Summer is here! Nothing like firing up the grill and eating outside. Throw on some burgers and you're good to go. 

But to be simply amazing, you have to eat this month's award winning dish.

Janette's Double Super Burger is June's Simply Amazing Dish of the Month. Today's weather was perfect to enjoy it, too.

This burger is enormous, not only is size, but flavor. Every bite is so satisfying. 

Although it's prepared in the kitchen, you'll be savoring each bite while fantasizing you're next to the pool. And if you want to do that, it's available to-go.

This month's award is special to me because I always enjoy seeing the Miller family, especially Ms. Janette. And today, she was in the kitchen. That's humbling in itself.

Congratulations, friends. It's well deserved.  

A new food magazine has hit the market this year and already has folks in Georgetown County quite flattered with its design and culinary substance.

Southern Flavor Magazine is based in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and has rolled out its second issue. Distribution is seasonal and the Spring issue was a hit, however, the Summer one is surpassing expectations. 

And Bert Wood, the magazine's publisher, thinks that's great.

Here's more about the magazine, touting itself "Fresh from the Lowcounty".

Georgetown Foodland has delivered both issues to many businesses and restaurants in Georgetown, providing a reach for those craving new culinary offerings.

More, the magazine has mentioned Georgetown restaurants. Root was named a "Delicious Discovery" while Alfresco Taqueria y Cantina and SoCo Baja Grille were featured in a story called "Let's Taco 'Bout It" which named them "best places to get your taco fix".

And that type of coverage has other restaurants paying attention.

Not just because of the potential opportunity to be featured or mentioned, but to be done so with class and showmanship. 

Check out below on how to subscribe and be on the lookout for the Summer issue now and the Fall issue in August in Georgetown County. 

The Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce will host a Ribbon Cutting ceremony for Yagi Sushi and Hibachi, located at 47-A Da Gullah Way in Pawleys Island, S.C. The ceremony will start at 12 p.m. 

​The ceremony is free to Chamber members, but everyone is invited to dine in for lunch. Click the button below for details.

The Taste of McClellanville takes place August 3, 2019, starting at 11 a.m. and ending at 2 p.m. Location will be at 1369 Pinckney Street, McClellanville, South Carolina 29458.

Join the McClellanville Land and Sea Market and Sisters Empowering Sisters for a community fundraiser that highlights the people growing and cooking our food; chefs and farmers.

​All proceeds from this event will benefit local students with their 2019-2020 school supply costs.

There will be a $5 suggested donation for parking, after which guests can stroll through our villagers market and shop for local goods or enter our culinary village and purchase from an array of chefs serving up their favorite plates.
​
More details available at facebook.com/mcvllandandseamarket

McClellanville Land & Sea Market

McClellanville, South Carolina, is a rural fishing village situated in an area lacking food access, so in the summer of 2017 the Land & Sea Market launched to provide locals with a point to buy the fresh food already being cultivated around them. Our market is now much more then just farmers market for locals. This community gathering hub has since transformed into a place for folks to reconnect with the village roots of supporting their neighbors and sustaining off our areas offerings.

Every Saturday, May 11th through August 31st, the Land and Sea Market meets 'Under the Oaks' in McClellanville. Our L&S market family is a welcoming group of farmers, growers, makers and bakers, and we hope you join us too.

We found ourselves consistently going to the Bagel Cafe in Litchfield for one sandwich. The third time sealed the deal. 

This month's Simply Amazing Dish of the Month award goes to the Tuscan Chicken Sandwich.

Not only were we going there for it time and time again, the sandwich only got better each time we had it. The flavors are blended well, especially the family recipe of roasted peppers with the balsamic vinaigrette. The fresh mozzarella completes this award-winning dish. 

Oh, and the baguette is perfectly chosen to hold the ingredients until it hits your mouth. 

Congratulations to chef and owner Debra Guglielmi and her staff, and on being open five years this month. 

Friends, come by and try this menu item anytime. 

Beautiful day, beautiful colors and super fresh produce were present today at the Georgetown Farmers Market on 122 Screven Street, the parking lot across from the court house. 

And lots of friendly faces, too. 

Hayward's Vegetables, Millgrove Farms and Smith's Plants & Veggies were stacked with great produce to offer customers. Millgrove Farms had Happy Cow Creamery cheeses available, too.

The Farmers Market will grow with vendors through the season, open each Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., ending October 26th.

Yes. There's sushi AND hibachi in Pawleys Island.

Yagi Sushi and Hibachi is now officially open at 47A Da Gullah Way, where Indo Thai was located.

People who dined in over the weekend seem genuinely pleased with the offerings. The menu is below. (It is also hyperlinked in case you cannot read info in the photos below)

We're looking forward to dining in ourselves. See you out there on the culinary adventure of Georgetown County. 

A weather-perfect day brought out hundreds of people to this year's Taste at Pawleys, but the flavors kept them inside to gather up the delightful offering from many area restaurants.

We arrived quite early to get a great parking space. They fill up rather quickly as time draws near to doors being opened. So, the fold-up chairs came out, found a tree next to the pond at Precious Blood of Christ Roman Catholic Church and sat as the superstars of our restaurant industry pulled in. 

Yeah, consider us chef groupies. 

Last year was our first time attending the annual event. Today's was the 11th time it's been held. We posted earlier the line-up of restaurants and their offerings. People obviously saw it because we could hear them speaking amongst themselves as they filed, game planning their first table to pounce on. 

Admission was $5 and tickets were sold in one-dollar increments. Tastings were between one to three tickets and many restaurants had more tasting than what was advertised. So, there was plenty of flavor for the crowd to feast on.

The event benefits Father Pat's Lunch Kitchen. They serve meals to people in need in the community. They were also part of the event, serving up an awesome Fruits of the Sea Pasta dish. 

The beauty of this event is of course the food and the charity, however, the shining light is and always will be the great fellowship of people. Smiling faces galore, bright as the sun shining through the gym windows. 

Some of the must-try dishes overheard by folks were Rustic Table's Seafood Pot Pie, Southern Comforts, Southern Dining & Seafood Shack's Caramel Apple Pie, Sol Cocina Mexicana's Ahi Tuna Ceviche, Bagel Cafe's Strawberry Walnut Salad with Grilled Chicken and SoCo Baja Grille's Sweet Chili Chicken Lime Tacos. 

Take a look below at the gallery of photos from the event. 

The award is finally handed out. It came down to two dishes at one restaurant this time and it was quite the duel.

But, the Local Grouper - with warm dill potato salad, lobster, corn and asparagus - beat out the Blackened Pork Porterhouse - with black eyed peas, collard greens, warm bacon tomato vinaigrette and creamed corn cornbread. 

Chef PaulKelly Renault was presented the award in grand fashion tonight in front of a packed house in the new courtyard. 

The grouper was fresh and seasoned well, cooked perfectly. The unique starch combination with the potato salad sent it over the top. The balance and texture was perfect. 

Congrats to chef Renault and the whole staff at Chive Blossom. See below for more photos of the award-winning dish, a current dinner menu item. 

Charleston, S.C.- Charleston Wine + Food reported an economic impact of $18.6 million over the course of the five-day annual festival, up from $15.3 million in 2018. This impact number, derived by a third party study from the College of Charleston Office of Tourism Analysis, is the largest to-date.

“We couldn't be more happy and proud of this year's results. We welcomed nearly 26,000 guests and generated a measured economic impact of $18.6 million,” says Gillian Zettler, Executive Director for Charleston Wine + Food. “It's always exciting to see people respond positively to our programming and have that excitement translate into attendance and our largest economic impact to date. The results are a great achievement for our community.”

Charleston Wine + Food is renowned for offering creative, dynamic, and ever-changing programming that features top winemakers, chefs, culinary professionals, artists, and experts from around the globe that come together annually in March to produce a wine + food festival that rivals the very best of its kind. The 2019 festival was no exception, featuring 128 events across the greater Charleston area. “Over the course of this five day festival we are able to use food to bring people together, create new memories, and offer an experience that warms your belly and your heart, says Zettler.”

Additionally, the 2019 festival saw an uptick in local ticket buyers. Approximately 57% of attendees are local to the greater Charleston area. Visitors to Charleston and the festival continue to report Charleston Wine + Food as the main reason for their visit, and indicate that they plan to return to Charleston within the next 3 years. “I think the increase in local attendance is largely attributed to the diversity of our programming + experiences and the effort the organization has made since my time here to create more accessible price points,” says Zettler. This year’s ticket prices started at $65 and nearly 30 events on the schedule were under $100.

In addition to the economic impact that Charleston Wine + Food’s annual festival creates, the organization has a multifaceted partnership with One80 Place Training and the College of Charleston. At this year’s Opening Ceremony, two College of Charleston students were presented with multi-year scholarships and One80 Place Training with a financial contribution of $40,000. Since inception, Charleston Wine + Food has contributed more than $500,000 to organizations or persons that directly benefit the Lowcountry’s local foodway initiatives and strengthen our local community.

“As we enter our 15th year, we are already knee deep in planning the 2020 festival and we look forward to continuing to find new ways to inspire people to enjoy Charleston and our culinary + hospitality community,” says Zettler.

For more information and tickets to year-round Charleston Wine + Food events visit charlestonwineandfood.com.  

Charleston Wine + Food is a cultural entity that champions the region’s unique foodways through world-renowned culinary experiences. Fueled by a contagious passion for the people and places that make Charleston worth celebrating, the annual festival infuses homegrown flavor with top chefs, winemakers, authors, storytellers, artisans, and food enthusiasts from around the globe for a five-day event that spans the first full weekend each March. Charleston Wine + Food is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that supports Charleston and the Lowcountry's diverse culinary + hospitality community through financial contributions to organizations or persons that directly benefit our local foodways initiatives and strengthen our local community. 

Tastes at Pawleys will be from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Here is the lineup (items are subject to change):

Austin's Cabana Cafe and Ocean One - Crab cake and baby rack of lamb
Arbor Landing at Pawleys - Key lime pie and chocolate pie
Bagel Cafe - Grilled chicken salad with poppy seed dressing
Beach Burgers & BBQ - Cheeseburgers
Bistro 217 - Dirty shrimp risotto and chocolate mousee cups
Father Pat's Lunch Kitchen - Fruits of the sea over pasta
The Fresh Market - Rib roast with almond, cranberry and broccoli slaw
Hanser House Restaurant - Prime rib and she crab soup
Hog Heaven - Barbecue sandwiches
Massey's Pizza - Pizza
Moe's Original Bar B Que- Pawleys Island, SC - Smoked turkey with marinated slaw
Paradice Homemade Ice Cream - Ice cream
Pastaria 811 - Chicken marsala
Pawleys Island Bakery - Crab quiche, cookies and cinnamon rolls
Rustic Table - Seafood pot pie and key lime tartlets
Southern Comforts, Southern Dining & Seafood Shack - Chicken and waffles with wildflower honey mustard syrup and caramel apple pie
SoCo Baja Grille - Brisket taco with roasted corn salsa and honey siracha
Sol Cocina Mexicana - Ahi tuna cerviche and guacamole and chips

On the other hand, 21% claim a restaurant's social media posts - including poor quality content and frequency - have discouraged them from trying it altogether

​MGH, a full-service restaurant marketing agency, today announced the results of a study that examined how influential a brand's social media marketing can be when it comes to driving restaurant trial and customer loyalty.

The survey determined that nearly half (45%) of U.S. diners said they've tried a restaurant for the first time because of a social media post made by the establishment itself, while 21% claimed posts could be a deterrent. Further, 22% said a restaurant's social post enticed them to return.

Results from the study demonstrated that positive restaurant-to-consumer social media engagement often leads to increased customer visits. Of respondents who actively follow and engage with restaurants on social media, 74% say they are more likely to visit or order food from those establishments.

"For restaurant marketers, it's clear that high-quality social media content, along with active engagement practices, still has great relevance to consumers," said Ryan Goff, Executive Vice President, Social Media Marketing Director at MGH. "When done right, social content marketing can have great influence over where diners choose to spend their hard-earned money."

Other notable stats included:

• 42% of U.S. diners say they have interacted with restaurants on at least one social media platform. Of that group, 66% said they are more likely to visit or order food from the restaurant.
• 13% of U.S. diners say a restaurant's social media post has discouraged them from returning to a restaurant.
• 36% of U.S. diners follow restaurants on social media, and 39% of that group mainly do so to help determine if they want to dine in or order food from the restaurant.
• 89% of U.S. diners have a social media account.
• 62% of U.S. diners say they log on to their social media accounts several times per day.

​About the Study
In February 2019, MGH conducted an online survey of 1,069 U.S. adults ages 18+ who dine in, order takeout or had food delivered from a restaurant at least once a month. The margin of error is 3% at the 95% confidence level. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

Chef Adam Kirby. Chef Danny Smith. Chef Paul Delatte. They've done it. Who will be next?

I'm talking about Cooking with Friends, a monthly event featuring a local chef cooking for guests at Get Carried Away's Cypress Room.

The setting has an intimate feel, but business casual is fitting. The tastes, however, are mind blowing.

The event benefits Friendship Place, a Christian organization working to provide a hand-up for people to meet their basic needs. For more than 19 years, they have fed the hungry, sheltered the homeless and worked to creatively and cost-effectively meet the unmet needs of the citizens of Georgetown county.

And the people love the chef offering. All three events so far have sold out in advance. 

​Here's a little more on Cooking with Friends.

You can click this link here to buy tickets starting May 1st for the May 21st event. Oh, and I know who's next.

Chef Michael Keough of The Lakes at Litchfield, who was also the people's choice winner of the Shrimp and Grits Cook Off at the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce Business Exp0.

Take a look at the videos below and visit their Facebook page to stay up to date on events. 

The Tastes at Pawleys is back!

Precious Blood of Christ
1633 Waverly Rd.
Pawleys Island, SC 29585
Sunday, April 28, 2019

Ticket Price: $5 for adults and kids 12 and under FREE
Food Samples: $1 increments
Food Sampling: 4-7 p.m.

Live music from The Paul Grimshaw Band: 6-8 p.m.

Tastes at Pawleys hosts about 18 local Pawleys Island restaurants cooking up some of your favorite foods. In addition to the food samples, beer from Better Brands and wine from from Pawleys Wine & Spirits will be available. New for the festival live entertainment on the lawn from The Paul Grimshaw Band.

Taste of Pawleys is a culinary event benefiting Fathers Pat's Lunch Kitchen on the Precious Blood of Christ campus. The kitchen has served an incredible 125,000+ meals to people in need in our community since 2007. It is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays for lunch and on Saturday mornings for breakfast, with more than 300 people receiving a meal each week.