BY CARRIE HIRSCH

Unlike hurricane preparedness, when filling the bathtub with water is highly recommended, wine preparedness does not require filling the bathtub with wine, although riding out a storm with a fine Bordeaux could be quite enjoyable. Unless Bacchus, the God of wine, is secretly sitting on your shoulder while dining there’s a chance you’re on your own when it comes to selecting from the wine list or bringing just the right bottle of bubbly to a party. No pressure, of course, but all eyes are on you!

Here are a few helpful steps you can take for wine preparedness: join a wine club, attend wine tastings at restaurants and other venues, then go to your local wine shop and ask questions - consider it a wine library where you can hit the bottle (and the books) and sample new and exciting wines.

COWBOY BRAZILIAN STEAKHOUSE SPECIALIZES IN MEATS

SPECIAL TO FORK & FUN FROM HILTON HEAD MONTHLY

Offering grilled skewers of 16 types of meat all carved tableside and an extensive salad bar, Hilton Head Island’s Cowboy Brazilian Steakhouse is an upscale all-you-can-eat experience in a contemporary setting. It’s located in the home of the former Robert Ivine’s Eat! in the Village at Wexford.

BY CARRIE HIRSCH

TRANSFORMING THE COCKTAIL AND MORE

Flowers are the colorful paint that decorates nature’s canvas. But their beauty goes beyond their bright petals — essences of honeysuckle, lavender and elderflower have been making their way into cocktails, foods and beauty products. Flower-infused cocktails are popular on the bar scene, and creative mixologists are mixing up cocktails with floral essences and infusions and garnishing them with delicate edible flowers for dramatic presentation.

ROCKFISH SEAFOOD & STEAKS SETS ITS SIGHTS ON AN ISLAND INSTITUTION

Happy hour is a Lowcountry tradition. On an island baked by the sun and surrounded by cool ocean waves, the entire day revolves around the moment we can cast off the shackles of the office and enjoy a nice cold drink in the sunshine.

So when a restaurant lays claim to the best happy hour, it’s not something we take lightly. That’s a line in the sand, a declaration of superiority that demands attention. Stacey Romoser of Rock Fish Steaks & Seafood at Bomboras knows this well. And yet, she stands firm:

THERE’S MORE TO MEXICAN FOOD THAN TACOS AND MARGARITAS

Ask any native Hispanic speaker: There really isn’t one cuisine that classifies as “Mexican,” just like there’s no such thing, really, as “American” food. Just like here in the U.S. Mexico’s food varies by region — and there are plenty of flavors packed into the country’s roughly 760,00 square miles, home to lush mountain ranges, wide rivers, deserts and islands. And just like the diverse landscapes, the dishes of each region are unique.

The Dinner Party

Filet Mignon Beef Tartare
Crispy Calamari
Clarke’s Mussels
Fresh Oysters
Braised Pork Belly

CELEBRATE 50 YEARS OF HERITAGE WITH CLASSIC APPETIZERS

It seems 1969 was a big year for both golf and gourmet. It was the first year of the tournament that would become the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing. And it was the year “The Galloping Gourmet with Graham Kerr” first hit TV airwaves and the 11th edition of the “Betty Crocker Cookbook” was released. Home cooks were serving up pigs in blankets, cheese puffs, oysters Rockefeller, Lipton onion dip and nut-ecrusted cheese logs. Other retro dishes still are popular, like fondue, and shrimp cocktail featuring local shrimp is always a hit.

Damian Hayes came down to Hilton Head Island from Virginia and soon found himself bartending and managing restaurants. He then opened the first British Open Pub in 1998, on Hilton Head Island, in the Village at Wexford.

“I opened the British Open Pub as a golf-themed restaurant to pay homage to the champion golfers of the (British) Open Championship,” says Hayes. The Titleist Bar, an idea he came up with, of a golf ball bar with all the autographed pictures of the champions inlaid in the bar, has brought a lot of golfers in. “During the Heritage, the players come to the restaurant and it’s fun for the customers and staff to see them.” says Hayes.