Restaurant Reviews – Page 5

The Crab Trap, A Family Favorite

Published on March 15, 2012December 11, 2012 by Rebekah7 Comments

The Crab Trap
St. Simons Island, Georgia

When I consider my idea of a perfect 24 hours, I’m waking up on St. Simons Island, spending the day on East Beach basking in the sunshine, finding sand dollars and conch shells and getting lost in a good Pat Conroy or Mary Alice Monroe book, always anticipating where we’ll eat for dinner. No trip to the island would be complete without a visit to the landmark seafood restaurant The Crab Trap. Complete with boating and rustic nautical decor, the atmosphere is always bustling. Enjoy a drink from the bar while you wait for your table and take a seat on the long bench under the southern ferns.

Located only a skip and a jump from the Atlantic ocean just passed a charming residential area on Ocean Boulevard, The Crab Trap has been one of my family’s favorite dining destinations for years. Who can resist fresh seafood and crunchy hushpuppies along with cold cocktails after a day in the summer heat? Not I! This is my mom Debbie (right), and I soaking up the sun. We love getting our tan on, then washing the sand away and heading out on the town for some good seafood.

Crab legs are my absolute favorite seafood. Ordering them at The Crab Trap is only fitting. Would you look at the width of those things? That’s some serious crab meat. These will run you market price which is usually $20 – $25. Totally worth it. In the center of each table, there’s a convenient hole for discarding all those empty shells.

On my most recent visit, I ordered the soft shell blue crab dinner for $20.95.

Here’s what they would’ve looked like earlier in the day…I didn’t catch these blue crabs myself, but took this picture while strolling along the St. Simons Island Pier. Poor things, never had a chance.

The sun sets on a perfect day over the F.J. Torras Causeway to St. Simons Island near the Golden Isles Marina.

Where do you hang out in the Golden Isles?

Carolina Lowcountry Classics with My Best Friend

Published on March 8, 2012May 29, 2012 by Rebekah3 Comments

Charleston Crab House Seafood Restaurant
Charleston, South Carolina

I don’t know what it is about being in the Carolina lowcountry that makes me want to eat fried green tomatoes and shrimp and grits, but every time I visit, without fail, those are the dishes I order. My best friend and I recently visited Charleston for the Miranda Lambert On Fire Tour and among shopping on King Street, sampling benne wafers in the City Market and getting wind-blown on the giant porch swings at Waterfront Park near the battery, we had lunch at the Charleston Crab House Seafood Restaurant. What did we order, you ask? You guessed it–Fried Green Tomatoes and BBQ Shrimp & Grits.

Check out that presentation! Don’t you just love the pop of color those scallions give this dish? The BBQ Shrimp & Grits is a house specialty. It was actually an appetizer, but it will fill you up! Now, I had never had barbecue sauce on my shrimp & grits before and I wasn’t sure if I’d like it. Let me tell you, it is a beautiful combination. Man alive, it was Some Kinda Good y’all. The tangy barbecue sauce really compliments the cheddar jack cheese grits and the perfectly succulent shrimp. This dish will run you $8.99.

We were really hungry after our two and half hour drive from Augusta, Georgia so needless to say we gobbled down the fried green tomatoes before I thought to get a picture. I might add, we had a very hard time making a decision because the menu had an awesome selection! Sandwiches, pasta, seafood platters, garden selections and raw bar items are just a few of the options.

After lunch, we made our way to the pier. It was a stormy and windy day but the seagulls were out and about just the same. I love looking off the dock at all the shrimp boats and large carriers wondering where they’re headed.

This blog post would not be complete without a shout out to my girl, Miranda Lambert. She packed out the North Charleston Coliseum and rocked the house!

And now, just for fun, a little film strip of our attempts to get a good picture while hanging out near the Battery.

So, there. Country music, good seafood and my best friend in the Carolina Lowcountry…the finer things in life. It really doesn’t get much better.

What’s your favorite lowcountry classic activity?

The Hostess City Offers More Than River Street

Published on January 17, 2012December 11, 2012 by Rebekah6 Comments

The Six Pence Pub
Gallery Espresso
Savannah, Georgia

It was 57 degrees on a partly sunny January day in Savannah as I strolled through the brick streets under the live mossy oak and Southern magnolia trees. On the corner of West Perry Street and Bull, we dined outside at The Six Pence Pub where the warmth of french onion soup and a fresh garden salad hit the spot.

Who doesn’t love an old red telephone booth and an Irish pub? The place is just cool.

A perfect lunch indeed. Not too heavy, just right.

Provolone cheese is melted over the top of the broth-based soup. On the inside, you’ll find croutons and caramelized onions.

I love the freshness of green parsley, and the little soup bowl atop the white doily is so quaint.

After shopping in the City Market, we visited Gallery Espresso, just up the block from The Six Pence Pub, for some coffee and one giant peanut butter cookie. I’m convinced that every SCAD student and resident of Savannah had the same idea. There wasn’t a seat available in the entire place.

Now I love a good Starbucks, but there’s something special about getting that cup of Joe from a local establishment. Filled with an eclectic mix of chairs and couches, beverages are served in ceramic coffee mugs. Customers play chess, listen to iPods and surf the net on laptops. Cakes and cookies sit covered on the counter top and the smell of coffee grounds and hot tea fill the room. Stacked newspapers and magazines lie around saying, “read me!” The atmosphere has a good vibe and I’d go back to experience the oldest coffee house in Savannah again.

Have you been to The Six Pence Pub or Gallery Espresso? Tell me about your favorite, local hot spot.

Ringing in the New Year with Shrimp, Scallops and a Walk on the Pier

Published on January 5, 2012May 29, 2012 by RebekahLeave a comment

Iguanas Seafood Restaurant
St. Simons Island, Georgia

Though I’ve been going to St. Simons Island my entire life, I discovered Iguanas Seafood Restaurant just last year. If you’ve ever spent any time in the Golden Isles on the Georgia coast, you know there are many good places to dine, and my family has always had their favorites. Being the creatures of habit that we are, we typically always visit the same places. Last summer though, we tried somewhere new and I’m so glad we did.

With its colorful island-inspired walls, sail boat and fishing net decor and fun bar scene, Iguanas Seafood Restaurant is located in the heart of the village among all the great little shops near the St. Simons Island Pier. This year, we had New Year’s Eve dinner there. It was funny seeing the place decked out in Christmas lights and faux snow.

I ordered the shrimp and scallops dish, blackened, with grits. I don’t usually get scallops but I thought I’d give them a try. The shrimp was delicious, but I didn’t find the scallops to be that flavorful. Have you ever had scallops? I get the sense they must be like tofu in a way, taking on whatever flavor in which they’re cooked. The texture was spongy and just didn’t do much for me. Grits are the perfect accompaniment to shrimp any old time. The hushpuppies were crispy on the outside and succulent in the center, perfect for dipping in their house remoulade sauce (pictured left above).

My cousin Justin is a fan of my food blog, and when he saw me get out my camera to snap a shot of my dish, he excitedly offered his up and said, “Rebekah, wanna blog about this?” He ordered the special of the evening…soft shell crab with french fries. I’m pretty sure he cleaned his plate.

The great thing about eating dinner and shopping in the village is walking out on the newly renovated St. Simons Island Pier afterwards. I probably have at least one picture from each year of my life out on it, and I’ve often said it’s one of my favorite places on earth. I love to walk out to the end of it and watch the porpoises swim and see the shrimp boats in the distance. I’d like to be on one of those shrimp boats one day.

While out walking on the beach and at the pier, I met several folks from up North. One couple from Massachusetts and another group from Connecticut. They had each rented a condo for 3 months on the island to escape the cold weather in their hometowns. I don’t blame them!

This is the whole New Years crew, with our dogs, after breakfast the next morning. That’s me in the middle, on the far left between Brad and my cousin Justin, who’s holding my precious puppy Ewok. My good friend Patrick is next to him and the couple with the two labs–Constance and Justin, are great friends from college.

I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the first day of the New Year.

Crab Legs at Christmastime

Published on December 19, 2011May 16, 2012 by RebekahLeave a comment

The Shell House
Savannah, Georgia

There’s nothing like cracking open a crab leg and pulling one long, succulent, in-tact piece of crab meat out of the shell, preparing it for its butter bath. Pair that with a good, cold drink of sweet tea with a fat lemon wedge and a little Jimmy Buffett, and life is good.

Last night I visited The Shell House. The prices were high, but the portions compensate and the food was delicious. I ordered snow crab legs, my favorite kind of seafood next to crab cakes. Hushpuppies and green beans were its counterparts and I’m telling you what, it doesn’t get much better. Here we are a week from Christmas and we’re eating seafood like it’s the Fourth of July. Who needs sweet potato casserole when you’re 45 minutes from the Georgia Coast? I say bring on the crustaceans, anytime of year! The restaurant was quite busy, even on a Sunday night, which is always a good sign. The only downside to eating crab legs is that you’re always the last one to finish because it takes a little bit of work. When you taste that meat though, it’s worth every minute of the time you spend getting to it.

The tables at The Shell House have holes in the center, so when you finish peeling those shrimp or cracking those crab legs open or shucking those oysters, you can conveniently discard all your trash. It’s a casual atmosphere…don’t go expecting white table cloths or fine china. In fact, you’ll eat off of paper plates and drink out of plastic cups but it’s hard to beat the amount of food you get for the price. It’s fresh and hearty. That’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout!

A Shrimp Supper Worth the Drive

Published on December 11, 2011July 12, 2012 by RebekahLeave a comment

A great place for dinner on the weekends.

The Oyster Bar Restaurant, Raw Bar and Ale House
Savannah, Georgia

Over the weekend, we met some friends at The Oyster Bar Restaurant, Raw Bar and Ale House on River Street in Savannah. I ordered the Shrimp Trio–fried shrimp, shrimp scampi and bacon-wrapped shrimp stuffed with crab meat. Man alive! It was Some Kinda Good. I had a caesar salad and baked potato alongside it. The bacon-wrapped shrimp, stuffed with crab meat, was the description that caught my attention and what made me order the dish. I love seafood and I mean, how could you not like any crustacean wrapped in bacon? Before the food arrived, the waiter brought out what they referred to as “hushpuppies,” but they tasted more like little doughnut holes served with honey butter. I ordered a good glass of red wine, an Australian variety of Shiraz, and had a good time reminiscing about our college days with old and new friends.

The Shrimp Trio Dish…pretty much delectable.

If you’ve never visited River Street in Savannah, it’ll be worth your time. I have been several times, but never during the Christmas season. I just recently moved back to Southeast Georgia, and Savannah is only a short 45 minutes away. It was a comfortable 60 degrees, no wind blowing, no wait and no crowds. I would definitely visit The Oyster Bar again and would highly recommend it. Besides, you just can’t go wrong with friendly service, quality food and a great atmosphere.