For the second straight year, Chef Eric Masson of the Brentwood Restaurant won the Coastal Uncorked Chef’s Challenge. Masson, his wife, Kimberlee, and their son Remy pose with judges Matt Lee, center, and Ted Lee.

Jeffrey Ray and Christa Brown of House of Blues created the Coastal Uncorked official festival cocktail, a Ciroc Gummy Berry Martini.

Preparing his entry during round one of the Coastal Uncorked Chef’s Challenge is Chef Eric Wagner of Horry Georgetown Technical College’s culinary program.

Judges for the Coastal Uncorked Chef’s Challenge were, from left, Matt Lee, Louis Osteen and Ted Lee.

Louis’s at Sanford’s served sandwiches with barbecue and cole slaw at the Coastal Uncorked Food, Wine and Spirits Festival.

The pan-seared scallops over Lowcountry ratatouille that Chef Michael McKinnon of the Cypress Room in the Island Vista Resort served were delicious.

Chestnut Hill served shrimp and grits at the third annual Coastal Uncorked.

Nancy Etman and Whitney James, both of Florence, were grape stompers at the Coastal Uncorked Food, Wine and Spirits Festival.

Pastry Chef Heather Cameron of Croissants Bistro & Bakery offered chocolate caramel, red velvet and lemon cupcakes.

Chef Andrew Gardo of Sea Captain’s House served scallops seviche at Coastal Uncorked.

Sallie Dent Porth makes her specialty herbal fruit jams in Cameron.

Roasted beef tenderloin and tender asparagus were served on a creamy pimento cheese gratin.

As part of Coastal Uncorked Food, Wine and Spirits Festival, Chef Brad Daniels of Croissants Bistro & Bakery served a five-course feast at one of the festival’s themed dinners.

These jumbo shrimp, prepared with ginger, were among the appetizers served to guests as they arrived at Croissants.

Dessert was a delicious salted caramel chocolate tart, served with a sugar lace topping.

The owner of Croissants Bistro & Bakery, Vukov is the founder of the Coastal Uncorked Food, Wine and Spirits Festival.

Jennifer Sage of Rodney Strong Vineyards and Will Gravely of Southern Wine and Spirits of South Carolina led diners in creating their own Bordeaux wine blend.

Diners were given five types of wine to mix to create their personal Bordeaux blend.

Mimosa, pimento cheese and crackers share a table with sandals at Sip and Shop of the Coastal Uncorked Food, Wine and Spirits Festival.

Shelley Rubin, left, and owner Rita Siegal Levine invited Coastal Uncorked participants to browse the art in Art & Soul Art Center & Café while enjoying wine and dessert.

Cooking up small batches of Port Royal white shrimp kept Terra Chef Mike Davis busy at the Sustainable Chefs Showcase.

Serving barbecue sliders and all the ingredients for a fresh garden salad was Chef Ricky Hollohan of Mr. Friendly’s, Solstice Kitchen and Cellar on Greene.

Chef Jessica Shillato shows off chicken liver pate with strawberry jam on toasted baguettes.

This refreshing dish served by MoMo’s Bistro on Devine was mango cucumber chutney and chorizo sausage wrapped in cucumber.

This plate of food from Rosewood Market Delights includes shrimpburgers, gazpacho and buttermilk biscuits.

Accepting congratulations for winning the 2011 Chef’s Challenge is Chef Eric Masson of the Brentwood Restaurant and Wine Bistro in Little River.

Matt and Ted Lee will return this year as judges of Coastal Uncorked’s Chef’s Challenge. Chef Louis Osteen of Pawleys Island also will be a judge.

Volunteers from Greenville Technical College take a well-earned break after helping prepare a plot of land behind Funnelicious for a community garden.

Railroad ties, donated by Lowes, were used to form a retaining wall for the garden behind Funnelicious.

The Greenville restaurant specializes in deli sandwiches, hot dogs, corn dogs, salad and treats such as funnel cakes, fried candy bars and fried Kool-Aid.

It’s worth a drive to McCabe’s Bar-B-Que in Manning. The S.C. Barbeque Association says it’s one of the state’s barbecue restaurants good enough to drive 100 miles. The pulled pork is served with a vinegar and pepper sauce. It’s a little hot, but not too hot to eat, and it’s slightly sweet.

90-year-old Jessie McCabe doesn’t cook the barbecue, but she cooks all the other foods at McCabe’s Bar-B-Que.

Along with barbecue, the buffet at McCabe’s features rice and hash, perlo, sweet potatoes, green beans, turnip greens and more. The Manning restaurant is also popular for its fried chicken.

The emphasis at the Indie Grits Festival is on films, but there are lots of opportunities to enjoy good food, too.

Roasted Peach Mango Pepper Mustard is one of four artisan mustards available from Simply Southern Gourmet.

The Novaks of North Myrtle Beach are selling their gourmet mustards that incorporate flavors from sweet potatoes, peaches and mangoes, pineapple and cranberry, and sweet onion.

This stop on the side of U.S. 17 near Awendaw has been a favorite Lowcountry diner for years. It’s best known for its fried seafood.

For my lunch, I chose the fried chicken, collards and fried green tomatoes.

Preparing a delicious shrimp creole is quick work with Carolina Creole. Add shrimp to the sauce, and then serve over rice.

Jo Luquire, center, started making her special shrimp creole years ago. She and family members Jason and Micki Luquire are now bottling it.

A 25-ounce jar is available at specialty shops and Piggly Wigglys across South Carolina as well as online.

Columbia artist McClellan Douglas works on his mural depicting Columbia’s Main Street in the late 1950s.

The Wednesday night blue plate special is fried rainbow trout, with Greek salad and red rice.

A regular on the dinner menu at The Diner, liver and onions is served with mashed potatoes and green beans.

One of Conway’s favorite bakers prepared dark chocolate and white chocolate cake pops, along with delicious raspberry cakes, for the Conway Chocolate Walk.

Michelle and Gary Easton plan to open Fudge Buckets on Main Street around March 1. They participated in the Conway Chocolate Walk.

The warm chocolate melting cake, served on Carnival cruises, is so popular it even has its own Facebook page.

An upstairs deck at Bowens Island Restaurant is a perfect spot to enjoy seafood and take in a beautiful sunset.

Robert Barber, owner of Bowens Island Restaurant, watches as a boatload of oysters are brought in.

Robert Barber’s grandparents, May and Jimmy Bowen, bought the island in 1946. This sign, hanging in the new restaurant, reflects her feelings about the place.

Robert Barber no longer practices law, but he still has his office sign below Bowens Island Restaurant.

An oyster picker unloads bushels of oysters picked near Bowens Island.

The oysters at Bowens Island Restaurant are washed with water from Folly Creek. Owner Robert Barber says this method keeps the oysters from losing their saltiness.

The oysters are placed on the pit and then covered with wet burlap sacks for roasting.

The walls of the Bowens Island Restaurant were covered with graffiti before it burned in 2006, and the tradition continues inside the new building.

For 28 years, Martha Lou Gadsden has been cooking delicious food in the tiny kitchen of her restaurant on Morrison Drive.

Pink on the outside and homey on the inside, Martha Lou’s Kitchen is the place to stop when you’re hungry for some authentic soul food.

One of the specialties at Martha Lou’s is the tasty, crispy fried chicken. It doesn’t start cooking until you order it, so it’s served piping hot.

With okra swimming in a thick, tomato-based soup, the okra soup at Martha Lou’s Kitchen is delicious.

Our friendly waitress and daughter of Martha Lou Gadsden, Debra Worthy works with her mother to serve delicious food six days a week.

At Bush-N-Vine Farm in York, about nine acres of strawberries are bearing fruit now. The strawberry plants go into the ground in the fall and bear in winter and spring.

About two acres of strawberries at Bush-N-Vine farm are growing in tunnels, which are like large greenhouses, but they are not heated. Another seven acres are being grown outside, and they must be covered when the temperatures drop.

Charleston's Cypress has a terrific bar menu, including a hamburger topped with bacon jam.

A happy cow chows down on lunch at the Happy Cow Creamery. The 90 milking cows spend 12 months of the year under a special grazing program developed by owner Tom Trantham.

Executive chef Corbett Rourk, right, and Sous Chef Nicholas Huckabee dish up shrimp and corn chowder. The soup won second place in the People’s Choice division.

This tomato, crab and jalapeno soup, prepared by Bistro 217 in Pawleys Island, was one of about 40 soups served at Souper Supper in Myrtle Beach.

With a view of the Beaufort River, a casual atmosphere and delicious food, Plums is great for lunch or dinner.

Plums offers oysters or clams in the half shell, steamed shrimp, fried shrimp and oysters and Beaufort baked oysters, served with bacon, crabmeat, spinach, and gruyere cheese.

The newer of the two Plums Inc. restaurants on Bay Street and on the Beaufort River, Saltus River Grill offers a sophisticated dining experience.

A native of Beaufort, Chef Brian Waters has created an interesting menu at Saltus River Grill, relying heavily on local foods.

A sign in front of Carolina Cider Company lists some of the types of pies Laurel Goodman bakes daily.

The manager of Carolina Cider Company is Catlin Lambert. Her daughter and son-in-law, Jessica and Tristan Leinhert, own the two stores.

Cherry butter and apple butter are available for sampling at Carolina Cider Company.

This country store packed with good foods is a popular stop on U.S. 17 between Beaufort and Charleston.

Laurel Goodman makes pies every morning to sell at Carolina Cider Company.

These shirts offer a fun way to proclaim your love for grits or boiled peanuts.

Carolina Cider Company is full of good food – including all types of cider, fruit butters, jellies, honey, pickles and benne wafers.

One of 13 contestants in the Loris Bog-off Festival cooking contest, Bryan Hopkins said he cooks a very traditional chicken bog.

A first-time competitor in the chicken bog cooking contest, Hopkins makes a point of using South Carolina-grown rice.

The streets of Loris were lined with crafts vendors, food concessions, chicken bog cooking contest competitors and a crowd for the 32nd annual festival.

Chicken bog was the star of the Loris Bog-Off Festival, but many other foods were available, including butterfly fries, as well as sausages and turkey legs (in the background).

Conway resident Charles Hearl Jr. cooked his special bog in the Loris Bog-Off Festival’s cooking contest.

This decoration in front of Bryan Hopkins’ cooking tent shows the fate required of many chickens for the Loris Bog-Off Festival.

J.C. Stroble, who is legally blind, has worked at the popular Spartanburg restaurant for 57 years, calling out orders to the kitchen.

One of South Carolina’s most popular restaurants, the Beacon has been open for 65 years. The current building is the third home of the business.

Somewhere beneath this mound of onion rings and fries is a chili cheeseburger. This “a-plenty” meal is the most ordered item at the Beacon.

The Beacon claims to sell more tea than any other single restaurant in the nation.

Added to the Beacon in 1999, the Dairy Bar serves ice cream, banana splits, sundaes and milk shakes.

J.C. Stroble is so well-known and loved that there’s even a bobble head of him. In the 1970s, he developed glaucoma and was legally blind by the age of 40.

Lulu’s Café manager Erin Adams shows off the grilled cheese (havarti and provolone) sandwich she served alongside roasted red pepper bisque with smoked gouda.

Chef Sean Christenson shows off two kinds of giant tacos that Nacho Hippo served at Taste of the Town.

Crowds lined up at the Sea Captain’s House booth throughout the evening. The restaurant won first place in the entrée and dessert categories.

Chef Hyun Lee’s food carvings, including this watermelon, decorated the King Kong Sushi booth at Taste of the Town.

Presentation was one criteria for the judges at the Beaufort Shrimp Festival, and this orchid-topped dish was easily the most beautiful.

Blackened shrimp are cooking at the Emily’s Restaurant and Tapas Bar booth.

Betty Dalton and Terry Byrne of the Atlanta area were sporting shrimp beads at the 17th annual Beaufort Shrimp Festival.

The South Carolina Shrimper’s Association, one of the sponsors of the Beaufort Shrimp Festival, was selling merchandise promoting the local seafood.

North Myrtle Beach native Vanna White signed autographs and promoted the new Wheel of Fortune game of the South Carolina Education Lottery.

North Myrtle Beach native Vanna White signs her autograph on a photograph of herself for a fan.

Shrimp were the star of the show at the Beaufort Shrimp Festival, but Factory Creek Fish Company was also serving fried oysters.

Several shrimp boats were moored at the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park during the Beaufort Shrimp Festival.

The Wyche Pavilion was decorated with flowers, candles and hanging lights for the first Sunday Supper of the Euphoria food, wine and music festival.

One of the appetizers served was the crispy chicken skins often served at Chef Sean Brock’s Husk restaurant in Charleston.

The open-air, brick Wyche Pavilion, on the Reedy River, made a lovely setting for Euphoria’s Sunday Supper.

Diners enjoyed the bluegrass of the Weasel Creek String Band while they shared a Southern meal at Euphoria’s first Sunday Supper.

Served over fried cabbage, the fried catfish was topped with pickled peppers and served with a smoke-flavored dish of beans.

The vice president of Maverick Southern Kitchens, Chef Frank Lee was part of the culinary team, and his High Cotton Greenville staff served the meal.

Servers wait for plates to be ready to pass to diners at Sunday Supper, while Chef Sean Brock, center, puts on the finishing touches.

Part of the culinary team was Chef Mike Davis of Terra, left, shown with Chef Sean Brock.

Teryi Youngblood, pastry chef of Soby’s, and Chef Victoria Moore of the Lazy Goat pick ingredients during the culinary competition of Euphoria.

Chefs Whitney Miller and Daryl Shular competed in Euphoria’s Culinary Cook-Off on Sunday.

Crab cakes from Soby's were among a generous spread of foods at Euphoria’s Jazz Brunch Sunday.

A blackboard at Stella’s lets diners know where the Simpsonville restaurant gets the products it serves.

Among the chefs who demonstrated cooking skills at Euphoria Saturday was Chef Robert Wiedmaier, owner of five restaurants in the Washingon, D.C., area.

The audience gets a taste of the salmon encrusted in fennel and coriander seeds that Chef Robert Wiedmaier prepared.

Euphoria is a celebration of good food, wine and music held in Greenville each fall.

Clarke of American Grocery Restaurant served a delicious crispy pork belly on top of Anson Mill grits at Taste of the South of Euphoria.

Edwin McCain played old favorites and songs from his new album to Euphoria's Friday night crowd. The event, held outside by the Reedy River in Greenville, showcased the city, the music and the terrific food by local chefs.

Scholz of Stella’s served a dirty cheese grits and cornbread soufflé.

These spiced carrot cupcakes from Stella’s has a frosting made from goat cheese from Split Creek Farms and were drizzled with salted caramel.

The music of Edwin McCain is an integral part of Euphoria and is intertwined with the food events throughout the weekend.

Laura Tiller shows off a container of OMG! Her Onion Made Goodness Carmelized Onion Dip is one of many delicacies sold at Get Carried Away Southern Takeout in Pawleys Island.

One of the most popular items at Get Carried Away is the tomato pie, made with Palmetto Cheese.

Tiller pours warm caramel frosting over a pound cake just out of the oven. Just Carried Away also makes pecan pie, Key lime pie and cobblers.

This lovely fresh baked cake is ready to get carried away. The Pawleys Island takeout business opened in June.

The executive chef of Cypress in Charleston, Craig Deihl was one of six finalists for the James Beard Foundation Best Chef of the Southeast award.

Chili, head cheese, pork liver mousse and salami are among the ingredients in this Artisan Meat Share package.

Deihl started perfecting his charcuterie skills after he began butchering pigs and cows in house. He began butchering as a cost-saving measure during the economic downturn.

Deihl makes hot dogs in house. Chili dogs are featured on Cypress’ bar menu, and Deihl served hot dogs at the Salute to Charleston’s Chefs: Opening Night Party of the Charleston Wine and Festival in March.

Cypress has two large kitchens, one downstairs and one upstairs. Having so much work space makes it possible for him to butcher and prepare charcuterie.

At Waterscapes at Marina Inn in Myrtle Beach, Chef James Clark serves fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese and a celery and red onion salad.

Sitting in the new area of The Hominy Grill is Chef/Owner Robert Stehling. The renovations added seating space, two new bathrooms and a foyer.

The patio has a new mural by Charleston artist David Boatwright, the same artist who painted the “Grits are good for you” waitress on the side of the building.

You get to choose exactly what you want in your omelet. I chose bacon, peppers, onions, tomatoes, spinach and cheese.

This is a great bargain for breakfast. This sandwich has bacon, cheddar and two eggs on a croissant.

This restaurant offers creative meals at a great price, along with a spectacular view of the Reedy River.

This beautiful, delicious salad includes orzo, black-eyed peas, marinated cucumber, olives and tomato.

Pita bread is stuffed with grilled veggies and goat cheese.

This restaurant is a great choice for music lovers. Dine while you listen to a live concert or the sounds of the music store next door.

A great way to start dinner is with The Bohemian’s complimentary serving of hummus and olives, along with triangles of pita bread.

This pasta special, served with a lobster cream sauce, was outstanding.

This steak in this popular sandwich is simmered in ale and then served in a bun with onions and peppers. I ordered mine with provolone cheese.

Kensey Morris, general manager of the Chocolate Moore in Greenville, shows off a platter of red velvet cupcakes.

Nine flavors of cupcakes are baked fresh each day at the Chocolate Moore in Greenville. The store also offers breakfast treats and other dessert items.

Downtown Greenville served as a beautiful backdrop to the Friday night Taste of the South event that opened the 2010 festival

A culinary battle of the sexes was part of last year's Euphoria events. The contest pitted Greenville chefs Vicky Moore and Teryi Youngblood against Chef Andre Jones of The Green Room in Greenville and Chef Michael Kramer of the Tasting Room Wine Café in Houston. Each team had to complete as many dishes as possible in 45 minutes using four mystery ingredients: Japanese sweet potatoes, whole-grain mustard, top-round lamb and sea beans.

Musician and festival co-founder Edwin McCain  played his guitar and sang some favorite tunes while acclaimed Chef Kevin Rathbun cooked up a favorite scallop dish during Saturday cooking demonstrations.

Soby’s Chef Shaun Garcia was happy to share his slow-cooked Red Wattle pork, topped with green tomato marmalade, served with sweet potatoes and collard greens at the Taste of the South kickoff event at the 2010 euphoria Food & Wine Festival.

Musician Edwin McCain sings during the Friday night Taste of the South event that opened the 2010 festival.

Sunday Brunch was held under tent while participants enjoyed brunch foods prepared by Greenville restaurants and listened to jazz musician Mark Rapp

Tables set up on a long porch give visitors to the All-Local Farmers Market a place to enjoy breakfast or a snack.

Argula and mustard microgreens were among the offers of City Roots farm in Columbia.

Floral & Hardy Farm in Lexington is a regular vendor at the All-Local Farmers Market.

Strawberry and blueberry doughnuts were being made by Catherine and Fritz Gusmer of Windy Hill Orchard in York.

Larry the Cable Guy and Dan the Pig Man Huntley celebrate barbecue and all other things Southern when Larry visits Huntley's place on the Catawba River.

A line of customers wait to buy from The Happy Berry of Six Mile.

Alicia Cato and Reid Watson of Watsonia Organic Farms give buyers another reason to buy their organic peaches and plums.

Saturday Market offers much more than produce, including arts and crafts and lots of flowers, vegetables and herbs.

Blackberries, strawberries and peaches line this vendor’s booth at Saturday Market in Greenville.

Nose Dive in Greenville has four wines on tap. It’s a new trend in serving wines that is good for the environment and lets consumers get a better wine for the price.

One of the very popular appetizers at Nose Dive is the Scotch egg, a hard-boiled egg inside a sausage and panko coating.

A soft pretzel is topped with lots of yummy crabmeat and cheddar cheese.

The next wine series dinner at Buffalo’s at Palmetto Bluff will feature a mushroom dinner and three Italian wines.

Food for the Southern Soul has been in the catering and barbecue business for years, but this is the first opportunity for customers to go pick up a sandwich whenever they like.

Several of the businesses in the City Market’s Great Hall have been operating in the market for years.

The new location of Caviar & Bananas offers gourmet sandwiches and salads, and an espresso and tea bar.

The owner of BlackJack Barbecue and Food for the Southern Soul, Jimmy Hagood, takes a break near the end of the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party.

The BlackJack Barbecue team finally relaxes after serving 8,000 barbecue sandwiches – a sandwich about every five seconds.

Jimmy Hagood takes his Big Red Rig wherever he needs to cook barbecue, including Madison Avenue.

New Yorkers in pursuit of barbecue lined Madison Avenue, as well as Madison Square Park, during the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party.

A flock of crackles take advantage of the spectacular view from the Marshwalk.

The braised veal osso bucco, served with roasted vegetables, is the perfect comfort food for a cool day.

This grouper dish at Bliss is served on roasted potatoes and is topped with a crab cream sauce.

Don’t miss this statue along the Murrells Inlet Marshwalk. Love has worked at Inlet restaurants for years and helps care for the goats on Goat Island.

Many of the restaurants along the Marshwalk, including the Love Shak, have outdoor dining areas that are perfect spots to enjoy the view and the sunshine.

Chef Eric Masson of the Brentwood Restaurant in Little River battled six other Grand Strand chefs in the second Coastal Uncorked Wine and Food Festival’s Food Fight and Tasting Finale Event.

Making notes after a round in the Food Fight event are, from left, judges Ted Lee, Matt Lee and Tony Hirsh.

What could be more perfect for a brunch with the Lee Brothers than boiled peanut centerpieces? Cookbook authors Matt and Ted Lee started their business because of their love of boiled peanuts.

Layers of barbecue, beans and cole slaw in a small canning jar were part of the brunch, part of the second annual Coastal Uncorked Wine and Food Festival.

Take your choice of deviled eggs – Benton’s bacon, traditional and shrimp. All were on the buffet table at the Lee Brothers Brunch at Croissants Bistro and Bakery.

Matt Lee talks to the audience at Croissants Bistro and Bakery while Ted Lee holds Matt’s son, Arthur.

At the Lee Brothers Brunch are, from left, Matt Lee, Croissants owner Heidi Vukov, Croissants Chef Brad Daniels and Ted Lee.

If only the plates had been bigger at the Lee Brothers Brunch. I managed to fill mine, and seconds were encouraged -- just as it should be.

Sipping on this chocolate soup, one of many desserts at the Lee Brothers Brunch, was like a liquid version of fine chocolate.

Sallie Dent Porth of Cameron shows off a jar of her Sallie’s Greatest herbal fruit jams.

The theme was Mardi Gras at Dunes Village, where a boil included crawfish, potatoes, sausage and corn on the cob. The Tasting Trolley of the Coastal Uncorked Food and Wine Festival runs up and down Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach.

Blackened mahi-mahi with succotash and a salad with mandarin oranges, candied pecans, red peppers and chicken were served at the Island Vista, where the theme was island paradise.

The Caribbean’s barbecue was so popular last year that the resort did it again. Visitors were treated to barbecue with all the trimmings.

Monty Morrow, general manager of the Caribbean, shows off the head of a pig cooked for Coastal Uncorked. Morrow’s father was in charge of the barbecue for the second year in a row.

Shrimp wonton with wasabi sauce was a delicious treat served at the Breakers, which had the Far East theme.

These scrumptious shrimp had a peach and smoked flavor and were served with candied almonds and tiny arugula.

Appetizers at a wine dinner at Croissants Bistro and Bakery included smoked salmon, in the small spoons, and smoked trout crostini.

Croissants Chef Brad Daniels said he used a Lee Brothers recipe to make the buttermilk fresh cheese, which he added to spring lettuces and artichoke hearts for a wonderful salad.

The pea soup was a pleasant surprise to many diners at Croissants Bistro’s wine dinner. It was a cold, refreshing soup, served with a round of parmesan panna cotta.

The braised veal breast ravioli was served on a bed of sautéed spinach and topped with a slice of tuna.

The tenderloin was served with rapinni greens, baby carrots and pearl onions. It was topped with a horseradish froth.

The warm sautéed peaches and creamy mascarpone mousse were served in a crunchy caramel cup.

You get to create your own doughnut at Flamingo's Doughnut Cafe, choosing from a number of glazes and toppings. My doughnuts came out warm and delicious.

Kenny B's Cajun Seafood Hut was a great lunch choice. The red beans and rice made a delicious, filling meal, and the restaurant, with its nod to New Orleans as well as the Georgia Bulldogs, is just fun.

Pino Gelato serves up Italian ice cream, the perfect refresher on a warm afternoon. Pino Gelato has locations in several states, but its headquarters is in Hilton Head.

I ordered the small serving, but the dish I received at Frankie Bones was still huge. The spaghetti was topped with shrimp, crabs and clams in a tomato sauce. At $12.99, it made for an affordable, delicious dinner.

You'll feel like you've taken a nice trip in time at Frankie Bones. Listen to the music of Frank Sinatra while you check out the photos everywhere of the Rat Pack. This American-Italian restaurant is attractive, and the service was very professional.

The chefs at the Culinary Institute of Charleston used the recipe of Chef Charlotte Jenkins of Gullah Cuisine for this okra gumbo, which includes shrimp and sausage.

Chris Winn of Palmetto Brewing Company paired a beer with each course served at a locavore tour during the 2011 Governor’s Conference on Tourism and Travel.

Triggerfish was once treated as a bycatch but now stars in fine dishes. The shrimp and triggerfish were on top of grits and topped with Sea Island red-pea gravy.

Pastry Chef Kelly Wilson of Kiawah Island Club prepared this crème brulee and rice pudding for the locavore tour.

Chef Craig Deihl of Cypress in Charleston is a finalist for the James Beard Awards Best Chef: Southeast. 

Husk, one of Charleston's best new restaurants, is a showplace for Southern ingredients.

When you walk into Husk, you can see where all the food being used that day was grown, and it's all from the south.

At Oil & Vinegar in Mount Pleasant, a Palmetto tree and moon-shaped shrimp painted on some bottles.

Adam Fetsch makes candles from used wine and beer bottles he collects from a restaurant.

Lynthia Piccione of Summerville is owner of Easy as Pie Desserts. She said she started her business after she tried to come up with a way to share pies with out-of-town relatives.

Chef J.J. Kern is the owner of Hucks Lowcountry Table in Isle of Palms.

The pork was served with Ambrose Family Farms baby squash, spring onions and baby carrots.

You could smell the bacon in the doughnuts before you tasted them. They were delicious.

The tilefish was served with a house-made malt vinegar mayonnaise, Green
Grocer Farms sweet potato fries and Johns Island cabbage slaw.

FIG Chef Mike Lata puts finishing touches on dishes at the 2010 Charleston Wine + Food Festival's Salute to Charleston Chefs.

South Carolina native and celebrity chef Tyler Florence greets the crowds at the 2010 festival kickoff.

Organizers pop open a bottle of champagne to officially kick off the 2010 festival. 

The Tasting Tents at the Charleston Wine + Food Festival offer endless opportunities to taste, savor and experience new dishes and wines.

The Woodlands is one of South Carolina's most special places, the state's only five star, five diamond resort.

Service is a hallmark of the Five Star, Five Diamond Woodlands Inn in Summerville.

The executive suite at the Woodlands has a lovely sitting area and fireplace.

The Bridal Suite is on the third floor of the inn. It has it’s own spiral staircase that takes you to a private cupola.

The Woodlands is a great place to get pampered overnight.

Chef Andrew Chadwick puts the finishing touches on a dinner course featuring sturgeon.

A dinner course of sturgeon, served on a bed of asparagus with morel mushrooms, truffles and cherry tomatoes.

The Dining Room at the Woodlands Inn set for breakfast service

Heidi Vukov, owner of Croissants Bistro & Bakery in Myrtle Beach, is the 2010 S.C. Restaurateur of the Year.

Vukov was the driving force behind Coastal Uncorked, a new food and wine festival in Myrtle Beach.

Woodlands Inn is offering the services of a betrothal butler for whatever you need to make your proposal special, from photographing the moment you pop the question to presenting the ring.

Woodlands Inn is a romantic spot any day of the year, but a special package is offered for Valentine’s Day, and a betrothal butler is available to help.

This Summerville inn is a Five Star, Five Diamond hotel and restaurant, with 18 guest rooms in the main house, which was built in 1906.

You’re never far from a Lizard’s Thicket when you’re in the Columbia area. With about 15 locations, this restaurant specializes in Southern cooking.

One of the breakfast specialties you’ll find at Lizard’s Thicket is onion sausage, served here with grits and scrambled eggs.

It’s an old-time Southern specialty, but you won’t find liver pudding on many menus. It is a regular breakfast offering at Lizard’s Thicket.

My lunch at the Blue Marlin included a Cajun tilapia filet with creole sauce, served with creamy grits and collards. The grits are from the Adluh Flour mill, and the collards were outstanding.

The Blue Marlin is one of the great restaurants in the Congaree Vista, an area of old mills and warehouses that have been converted into a dining and shopping district. The Blue Marlin is in Columbia’s old train station.

This shop in the Vista is a must-stop for cupcake-lovers. My husband tried Cupcake’s most popular flavor, red velvet, and loved it.

Each day, at least nine varieties of cupcakes are cooked at Cupcake in the Vista. There also are locations in Mount Pleasant and Charleston.

It’s easy to see why Mr. Friendly’s is a local favorite. The chefs here are creative, and it just feels like a comfortable neighborhood restaurant.

One of the regular Monday specials at Mr. Friendly’s is meatloaf, made from ground beef tenderloin and ribeye, and topped with a blue cheese barbecue sauce.

A 15-foot-tall Morris Island lighthouse built of cans was standing in the South Carolina Aquarium's Great Hall until Dec. 28. The cans of food, most donated by Piggly Wiggly, were donated to Crisis Ministries.

More cans of food were used to create the train from “The Polar Express.” The can creations were taken down so the food could be donated to Crisis Ministries.

Trent and Wendy Langston, owners of Lilfred’s in Rembert, with baby Whitleigh.

Kimberly Bledsoe spoons up a serving of roasted corn and crab chowder, made by her husband, Chef Ernest Bledsoe of Bliss, shown beside her.

Kimberly Bledsoe spoons up a serving of roasted corn and crab chowder, made by her husband, Chef Ernest Bledsoe of Bliss, shown beside her.

I indulged in Eggs Meeting Street, which included a fried green tomato topped with a crab cake, which is topped with a poached egg.

Keep your eye out for this sign just north of Mount Pleasant because Gullah Cuisine is a great place to get your fill of vegetables while enjoying beautiful Gullah art.

What could be better than fried chicken, collard greens, cabbage, rice and more? Don’t miss out on the banana pudding at Gullah Cuisine, some of the best I’ve ever tasted.

Chef Frank Lee was using local ingredients at Charleston's Slightly North of Broad long before it became trendy to do so.

Sea Captain’s House Restaurant served this delicious pie, which earned it the judges’ award for best dessert.

Lulu’s Café won’t open until February, but the restaurant was serving this eggroll, filled with collard greens and country ham, served on a black-eyed pea salad.

At Fiesta Mexicana’s booth, dancers sometimes stepped out in the crowd to show off a few steps and their beautiful costumes.

Blue Elephant Thai Cuisine served this pineapple, shrimp and rice dish, as well as delicious steamed dumplings.

TLC’s Cake Boss is tentatively scheduled to air its flip-flop episode on Oct. 25. Buddy Valastro made the giant cake to help celebrate the opening of Myrtle Beach’s new boardwalk.

It might look like a shoe, but this giant flip flop is all cake. Cake Boss Buddy Valastro brought the creation to Myrtle Beach May 15.

Pumpkins and mums welcome visitors to the new S.C. State Farmers Market, on U.S. 321 near the intersection of Interstates 77 and 26.

The new S.C. State Farmers Market offers lots of variety.

Vendors at the new S.C. State Farmers Market offer about 20 different varieties of pumpkins.

Sunday's cookoff competition pitted chefs Andre Jones of The Green Room in Greenville and Michael Kramer, executive chef of The Tasting Room Cafe in Houston, against a Greenville team -- Chef Vicky Moore of the Lazy Goat and Teryi Youngblood, pastry chef at Soby's New South Cuisine. The cookoff was one by "Team Girl."

Greenville chefs Teryi Youngblood (left) and Vicky Moore celebrate a victory at a culinary cookoff at Euphoria Sunday. "Team Girl" wowed the judges with grilled lamb.

A sea bean was one of four mystery ingredients during a culinary cook-off on the last day of Euphoria. Both teams used the sea bean in a salad.

Some fans of chefs Vicky Moore and Teryi Youngblood wore a special T-shirt to show their support during the culinary cook-off at Euphoria.

Euphoria 2010 came to close with a jazz brunch offering great music and food. Jazz trumpeter Mark Rapp was one of several acclaimed jazz musicians who helped to send the festival out on a high note.

Edwin McCain sang and entertained the crowd at Euphoria Saturday as Chef Kevin Rathbun cooked sea scallops. McCain is one of the founders of the Greenville food and wine festival.

Chef Kevin Rathbun of Rathbun's, Kevin Rathbun's Steak, and Krog Bar in Atlanta demonstrated cooking sea scallops in hollandaise sauce at Euphoria Saturday. 

Chef Mike Lata of FIG in Charleston chats with the audience at a cooking demonstration at Euphoria.

Top Chef Bryan Voltaggio of Volt in Frederick, Md.

Edwin McCain, along with friends Shawn Colvin and Maia Sharp, provided the entertainment at Friday night's Taste of the South, a gathering of local chefs presenting Southern dishes, at the 5th Annual Euphoria food festival in Greenville.

Soby's head chef Shaun Garcia shared a dish of slow roasted pork and collard greens as his offering for Friday night's Taste of the South.

After Taste of the South, the party continued late into the night at the VIP party at the Huguenot Mill at the Peace Center with live music, specialty beverages and a sampling of food dishes and deserts.

Edwin McCain, along with friends Shawn Colvin and Maia Sharp, rocks the Euphoria crowd.

Downtown Greenville was shining brightly as rocker Edwin McCain entertained the crowd at Euphoria, a food and wine festival going on through Sunday.

Colored lights and strands of Christmas lights give the Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk a festive feel at night.

The staff of Drunken Jack’s cares for the goats and peacocks that live on Goat Island. In the winter, they’re moved to a more protected spot.

People who aren’t the only creatures who head the Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk for fresh fish. This egret proudly showed off his catch on a summer evening.

This statue of Bubba Love, who is Jerome Smalls in real life, stands just outside Drunken Jack’s. The owners of Captain Dave’s Dockside even named their outside dining area Bubba’s Love Shak in his honor

Many of the restaurants, including Creek Ratz, have outside dining areas that are perfect for enjoying the view and good food.

Master sommelier Laura Williamson of Tucson, Ariz., returns to Euphoria this year. The topic of her seminar will be “Wine and chocolate -- Need I say more?”

As in past years, Edwin McCain and friends will be performing at Euphoria. He founded the wine, food and music festival in 2006 with Carl Sobocinski, owner of Table 301.

Those attending the Tasting Showcase at Euphoria on Saturday will have the opportunity to sample more than 150 types of wine. Three master sommeliers will be conducting seminars.

Three master wine sommeliers, of 170 nationwide, will be conducting seminars at Euphoria. The food, wine and music festival runs Sept. 23-26 in Greenville.

FIG Chef Mike Lata will be featured on the Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" for an Italian sauce he prepared for steak.

Lazy Goat Chef Vicky Moore

Employee Mikayla Carr shows off Jack’s Cosmic Dogs most popular hot dog, the Cosmic Dog. It’s made with sweet potato mustard and blue cheese slaw.

Chef Robert Irvine of Food Network’s “Dinner: Impossible,” opened his restaurant, eat!, and lounge, drink!, about two years ago

Linda Gilson show off the tanks of olive oils and balsamic vinegars at the Oilerie, the store she owns with her husband, Tom

Kimberly Bledsoe, left, and her aunt, Christine Fassas, have been traveling to produce markets this summer to sell the creations of Ernest Bledsoe, executive chef at Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club.

This sign shows shoppers at the Pawleys Island Farmers Market, held on Wednesdays, what items are available. By fall, the Bliss team hopes to begin selling their food online.

Pitmaster Rodney Scott shows off barbecue staying warm on the pit. He said the barbecue is so good because of a secret ingredient: Love is cooked into every batch of that vinegar and pepper sauce.

The Scott family has been cooking barbecue here, on S.C. Highway 261 in Hemingway, for 38 years. The building that now houses rows of pits once was Roosevelt "Rosie" Scott's auto repair business. Demand for his barbecue soon outgrew demand for his mechanical services.

The pigs are cooked, skin-side up, for about 12 hours before being flipped, mopped with a vinegar and pepper sauce, and then cooked until the pig skins are perfect.

Ella and Rodney Scott stand in front Scott's Bar-B-Que, which Ella and Roosevelt Scott opened in 1972. Son Rodney, the pitmaster, cooked his first pig on his own at age 11.

Despite the rules, business is brisk at Scott's on the three days the business is open. Another sign on the front door reads: "BBQ 9:30 AM. No Sooner. Respect that." Sometimes customers show up early looking for barbecue, knowing that Rodney Scott is inside cooking.

Beef, pork and seasonings are cooked in these large washpots to make hash. The meat is then pulled by hand or “strung" before the mustard sauce is added.f it’s not cooked over hickory wood.”

Jackie Hite uses only hickory wood for cooking his barbecue in Batesburg-Leesville. “It’s not real barbecue if it’s not cooked over hickory wood.”

Hites Barbecue and Shealy's Bar-B-Que are both popular restaurants in the small town of Batesburg-Leesville in western Lexington County. Jackie Hite said the two “probably cook and sell more barbecue per capita than any place.”

Jackie Hite's barbecue is cooked with mustard sauce. It's rare to find that kind of sauce, which can be traced back to German settlers, outside of South Carolina.

It's easy to find Rogers Bar-B-Que and Seafood Restaurant on Second Loop Road in Florence if you keep your eyes open for the big pig up in the sky.

Dot Lynch, front end manager at Rogers Bar-B-Que, dishes up a scoop of barbecue on the buffet line that has made the restaurant a popular dining spot.

Rob Goff, who owns Rogers with his parents, said he cooks 20 to 40 hogs a week, depending on the season and catering functions.

At Smokin' Stokes in Greenville, the walls are covered with plaques and shelves are lined with trophies, all awards from barbecue competitions. Owners Travis and Shannon McCauley don’t compete these days, he said, “but we still serve that competition barbecue.”

Located in a downtown strip mall, Smokin' Stokes staff cooks Boston butts in a Southern Pride smoker. A dry rub is put on it after it’s cooked, while the meat is being pulled apart by hand.

Diners at Smokin' Stokes order their food at a window into the kitchen. Ordering is when the tough decisions start.

Produce stands such as this one run by J.P. Truesdale in Hemingway are popping up all over the state. The S.C. Department of Agriculture is leasing the stands to farmers to help promote S.C. products.

Who says food can’t be entertaining? To me, this oddly shaped peach resembles Jimmy Durante, who often called his large nose his “schnozzola.”

Chef Mike Lata of FIG restaurant in Charleston, SC was names the James Beard Best Chef of the Southeast in 2009.

Delicious South Carolina Watermelon is in season!

Robert Stehling is the chef at chef and owner of Hominy Grill in Charleston, SC and the 2008 James Beard winner for Best Chef in the Southeast.

South Carolina peaches are summer pleasure!  For baking, ice cream or just slicing and eating, they are treat.

The giant flip flop cake was baked and assembled at Carlo’s City Hall Bakery in Hoboken, N.J., by TLC’s Cake Boss Buddy Valastro and brought to Myrtle Beach by van.

The cake TLC’s Cake Boss Buddy Valastro brought to Myrtle Beach was vanilla with fudge frosting. It was served to the crowd after Valastro cut the first few slices.

Close friends and business partners Fabio Viviani and Jacopo Falleni joked about their slightly broken English during their food demonstration at Taste, a food show in Myrtle Beach.

McCargo was a crowd favorite at Taste, a food show in Myrtle Beach. In person, he’s the same warm, friendly guy you see on his television show.

S.C. farmers and the S.C. Department of Agriculture are promoting the state’s newest crop, a sweet onion. The green sweet onions with tops are being harvested now, and the larger onions should be available in the next few weeks.

Guy Fieri’s version of oysters Rockefeller includes spinach, Havarti cheese and potato sticks. Preparing the dish was part of his demonstration at the Taste food show in Myrtle Beach May 14-16.

The Food Network star, in Myrtle Beach as part of the Taste food show, demonstrated how to make Spaniard’s Shrimp Cocktail and Malibu Oysters Rockefeller.

Rows of shrimp kabobs sizzle on the grill at the 34th annual Lowcountry Shrimp Festival and Blessing of the Fleet Saturday, May 1. Shrimp was the star of the festival, but barbecue, burgers and hot dogs also were available.

A crowd on the shrimp trawler wave at the people on shore as the Necia Ann passes by for a blessing for its safety and bountiful harvest during the shrimping season.

The shrimp trawler Village Lady floats down Jeremy Creek for a blessing during the Lowcountry Shrimp Festival and Blessing of the Fleet.

Masson, chef at The Brentwood Restaurant in Little River, spoons a fennel and cream sauce over shrimp flambéed Pernod over bowtie pasta.

One of the most colorful dishes at the 2010 Restaurant and Business Expo was Musolf’s melon gazpacho, made with cantaloupe.

Sean Brock of McCrady's in Charleston puts the finishing touches on plates of Pheasant cooked in hay with turnips, onions and black truffles at the Charleston Wine + Food Festival in March. Brock was named 2010's Best Chef in the Southeast by the James Beard Foundation.

Sean Brock, chef of McCrady’s Restaurant in Charleston, will be in New York City Monday, May 3rd, 2010 as a semi-finalist for the James Beard Foundation Best Chef from the Southeast award

Spring in South Carolina is a great time to celebrate the bounty of the state’s unique food and culture – from the Lowcountry Shrimp Festival in McLellanville to the Rosewood Crawfish Festival in Columbia – check them out!

USC Clemson Farmers Market

USC Clemson Farmers Market

Four Oaks

McLeod Farms

Charleston Tea Plantation

Charleston Tea Plantation

Blessing of the Fleet

Blessing of the Fleet

The tilefish was served with a house-made malt vinegar mayonnaise, Green
Grocer Farms sweet potato fries and Johns Island cabbage slaw.