taste Charleston? In the process can we learn something about the past and present South? Those are the questions the crew asked. Answers came in conversations with, among others, architect Reggie Gibson, observer of alleyways and courtyards; Jaime Tinoco and Pamela Sierra of Kooben Cafe Mexicano, the vibrant new brunch restaurant near the airport; Bethany and Dano Heinze of Vern’s, a neighborhood restaurant that out-punches its weight; and the daughters of the Albertha Grant, who serve red rice and okra soup at Bertha’s, the Gullah-soul mainstay named for their late mother.