the bluff spring/summer 2014

the bluff

Spring/Summer 2014

the bluff

SPR

ING

/SUM

ME

R 2014

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3R I V E R R O A D I D E A H O M E S

Now open for inspiration, the River Road Idea Homes showcase Lowcountry architecture, creativity, and design

11F R O M T H E G R O U N D U P

Chef Brandon Carter dons his overalls and spends a day on the farm

17S O U T H E R N L I V I N G I D E A H O U S E

The 25th Southern Living Idea House finds its home right here at Palmetto Bluff

21G O O D M U S I C

Kristian Bush of Sugarland gives us the secret sauce of songwriting and music-making

27L O C A L C H A R A C T E R

We catch up with Boo Harrel, on dry land

29M I X I N G I T U P

A trek to Charleston to check in with High Wire Distilling reveals the beauty of small-batch distilling

35R E T A I L T H E R A P Y

J Banks Retail Shop on Hilton Head fills our head (and homes) with springtime entertaining must-haves

37H I P T O B E S Q U A R E

A quick stroll through the history of Savannah’s historic squares

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2

CREATED BY & FOR THOSE WHO LOVE

THIS SPECIAL LOWCOUNTRY IDYLL

E D I T O R

Courtney Hampson, Marketing Manager, Palmetto Bluff

P H O T O G R A P H Y

Anne CaufmannJason HazelRob KaufmanBonjwing Lee

W R I T E R S

Alyssa Bushey Courtney HampsonBarry Kaufman Dylan Patrick SellEllen ShumakerDr. Mary SocciTim WhiteChristine Wrobel

R E A L E S TA T E S A L E S 8 0 0 . 5 0 1 . 7 4 0 5

I N N R E S E R VA T I O N S 8 6 6 . 7 0 6 . 6 5 6 5

www.palmettobluff.com

41H A V E F O O D , W I L L T R A V E L

The Music To Your Mouth team reveals the 2014 calendar of events, including taking the show on the road

47W E L C O M E T O T H E N E I G H B O R H O O D

Meet Alan Fuerstman, Founder & CEO of Montage Hotels & Resorts

49L E X L U T H I E R

Bluffton’s Brooks Cobb explores the fine art of guitar-making

53B U R G E R I N P A R A D I S E

CharBar Co. is really cookin’

57H I S T O R Y : U N I T E D S T A T E S B O T A N I C G A R D E N

The U.S. Botanic Garden and its tie to the Bluff

61W H A T ’ S H A P P E N I N G

Calendar of events

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Cover image: griddled pastured chicken with butternut squash and hot pepper relish from Chef Steven Satterfield (Miller Union, Atlanta). Music To Your Mouth Festival. November 2013.Photo by Bonjwing Lee.

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he River Road Idea Homes opened Thanksgiving week, and a steady pace of

traffic has kept the real estate sales team on their toes. As building continues to

boom in the Bluff, the River Road neighborhood leads the pace with 13 built-for-

sale homes under construction.

By Courtney Hampson

T

IDEA HOMES

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The Idea Homes showcase sophisticated variations on

Palmetto Bluff ’s architectural theme, with some fresh

concepts added to the mix. With 33 home designs in

River Road, the homes vary widely, from metal-roofed

bungalows to stately mansions. Some have classical

elements, from the casual, single-story bungalow to

the more stately homes with two-level porches. Some

borrow from historical styles seen in Charleston and

Beaufort, while others borrow from the more relaxed

styles found in the tropical islands of the Caribbean.

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RIVER ROAD IDEA HOMES TOUR SCHEDULE:

Louvered shutters regulate sunlight and airflow. Double-hung windows allow

residents to slightly raise the bottom sash and to lower the top sash. This allows

cooler air to enter below and warmer air to exit above. Homes are on raised

foundations to capture breezes, and overhangs help protect from the elements.

With seemingly endless variations on the architectural theme, each home can be

unique without looking out of place. This dynamic unites the community in a way

that’s difficult to describe, but wonderful to experience.

Wednesday - Saturday ..........................................................10 a.m. - 4 p.m.Sunday .................................................................................12 p.m. - 4 p.m.

In partnership with

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River Road offers a sense of community and

authenticity, as natural as its surroundings. River

Road, Palmetto Bluff ’s Garden District, has been

designed around a collection of parks, walkways,

the River Road Preserve, an inland waterway,

and a future recreation center. All of these are

places where residents can gather and enjoy the

Lowcountry setting. Overall, River Road feels like

a village that reflects the perfect blend of ‘town’

and ‘country.’

RIVER ROADAMENITIES

1 FLOATING DOCK

2 INLAND WATERWAY LAWN

3 PAVILION LAWN

4 DOG PARK

5 MAIL KIOSK

6 GATHERING HALL

7 FITNESS CENTER

8 CHANGING ROOM/ POOL RESTROOMS

1 1

2

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www.palmettobluffideahomes.com

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D O W N O N T H E FA R M with The Bluff’s executive chef, Brandon Carter

The stately Mercedes convertible prowled the

back roads of Bluffton, rolling with a smooth turn

into the farmhouse driveway. Were it not for the

sudden dip into a surprisingly deep mud puddle,

this could have been a commercial. As it stands,

the car has a nice coat of mud on it by the time it

rolls to a stop.

“Please don’t make the mistake of thinking this is

my car,” said Chef Brandon Carter as he stepped

out of the (apparently borrowed) luxury machine.

It’s said with an affable, self-deprecating smile,

and followed with an explanation about Palmetto

Bluff’s generous loaner program. Dressed in a

sweater and vest in deference to the slow retreat of

a freakish winter cold snap, Carter had arrived at

Utley Acres intent on showing us where the fresh

vegetables come from for the upscale menus at

Palmetto Bluff’s restaurants.

By Barry Kaufman

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It was a fad that became a trend and now teeters on the edge of

cliché, but there’s no denying the appeal of farm-to-table dining.

From the soil of two farms just past the gates of Palmetto

Bluff, Carter has found a cornucopia of leafy greens, rich root

vegetables, and a seasonal array of possibilities. When he talks

about the produce he discovered at Utley Acres, Carter almost

can’t find the words to describe them.

“It just tastes so much better,” he said, walking the muddy

tracks between rows. “Even the big turnips you get here. A lot of

times large turnips get bitter, but the ones that come out of this

garden are sweet, and…”

The thought flew away on the cold breeze, lost in Carter’s

contemplation of whatever magnificent dish these turnips

would become under his care. For the record, he was thinking

about scalloped turnips, and to hear Carter describe them, they

sounded amazing. As we approached the farm, two large hounds

bounded toward us in greeting. Babs Utley, decked in long johns

and a warm smile, approached from the farmhouse around

which three planting fields and a chicken coop could be seen.

The dogs were carefully shooed away. Greetings were passed

around. Shoes were quickly muddied as we walked the grounds.

It’s a good thing the Mercedes was borrowed. It already showed

a light patina of dirt, and our tour of farms was just beginning.

UTLEY ACRES

Carter discovered Utley Acres six months ago during a

pleasure drive through the many back roads around Bluffton.

“I saw a sign that said, ‘Utley Acres,’ and I thought, ‘Well that

sounds like a farm,’” Carter said. “At the time, as always, we

were looking for good quality stuff, whether it’s produce, hogs,

chickens, or whatever. So we took down the number, came out

here, and the rest is history.”

The result has been a harmonious relationship with Utley in

which Carter masterminds a list of ingredients for menus he’d

like to prepare for guests at Palmetto Bluff, and Utley starts

planting. But, as with every relationship, it’s a two-way street.

“I’ll tell you what; I come out here, and Babs puts me to work,”

Carter said with a laugh.

“I made him pick his own okra!” she said, sharing in the

laughter. “I wanted to show him a few things about okra.”

“Some people think if it’s that big, it will be tough.” Two fingers

held apart several inches show how big a tough okra can be.

“But it can be this big (the fingers come close together) and be

tough, or it can be this big (the fingers fly apart) and be tender.

It just depends on how quickly it grew.”

“It’s important to see the life span,” Carter said. “I can’t wait

until the okra is in season. We drizzle it with a little olive oil,

add a little salt and pepper and grill it. It’s just so damn good.”

Our tour continued over to the farthest row of Utley’s three

gardens, where a row of mustard greens had survived the

unusually cold winter.

“These just have such great tender leaves. I put them in salads,

braise them, lightly sauté them like spinach; I love mustard

greens. They have a really nice texture and a sharp flavor,” he

said, reaching down and plucking a leaf.

The leaf was consumed with gusto. He wasn’t lying. Just in

a simple leaf, there is a subtle layering of different flavors,

from an earthy undertone to a sharp, fiery mustard bite. As he

sampled, Carter nodded his approval.

“Imagine this with a light honey vinaigrette. You’d have that

honey mustard flavor; this will be great.”

The tour continued through the farm, with each plant inspiring

new gourmet possibilities. Napa cabbage, pulled from the

ground just before the frost hit, became kimchi. Collard greens,

battered but surviving, awaited their date with a sauté pan.

Carter sighed slightly as he pulled a leaf, feeling that the cold

weather may have made them too tough for his guests.

“It’s good to know how picky he is,” Utley said with a chuckle.

“It shows they really are eating good food at his place.”

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LOW COUNTRY FARMS

After navigating a few more muddy roads, Carter pulled the

Mercedes into the driveway at the small, but surprisingly well-

planted, farm of Ryan Williamson. Williamson was already hard

at work, lugging a basket full of turnips, atomic red and cosmic

purple carrots, and lush purple-and-green-spotted Bibb lettuce.

Low Country Farms shares a border with the community, but

that’s hardly Williamson’s only connection to Palmetto Bluff.

He and his wife were married here in 2008, and it’s been a

perennial favorite destination since. A search for a family farm

a year and a half ago brought him back, where he set down

metaphysical roots just beyond the gate.

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“When I was planning to start up this farm, I contacted Brandon

to see what we could put in the ground. He told me, ‘We have four

restaurants. We can buy pretty much anything you can grow.’”

What he can grow belies the tiny amount of land it’s grown

on: mini beets, radishes, head lettuce, roots, Brussels sprouts,

and so much more. And he’s just getting started. As we walked,

Williamson rattled off what he’s planning to grow and where.

A length of fence along one patch, he said, will mark off where

Satsuma oranges will soon grow.

“I love Satsuma oranges,” said Carter. “I do ceviches with

Satsumas, and it’s just insane.”

Williamson dug into his basket producing a fistful of breakfast

radishes, and Carter’s excitement grew. The promise of parsnips

sent him over the edge.

“Parsnip puree is one of my favorite things in the world,” he

said. “It just gets so velvety and smooth, and carries the flavor

of whatever you put them on.”

Because it’s winter, the root vegetables are pushing through.

Watermelon radishes, Spanish black radishes, beets in red, gold

and Chioggia. A set of windows perched on hay bales served as

a makeshift greenhouse to incubate spaghetti squash.

The most fertile things growing at Low Country Farms are

plans. While we walked, Williamson and Carter discussed what

will be planted next as the farm grows.

“We have three-quarters of an acre planted now. Next year,

it will turn into a traditional working farm, with perennials,

asparagus, rhubarb, horseradish, ginger…” Williamson began.

“You ever think about wasabi?” Carter asked.

Thus was launched a dialogue between friends about the

difficulties of growing wasabi in South Carolina’s climate, the

possibilities of a lakeside wasabi patch, and the promise of

a head-to-head wasabi-tasting contest. While they talk, the

impression emerges that the farmer and the chef clearly respect

one another’s craft. Carter extolled the possibilities of what

Williamson can grow. Williamson enthused about what Carter

does with the produce. It’s the start of a beautiful relationship.

“Most chefs don’t have the opportunity to select produce with

the level of ripeness they want,” said Williamson. “There’s a day-

to-day taste difference in a tomato, for example.”

The conversation thus turned to tomatoes, of the area just

beyond the shed where Williamson will plant pear tomatoes, and

a Russian gypsy varietal he’s discovered with a dark purple color.

“This past year we took a bunch of tomatoes and food-milled

them to incorporate some air then laid them out and dried them

overnight to do a conserva,” Carter said, spurred by the potential

for these tomatoes. “It’s like the best tomato paste you’ve ever

had. A spoonful of that with white wine and garlic over some

clams? Forget about it. I’d put that over some homemade linguini

and… I’m getting hungry.”

At that point, we were all getting hungry, and it didn’t help

that the pair kept throwing back and forth delicious ideas

for Williamson’s produce. Gazpacho with brunoised shallots,

Georgia olive oil and a cracking of pepper. Freshly-pressed

olives. Housemade benne seed oil. Toasted sunflower seeds.

The merits of farm-to-table dining have been extolled at length

in any manner of stories like this one. But one facet that often

goes unexamined is this mutual respect and challenge between

chef and farmer. Farmers farm, but a farmer growing for a

restaurant must have one foot in the kitchen, eyeing his crop

as ingredients and respecting the delicious bounty they will

become. Likewise, chefs cook, but a chef pulling his components

right from the farm must get down to the soil, see how his

produce is nurtured through dry spells and cold snaps, and

respect how that perfect ingredient is taken from humble seed to

main course.

And sure, a Mercedes may get muddy along the way. But any

chef will tell you that it’s a small price to pay for that perfect dish.

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OPENING SUMMER 2014

This year, Southern Living celebrates its 25th year of

bringing the latest in architectural design and interior

inspirations to the South. Over the years, the magazine

has built 58 stunning residences – from brownstones to

beach houses – each with a style and a story of its own.

The 2014 project, located in the River Road neighborhood

of Palmetto Bluff, promises to deliver engaging ideas for

building, updating, or refreshing your own home. Stop by

this summer when the Southern Living Idea House opens

its doors for tours. You’ll discover innovative Lowcountry

style, from the garden to the kitchen and more.

By Courtney Hampson

A COMMUNITY INVESTMENT

The Idea House will be open for tours five days a week.

Proceeds from the $15 entrance fees will benefit Bluffton

Self Help and the Boys & Girls Club of Bluffton to

help support their missions in the Bluffton community.

Volunteers from each organization will staff the house,

acting as hospitality docents. For more information on

how to volunteer, visit:

www.blufftonselfhelp.com or

www.supportachildbluffton.com

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Artist rendering of the 2014 Southern Living Idea House

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A note from Ken Pursley, Pursley Dixon Architecture:

The Lowcountry style has, to me, always been a dance between the

understated and the elegant. In the house we have conceived for Southern

Living and Palmetto Bluff, we have tried to bring this waltz to life. The

simple materials of brick, board-and-batten, and tin roofing are humble, yet

configured to create spaces with gracious proportions. A large wraparound

rear porch provides ample space for sipping cocktails, viewing the water

and contemplating life. The two-story interior core of the house is planked

in wood, a material usually reserved for the less important rooms of an

antebellum home. The clerestory windows allow ample light from above,

while still connecting the living space with the porch beyond. A 'clutter

room' provides a backstage space, allowing the kitchen, living, and dining

spaces to be easily kept tidy while the host entertains guests. A mess can be

hidden away until one is ready to tackle it. The floating loft space creates a

wonderful retreat to read a book or steal a nap. In short, this is a home for

all to relax, unwind, and feel glamorous.

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Inspiration from Suzanne Kasler, Suzanne Kasler Interiors:

The lifestyle in Palmetto Bluff is very connected to nature. I like to use

colors and materials that recall what you see outside on the water. Blues,

whites, and warm neutrals repeat throughout the house. It’s important to

think about how people like to live…to make the home comfortable and

easy for entertaining and family so when one walks through the door it

feels like a warm, welcoming home.

Editor’s note:

Palmetto Bluff exemplifies Lowcountry living in the Carolinas. The

preserved surroundings set the standard in conscientious development.

It is the perfect setting to reveal our 2014 Idea House this summer.

The marriage of the clean lines of Pursley Dixon Architecture and the

sophisticated interior design by Suzanne Kasler will offer a fresh look that

we can’t wait to reveal here at Southern Living.

- Lindsay Bierman, EditorSouthern Living

Checking out the progress: David Sewell, Palmetto Bluff; Molly Smith, Boys & Girls Club; Misty Chandler, Southern Living; Chris Dalzell, Shoreline Construction & Development; Courtney Hampson, Palmetto Bluff; Michael Garcia, Boys & Girls Club; Tray Hunter, Bluffton Self HelpChecking out the progress: David Sewell, Palmetto Bluff; Molly Smith, Boys & Girls Club; Misty Chandler, Southern Living; Chris Dalzell, Shoreline Construction & Development; Courtney Hampson, Palmetto Bluff; Michael Garcia, Boys & Girls Club; Tray Hunter, Bluffton Self Help

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GOODMUSIC

KRISTIAN BUSH

As one-half of the award-winning,

multi-platinum duo, Sugarland,

Kristian Bush has seen his star rise

exponentially over the past decade.

But, at the end of the day, he is a dad,

managing the personalities of his

8-year-old daughter, Camille, and

11-year-old son, Tucker.

By Courtney Hampson

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And no, it’s not weird that this story would start with

his kids. After all, Bush’s entire story is about family,

really. And by “family,” I mean the Bush family. Not the

White House Bushes, the Baked Beans Bushes. I kid

you not. Interesting tidbit, right?

Bush has an interesting attitude toward his kids’

interest in music. Admittedly, they have access to

instruments and equipment (and people) that their

peers don’t have. “They also see it as an acceptable

career path,” Bush says.

But wait? Does that mean music wasn’t an acceptable

option for the Bush brothers? (Kristian’s brother,

Brandon, was a member of the multi-platinum-selling

rock band, Train, and has performed with John

Mayer, Sugarland, and Shawn Mullins.) “We were a

food family. We grew up in a small-town mountain

enclosure, in Sevierville, TN. Our fate was to run

the family business. Everyone else worked in the

cannery. You could have hobbies, but the cannery

machines were pretty space-shuttle-esque…”

Despite the assumed baked beans path, there was

always music in the house. In fact, at age three,

Bush’s mom would drive him to the University

of Tennessee in Knoxville once a week for music

lessons, specifically the Suzuki Method. Taught

by ear alone, this method is built on the idea that

children can learn music as a language if it is

taught when their primary language skills are

being developed. And so it began, with violin in

hand. And so it remained until his mid-teens when

Bush had a musical awakening and bargained

with his Mom so he could switch to guitar.

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• Lucy Hale

• Talking Heads

• The Beatles

• Will Hoge

• Keith Urban

• Wild Feathers

• Elvis Costello

• Jason Isbell

• Bob Dylan

• Imagine Dragons

• The Police

• Lou Reed

• Patty Griffin

• Hunter Hayes

• Miley Cyrus

WHAT KRISTIAN BUSH

That eureka moment came when Bush first discovered college radio.

Sevierville is in a valley, so good radio there was something of an

oxymoron, but Bush soon found that when tuning in for Tennessee

basketball scores, he found music too. Music he had never heard, like

REM and The Clash. “Alternative music; it blew my mind. I’d been

listening to AM radio and to my parents’ record collection 'til then.

Now I knew I needed a guitar.”

“I was picked on in middle school; I was definitely not cool, not getting

any girls. So my Mom made a deal with me. If I played for one year in the

youth symphony, I could get a guitar.” Challenge accepted, but Bush was

terrified. He had learned music by ear, thus he didn’t know how to read

sheet music as the rest of the symphony kids did. So, he’d go to practice

every Wednesday and record the rehearsal with his Sony Walkman. He

would go home, learn it by listening and perform on Saturday. For a year.

And, after a year, he got his guitar. “It only took me five lessons to figure

out the guitar. If it has strings, give me an hour, and I can play it,” Bush

quips. “There came a time when I realized that there were too many

guitar players, so I switched to mandolin… I’m really terrible at things

you blow into.”

So, when does a 'tween with a guitar decide music might be his career?

“I was alive at a particular time in technology, in the early 80s, when there

was a movement to bring recording equipment into your home to keep

the hobby alive.”

He made his first record at 13, after he had received a Christmas gift of

one hour in a Knoxville recording studio. He has made 37 more in the 30

years since. So, you might say he knows a thing or two about the secret

sauce of record-making. (Not to be confused with the Bush’s Baked Beans

secret recipe.)

IS LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW

Maybe not this very second while you are reading… but, it is possible.

I know, I know, but he says “That girl is just spanking me with her intelligence. She’s telling the story about what it feels like to be her age.” OK, we won’t judge.

“What an interesting job I have. I mean, the

people I meet are rock stars, but my kids are the

coolest people I know.”

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Grab your friends and lawn chairs and enjoy an evening of live music on the Village Green!SUMMER

CONCERTSERIES

Gates open 5:00pm Showtime 6:30pm

Visit palmettobluff.com for more information

MAY JUNE JUNE AUGJULY JULY20 10 24 1215 29

“Of course, there is a formula for the perfect record. First, you have to

respect the listener. People are usually listening in 40-60-minute blocks

of time while driving, running, or preparing their Friday or Saturday night

meal.” (Is he following me?) “They’re looking for their mojo…”

To Bush, an album is a body of work. Each is unique

in the story it tells, but each is pieced together in a

similar fashion to hook the audience, make them feel

something, and ensure that they will play it again.

“You get your first song for free. But, if they don’t like

it, they’re not going to hang in there…”

Despite the move from vinyl to cassette to CD to

iTunes, Bush still creates in his mind an album with

a side one and a side two. Two complete thoughts.

“Side one was always longer. Remember how you’d

always have extra tape on side two of a cassette?” he

asked with a chuckle.

Bush says, “The first song is the song you open

your shows with; it defines the album, the tour. The

second or third song is your single; it’s going to be

the biggest hit. Song five closes out side one or your first set. And, song

six starts a new story. The last song; this is poignant. It points to where

the next album is going and hints to the first song that will be on that

next album.” So, putting together an album is part science and part art?

“Oh yeah, we geek out on it,” Bush said.

Clearly, Bush feels strongly about the process. And

now I feel guilty for hitting shuffle when I listen to

music. Even the Sugarland station on Pandora now

feels like a sin. Halfway through my apology, Bush

interrupts me to simply say, “Respect the producer.

Don’t use the shuffle button. It’s like eating food in

the wrong order or reading the middle of a book

before chapter one.”

(OK, OK. I’ll do it his way from now on, when driving,

running, and cooking Saturday supper. Promise.)

Music isn’t always easy. There wasn’t really a point at

which Bush thought music wasn’t the path. He stayed

true to his passion. His college graduation present

was a check for $3000 from his dad. His plan: to play

music until the money ran out. He had a record deal

before that ever happened. Why? Well, according to

Bush, “Hard work will outpace talent every time. Every vocation rewards

the people who work hard and are nice.” And a nice guy, he is.

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TAKE A GUIDED TOUR ON THE MAY RIVER,

STOP FOR A SPELL IN THE SHIP’S STORE, OR

BUMP INTO BOO HARRELL ON A BIKE, AND

YOU’LL DISCOVER A FAST FRIEND.

BY CHRISTINE WROBEL

HARRELBOOL O C A L C H A R A C T E R

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Q: WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF PERFECT HAPPINESS?

A: Being able to wear flip-flops every day, and when the river is above 80 degrees.

Q: WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND AS YOU DRIVE TO WORK EACH MORNING?

A: I feel blessed every day to work at such a beautiful property. Driving in, I am always imagining what the river is going to look like and hoping it is going to be a perfect day with just the right amount of cloud coverage and a slight breeze. I also try to figure out what I am going to do to exceed the expectations of the group that is going out on the river with me.

Q: AND, ON THE WAY HOME?

A: After a long day, I find it nice to just zone out, relax, and listen to NPR.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST EXTRAVAGANCE?

A: Stopping at RT’s Market and picking up a delicious pastry!

Q: MOST RECENT MOVIE THAT YOU’D RECOMMEND TO FRIENDS?

A: Senna. It is a documentary about Ayrton Senna, the Brazilian F1 driver. I feel anyone who has raced anything will truly appreciate this movie.

Q: IF THERE WERE A MOVIE ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD IT BE CALLED? AND, WHICH ACTOR WOULD PLAY YOU?

A: Huck Finn on the May… and Kevin Costner would play me because I think of Waterworld and the cool catamaran he sailed.

Q: WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT?

A: Easy question: my daughters, Sydney Leigh, 16, and Drew Covington, 11.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR MOST MARKED CHARACTERISTIC?

A: Generosity. I always want to help others in need.

Q: WHAT IS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ?

A: Comeback by Dennis Conner. He lost The America’s Cup in 1983 to the Australians and tells his story of winning it back in 1987.

Q: IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE “SUPER POWER” WHAT WOULD IT BE? AND, HOW WOULD YOU USE IT AT WORK?

A: I would like to be able to control the weather. Every day would be 85 degrees with a nice breeze in the afternoon.

Q: WHEN YOU’RE NOT HERE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

A: I enjoy windsurfing, however, I haven’t been out much.

Q: WHAT WORD DO YOU USE MOST?

A: Aloha.

Q: WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?

A: Any Will Ferrell movie.

Q: TOP FIVE SONGS ON YOUR PLAYLIST?

A: Talking Heads – Naïve Melody; Beautiful Day – U2; Jet Airliner – Steve Miller Band; Pride (In the Name of Love) – U2; Every song on the CD Tropical Update by The Mundahs.

Q: FAVORITE SPOT ON THE BLUFF?

A: The tree house at Moreland. I never get tired of scanning the marsh and creeks from above.

Q: BEST PALMETTO BLUFF MOMENT?

A: One evening I was out on the river at sunset, and we could hear the Hallelujah Singers performing at Canoe Club. Priceless.

Boo, whose formal name is Andrew, is a master storyteller. Just

ask him about his name, there is indeed a story. In fact, there is no

island, creature, historical figure, or Lowcountry tidbit that Boo can’t

weave into a tale, in a way that excites anyone aged five to 85.

Born in Savannah, his father’s career in the Army took the family from

Hawaii to Germany, returning regularly to the Lowcountry for visits

with his grandparents who had settled on Myrtle Island (Bluffton)

in the 1940s. Upon retiring from the military in the seventies, Boo’s

father made Myrtle Island their home as well. And Boo has fond

memories, reminiscent of a Conroy novel, of a childhood spent

exploring the May, from sunup to sundown, on his jon boat.

For a brief while during his college years, Boo ventured back to

Hawaii and gained certification as a wind-surfing instructor, but the

tides of the May River lured him back to Bluffton. After graduation

from USC with his degree in tourism, he became a wind-surfing

instructor with Outside Hilton Head. Over the years he shifted his

focus to real estate, but always kept one foot in the water, literally.

When the opportunity arose for Outside Hilton Head to provide

services at Palmetto Bluff, Boo enthusiastically stepped up to the

plate. At the time, he was living on Myrtle Island and would make the

seven-minute commute via kayak. His enthusiasm and joy of life are

contagious; it is clear that he found his passion and followed it, and

now we are all the beneficiaries of this gift.

We asked Boo a few questions, and while his tales tend to be grand

and detailed, he was surprisingly succinct when asked about himself.

29

MIXING IT UP

High Wire Distilling reclaims craft and takes back small-batch.

By Barry Kaufman

32

After you’ve sufficiently recovered from what will most likely

be the hangover of your life, try the same thing at the liquor

store. Odds are good you’ll walk away sober as a judge in

church. Your sobriety will be partially due to the fact that

the tenants of small-batch distilling haven’t entered the spirit

realm with quite the same force as they’ve invaded the beer

world. At least, not yet.

But it is coming. As South Carolina relaxes its draconian

liquor laws and ushers in a land rush of craft distillers. Scott

Blackwell, the tastemaker behind Charleston’s High Wire

Distilling, is at the forefront of this movement, planting his

flag in a cozy spot on King Street. Fortunately, Blackwell has

an immense respect for the importance of a term that has

come to mean so little: Craft.

“I do not want to take the cheap route,” he said. “I know we

could produce something cliché like moonshine with pickled

pig ears, but I want to do something worth doing. I love what

I’m doing, and I’m proud of it.”

There’s plenty to be proud of. High Wire started distilling last

March before officially opening (in the strictly legal sense) in

September. Blackwell had been a home brewer and a baker

for years, but he knew that the arcane chemistry and precise

science of distilling required a more seasoned hand than

his own. You or I might at this point Google “how to make

bourbon” and do our best. Blackwell hired Dave Pickerell,

former 17-year master distiller for Maker’s Mark.

“He helped with a lot of the chemistry stuff we could have

spent years stumbling around before finding out the right

way to do it,” Blackwell said. With Pickerell’s guidance,

Blackwell developed High Wire’s line of spirits. There’s

Belonger’s Rum, aged six months in Woodford Reserve casks

to give it a strong rye whiskey undertone. There’s bourbon

whiskey, distilled from heirloom corn grown in North

Carolina. There’s also sorghum whiskey, sourced from a

Mennonite farm in Tennessee, the only sorghum spirit ever

produced in the South.

And not to sound too buzzy, but there is, in fact, a locally-

sourced spirit: the rhum agricole. (Yes, armchair copy editors

out there, that’s rum with an “h”.) The High Wire crew made

headlines around the country for their unique venture, which

started in a sugar cane field in St. George, South Carolina.

Here’s a good drinking game if you hate your liver: head down the beer aisle of your local grocery store and take a drink every time you see the increasingly meaningless buzzwords “craft-brewed” or

“small-batch.” For bonus points, chug if you see “locally-sourced.”

33

“We were processing it right there in the field. We literally cut it from the ground

and put it in the press. I put a cup under it, and it was just delicious,” Blackwell

said. “When it came off the still, it was a little wild, a little grassy. Not like grass,

like a green banana; a fruity kind of flavor. In the barrel, it will mellow and

complement the oak and make it taste even. That would bring a hay-like quality to

it, if you were talking to a wine guy. It will have a vegetal quality to it.”

You’ll notice that Blackwell speaks about the flavor of the rhum more than its

source. That’s deliberate.

I want to taste barley, corn, and rye. That’s the whole reason I’m buying the craft product.

“Local’s great, but local has to taste good,” he said. “It has to be something

interesting. There’s corn up the road. Great. Does it taste as good?”

That dedication to flavor borders on the obsessive, and it is evident in every word

Blackwell used in discussing his craft. Nutty. Caramel-y. Bitter. Peppery. Even

something as pedestrian as gin gets the gourmet treatment at High Wire.

“We used fresh botanicals, lemon, orange, and juniper, and we tried to expose

as much surface area as possible without burning the botanicals. When we ran

it through the still, it was… bright,” he said. “Bright” is one of the more

ambiguous words in the foodie lexicon, but from Blackwell it just makes sense.

“The flavors popped so much more than a compound gin where you just get that

evergreen flavor.”

This is a guy who grew up in Florida on orange juice straight from the orchards,

introduced Ben & Jerry’s to South Carolina, and founded Immaculate Baking, taking

home the “Most Outstanding Cookie in America” award for his Leapin’ Lemon

cookie along the way. When he talks about flavor, brother, you’d better listen.

Blackwell said, “A lot people use the term ‘grain to glass,’ but you should be able to

taste it. I want to taste barley, corn, and rye. That’s the whole reason I’m buying the

craft product.”

Head to High Wire Distilling at 652 King Street, Charleston, and sample your own.

35

Inspired by the interiors of the River Road Idea Homes, we hit the road for this issue to check out the J Banks Retail Shop on

Hilton Head. We found fun!

WE'VE GOT IT COVERED

Amp up your next Lowcountry Boil

by replacing the newspaper with

these snazzy, disposable paper table

runners. (This has Music To Your

Mouth written all over it!)

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS

Fill this lemonade dispenser up for

family sipping, or spike it for an

afternoon soiree.

36

HOME SWEET HOME

Our latitude and longitude pillows will lead you

straight home. A Palmetto Bluff must!

SPREAD OUT

This fun wool blanket is stylish and the perfect go-to prop

for picnics, concerts (ahem, summer concert series at the

Bluff!), and s’mores-making evenings around the fire pit.

DON'T BE CRABBY

Handcrafted, statement pottery pieces that’ll

do double-duty in the dining room. Use them

for serving or display simply as works of art.

A CURRANT FAVORITE

We can’t quite explain how this Illuminazione red

currant candle is a little bit Christmas and a little bit

spring, at the same time. But, we can say that it is a

J Banks Retail favorite, and that their clients and

shoppers buy them in multiples.

NOT YOUR

GRANDMOTHER'S

GLASSWARE

Serve your

grandmother’s sweet tea

in this eclectic alligator-

handle glass pitcher.

UNDER THE SEA

Take your table to new depths with these sea turtle

salt and pepper shakers.

TRES CHIC!

We can’t stop eyeing this lightweight leather and canvas tote

from Graf & Lantz. It’s the perfect anytime accessory for

village strolling, RT’s shopping, or an afternoon boat cruise.

HAAAY…

We’re loving these leather equestrian-themed napkin

rings and coasters.

37Oglethorpe Square, photos by Anne Caufmann

38

SPEND AN AFTERNOON IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT OF SAVANNAH,

and you’ll notice that its planning is unlike most American cities. Arranged

within the perpendicular streets of houses and buildings is a series of

rectangular parks, each about two blocks apart. The squares give the

downtown a more spacious, relaxed feel, causing traffic to move at a leisurely

pace and providing a breath of fresh air amid the rush of the city. Today, each

square is a unique and beautiful memorial to one of Savannah’s many historical

figures and events, but they originally served a much more utilitarian purpose.

Founded in 1733 by General James Oglethorpe, Savannah was the first city

established in the new colony of Georgia. Oglethorpe was a methodical man,

and, true to his nature, he made sure that his city was well-planned before any

construction began. Rather than the tightly-packed rows of houses familiar in

England, Oglethorpe designed the city like a military camp — squares of open

space, surrounded by houses. Savannah’s squares were intended to provide an

open area for military exercises and town gatherings. Additionally, the squares

created spacing between buildings, which, the thought was, might prevent the

devastating fires that had plagued London and other cities in the past. (This

was only marginally successful, as Savannah suffered at least two catastrophic

fires, in 1820 and 1865.)

HIP TO BE SQUAREB Y T I M W H I T E

39

The original plan for the city called for a total of six squares. Johnson

Square was the first to be constructed. Located between Bryan and

Congress Streets and intersected by Bull Street, it is named after Robert

Johnson, a friend of Oglethorpe’s and the governor of the Province of

South Carolina in the early 1700s. In 1718, Governor Johnson gained

fame and popularity among the colonists by personally organizing a

ship to be led by Colonel William Rhett, a military hero, to find and

eliminate the pirates plaguing the coast. Within weeks, Rhett captured

Stede Bonnet, known as the “Gentleman Pirate” because of his semi-

aristocratic upbringing. Bonnet had begun his crime spree barely a year

before, when he abandoned his life as a wealthy planter and purchased

a ship (an unusual departure from conventional piratical hijacking), hired

a crew, and set off to create havoc. After a drawn-out battle, Rhett’s

crew managed to take Bonnet’s ship and returned to Charleston with

Bonnet and his crew in shackles. Despite his pleas for leniency, Bonnet

was eventually hanged, leaving Governor Johnson with a public relations

coup and a more peaceful South Carolina.

The second square to be constructed was Wright Square, rechristened

in 1763 to honor a royal governor of Georgia. Wright Square bears the

distinction of containing the remains of Tomochichi, a chief of the local

Creek tribe, who became a staunch ally of Oglethorpe and who aided

TOP, FROM LEFT:Ellis Square, Telfair Square, Ellis Square

BOTTOM:Johnson Square

40

the first settlers in Savannah. A granite boulder from Stone Mountain

has replaced the pile of stones that at one time marked the grave of

Tomochichi, but there is a more unusual memorial of the life of this great

leader. A portrait of Tomochichi and his nephew, painted during their

visit to London in 1734, preserves not only the likeness of a distinguished

man but also a rare image of an early 18th century Native American.

Ellis Square, the third of the original four squares and also named for a

royal governor, was constructed as the primary marketplace of the town

of Savannah. In the 1950s, a brick market building that had occupied the

square for a century was demolished, and a parking garage was erected

in its place. The destruction of the Ellis Square market had a silver lining,

though: it led to the start of the historic preservation movement in

Savannah and ultimately the renovation and reopening of the square.

Telfair Square, Reynolds Square, and Oglethorpe Square round out the

six squares called for by General Oglethorpe’s plan. During the rest

of the 18th century, six new squares were constructed, and 12 more

were completed by 1851. Today, the charming and verdant squares are

not only links to the past, but collectively are a vision for the future:

Savannah’s city planners still refer to Oglethorpe’s designs and continue

to incorporate green spaces wherever possible.

FROM TOP:Wright Square, Reynolds Square

BOTTOM LEFT:Reynolds Square

BOTTOM RIGHT:Wright Square

41

Southern food, perhaps more than any other regional cuisine

in America, has long been recognized for its rich diversity

and history as the stewpot of cultural influences inherited

from authentic cultures of the region and across the world.

Through the Music To Your Mouth series, we create

Come here and s i t a spe l l . Or, w

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By

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opportunities for chefs, artisans, winemakers, and members

of our community to experience the stories that surround food,

and the bonds forged when sharing a meal.

No matter where you are in the country, food is a natural

community connector. What’s on your plate is just different …

42

FOOD OF PLACE

Our 2014 Food of Place Cooking Classes offer members

and guests the opportunity to be in the kitchen –

quite literally – with our chefs mixing things up and

sharpening skills.

APRIL 17: GO FISH

MAY 15: SOUTHERN FRIED

JUNE 19: YOU DON’T KNOW PIT

JULY 17: SAVING THE SEASON

AUGUST 21: HOME GROWN

SEPTEMBER 18: HOG HEAVEN

OCTOBER 16: TIME TO MAKE THE DOUGHNUTS

DECEMBER 11: TIPSY TREATS

Reserve your spot in class by calling 843.706.6515.

BUFFALO’S FIRST FRIDAY DINNERS

Brilliantly – and in some cases hysterically – themed, the

First Friday Dinners come to life as the MTYM team

sits around eating late night tacos at the Taco Truck in

Old Town Bluffton. No idea is a bad idea, but only so

many can make the list and sustain three courses with

wine pairings. And, the winners are…

APRIL 4: LORD OF THE FRIES

MAY 2: KISS MY GRITS!

JUNE 6: I COME FROM THE LAND DOWN UNDER

JULY 4: STOP AND SMELL THE ROSÉ

AUGUST 1: IT’S ALL GREEK TO ME

SEPTEMBER 5: PICKLE ME THIS, PICKLE ME THAT

OCTOBER 3: THE BEST OF THE WURST

NOVEMBER 7: RIGHTEOUS RAMEN

Reserve your spot at the table by calling 843.706.6630.

By

Cou

r tn e

y H

a mps

on

MUSIC TO YOUR MOUTH SERIES

44

MAY 18 & 19

TABLE TO FARM

Winery: Neyers Vineyards

Host: Tadeo Borchardt

Sunday Dinner: $200++

Monday Grace Cruise: $100++

We’re keeping things fresh as we pair Neyers

Vineyards’ organically-grown Napa wines with

locally-sourced ingredients.

JUNE 15

A LITTLE DUST ON THE BOTTLE

Winery: Arcadian

Host: Joe Davis


You’ll f ind us raiding winemaker Joe Davis’ wine

cellar and absconding with his older vintage

bottles. Then, we’ll pair these rare f inds with our

chef ’s take on old family recipes.

JULY 25 & 26

DIM SUM & THEN SUM

Winery: Terry Theise Selections

Host: Kevin Pike

Friday Grace Cruise: $100++

Saturday Dinner: $185++

The Austrian and German wines of Terry Theise

Estate Selections meet dim-sum-style dishes.

AUGUST 22

HOT FUN IN THE SUMMERTIME

Winery: Dunn Vineyards

Host: Kristina Dunn

Friday Dinner: $275++

Settle in on the back porch for a dinner of your

summertime favorites and the Napa Valley

cabernets of Dunn Vineyards.

AUGUST 31

HOPS & HOGS BEER DINNER


Say goodbye to summer with some smoky treats

and brewskies.

OCTOBER 26 & 27

THESE ARE A FEW OF OUR

FAVORITE THINGS


Monday Grace Cruise: $100++

Your MTYM team members pick it, pair it, share

it. We reveal our favorite food f inds and guilty

pleasures and invite you to our table.

DECEMBER 13

CHRISTMAS IN THE VILLAGE

Winery: Daniel Johnnes Selections

Host: Daniel Johnnes

Saturday Dinner: $200++

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Holiday indulgence is the theme for this f ive-

course dinner, pairing French wines and flavors

of the season.

For reservations and details on accommodation

packages, call 866.706.6565.

WINE DINNER DUOSOne winemaker. Two chefs. Endless possibilities.

45

APRIL 24

ROUGH HOLLOW

AUSTIN, TX

Austin is a little bit country and a little bit rock ‘n’ roll. It’s

cowboy boots, high heels, and flip-flops. The food scene is a

panapoly of food trucks, fine dining, and quirky neighborhood

hot spots. We’re hitting the road with Palmetto Bluff ’s Executive

Chef Brandon Carter and Executive Pastry Chef Ashley Cope

to bring a little taste of the Lowcountry to Texas. There, we’ll

discover the food of a new place, mix things up with a five-course

meal paired with the wines of Revana, and end with a

private concert.

HIT THE ROAD! Music To Your Mouth Goes Global.

(Actually, just national, but as our broker in charge Bryan Byrne likes to say, it is kind of a big deal!)

JUNE 27 & 28

LAKE JAMES

MORGANTON, NC

Life at the Lake is laid back, casual, and chock-full of spirited

fun. We’re loading up the MTYM team and taking a road trip

(RV not included). Along the way, we’re gathering our favorite

North Carolina artisans and chefs to create a weekend of

camp-induced fun, including a gourmet s’mores social on Friday

night, and a helluva paired dinner on Saturday night. We’re

talking pits. And smoke. And craft beers. Oh, and an open-air

concert for dessert.

Visit musictoyourmouth.com for more.

46

Get your belly ready for the eighth helping of Palmetto Bluff ’s

Music To Your Mouth Festival. We’ve gathered the best and

the brightest chefs on the southern food scene for a singular

lip-smacking experience, right in the spectacular South Carolina

Lowcountry. This is the place to flap your jaws with the

culinary rock stars that just wowed your taste buds.

N O V E M B E R 1 8 - 2 3 , 2 0 1 4

Festival Ticket Sales begin in June. Check the website for updates. www.musictoyourmouth.com

47

When he created Montage Hotels & Resorts over a decade ago,

Founder and CEO, Alan Fuerstman, sought to redefine luxury

from a perception of being pretentious and scripted to a more

gracious style of service with the same incredible attention to

detail, craftsmanship, and quality.

That vision turned into reality with the opening of the flagship

resort, Montage Laguna Beach in early 2003, followed by Montage

Beverly Hills (2008), Montage Deer Valley in Park City, Utah

(2010), and coming soon, Montage Kapalua Bay, opening on the

northwest shores of Maui in Spring 2014.

Montage is writing another chapter in 2014 with the addition

of The Inn at Palmetto Bluff, a Montage Resort, joining the

collection, as well as the announcement of a $100 million

expansion to the resort.

Here, Fuerstman discusses his vision of luxury, guest service, and

the future of the Montage brand.

NEIGHBORHOODto the

In late December, Crescent Communities announced an investment

of more than $100 million to expand the prestigious Inn at Palmetto

Bluff. Crescent also announced that luxury hotel management

company, Montage Hotels & Resorts, will become the new operator

of the expanded Inn.

The expansion will add 150 luxury rooms to the Inn’s 50 individual

cottages – in a collection of buildings – and feature a destination

spa and fitness center, meeting and special event facilities, and

expanded dining facilities for guests as well as Palmetto Bluff

property owners. In addition, Montage-branded residences will be

available. Importantly, the expansion will preserve the nationally-

lauded Lowcountry aesthetic and hospitality of the existing Inn.

MEET ALAN FUERSTMAN, FOUNDER & CEO, MONTAGE HOTELS & RESORTS

By Alyssa Bushey

48

Q: How did you find yourself in the hospitality field?

AF: I was never planning a career in the hospitality industry.

During my senior year in high school, I took a part-time job as

a doorman at a Marriott hotel. I went off to college, and every

summer I came back and worked as a bellman at the hotel. Upon

graduation, I had the opportunity to serve as bell captain at a new

resort. I soon realized that I had fallen in love with the complexity,

excitement, and the kind of impact that we, as service providers,

could make in the hospitality environment. I have been involved in

the industry ever since.

Q: How does the Montage brand now compare to your

original concept, a little over ten years ago?

AF: To explain where it stands now relative to my initial concept,

it is important to understand how I initially envisioned the brand.

As I saw it at the time, there was room for a new ultra-luxury hotel

company, largely because of the needs and wants of a newly-

emerging luxury lifestyle.

We had an opportunity to create a concept centered on guest

service and culinary experiences. I wanted the feeling of Montage

to be a humble one, one without the sense of pretension that

seemed to have seeped into the older style of lavish hospitality.

This new luxury guest would be seeking an experience that is more

comfortable and more approachable. We would still be dedicated

to the highest quality in everything we did; we would just do so in a

more relationship-oriented way.

I envisioned that our style of service would connect exceptionally

well with the newer generation of luxury traveler, and what was

pleasantly surprising was how well it has resonated with the

previous generation as well.

Q: How have you been able to maintain your standards across

all Montage hotels and resorts?

AF: With a passionate focus on our vision as a company and

a determination never to compromise the brand, we have

held steadfast to our core values. We have had many growth

opportunities that were not in line with our original vision, and

we chose not to go in those directions so that we could maintain

our brand integrity. For us, it is about measured growth in order to

remain true to our brand promise.

Q: How do you personally define “luxury?”

AF: For me, there are tangible components to luxury, and there

are intangible components. The things you touch and feel and the

quality of the craftsmanship are important parts of the tangible

luxury experience. The other dimensions, the intangible, are how

the guest feels. It’s a style of service and an understanding of time,

which is the most precious commodity to a busy luxury consumer.

Q: What influences your concept of luxury, particularly in

your profession?

AF: I am most influenced by style of service. To me, it’s

comfortable luxury. I’m influenced by the arts; they are an

important component to luxury. In fact, the name “Montage”

reflects not only Laguna Beach’s artistic history, but it is also a

nod toward the marriage of luxury and art – the visual arts, music,

culinary arts – and how they blend together that creates an elevated

luxury experience.

Q: How do you embrace luxury in your personal life?

AF: I love to travel. Probably the most relaxing for me are resort

destinations, whether here in Palmetto Bluff, or somewhere on the

other side of the world, like Fiji. I find these places rejuvenating. I

also love skiing, music, and staying active.

Q: What memories do you hope guests will take away

from Montage?

AF: I hope guests take away feelings of connections with

our associates. These connections create the most powerful,

unforgettable memories. We encourage our associates to listen

and learn from our guests and translate what they’ve learned into

memorable experiences for our guests, members and residents.

Q: Where do you see the brand 10 years from now?

AF: I see strong and steady growth that is about quality rather

than quantity. There are markets nationally and internationally in

which we would do incredibly well, so we are continuing to look at

locations that are a match for us.

Additionally, we have a robust pipeline of projects in varying stages

of development.

49

LEX*LUTHIERBY DYLAN SELL

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50

WITH HIS BASEBALL CAP AND BLAZER ON, BROOKS COBB DOES NOT LOOK LIKE YOUR AVERAGE LUTHIER: A CRAFTSMAN

OF STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.

He shuns the lumberjack shirts and long, white beards, the typical trademarks

of luthiers. And his custom guitars are anything but average or typical.

51

A LIFELONG CRAFT

Brooks Cobb’s journey to become a luthier started early. Cobb recalls

that in middle school, his wood shop teacher had a crude four-stringed

instrument that he and his friends would play. “It wasn’t anything special.

It was something we’d mess around with during class.” Then, in high

school, Cobb began with customizing his guitar, carving a rose into his

first bolt plate (now a meaningful keepsake he pulled out and showed

me.) It was not until college in upstate New York that Cobb found his

true calling, “I was majoring in music. I kept seeing kids finish their

studies in the studio in as little as half an hour. They would get A's

while I, who would slave for hours practicing, composing, and spending

all night in the studio studying, would just get C's.” Rather than be

disheartened, Cobb realized that these achievers simply had a natural

“gift” for music. “I wanted to find my gift.” He embarked on his quest

with independent study courses. One of his teachers happened to be a

furniture-maker. “He would give me a couple slabs of wood, and I would

teach myself from great books. Each time I made something, I found that

the professors would be in awe of my work. I got straight A's from then

on.” By the time his college career had ended, Cobb had already made

two guitars. More importantly, he had found his gift and his calling.

QUALIT Y SPEAKS FOR ITSELF

Store-bought guitars left Cobb, the musician, wanting more. Mass-

produced, their sound is dampened, rough, and diminished. Brooks

Cobb decided to build his guitars, first as acoustic instruments, then

adding their electronic components. Rather than solid pieces of wood

with cavities made for electronics, Cobb’s premium models are almost-

entirely hollow while still being electronically-capable. This allows for

a resonant, cleaner sound; a quality sought by musicians, professionals,

and newbies alike, and especially jazz players. Cobb’s guitars, however,

are also collaborative visual works of art. When one buys a Brooks

Cobb guitar, one chooses the wood, the shape, and the look of the

guitar. The guitars can have signature inlays, using every material from

mother-of-pearl to turquoise. Cobb even tops it off with a one-of-a-kind

nitrocellulose lacquer

finish that accentuates his

expert woodworking. The

result is a truly unique

combination that inspires

one to make music.

FROM CONCEPT TO INSTRUMENT

Cobb works with each musician to craft a guitar, whether the individual

has vague ideas or precise details about the instrument he wants. “I had

a friend come to me once that wanted a guitar named Shere Khan, the

tiger from the Jungle Book. That was all he knew about what he wanted.”

From there, Cobb launched into an intimate process with the musician.

Cobb started by drawing concept sketches and then transitioning into

crafted wood prototypes. The two chose a curly maple wood for the

body and neck. Because curly maple has figures, separate from the

wood grain, it created a long, striped pattern all along the surface.

This yielded an instrument that was organically-striped across the

body. The stripes continued winding up the orange-finished guitar’s

neck all along the black frets to the head of the guitar. Here, Cobb

topped off the instrument by sealing an image of a tiger in the

guitar’s head.

Cobb created another unique guitar for an army veteran who served in

Iraq. “To honor his time served as well as his fighting unit, we came up

with this idea for an instrument together with a few firmly-planted ideas

in mind. The themes are clearly military-based with brass inlays of 11

Bravo and the cross rifles of his battalion to mark the headstock and

the 12th fret. The finish was an obvious choice of a dark green

stain on the figured maple top against the rich walnut body.

A lacquer finish gave it the depth and clarity while being

flexible and resilient. Top it all off with black hardware

and a set of Seymour Duncan blackouts, and this guitar is

a ‘mouth-o-war.’”

52

For more information or to make an appointment, contact Brooks Cobb Guitars

at (843) 505-1426 or visit BROOKSCOBBGUITARS.COM.

A RESPONSIBLE CRAFTSMAN

Not one to get carried away by profit, Cobb buys his wood strictly from

sustainable wood farms around the world. “I always want to be able to offer

what I’m making,” he said. The purchase of wood from environmentally-

responsible native groups creates a stable economy where the wood is

grown. In accordance with law, Cobb imports certain woods from the

native populace. “It is better than having outsiders come in and clear-cut

their natural resources. It doesn’t have to be like the exploitation of the

blood diamond trade.” Instead, Cobb makes sure to responsibly import and

to support native economies.

A WELL-LOVED NEWCOMER

A transplant from Alaska, Cobb only recently set up his climate-

controlled shop here in Bluffton. Cranford Hollow, the popular Hilton

Head Island band formally known as Cranford and Sons, already swears

by his guitars. With a bass in production for them, Cobb will soon have

all of the band’s musicians playing Brooks Cobb instruments. But band

sponsorship and word-of-mouth are not the only

ways Cobb promotes his guitars. You can find

people raving about his instruments at guitar shows

across the Southeast, where Cobb awes people with

handsome guitars. One can even test them in Cobb’s

sound isolation booth.

Cobb still plays the first guitar he ever made.

“The musicians I make guitars for often cry

when they see the custom creations I have made for them. I remember

that feeling from back when I made my first guitar, that feeling of finally

having my own personally-crafted piece to make music with. My passion

is to give that feeling to whoever I can.”

53

BURGER INby courtney hampson

My childhood memories of summer always included

barbecue. It was a way of life at the “Jersey Shore.” And,

barbecue still remains one of my great sensory stimulators.

Of course, it wasn’t until I moved to South Carolina that

I learned that barbecue is, in fact, a noun, not a verb. So,

these days I must clarify… when I want barbecue it means

I want to hear burgers and 'dogs sizzling on the grill. I

want to see smoke and flames. I want to smell a little

grizzle burning on the grill grates.

Luckily I am not the only one who feels this way. Enter

Hilton Head native and Executive Chef, Charles

Pejeau. He had cooked in some pretty sweet kitchens

(including the Inn at Palmetto Bluff) before he “took

the gamble” and jumped on board with his partners

at CharBar Co. (located in Park Plaza, just before the

entrance to Sea Pines). And, it was a tough decision to

make the leap, he says.

55

“The first thing they tell you in culinary school is not to open a

restaurant in a space that has seen a lot of restaurant turnover.”

But, that is exactly what he and his partners did, about ten months

ago, and it looks like the gamble is paying off. “You know what I

love about Charles is that this is more than a job to him; it’s a way

of life. You can see it in the way he approaches his food and the

flavors he produces; this is a labor of love,” says Brandon Carter,

Executive Chef, Palmetto Bluff.

To tell the story, it was only fair that I taste-test my way through

the menu to ensure accuracy. In fairness to my spouse, he came

with me. Even before I ate anything, I was wooed by the wall of

vinyl. As in vintage musical discs bearing labels that tout the likes

of Crystal Gayle, Carly Simon, Your Favorite Christmas Carols,

and the North Carolina State College Symphonic Band, among

the 179 (yes, we counted). I was also secretly digging the framed

Michael Jackson album cover across the way. Coincidentally, that

had been the inspiration for one of my pre-teen birthday parties.

(True story. Sadly.)

Large booths and ample bar space make it easy to settle in and

make a night of it. Here, many a reveler enjoys happy hour (every

day, 4 -7 p.m.). An outdoor bar and seating area play host to the

live music that plays five to six nights a week. I hadn’t even had

anything to eat yet, and I was a happy camper.

As we perused the menu, I was pleasantly surprised to find they

have local brew, River Dog, on tap. We started testing the IPA,

and we were on our way. For the good of this piece and my loyal

readers, it only seemed appropriate that we try some of the

starters, so that I could give you a true picture of what the menu

has to offer. Alas, we couldn’t come to consensus (on purpose), so

we chose CharBar Cheese Fries and Buttermilk Chicken Wings.

The cheese fries are hand-cut, fried to perfection – crisp on the

outside and soft in the center – and topped with cheddar, pimento,

huge (I mean huge!) chunks of bacon, chives, and a spicy ranch

dressing. I probably don’t need to elaborate further, but I’ll tell

you that these fries are why Idaho potato farmers become potato

farmers. But, I don’t want to hurt the wings’ feelings; frankly, they

56

are pretty special on their own. Chef says they are simply battered

in buttermilk, and dredged in flour with seasoning, but I’d swear

there is a secret ingredient in there. They come out searing hot,

in a good way. You know these were made to order: the chicken

is smoking, and the plate is not. They sit next to a cool side of

rosemary honey pepper vinegar. I wasn’t sure about the vinegar,

but it was a surprisingly perfect complement. Cool. Crisp. Quite

clever, actually.

Knowing I was on a mission to burger bliss, I saved room and

packed up the extra starters to go. The “signatures” on the menu

include a Portobello veggie option, a grilled chicken melt, and a

buttermilk chicken BLT. But, all I was thinking was “where is the

beef?” Well, it hails from local farms in North and South Carolina

where cows are corn-fed. Pejeau and team grind fresh beef every day.

Every day. And now I know why, but I am getting ahead of myself.

We opted for the “build your own burger” options and proceeded

to pick our protein (beef, veggie or shrimp), cheese, fixings, and

bun (of which, there are six options). Even though I had heard

from a good source (the photographer of this piece, who I guess

was snacking on the job) that the shrimp burger was amazing, I

was there for the beef. I went old-school with American cheese,

lettuce, tomato, extra pickles, on a sourdough bun, with a side of

slaw (because I hadn’t had enough “sides” yet…) To say that this

burger was juicy would be an understatement. This was drip-

down-your-arms juicy. So much so that I was halfway through

before I realized I hadn’t even put on any ketchup; it didn’t need it!

According to Pejeau, “The burgers are so moist because they grind

the meat fresh every day.” Juicy tidbit indeed.

My dad always said that a good Italian restaurant can be judged

on bread alone. I agree. I also believe that every other restaurant

can be judged on its coleslaw. (I’m weird.) And, CharBar’s was spot

on. Mayonnaise-based, but with enough vinegar to remind you

that you’re in the South. Just how I like it.

My hubby went for the beef too and added cheddar and crispy

potatoes (thin slivers of potato, fried). For the bun, he chose a

pretzel roll. Yup, a pretzel roll. Now, you know I ripped a piece

of that baby off immediately. And, it was soft, and warm, and

everything a New York street vendor pretzel is not. I had a

momentary vision of just ordering the bun with a side of spicy

mustard, and I may have to do just that on my next trip.

We had had quite a bit to eat at this point, but bless our waiter’s

heart; Adam must be used to folks over-indulging. He didn’t even

flinch when we toyed with the idea of dessert. I had planned that if

I had any room left in my belly, I would be gunning for the house-

made ice cream sandwiches: a trio of homemade cookies stuffed

with ice cream (and inspired by Palmetto Bluff Pastry Chef, Ashley

Cope), and made to order. But alas, I gathered my wits about me

and simply ordered a “kids’” root beer float, to go. The “adult”

versions are spiked with Absolut Vanilla, and the menu tempts you

with double chocolate, grasshopper, and Island vanilla options.

Next time.

Adam’s final recommendation was a nap. He hadn’t steered us

wrong yet. Well played, my friend, well played.

YOU CAN SEE IT IN THE WAY HE APPROACHES HIS FOOD AND THE FLAVORS HE PRODUCES; THIS IS A LABOR OF LOVE.

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of the

U N I T E D

botanicgarden

A BR I E F H I S TORY

By Dr. Mary Socci, Palmetto Bluff Archaeologist

S T A T E S

58

In the summer of 1838, 25-year-old Henry Hartstene, owner of

Palmetto Bluff ’s Chinquapin and Greenleaf plantations, set sail with the

U.S. Exploring Expedition. Hartstene had been in the navy for nearly ten

years; he enlisted shortly after graduating from the American Literary,

Scientific, and Military Academy in Middletown, Connecticut, in 1828.

Other than a few months’ leave in 1836 to marry Martha Ann Roberts in

Savannah, he had been at sea for most of those years. The U.S. Exploring

Expedition, however, was unlike any of Hartstene’s previous naval

assignments. The six ships of the expedition had minimal armaments as

their mission was scientific and commercial rather than military.

The flotilla was to explore and map the South Pacific and Antarctic

Oceans and assess the potential for economic enterprises such as whaling.

Nine scientists were to collect specimens and illustrate the flora, fauna,

and native cultures encountered during the voyage.

By 1842, when the expedition returned, an extraordinary amount of

scientific information had been collected. Thousands of observations

of temperature, winds, currents, and astronomical details would assist

navigators for decades. The detailed maps of the islands of the South

Pacific would be used by military commanders in World War II. The

specimens brought back by the biologists and the ethnographers

would become some of the greatest treasures of the collection of the

Smithsonian’s natural history museum. But the live plants required an

immediate home, and they would become the foundation of the United

States Botanic Garden.

The idea of a national botanical garden arose well before the return of

the explorers. In fact, George Washington had proposed including a

botanical garden during the planning of the Capitol. Washington, like

Jefferson and other leaders of the young nation, regarded plants as critical

GARDEN EXTERIOR AND CAPITOL, C. 1910

59

to the economic success of the United States. Washington believed

that the agricultural and medicinal value of plants from around the

world could be investigated at a botanical institution, and he suggested

several possible locations in the plans for the District of Columbia.

Nevertheless, it wasn’t until 1820 that Congress set aside land in the city

of Washington for a botanical garden. Despite the initial enthusiasm,

financial support proved fleeting and, in 1837, care and maintenance of

the garden ended.

The return of the U.S. Exploring Expedition with its thousands of

pressed plants, 250 live plants, and numerous seeds, reawakened

interest in a botanical garden, and the old garden was renovated and

expanded, and a new greenhouse was constructed. As other expeditions

brought back tropical plants from distant and mysterious locales, new

greenhouses were added.

The United States Botanic Garden rapidly became a favorite destination

for residents and visitors, and an excursion to view the latest horticultural

novelty or resplendent blossom was especially popular. Americans

throughout the country were as fascinated by exotic additions to the

garden as they were by the expeditions that procured them. A Charleston

newspaper in 1857 recommended that “Strangers in Washington as

well as our fellow-citizens should visit the conservatories of the general

government. The inside of some of these buildings at this time presents

the appearance of an immense bouquet of every variety of rich and rare

flowers, and the odor which meets one on entering them is exquisitely

delicious. In the large building, besides the coffee tree, the tea plant, the

cinnamon, and the clove trees, the visitor will find rare plants and flowers

from almost every clime.” (Charleston Mercury, April 3, 1857).

Today, the United States Botanic Garden, open daily from 10 a.m. to

5 p.m., welcomes over 750,000 visitors per year. In addition to preserving

and propagating rare and endangered plants from around the world,

the Botanic Garden’s educational exhibits showcase the earth’s diverse

ecosystems as well as new cultivars and innovations in garden design.

One display has a special significance to Palmetto Bluff: the sago palm

in the Garden Court is the original plant brought back by the U.S.

Exploring Expedition, a scientific voyage that included the Bluff ’s own

Henry Hartstene.

GARDEN EXTERIOR, C. 1910 GARDEN ENTRANCE, C. 1917

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EXOTIC BOTANICAL ENGRAVINGS, C. 1804

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april4BUFFALO’S WINE DINNER

Lord of the Fries, a three-course paired dinner of the chef’s interpretation of fried food faves.

14-20RBC HERITAGE PGA TOURNAMENT

“Get your plaid on” at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head. rbcheritage.com

24 MUSIC TO YOUR MOUTH IS ON THE ROAD IN AUSTIN, TX

what’s around the corner

With dozens of diverse activities every day on the Bluff, your calendar can quickly fill. We’ve shared a few of our favorite on-property and off-property events worthy of a big circle on your calendar!

25 CONSERVANCY HISTORY HIKE

Hike the Bluff’s Old Number Eight Field. Search for artifacts and pieces of PB history.

26&27 THE ART MARKET AT HISTORIC HONEY HORN

Coastal Discovery Museum’s 14th annual Juried Fine Art and Craft Show features media that include clay, wood, fibers, metals, glass, jewelry, watercolors, oil, mixed media, and photography. All work will be on display and for sale. coastaldiscovery.org

may10BLUFFTON VILLAGE FESTIVAL

Commonly known as “Mayfest,” this outdoor festival in Old Town features art, music, food, and the inimitable Ugly Dog contest.

15FOOD OF PLACE “SOUTHERN FRIED” COOKING CLASS

Learn how to cook up some Southern staples.

20 SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

Grab a lawn chair and blanket and head to the Village Green for a concert under the stars.

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june6BUFFALO’S WINE DINNER

“I Come From the Land Down Under” dinner featuring three courses paired with Australian wines.

19FOOD OF PLACE “YOU DON’T KNOW PIT” COOKING CLASS

Learn the fine art of Southern barbecue.

27&28MUSIC TO YOUR MOUTH IS ON THE ROAD AT LAKE JAMES, NC

27EXPLORE PALMETTO BLUFF

Hike the wilds of PB’s Long Island with the Conservancy Team.

28SOUTHERN LIVING IDEA HOUSE OPENS FOR TOURS

july44TH OF JULY CART PARADE

Creativity and competitive spirit reign supreme in this annual event. Decorate your golf cart, kids, pets, etc.

15SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

Mid-summer evening concert on the Village Green.

18MAY RIVER SHRIMP FEST

Fresh local seafood, music, arts and crafts in Old Town Bluffton.

25HIKE WITH YOUR HOUND

This hike is going to the dogs, as you head for a stroll in the River Road Preserve with the Conservancy Crew and your favorite four-legged friend.

25&26MUSIC TO YOUR MOUTH WINE WEEKEND

“Dim Sum & Then Sum” starring wines from Terry Theise Estate Selections.

august1SAVANNAH FIREWORKS

First Friday fireworks on the riverfront in historic Savannah.

15DOG DAYS OF SUMMER SUNSET PARTY

Enjoy Rock and Reggae, along with food and fun at Bluffton’s Oyster Factory Park.

29CEMETERY WALK

Join the Conservancy Team for a visit to a few.

31MUSIC TO YOUR MOUTH BEER DINNER

“Hops & Hogs Dinner” designed with the beer-lover in mind.

september18-20MAY RIVER GOLF CLUB WILSON CUP

26EXPLORE PBC

Join the Conservancy staff on a hike through Pump Swamp and find out why it is so special to the team.

the bluffSP

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the bluff spring/summer 2014

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Transcript of the bluff spring/summer 2014