Sample tastes of Beaufort on new culinary walking tour

Sample tastes of Beaufort on new culinary walking tour

By Ashley Hamm | There’s a new tour in town. One that Beaufort has needed for some time now. A Taste of the Lowcountry, a 2 1/2 hour guided culinary walking tour of the city’s culinary delights in downtown Beaufort. Tour guide/owner Erin Walker boasts the slogan, “Get fresh, Get fried”; four words that could not describe this tour better – other than delicious, of course. The tour allows folks to enjoy a ‘taste of Beaufort’ with prepared dishes that are local to our area using locally sourced products.

I was fortunate enough to get to go on one of Erin’s tours, and it was an experience I will not soon forget. ThePlums graced us with a quintessential Lowcountry meal: shrimp and grits. We were also given a glass of Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka tour begins at 2pm, and our group met Erin at the pavilion in Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park. Our first stop was Plums, one of the flagship restaurants in historic downtown Beaufort that has been a major player on Bay Street since 1986. Chef Andrew “Scooter” Deems, graced us with a quintessential Lowcountry meal: shrimp and grits. We were also given a glass of Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka, a popular vodka that is created in a small still on Wadmalaw Island, just 30 miles south of Charleston.

Our next stop was across Bay Street at Olive the Above, a newer shop that sells gourmet olive oils and vinegars along with creative spices, rubs, pastas and more. Tasting stations are set up with every oil and vinegar that is sold, and bags of popcorn are handed out for tasting; a creative alternative to bread. If you ever get stuck on what to cook for supper, stop in and ask George or any of the qualified staff at Olive the Above, and you will walk out with some fabulous ideas and spectacular ingredients to pull your meal off. Don’t know the difference between fused and infused, olive oil and balsamic? Don’t worry, George and his staff have you covered on that, too. Each of us enjoyed a parting gift of a small bottle of one of OTA’s gourmet olive oils.Lowcoutnry Produce provided our group with pimento cheese, dilly beans (pickled string beans) and their first ever creation, sweet cucumber pickles.

Next, it was off to Lowcountry Produce Market and Café on Carteret Street. Years ago, this same building housed Beaufort’s City Hall, and many customers reminisce on stopping in to pay their taxes there or mailing packages, as it was also a post office at one time. You might know these folks from their produce stand in Lobeco. The lovely Fran Tuttle provided our group with pimento cheese, dilly beans (pickled string beans) and their first ever creation, sweet cucumber pickles. All were mouth-watering treats that are sure to keep people coming back for more.A Taste of the LowcountryA culinary tour in Beaufort is not complete without BBQ, so it was a given that Q on Bay would be on the list of stops. Owners Chris Johnson and Jason Bailey welcomed us with a history of SC BBQ, a lesson on the different sauces, and some background on the restaurant which first opened about three years ago. Everything is made from scratch, and Q is proud to be don’t-miss-this stop on the newly published SC BBQ Trail. Our group enjoyed a pulled pork slider and collards cooked to perfection.Wined It Up's oner and chef, Tara, presented our group with champagne and Southern caviar, a wonderful surprise of sautéed spinach, black-eyed peas, red onion and tomato.

A relatively new addition to the area, Wined It Up has seen great success so far. Owners Brian and Tara relocated to Beaufort from Georgetown, SC, after they lost their restaurant in a tragic downtown fire. Beaufort welcomed them with open arms, and they quickly got to work designing and building the stunning establishment on Bay Street. Tara, a highly-talented chef in her own right, has created a unique menu all with a Southern flair. Brian runs the front of the house and personally built the exquisite copper-top bar. Tara presented our group with champagne and Southern caviar, a wonderful surprise of sautéed spinach, black-eyed peas, red onion and tomato.

Rounding out our tour was a stop at another relatively new addition to Bay Street, Scout Southern Market. AnneScout Southern Market spoiled us with sweet tea floats complete with a scoop of peach sorbet, and some amazing pecan squares. Higgins, who is originally from San Francisco – but got here as fast as she could, spoiled us with sweet tea floats complete with a scoop of peach sorbet, and some amazing pecan squares. Their unique sweet tea bar alone makes them right at home in historic downtown, not to mention the wide variety of Southern gifts including home décor, jewelry, specialty foods, and a menu that will lure you back and keep a smile on your face. Scout is fun.

This guided walking tour will operate year-round, and Erin plans on mixing up the restaurants on every tour, along with the meals provided, so that it stays fresh and exciting.

A Taste of the Lowcountry's Tour guide/owner Erin Walker boasts the slogan, “Get fresh, Get fried”; four words that could not describe this tour better – other than delicious, of course. The tour allows folks to enjoy a 'taste of Beaufort' with prepared dishes that are local to our area using locally sourced products.Whether you are a local or a visitor, A Taste of the Lowcountry is an excellent way to spend an afternoon getting to know local business owners, chefs and learning how much the Lowcountry really does contribute to Southern cuisine.

If you’ve been driving by a restaurant or two downtown and keep meaning to stop in, but haven’t yet, let A Taste of the Lowcountry give you a proper introduction to all of the delectable culinary delights that our small town has to offer.

If you would like to experience the tour, call 843-441-7923 or visit them online here. Remember to get your tickets soon, as tours are expected to fill up quickly, and, as Erin says, “Come hungry!”

Bon appetite!

This week marked the debut of A Taste of the Lowcountry, a 2 1/2 hour guided culinary walking tour of the city’s culinary delights in downtown Beaufort.