Blog a la Carte

Judge for yourself at the 15th annual WingFest Saturday (March 20) at Shelter Cove Park. The obvious answer may be Wild Wing Cafe, but keep an eye out for The Smokehouse, which won the People's Choice award last year and usually makes the judges' top three. L'Woods took the judge's prize last year.

The 25th annual Hilton Head Island Wine and Food Festival Public Tasting went off without a hitch Saturday - except for the five solid minutes of rain that made everyone take cover under the venders' tents. But that was only a minor glitch for one of the most popular festivals in the area.

Read on to check out a few photos from the Public Tasting. Also, go to the fest's Facebook page for more shots from the two-week long event.

Here's the rundown for the wine and food festival tomorrow (March 12). The fest runs from noon to 4 p.m. at Honey Horn. Cost is $40. (The $60 premium admission will get you in at 11 a.m.)

This upcoming weekend is about as busy as they come on the island. We've got The Hilton Head Island Wine and Food Festival Saturday and the St. Patrick's Day Parade Sunday.

Today we took a look back at the beginnings of WineFest, which has now morphed into the Hilton Head Island Wine and Food Festival.

The fest celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The centerpiece of the two-week long event, the Public Tasting, is Saturday (March 13).

The Hilton Head Island Wine and Food Festival's main event, the Public Tasting, is next Saturday (March 13). Picture hundreds of wines and food from the island's best restaurants all in the same place at the same time. It's the conclusion of what's become a two-week event, with wine dinners and private tasting events throughout.

Hilton Head Island has experienced a bit of a craft beer revival lately.

The Lodge on the south end revamped its interior and become a "beer and growler bar." And, a new place called Growler's Tap Room opened near the Shelter Cove mall that offers a variety of craft beers to go.

Both places were unveiled late last month, giving the island access to some of those lesser-known, but arguably better, beers than the Bud Light or Miller Lite variety.

Hilton Head must be feeling generous tonight. A few restaurants are offering up some free drinks - Fridays at Wine Times 4 is free beer night, Antonio's is serving up complimentary wine and Santa Fe is offering two for one margaritas. So go out and have some fun (responsibly, of course).

Read on to get a few more ideas about what all's going on in the next few weeks. As always, log in and let me know if you've uncovered anything else interesting going on.

The centerpiece of the Hilton Head Island Wine and Food Festival is the public tasting held March 13 at Honey Horn. But leading up to that is two weeks worth of dinners hosted by guest chefs from all over.

The weather is supposed to perk up a bit this weekend, so celebrate the first inclinclings of spring by spending a day on the beach, drink in hand. The Tiki Hut is officially open for the season.

If seaside brews and Jimmy Buffet covers aren't your thing, then there's plenty going on, including the last week of the Gullah Celebration, featuring the Taste of Gullah at the arts center Saturday. Read on for more ideas.