Fresh Food Fix
From Farm to Sea, Beaufort Enriches Your Palate
You’ll find everything from steak to blue
crab on area menus, with countless restaurants — the rustic and the
refined — serving up memorable specialties. Although standard
continental fare is in abundant and delicious supply,
fresh-off-the-boat seafood is Beaufort’s culinary claim to fame.
The area is a paradise for connoisseurs of calamari, oysters,
bass, crab, flounder and shrimp. Local chefs offer infinite
variety, continually experimenting with new dishes starring the
day’s catch. You can gobble up breaded shrimp from a basket while
on a barefoot ramble along a pier, or slowly savor braised tuna and
sip vintage wine by candlelight. In the heart of the Lowcountry,
pleasure is largely defined by food from the sea — any way you like
it. Especially bountiful, shrimp serves as a primary ingredient in
numerous dishes, including shrimp pies, shrimp burgers, shrimp and
grits, shrimp gumbo and...you get the picture. To fill up on these
seafood delights,grab a table at a go-to seafood eatery such as
11th Street
Dockside in
Port Royal (where steamed shrimp and smooth she-crab
soup reign supreme).
In the Lowcountry, many dishes have origins
dating back hundreds of years. Consider, for example, the ancient
cuisine of the Gullahs, whose African ancestors were brought to the
area as slaves. These descendants still inhabit the islands.
Through the centuries,
Gullahs have proudly preserved a culture that includes
a distinctive cooking style that’s heavy on grilling, roasting and
stewing. And, of course, seafood is key. For a thoroughly authentic
taste of Gullah fixin’s, head out to St.
Helena Island and grab a table at Gullah
Grub — featured on Travel Channel’s Anthony Bourdain:
No Reservations. Chef/owner (and genuine Gullah) Bill Green
proffers a toothsome and seasonal selection including crab soup,
shark strips, fish chowder and shrimp gumbo. If you’re in the mood
for fresh produce, check out local farmers markets and produce
stands. The Market at Naval
Heritage Park in Port Royal is open from April to
December with summer and fall’s best products — heirloom tomatoes,
blueberries, eggplant, organic eggs and even homemade soaps.
The Downtown
Beaufort Farmers Market takes place every Wednesday
from April through October in the Freedom Mall.
Browse local fruits, veggies and fresh seafood.
Habersham Marketplace
Farmers Market is open year-round on most Fridays and
features crafts and goods from local artisans and farmers, as well
as live entertainment. If you’re on the road, pull over at
Barefoot Farms or Dempsey Farms
on St. Helena Island to pick your own fruits and veggies. They
supply several local restaurants (Breakwater Restaurant &
Bar, Plums
Restaurant, Saltus River
Grill) with produce. Plenty more area restaurants
(Bella Luna Café on St. Helena Island,
Bricks on Boundary in downtown Beaufort and
Maggie’s Pub &
Eatery at Habersham Marketplace) also use local meats
and produce as a part of South Carolina’s “Fresh on the Menu”
program. Chefs agree to prepare their menus using at least 25
percent certified state-grown foods. After your fresh-food fix,
it’s time for wine-and-dessert.
Sample the sips at Lowcountry
Winery’s tasting room on Bay Street. Or head to
Ridgeland to taste the varietals at September Oaks Vineyards.
Grab your favorite bottle, then pick up an assortment of Stockies
Rockies (pecans and raspberry marshmallows smothered in milk
chocolate) from the Chocolate Tree
on Carteret Street. Lay out a blanket along the riverbank and enjoy
your divine dessert as the sun sets. Still hungry? Sink your teeth
into the area’s flavor-filled food festivals. In May,
A Taste of
Beaufort features a smorgasbord of the town’s yummiest
creations in the picturesque Waterfront Park. Beaufort’s
Shrimp
Festival kicks off in October, spotlighting the best
shrimp dishes from local restaurants. And don’t miss April’s
Soft Shell Crab
Fest, hosted in the Old Village of Port Royal, where
numerous eateries present their finest soft-shell delicacies.
Available for a short period of time when blue crabs shed their
hard shells, soft-shell crabs are harvested in April and May. We
suggest you get ’em while they’re hot…or rather, soft. Wash them
down with ice-cold sweet tea — in a Mason jar, of course.
All About Lowcountry Cooking
One of the most colorful styles of cooking, Lowcountry cuisine
can’t be defined just by the ingredients. It’s a tradition, a
reflection of history and a way of life. The food of South
Carolina’s coastal plain combines English, French, African and West
Indian culinary customs. Fresh local produce (corn and squash) and
seafood (crab, shrimp, oysters and fish) are delicious bases for
this style of comfort food. Taste your way around Beaufort to
experience authentic Lowcountry cooking. Here are some local dishes
you won’t want to miss, and locals’ favorite spots that serve ’em
just right:
- Shrimp ’n’ Grits: When Lowcountry fishermen added leftover
shrimp to their morning grits (boiled, coarsely ground corn), they
named it “breakfast shrimp.” Over the past few decades, restaurants
have made shrimp ’n’ grits into a dinner entrée. Try
Emily’s Restaurant and
Tapas Bar for some of Beaufort’s tastiest shrimp ’n’
grits (with a little spice!).
- She-Crab Soup: The Lowcountry is credited with adding the “she”
to traditional crab bisque by enhancing the color and flavor with
crab eggs. Today, she-crab soup is a creamy cross between a bisque
and a chowder, with hearty doses of sherry and blue crab. Sample
the homemade soup (featured in Southern Living magazine) with “a
little bite” at Barbara Jean’s
Restaurant on Lady’s
Island.
- Frogmore Stew: Also known as Lowcountry Boil, this dish
originated in the Beaufort area. Despite what many suspect, the
stew doesn’t actually have frog in it. The name comes from
the Frogmore area on St. Helena Island. Here, homemade chefs cook
up fresh shrimp, corn-on-the-cob and spicy sausage into a hearty
stew. Try the tantalizing take on the stew at Steamer
Oyster & Steakhouse on Lady’s Island, or check around
local farmers markets for the “We Island” Gumbo n’
Tings stand to sample a local favorite.
Caffeine Fix
Get your coffee treat any time of day. This area is fully
equipped with plenty of local coffee shops serving up some of the
best cups of Joe. Common Ground overlooks
Waterfront Park and offers unique blends and hearty baked goods.
City Java &
News sits in City Loft, Beaufort’s only boutique
hotel, and gets all its beans from a local roaster.
