the bluff magazine fall/winter 2014 by Palmetto Bluff

the bluff Fall/Winter 2014

Contents T H E B L U F F Fall/Winter 2014

IN THE PURSUIT OF ADVENTURE

SOUTHERN LIVING IDEA HOUSE

EVERY STORY DOESN’T HAVE EIGHT SIDES

MUSIC TO YOUR MOUTH: CULINARY MAP

Knifemaker, Quintin Middleton, follows his dream by constructing handmade professional chef knives

Before you stop by for a tour, get a sneak peek of the stunning décor that furnishes the 25th Southern Living Idea House

Journey back to 1796 when the United States’ first octagonal house was built right here in Palmetto Bluff

Expand your knowledge about the culinary geniuses who bring Music To Your Mouth events to life

R ETA I L THERAPY

THE WORKINGMAN’S FUNK

GOING GREEN

KEEPING IT SOUTHERN

Accessorize your look with items from The Boutique, Ship’s Store at Wilson Landing, and The Spa at Palmetto Bluff

Palmetto Bluff native, Whitley Deputy, brings an old-school sound to his old stomping grounds

Southern Foodways Alliance and Crescent Communities partner to fuel a new generation of filmmakers

Trey Dutton keeps his great-grandmother’s tradition alive by harvesting, canning, and preserving local produce

CREATED BY & FOR THOSE WHO LOVE THIS SPECIAL LOWCOUNTRY IDYLL

P UBLI S HE R

Courtney Hampson E D I TOR

Anna Jones P HOTOG RA P HY

Griffin Davis Walt Denson Emily B. Hall Rob Kaufman Bonjwing Lee

Jan Clayton Pagratis Food Republic Lori Keith Robinson Dylan Sell Jonathon Stout

W RI T E RS

John T. Edge Barry Kaufman Courtney Hampson Dylan Sell Anna Jones Dr. Mary Socci

R EA L ESTAT E SA L ES 8 0 0 . 5 0 1 . 74 0 5 I N N R E S E RVAT I O N S 866.706.6565

www.palmettobluff.com

MUSIC TO YOUR MOUTH: ON THE ROAD

WHEN GOOD FOOD LEADS TO SOCIAL IMPROPRIETY

THE NEW AMERICAN DREAM

LO CA L CHARACTER

Recap the mouthwatering road trips to Austin, TX, New York, NY, and Lake James, NC

The Florence is the new kid on the block, blending traditional Italian food with Southern flavors in Savannah, GA

War veteran, Jared Mayhew, takes on a new battle of co-founding J&W Oyster Company

Catch up with Palmetto Bluff ’s Conservancy Director, Jay Walea

RUN, B U F FA LO R U N

THEIR NAME WAS LO JA

W H AT ’ S HAPPENING

Palmetto Bluff will host 10K, 30K, 50K Buffalo Trail Run in October

Two painters, Lori Keith Robinson and Jan Clayton Pagratis, combine their talent working on single pieces of art simultaneously

Calendar of events

in the pursuit of

ADVENTURE Quintin Middleton

Middleton Made Knives

by Anna Jones | photography by Jonathon Stout

THE BACKDROP The quest for adventure leads many people down interesting paths: it can lead you to a new country, take you on the trip of a lifetime, even cause you to go skydiving if are so bold. But not so often does the pursuit of adventure lead you to the art of knifemaking. Ever since he was a young boy, Quintin Middleton loved the thrill of adventure. The big world was full of possibilities, and he was eager to seek out its excitement. Like any classic ’80s child he watched in awe as the heroes of Star Wars battled the villains with lightsabers, and began to associate swords, knives — and lightsabers — with adventure. So fascinated was Quintin with swords that he even removed a part from his swing set as a child and made it into an imaginary sword. His father was not amused. Fast-forward 20 years, Quintin is now the creator and owner of Middleton Made Knives, his cutlery brainchild that provides professional knives to chefs around the country. Heralded for their precision and craftsmanship, Middleton Made Knives has taken on a life of its own, drawing attention from major publications such as Garden & Gun, Food & Wine Magazine, Entrepreneur, and more. He also has the support of some of the biggest names in the food industry today. But things were not always so simple for Quintin. He knows a thing or two about being told “no.” In his early 20s — he’s 28 now — Quintin worked in a cutlery store where he met Jason Knight, a well-known professional knifemaker. The two hit it off, and Quintin began to learn the craft of knifemaking from Jason, who administered some tough love on the fledgling knifemaker. Jason pushed Quintin to learn on his own, through making good knives and bad, and by answering a few questions along the way. And, as it often does, the tough love worked. Quintin emulated what Jason did, but with his own twist, and thus began his understanding of how to make a great knife. He mostly made hunting knives and martial arts swords — he still hadn’t forgotten those lightsabers — and continued to hone his skills to make each piece more beautiful than the next.

WH AT JESUS SAYS , YOU D O

TO DAY’ S PAS S IO N

Now all of that hard work and determination is nice, but this is where

From Robert Irvine to Guy Fieri to Emeril Lagasse, Quintin rubs

the story really gets interesting. Quintin says that five years ago, Jesus

shoulders with the big guns. His knives are featured in stores across the

came to him in a dream and told him to stop making hunting knives

country and coveted by amateur and professional chefs alike. “Everyone

and make professional chef knives instead. And like any smart man

wants to be the next Emeril Lagasse,” said Quintin. “And anything that

would, he did what Jesus said. He kicked the hunting and martial

young chefs can have to step up their precision, they want it. I am the

arts practice to the curb and took up creating professional kitchen

person who helps them with that.”

knives. After he made a collection that he thought was good enough to sell, he made a long list of every chef in Charleston — he’s from St. Stephens, S.C. — and visited each chef on the list to sell his wares.

Speaking of Emeril, Quintin says that one of his proudest moments was when he received a picture of the legendary chef and TV personality holding a Middleton Made Knife. One day during the Christmas season

And they all said “no.” “No,” said Sean Brock; “no,” said Jeremiah Bacon;

a few years ago, Quintin received a phone call from a fellow claiming to

“no,” said Craig Deihl; “no,” “no,” “no.” They thought he was a door-to-

be Emeril’s Chief Operating Officer. Skeptical of the story’s legitimacy,

door salesman, just pushing off someone else’s product for them to buy.

but happy to help the guy out, Quintin agreed to make the “COO” a chef knife to give “Emeril” for Christmas. A few days after Christmas Quintin received a text message with a picture of Emeril wielding his

He found a way t o produce a knife th at was e ve r y che f ’s dre am: pre cis e, light w eight, and most impor tant , L O N G - L AST I N G .

Middleton Made Knife. It was a merry Christmas indeed. Besides being a knifemaker and a man of God, Quintin also takes pride in being a great husband and father to his two kids. One thing you may not expect about Quintin: he’s a big teddy bear, he says, and a very goofy

And then Jesus came to him in a dream a second time. Jesus told Quintin to revisit famous Charlestonian Craig Deihl and ask him to help him with his newfound craft. And, again, like any smart man would, he did what Jesus said. Sure enough, Craig agreed to give

person. Quintin loves talking to people and could hold a conversation with a person for hours. “Everyone has something in common with others,” Quintin said. “You just have to find the thing you have in common with the other person, and then you can talk forever.”

Quintin feedback on how to improve the quality of his chef ’s knives.

As for the future of Middleton Made Knives, Quintin is excited about

Craig’s feedback was immediate: he said the knives were too big, too

moving forward and continuing to put great quality knives into the

thick, too heavy, that the knives lacked the precision required in a

hands of those who need them. The one thing that will remain the same,

restaurant kitchen.

though, is Quintin’s passion for his work. “Great minds think alike,”

So Quintin went back to work, and after some more coaching from Craig and his sous-chef, Quintin nailed it. He found a way to produce a knife that was every chef ’s dream: precise, lightweight, and most

Quintin said. “Professional chefs recognize that the passion they put into their food is the same passion that I have for my craft, and that’s what makes it meaningful.”

important, long-lasting. With these much sought-after qualities, Craig introduced Quintin to other chefs in need of kitchen knives, and thus

the magic of Middleton Made Knives began.

Go behind the scenes with bladesmith, Quintin Middleton >

SOU TH ERN L I VI N G

ID E A H OUS E by Anna Jones | photography by Rob Kaufman

estled among a thick grove of pine trees in Palmetto Bluff ’s River Road community, the 2014 Southern Living Idea House is truly a sight to behold. Of course, we are always partial to any home on The Bluff, but with the breathtaking views of the waterway and the unfazed wildlife nearby (compliments of Mother Nature herself), this house is nothing short of stunning. Taking many architectural and construction design cues from traditional Lowcountry homes, the Southern Living Idea House may seem like a typical Southern home, complete with wraparound porches and lots of natural light. Yet, don’t judge a book by its cover. This home is a fresh, welcome departure from the gilded décor of the ’90s. With its clean lines, bright neutral color palette, and open floor plan, the house redefines what it means to entertain in the South. A culmination of more than a year of planning, brainstorming, creating, building, and decorating, the Idea House is the result of many talented groups’ labor. Southern Living, Palmetto Bluff, Ken Pursley of Pursley Dixon Architecture, Suzanne Kasler Interiors, and Chris Dalzell of Shoreline Construction each played a major role in the creation of the home.

C AS UAL, U N D ER STATED ELEG A N CE The 2014 Souther n Li v i ng Ide a House is nothing short of bre athtaking. Pe rfe c tly ne stle d in the R iv er Road c ommunity of Palme tto Bluff, this home of fer s panoramic vie w s of the w ate r w a y and boasts se v e ral ame nitie s for e v e r y one to e njo y. 10

S OUTH ER N O U TD O OR L IVI NG The home offers a wraparound patio complete with sitting and dining areas. Three doors from the house offer entr y to the patio and its beautiful view s. 11

CO N TI N U E D F RO M PA G E 9

From the color on the interior walls and the layout of the kitchen to the type of cement used for the driveway, each decision was made purposefully and thoughtfully.

A ROOM WITH A V IEW Above: The brick patio gives way to a stunning view of the private water way leading to the May River. Below: A well-appointed tray of spirits sits ready and waiting on the home’s porch for guests.

Extreme attention to detail was demonstrated from the initial architectural design discussions to the final interior design touches. Still not convinced? Don’t take our word for it. Go see it for yourself. The Southern Living Idea House is open for tours five days a week through December 14, 2014. Tickets are $15 each, and children 12 and under are admitted for free. The proceeds benefit Bluffton Self Help and the Boys & Girls Club of Bluffton to help support their missions in the Bluffton community. Now go ahead and take a peek at what we’ve been working on at The Bluff.

1 W I D E O P E N S PAC E S

The Southern Living Idea House’s wall of windows allow plenty of natural light to illuminate the open floor plan. 2 CO L L ECT E D, N OT C L UT T E RE D

The home’s modern décor mixes various design elements for a clean, collected look. 3 S TO R A G E , S T ORAGE , ST OR AGE

One of the home’s best qualities is the amount of storage it offers. This room is a small butler’s pantry off the kitchen, providing ample storage space and an additional dishwasher and wine cooler.

SO CIA L EN TERTA IN IN G T he be autifully ope n kitc he n e xte nds into the formal living room, offe ring ple nty of e nte rtaining spac e and e nsure s the hosts are inc lude d in the party. 14

4 5

4 C OL OR S P L AS H

This guest bedroom in the home creates a colorful space with its brightly colored bedding, pillows, and window treatments. (And oh, the view!) 5 LI GHT E VE RYWHE RE

The open hallway on the second floor overlooks the airy living room with views of the serene waterway outside.

Anew Grey (S W 7030)

Determined Orange (S W 6635)

Prairie Grass (S W 7546)

Glitzy Gold (S W 6691)

Westchester Gray (S W 2849)

Naval (S W 6244)

Ardent Coral (S W 6874)

French Roast (S W 6069)

Rainwashed (S W 6211)

6 SPA-L I KE GE TAWAY

A quiet aquatic oasis awaits in the master bathroom with a free-standing bathtub and custom light fixtures. 7 LOOK, I T ' S A NOOK

A quiet nook upstairs offers a cozy place to take a nap or read a great book. 8 A GRAND E NT RANC E

Southern Living Idea House guests are greeted by a beautifully decorated dining table, complete with industrial glass light fixtures. 9 TE A F OR T WE LVE

Simple white shelving serves as the perfect spot to arrange kitchen supplies while echoing the modern dĂŠcor throughout the home.

A LL Y O U N EED IS CO LO R T h e Southern So u th ern Living Li v i n g Idea Ho u s e bo a s ts a ca ref u l l y cu ra ted pa l ette o f Sh er w i n -W i l l i a m s n eu tra l s bl en ded w i th bri gh ter pi n k s , bl u es a n d y el l o w s to crea te th e u l ti m a te co a s ta l o a s i s .

6 7

Every Story Doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Have by Dr. Mary Socci

fig.1

Illustrations by Dylan Sell

If any of the guests relaxing on the screened porch of Inn Cottage 13 wonder about the low, crumbling tabby wall near an old cedar, it is probably only for a moment or two before the spectacular and expansive vista of marsh and Sea Islands captures their attention.

fig.2

Those who know the history of that wall, however, find it as compelling as the view beyond it. The wall is all that remains of the most unusual home ever built at The Bluff.

Sometime around 1790, William McKimmy, a Scottish immigrant and successful cooper (barrel maker) in Charleston, bought 900 acres along the May River. Although McKimmy had been speculating in real estate in and around Charleston for decades, the land at Palmetto Bluff was different from his earlier purchases. It was here that

Discovered, researched, and ultimately excavated

McKimmy found more than just a good addition to his portfolio. At The Bluff he

by Dr. Mary Socci, Octagon Plantation is a

could join the handful of ambitious men who were carving plantations out of the

historical landmark at Palmetto Bluff. It was

wilderness, and perhaps just as importantly, he could experiment in architectural

confirmed as the first octagonal house ever built

design. By 1796, McKimmy resided in one of the most extraordinary houses in

in the United States, dating back all the way to

the United States. Three years later, McKimmy was dead; by the end of the Civil War his house was gone, and it wasn’t long before there were no memories of his unconventional home. It would be up to modern researchers to bring the story of

1796. We commissioned artist Dylan Sell to research the contemporary architectural styles of the day and to try to recreate what the home would have looked like.

McKimmy’s innovative design to the 21st century visitors and residents of The Bluff. The first clue that McKimmy’s plantation was different from his neighbors’ was its name: “Octagon Plantation.” The surrounding plantations, like many other plantations in the area, were named for places in Europe such as Montpelier (Montpellier, France) or Tipperary (an Irish county and town), for bucolic settings such as Walnut Grove or Chinquapin Hill, or for the owners such as Stephensville. “Octagon” was not only strikingly different from the pattern, it was a peculiar reference to a geometrical shape whose connection to the plantation was unknown. In fact, although the name “Octagon Plantation” persisted in historical records for two centuries, the reason for

1 OUR VERY OWN OCTAGON PLANTATION

The ruins are behind Cottages 13 and 14. A letter by Margaret Cowper in 1796 and a map, contemporary at that time, confirm it as the first octagonal residence in the United States. It was built by cooper William McKimmy sometime before 1796. The first floor contains the traditional Scottish thoroughfare with opposite entrances.

the name had disappeared. Or so it seemed.

2 THE SITE OF THE RUINS

fig.3

fig.4

fig.6

fig.7

During a visit to the archives at the Georgia Historical Society in Savannah,

In 2009 and 2010, archaeological testing uncovered additional walls and

Palmetto Bluff ’s researchers found two startling bits of information. The

revealed that the house was a regular (having equal sides and angles)

first was a plat of McKimmy’s plantation, dated 1798. There on the banks

octagon and that the area of structure was 900 square feet, quite a

of the May River, exactly where the tabby wall is today, the map showed

reasonable size for a bachelor’s plantation home.

an octagon with the title “Mr. McKimmy’s house.” The map alone would

The archaeological work, map, description by Margaret Cowper, and

have been enough to confirm that McKimmy’s house was octagonal, but

the historic use of the name left no doubt that the original house

there was an even more remarkable piece of evidence in the archives. A

was octagonal in design. What was even more surprising was that the

copy of a letter written in 1796 by Margaret Cowper, a teenage visitor to

historical records also revealed that McKimmy’s home was probably the

neighboring Montpelier Plantation, described the house as octagonal with

first octagonal house constructed in the United States. Thomas Jefferson’s

“triangular rooms.” It was suddenly clear that the tabby wall in front of the

retreat, Poplar Forest, widely considered one of the earliest homes with

cottages was, in fact, part of the octagonal foundation of the house. The

an octagonal floor plan, was not built until 1806, at least 20 years after

next step would be for archaeologists to excavate the site.

McKimmy had constructed his home.

3 CA STLE HILL PLANTATION A perfect example of old Federalist-style plantations: Its windows have six-by-six panes; the roof is ornamented with simplistic wooden dentils, and the front door is a more extravagant example of European-style detailing at the time.

4 OAKLAND PLANTATION More emblematic of earlier Georgian-style plantations of the 1700s, its window sashes have smaller nine-by-nine panes. It has the classic Southern double-end chimneys.

fig.5

5 RETREAT PLANTATION This is an early 1700s plantation one passes on the way to Beaufort in Pinckney Retreat. The almost-three-centuryold home is built completely of tabby, a Lowcountry builders’ brick substitute, made of the burned remains of oyster shells, mixed with sand, lime, and water.

6 A REGENCY ERA SHOWER-BATH Margaret Cowper’s letter describes a bathing device McKimmy had in his home. The device required a second person to pour water through the top onto the bather. McKimmy was a man ahead of his time owning not only his shower-bath, a static electricity machine, but also a collection of medicines, as well as his unique, octagonal house.

7 WINDOWS IN THE DIFFERENT

STYLES OF THE 18TH CENTURY

fig.8 8 MODERN INTERIOR STUDY Illustrations by Dylan Sell

But what did the house look like? The historical and archaeological

into his illustration include the Adam-style windows (six panes per sash),

research provided no details other than the octagonal shape. Fortunately,

elevated first floor (for better air circulation and cooling in warm weather),

the Conservancy’s arts intern (now arts coordinator), Dylan Sell, was up

wide porch and cypress-shingled roof.

for a challenge. Dylan began by investigating the architectural styles and

As Dylan’s watercolor shows, it is quite possible that the first octagonal

techniques of the late 18th century. Besides spending hours in libraries

house in the United States, despite its shape, fit perfectly into the

and archives, Dylan drove all over the Lowcountry, visiting old plantations,

Lowcountry cultural landscape of its time. And while octagonal floor

taking photographs, and sketching houses and architectural elements. He

plans never became popular in houses in South Carolina, many of the

read and reread the description by Margaret Cowper and even looked at

architectural elements that McKimmy may have used are timeless: the

homes in Scotland for an idea of the type of building in which McKimmy

wide porches, elevated first floors, clapboard siding and even Adam-style

might have spent his childhood. The result is the depiction you see on page

windows. These elements remain features of homes at The Bluff today,

17, a two-story clapboard house overlooking the marsh of the May River.

and they continue to connect our rich Lowcountry history to creative

Key features of 18th century Lowcountry houses that Dylan incorporated

design, just as in McKimmy’s house over 200 years ago.

TH C U L I N A RY

•

2014

•

FICIAL M F US O E

YO U R M O T O C I

BY COURTNEY HAMPSON & ANNA JONES

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN. of chefs, a group of people so special, so The leaves on the trees are turning a twinge

unique, you will fall in love instantly with

of gold; the crisp autumn air is beckoning

their creative stories and backgrounds.

for a visit to the fire pits, and Palmetto Bluff

(Remember the first time you fell in love?

is settling in for a cool and cozy fall season.

Yeah, it’s kind of like that.)

But don’t be fooled by the picture-perfect tranquility of The Bluff; it’s only the calm before the storm. The Music To Your Mouth team is back in action and is bigger, better, and hungrier than ever.

Because this group of gals and guys is so extraordinary, a normal chef + bio just wouldn’t do. No, they deserve an entire parade if it were up to us. In lieu of a parade for our chefs, we’ve conjured up a map to

As we prepare for the 2014 Music To Your

expand your chef-lebrity knowledge of these

Mouth event, our anticipation mounts

fantastic culinary geniuses.

higher and higher daily as we get closer to what we know will be our most spectacular affair yet. (Remember the eagerness and excitement you felt on the night before Christmas? Yeah, it’s kind of like that.) One of the most integral pieces of Music To Your Mouth – and the most delicious, we might add – is our carefully-curated collection

FOLLOW ALONG TO FILL YOUR PALATE OF CHEF-ORMATION SO YOU CAN BE A CHEFS-PERT BY THE TIME MUSIC TO YOUR MOUTH ROLLS AROUND – A C H E F-LO P E DIA , IF YO U WILL. (WE PROMISE WE WILL STOP MAKING WORDS OUT OF CHEF BY THEN. MAYBE.)

AND

ANTHONY LAMAS

Blac W

Seviche, A Latin Restaurant Louisville, KY

After decidin restaurant’s fro Andy grew his from 17,000 166,000 in les

Anthony was named a “leader in the Latin food revolution” because of his commitment to spicing up the South with his Nuevo Latino cuisine.

TYLER BROWN Capitol Grille Nashville, TN

As both a farmer and a chef, Tyler uses the vegetables from his farm in Tennessee on his restaurant’s menu.

STEVEN

M A

Steven’s rest refurbished m space in Atlan meatp

LINTON HOPKINS Restaurant Eugene Atlanta, GA

A match made in restaurant heaven. Linton met his wife Gina while working at a restaurant in Washington, DC.

CHRIS HASTINGS Hot and Hot Fish Club Birmingham, AL

ROB MCDANIEL

Chris competed in Food Network’s Iron Chef America and beat Chef Bobby Flay in “Battle Sausage.”

SpringHouse Restaurant Lake Martin, AL

Rob cut his teeth working as a sous-chef for another MTYM featured chef, Chris Hastings of Hot and Hot Fish Club.

JOHN T. EDGE Director, Southern Foodways Alliance Oxford, MS

This non-profit director also writes a column for the New York Times titled “United Tastes.”

JOHN CURRENCE City Grocery Oxford, MS

John started his culinary career as a dishwasher for another MTYM-featured restaurant, Crook’s Corner.

JUSTIN DEVILLIER La Petite Grocery New Orleans, LA

Justin used to dive for lobsters during the fall and winter while growing up in California.

JEREMIAH BACON The Macintosh

DY CHABOT

Charleston, SC

ckberry Farm Walland, TN

A seasoned thinker, Jeremiah graduated from the College of Charleston with a degree in Philosophy.

ng his passion was in a ront-of-house operations, s restaurant’s wine cellar bottles of wine to over ss than six years. Boom!

JACOB SESSOMS

ANNE QUATRANO

Table Asheville, NC

N SATTERFIELD

Miller Union Atlanta, GA

Bacchanalia, Floataway Café, Star Provisions, Provisions to Go, Quinones at Bacchanalia and Abattoir

When he’s not managing his restaurant, his cocktail/ charcuterie bar, or spending time with his family, Jacob finds time to run and cycle in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Can you say overachiever?

After moving south for the great weather, people and food, Josh created his restaurant around the idea that one should not have to put on a tie and/or high heels to eat good food. Bravo, sir.

After building a home on a farm in Georgia, Anne now has 20 horses, eight dogs, six cows, six Nubian nanny goats, two pigs, two cats and an entire clan of free-range chickens.

YO U R M O

TH AP

•

2014

CULINARY

FICIAL M US

Charleston, SC

Two Boroughs Larder

Atlanta, GA

taurant is located in a mid-century warehouse nta’s former West Side packing district.

JOSHUA KEELER

•

TH BILL SMITH Crook’s Corner Chapel Hill, NC

Because of his rich history in growing restaurants and night life in the area for over 30 years, Bill is known as “Chapel Hill’s most quintessential resident.”

BRANDON CARTER

THADDEUS MILLER

Palmetto Bluff Bluffton, SC

He’s affectionately referred to as the “Grand Poobah” of everything on your plate at Music To Your Mouth.

This sommelier is known for his vast collection of bow ties and effusive nature.

Ashley created the nowfamous “Candied Bacon Forest” from 2012’s Music To Your Mouth event.

ASHLEY COPE

SCOTT CRAWFORD Standard Foods Raleigh, NC

Scheduled to open in Fall 2014, Scott’s newest venture, Standard Foods, will be a restaurant and neighborhood grocery with an adjacent urban garden.

CRAIG ROGERS Border Springs Farm Patrick Springs, VA

RODNEY SCOTT

After being an engineer, a professor, the president of a micro-electronics company, and an intellectual property expert witness, Craig finally became what he is today – a lamb shepherd, providing quality meat to some of the finest restaurants in the U.S.

Scott’s Bar-B-Que Hemingway, SC

You’ll find Rodney cutting down trees and chopping the wood he uses to smoke his barbecue.

ASHLEY CHRISTENSEN Poole’s Downtown Diner Raleigh, NC

Ashley chose an old Piggly Wiggly building as the home for her three restaurant ventures.

SARAH SIMMONS CITY GRIT New York, NY

Sarah’s meals are always Southern-inspired, whether she’s cooking a traditional Sunday supper, a dim sum feast, or a Shabbat dinner.

ORCHID PAULMEIER One Hot Mama’s Hilton Head Island, SC

Orchid began her career as an ice cream scooper in high school.

MATT JORDING Sage Room Hilton Head Island, SC

Matt built his restaurant with the kitchen in the center and a 10-person “chef’s table” on the perimeter to give his diners a one-on-one experience.

MIKE LATA FIG Restaurant Charleston, SC

As a youngster growing up in New England, Mike developed his appreciation for homegrown, homecooked meals from his Polish grandparents.

CHARLES PEJEAU

DAVID CARRIER

Charbar Co. Hilton Head Island, SC

The Cloister and Beach Club

Since opening his restaurant last fall, Charles has won every regional “Best Burger” award in coastal South Carolina, including being featured in Southern Living as “Best of the South.”

David learned to appreciate the world of hospitality from growing up around his parent’s Northern Italian restaurant in Queens, NY.

Sea Island, GA

CO RP OR ATE S P O NS O R

EV E N T SPON SOR

TI TL E S PO N S O R

MUSIC TO YOUR MOUTH 2014 THANKS OUR SPONSORS

MUSIC TO YOUR MOUTH

ON THE ROAD

AUSTIN, TEXAS April 24, 2014 PHOTOGRAPHY BY BONJWING LEE

FROM THE LOWCOUNTRY TO THE HILL COUNTRY, the Music To Your Mouth team headed to Austin for a little country and a little rock ’n’ roll. With a burgeoning food scene – a panoply of food trucks, fine dining, and quirky neighborhood hot spots – Austin was the perfect destination for the first Music To Your Mouth road trip. Palmetto Bluff executive chef Brandon Carter and pastry chef Ashley Cope collaborated with Oxford, MS chef John Currence and Austin, TX chef Jeffrey Hundelt to discover the food of a new place with a five-course meal paired with wines of Revana. Following dinner, guests enjoyed a private acoustic concert with Kristian Bush, onehalf of the award-winning, multi-platinum band, Sugarland.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK June 9, 2014 PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF FOOD REPUBLIC

MUSIC TO YOUR MOUTH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FOOD REPUBLIC, hosted a test kitchen and after-party in New York City focusing on Southern cuisine, recipes, and techniques. Palmetto Bluff executive chef Brandon Carter and Charleston, SC chef Sean Brock explored hominy and other classic ingredients with New York chefs Sarah Simmons, Rob Newton, and Jeff McInnis. Later that evening, they pulled together a fun Southern-inspired after-party.

LAKE JAMES, NORTH CAROLINA June 27-29, 2014 PHOTOGRAPHY BY GRIFFIN DAVIS

LIFE AT THE LAKE IS LAID BACK, CASUAL, AND CHOCK-FULL OF spirited fun, so we loaded up the Palmetto Bluff Music To Your Mouth team for a third road trip. We invited lamb shepherd Craig Rogers and Asheville, NC chef Jacob Sessoms to join us for a weekend of camp-induced fun, which included a gourmet s’mores social on Friday night and a dinner prepared solely over open fires Saturday night. We’re talking fire pits, smoke, and craft beers from Hi-Wire Brewery. Oh, and an open-air concert with Kristian Bush for dessert. (You could say we’re sweet on Kristian.)

when

GOOD FOOD leads to social impropriety by Anna Jones | photography by Emily B. Hall

As I sit at a reclaimed grayish wooden table and sip on my bubbly, bitter cocktail – the Spritz, it’s called – I look around to take in the scene. The Florence is bustling with liveliness, but not too noisy; bright enough to read the menu, but dim enough to be sexy; cool enough to be hipster, but not so much to make anyone uncomfortable. I detest a restaurant that tries too hard. The latest venture of celebrated culinary stalwart Hugh Acheson, The Florence is the new kid on the block, trying to nudge its way onto the scene amongst the rich history and culture of Savannah with a subtle, cool flair. And nudge, it does. A thoughtful blend of traditional Italian food, Southern flavors and beautiful, locally-sourced ingredients, The Florence serves up imaginative dishes that showcase extreme attention to detail and a return to the good stuff: wonderfully simple food.

Located in a non-descript two-story building on Victory Drive in

and blazes at 900 degrees Fahrenheit. All of the items on the menu are

Savannah, The Florence has an unpretentious, inviting vibe that Acheson

Kyle’s creations, and he uses each group of food to craft a cadence to the

uses to position the restaurant as the neighborhood joint. “Looking at the

meals here at The Florence. Kyle says that his goal is for diners to share

template for how a tourist town works, 80% is there for the tourists, and

the Beginnings group (appetizers) and Pasta en Casa section (pastas),

20% is there for the locals. I want to do the opposite: 80% for the locals

and then order their own individual Pizzas, Proteins (seafood and meat)

and 20% for the tourists,” Acheson told me when I spoke with him on the

and Contorni (vegetables). The process of ordering each course elongates

phone earlier that day. “This gives credence to the locals; they are the

the dining experience, which he wants to be like the traditional family

heartbeat of the city.”

dinners in Italy.

I swirl the enormous ice cubes in my drink — the really good, slow-

“In Italy we eat for, like, hours,” Kyle laughs. “It’s really fun.” Kyle is

melting kind of ice cubes — and am startled by the sudden presence of a

humble and honest; the happy flicker in his eyes shows a hard-working

baby face staring at me through black horn-rimmed glasses. “Anna?” he

young man with the type of passion for his work that makes me excited,

asks, his eyebrows arching in question as he extends his hand to shake my

too. His grandparents on his father’s side came over from Italy. His

own. “I’m Kyle, the executive chef.” I take his hand and shake it. Certainly

mother is half-Italian, “but we don’t talk about the other half,” he jokes,

this teenager in front of me could not be the executive chef of the newest,

and I giggle as I sip on my cocktail that gets a little bit sweeter with each

most gabbed-about restaurant in Savannah, I think. But then I realize he is

taste. We chat for a little while longer, and then Kyle politely dips out to

probably thinking the same thing about me, as I am a baby-face myself, so

continue to oversee the kitchen. I am more than impressed.

I spare him the judgment.

Allison, the general manager and wine director, then pops over to make

Chef Kyle Jacovino sits down at the table with my husband and me, and

an introduction, and she helps my husband and me sift through the thick

we chat about the menu, the food, the wine, the place, the wood fire oven,

binder of wines, all carefully selected and sourced from Lady Italy. The

which, by the way, was handmade in Naples, Italy, out of volcanic rock

wines are divided by region, separated in the binder by little handwritten

names on each tab. We flip to the one with Sardegna scrolled on the tab,

some. I want to lap it up right out of the bowl like my parent’s Airedale

and are greeted with a picture of the wine’s place of origin and a brief

would, but I use my restraint in the name of social propriety. I look over,

description of its taste. I have met very few wines that I don’t like, and this

and my husband has a bit of it on the tip of his nose. Always a good sign.

one is no exception.

Onto the pizza course we go and continue the “mmm” sounds as we

I abandon my Spritz for the splendid crimson Italian wine, and my

chomp down slice after slice of the heavenly La Diavola pizza. Encased in

husband and I proceed to order a slew of food. Following Chef Kyle’s

a soft, pillowy dough, this Neapolitan-style pizza is so scrumptious that,

orders we start with the Salumi – we ordered all three – then the Black

after a long strand of mozzarella cheese tragically slips off my fork, I pick

Bucatini pasta (a favorite of Kyle’s) and the La Diavola pizza (a favorite

it up by the end and pop it back into my mouth. “Waste not, want not,”

of both Hugh’s and Kyle’s). Faster than the switch of a cat’s tail, Kyle

my mother says. All social decorum is cast out the window at this point as

whisks over with a wooden board bearing artfully-displayed meats,

my husband and I stuff ourselves silly with the scrumptiousness that is

breads, and homemade mustards. My favorite is the fresh pepperoni,

laid in front of us. My husband licks his thumb and then uses his fork to

thickly-sliced, served warm and made in-house! My husband’s favorite

scrape off some homemade pepperoni from the pizza. I tear off a piece of

is the pork rillette, which he generously smears over a piece of crusty —

the Diavola crust to sop up more of the tomato bucatini sauce. It is every

yet fluffy — bread. All breads are also made in-house, in the wood-fired

man for himself as we proceed to devour the food as if it is our last meal

oven. Take that, Sara Lee.

on earth. “This food is so good, it’ll make you want to smack your mama,”

I wash down the spicy meats with a swig of my red wine and glance

as my father says.

hungrily over at the kitchen. The waitress brings over the black bucatini,

After the meal is polished off, my husband and I are genuinely a bit sad

and the husband and I eagerly serve ourselves. After instructing him to

everything is over. We walk back to the car, hand in hand, not saying

twirl the pasta as opposed to cutting it – “People are looking! Act like

anything to each other, in part because we are so full, but also because

we belong!” – we shove the pasta into our mouths, both of our eyes open

we both are mentally reeling over the epicurean extravaganza in which

wide in shock, and then simultaneously close slowly with satisfaction.

we just (over)indulged. “80% for locals, 20% for tourists,” I repeat under

There is a lot of muffled “mmm”-ing going on; this pasta is unbelievable.

my breath, and I think about the strategy behind Acheson’s success. And

A wonderful temperature with a great spiciness, the pasta is cooked al

clearly his strategy is working because my husband turns to me and says,

dente, and the seafood is too. And the sauce! Oh, the sauce. Perfectly

“So, when are we going back?”

creamy, but not milky; textured, but not chunky; brothy, but not soupy, it is an incredible punch of everything a tomato sauce should be and then

Kyle Jacovino (left) & Hugh Acheson (right)

n a c i r e Am m a e Dr the new

by Anna Jones | photography by Rob Kaufman

“The water is where I found my peace of mind again,” Jared shouts over the roar of the 25 horsepower Yamaha motor as we cruise along the glassy blue waters surrounding Palmetto Bluff. “Out here, it's just me and the water.” He deftly navigates the little boat through the twists and turns of the river, and he looks happy - a bit concerned if the old Yamaha will break down on us - but happy nonetheless.

Top left: Wild oysters in Jaredâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beds make a delicious oyster roast. Top right and bottom: Jared raises oysters from the time they are little seeds to full, plump oysters. 35

Jared Mayhew is a 31-year-old who has lived more lives than most

Jared’s first customers, folks at Palmetto Bluff have shucked and eaten J&W

30-somethings. A veteran returned home from two tours in Iraq, he has

Oysters for years. Executive Chef Brandon Carter prepares the oysters in

seen things that would make most people lose their lunch — probably their

many ways, each with a sincere respect for the beautifully-rare seafood and

dinner, too — and yet he carries himself with a gracious confidence that

the man who brings it to him.

makes you not only want to be his friend, but obtain his approval, too.

“That’s what I love most about my job: the marketing of it. One day, I’ll

“See all that water out there?” He points to the wide expanse of river,

be harvesting oysters in the mud, and the next day, I’ll be tasting oysters

marsh, and trees. The Yamaha sputters ominously. “All that is my lease;

with good chefs, drinking fine wine,” he laughs. “It’s fun.”

that’s my farm.”

Jared is calm and easy-going, and it’s hard for me to imagine this gentle

As founder and owner of J&W Oyster Company, Jared is making a name

person driving the fishing boat as a trained soldier serving our country in

for himself in the Lowcountry as the cultivator of some of the most

Iraq, but he was. He served as an artillery scout for the U.S. Army, surveying

beautiful — and tasty — oysters this area has to offer. His handpicked,

the land to locate the enemy and direct U.S. troops in the right direction.

homegrown oysters are making waves among chefs and home cooks alike, all clamoring for the same thing: the salty, briny taste that makes South Carolina oysters so great. “Chef Brandon says they are briny with a clean finish,” he grins and rolls his eyes, flattered by the compliment, but not completely buying into the epicurean lingo. “I know one thing; they are good.”

“Maybe that’s why I’m good at finding oysters,” Jared chuckles, shrugging his shoulders as he reaches down to jump-start the Yamaha again. His harrowing tales of his time in Iraq make me squirm in my seat, but I listen intently to understand his story and respect the time he spent protecting our country. “When we manned a machine gun, we used to yell, ‘Peanut butter and jelly! Peanut butter and jelly!’ to make sure we kept breathing while

Raising oysters — aquaculturing, he calls it — is a labor of love, not

shooting each round. Your adrenaline is pumping so hard that sometimes

to be entered into lightly nor with soft hands. Jared sources his oyster

people would pass out when shooting a machine gun. Saying ‘peanut butter

seeds from Lady Island and then raises them from the time they are tiny

and jelly’ is the same amount of time it takes to go through a round, so that’s

babies, about five millimeters in length, to full maturity, about four to five

what we did.” I had to do everything I could to not start crying, and I prayed

inches. The entire process takes only a few months, but requires stamina,

that the Yamaha wouldn’t break down at this moment.

patience, and hard work.

Adrenaline was also the reason that Jared and fellow soldiers had to

“It’s like being a farmer,” Jared says as he maneuvers the little boat to

“check for leaks” — and by ‘leaks’ he means ‘bullet holes’ — after being

deeper water. “You don’t get good land; you make it good land.” And make

under fire from enemy lines. “Someone would yell for everyone to check

it into good land he does. He trolls his state lease with the eye of a hawk

for leaks, and we patted ourselves down from head to toe, and then smell

and the perseverance of a young mother, surveying the property for wild

our hands to see if they smelled like blood. Our adrenaline was pumping

oysters and protecting the cages of oysters he raises by himself.

so hard, we wouldn’t even know if we’d been shot.” The sense of smell

In case you are an oyster neophyte like myself, wild oysters are those

apparently is immune to the pump of adrenaline.

growing in clusters along the water’s edge and are used for oyster roasts.

When he returned to the U.S. from his second tour in Iraq, he was angry,

The oysters in cages are those destined to be served on fine bone china

and understandably so. “I was used to being an animal, and then I got

— maybe chilled on the half-shell, accompanied by a lemon wedge — in

back home, and it’s like everything was just supposed to go back to

venerated restaurants such as the River House at Palmetto Bluff. Among

normal again.” But Jared couldn’t go back to normal. After seeing dozens

upon dozens of soldiers killed, he had changed. Seeing life and death exchanged so quickly and so irreverently made him look at mortality differently. And then he found the water. He found his release cruising on the May River, reflecting on his life and taking stock of what he had. He used the water to rejuvenate his mind, his soul, and he used his appreciation for the pristine marshland and river to recover from what he had seen in Iraq. And then, thankfully for us, he found oysters. “I was bored and didn’t know what to do in the winter, so I started messing around and seeing if I could raise oysters. And I could,” says Jared as he fingers through the tiny oysters in the cages on the marshy shore. We had managed to beach the boat safely on the muddy sand, and my eyes dart back at the stern to see if the Yamaha was still attached to the boat. I swear that thing glared back at me. After oyster farmers apply for the proper licensing, they have to prove to the state of South Carolina that they are capable of and dedicated to taking care of the oyster beds. After Jared proved his natural ability, the state leased the land to him at no charge in exchange for his supervision of the area. Jared tosses the little oysters back into the cages and picks out a larger oyster. “Want me to open it up?” he asks, and I nod as I take a small step backward. “Why are you backing up? It won’t hurt you!” he laughs as he pries open the hard, brackish shell. “Hey, now that’s a good lookin’ oyster right there.” Jared prefers his oysters steamed with no condiments, in case you were wondering. He says horseradish takes away all of the flavor, and cocktail sauce is for shrimp. And by shrimp, he means wusses. As we putter our way back to the dock at Palmetto Bluff, the tide begins to rise, and the salty spray from the water mists our faces. I lick my lips to taste the salty goodness that helps make Jared’s oysters so delicious and sought after, and begin to wonder why I didn’t eat that oyster he shucked earlier. But it is not only the salt that makes the oysters so good, it’s also the water. Full of nutrients and flavor, the water plumps up the oysters to

ABOVE: Jared raises as many as 250,000 oysters each year in his lease.

make them swell to the perfect size for eating. And just as the water gives

RIGHT: When he’s not raising oysters, Jared also serves as an outdoor

life to the oysters he sells, it brought Jared back to life too.

guide, taking tourists along the May River and giving ecological tours.

JARED MAYHEW

L O C A L

C H A R A C T E R

JAY WALEA 39

by Anna Jones | photography by Walt Denson

The fact that Jay Walea has never been featured as The Bluff’s

the property for over 25 years. Beginning his tenure as an intern

“Local Character” until now is an absolute travesty because he is

during the Union Camp era, he now manages the Conservancy

nothing, if not a character. In fact, he probably best represents the

and understands, better than anyone, the lay of this sacred land.

local character of Palmetto Bluff, which means we most likely should

He has made it his life’s work to ensure every decision on Palmetto

replace his title as Conservancy Director to Mr. Palmetto Bluff.

Bluff is predicated on the needs of its inhabitants – the birds, the

As the voice of, and champion for, the members of Palmetto Bluff

trees, the grass, the gators – everything.

who cannot speak – the plants and animals – Jay has worked on

Q: WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF PERFECT HAPPINESS?

Q: WHAT IS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ?

A: My idea of happiness is a healthy family and a blessed life.

A: Illumination in the Flatwoods. The author, Joe Hutto, also a biologist, imprinted on a flock of wild turkeys and raised them as their mother hen would have. It is a fascinating book that goes very deeply into the behavior and elusiveness of this wild game bird species. Told you I was boring.

Q: WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND AS YOU DRIVE TO WORK EACH MORNING? A: I review everything that is planned for that day as well what could possibly go wrong, which is always backed up by a silent prayer that nothing will go wrong! Then I enjoy the sights while driving through the property.

Q: AND, ON THE WAY HOME? A: On the way home I usually think about what my daughters may have done that day, then reflect on what I did that day, and again review what is scheduled for tomorrow. I’m pretty boring.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST EXTRAVAGANCE? A: My greatest extravagance is sitting next to a tree, fully camouflaged, calling in a turkey – for me or someone else – during a turkey hunt.

Q: MOST RECENT MOVIE THAT YOU’D RECOMMEND TO FRIENDS?

Q: IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE “SUPER POWER” WHAT WOULD IT BE? AND, HOW WOULD YOU USE IT AT WORK? A: I have a tendency to stick my foot in my mouth multiple times a day, so I would have to say that my super power would be to be able to go back in time. It would also be amazing to spend a month or two with the Native Americans who at one time called The Bluff home and learn their ways and survival techniques. How awesome would that be?

Q: WHEN YOU’RE NOT HERE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? A: When I’m not at Palmetto Bluff, I’m either hunting, blue water fishing, or watching one of the thousands of my daughters’ soccer games. Thank God my girls got out of the dance class phase.

Q: WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?

A: Mountain Man.

Q: IF THERE WERE A MOVIE ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD IT BE CALLED? AND, WHICH ACTOR WOULD PLAY YOU? A: Through the Eyes of a Guide, and the actor who would play me would be Seth Rogen.

Q: WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT? A: My greatest achievement on Palmetto Bluff is helping the land transition into an environmentally responsible development. I also take great pride in constantly educating developers to ensure that we remain good stewards of this beautiful place. And I’m proud of my transition into a manager position without going crazy!

Q: WHAT IS YOUR MOST MARKED CHARACTERISTIC? A: I guess my bald head.

Q: WHAT WORD DO YOU USE MOST?

A: It’s strange, but I love British comedy. Our Director of Development, David Sewell, on a pony also makes me laugh.

Q: TOP FIVE SONGS ON YOUR PLAYLIST? A: Florida Georgia Line’s “Hell Raisin’ Heat of the Summer”, “Wagon Wheel” – not the Darius version, “Barefoot Blue Jean Night”, “Washed in the Blood”, and “Don’t Stop Believin’.”

Q: FAVORITE SPOT ON THE BLUFF? A: The dinosaur bones in Pump Swamp and the hard marsh in Montpelier.

Q: BEST PALMETTO BLUFF MOMENT? A: My best Bluff moment was when our former General Manager, Jay Page, told me to give my girls the best Christmas ever because I had a job on January 1.

A: Yes. It’s also the worst word, too.

Watch to learn more about Jay: Living A Life’s Dream 40

SPICE UP YOUR LOOK FOR MTYM 2014

by Anna Jones | photography by Rob Kaufman Music To Your Mouth has become synonymous with all things rustic, authentic, and Southern. But just because the event is rustic doesn’t mean you have to pull out those old overalls to fit in with the MTYM crowd (although overalls are having a runway moment right now). We’ve pulled together some items to add a little bit of glamour to your outfit featuring jewelry and accessories from The Spa at Palmetto Bluff, Ship’s Store at Wilson Landing and The Boutique at Boathouse Row in Wilson Village. Even though Music To Your Mouth is all about the food and drink, you can still add some flair to your fashions. Why say ‘no’ when you can say ‘why not?’ Right?

wayfarers for the win A pair of Maui Jim Legends will protect your eyes

tribal trend

from the sun and make a fashion statement. $259, Shipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Store at Wilson Landing.

Use this Julie Vos Tribeca Horn Pendant as an unexpected tribal touch for your day-to-night outfits. $185, The Boutique.

bundle up This Theodora and Callum scarf is the perfect way to keep warm during a chilly MTYM night. $200, The Boutique.

delicate chains A Pamela B Wishbone necklace adds the finishing touch to your outfit. $60, The Spa at Palmetto Bluff.

layering your gold Each of these gold pieces can be worn separately or all together for a major statement at MTYM. Julie Vos Gold Rings, $58, The Boutique; Pamela B 4-Strand Roman Bracelet, $95, The Spa at Palmetto Bluff; Gold Bangle, $42 Shipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Store at Wilson Landing.

cool blue Add a touch of color with this turquoise bangle from Necessaries. $75, The Boutique.

rosy red lips and tips golden touch

To keep with the fall season, use La Bella Donna Mineral Lip Shear in "Pansy," Deborah Lippmann nail polish "Lady is a

This Julie Vos Bali Gold necklace enhances the glamour

Tramp" for your fingernails, and "Dark Side of the Moon" for

of any MTYM ensemble. $395, The Boutique.

your toes to stay on trend. Lip shear $30, polishes $20 each, The Spa at Palmetto Bluff.

THE WORKINGMAN’S

funk FUNK Native son Whitley Deputy brings an old-school sound to his old stomping grounds in The Bluff by Barry Kaufman | photography by Rob Kaufman

efore it was the kind of idyllic destination that has come to

The Summer Concert Series plays host to some of the area’s finest acts.

define Southern elegance, Palmetto Bluff, like so much of the

For Deputy it was one part concert, one part homecoming. And just

Lowcountry, was untamed. A retreat for executives, it presented a utopia

in case anyone is concerned about Deputy’s childhood activities, rest

of Southern wilderness, where trails meandered among ancient oaks,

assured they were on the level.

spilling out to the sort of quiet fishing holes that Mark Twain himself couldn’t have conceived in his wildest dreams. This was the Palmetto Bluff that Whitley Deputy knew as a child, splashing through its creeks and following the hidden deer trails that led to the most picturesque spots. To him, at least in part, it still is. Taking the stage on the Wilson Village Green this past summer, facing a crowd at the Summer Concert Series bathed in a pink late-June sunset, the frontman of the B-Town Project couldn’t help but be reminded of the Palmetto Bluff he once knew.

“I wasn’t trespassing,” he explained with a laugh over beers a few weeks after the show. “The boyfriend of my best friend’s mom ran the hunting lodge at Union Camp, which is now Palmetto Bluff. So that’s how I got to go back there.” It was all part and parcel of growing up in a small Southern town with one grocery store, one gas station, a single two-lane road and endless opportunities for making your own fun. This fun ranged from the innocuous (“We made up a game called Paperball where we’d toss around a wad of newspaper wrapped in duct tape.”) to the extremely foolhardy

“It’s funny; when I was a kid I used to run through the woods right where

(“I remember being 7 or 8 and coaxing a gator up onto the bank of this

you guys are sitting,” Deputy said into the mic, his voice echoing across

pond. He was hissing at me, and I didn’t care. I wasn’t scared at all. I look

the green. “I never thought I’d be playing a show here.”

back at it now and think ‘What an idiot.’”). For Deputy, that childhood

“

It’s funny; when I was a kid I used to run through the woods right where you guys are sitting.

I never thought I’d be playing a show here.

impulse to create your own fun also manifested itself in creative ways that

“Zach’s all over the country, man. I don’t know how he does it,” he said. “I

would sow the seeds of his eventual musical career.

could do that, but I don’t think I want to. I can’t stay away from my family

“Living in Pritchardville, (my brother) Zach and I started out making

that long. Plus, I want my own bed at the end of the day.”

music where I was playing with screwdrivers on a Rubbermaid bin and

Instead, Whitley plays close to home, headlining shows and playing

a bucket,” he said. “We actually made our first recording that way, back

weddings around the Lowcountry during his busy season, then spending

in the day, with the tape recorder where you gotta hold down ‘play’ and

his off-season as a father, musical mentor, and basketball coach (as

‘record’ at the same time. It was a simple rap song.”

needed) to his three children.

That impromptu setup would launch both Deputy brothers into musical

“It works out,” he said of his work/life balance. “It’s good for my life.”

careers. And while Zach has hit the road, touring the country and amassing a following, Whitley has been content to keep his feet planted firmly in the Lowcountry he loves.

Deputy performs both as a solo act and as the frontman for the B-Town Project, a loose collective of local musicians whose sound bridges the gap between old school and new. The ever-changing lineup of the B-Town

Project evolved from what Deputy describes as a game of musical chairs

Stevie Wonder proved a gateway drug to the funk, soul, and Motown

among local bands B-Town Playaz, Permanent Tourist, and Deas-Guyz.

music that would inform Deputy’s musical journey. Wonder’s “A Tribute

“The drummer for B-Town Playaz was my drum teacher, and he said ‘Let’s start a band.’ Will Snyder was playing bass with me. Then Arnell Byrd,

to Uncle Ray” brought Ray Charles into Deputy’s life, and he brought a whole bunch of friends, from Al Green to Otis Redding.

who was with Deas-Guyz, came and played with us. That’s how it started,”

“I’d have to say my top five are Stevie, Ray Charles, Al Green, Aretha

Deputy said.

Franklin, and James Brown,” he said. “Not necessarily in that order.”

By its nature, the band has continued to change and shift from year to

Whitley embraces their sound, weaving into his own in a way that’s

year (and sometimes from gig to gig, depending on the room) with as

similar to, but somehow more genuine than, some of the newer artists

many as three guitar players, two bass players and two drummers shifting

who are bringing back a funkier soul sound. Whether it’s Pharrell

out roles in the band’s four-year history. But now, Deputy says, the lineup

Williams with “Happy,” the catalogue of Amy Winehouse, or the clear

has coalesced around three core members: Deputy, drummer Derrick

Marvin Gaye influence in Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” (a clear enough

Larry, and renowned local bass player Delbert Felix.

influence that copyright lawyers were involved), the sounds of the ’70s are

“Delbert’s a legend; he’s played with Branford Marsalis and Herbie

creeping into the mainstream.

Hancock and some other really big guys,” Deputy said, before adding

“It’s coming back a little bit, but not as much as I’d like for it to,” said Deputy.

with a tone of awe, “and he’s playing with me right now.”

Maybe that old-school sound just hasn’t found the right person to bring it

Also waiting in the wings for larger shows, such as the Palmetto Bluff

back into the limelight. Deputy plans to fix that in the next year or so.

gig, are bassist Will Snyder, keyboard player Eric Brigmond, and sax

“I’m in the process of putting together my own studio for a number of

player Larry Golden. And while the three-man project can shake a few

reasons. One, I can spend as much time on it as I want. I’m kind of a

tail feathers, a full-fledged B-Town Project show is an event. To see a

perfectionist, and I’d be tweaking the same song for awhile until I was…”

show with the full lineup on stage is to have your funk reflex tested by a

He was beginning to say the word “comfortable” and then stopped. “…

throwback sound that crams the old school and new school into a closet

happy with it.”

for a game of “seven minutes in heaven.” Deputy describes the B-Town Project sound this way: “If a band that was kind of funky came out in the ’90s.” Essentially, it’s a hard sound to get your head around without hearing it. But you should expect nothing less from a band whose frontman grew up rapping to a Rubbermaid beat, graduated to the R&B and gangsta rap of the mid-’90s, then had his world flipped upside down when he discovered Stevie Wonder.

“I would never get it to where I wanted it. But I’d get it to a point where I could say ‘OK, I can live with this.’” The revolving cast of local musicians that make up the B-Town Project will undoubtedly find a home on Deputy’s recordings. Mostly because these guys are down in the local music trenches with Deputy. Yes, whenever possible, they’ll book a show like the Summer Concert Series where they can play to a crowd in a beautiful park amidst an opulent

“Around 11th grade I started listening to classic soul radio stations,” he

resort with a breathtaking river view. But their bread-and-butter is in the

said, pausing for dramatic effect before adding, “and then “Superstition”

summer bar-and-wedding schedule. That forms a bond of brotherhood

came on the radio. Man, I was just like ‘What is this?’”

among the musicians of the B-Town Project.

His enthusiasm for the watershed moment comes through on the

Deputy will bring them into his studio because of that fraternity, but

interview tape in a rush of “This is amazing” and “You’ve got to be

also because he knows they can help him deliver a sound worthy of his

kidding me” set to a backbeat of him scatting a perfect a cappella cover

musical idols.

of the song’s inimitable opening. I could transcribe “baddum boom boom

“Hopefully I can get it right. We’ll see.”

bow boom-boom-boom bah-chick bah-chick baddap” for you, but you really should know the opening to Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” by now. If not, for shame.

by john t. edge

For the past three years, the Southern Foodways Alliance (SFA), an institute of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi, has partnered with Palmetto Bluff to help stage the annual Music To Your Mouth celebration. Under the live oaks, the SFA has shown films like “Asleep in the Wood,” the story of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon, and “CUD,” the tale of a cattleman, Will Harris, of Georgia.

Now, the SFA and Crescent Communities have partnered to fuel a new generation of filmmakers, telling stories about the South through food. In 2014, the SFA Greenhouse Initiative, underwritten by Crescent Communities, will commission and produce ten films focused on farmers, artisans, and cooks in

Muddy Pond Sorghum Mill MUDDY POND, TENNESSEE

six southern states: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina,

Deep in the hills of Tennessee, midway between Nashville and

South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

Knoxville, lies the farming community called Muddy Pond. Having made sorghum syrup with others in the community since

The films, which will be streamed at

the mid-1960s, John and Emma Guenther began this family

southernfoodways.org and screened at various

operation in the early 1980s. Three of their sons – Mark and his

Crescent Communities, showcase a vibrant South at

wife Sherry, Pete and his wife Doreen, and Eddie and his wife Ruth

the forefront of American culinary culture. Stay tuned

– now run the mill with their parents. They are the leading sorghum

for debuts in the 4th quarter of 2014. The following are snapshots of some of the films.

producers in America, supplying Tennessee restaurants like Husk in Nashville and Blackberry Farm in Walland. This is their story of tradition and innovation.

Crawfish & Noodles Cliff’s Meat Market

HOUSTON, TEXAS

CARRBORO, NORTH CAROLINA

Vietnamese crawfish joints in Houston, Texas, including Crawfish

Cliff Collins started working in a local meat market when he was in high school. After five years behind the counter, he opened a place of his own in 1973. Cliff built his reputation on quality, variety, and hospitality. Part of his secret is that Cliff embraces change. When his customers requested organic meats, he stocked them. When Latinos moved to the Carrboro community (near Chapel Hill), he hired them.

& Noodles, 88 Boiling Crawfish & Seafood, and Cajun Kitchen, boil crawfish with lemongrass. Others use garlic. Almost all smother their crawfish in garlic butter. From these strip mall bunkers, Cajun and Vietnamese cultures fuse and complement. In the process, these restaurants are challenging our notions about place-based foods and redefining how, and by whom, crawfish is cooked and eaten.

At Cliff’s, old and new Southern identities mix and mingle, and the meat case displays pork chops as well as chorizo.

Datil Pepper Jared Mayhew, J & W Oyster Company BLUFFTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA The datil pepper is a key ingredient in tomato-based Minorcan clam chowders, fennel-seeded sausages, and a wide array of

Seeking solace and a livelihood from a life on the water, Jared

Florida hot sauces. It’s on St. Augustine menus. It’s nestled in worn

Mayhew harvests oysters for Palmetto Bluff. A South Carolina native,

family cookbooks. Datils were brought to the First Coast in the

born and raised on Isle of Palms, Mayhew returned home after 27

1700s by indentured laborers from Minorca, a small island in the

months of military service in Iraq. Today he works the May River

Mediterranean. That is, unless they arrived from the Caribbean.

appellation. Specifically, he works Bull Creek, which flows into the

Regardless of origin, one thing is clear: This pepper is no longer the

May River and then into the Atlantic. From those waters, he pulls

spicy secret of north Floridians. It is now a Florida-wide ingredient,

oysters and forges a future.

gaining fans across the South and across the nation.

ABOUT THE SOUTHERN FOODWAYS ALLIANCE The Southern Foodways Alliance documents, studies, and celebrates the diverse food cultures of the changing American South. As a membersupported nonprofit based at the University of Mississippi’s Center for the Study of Southern Culture, it hosts symposia, produces documentary films, collects oral histories, sponsors scholarship, mentors students, and publishes great writing. www.southernfoodways.org

KEEPING IT

SOUTHERN by Courtney Hampson | photography by Rob Kaufman

Her name was Fanny Kate Patterson. She was born in Glenville, Georgia,

Southern Keep takes the best local produce, harvested at its peak, and,

in 1907, the runt of 13 children. Her father was the only person in all of

utilizing the art of canning and preserving, creates magic. Perfecting the

Tattnall County who had a car. Fanny read the Bible cover to cover 19

craft and technique has become Trey’s intense passion. And, at the risk

times. And she taught her great-grandson, Trey Dutton, how to cook.

of sounding corny, you can taste that passion in each jar. (You didn’t

Reflecting on fond memories of “Grandma Pat” and reveling in times

think I wrote this without tasting everything, did you?) Trey’s small batch

gone past, Trey became misty-eyed as he spoke about his family matriarch

creations include all of the love that a machine just can’t put into the

with whom he spent endless hours in the kitchen.

process. Love for the ingredients. Love for the nostalgic method. And

A whiz in the kitchen himself, Trey also spent six years as a chef at Palmetto

love for his great-grandmother.

Bluff. During his tenure at The Bluff, he brought his slow-food philosophy to

Some of the offerings are “delicious mistakes,” like the peach and

Music To Your Mouth and collaborated with guest chefs to create innovative

homemade maraschino cherry jam. Others are “happy coincidences,”

menus true to the region, bursting with flavor and tradition.

when Dutton finds a beautiful fruit or vegetable and is inspired. Cement

But cooking wasn’t always Trey’s path. In fact, Trey sought a serving gig when he first walked into a Charleston restaurant and asked with whom he could talk about a job. There, Mike Lata came out from the kitchen, and something about the “fire in his eyes” also lit a fire in Dutton. He did double-time, graduating from the Culinary Institute and began his career

Pickles and Cement Pickle Relish are regulars on the menu, and descend directly from Fanny Kate’s recipe book. (I could eat the entire jar of cement pickles and then drink the juice.) Strawberry Jam, Wild Blackberry Bourbon Jam, Bloody Mary Pickled Okra, Sweet Corn Chow-Chow, Pickled Apples, and Blueberry Vanilla Jam also join the list of staples.

with James Beard Award-winning chef Lata. Trey logged prestigious stints

The Southern Keep venture is now leading Dutton back to Charleston,

at Anson and FIG (Food Is Good), two of Charleston’s most notable

where his career started and his memories of his great-grandmother really

restaurants. From Charleston, Dutton headed to Sea Island and spent two

came alive. His homecoming begins now.

years as lead sous-chef at 100 Hudson at The Cloister before coming to Palmetto Bluff.

Check out www.southern-keep.com.

At The Bluff, Trey had the opportunity to really explore his Southern roots and began to incorporate some of his great-grandma’s recipes

Trey will be back at The Bluff for the

into the menus here. “No food ever tastes like Grandma’s food. It is

Music To Your Mouth Festival this fall,

about treating the food right. Loving what you do. And, I really love

showcasing Southern Keep products in

putting stuff in jars,” he shared. And, we believe him. Trey’s new venture,

our artisan market. Mark your

Southern Keep, is a tribute to Grandma Pat. “The lessons I learned from

calendar so you can taste for yourself.

her continue to reveal themselves to this day.”

With 20,000 acres to traverse, it is only natural for folks to want to explore Palmetto Bluff, including me. As a newfound fitness fanatic a few years ago, I was always seeking my next challenge. I was raring to lace up my running shoes and plot a course for exploring The Bluff on foot. Then the Palmetto Bluff Half Marathon was born, but always with the intention that it would be the catalyst for an endurance series that would encourage active residents, visitors, and guests to see the majesty of The Bluff in a new way. When runners from 27 states registered for the half marathon in year two, we knew we were onto something.

5 1 Courtney Hampson by

RUN, BUFFALO RUN A discussion with the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy Team revealed the members’ desire to create a second fundraiser to complement their annual Burn Festival Dinner and create an annual tradition for residents and visitors alike. Before we knew it, the idea of a second race suddenly blossomed into so much more. What if we run only on trails? What if it is more than a 10K? Would folks run a 30K? Could we make this an ultra-race? Our idea turned into excitement, then into plans. Thus, another Palmetto Bluff race was born: the Buffalo Run.

“We’re getting good at this,” says Conservancy Director, Jay Walea, as we

The path intersects and continues along Whitehouse Road, a wide,

drive along the new trail for the Buffalo Run. He, of course, alludes to the

manicured dirt road, and the forest becomes older and a mix of hardwoods

miles upon miles we logged trying to map the half marathon course three

and pines. In the early morning, this is a perfect place to spot a buck or

years ago. We drove that loop dozens upon dozens of times. (Jay might

doe grazing on the grass at the edge of the woods. After a short distance,

argue it was more.) Each time we tweaked the path just a tad, in the hopes of

runners will leave the dirt road for another sandy fire line, a narrower trail

hitting the magic 13.1-mile mark. We went up curbs and off roads. Jay even

that skirts beautiful wetlands with red maples before looping back to

joked that he needed an oil change after one of our afternoons of course

Whitehouse Road. Whitehouse Road continues to the paved road and then

charting. But we finally figured it out.

leads to the finish/starting line.

Now that Jay is an “expert” race-course plotter — having also mapped the

What’s Buffalo got to do with it?

way for the 2013 Race for Ellie trail run — he was eager to get in the field

(Yes, we hope that Tina Turner’s melody is now coursing through your

and figure out how to blaze the trail for the Buffalo Run.

brain.) In the 1960s the Loomis family owned Bull Island, the wooded island

While the half marathon brings runners down the main road into Wilson Village and then through the River Road neighborhood, the Buffalo Run will give runners an all-access pass to trails that wind through several different habitats in the private and limited-access sections of Palmetto Bluff.

near Calibogue Sound, just a short jaunt via the May River from The Bluff. On the island, the Loomis family had a herd of buffalo that would often swim in the river, meandering (as much as a 2,000 lb. animal can meander) down Cauley’s Creek, eventually beaching at The Bluff. (Local lore suggests that the buffalo were intended to be bred with cattle to create “beefalo.” We

Although the start and finish of this trail run is on pavement, the Buffalo

can neither confirm nor deny this rumor.) The Bluff’s wildlife team, then led

Run’s course soon shifts to the sandy soil of a fire line maintained to protect

by Philip Buckles, would herd them out. And eventually they’d swim back

the surrounding mixed hardwood and pine forest from wildfires. The path

again. The Bluff has, after all, been a much sought-after gathering place for

continues to Camp Eight Road, a wide gravel road that once led workers to

centuries for humans and animals alike.

the still and the camp of an early 20th century turpentine operation. Some of the pine trees in the hardwood upland on the left and in the pine flatwoods on the right (two distinct ecological zones separated by only a few inches of elevation) bear the characteristic scars of being “catfaced” (a partiallyhealed scar on a tree or log) a century ago to collect pine gum.

It seems that the swim eventually became too much for one big bull who decided to take up residence at The Bluff. Who could blame him? He was here to stay, which was OK for a while, until he got aggressive and started charging vehicles as they drove down the main road into The Bluff. So, Buckles called Mr. Loomis to discuss the situation. Mr. Loomis told Buckles, “Do what you

Rounding the curve of Camp Eight Road, runners will briefly follow

have to do.” And, he did. Long story short, the head of said-buffalo now hangs

Cemetery Road and then head to the Cemetery Loop Trail. Leaving the

over the fireplace of Buffalo’s (marketing brilliance) in Wilson Village.

gravel road for the sandy trail, racers will see the pine uplands give way to the ancient maritime forest and the edge of the New River marsh. The old dikes and levees of antebellum rice fields stretch off into the distance, and

DID YOU KNOW?

ospreys soar overhead. Deer, wild turkeys, and fox squirrels are often seen

Any race over the 26.2-mile marathon mark falls into the “ultra” category.

along this section of the route, which briefly rejoins the gravel Cemetery Road before continuing along another sandy fire line. Here, the old upland hardwood and pine forest leads to a young pine plantation, a reminder of the land’s tenure as a managed property of Union Camp.

10K = 6.2 miles 30K = 18.6 miles 50K = 31 miles (this is far)

T H E I R

N A M E

WA S

by Dylan Sell | paintings by Lori Keith Robinson & Jan Clayton Pagratis If you walk into the River House, down into the wine cellar, you notice a dynamic feast of color, a wide landscape painting. Your eyes are coaxed throughout the piece by playful brushstrokes and potent gestures. These colorful expressions are the product of LOJA, a collaboration between two successful Savannah artists, Lori Keith Robinson and Jan Clayton Pagratis, each a successful artist in her own right. What is distinctive about LOJA is their creative process. They paint on the same canvas simultaneously!

ECLECTIC BEGINNINGS Robinson has been making art from an early age. Ever since she won a poster contest in second grade, she has been driven to create. After studying printmaking at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Robinson progressed into painting. She grew up in North Carolina and relocated to Savannah, where she met Jan Clayton Pagratis. In contrast, Pagratis lived in numerous places — Germany, England, Texas, Michigan, Washington, DC — before finally settling in Savannah. She studied painting at the University of Texas, before renting a studio space in Savannah’s City Market District, where she met Robinson. Pagratis says her neighboring artist Robinson would meander into her studio every day, sit in her front chair, and just talk and talk and talk. “As a matter of fact,” Robinson said, “Jan told me I drove her crazy. But I guess I wore her down. We’ve been friends ever since.” They started to work together in the same studio. “Well, one time when we were working together like this [in the same studio],” Pagratis explained, “Lori turned to me and said ‘I just know the perfect color you could put there. It would look so good. You should really let me just show you.’ And I replied, ‘Well, darn it, Lori, if you want to paint on my painting so much, we should just get a blank canvas and start one together.’ I pulled a canvas out and that was how our LOJA collaboration started.”

T H E T R U T H A B O U T W O R K I N G I N TA N D E M Collaboration was not without its hiccups. Robinson revealed, “I

For these two artists, it made sense to settle their hurt feelings and

remember I would be working and find a spot I was truly proud of, only

harmonize their brushes with the Beatles’ music. Some of their

to have it painted over by Jan.”

paintings, like "And I Love Her" (shown top right), are named after the

Pagratis concurred. “It certainly left us with some hurt feelings, to have something you’re proud of and be told it needs reworking. What we

The collaboration worked out because of Robinson’s and Pagratis’ united

needed was silence.”

vision. “It was not because we worked with a similar process. I have

“One day at just one of these hurt moments, I put on a Beatles album, and we started to work without talking,” Robinson related. “It allowed us to really release ourselves from the process on the canvas and just focus on making marks,” Pagratis explained.

music that helped them work.

always had a chaotic, underworked way of painting where I work quickly, through gesture. My paintings often look like under-paintings. Whereas Jan works through layering.” “It’s true,” Pagratis agreed, “I can spend a week just preparing a canvas. Although I believe we have always been united in our sense of color.”

“I would get frustrated sometimes, and whenever I was worried about a

Their collaboration culminated in going into business together. Pagratis

piece, Jan would remind me, ‘This will lead you to something else.’”

and Robinson opened up Chroma Art Gallery. “A lot of artists have

And that is precisely what happened. By working together, the two

trouble with the business side of things, but we took to it naturally.”

artists learned from each other’s styles. “Lori always worked lightning-

They sure did. They won Best Gallery in Savannah eight years in a row.

fast. Constantly putting paint down. Whereas I was so used to standing

“Times were good. Not to boast, but work was flying off the walls more

back and deliberating what to do next. But what I found was, during

quickly than our ability to make the pieces.”

our LOJA painting, if I stood back and tried to think, she’d be halfway through the canvas before I made a mark! I learned to work actively.” Robinson added, “And I started to learn to layer more and not just be

The only reason they closed up shop was that their work sold so much faster than the thirty other artists they represented through Chroma. It did not make economic sense for them to continue.

satisfied with the first application of paint. In LOJA we worked with acrylic with two large fans behind us. So our paint would dry as fast as we would apply new layers.”

PA S S I O N T H AT D R I V E S Pagratis’ art practice after Chroma is tied to an emotional experience. As a person who has always been afraid of flying, Pagratis was not excited to learn that her husband, Pericles, was given an airplane. One day when he was away for longer than expected, she feared the worst. Pericles arrived home to a distraught Pagratis. He told her if it made her worry so, he would not fly. Pagratis answered that that would be unthinkable! If this was his passion, she could not think of taking that away from him. Instead, Pagratis bravely joined her husband on his flights, taking photos of the Lowcountry landscape. Facing her fear, she started a series of mixed media of photography and painting. Her process involves preparing the canvas, adhering a landscape photograph, and finally adding paint that she makes herself. The paint’s different hues are in her total control, made from things like wood and grass.

“ART IS LIFE” Around the time Chroma closed up shop, Robinson’s mother became ill. “It affected my art process. I had always painted with reds, but I started to create these minty, grey marshes.” When Robinson started caring for her mother, she stopped painting. “It was a hard time for her. She lost two siblings and a mother in five years,” Pagratis disclosed. “Painting just didn’t feel right,” Robinson reflected sadly. She started to work in a medium that brought her closer to her mother, quilting. Besides all of the emotional turmoil for Robinson, the way her art was received was frustrating. “I would say I was quilting, and people would look at me like, ‘Why would you do that? You need to get back to your easel.’” For a working artist there is a pressure to create what sells and to continue crafting the kind of art that has made one’s reputation. Despite this, Robinson soldiered on and created many more personal, cathartic pieces that were rich in family history. She created quilts for her entire family, each with pieces of clothing from her mother and siblings. Pagratis said, “That is what art is. Art is life.” It is driven by more than what people want from you. It is about the passion that drives you to create.” After Robinson’s long hiatus, and about a month before this interview, Robinson called Pagratis. “I am ready to paint again.”

CALENDAR OF

events With dozens of diverse activities every day on The Bluff, your calendar can quickly fill. We’ve shared a few of our favorite on-property and off-property events worthy of a big circle on your calendar!

September

5 B U F FA LO ’ S F I R S T F R I D AY WINE DINNER SERIES Pickle Me This, Pickle Me That

18 FOOD OF PLACE COOKING CLASS Hog Heaven

21 T H E 2 ND A N N U A L T R I - K I AWA H This USAT-sanctioned intermediate distance competition features a .7-mile swim, 25.1-mile bike and 6.1-mile run around the island. This race is currently the only intermediate distance triathlon in the Charleston area to feature an ocean swim.

27 BA S K E T W E AV I N G 1 0 1 Join expert basket weaver Tressa Clark to learn how to weave an apple basket as a part of the Conservancy’s ongoing educational series.

October

14-16

B U F FA LO ’ S F I R S T F R I D AY WINE DINNER SERIES

P L E I N A I R PA I N T I N G WITH LARRY MOORE

The Best of the Wurst

Larry Moore, the spotlight of the Annual Art Show, will perform a demonstration of his colorful nuanced painting style. To sign up, email Dylan Sell at dsell@crescentcommunities.com.

3-4 2 0 TH A N N U A L BEAUFORT SHRIMP F E S T I VA L The 20th Annual Beaufort Shrimp Festival celebrates the delicious shrimp caught locally in the Beaufort area sponsored by The South Carolina Shrimper’s Association and Main Street Beaufort. The event will be held in the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park in the Downtown Historic District of Beaufort.

12-19 HISTORIC BLUFFTON ARTS & SEAFOOD F E S T I VA L The 10th annual festival is a weeklong event showcasing the locally-harvested seafood, delicious Lowcountry cuisine, rich history, culture and art of the area as well as the kind of Southern hospitality found only in Bluffton. www.blufftonartsandseafoodfestival.com

12 B U F FA LO R U N U LT R A R AC E The Palmetto Bluff Conservancy is hosting its first-ever ultra marathon, with runners having the option of registering for a 10K, 30K or 50K run. This hammock-shaded combination single track, dirt and gravel road trail traverses the maritime forest and the edges of the New River marsh for a portion of the loop. A half-mile paved road will allow runners to spread out before entering the 6.2mile trail. The 10K runners will do one loop; the 30K runners will do three loops, and the 50K runners will do five loops. To register for the run, visit bit.ly/1uzCNXc.

16 FOOD OF PLACE COOKING CLASS Time To Make The Doughnuts

19 ANNUAL ART SHOW The Conservancy’s art program hosts its annual arts show featuring local Lowcountry artists and their unique creations.

26-27 THESE ARE A FEW OF O U R FAV O R I T E T H I N G S The Music To Your Mouth team picks, pairs, and shares. We reveal our favorite food finds and guilty pleasures and invite you to our table.

30 H AU N T E D H AY R I D E Don't miss this fun annual Palmetto Bluff event celebrating the fall season and Halloween as we take a hayride around the beautiful property of The Bluff.

November

December

B U F FA LO ’ S F I R S T F R I DAY W I N E DINNER SERIES

GIRLZ GONE WILD

BURN FEST

Ever wonder if you could survive alone in the wild? Conservancy Director Jay Walea and his team will show you how. From fire-building to catching your own food to building a shelter, you'll learn to be confident in the wilderness. This is a girls-only event! Contact Lorri Hunter at lhunter@montagehotels.com to register.

Come join the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy’s annual bonfire fundraiser under the stars with wild game appetizers followed by a family-style meal. Make your reservation early with Lorri Hunter at lhunter@montagehotels.com.

CHRISTMASTIDE DINNER

Righteous Ramen

8-9 S AVA N N A H R O C K A N D R O L L M A R AT H O N SERIES, HALFM A R AT H O N A N D T WO - P E R S O N R E L AY The famous Savannah marathon returns for another year of running, competition, and entertainment. runrocknroll.competitor.com/savannah

13 ANIMAL SCULPTING WITH MAC MCCUSKER This course is designed to be an introduction to traditional and non-traditional sculpting techniques in ceramics. The emphasis is on developing the knowledge, understanding, and insight necessary to be able to successfully design, construct, and finish (or decorate) an animal in clay. Sign up by contacting Dylan Sell at dsell@crescentcommunities.com.

18-23 MUSIC TO YOUR M O U T H F E S T I VA L Get your belly ready for the eighth helping of Palmetto Bluff ’s Music To Your Mouth Festival. We’ve gathered the best and the brightest chefs on the Southern food scene, for a singular lip-smacking experience, right in the spectacular South Carolina Lowcountry.

26 C H R I S TM A S AT T H E SOUTHERN LIVING IDEA HOUSE Come visit the Southern Living Idea House starting November 26th to get into the Christmas spirit. The house will be transformed with beautiful Christmas decorations.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Join Daniel Johnnes of Daniel Johnnes Selections winery for a five-course dinner featuring the flavors of the season paired with French wines.

11 FOOD OF PLACE COOKING CLASS Tipsy Treats

12 CHRISTMAS IN THE VILLAGE Get into the holiday spirit with a Christmas movie on the big screen in the Village Green. Sip hot toddies and munch on s’mores under the stars.