After a short ride to the Circa 1886 Restaurant in the garden of the elegant Wentworth Mansion, a waiter explains the evening's choices. Last year, the meal began with a bowl of caramelized onion-cream soup. Then we chose from chicken with spinach-ricotta mousse over mushroom-braised wild rice or broiled lemon-ginger perch with a lentil puree, shrimp bisque sauce, and fennel salad. Although the entrées seemed just average, the carriage rides and atmosphere made it a memorable and unique stop.

The historic John Rutledge House Inn hosts dessert in the upstairs parlor with a blazing fireplace. Last year, the inn served chocolate and coconut cakes; this year's final course promises to include a luscious red velvet cake and a peppermint-stick cheesecake. Afterward, folks leave by twos and threes to walk to their lodgings under the twinkle of stars sifting through the city's holiday lights.

Info: Progressive Dinner: (843) 853-7828 or www.circa1886.com. $85 per person, includes tax and gratuity. December 1-3, 5-10, 12-13, 15-17, 19-20, and 22-23.

left: At the 20th-annual Progressive Dinner, carriages ferry participants between the evening's courses.