Best Kept Secrets

THANKSGIVING MADE EASY

Life seems to be so hectic and not everyone has time after working a full day to come home and prepare for a traditional dinner.  Family is spread out all over the globe and families spend time either in their home base or travel elsewhere to see family and friends.  The LowCountry is known for good old Southern comfort food that warms the spirit and the soul.  If you are traveling to this area for the holidays and want to have some sort of tradition, but don't want to cook, here are some shortcuts to enjoy both traditonal and non traditional ideas!

“The more grateful we become, the more we experience grace in life.”
Eric Handler
November is a month known for its gratitude. It is the beginning of a season that makes us more aware of the blessings, people, and opportunities that surround us.
I am grateful for this chance to live in an age where it is possible to find so many amazing projects, ideas, and movements with just a few clicks of the mouse. We’ve never had the ability to be so connected to innovation before, so I feel like it’s only right to share the goodness I’ve come across.

Bluffton Oyster Company is not exactly a traditional dinner of turkey and pumpkin pie, but one thing that is tradition here in the South is a good old fashioned Oyster Roast, LowCountry boil or barbeque. 

BLUFFTON

The History of The Bluffton Oyster Company

A Family Run Operation Since 1899

The Bluffton Oyster Company actually sits on reclaimed land, built up by more than a hundred years of discarded shells from previous shucking operations. The oyster business thrived in early Bluffton and throughout the 1920’s, with five different oyster operations in the area. Now the Bluffton Oyster Company remains the last hand-shucking house in the state of South Carolina.

We specialize in fresh local seafood; oysters, clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, fish filets, soft shell crabs and live blue crabs. All oysters are harvested & shucked by hand. We employ 15 Oyster pickers and up to 12 oysters shuckers daily.  Come on in today! 9:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday - Saturday, 63 Wharf St. 843-757-4010.
www.blufftonoyster.com

About BBQ Xpress

Known to many locals as the best BBQ in South Carolina, Choo Choo BBQ’s little red caboose has been a part of Bluffton, and the Lowcountry, for nearly 20 years.
Owned and operated by the Blankenship family, Choo Choo BBQ serves-up fine quality southern cuisine, cheerfully prepared by folks who understand hospitality.
Offering traditional oak wood smoked, slow-cooked and hand-pulled pork, chicken and baby back ribs, Choo Choo BBQ’s specialty sauce is served on the side for those who take their BBQ experience seriously.
Choo Choo BBQ also prepares several savory, home-cooked side dishes to compliment your meal.
Located at 129 Burnt Church Rd., just south of Hwy. 278, the gateway to Hilton Head Island, Choo Choo BBQ has long maintained its reputation as being one of the best purveyors of traditional BBQ anywhere!

If you would like the Blankenship family to smoke a turkey for the holidays, they will have 12 - 14 lb turkey available for pre-orders only. Call for detail!

(843) 815-7675

Hours: Tue. through Sat. 11am. - 7:30pm Closed on Sunday and Monday.

 http://choochoobbq.net/

The Cottage

The Cottage Café is located in the historic district of Old Town
Bluffton, South Carolina, on Calhoun Street. It exemplifies both old
world charm and the warm hospitality of the South.

  They have a great variety of specialty breads as well as  gluten-free loaves, upon request
  Pie, Tarts, Cookies, Bread Pudding, Pound Cakes,
Whoopie Pies, Cheesecake,
Dessert Bars, Coffee Cake, Cupcakes, Corn Bread, Granola,
World Famous Scones, Muffins, Brownies, Shortbread, and
of course, Cake, Cake, Cake!
Everything baked fresh, from scratch, by hand. 
For special orders, we kindly request a minimum of 48 hours
(843) 757-0508
http://www.thecottagebluffton.com

HILTON HEAD

SIGNE'S HEAVEN BOUND BAKERY & CAFE

A trip to Hilton Head is not complete unless you have sampled a slice of Heaven low country style.  Signe's has made it easy for your family to dine in your convenience of your home, villa, vacation rental or for employees who are working and want to share a bit of tradition, in the workplace.

Signe's  has the whole bird as well as the fixin's as well as Brunches, Suppers, family style veggies, bisquits, cake, cookies and her scrumptious pies on the island as well as Royal Holiday Cakes.

Thanksgiving pick-up is Wednesday 21 and will reopen on Friday

Call (843) 785-9118

http://www.signesbakery.com/

SAVANNAH

  A line gathers each morning at
107 West Jones Street. At 11
o'clock, the doors of 107 open
and the lunch crowd finds seats
at one of the large tables-for-ten
shared by strangers. Tabletops
are crowded with platters of
fried chicken and cornbread
dressing, sweet potato souffle,
black-eyed peas, okra gumbo,
corn muffins and biscuits. The
menu changes daily so regulars
can have something different
every day. Stop by and enjoy the
special pleasure of a meal shared
with neighbors and strangers.
There is nothing more welcoming than to sit down to a table filled with home-cooked food, with family, friends or strangers (you won't be strangers for long). - "Pass the chicken!"

The table, set for us before we sat down.

Mrs. Wilkes' is pure and simple. 

• Line up before they open (um... the line gets LONG, so skip breakfast and get in line)
• Sit down at a table (tables of 10).
• Wait for the blessing, especially the first seating, no matter what you believe... you will want to THANK someone for this food.
• Now, PASS THE CHICKEN!!! And then pass EVERYTHING else.  I think we were passing food for a solid 10 minutes before we gave up.
• Enjoy!!!  Talk to the people about the food, figure out who those strangers are, pace yourself!

  Inside Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room, four generations of the Wilkes family platters of Mrs. Wilkes' legendary fried chicken, beef stew and biscuits. Friends, family and fellow diners pass bowls brimming with her butter beans, collard greens, mashed sweet have worked the ground-floor, keeping the restaurant's tables laden with potatoes and banana pudding.
Mrs. Wilkes' Dining room will be open the day before 
Thanksgiving, so if you want to experience a true Southern family style dining expereience, then I would recommend.
107 West Jones St
Savannah, GA
(912) 232-5997
http://www.mrswilkes.com

BEAUFORT

  BARBARA JEAN'S RESTAURANT 

What’s for Thanksgiving?

BY DON VARNADOE

There are many stories about what could have been the first Thanksgiving and where it happened and what foods were used in those celebrations. To give us direction, the United States Congress in 1941 established Thanksgiving to occur annually on the fourth Thursday of November.

Usually, we think of the celebration that the Pilgrims and Indians had as the first Thanksgiving and we think of turkey as part of the food. Historians indicate that turkey, as we know it, was not a part of that celebration. However, traditionally we seem to think of turkey as the leading meat for the annual feast of thanks.

If you are looking for a change, Barbara Barta of Barbara Jean’s Restaurants has some suggestions and they are all great! How about crab cakes or pork loin and some She Crab soup? Well, your next thought should be, where do I get these items or how do I make them? The answer is easy.

So that you can enjoy the day, Barbara, her husband, Jim, and their Southern-trained staff will help you. Their restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. to serve you, or you can call in for a “pick up,” or some items can be ordered online at www.barbarajeans.com and be prepared at home. Barbara is so dedicated to her customers that she has turned her family Thanksgiving over to her daughter, Lisa. To go along with her big meal, Lisa makes cranberry-orange sauce and bakes cranberry nut bread.

The Thanksgiving menu at Barbara Jean’s will offer roasted turkey breast and pork loin roast with a special apple-rosemary sauce to go with the cornbread dressing and fresh vegetables. Dessert will be peach cobbler- Yum Yum!! Now if you are still looking for something different and passed on the crab cakes and She Crab soup, how about the coconut fried shrimp and some chocolate stuff? As always, there will be freshly baked pumpkin bread, homemade wheat rolls, and sweet jalapeño corn bread.

www.barbarajeans.com

Credits to:

Bluffton Oyster Factory

Choo Choo BBQ Express

The Cottage

Signe's Heven Bound Bakery

Mrs. Wilkes

Barbara Jeans Restaurant