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The Moss Creek Club's Pumpkin and Black Bean Bisque was, without a doubt, the winner of Volunteers in Medicine's annual Lowcountry Soup Challenge Sunday at the Shelter Cove mall.

The bisque won both the Judge's Award (full disclosure: I was one of the judges) and the People's Choice designation, a rare feat for one soup to win both.

The recipe is quite involved, but it's worth it if you can pull it off.

Hilton Head Island's Restaurant Week comes to a close Saturday, ending eight straight days of good restaurant deals.

For those folks up in Beaufort, their Culinary Month is just getting rolling. The next three Fridays and Saturdays feature similar deals at several of Beaufort's most recognizable restaurants.

Read on to get an idea of what else is going on in the Lowcountry.

While Restaurant Week kicks off Saturday (Jan. 15) in Hilton Head and Bluffton, Main Street Beaufort has started its own version of the popular culinary showcase.

Five well-known Beaufort restaurants are offering fixed price menus for the next four weekends. The deal works like this: pay $25 and get a three-course meal that typically includes a choice of entrees.

The Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce's third annual Restaurant Week kicks off Saturday (Jan. 15) and runs through Jan. 22.

About 60 restaurants are offering a fixed price menu, meaning you can get a multi-course meal with a choice of entrees for one set cost.

The Lowcountry has been all abuzz about Extreme Home Makeover coming to Beaufort County. Hundreds have signed up to volunteer and next weekend is another chance to help the cause.

Local restauranteur and Food Network star Robert Irvine is hosting Dinner: Possible Jan. 14 at The Westin to raise money for the makeover.

Irvine himself promises a night you won't forget with special guests and an extravagant five-course meal. Tickets are $100, but all the proceeds go to help with the show.

I was speaking with Robert Irvine this morning about his upcoming Dinner: Possible fundraiser to benefit the local Extreme Home Makeover when he mentioned his plans to open another island restaurant with his name on it.

The Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce's third annual Restaurant Week is right around the corner. From Jan. 15-22, dozens of restaurants will be offering special fixed price, or prix frixe, menus. It's a great chance to try out a place you've never been or go back to a more pricey establishment and eat at a lower cost.

What are you doing for New Year's Eve? I've perused Twitter and Facebook to come up with a few suggestions if you're looking for a night on the town.

Read on for the details. I'll be adding more events when they come up. But feel free to log in and let me know if you've heard of anything else cool going on.

When I spoke with Charlie Clark and Susan Thomas for today's story about culinary tourism, they told me that Charleston chef Sean Brock is going to be a special guest at the 2011 Hilton Head Island Food and Wine Festival.

The James Beard Foundation named Brock the best chef in the southeast earlier this year at its annual awards, which are considered the Oscars of the culinary world.