Heart Eyes for Hilton Head Island
Hilton Head has got to be one of the most undervalued places in all of the East Coast. If you like to walk like I do, let me tell you - HHI is a walking paradise. A mecca for movement— Golf courses landscaped to Disney levels, tennis courts… many tennis courts. Over 350 tennis courts, over 12 miles of wide, flat beaches and, more than 60 miles of bike trails. It’s warm, fresh, lush, and invites rest. Heaven for cardiovascular health, maybe even be the real garden of Eden.
Its quiet for how beloved it is. I think the hush over the island comes from the canopy of the beautiful mixture of pines trees, sprawling live oaks and graceful palm trees alike draped in spanish moss, acting like a sponge to absorb sounds and slow down the voices in your head as you become immersed in their world of majestically just being.
Finding shade is easy on the island under the tree lined trails and boardwalks where you can wander from brunch to beach and back with a Frosty Frog special in hand. What's Frosty Frog? Its like Willy Wonka’s factory but for daiquiris. Over 20 different brightly colored machines line the bar and eatery nestled in Coligny Plaza. Look for the guys in the top hats. It's the perfect stop before or after sun and surf. I've been on an orange kick (my whole life) and the Creamsicle daiquiri was the icing on the cake for a perfect beach day with its creamy citrus bliss, each sip reminded me of sunshine and joy. Adam and I shared a 32 oz large slushy and we still thought it would never end. The next day we kicked the smoothie kick up over at the Omni for a delicious resort brunch. Highly recommend dining at resorts while you visit. Did I mention that their beaches have the most incredible access walkways, tarps rolling onto the sand, rinsing stations, changing rooms, they know how to do hospitality. They should rename HHI as Head of Hospitality Island.
And then… theres… Farm Bluffton. The kind of restaurant that makes you close your eyes after every bite. Where is their Michelin star?The food was thoughtful, seasonal, and prepared with that rare kind of precision where every bite feels like a story. Elevated without being pretentious- just good, soul-nourishing food made by people who care.
It's not even trying to be fancy, it just is. Upon arrival, I had rumblies in the tummlies and when I asked if they had gingerale to settle me down, and well of course they made their own ginger soda in house. *Eye roll for their perfection level* The drink was sublime especially because we got to enjoy it on their breezy shaded patio while we waited for our food. Looking back, I think the nerves came from having a premonition about the spectacularness of our dining experience. I’m such a ham on vacation.
We very much enjoyed local clams alongside crunchy toasty baguette, tuna crudo, a perfectly fashioned pork chop on corn succotash (and I don’t even like pork chops but they made me love it), and a warm brown butter cornbread skillet served in a cast iron that doubled as our dessert. Every dish felt like someone's Southern grandma went to culinary school in Europe. I don’t know what the chefs are getting paid but they need a raise and a bonus.
After that meal — I kept thinking of this verse:
“Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart… Enjoy life with the wife whom you love…” —Ecclesiastes 9:7-9
