The Bluffton Oyster Co restaurant is just at the top of the street where I work. Their Oyster Stew is divine and if you eat a bowl of that you won't be eating anything else - so good! It's not fancy, but the food is good and very fresh. If you feel like having some Mexican food, Mi Tierra in the same little center of Dr. Mellinchamp Way is terrific.

Hi - being from Bluffton, I will have to disagree with Dale J. There is plenty to do here and we do have a farmer's market every Thursday on Calhoun street where you can get local and organic produce, meats and fish. There is also cooked food set up there and you will get your oysters pulled straight from the river and fried in front of you. Some alternative suggestions for you - try Roastfish and Cornbread on Marshland Road. It's owned by Chef David, who used to be the Chef at the Sea Shack and has really good food at great value - truly has the best gumbo I've tasted. We also like the Black Marlin, although it can get a little crazed in season since it's a favorite with locals. There is a tiny new italian restaurant that is very good called Pomodori, but be sure to make a reservation or you won't eat there. For a casual lunch, there is a lovely little place called A LowCountry Backyard that is just off Palmetto Bay Road - you'll have to search for it, but it's worth looking for. I have to say that I'm not in love with Hudson' s because once you've lived here a while, fried seafood begins to lose its appeal. That's one of the reasons that I like Roastfish - you can get your fish fried, grilled or blackened. It also has an extensive vegetarian menu if you're not feeling the meat thing. Most of the restaurants that have been written about are still around and for the most part have maintained their quality. Michael Anthony's continues to shine for great Italian food and impeccable service. A big tip here is that if you don't mind dining early, they have incredible value in their early bird specials.

And his gumbo is to die for. It's one of my favorite restaurants on Hilton Head. Not fancy, not expensive, just really, really good food. I love his whole roast flounder. It's always perfect. I also second Michael Anthony's - lovely atmosphere and great service in a pretty room. Pomodoro is tiny and new and has great buzz about it. I personally am not a fan of Il Carpaccio. It's loud and the service is rude and the meal that I had there was not that good. For lunch, do try the French Bakery in Pineland Statton (just next to Il Carpaccio). I sent a friend there and she became addicted to their pastries!

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.

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?

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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!

I like Sermets on King Street - you might have to wait for a table, but the food is terrific.

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.

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.

I also like Redfish and Marley's Island Grill (which is probably better for a younger crowd).

Tzatziki from Costco with extra cucumber and tomatoes mixed in - fabulous! Especially with lamb chops.

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!

My vote would be for Kaffeehaus by Rick Rodgers. Viennese, Hungarian and Czech pastires - how can you go wrong!

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!

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!

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!

Irish soda bread - there is one in the Silver Palate cookbook - not sure how much it calls for though, but the bread is fabulous!

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!

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!)

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!

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!

Has anyone been? How is the food?

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.