FOOD. FAMILY. FRIENDS.

Jane Bistro & Bar is all about family and friends sharing time together and meals created from recipes passed from one to another. The family-owned business is named to honor the many generations of great cooks in the family and their shared passion for good food, family and friends.

In 2016, the owners of Wren Bistro in Beaufort opened Jane Bistro & Bar in Shelter Cove Towne Centre on Hilton Head Island and since then it has been the place where people come together to enjoy classic bistro fare with a modern twist. The restaurant is designed for relaxed, comfortable gatherings.

BRITISH FARE ON HILTON HEAD

British Open Pub is your window into “across the pond” featuring authentic English food and plenty of golf pics, art and memorabilia to ogle at while you are there. Thes British Open Pub puts forth outstanding English-style fish and chips and ot her English fare as well as American specialties from the Prestwick Table, setting this place apart from anywhere in the Lowcountry.

Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and Saturday & Sunday brunch, you’ll get to brush elbows with diehard locals that have been coming here for years.

A LOCAL’S FAVORITE FOR MORE THAN 35 YEARS

The locals’ favorite lunch, dinner and happy hour spot has been serving up delicious steaks, seafood, pasta and sandwiches for over 35 years while playing a dedicated role in the community in many ways.

One of the oldest established restaurant groups on the island, Reilley’s offers “Haute-pub” cuisine, made with fresh seasonal ingredients. There is a large covered patio and bar which features live music almost every night. Check their Facebook page for the music lineup. Reilley’s is also a great place for sports enthusiasts to watch the big game inside or out on the deck.

It’s hard to picture a better setting for a picnic than a Sunday in the South: Red-checked blanket spread along the banks of the May River, shade provided by towering live oaks dripping with Spanish moss, glasses of lemonade dripping with condensation as platter after platter is pulled from a wicker hamper — fried chicken, deviled eggs, potato salad. 

CHAMBER GALA BRINGS TOP CHEFS TO HILTON HEAD

The stars of the culinary world will be out in force on Feb. 1 for the 2020 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce Ball, to be held at the Marriott Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa. The nationally recognized chefs will prepare tapas-style dishes alongside Lowcountry chefs. 

Some of the notable names that will be on hand include Marc Murphy, executive chef of Landmarc restaurant in New York who also is a judge on the TV show “Chopped” and the former chef of Windows on the World; Florian Bellanger, the former pastry chef at Le Bernardin in New York and a judge on the TV show “Cupcake Wars;” and George Masraff, a Michelin-starred chef and the former culinary director at Windows on the World. Other top chefs in attendance: Arnaud Briand, Instant Eats owner and former Windows on the World chef; and Martin Doyle, chef at Suilan at the Borgata and former Windows on the World chef. 

CHRISTMAS COOKIES ARE A WORLDWIDE TRADITION

Christmas cookies are traditional in many cultures, are fun to make ahead of time and give as gifts at cookie swaps. Depending on the recipe, cookie doughs can be either pressed, rolled, molded, dropped, baked, cut into bars or deep fried. 

Some cookie swaps have a theme — one fun event is the Ugly Sweater Cookie Swap. Guests are encouraged to not only decorate their cookies with the tackiest, gaudiest sweater designs but to wear their ugliest, decoration-laden sweater as well, all the better with blinking lights. Hosting a cookie swap, unlike a diner party with a long to-do list, is a great way to bring together friends with much less effort. All you need to stage a casual get-together is to send out invitations, decorate a table for displaying the cookies, then prepare hot cocoa or coffee or serve wine. 

CATCH 22 CAPTURES THE TRUE ESSENCE OF LAND, SEA AND SERVICE

The doomsday phrase “catch-22” doesn’t apply to the Hilton Head Island restaurant of the same name. The mission of restaurant Catch 22 is pretty straightforward: To serve the best seafood, chops and USDA prime steaks to its loyal band of customers, just as it’s been doing since 2001. Always fresh, nothing frozen.

Penny and Gary Duren, owners since the beginning, have created a comfortable culture for their customers and staff. The staff stays on for years and the patrons — locals and repeat tourists — keep coming back. Catch 22 exceeds expectations for its excellent service, delicious food, innovative menu, eclectic ambiance and superb dining experience.

CHARLIE’S L’ETOILE VERTE IS COOKING UP SOME CHANGES AS IT LOOKS TO THE NEXT GENERATION

When Charlie Golson opened the current Charlie’s L’Etoile Verte 17 years ago, Hilton Head Island was a much different place — especially for a restaurant. With fewer restau-rants around him, the Green Star had less competition for the attention and affections of area diners.

Golson won people over quickly with his signa-ture seafood creations — dishes that masterfully tread the line between French high cuisine and approachable Lowcountry flavor. And for 17 years, even as Charlie has stepped away from the business, that same culinary brilliance has kept his restaurant top of mind among the island’s foodies.