Since I haven't posted in a while, I wanted to write about my food
journey to the south! Lindsay and I went to visit Erica in Clemson,
South Carolina. We took a weekend trip to Charleston. Lindsay and I did a
little research before, and found a few places that have been on the
food network. We did lots of fun and unique food activities on this trip that I will never forget.
When we first got to Clemson, Erica told us that she wanted to take us berry picking. We went to a berry farm about 30 minutes from Clemson. We walked up and down rows and rows of blueberry bushes. We had to get enough so that Lindsay could make pie! This was such a fun experience. Being a sheltered suburban child, I had never been to a berry farm, or seen blueberries on a bush.
The next day, Erica took us to a restaurant near Clemson called Sidetracked. It's a very small restaurant with only about 8 items on the menu. They handmake everything from scratch. I think this was by far my favorite meal from the trip. You could tell that the owners really cared about their food and their costumers. We were lucky enough to go twice and try two different menus. Of course, I choose fried chicken both times.
Fried chicken, mac & cheese, and rice & gravy with cornbread
Erica's Pork Kabobs with grilled pineapple and candied yams
Lindsay's Shrimp Risotto
After hanging out at Clemson, we left for our weekend in Charleston. Luckily, a week before, I turned on my TV, and one of the hosts of food network was visiting Charleston. He went on a boat with Barrier Island Eco Tours and saw much of the waterways, went crabbing, and oyster hunting. I saw this and knew we HAD TO do this. I've always wanted to catch and eat fresh seafood!
We all didn't really know what to expect, but we got on a boat with a
group of 30 people. The tour guide showed us around the waterways,
showed us how to pull up a crab trap, then showed us how to catch our
own crab using chicken necks. They gave us plenty of time to catch as
many crabs as we could. Then, at the end, we had a crab bake and ate on
the beach. This was probably one of the coolest things I have ever done.
I would recommend this tour/excursion to everyone!
They tried to get me to stop eating the crab, and get on the boat. I couldn't stop eating so I collected all the uneaten crab to eat on the boat ride back.
The next day, we hit up Hominy Grill, which has been featured on Food Network a few times. Lindsay and I ordered an Arnold Palmer, and this was the BEST Arnold Palmer I've ever had. I should have asked what their secret was! We all started out by sharing okra and shrimp beignets. For my main course, I ordered the Big Nasty Biscuit. This consisted of a fried chicken breast sandwiched between two biscuits smothered in cheese and gravy. Anthony Bourdain ate this when he visited on his show! Erica ordered the shirmp and grits, which was featured on Best Thing I've ever Ate. Kat got the jambalaya, which was a special. For dessert, Lindsay got the chocolate pudding, which Alton Brown featured on Best Thing I've Ever Ate.
Best Arnold Palmer EVER!
Okra and Shrimp Beignets
The Big Nasty Biscuit
Shrimp and Grits from Best Thing I've Ever Ate
Kat's Jambalaya!
Alton Brown's chocolate pudding from Best Thing I've Ever Ate
The next morning, we ended our trip to Charleston by getting breakfast at Page's Fried Okra Grill. We just used Yelp to find a breakfast place while we waited for the Boone Hall Plantation to open. I had never tried pimento cheese, so I decided to get a pimento cheese sandwich with bacon, fried green tomatoes, and an egg. All I can say is that I LOVE PIMENTO CHEESE. It was so delicious!
Erica got crab cakes and grits. Lindsay got an omelet, and Kat also got an omelet.
When we got back to Clemson, Lindsay and I requested to try Bojangles. We had seen it all over the place, and asked Kat and Erica what it was about. All I heard was "Fried Chicken" and I was sold. I have to say, this was pretty bomb fried chicken!
I had so much fun on this trip, and was so lucky to be around friends that love to eat as much as I do! I made so many memories and got to do so many cool things! I can't wait to visit the south again.
