2/21 Friday Favorites- Southern Fare

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I recently spent about 2 weeks in South Carolina traveling with Chad who was there on business.  I will recap everything next week but in the meantime I am making my Friday Favorites post all about the great food we had.  I abandoned my usual veggie regimen as I ate cheese, fried food and a lot of seafood.  We spent several days in Columbia, Myrtle Beach and Charleston, SC as well as Augusta, GA.  I did a lot of research on restaurants, consulting websites such as Urbanspoon and Happy Cow among others and I had a plan for each city we visited.  There was not one restaurant that really disappointed us, as a matter of fact, we found some incredible eateries.  So here it goes-

1. Bunny in a Bun from Jack’s Cosmic Dogs- Charleston, SC

I just did a post earlier this week where I recreated this at home.  Jack’s is a little roadside shack that serves up some of the best Vegetarian hot dogs I have ever had.  We loved the Bunny in a Bun- grilled carrots with a blue cheese slaw and a sweet potato mustard.  It was delicious!  They also serve a tofu dog in which I had to ask twice if it really was tofu because it sure tasted like the real thing!

 

2. Pulled Squash Sandwich from Butcher and Bee- Charleston, SC

This place was amazing.  They had some really great food including this pulled squash sandwich.  Just like pulled pork but with shredded squash instead.  It was smoky and tangy- I will never have to be denied a BBQ sandwich again.  This sandwich was a hit online with both veggie heads and carnivores.

 

3. Black and Bleu Tuna from Mr. Fish Seafood- Myrtle Beach, SC

I had read all about this award winning sandwich online.  People just raved about it and I can understand why.  A thick tuna steak blackened and broiled with blue cheese on a bun with lettuce and tomato.  We added a blackberry wasabi sauce that made this sandwich one of the best fish sandwiches I have ever had.

 

4. Reese Waffle from Woodhaven Pancake House- Myrtle Beach, SC

Myrtle Beach is cluttered with pancake houses.  I mean cluttered.  We found one that served up 44 varieties of omelets as well as this Reese  Waffle.  A Belgian waffle topped with Reese Peanut Butter and chocolate chips.  Sounds simple enough but the waffle itself was so light and fluffy I almost felt like it could have been healthy!  (Probably wasn’t)

 

5. Shrimp and Grits from Early Bird Diner- Charleston, SC

It just doesn’t get any more Southern than Shrimp and Grits.  These were from the Early Bird Diner in Charleston.  Lightly fried shrimp served over thick and creamy grits topped with a sweet and sour pepper jelly.  I will never turn my nose at Shrimp and Grits again.

 

6. Pimento Grilled Cheese from Zoës Kitchen- Columbia, SC

Zoës Kitchen has 105 locations in 15 states so it isn’t really a Southern place but this Grilled Pimento Cheese sandwich is a Southern staple.  We found all sorts of Pimento Cheese variations in just about every restaurant we visited.  This grilled cheese sandwich was greasy, fattening and delicious.  Perfect.  I have gained 5 pounds just looking at the picture.

 

7. Cheerwine from anywhere in the Carolinas

Crafted in Salisbury, North Carolina, Cheerwine is found just about anywhere in the Carolinas.  It is a cherry flavored cola sweetened with natural cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.  While I rarely drink sodas, I just couldn’t resist enjoying this Carolina tradition at least once on the trip.  It is probably a good thing I have never seen it in Orlando.

 

This is just a small sampling of all the good food we ate- stayed tuned I am going to recap the trip starting next week.  Sometimes finding great food is the best way to explore a new city and we had a blast discovering South Carolina. What was your favorite meal while away from home?

Thanks Heather and Clare for keeping Friday Favorites going strong!