Hilton Head Vacation Restaurants, 2015

Almost every year I make a trip to South Carolina's lowcountry. This year, as we've done for the past several years, we stayed in Hilton Head Island (HHI). On the way back we passed through Myrtle Beach. Spent one night in Kinston, NC and passed through Raleigh, NC with Pittsburgh as the home destination. What follows is my food itinerary for the week.

I apologize for the scarcity of photos. In September when I ate at these places I had no idea that I'd have a food blog happening in a few months. Next year I'll do better with the camera.


Saturday

Lunch - Bucci's Italian Cuisine. Pizza was good, service was good and the outdoor seating was near the water but there was some intangible that left me a little unsettled. Maybe it was nothing more than travel fatigue.

Dinner - Java Burrito. Just a great place. It is similar to a Chipotle but with local charm and fresh, local ingredients.

The make line at Java Burrito

The beverage menu at Java Burrito. Yes, that is OJ for just $1.00. Yes, that is Dom Perrignon for $225.

Sunday

Lunch - Salty Dog Cafe. A regular stop when in HHI. More for the tradition than for the food, which is perfectly average. With $12-$15 plates and sandwiches, a $6 toll to get there, plus tax and tip it is not bargain eats. Lunch for two sans alcohol, dessert and appetizers can easily push $50.

Dinner - It's Greek To Me. With so many places to eat on Hilton Head we don't get here every time. But the food is good with a fine selection of Greek specialties. The service has always been quick and friendly and the prices fair.

Monday

Lunch - Mellow Mushroom. Another regular stop when in HHI. It is great pizza in a sports bar setting. If you like quiet conversation go for a weekday lunch. If you like a loud sports bar go any other time.

Dinner - Harris Teeter. Don't feel like eating out and don't want to cook? Pick something up in Harris Teeter. It is a large upscale but not snooty supermarket with sandwiches and prepared hot food.

Tuesday

Lunch - Zoe's Kitchen. Fast Mediterranean food.

Dinner - A Lowcountry Backyard Restaurant. This was the undiscovered jewel of the trip. Great food great prices great people great setting. Get here before 6pm, it gets busy very early and the wait can easily be over an hour. Closed Sunday and Monday they are open for lunch between 11am and 3pm, then they open again for dinner at 4:30. I will be back!

Wednesday

Lunch - On the road north we stopped for a quick lunch at McDonald's in Myrtle Beach. Sorry, it happens.

Dinner - Arriving in Kinston, NC we had reservations at Chef & The Farmer. This was the highlight of the trip. This restaurant is featured in a PBS show called, "A Chef's Life." This restaurant is on some lists as one of the top 100 restaurants in the country. We spent $92 for food, soft drinks, tax and tip and left a little hungry. That's not to say that they're expensive or that the portions are small - this is a very fine restaurant. It's only that I wanted to keep our trip on budget by only spending $100 for dinner. Kinston also has a fine microbrewery, a distillery and several shops and stores.

The menu at the Chef & The Farmer changes daily. This menu is from September 16, 2015. The AF before the date stands for "After Fire." The restaurant was heavily damaged by fire in 2012.

Thursday

Lunch - Leaving Kinston at 8am, we arrived in Raleigh, NC at about 9:30am. I visited with a friend and had lunch downtown at the Daily Planet Cafe. An $8 sandwich could have fed two of me. Put enough money in the meter because when you're done eating you'll want to walk through a doorway and into the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. It's free, but in my opinion it's too nice to be free. I was glad to leave a generous donation.

Dinner - Arrived home south of Pittsburgh at about 10pm. Pulled frozen pizza out of my freezer.