Where My Friday Fish Fry Meets German Food Wisconsin Swag
But to be fair, they can eat fish fry any dang day of the week.
Dec 20
Those Tacos, Que Rico Chesnee, SC
So never bring a taco to a knife fight. I belong to an online neighborhood group..." O.K. As in someone recently wrote "..my neighbor smokes pot
Dec 15
The Everglades of Wisconsin, The Horicon Marsh
While not a U.N.E.S.C.O. World heritage like The Florida Everglades that I love to visit, I would say it is not stretching things to call this place the Everglades of the North
Hare & Hound Pub of Landrum, S.C. Seeking The Best Food in South Carolina
What’s up with Meg?
I am on a South Carolina food journey to chow down at the best restaurant in each of the 46 counties while seeking the Top 100 Food Dishes To Eat In South Carolina While Alive, Or, Before Dead, Whichever Comes First.
Why This stop?
This stop falls in the category of seeking the best food dishes SC has to offer.
Hare and Hound of Landrum SC
Located in Landrum, S.C. pop. 2,625, the Hare and Hound serve the locals and the many visitors that stay in this picturesque area.
Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. with a mild climate, nature activities in abundance, and an equestrian lovers paradise, this area attracts many people…and horses!
I had to buy a new phone and my photos are less than usual. I mean, the innards are not even visible in this chicken salad sandwich called “Honey Child.” Their signature homemade chicken salad with crunchy toasted almonds and a honey sauce served on a toasted croissant. Normally, I wouldn’t order potato salad as my side but I have a quirky way that I judge restaurants. Anyway, this sandwich was fantastic.
My friend ordered this Guinness Beef Pie, which was great because I also wanted to taste this. He gave me a few bites, I mean sirloin steak marinated in Guinness beer, slow-cooked with celery, carrots, mushrooms & onions topped with mashed potatoes & spicy onion straws. What’s not to love?
I could begin to rant but in the spirit of short blogs, I will just say that rhubarb and rhubarb dishes are difficult to find in S.C. I planted several plants and they did o.k., I even made strawberry rhubarb jam, it usually takes a few years to get a decent amount of rhubarb. Anyhow, The Hare and Hound Pub has rhubarb pie. Of course, I needed this back in my life. The whipped and ice cream balanced the tartness of the pie.
I have to say that sitting in this outside spot, chatting with my friend and watching the world go by and eating this above par pub food was on point.
MEGastars 5*****
MEGatips
- The Pub has a really tasty dinner menu including burgers, ribs, steak, oysters, and seafood, including this pecan-crusted & pan-seared trout, vanilla rum sauce, mashed potatoes & seasonal vegetables. Which I must taste on another visit. The dinner menu begins after 5 p.m.
- Hare and Hound Pub
Biltmore Christmas, A December Get Away OR A Holiday Escape in Asheville, SC
It’s Sunday, Saunter Sunday, and for myself, a North American, Thanksgiving has now come and gone, but you know how the unholy frenzy of the holidays is full-on slapping at people’s faces.
You may need this excuse to skip the office party. I’ve been there. Let me tell you about this interesting place to visit during the holiday months.
This visit here was on my bucket list. After all, This is America’s largest “home with 178,926 square feet, NBD.” With 250 rooms, it is a version of a chateau but in North America. But, it is more than a chateau-style mansion, it is that on an estate.
It’s a lifestyle that I couldn’t imagine. I have been to many castles and chateau homes in Europe. Still, I just had to be there to understand. Even after visiting multiple times, it’s difficult for me to fathom that people live in such splendor and have a staff to support the perfection of this habitat. I think the fact that the Vanderbilt descendants still currently have living space on the premises helped me to visualize that a castle is home to some to people.
*This photo was taken during a summer visit.
Biltmore Estate Asheville, NC
Architecture at the Biltmore Estate
It’s easy for me to see how someone living in New York would pick this spot for their summer home. Personally, I love this Asheville area and could easily stay here forever.
Biltmore Estate and the mountain view.
having visited many times, I can say that a visit at any time of the year is quite remarkable but at Christmas, the digs take on a whole other level of shine and opulence.
Biltmore Estate shines in the day and the night
I want to show you a before and after scene. Located off the entrance, this sunken winter garden is spectacular.
The octagonal sunken Winter Garden
But dressed up she goes from rags to riches or, in this case from rich to richer.
The octagonal sunken Winter Garden at Christmas
The octagonal sunken Winter Garden at Christmas
This dining room style reminds of its’ European cousins. The Biltmore Banquet Hall can seat 64 guests, holds Flemish tapestries, art, with a pipe organ on one end of the room, I was already thinking it was pretty great!
The Biltmore Banquet Hall
but dressed for Christmas, it could not sparkle more.
The Great Banquet Hall at Biltmore Estate decorated for Christmas
Christmas at Biltmore Estate
Each room is decorated with garlands, wreaths, and bling. There are 55 trees dressing this place up. If you love Christmas decorating, you would for sure get some amazing ideas from the tour.
One of the 55 Christmas trees at Biltmore Estate.
One of 55 trees at The Biltmore Estate
I could show you a million photos of this place but I am committed to writing short blogs. There are gingerbread houses in the kitchen, ceilings that hold large garlands, and botanicals that remind me that I kinda am a humbug about Christmas and I just want to be outside.
The Biltmore Estate decorated for Christmas
Plus, the angels were calling me. (Pictured is a family member.) I mean, on one hand, the place makes think about people who can barely get by during this holy/unholy season and yet, I gained perspective, a frame of reference, and because there is so much to do outdoors, I could saunter all day and into dusk on a Sunday.
Cherubs in the mountains of South Carolina at Biltmore Estate.
At dusk, the gardens and grounds are decorated so that the visitors can enjoy the sparkle both during the day and nighttime.
The Biltmore Estate at dusk getting ready for a night show.
Biltmore trees shine both during the day and the night.
Currently, there is a bonus for fans of Downton Abbey, this year you can see some of the clothing from the sets.
*Disclaimer the following photos were taken by a visit to Nashville.
Downton Abbey Clothing
Clothing from Downton Abbey
Clothing from the set of Downton Abbey
Clothing from Downton Abbey
Clothing from the set of Downton Abbey
MEGastars 5***** of 5
MEGatips
- Link to a Christmas at Biltmore Biltmore Christmas link
- Not a cheap date but you can save money by booking your tickets 7 days in advance. There are Christmas daytime visit tickets and Christmas nighttime visits.
- There are lodging and dining to meet the finest tastes. I love Cedric’s Pub for dining.
Chicken Salad Chick Goes Upstate Seeking The Best Food in South Carolina
This is an updated post.
Spartanburg peeps, Chicken-Salad-Chick is in the house. For those of you who have followed me, you may know that I have a thing for Chicken salad. I.love.it!
What seems like forever plus one year ago, I lived in Alabama and wrote about my visits and experiences trying each of the foods selected by the Alabama Tourism team in a pamphlet called “100 Dishes To Eat In Alabama Before You Die.”
Yes, Alabama has some of the most glorious food and food scenes that I have encountered as I meander around this earth. Not just my opinion, Frank Beard stuff. (Link above.
Without a doubt, I miss many of my favorite Alabama foods and foodie visits, but time and space have brought me to beautiful South Carolina and I am having so much fun seeking the best dishes in this state that I now call home. However, I was thrilled to see that one of my Alabama faves has come to my SC neighborhood.
Chicken salad, what’s the deal? An adorable success story that began with an Alabama woman and her husband to-be, became a team. The woman makes some killer chicken salad in her kitchen, invited her friends to taste it, perfected many variations of chicken salad, naming some after her friends, and with the help of her husband/co-founder making big, like 100 restaurants big.
IMHO, what makes this chain a great lunch spot is a varied and interesting menu. Things like pimento cheese BLT, turkey clubs, and turkey pesto. I remember when I visited this chain; the broccoli and grape salads were just as famous and interesting as the sandwiches and they seemed to fly out of the door. They also have a great salad menu, soup, and an adorable kiddie menu. Of course, there is chicken salad for people like me. Choices range from categories such as classic, fruity, savory, and spicy.
Chicken Salad Chick-The Menu
Plus, the place is cute, dang cute!
Chicken Salad Chick Tables and Decor
Modern, clean, fresh,
and marketing smart. Kudos to those graphic designers!
Chicken Salad Chick Cookies
Great marketing and a grab-and-go!
The “to-go” case called “Quick Chick” and merchandise.
I put together a little to-go sampler platter of some of my favorites starting at 12:00 Baked potato soup, grape salad, *Dixie Chick* chicken salad, broccoli salad, pasta salad.
Since I am the village skeptic, there are a few things that bug me.
- I am getting older and simply don’t need as much food. I want a sandwich. That is it. I don’t want a side item, I do not want a cookie, hell, I do not even want the dang pickle.
- Plus, the add-a-drink is $1.99. This is not the only place that upcharges for the beverage, but it bugs me.
- They are closed on Sundays.
But, the things that are positive, far outweigh any negatives.
- I would have to say that what I love most about the food served from CSC is that it always seemed to be fresh, cold, and crisp. There are so many ways to order combinations of the menu items.
- Their menu does have so many healthy options, I mean I go straight to that croissant but the choices are there.
- The locations are new, clean, cute as in bright colors, modern lighting, great graphics, décor, and flower cookies for the kids with bright frosting colors.
Price point: I have already heard from local friends who feel the price point for the chicken salad is too high. I mean FFS, it’s not. Some people eat at Chick-fil-A, so let’s compare it to a Chick-fil-A combo which is $5.99-$6.19. Or, a Wendy’s meal item such as Dave’s Hot n Juicy ¼ lb combo which is $6.19.
MEGastars 4* Love it for a lunch spot. This restaurant is going to be successful here in the Upstate. Mark my words.
MEGapick Like my pizza, I’m into the classics and I choose the “Classic Carol.” If I’m in a walk on the wild side mood, I’ll choose the onion lover’s “Dixie Chick.”
Link to the grape salad recipe. You have to dig through this article a bit and listen to them talk about how this is for ladies luncheons. Note* Dudes live this stuff.
Chicken Salad Chick Grape Salad Recipe.
Give this chicken salad recipe a whirl. Chicken Salad Chick attempt at recipe
An Aha Moment With A Nut In The South
near former President Jimmy Carter’s hometown and that peanut farm that was given up so that there would be no conflicts of interest. Anyway, I remember thinking meh
On My Summer Vacation, I Wrote A Cookbook or Two, or Three.
I hadn’t planned to take an extended vacation from blogging and it seems like it was only a month, but it was January, January for heaven’s sake. But life gets bumpy and there were two weddings and a funeral.
For the upcoming weddings, I had decided to write a family heritage cookbook. It sounds “cooler” than it was, but still, it was pretty cool.
Gathering recipes from three families and putting them into a modern cookbook was fun and interesting. Designing the cover, learning the nuances of the software, and finding help with the editing wasn’t as much fun but the finished product was well worth it.
I chose to work with “Create My Cookbook” because of the ease of their program. I was super happy with the finished product. I wished that I could have figured out how to use my own photos on the cover and in the future, I want to change the photos but I spent a ridiculous amount of time on that subject and simply had to move on. Shout out to my Alyssa Harms for her skills on that cover!
Not a graphic designer, an editor, nor a very good writer, I was successful in so many other ways. For example, I had always wanted to make a pretty cake. So, I used a recipe from my niece’s grandmother, watched a bunch of YouTube, shopped on Amazon for cake decorating tools, and the result was this delicious number.
Grandmother Coleen’s Famous Carrot Cake
Grandma Colleen’s Carrot Cake
I learned more about heritage and regional recipes such as making a different Tortiere recipe from her Quebec family line.
Tourtiere
Or, paczki’s from her Polish heritage made every year by her father and two uncles.
Paczki photo thanks to Jeanne Suminski
I learned that when your niece marries a Kearney, you dig through your Ireland photos looking for Kate Kearney’s Cottage and Kearney’s Castle.
Kearney’s Castle Cashel, Ireland
Not realizing how important this photo of Grandpa would be by the end of this summer month.
Preserving handwritten recipes, photos, and stories became a labor of love, a gift from the heart, and a new realization of traditions.
Meg
What Makes An Italian Sub Sandwich The Best?
Carrying the genetic trait of fiercely proud Wisconsinite often results in my trying to explain my standards. So, let's go to Wisconsin, Belgium, Netherlands, and Germany today to document what is truly great about my favorite Italian sub sandwich.
A Monster, A Stupid Sandwich And A Classic Italian Sub Sandwich Seeking The Best Food In South Carolina
It’s not that I need to see a psychiatrist about this disorder, I just really love that sub. Every Italian sub that I eat compares to this one sub.
