Panini's

On a recent trip to Beaufort, SC I enjoyed strolling along Bay Street, looking at art galleries and sampling local wine at Low Country Winery. Bay Street is home to numerous restaurants and we selected Panini's for our evening meal. Located at 926 Bay St. Beaufort, SC, and like most Bay Street restaurants, Panini's overlooks Waterfront Park at the rear and offers outdoor seating. A brisk sea breeze was blowing, so we sat inside and upstairs where we enjoyed great Low Country hospitality and food.

As you would expect from a quality Low Country restaurant, Panini's select Italian menu boasts delicious seafood as well as quality steaks and offers variety for many tastes. I chose to try the Beaufort Boulibase which features grouper, shrimp, and mussels in a saffron-scented broth with potatoes, onions, and tomatoes. Served with a house salad and bread sticks, this Low Country delight tasted fresh and fantastic. This was my first time eating mussels and they certainly looked more appetizing than any that I had seen elsewhere and tasted delicious.

The service was sophisticated, the atmosphere very pleasant, and the prices were not unreasonable for the location and quality of food and service. I'd certainly return to Panini's to celebrate a special occasion.

Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous

While in Memphis, TN recently, I had the good fortune to discover Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous, a downtown rib restaurant located at 355 N Main St, Memphis. Rendezvous has a back-alley entrance off of N. Main Street so don't give up looking for the door! Once inside, descend below the diner to the basement restaurant for a ribtastic experience! It pays to make reservations, especially on the weekend, as Rendezvous is famous for its award-winning ribs and people flock to eat there.

The menu is concise, focusing on what Rendezvous does best - ribs and barbecue. I chose a small order of the World-Famous Rendezvous Charcoal-Broiled Pork Ribs with Beans & Slaw. One thing that makes Rendezvous ribs stand out is the dry rub seasoning. I souped it up with the hot BBQ sauce and refrained from much conversation for the duration! The ribs were fantastic, by far the best I've ever eaten.

Other than the quality of the food, the atmosphere also makes for a great experience. The wait staff are great fun as they interact with diners, as well as effective at handling the high volume of people that come to eat. One thing is for sure: If I'm ever back in Memphis, I'll visit Rendezvous again.

So if you're ever in Memphis and you don't go to Rendezvous.... you might just as well make like Elvis' hound dog and cry a while, because you'll have missed out!

Beyond the Shire

Having made recent trips to Memphis, TN and Beaufort, SC - where I discovered outstanding new eateries and sampled incredible regional dishes - I've decided to expand this blog with a category of restaurants simply tagged Beyond the Shire. While this blog remains devoted to Middle Georgia eateries, I thought it would be tragically negligent of me to remain silent about some of these fantastic restaurants found beyond the borders of my Middle Georgia Shire.