St Patrick's Day Celebration

It's here--St Patrick's Day weekend!!  (y'all getting the idea I celebrate a holiday longer than its expected celebration period?? 😉 )

This St Patrick's Day when my Mr. puts on his "Today I'm Irish" pin, he really means it.  He just found out he is 11% Irish.  That's enough for us all to jump up and do a little Irish jig.  Lol

In honor of his (barely there) Irish heritage, I'm upping my Irish food and drink game.  The Guinness, Harps, and Smithwicks beers have been purchased. PSA--please, please, please do NOT pronounce it Smith-wicks!!  The W is silent.  Acceptable pronunciations are "Smi-thicks","Smith-icks", and "Smi-ddicks".

The Guinness dark chocolate cheesecake has been baked.  Kevin over at Closet Cooking is a Guinness genius! I'll be digging around for some more recipes to cook up.

Locals, Low Tide Brewing is offering special green glitter beer this weekend.  McCann's Irish Pub on Seabrook will be open Sunday, March 17 from 10 am- 10 pm! Sláinte!

Coming Soon- Bohicket Marina Restaurants

It's been a long cold winter...nah, not really.  But it has been too long since I've had a Fischer's patty melt!

Hopefully, we won't have to wait much longer for the re-opening of Fischer's Sports Pub and Lokal.  Fingers crossed for later this month.

Now the BIG news that I've been holding back on (yes, I have kept my big mouth shut for TWO months!).  A new restaurant will soon be opening at Bohicket Marina in the spot previously occupied by Red's Ice House.  Any guesses??

The Salty Dog Cafe!!  Salty Dog will be a great addition to the marina offering casual dining for the entire family.  Word on the street is Salty Dog is trying to get open by the end of March.  I'll keep you updated.

Favorite Things

These are a few of my favorite things ♩♩♩♪♪   Sorry for the the ear worm and my radio silence.

February is my "birthday month" (my celebrations last for more than ONE day 😀 ).  This February my Mr. flew me to Walt Disney World.  And, it was a good thing because I had a new travel gadget to test.

First up, the Trtl Travel Pillow. It's a curious looking thing.  Flexible U-shaped plastic thingie (technical term) covered in fleece.  Oh, but does it work?  Yes, yes it does.

Place the Trtl between your neck and your shoulder; wrap the fleece around your neck and velcro.  You can now take a cat nap.  If you're not a shoulder sleeper, the Trtl can be easily shifted for forward head napping.  This travel pillow will be making its way across the pond with me later this year.

Second thing I'm loving, actually obsessed with, is my new Dansko Charlie rose suede sneakers.  These sneakers hit the ground running on Day 1 at WDW.  No socks and 30,000 steps later, my feet felt fantastic!  I think I might have to order another pair of Dansko sneakers.

My third favorite item has been in my beauty arsenal for a while-- Trader Joe's single packets of coconut oil.  These are great for travel!  They're compliant in your carry-on luggage.  Uses for coconut oil include makeup remover, body oil/lotion, even as sun protection.  Yup, I used these little coconuts as lotion and light sun protection at Disney World.  

What are some of your favorite things?  Let me know.

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

Less than two weeks til Valentine's Day, have you thought about what you're getting your sweetie?  Sure, you could make dinner reservations at any one of Charleston's fine eating establishments. But, why not try something different this year?

Below are a few ideas (strong suggestions if my Mr. is reading 😊 ):

• Manicure or pedicure- The Water Room, located in the Cigar Factory, 701 East Bay St, Suite 105. Trust me, this is the real deal nail salon.  No strange odors, no frankenchemically made gel polishes or removers.
• Champagne- Camellias Champagne Bar at Hotel Bennett.  The wait is over! Two decades in the making, Hotel Bennett is open.  And, how spectacular it is! Head over to Camellias Champagne Bar for Valentine's Day and grab a glass (or two) of rosé for $12.  Did I mention that the bar is painted pink??
• Chocolate- Christophe Artisan Chocolatier, with locations downtown (90 Society St) and in West Ashley (1901 Ashley River Rd), your sweetest dreams have come true. You can't go wrong with a box of artisan chocolates, a chocolate bar, macarons, or some other bakery item.  If you're looking for something that lasts a little longer, consider gifting one of Christophe's classes
• Adventure- Wild Blue Ropes Adventure Park, 1595 Highland Avenue, James Island.  This is something for the brave...and not so brave.  I've done Wild Blue Ropes several times.  Each time challenging myself to go a little farther and a little higher.  WBR is offering Valentine's Date Night on February 14, 2019 for $50 per couple.

I'm off to get my Valentine's festivities planned.  💕

Poogan's Porch Rollback 2019

Charleston Restaurant Week has come and gone (insert sad emoji). If you're still hungry for more deals, Poogan's Porch (72 Queen St) has you covered.

From January 21-February 12, 2019, Poogan's will be rolling back its prices by 40% on some of its most popular menu items.  You can view the rollback menu here.

To continue riding the savings train, Poogan's Smokehouse (188 E. Bay St) will be offering 20% of its dinner menu through February 12th.  Go ahead and get yourself an order of the Buffalo pork rinds as a starter :) 



Tip Thursday: Parking can be a challenge in Charleston.  Metered street parking requires payment Monday through Saturday from 9 am -10 pm.  The parking rate is $2/hour with a limit of two hours. If you want to grab a quick bite or coffee BEFORE 9 am or after 10 pm, parking's free.  Metered parking is also free on Sundays and official city holidays.

Charleston Restaurant Week-2019

It's the yummiest time of year here in Charleston--Restaurant Week.

Charleston Restaurant Week is in full swing! This year it runs from January 9-20th.  Over 100 restaurants in the Charleston area are participating.

There's something for everyone-BBQ, seafood, lowcountry, Italian, French, etc. All restaurants are offering dinner specials; some brunch/lunch specials.

Make those reservations as quickly as you can!

Seabrook Island Restaurants

Before we head out to explore the restaurants of Seabrook, Kiawah, and John's Island, we need a game plan.  We need a map!

Below is a current list (as of January 2019) of all the restaurants on the islands.  Some restaurants are old favorites (I'm talking about you Fischer's); some are quickly becoming my family's go-to place (can I get a cheer for McCann's Irish Pub?).

Seabrook Island:

1. McCann’s Irish Pub-located outside SBI gate, 1001 Landfall Way
2. Fischer’s Sports Pub–Bohicket Marina 2/1/2019--Temporarily Closed
3. Lokal Seabar-Bohicket Marina 2/1/2019--Temporarily Closed
4. La Fogata Mexican- Bohicket Marina
5. Lucky Luciano’s Pizzeria-Bohicket Marina
6. The Ice Cream Boat- Bohicket Marina
7. Red’s Ice House CLOSED

Freshfields Village:

1. La Tela Pizzeria

2. Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream

3. Fuji Sushi

4. Cantina 76

5. Porch Bar at The Andell Inn

6. King St Grille

7. 48 Wine Bar

8. Java Java Coffee

9. Hege’s

10. Ladles Homemade Soups

11. Vincent’s Soda Fountain

12. The Station Deli

13. Harris Teeter- made to order

Kiawah Island Resort:

1. The Ocean Room-The Sanctuary Hotel

2. The Sushi Lounge-The Sanctuary Hotel

3. The Bar-The Sanctuary Hotel

4. Jasmine Porch- The Sanctuary Hotel

5. Loggerhead Grill- The Sanctuary Hotel

6. Beaches & Cream- The Sanctuary Hotel

7. The Atlantic Room-The Ocean Course

8. Ryder Cup Bar-The Ocean Course

9. Tomasso-Turtle Point Golf

10. Cherry Wood BBQ & Ale House- Osprey Golf 

11. Night Heron Grill-Night Heron Park

12. The Market at Town Center

John’s Island:

1. Kava Coffee-4430 Betsy Kerrison Pkwy

2. Crave Smokehouse- CLOSED

3. Roadside Seafood- 3966 Betsy Kerrison Pkwy

4. Sunrise Bistro- 1797 Main Rd

5. Stono Market and Tomato Shed Café- 842 Main Rd

6. Gilligan’s Seafood- 160 Main Rd

7. Baker & The Farmer- 3338 Maybank Hwy 2/1/2019--Closed at the location

8. Tattooed Moose- 3328 Maybank Hwy

9. Krazy Owls- 3157 Maybank Hwy

10. Seanachi Irish Pub- 3157-B Maybank Hwy

11. Southern General- 3157-E Maybank Hwy

12. Fat Hen- 3140 Maybank Hwy
13. The Royal Tern- 3005 Maybank Hwy

14. Wild Olive- 2867 Maybank Hwy

15. Low Tide Brewing- 2863 Maybank Hwy

16. Fuyu Fusion- 2817 Maybank Hwy

17. Maria’s Mexican Grill- 2817 Maybank Hwy

18. JI Pizza- 2770 Maybank Hwy
19. Pluff Mudd Seafood Shack-COMING SOON (Spring 2019)-3605 Maybank Hwy

Happy New Year!!

Welcome to 2019!  Wait, what??  It's been over two years since I last posted?  Why does real life get in the way of online life? 😃

We've got a lot of catching up to do.  Let's start with my word of the year for 2019 (I gave up on "resolutions" years ago!)--EXPLORE.  Pretty bold for a semi-introvert.

This year I want to EXPLORE more around my neighborhood.  There have been a few changes in the Seabrook Island/Kiawah Island restaurant scene.

Shall we tackle Charleston's new restaurants too! (So many comings and goings; Did you know THE Sean Brock left Chs for Nashville?)  Put on your stretchy pants and let's eat!

We can work off calories as we EXPLORE some of Charleston's popular (and not so popular) tourists' sights.  Maybe a quick day trip or two?

Who's up for sports? Maybe this will be the year I get myself out to Daniel Island for the Volvo Car Open to watch world class women's tennis?  Or maybe I'll dust off my golf clubs and play a few holes of golf?

Pack your Dora the Explorer backpack! We've got some exploring to do!