Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

St Augustine Lions Seafood Festival 2010

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Spring is the time for festivals on the coast. The air is cool and fresh, and it’s a great time to be outdoors. In St Augustine it’s time for the annual St. Augustine Lions Seafood Festival.  Here you can of course get  great seafood  nearly any way you want it, but you can also enjoy  live  music from bluegrass, to folk and country music.

There will also be more than 100 arts and crafts exhibitors at the event.  This is a fun event for the whole family.  You can even win groceries, gifts and prizes. The festival is held at Francis Field at 25 W. Castillo Drive next to the Visitors Center. Festival hours are 3-9 p.m. on Friday, March 12th, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is only $2 for adults. Net proceeds go to Lions Club charities.

Visit www.lionsfestival.com for more information.

Sustainable Seafood Initiative Dinner – Charleston, SC

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This time of the year is known for oysters in our area. The Sustainable Seafood Initiative is arranging a special dinner event on Saturday, February 20, 2010 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The South Carolina Aquarium and the Restaurant at Middleton Place Plantation has paired up for a Sustainable Seafood Initiative Social which includes ‘Fish for the Future’ education, six sustainable seafood courses, and live acoustic music.

The evening will begin with Megan Westmeyer, the South Carolina Aquarium’s Sustainable Seafood Coordinator, who will provide information on fisheries, seafood sustainability, as well as useful tips on how to buy fresh fish.

This is not your traditional seated dinner, instead there are  six sustainable seafood stations, and food can be paired with an organic and sustainable wine. To set the right atmosphere there will be roaring fires inside and out, and music by Charleston-based singer and blues rock guitarist Graham Whorley.

Dinner reservations are $45 per person in advance (all inclusive) or $50 per person at the door (based on availability), and this is really not a bad deal if you consider what you get for the money. Just take a look at the menu below.

At the six stations, you can enjoy:

  • Station 1: seared scallops with coined fingerling potatoes, caramelized onions, crispy lardons  and a balsamic-cherry glaze paired with a Mommessin Pinot Noir
  • Station 2: oysters on the half with Boursin cheese, teardrop tomatoes and micro arugula paired with a Chateau Recougne Blanc
  • Station 3: benne seared yellowfin tuna with pineapple-basil chutney over wild rice paired with a Bishop’s Peak Pinot Noir ’07
  • Station 4: Prince Edward Island mussels with country ham cracklin’s and scallions in a coconut-saffron broth paired with a Chateau de la Muscadet ’07
  • Station 5: buttery local shrimp with southern succotash and white truffle corn puree paired with a Villa Wolf Gris ’07
  • Station 6: yellowfin tuna tartar with wasabi aioli, crisp taro root and a citrus soy drizzle paired with a L.D. Petit Chablis


A portion of the proceeds from the dinner will benefit the South Carolina Aquarium’s Sustainable Seafood Initiative. Space for the event is limited. For reservations, contact Middleton Place Plantation at (843) 266-7477 or purchase online at MiddletonPlace.org.

South Carolina Aquarium Sustainable Seafood Initiative Dinner

Saturday, February 20, 2010; 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Middleton Place Plantation, 4300 Ashley River Rd. Charleston, SC 29414

To make a reservation, call Middleton Place Plantation at (843) 266-7477 or online at www.MiddletonPlace.org

Locate a restaurant close to you at Restaurant.com

“Art of Cuisine” Iron Chef Challenge – Bluffton, SC

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Local Chefs Compete for Top Spot at Historic Bluffton Arts and Seafood Festival On Saturday, October 24th area chefs will create mouth watering seafood dishes as part of the Iron Chef Challenge during the fifth annual Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival. (click here to read more about  Bluffton Arts and Seafood Festival 2009)

Each chef will be challenged to prepare two dishes in one hour using two unknown seafood and two non-seafood ingredients provided by the festival committee.

“It’s pretty amazing to see what these chefs can prepare in such a short amount of time, outdoors, underneath a tent, says Mary Connor, Chairman of this year’s Iron Chef Challenge. “We should really appreciate the tremendous talent we have right here in the Low Country.”

The competition will be held in downtown Bluffton in “Neptune’s Galley” tent located at the Carson Cottages on Calhoun Street beginning at 11:00am. At 12:00 noon the dishes will be sampled by the judging panel and the winning dishes will be determined on the basis of taste and presentation.
In 2008 the top prize, a Traeger Pellet Grill valued at $699 from O’Neill’s Outdoor Power Equipment, was awarded to Kevin Cavanaugh then of Buffalo’s at Palmetto Bluff. 2007’s Top Chef was George Davis of Hilton Head Island’s Ocean Grille. Kevin, now of Plantation Station Catering Division, is again up for the Challenge. How about you, George?

The “Art of Cuisine” Iron Chef Challenge is part of a week long celebration of Bluffton’s unique history, cuisine, art and culture taking place October 18-25. Events showcase locally harvested seafood, Lowcountry cuisine, and area and regional artists. Also included is live music, a fishing tournament, boat tours, children’s activities, fireworks and more. Festival organizers invite both locals and tourists to discover “Where Fine Art & the Bounty of the Sea Come Together.”

Read more about Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival 2009

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2009 Historic Bluffton Arts and Seafood Festival

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The 5th annual Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival takes place October 18-25, 2009. Discover “Where Fine Art & the Bounty of The Sea Come Together,” during a week long event showcasing locally harvested seafood, Low country cuisine, area andregional artists, live music and entertainment, fishing tournament, boat tours, children’s
activities, fireworks and more.
The festivities begin on the May River with the Blessing of the Fleet and Boat Parade at 2 pm at historic Church of the Cross on Sunday, October 18. Pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the Gospel Music on the bluff or join the parade in your own boat.

Monday again focuses on our local waterways as Al Stokes, Manager/Wildlife Biologist IV, presents a tour of the Waddell Mariculture Center during a seafood “lunch and learn” event from 10:00 am until 12:30 pm. The Bluffton Oyster Company will provide the delicious lunch buffet on the grounds of the center at Victoria Bluff. Tickets are $25.00 a person and can be reserved by calling 843.815.6278.

Wednesday night at six at Seven Oaks, Mary Alice Monroe, the New York

Bluffton Art and Seafood Festival, South Carolina

Times bestselling author of eleven novels, including Time is a River, Sweetgrass, Skyward, The Beach House, The Four Seasons, and The Book Club, will discuss her newest novel, LAST LIGHT OVER CAROLINA, which masterfully takes readers back to the South, to a shrimping community on the coast of South Carolina, and into the lives of a shrimper family. Also on hand will be Larry & Tina Toomer, owners of the Bluffton Oyster Company, who will share their personal experiences as a local couple involved in the shrimping industry. No charge but reservations only, 843-815-6278; donations to Friends
of the Rivers will gladly be accepted.

On Saturday, October 24, the two-day open-air street festival of visual and performing arts opens at 10 a.m. in Historic Downtown Bluffton. More than 50 by invitation-only artists from near and far will be showcasing their talents in all media. The Street Art Market continues until 5 p.m. and resumes again on Sunday, October 25 at 10
a.m. Musicians at several stages throughout the historic district will be performing along with strolling entertainers. Over twenty restaurants will also line the downtown streets offering a true taste of the Low Country.
Saturday night, Rockin’ on the Dock, a Seafood Extravaganza with music by the B-Town Playaz is scheduled at the Bluffton Oyster Company from 5:30 -8:30 p.m. capped off with a fireworks finale at dusk.

For details and a complete schedule of events, call (843)-757-2583 or go online to www.blufftonartsandseafoodfestival.com.

Bluffton Seafood Festival

Rock Shrimp Festival in St Marys, Georgia

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The 37th Annual Rock Shrimp Festival takes place in St Marys, Georgia, on Saturday, October 3. St. Marys has often been recognized as the “Rock Shrimp Capital,” famous for the hard-shelled shrimp with the sweet lobster-like taste that is prevalent in the Coastal Georgia and Northeast Florida waters.

This year’s Rock Shrimp Festival dinner will feature the usual succulent rock shrimp, boiled shrimp, fish and side dishes. Dinner will be served from 11 am to 5:30 pm on the day of the festival.

Schedule:
7:00 am 1.5 K, 5 K, & 10 K Races

Arts & Crafts and Food

10:00 am Parade

Live Entertainment On The Stage  In The Waterfront Park All Day
Kids Games, Pony Rides, Classic Car, & Tractor Show
Choo Choo Rides For The Kids
Major Fireworks at Night, Biggest In Years
River Cruise @ 7:00 P.M. To Cumberland Island and return to view the Fireworks – $ 20.00 Donation
more info at www.smkiwanis.com

In addition food vendors will be offering their specialties along Osborne Street and the waterfront.

Dinner tickets are now on sale, advance dinner tickets are $9. On the day of the event, the price will be $12. Tickets can be purchased at the Camden County Chamber of Commerce, the St. Marys Welcome Center, Kingsland Welcome Center, and Camden Printing. According to Barbara Mizelle, Co-chair of this year’s festival, advance ticket sales have always been popular with groups and families, but this year have an even greater appeal.

For more information, please call 912-882-4000

St. Marys, Georgia