I am LOVING Alvin Ord's Sandwich Shop in Port Royal, SC.  Take a side trip on your way to Hilton Head to find this little, bitty place on Rt.21.  Located a few miles past Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot, this tiny sandwich shop makes a big taste splash.  The secret is in the bread, a disc-shaped piece of heaven that is a cross between French bread and an English muffin in texture.  Three cheeses are baked into it, as well.  The result is a tender, toothsome treat that is filled with just the right amount of your choice of meat and topped with mayo, lettuce, tomato and onion.  The sandwiches come in three sizes...small, medium and large.  The small was really perfect.  You will need a BIG appetite to finish the medium or large sandwiches, but they are the perfect size to share.

Alvin Ord's gets very busy between 11am and 1pm, so call in your order in advance if you can.  We arrived at 1:30, though, so walked right up to the counter.  Bring cash, too, as checks and credit cards are not accepted.  

This is my new favorite sandwich stop!

Victor Hugo's Les Miserables...

Where have you been all my life?  This could be my new favorite book.  Don't let the 1400 pages frighten you off.  I am 35% through it ( a la Kindle) and am loving every single page.  

Victor Hugo loves to digress and my favorite digression so far is his description of the battle of Waterloo.  Who knew that a sunken road, hidden from view in a sweeping field was such a factor in Napoleon's loss?  I have visited the Waterloo battle site, have seen the rolling pasture land and can picture exactly how the sunken road caught, trapped and killed so many French soldiers on horseback.  

I am now a bit further on in Les Mis, in the middle of another digression,  a detailed description of a Benedictine convent in Paris, a place that brings pious suffering to a whole new level.

Stay tuned for more Les Mis updates.

What's better than Poogan's Porch Buttermilk Fried Chicken?  Give up?  Poogan's buttermilk fried chicken during Rollback the Prices to 1978!  Not only is it light and crispy, without a bit of heaviness, tender and juicy inside and mildly seasoned, but in January you can enjoy it for less than $10.00 per plate.  Each January, Poogan's Porch celebrates its anniversary by rolling the prices back to 1978. 

Not only can you enjoy the boneless fried chicken breasts (2 of them), served over a pile of savory collard greens and creamy whipped potatoes, but you will have enough money left in your wallet to order a cup of Chef Isaac's She Crab Soup.  This Charleston classic is swirled with dry sherry and chive oil, flavored with a hint of red pepper and loaded with lump crabmeat.  You can also add an Iceberg Wedge Salad, a huge chunk of lettuce surrounded by diced tomato, cucumber and bacon and covered with crumbled blue cheese and bacon pieces.  Both of these starters are under $5.00 in January.   So let the countdown begin....11 months to go until January 2014, and Poogan's next anniversary price celebration.  

Where can you get the absolute BEST cup of French press coffee in downtown Charleston.......for only $2.00 per cup????  Give up?  Christophe Artisan Chocolatier and Patissier at 90 Society Street.  This amazing chocolate shop/ french pastry bakery/coffee house is my new favorite place to unwind quietly with chocolate and caffeine.  There are a few small tables downstairs, beside the bakery case full of exquisite French pastries...more about them later....and a peaceful little oasis upstairs with comfy upholstered chairs and a few more tables and chairs.
I will need to visit Christophe repeatedly to try each pastry.  This weekend I enjoyed the delicate pastry swan, filled with delectable cream.  I also had my eye on the brioche bread pudding.
They sell my favorite Belgian chocolates, little flat discs of chocolate, topped with nuts and dried fruit.  I first discovered them in Bruges, Belgium and was thrilled to find them here in Charleston.
Visit Christophe and let me know which pastry is your favorite, so that I can try it, too!