Vine-ripe Tomatoes

July 7, 2018

June’s outing took us to The Cottage in Bluffton, S.C., an easy 40-minute drive from Savannah. Bluffton’s main drag is Calhoun Street, and that’s where we found the quaint little restaurant, located in what really appears to be an old cottage-style home. Seating is available on the porch and in two small dining rooms inside, which we opted for since we’ve been experiencing temperatures in the high 90s most of the month.

Everything on the menu looked good, and we had a tough time choosing how we’d spend our calories. We ordered a plate of fried green tomatoes for the table to share, as well as the crab-corn-bacon pot pie, the fish tacos, and the avocado caprese salad with shrimp, which was probably the best dish of the day. Also on the menu are sandwiches and paninis, an enormous hamburger, jambalaya and gumbo. Most of the items range from $12.95 to $16.95. Portions are plentiful and flavors are robust and rich. The Cottage is also a bakery and tea room (by appointment) and so we felt obliged to sample at least one of the magnificent cakes in the glass cases. We opted for red velvet, which was slathered in a rich white chocolate icing. Very rich and good.

Out into the heat we went, visiting the nearby quaint shops, also located in what appear to be renovated cottages. We left Savannah at 10:30 a.m. and were home by 3 p.m. We could have stayed longer and visited several historic sites. Next time, we will.

Here are the key ingredients:

Tomato Sandwich

Bread – Southerners like soft, white bread but I’m trying to eat healthier, so I’ve been eating Arnold whole-wheat sandwich thins

Vine-ripe tomato – peel and slice very thin. Do not drain. Getting all that juice to run into the bread is whole point. Be sure to have a napkin or paper towel handy when eating a tomato sandwich. Or, just eat it over the sink.

Duke’s mayonnaise – no substitution; use plenty of it

Seasoned salt – any brand (some people just like plain salt and pepper)

Enjoy!