Where to Eat (and Drink) in Hilton Head, South Carolina

A few days after Christmas, Z, myself, and his immediate family flew down to Hilton Head, South Carolina for Z's aunt and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary celebration. I met a lot of Laheys who couldn't make it to our wedding, and we had a great time hanging with them as well as scoping out the area. We rode bikes on the beach, played miniature golf, and even got to meet up with one of my friends from 8th grade (small world!).

But, as always, the food and drink we consumed were the highlights of the trip for me/us. Z, per usual, wanted to find great beer bars, and I, per usual, was happy to come along for the ride. We even had a few family dinners that weren't centered around beer, but still ended up being pretty fantastic meals.

So, if you ever find yourself in Hilton Head, here's where I recommend eating (and/or drinking):

The Lodge

We went here for a round of drinks twice during our time in Hilton Head. I don't recommend going on a Friday evening (hello, college crowd), but I do highly recommend going on a Monday/more low-key evening. We had a great time sampling a few beers from their lengthy beer list while enjoying the laid-back vibe, but there were also plenty of families eating dinner. Oh, and in the way back there's pool and other fun bar games to play!

Bombora's Grill

This is actually the only place I got photos at (hey...I was on vacation!), but the beer list here is incredible. They have a lot of local brews, including the one Z tried: Orange Bliss Stout from Westbrook Brewing Co. It tasted exactly like those chocolate oranges (you know what I'm talking about?). So good.

We also tried a few appetizers at Bombora's, which were just as good as the beers...if not better. The dishes we tried were the fried green tomatoes with mango salsa and fried pickles.

I loved the fried tomatoes paired with the fresh, light salsa, and the fried pickles were fried in an almost tempura batter - a nice change from the usual heavy, breadcrumb-drenched fried pickles.

Vine

This tiny, dimly light restaurant doesn't even have a website, but it really doesn't need one. We came here for a family dinner earlier in our trip, and the menu seriously had something for everyone. We all loved the quirky yet tasteful decor, impressive wine and cocktail list, and the accommodating, knowledgeable staff. I'd definitely recommend coming here for a special occasion dinner, or even for a romantic evening out.

ELA's Blu Water Grill

On our last night in Hilton Head, Z wanted to find a nicer restaurant that specialized in seafood for the rest of us pescatarians/omnivores. ELA's came highly recommended via online reviews, so we decided to check it out. Located right on the water, this cozy, intimate space was the perfect setting for our final family meal in Hilton Head. I had never had grouper before, so I decided to try their Pan-Roasted Grouper ($29), which came with lobster butter, truffle potato puree, and local baby vegetables. Every bite was flavorful and well-seasoned - this was the best dish I had on our trip by far.

Did you have any good eats during your holiday travels?

 

Honeymoon: The Lodging

Airbnb is where it's at, people.

That's the site we used to book our rentals in San Francisco and Napa. Renting an apartment can be more affordable than a hotel, not only due to price per night, but also because you don't have to buy food every single time you're hungry. Another bonus: No housekeepers are knocking on your door at 8 a.m. to start cleaning.

In San Francisco, we stayed in an adorable one-bedroom apartment in Noe Valley. It was bright, clean, and in a safe, quiet neighborhood - yet still within walking distance to all of the action.

In Napa, we rented a gorgeous cottage in Calistoga. The cottage is only a few yards away from the sweet couple who rents it out, but we rarely saw them. Oh, and they also let us use their inground pool. Our four days there were seriously heaven.

Our Napa cottage didn't have a full kitchen, but we made eggs each morning in the microwave. We also bought a styrofoam cooler and ice, and used that as a fridge. 

After four days in Napa, we returned to San Francisco for our last night, since we were flying out of Oakland. We booked a hotel in Union Square - Parc 55 Wyndham - so we'd be within walking distance to AT&T Park, where we had tickets to a baseball game. Well, when we arrived at Parc 55, the woman who checked us in told us we got "upgraded," and to go to floor 32. Um, yeah...I'm not sure why we got upgraded (they had no idea we were on our honeymoon), but this hotel room was larger than our home. It also had spectacular views of San Francisco.

First bathroom.

Second bathroom.

The view from one of many windows.

Which do you prefer: rental or hotel? 

Honeymoon in Napa: The Wine and Beer

Most of you know this already, but Napa Valley has a lot to offer in the drink department...beer and wine especially. And being a wine and beer lover who just married a beer guy, you can imagine how much fun we had on this leg of the trip.

Our first stop in Napa - before we even got to our rental - was Beringer Vineyards. Before we left, one of my aunts raved about it, so we decided to check it out. I was really surprised at how gorgeous the grounds were, and how good the wine was. We went on a tour followed by a tasting, and the staff there were incredibly friendly and knowledgeable.

During our stint in Napa, we set aside one day to check out some smaller wineries that were recommended to us by a woman at Beringer. Our mode of transportation ended up being a tandem bike that we rented from Calistoga Bikeshop (for a day, it ended up being around $65). Riding a tandem bike = a crap ton of fun, especially when you're riding it through gorgeous vineyards.

We took our tandem bike to a small handful of wineries that day, but these two were our favorites:

Summers Estate Wines: This family-owned winery has an amazing view out back, complete with patio seating. We did a tasting at one of the outdoor tables, while simultaneously playing an intense game of bocce ball...on the winery's very own bocce ball court.

Lava Vine: This was by far the smallest winery we visited, but also one of the best. The owner was pouring some of the wines during our tasting, and he was obviously passionate about every bottle he produces. I ended up buying a Petite Sirah for $54...the most expensive bottle of wine I've ever purchased. That's how good their wines are. (Note: not every bottle is that expensive!).

[FYI: Most tastings we did during our trip cost anywhere from $10-$25 per person].

When it comes to beer, we were able to find quite a bit of locally made brews that were delicious. I mentioned Calistoga Inn & Brewery yesterday (I highly recommend trying their Calistoga Porter), but Downtown Joes in Napa is also fantastic. Downtown Joes is nothing fancy, but that's part of the place's charm - and "Big John" behind the bar will take care of you, if you're friendly. (Example: He let us order our beer through him vs. our waiter so we could get the happy hour prices, even though we were sitting at a table outside). I highly recommend trying the Old Magnolia Oatmeal Stout, if they have it - like most breweries, their beers rotate often.

Next week, I'll share with you guys the places we stayed and sights worth checking out in San Francisco and Napa Valley. I hope you're enjoying these recaps as much as I am enjoying sharing them!

Honeymoon in Napa: The Food

Ohhh, what I would give to go back to Napa.

We stayed at a cottage in Calistoga (more on that later), and every minute of our time there was just blissful. Calistoga is an adorable town that's not overrun with tourists. We were only there for four days, but we were able to eat a few bites of delicious food in that timeframe. Here are some of my top picks from our trip:

Calistoga Inn Restaurant & Brewery: This restaurant and brewery reopened a week before our arrival, after being closed for a year due to a fire. Locals seemed to still know the staff, who they hadn't seen in 12 months. This was a great neighborhood spot that boasts brand new everything, plus their very own beer on tap - and the beer is good. The food is, too - Z and I split the Bruschetta ($13), which came with local heirloom tomatoes, basil, and creamy Burrata. For my entree, I had the Fungi pizza ($15), which was topped with wild mushrooms, fontina, roasted garlic, and truffle oil. Their pizza dough is also made with spent grain and wort reduction from the brewery.

Market, St. Helena: The couple we rented our cottage from recommended Market to us, so after visiting a few wineries in St. Helena, we decided to check it out. Market is a little more upscale, but ideal for a special evening out. Market doesn't have too many vegetarian options, but on this particular evening, they had two vegetarian soup specials (corn and pea) that we took advantage of. We also shared an order of their buttery Cheddar-Jalapeno Cornbread ($6) and Bowtie Vegetable Pasta ($21). The pasta was tossed with asparagus, tomatoes, fennel, peas, pickled cipolinis, mozzarella, and basil pesto butter.

Hydro Bar & Grill: This place is anything but fancy, but it came highly recommended from a few locals, as well as a slew of online review sites. Hydro also has a great beer list, so we decided to check it out one evening. I hadn't had a burger in quite some time at this point, so I went for the Veggie Burger. My burger was clearly homemade, which I always appreciate, and the accompanying sweet potato fries - which came with a bomb dot com aioli - were delightfully salty and crispy without being too greasy.

In addition to eating, we also did quite a bit of wine and beer sampling while in Napa - mostly at "hidden gem"-type places. More on that tomorrow!

Honeymoon in San Francisco: The Beer

We decided to go to San Francisco for our honeymoon because we've been trying to plan a trip out there for about four years. We also went for the food. And the beer.

Z is a major craft beer fan, and he knows a lot about the stuff. I am the lucky woman who gets to sample a crap ton of beers alongside him. We had a list of beer bars and breweries that we wanted to hit while in SF, and, boy, did we hit them all...and then some.

Here are some of my favorite beer bars and breweries that we went to. Cheers!

Monk's Kettle, Mission District: I talked about Monk's Kettle's food yesterday, but their beer list was also spectacular. I ordered a Death & Taxes by Moonlight Brewing Company, and it was fabulous.

The Willows, SoMa: Z and I stumbled upon this spot accidentally, but we were so glad we did. The owner is from Boston, so they had a good amount of East Coast beers on tap...that are hard to find on tap on the East Coast (like Smashed Pumpkin by Shipyard). I went for The Illinois by Goose Island, one of my favorite breweries. 

Us at The Willows!

City Beer Store, SoMa: We ended up going here twice. This is a fantastic spot to enjoy some great beer on tap, and they even have bottles for sale. The food here is scarce, but they do let you come in with food if you really want to eat something. The second time we went there I had a Habanero Sculpin by Ballast Point Brewing Co., and it was wonderfully spicy without being too fiery.

Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Rosa, CA: This place is the only reason we went to Santa Rosa. Russian River is the holy grail in Z's eyes, and now I know why. Having their beer fresh and on tap was an incredible experience for my mouth (although, not so much for my liver), and their food is quite good, too. My favorite beers of the evening were Supplication and Temptation.

Lagunitas, Petaluma, CA: Lagunitas is also the only reason we went to Petaluma. We did one of their brewery tours, and it was one of the best ones I've been on - it was informative, entertaining, and we could be on it with beer in hand. After the tour, we drank and ate in their large patio area, and ended up sitting with a couple from Massachusetts. Small world! I loved their bourbon barrel-aged Cappuccino Stout. It's strong, but worth savoring every sip.

Other honorable mentions: Church Key, Toronado, Marin Brewing Company.

Are you a beer drinker? If so, what's your favorite kind of beer?

Wedding Time Has Come

Well friends, the time has come. Z and I leave tonight for our wedding, then we're jetting off for two weeks on our honeymoon (we're going to San Francisco and Napa).

I'll be sure to recap all of the details from our wedding and trip after we return (I'll probably be posting photos during the festivities on Instagram, too). Until then, I hope you all enjoy these last few weeks of summer to the fullest!

See you soon.

Wedding Tasting Weekend

On Saturday, Z and I headed to Mountain View Grand Resort for our wedding tasting. I was almost just as excited for this day as I am for our wedding day.

Since we did a private tasting (read: all vegetarian), we could only try two entrees as well as several different kinds of cakes. The entrees we tried were the Baked Mushroom Strudel with Balsamic Reduction and Goat Cheese, as well as the Stuffed Eggplant Towers with Ricotta, Parmesan, and Spinach Filling with a Vodka Cream Sauce.

The cakes we sampled were a chocolate cake with orange buttercream; carrot cake with cream cheese icing; and two vanilla cakes, one with vanilla buttercream and one with a cream and fruit filling.

Since a lot of our wedding guests read this blog, I can't disclose which dishes we liked best, but I can tell you the tasting has helped us come to several decisions about our menu!

The best part of the tasting: it was held in Mountain View's stunning wine cellar.

We stayed at Mountain View that evening, but we did leave the premises for a few beers before dinner at Italian Oasis Restaurant & Brewery in Littleton (about 10 minutes away from the resort). Italian Oasis brews their own beer, and each brew we tried was pretty tasty. My favorite was the Cleveland Brown, paired with the casual bar's complimentary salty popcorn.

On Sunday, we checked out of the hotel, had breakfast, and made our way to The Basin for some later winter hiking. It ended up being a gorgeous day to hike, despite parts of the trail being too icy to walk on.

As you can see from the photo above, we washed our hike down with a "Sunday Funday" lunch at Woodstock Inn Station and Brewery. We haven't been to this restaurant in over a year, and they have expanded significantly since our last visit.

We started our meal with an order of Pretzel Logic ($6.95), which were cheese-stuffed soft pretzels served with house maple mustard and a creamy garlic sauce.

Although the "cheese" inside the pretzels was neon orange in color and obviously highly processed, the combination - mixed with beer, especially - somehow worked.

For my entree, I went with the Sweet Potato Ravioli appetizer ($8.99).

The five plump raviolis were swimming in a wonderfully sweet and spicy red pepper cream sauce. My only wish was that I had something to sop up the rest of the sauce with (there was almost too much sauce coating the raviolis).

For beers, I enjoyed a Maple Porter (pictured in the collage above) and a Pig's Ear Brown Ale. The Maple Porter only had a hint of maple flavor, which I liked, and I always enjoy Woodstock's Pig's Ear Brown Ale.

We had a fabulous weekend away in the White Mountains, and it was great crossing a few things off our wedding to-do list!

How was your weekend?