There’s evidence that peanuts were first cultivated in Brazil or Peru 4,700 years ago, spread to Spain and Africa by traders and explorers and eventually to the United States along with the slave trade.
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Smoke, fire, history and tradition intermingle to make South Carolina barbecue special. Whether you’re driving the Lowcountry streets of Charleston or cruising the upstate near Spartanburg, a barbecue restaurant is never far away on a road trip.
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The Holy City is already known for its festivals that bring foodies from all over to taste oysters, shrimp, and now… barbeque!
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Waffles have been a highly-thought-of source of sustenance and gastronomical gratification in Europe since the Middle Ages, while fried chicken has been a staple on American dinner tables – especially in the South – for centuries. Only reasonably recently, however, has this somewhat unlikely combination of crispy and crunchy started showing up together on Lowcountry menus.
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When travelers come to the Lowcountry and expect an introduction to the regional cuisine, they’re often placed in front of several menu items: cathead biscuits, the ubiquitous Lowcountry boil and, without question, the oyster.
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Lois Rogers is a 73-year-old Italian American who relocated to South Carolina in 2021 and looks forward to a special meal each year during the holiday season — one her family has prepared “every Christmas as far back as [she] can remember.”
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Even in a food-centric town such as Charleston, South Carolina, it’s not every day that a famous Food Network star is a stone’s throw away shooting her very own show for a famed chef-driven network.
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Summer in the Lowcountry has certain festivities and foods that we all look forward to year after year, and ice cream is undoubtedly one of them
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Charleston has a way of inspiring – of drawing a person into its beauty and its charm. It is a rare mix of old and new that lights inspiration and passion in the hearts of those who love this city. Among cobblestones and ironclad fences and in the crispness of winter passing met with that hint of humidity, I recently walked the streets where Matt and Ted Lee, James Beard award-winning authors and hometown heroes, described their childhood.
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Many moons ago while still living in Myrtle Beach, my now-husband and I woke up one morning thirsty… for Bloody Mary’s. And not just any Bloody Mary, but the BEST. And preferably in a town we hadn’t been living in for 5+ years.
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Who doesn’t love a great happy hour? Reasonable—if not downright insane—prices on our favorite cocktails and bites, socially acceptable hours for every adult to be out, and the chance to gather with friends.
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Simply stated, etiquette is being considerate. Good manners make another person feel cared for, loved and appreciated. If you strive to use proper etiquette, you will always be thinking of the other person in all situations. These fundamentals of etiquette remain the same as always, even as we navigate the “new normal” of 2020.
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Mere months ago, one could venture to Harold’s Cabin for a drink and a bite on any given evening and the mood was likely to invoke a different time: namely, Charleston in the 1930s, when the original Harold’s Cabin was just as neighborly and welcoming.
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Summer’s not over, friends! Grills around the country are still firing up every night to charr, smoke and BBQ some of the best meats and veggies in the land. One of the most popular invitees to the backyard grill is the lowly hamburger; the paper plate tester; the white shirt distresser. In its most basic form, the burger is simply ground meat and bread. With care, even in its simplest form, the burger can be glorious—tender, juicy meat; springy, not too dense bread.
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Nestled halfway between Charleston and Myrtle Beach lies an unassuming, quaint coastal town absolutely brimming with all of the charm of the South. Though it’s not as flashy as some of its counterparts, historic Georgetown was one of the first cities settled on the Carolina coast, and it has become a must-visit spot for both vacationers and locals, thanks to abundant waterfront shopping, dining and outdoor activities.
Read MoreWith the right ingredients and enough passion, a great meal can come from a kitchen of any size. Big doesn’t always mean better—but functional? Now that can make all the difference in the world to a chef, and even more so, to a home cook.
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Draped in Spanish moss along the Atlantic Ocean stands Beaufort, South Carolina. It’s been called the cousin or litter sister of its neighboring Lowcountry towns Savannah and Charleston—both of which are only a little over an hour away—and for good reason. It’s undeniably charming yet smaller, making a day or two adventure in Beaufort the perfect amount of time to soak everything up without feeling rushed.
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For folks in the Lowcountry, food is the focal point of any gathering, and desserts deserve special attention and fore-thought. In fact, most people recall joyful memories when reflecting on holiday gatherings, with desserts as a generous slice of that nostalgia.
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Last December, I watched the classic film “It’s a Wonderful Life” for my first time (no, really!) and was particularly captivated by an early scene, where our protagonist meets his bride-to-be at the soda fountain. I found myself filled with what I figured was misplaced nostalgia, thinking to myself, Gosh, wouldn’t it be nice to sit somewhere on a Saturday, passing the time with a cheeseburger, a milkshake and a pleasant conversation, in between holiday shopping?
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Sweet tea is a demarcation line for Dixie, much like “Hey y’all!” or the Piggly Wiggly. If a restaurant server asks whether you want your tea “sweet or unsweet,” you know you are solidly below the Mason-Dixon. Despite its celebrity status within the South, sweet tea has a muddled heritage. Sweet tea is not like a MoonPie, which is solidly from Chattanooga. Or Elvis Presley, from Memphis by way of Tupelo. We know their backstories. But where did you come from, Sweet Tea? Who are your people?
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