Our culinary adventure began with lunch at California Dreaming (Ashley River Drive). We enjoyed great food and a great view of the Ashley River at the same time. The shrimp quesadilla was oh so yummy, and the fried flounder was flaky and tender, literally melting on your tongue. We also tried the croissants (as appetizers), and while they were good, they were also sweet and did not seem appropriate for an appetizer.

I went here for prom, and also sometimes with my family on special occasions. The food is a bit pricey but good. The fettuccine alfredo is the best. It is so creamy and tasty. The croissants are so soft and buttery. A plate goes by very quickly. The cheesecake is so creamy and delicious. The food is good, but obviously not for the person on a diet.

We went to California Dreaming on a weekday early in the evening. We got seated right in front of one of the huge picture windows overlooking the Ashley River (though, actually, every table has a good view). Soon afterwards, a busload of people arrived, but even then it didn't feel crowded in this airy, spacious restaurant, and the service didn't seem to suffer from their added presence.

I would recommend the California Dreaming salad ($8), consisting of greens, cheeses, almonds, tomatoes, bacon, ham, and chopped eggs (which I would have omitted). They also offer steaks, seafood (the Cajun-crusted tilapia was good), chicken, sandwiches, and burgers. Top it all off with a nice slice of key lime pie.

Also, by bringing in their flier, which we discovered at the Charleston Visitor Center, the waitress brought us a nice free basket of their lovely honey croissants (a $4 value).

One word to the wise: If you would like to check out this restaurant, before you leave your home or hotel, plug the address into Mapquest for directions, as it is rather tricky to find.

For dinner, we went with California Dreaming, located in Mt. Pleasant, only minutes from our hotel. The building looks like an old castle, so it was a hit with the kids in our party. It sits just off the Cooper River. Inside, they have a row of picture windows, offering amazing views of the river even if you're not lucky enough to get a window side table.

The food is general American fare and quite tasty. Menu items include salads, steaks, fresh seafood, ribs, chicken, and burgers. They have an extensive dessert and appetizers menu and a full-service bar. No matter what the weather is outside, try their baked potato soup. It is to-die-for and served year-round. In fact, I come here just for the soup. It is very thick and creamy, and you can get toppings added to it such as cheese and bacon, so it tastes like a loaded baked potato. Several people in our party tried the seafood and said it was fresh and some of the best they had tasted. My husband loves seafood and went with the fried crab claws. These are the claws of a blue crab, fried up in a handmade batter and served with fries. I had a tough time deciding and went with the 11-oz. prime rib, served medium-well. It was quite tasty and very tender. It came with a choice of fries or potato, and I went with the potato, loaded. Now, I was deciding between that and the Southwest bacon and quesadilla. Suzanne went with that and was kind enough to let me try a bit. It was mouthwatering. That will be my choice next time. It comes with spicy chicken, bacon, ham, cheese, scallions, and jalapenos. On the side, you get sour cream, green onions, and tomatoes. Perfection! John and I were both 3/4 full, so we split dessert. We went with the amazing apple-walnut-cinnamon pie with ice cream. Oh, my! Worth every calorie.

Sadly enough, the service was horrible. Since we had a large party, we were able to make reservations. We had tickets for a ghost tour afterwards and had allowed ourselves a very generous 1.5 hours at the restaurant. When we got there, we still had to wait. I finally had to say something to the hostess, who just huffed and rolled her eyes. We were crammed into our seats with barely any elbow room. The service was very slow. It took forever just to get salads and soup. We had to keep stopping our waitress to try to find out about our food. She didn’t seem very concerned, even after we explained we had plans. When it finally came out, we had to inhale it.

I would give the food five stars and service two. They offer call-ahead seating. You can visit www.newyorkprime.com and then click on the restaurant.

California Dreaming is a restaurant that we always visit when in Charleston visiting our son. It is very popular with locals, as well as tourists. It is informal dining in a nice atmosphere, since it is located at the Ashley River. It is always crowded, so plan to arrive earlier than the usual lunch or dinner crowd.

We have eaten salads, hamburgers, and chicken strips, which were all good. Their honey-buttered croissants, served with a salad, absolutely melt in your mouth. The restaurant hums with people talking, so no music is needed as a background.

is a "must" for us. Try it! You will like it, too!