Hittin’ the Head!
Jill: “Ok, so where are we going to go?”
Jack: “No clue! But I’m tired of the same ole-same ole.”
Jill: “Same ole what?”
Jack: “Exactly.”
Jill: “What?”
Jack: “That’s why I love you. We think alike.”
Jill: “Whoaboyohboyohboy!”
So WE decided to change it up a bit. We wanted a ‘chillaxing, nice vibe, sun-filled, foodie-type, wine-filled’ getaway that we could drive to, as opposed to flying. A few considerations included Charleston and Kiawah Island, SC as well as Sanibel and Amelia Islands in Florida. (We also looked at Little Palm Island, FL which is WOW- as in beauty and UN-affordability!) Ultimately, we decided to “Hit the Head” as in, Hilton Head, South Carolina. . An approximate twelve hour ride, it fit the bill across the board. Further, staying at the Marriott Hilton Head Resort & Spa gained us a premier location as well as valuable Bonvoy points (I’m all about the points!).
The drive down was ‘clean smoothing’ as we like to say. Aside from Spotify and deep conversation centered on history, we entertained ourselves by noting state license plates. Amazingly, we ultimately came across 39 states, INCLUDING Alaska! No, we did not see Hawaii. But I digress.
Hilton Head is basically a collection of plantations, each built out a to a certain degree. We were in Palmetto Dunes, sitting right on the beach. The hotel is well-appointed and everyone we came across very welcoming. Especially enjoyable was our balcony where we would end every evening having a (nother) glass of wine while overlooking the ocean (stars-permitting) and enjoying the soft summerish breeze.
Though the Marriott offers a pool we chose to enjoy the beach, which is quite expansive. Following the tide schedule, we could walk out ~200 yards to arrive at the low waterline while high tide chased us back to within twenty yards of the beach access. Fortunately, high tide seemed to arrive late in the day after we had retreated to the poolside bar for a beach-cap cocktail.
As our readers know (or I would think, should know), Jill and I are all about the food & drink, especially when vacationing. This time was no different. And as readers also know, Jill handled it all from researching our MANY options to making the reservations.
On our first evening, we thought we would wing it… which reminds me of a joke; how do ducks learn to fly?
Jill: “Focus, my love. Focus.”
Jack : “(they wing it. get it? wing-it???)”
After a long drive, we wanted to keep it low key. Striking out at two walkable locales, we decided to eat at the hotel restaurant, Blue. Not sure why we bothered with the others. The atmosphere was welcoming, the service was warm, and the food quite tasty. Of special note was the Thick Cut Bacon and accompanying bacon ‘jam’. This. Is. GREAT! Jill had the Chilean Sea Bass. I don’t recall what I had as an entrée only because I couldn’t get over the bacon. I do recall it being very good, though. Whatever it was. We recommend it if you’re staying here or nearby.
This restaurant, located in Shelter Cove, provides both indoor and outdoor seating though we went with the latter. Their dining balcony overlooks the marina which sets a very nice tone to any dinner. Our server, Karen (not that one) from Boston, was personable though more professional. She shared her thoughts on the various menu options including her reasoning, which we decided to go with: Tuna Two Ways, and Beef Carpaccio to start, Pan Seared Diver Scallops and Pan Seared Grouper for entrees, and the Key Lime Pie for dessert (it’s a BIG thing down here!). It was all VERY fresh, very tasty and ample portions. Definitely recommend it.
This restaurant is within walking distance from the hotel. Which reminds me, as a sidenote… CARS HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY. Regardless of whether you’re walking or riding a bike, you MUST pay attention! Moving on…
This locale is very inviting sitting on a ‘lazy river’ with seating to take advantage of this. It has appealing décor, to be sure. Unfortunately, that’s where it ends. Though our server was nice, he wasn’t engaging, and this is something that is very important to us as we feel it lends to the dining experience. Further, we found the food to be rather unremarkable taste-wise with the exception being the Pickled Shrimp & Pimento Cheese appetizer which was very good. That’s not to say it wasn’t fresh because it most certainly was. Just lacked taste. Lastly, as a ‘wine bar’ we felt the offerings were extremely limited. That may be the wine-snob in me, though, so take it with a grain of salt.
We would note, the GM was extremely pleasant coming around, checking on her guests. A lovely woman.
A short drive from the hotel, we were originally scheduled to eat outdoors at this restaurant. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had a different idea. On the most inclement day/night of our trip, we were forced to eat indoors. After being seated mid-dining room, I simply could not get comfortable, which certainly made Jill uncomfortable. After some hemming & hawing, we spoke with the hostess and she was kind enough to relocate us to a corner table overlooking the bay. NOW I was happy.
The food was fine. Just fine. The oysters were fine. The Dayboat Scallops were fine. The Blackened Snapper was fine. The drinks were fine, too.
What was MORE than fine, was their private label hot sauce! Now THAT is good! So good, Jill decided to ‘borrow’ the bottle which sat on our table (now sitting in our kitchen).
Jill: “ME?!?!?
Jack: (silence)
And now, for our interlude…
HH is an enjoyable place to explore; the primary means being via bicycle. Renting a bike is no issue as there are many shops to choose from. We took the path of least resistance and rented them from our hotel.
We followed the established path that took us ‘down’ William Hilton Parkway making stops here and there to explore. Along the way, we crossed through an area posted with an explicit warning: Beware of Alligators. I believe Jill wasn’t buying into that until we passed a small pond with… alligators. To think, she doubted me.
After several miles, we turned down toward another plantation, Coligny Beach Park, which was packed with visitors/bathers. We then made our way back to our hotel via the beach. THAT was fun. Between the sand being compact and the similar-to fat tires the bikes had, it was ‘clean smoothing.’
Naturally, a walk on the beach is a must. That is something we engaged in every day prior to sunbathing. Four miles.
Lastly, Savanah is but a short drive away which makes it a quick day trip. That being said, Savanah is not what it used to be.
What an AWESOME evening! Dinner and a LIVE show! Jill nailed it with this.
This club serves dinner through performances, twice nightly. They have different acts performing and you reserve the evening and a specific table online. We had the great pleasure of enjoying an incredible jazz band, The Bobby Ryder Quartet headed by Bobby Ryder.
The musicianship was, well, incredible. And Bobby’s singing, fantastic! They ran through various standards, some everyone would be familiar with, others deep within songbooks. The bandmembers each had their opportunities to shine and shine they did, all quite tastefully within the context of the songs! So much talent on display. Spinning their own variations on the tunes, Bobby would engage the audience in the lead-in to songs as well as share stories in between (Lou Rawls at the Playboy Club in Vernon NJ). He is the classic ‘lounge lizard’; dressed to the nine’s, voice silky smooth, and mannerisms to match. His command of the evening was on full display.
The food… oh, the food! Given the show-aspect, they could be forgiven for serving a ‘good’ meal. That is not what they did. Serving a meal to match their entertainment, the menu was delectable! We began with the She Crab Soup (a MUST!). We moved onto the Sesame Ahi Tuna and the Prosciutto Wrapped Jumbo Scallops. Both were simply delicious! We finished with Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake. Throughout we enjoyed a very smooth Bordeaux.
Jill made note of how happy I appeared. She also mentioned how she could ‘see my wheels turning’ no doubt envisioning myself on stage performing. She was correct on both counts. The Jazz Corner is HIGHLY recommended!
Talk about finishing strong!
The last dinner of our trip was something Jill was incredibly excited for. In turn, she made me excited. Afterall, it’s not every day one gets to sit at the Captain’s Table.
Yes, I said, the Captains Table.
Jill: “Whoaboy.”
Sidenote… for whatever reason, when Jill said we would be sitting at the Chef’s Table, I heard, Captain’s Table. As in, Captain Stubing. Literally, until we were at the Sage Room AND seated, I did not realize my error in understanding. Of course, after sharing this with our server (because I have no shame), we had a hearty laugh and he officially referred to himself as said-captain the rest of the evening. Moving on…
This was an incredible experience across the board. In addition to our meal being absolutely divine, the opportunity to engage freely with the chef is a one of a kind experience! Having an open-kitchen format, we were seated comfortably at the ‘bar’ (it’s nothing like it sounds), front and center, in the midst of the action.
The Chef, Gabriel Chavez, along with his chef-like cronies, were an absolute machine, working together, preparing all aspects of the meals seamlessly. It really is something to see. I do not believe you need to be a foodie to appreciate the talent they demonstrate.
Between reading the menu and seeing all the various meals being dished, I was completely lost in what to order. Seriously, I could not decide. So… I asked Gabriel for his input. Repeatedly. I thought for sure he was going to shut me down (and Jill kick me in the leg), but he did not. He welcomed the queries and our conversation. We felt like we were having dinner with him, truth be told. Gabriel, along with being remarkably talented, was incredibly engaging with a warm and inviting disposition. Jill was in her element commenting on the various steps of preparation, the tools being utilized and the end results. Me, I was lost… in a good way.
This. Is. Awesome!
Intense consideration was given to the Reserve Ribeye Steak (seeing it cooked in front of me made me drool; literally), the Colorado Rack of Lamb, the Lobster Carbonara and the Almond Crusted Tuna. We actually discussed ordering 3-4 entrees. Seriously.
Though EVERYTHING smelled and looked incredible, we went with Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Tuna Tataki to start. They were crazy good! Our entrees, the Braised Beef Short Rib for me and the Champagne Poached Scallops for Jill were in INSANE! Jill’s came with Parmesan Risotto Cake (she’s BIG on risotto!). The flavors and smells amazing.
Naturally, we ended it with Southern Key Lime Pie. Like I said, it’s BIG down here.
No matter what I write, it will not do the food nor the experience of the ‘Captain’s Table’ justice, so we simply say, Sage Room is a MUST!!!