divamon's Profile
Czech or Polish butcher in or near Alexandria
Thanks, Dusk - I checked out their website and it looks like exactly what I'm looking for! I'll call before I go to make sure that they're still open.
Czech or Polish butcher in or near Alexandria
I'm looking for some good cold cuts - head cheese, krakower sausage, ham salami, kielbasa, etc. The closest place for me to buy really good ones down here in SC is Atlanta or Columbia and they are both a hike. Is there a particular place in Baltimore that's good?
Czech or Polish butcher in or near Alexandria
I will be in Alexandria for 10 days from the 2nd of July until the 12th and would love to find a good Czech or Polish butcher so that I can bring some good stuff home to South Carolina. Can anyone steer me in the right direction for this? I will have a car, so no problem getting there. Thanks!
Savannah chowhounds--send me to your faves
As an aside to the topic - has anyone been to Love's Seafood? It's a bit out of town on Hwy 17, but I was wondering if it lives up the what I've heard about it. Thanks!
Any Korean or Vietnamese near Hilton Head?
Not at the moment. There was a Korean restaurant in Bluffton, but it has closed. There is, however a Southeast Asian restaurant where the family who runs it is from Myanmar (which might also be the name of the restaurant - I don't remember). I have not been there myself, but I've heard good reports about it. Asian food in general is in scant supply down here. The Japanese places are OK, but there is virtually no Chinese food that can be called anything other than edible, and in many cases, even that is a stretch. We do have a couple of very good Thai restaurants in Bluffton, but that's it.
Gullah in South Carolina low country
Hi Missy - it's a bit further afield, but you can go to Gullah Grub on St. Helena's Island which is run, I believe, by the queen of the Gullah nation (which is still in existence and is very active here in the Lowcountry). The food there is terrific and inexpensive. Just drive to Beaufort and take the bridge over to St. Helena's. The restaurant will be on your left as you drive east and is maybe 5 miles down the road.
Savannah chowhounds--send me to your faves
I'm pretty sure that the place that you're asking about is the Soho South Cafe on Liberty Street. They have really good fresh food - wonderful salads and a really good Sunday brunch. It's in a large old warehouse just east of Whitaker. By the way, Whitaker Street is kind of the "design center" of Savannah and is full of interesting and funky stores. I would recommend it for a walk and a browse.
Hilton Head, SC, restaurants
The Boathouse has been spotty lately. Somethings are really good and others aren't worth the trip. My new favorite is the Black Marlin - their sushi nachos are incredible, as are their mussels. If you're in the mood for fried fish, it's hard to beat them. My favorite for lunch is the French Bakery in Pineland Plaze. Amazing pastries and bread and really, really good soup and sandwiches for lunch. Il Carpaccio is right behind them and many natives think it's the best Italian restaurant on the island. A little farther afield, try the May River Grill in Bluffton - excellent food and the desserts are to die for - really!
Charleston: Garibaldi,Fig,Cru,Poogan's, and general angst
Danna - I'm laughing like crazy here because your parents must be related to mine! In fact, when we go to a restaurant, I always make sure that my mom orders something I can eat because She inevitably won't like it and will ask me to switch plates. Go figure - very often, when we got to a really good restaurant, she'll ask for a burger. All this despite the fact that she's a gourmet level cook and can make the most fabulous and exotic foods at home!
Hilton Head - Fresh seafood market
Hi Kendasuz - I actually live in Bluffton, so I'm not so sure about Savannah. I do go down to the Georgia State Farmers market on Rte 80 every saturday to buy my veggies. They have amazing corn, melons, butter beans, peaches, etc. I've been going there for a couple of years and, while they're not dirt cheap, the produce is local and far less expensive than the organic farmers market on Whitaker. I know many people love Back in the Day bakery on Bull Street. I've never been there, so I can't speak to that, but I have a young friend who goesd to SCAD who goes there every day. It's definitely not a chain! I'll ask around about the seafood places and let you know, but I remember someone telling me there's a place on the way to Tybee that has excellent seafood. I'll find out the name. Welcome to the area - it's a wonderful place to live!
Charleston on the Cheap
I like Sermets on King Street - you might have to wait for a table, but the food is terrific.
Hilton Head - Fresh seafood market
If you want to go for a drive and see some beautiful marsh land, try Low Bottom Seafood just off of Rte 170 North on the way to Beaufort. It'll be about a 20-30 minute drive depending on where you are on Hilton Head, but it's worth it because the fish is exquisitely fresh and about 1/4 of the price of the places on the island - it's about 1/4 mile from a boat landing and their shrimp, crab and local fish are always very, very fresh. For the best pizza, come off the island and go to Bada Bing's on Rte 46 in Bluffton - fabulous pizza as good as any that you'll find in NY. There is truly no other pizza that's all that good on the Island or in Bluffton. For seafood, try Redfish or Black Marlin both on the Island. Redfish is on Palmetto Bay Road and Black Marlin is in Palmetto Bay Marina. I like Da Vino's for italian (which is now in a new location) or IL Carpaccio - which most natives swear by. Finally, if you want to go to a 50's style seafood place - large and bustling, right on the water with shrimp boats docked outside the window (they filmed Forrest Gump there try the 11th Street Dockside restaurant in Port Royal - again a bit of a drive, but really nice and you'll see some beautiful and authentic lowcountry scenery along the way.
Foodie near Clemson for the next 2 months...
Do you have a car while you're there? If so, drive north on Route 11 (Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway) toward Gaffney. Outside of Chesnee, there is a place called that sells the biggest and juiciest strawberries I've ever seen. Each one was as big as the palm of my hand that they were so sweet - it was amazing. And they're $11/gallon! They'll probably have peaches now as well and the drive through the orchards is quite beautiful. On the way up, right near Campobello there is a divey "meat & three" cafeteria that has the BEST fried chicken that I've ever eaten bar none. It's called something like the Depot - I know it has to do with trains, but for the life of me I can't remember the name. It's a $7 all you can eat lunch buffet. The sides were nothing to write home about, but the chicken and pulled pork were heaven. A bit of a drive from Clemson, but a really nice thing to do on a Saturday afternoon.
Hilton Head restaurants for my 21 year old
I also like Redfish and Marley's Island Grill (which is probably better for a younger crowd).
Your laziest salad
Tzatziki from Costco with extra cucumber and tomatoes mixed in - fabulous! Especially with lamb chops.
Recession Cuisine
Learn to love soup and stew! My grandfather ate soup twice a day for his whole life. And most of them were meatless or made with a small amount of salt pork or beef or chicken bones. I still make his white bean soup at least once a week. My relatives in the Czech Republic who lived in severe deprivation after the war, also make a yeast soup with fresh vegetables that costs pennies and is stupendous. It's make with grated up carrots, root celery and root parsley, lots of garlic - to which is added yeast that you've allowed to grow for a little while, and then finally a beaten up egg. Add a piece of rye bread and you're good to go and it tastes amazing!
DESSERT Cookbook of the Month Suggestions
My vote would be for Kaffeehaus by Rick Rodgers. Viennese, Hungarian and Czech pastires - how can you go wrong!
Shrimp and Grits
The scallops were seared and finished off with an acidy sauce that was very, very good - I don't recall what it was and they make that combo anymore. Now, instead of the boursin grits, they make lobster mac n cheese - outrageously good!
Shrimp and Scallop cakes
Thanks everyone! I actually ended up making the cakes with the cilantro sauce. I increased the amount of shrimp and scallops and decreased the filler - they were fabulous and a very big hit. I do intede to try the cakes that johnmalinn made - they sound very good as well!
Baby Shower Menu: Greek Themed With a Challenge
The Barefoot Contessa has a fantastic marinade from grilled shrimp - it's incredible every time. I'm not sure of the exact proportions, but it has parsley, basil, garlic, dry mustard, olive oil - it's probably on line somewhere. For chicken, I cube it (and this works for either breasts or thighs) and then marinate it in lime juice mixed with garlic, salt and pepper and something we get here called Cavendar's Greek Seasoning. If you look for greek seasoning mix in your supermarket, there are several that work. I suspect it's a combo of thyme, rosemary and oregano. Don't marinate for more than 1/2 hour, because it will start to cook the chicken. There is no oil in this marinade, but you don't need it. HAve a wonderful shower!
What to do with too much buttermilk?
Irish soda bread - there is one in the Silver Palate cookbook - not sure how much it calls for though, but the bread is fabulous!
Shrimp and Grits
the BEST grits that I've had were made with Boursin cheese and they were fabulous. They were with scallops, rather than shrimp but hoo-wee were they good!
Turnip. WTF do I do with this thing?
is it a turnip or a rutabaga - is it small and white an purple - then it's a turnip and makes a great soup, especially if you have some parsnips to put in there as well If it's huge an yellow and waxy and hard as a rock then it's a rutabaga and the only thing I know to do with those is to boil and mash them (and even so they're not so hot!)
Shrimp and Scallop cakes
I know that this is a very long shot, but in the late 1990's (maybe around 1997?) one of the food magazines had a fabulous recipe for shirmp and scallop cakes with a shallot vinaigrette. I've looked everywhere and can't find the recipe. I know that it had shrimp and scallops and also shallots, red peppers, green peppers and that's where I lose it. Does anyone out there by any chance have a similar recipe? Thanks!
The Lime - please explain
When I lived in Norwalk, I went to La Paella on a monthly basis. The food is incredible and my favorite appetizer is the little red peppers stuffed with tuna - amazing. The paella is excellent, but there are so many other good things on the menu that I seldom order it. It used to be called Mecca - but I think that the only thing that changed was the name. If you're going on a weekend, do make a reservation or you won't get in. Their mussels are great too!
Call all Southern cooks, Best Southern Baked Ham recipe?
If you have a library, go and look for a cookbook by ALexander Smalls. He is from the lowcountry of South Carolina and makes the BEST baked ham I have ever tasted. If you google him, you might find it online.
Bosnian ingr - peci prasak
Hi again KD. I spoke with a Bosnian friend and she said that it is baking soda, but there is something else in there that's also a leavening agent. She doesn't know what it is, but apparently it doesn't exist in the US. Do you have any ethnic stores around where you live? I know that when I lived in Connecticut, there was a Polish butcher close to me that stocked all kinds of thingss like that (I used to go there to buy Czech flour.) Good luck in your search!
Bosnian ingr - peci prasak
Hi KD - I googled it and from some of the stuff I found online, I think it's baking soda. While I didn't find an exact translation, there was an ad in serbian for toothpaste that contains peci prasak and that's what leads me to believe that it's baking soda. Does that make sense in the context of your recipe?
shopping in hilton head
There are a couple of good places to buy fish to cook on the Island - one is called Barnacle Bills and the other is Hudsons. The first is right on 278 (which is the main drag) and the other is on Squire Pope Road. If you're lucky, the shrimp boat will just be in and you can get shrimp straight off the boat. If you don't mind going further afield, come to Bluffton and go to the Bluffton Oyster Factory. It's the only remaining working oyster factory in South Carolina. They also have fabulous shrimp and the most delicious, huge scallops. If you happen to take a trip up to Beaufort (which is a lovely little town, full of history), you can stop a Low Bottom Sea Food (just next to the Lemon Island boat landing). They have an amazing variety of fresh fish and seafood and their prices are unbeatable. Thier grouper fillets are always $5.50 and pound and exceptional! They also have snapper, flounder, porgy, sea bream, etc, etc and huge shrimp for $6.00 or so a pound. I was there on Saturday and was spoiled for choice.
If you want to have some wonderful and inexpensive Mexican food, try Mi Tierra - they have something called a Chimi Del Mar that will feed a family of four and it's delicious - fresh local shimp and crab in a cream sauce wrapped up in a tortilla. So good!. I also like the Old Fort Pub - mostly for Sunday brunch, which is quite reasonable and really good - the view is also extraordinary. I would avoid buying fish at the Fresh Market - I bought flounder there once and it was awful - tasted of ammonia and we had to toss it - and it cost $17 a pound! Da Vino has good italian food, although the owner is a little eccentric. IL Carpaccio is just as good and the service is much better. In that same shopping center, try the French Bakery for lunch - people become addicted. Also, for French food, there is Le Bistro, which is also in Pineland Station. I would avoid Tapas. I think that it's overpriced for the quality of the food.
As for produce, Publix is always fresh, but I think that Harris Teeter has a better variety. The Piggly Wiggly in Shelter Cove also has very nice produce, and the veggies at the Fresh Market are superb, but will cost you your firstborn.
Enjoy your stay - Hilton Head and the rest of the Lowcountry are wonderful places to be!
