Now since we've lived in South Carolina, my wife and I haven't spent any time in the playground for everyone NOT from South Carolina (aka Hilton Head) because everyone we know here never goes. It seems to be the place to which tourists and old (or new) money from outside the state flock. I found, during my recent stay there with my wife and her parents, that this avoidance by Carolinians is a big mistake. No offense to my newfound Sumter friends but this is a place that deserves adoration and the required subsequent visits. I found, to my delight, that the food here is not just the tourist trap food one might expect in a beach town. Now don't get me wrong, there are some burgers and fried fish on the boardwalk, but once in awhile we just want greasy basket of fried shrimp.
And now to my favorite restaurant of the entire stay, a British restaurant called the British Open Pub. Ok... Put down the phone, you don't have to call the men in white coats to take me away (just yet). I know the British are known for many things: overpriced tea, bad teeth, and royalty with a penchant for beheading their wives. But not food, right? Wrong. The British food we get here in the States is often wretched, and let's be honest, Scottish food doesn't help things at all. However, good British food cooked correctly is really very good, just head over to this joint and you'll apologize for calling me crazy. They have three dishes that you just have to try: The fish and chips, the Pub Wellington, and the Steak and Mushroom Pie. I tried these dishes because if a British place can't do these traditional favorites well then they don't deserve to be called a good British restaurant. And they do it very well. They spice it right, they slow cook it right and they fry it right. It was the place I kept talking about the whole week - I daydream about that steak and mushroom pie to this day.
The second restaurant I can't ignore from that week is a French place on the water called Bistro 17. Now I love a good French restaurant because no culinary tradition knows how to put flavor, richness, complexity and style in a dish like a French chef. This place takes classic French dishes and doesn't screw with them. They don't try to "put their own spin" on them and they don't try to go "a new modern direction,"but instead see that a great classic dish is just that, great. Their escargot is en croute and is perfectly seasoned and cooked, their duck confit is succulent and glorious, and the Boeuf Bourguignon is beautiful in all of its fall apart glory. This place is just a great example of how to do a classic dish really well.
My last place is not a restaurant, but a mecca for the home chef, the Oilerie. This is an olive oil and balsamic vinegar store that does what it does very well. If you haven't ever been in a store like this then I highly recommend it. Janie and I love visiting the spice and oil stores whenever we find them and this place doesn't disappoint one bit. I know that you can buy olive oil and balsamic vinegar in the grocery, but when you taste the mass produced store bought stuff and then compare that to the 25 year aged balsamic at the Oilerie then you will find a new chefy nirvana that will elevate your sauces and salad dressings to a whole new level.
So I hope I've given you a new reason to take a second look at those places that you may not want to go to because you're from the area or you think it's a tourist trap. Explore, things might have changed since you last checked, and if you explore and find that your city's tourist trap areas are still miserable then come over to Hilton Head and have one heck of a British lunch, French dinner, and some peel and eat shrimp in between.
In honor of Bistro 17, here is my homemade French Onion soup
Ingredients:
8 onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8 cups beef stock
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
1 loaf French bread
2 cups grated Gruyere
Saute onions in oil over medium heat until translucent (about 5 minutes). Turn the heat to low, cover, and let it cook for about 20 more minutes until light gold color. Turn the heat back up to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are caramelized and a dark gold color (about 30 more minutes). Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until it is cooked and mixed in. Sprinkle flour over onions, cook a few minutes more, browning the flour well. Add stock and wine and bring to a boil, add thyme and bay leaf. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 20 minutes or so. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
Meanwhile, slice French bread into 3/4-inch slices and butter both sides. Toast slices on griddle until golden brown. Ladle soup into an ovenproof bowl, add toasted bread and cover with cheese. Place ovenproof bowl on a baking sheet lined with tin foil. Bake at 350 degrees F or 5 minutes under a hot broiler until the cheese is completely melted and slightly browned.
