dinner at Charleston Crabhouse

a beautiful low-country crabcake at Charleston Crabhouse

seafood past bake: shrimp, scallops, mahi mahi baked with fettucine and cheese sauce

lump crabmeat

a day at the aquarium

took a trip to the South Carolina Aquarium today. 

 

matt hanging out with his new froggie friend.  check out that bridge!

 

 

lunch at Hyman's Seafood, Charleston, SC

Hyman's Seafood is famous in Charleston with tourists and locals alike.  they are consistently voted "best seafood" from magazines like Southern Living.  they are a true "southern hospitality"-type joint with easy food and good service.  the menu is HUGE and a little kooky-crazy....but definitely start off with this appetizer, their most-popular "Carolina Delight".

Lightly fried grit cake topped with
your choice of shrimp, scallops,
oysters, crab cakes or salmon. Covered with a creamy, rich garlic alfredo sauce then sprinkled with a hint of cajun seasoning.

started off with some cocktails...why on earth would i EVER order a damn margarita??? they're disgusting!  but it was on special and i was feeling "crazy" so i ordered one.... *ick*  i made matt play trade-sies with me because he got a Cosmopolitan which is much tastier.  i still have visions of puking in front of a record store after my first margarita that i drank out of a styrofoam cup.

matt and i LOVE LOVE LOVE  a good she-crab soup, so when we are in a seafood-town we always order a bowl.  their's was....okay, nothing special unfortunately.  the best we've had is still from that hole-in-the-wall seafood shack called Mr. Fish in Myrtle Beach!

not happy about his adopted margarita!

but i'm happy with mine! matt tryin' to get all "artsy" with his cheesy camera angles

matt's overly fried seafood platter: fried mahi-mahi, crabcake, deviled crab, sweet potato souffle

my plate: broiled swordfish, fried catfish, broiled scallops

all together a pretty good meal....but maybe not worth the $90 we threw down for lunch????  xoxo

dinner: Iron Horse Station, Hot Springs, NC

Iron Horse Station

took a leisurely walk to Hot Springs from our cabin (and a not-so-leisurely uphill walk back....).  it is one of the few restaurants in this quaint mountain town. 

such a cozy, renovated spot...with amazing food!  probably being judgemental....but i didn't have high expectations for the restaurant since it was in a quiet mountain town and the menu seemed to be more "bar food". 

this liquor-free town serves all kinds of local beer

love the natural decor... a used fireplace and exposed brick walls

matt waiting on his burger

i'm 30!!!  sooooo weird

Iron Horse Burger Crispy “Tobacco” Onions, Grilled Bacon, Cheddar Cheese,
Grilled Tomato, Lettuce, House-made BBQ Sauce and Mayo

Southern Style Fish and Chips Farm Raised Cat Fish, Golden Fried, served with Cajun
Tartar Sauce and Malt Vinegar
*Sides are Cole Slaw and Hand Cut Fries

hands down--best fish and chips i've ever had. fresh, perfectly seasoned fish.

this tangy, red cabbage slaw was the most unique and refreshing slaw i've had.  must recreate it!

recipe: salmon burger with horsey-caper spread

had to mix up "healthy burger night" by making salmon burgers.  i love horseradish with fish and i love capers with seafood so i figured, make a sauce with both!  sooo super easy, flavorful, and has a good kick.  i used a few tablespoons of lite miracle whip (or veganaise), a couple teaspoons of horseradish (less if you don't want it too spicy), a tablespoon of capers. 

spread caper sauce on both sides of toasted bread--i used leftover hoagies but will use whole wheat sesame seed baguette next time.  top with fresh veggies like romaine, tomatoes, onion and sprouts.

 

served with a light and crunchy salad

 crunchy romaine, baby spinach, red peppers, shredded carrots, red onion, cucumbers and feta tossed with a light italian vinaigrette

leftovers for tomorrow's lunch:  toss salad with grilled salmon for a heartier lunch.

 

recipe: grilled arctic char and sauteed zucchini and squash

this is one of my go-to weekly meals.  so easy, delicious, and healthy!  i pick up frozen fillets from Trader Joes and just make a large portion of a veggie side from my local farmer's market.

just grill fish in a grill pan or non-stick pan with some olive oil cooking spray (no calories!) and season generously with salt, pepper, dried herbs.  finish off with a fresh lemon wedge.  eliminating starches from our evening meals when possible and loading up on extra veggies so we can stuff our faces sans the calories.