Old Salts and Old Softies

I'll never forget the first time I had soft-shell crab. It was a late night at Pepper's Porch in Bluffton and the restaurant had just stopped serving food. We were having drinks with some of the boys from Bluffton Oyster Company and we were all starving. They suggested we head over to one of the shrimp boats where they'd fry up some seafood in the galley. You can't find seafood any fresher than right on a shrimp boat. The best part? It was soft-shell crab season. 

Soft-shell blue crab is a delicacy. These crabs are rare and the process for how they land on your plate is like a Lowcountry treasure hunt. Right now we are in the thick of soft-shell season and folks are saying the season this year could be as short as two weeks.

A couple times a year blue crabs go through a molting process where they lose their shells. Two days before they lose their shell, their back fin turns red around the edges. Lowcountry watermen refer to crabs during this stage as "red line peelers". Crabs caught during the red line stage are watched very carefully so they can be protected from each other after their shell is discarded. Larry Toomer, owner of the Bluffton Oyster Company, once told me that during soft-shell season he has to set his alarm so he can check on the crabs multiple times each night. Once the shell is completely lost these crabs are referred to as soft-shell crab. It's hard to believe these crabs can even make it to your kitchen. Soft-shell crabs will only last for a couple hours in water before their new shell hardens. 

Traditionally blue crabs are hard to eat because you have to pick all the meat out of the shell. During soft-shell season we are spoiled because you can just bite right into them. The best way to eat soft-shell crab is to fry it. In my book, it's the only way to go. This past Friday I had the opportunity to photograph a soft-shell sandwich where all the elements are just right. The Soft-Shell Crab Sandwich at the Palmetto Cafe is created by Chef Steven Manall. This sandwich is paired with a Dill Remoulade and fresh, local vegetables. 

Eating these crabs is truly fulfilling, not only because it's delicious (and it's delicious), but also because of all the hard work that goes into creating the dish. If you want to try this sandwich, you better hurry... the season won't last long this year!

Fresh Paint

Take a look at these new paintings by the talented Bluffton artist, Murray Sease. While these lowcountry-inspired scenes could occur anywhere along the South Carolina coast, they carry my mind straight back to Bluffton. When I see these paintings I daydream about the MayFest on Calhoun Street and the creeks of the May river. If you're ever in the area, stop by the Society of Bluffton Artists to see more of her work. My favorite piece is still the old Colburn's Liquor Store.

Two Years

Two years ago today, Mitch and I were married in a small ceremony in Bluffton, SC. The past two years have been such a whirlwind. My marriage has taught me that life is short and to embrace what I have, every single day. This is a lesson that's usually passed down from wiser generations, but like most advice, you have to learn the hard way. I am thankful that things were put into perspective for me early in my marriage. I am so grateful for my sweet husband!

Jack Leigh

Jack Leigh is one of my all time favorite photographers. His body of work captures the coastal waters of South Carolina and Georgia better than any photographer I have seen. Pat Conroy's words are a perfect match for his photographs. 

Leigh has so many great books, it's hard to choose a favorite. If I had to narrow it down I would pick Oystering: A Way of Life, Nets and Doors: Shrimping in Southern Waters, and his retrospective, The Land I'm Bound To.

I am lucky enough to own this piece and look at it everyday! 

Several years ago M bought a couple prints for me and I could not be more grateful.

This photo reminds me of the my hometown and the oystermen who help maintain our waters. 

His books are full of glorious images but his most notable piece is on the cover of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. If you haven't been to Bonaventure Cemetery you should definitely make the trip. The cemetery is in Savannah on the Wilmington River and is incredibly peaceful. The great songwriter Johnny Mercer was laid to rest here.

Jack Leigh passed away in 2004 after a battle with colon cancer. He left the world a better place as he documented the South in a way that will preserve our salt marshes and barrier islands long after they're gone. 

Friday Flowers

Can you believe I snapped this photo outside of a old style filling station? 

Palmetto Bluff has the classiest gas station ever. Check out the wine selection.

Buffalos at Palmetto Bluff

May River Bloody Mary

If you know me, you know I am love with anything that mentions the May River. 

Besides the fantastic name, this drink features Firefly vodka and pickled okra. Yum!

White Peach Sangria

Dry Reisling, Couintreau, and White Peaches. Mom loved it.

Sweet Potato Fries with Maple Aioli.

By the time our lunch came I was done taking photos. I had the Turkey and Brie Panini and she had the Brisket Club. With a view of the water we were in heaven. They overheard our conversation and sent us off with a birthday treat. 

We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around Palmetto Bluff. At 85 degrees it was decidedly cool for August. 

The scenery is gorgeous. Next time I'll bring back more photos.

Old Bluffton

Coburn's Liquor Store, circa 1939 is the oldest liquor store in the state of South Carolina. On the heels of the national repeal of prohibition moonshiners and folks from Hilton Head would come to Coburn's to buy liquor for the weekend. Janie Coburn said the red dot used to stand for hours of operation - sun up to sun down. J.F. and Janie Coburn kept a pistol under the counter because people would wake them up to buy a bottle of liquor and you never knew who would show up.  


Murray Sease of Shine on Art painted the quaint liquor store and when I saw it in the Society of Bluffton Artists  gallery I knew couldn't live without it. After my mom and I bought the painting, we went for a glass of champagne at Vineyard 55. Dad drove up on his new Harley and we talked about our dear friend Graham Bullock. Graham passed his motorcycle on to my dad and wrote of this liquor store in his old newspaper the Bluffton Eccentric. He reminds us to cherish the days we have with one another as well as the heirloom establishments we have in our town. Our part of the world is a rapidly changing one, sometimes we need to sit back with a glass of wine and appreciate our surroundings.