I'm not sure how many 24-hour donut places exist in America, but I can tell you I was happy to stumble upon one in Myrtle Beach. The Donut Man serves donuts, coffee and sandwiches through their drive-thru window.



They don't necessarily have all of the items at all times of the day, but I was able to score a cake donut and a fruit-filled donut. Both were not at the peak of freshness, but they were fine. My cake donut was a bit extra crisp and it seemed like the oil soaked in a bit. BUT, the filled donut was much fluffier and super full of filling.



Grade: B

The name "Blueberry's Grill" alone conjures up images of tall stacks of pancakes studded with blueberries in my mind.



So, I already had my mind set on that. But when I opened the menu, I was instantly drawn to the crab cake benedict, which might be my favorite breakfast item of all time. Plus this one came with fried green tomato! All on an English muffin with remoulade on the side. 



What's a girl to do? Order both. I got one blueberry pancake, which by the way, was quite tasty, of course. Not too thin, not too thick, but generous with the blueberry both inside and sprinkled on top. Yes. 


And then the benedict - you just can't go wrong. It's the perfect vacation breakfast. The crab cake gave some nice texture and flavor to an otherwise ordinary egg dish. The remoulade adds some creaminess and just a bit of heat. Quite tasty.

Grade: A

The 12th Ramps & Rails Festival in Elkins was held yesterday, and I made a special trip to check it out because I had never experienced it before. 



The Elkins-Randolph Co. area is no stranger to ramps. According to their website, "Ramp Definition: Ramps are wild leeks, foraged from shaded, woody areas. They are one of the first signs of spring, and one of the first edible green things to hit markets. Their flavor is a combination of garlicky, oniony, and pungent. You can use them anywhere you would use scallions or spring onions."


  
As soon as I got closer to town, I started to see folks on the side of the road selling ramps. Some with signs, some just displayed them on the hood of their truck. That got me even more excited to make it to the festival, which was located at the train depot. 



The festival features short train rides, lots of ramp dishes and other vendors selling their goods. 



Let's start with El Gran Sabor, a local Elkins restaurant serving up Venezuelan food, which is one of my favorites in the whole state. 



They were serving ramp cachapas! You could get them with pork, chicken, or just cheese. I went with a pork one and added on the ramp green sauce. If you've never had a cachapa, it's like a fresh corn cake fried golden brown with a nice crisp outside and tender inside. 



This was unbelievable. As I was tearing into it walking around the festival, everyone kept asking what it was because they wanted one, too. The slight crisp on the outside is a little sweet, and the inside had tender pork and just a bit of ramps. The flavor was perfection, and the sauce just took it to the next level. If you have the chance to get one of these before they're out of season, go, immediately.



I also stopped by Jimmy’z Food Truck, which has a few different options. They had samples out front so you could see what you're getting. Love that. 



We went with the deep-fried pepperoni rolls, because I feel like it's my duty to check those out. But we also ordered a ramp burger.



First, I didn't realize the pepperoni roll would have ramps inside, so I was very pleasantly surprised. The outside was very deep-fried and crispy, which gave way to a light, fluffy interior with small chunks of pepperoni and a few ramp bits. For me, the ramps really make it. They add another level of flavor that I think helps round out the whole profile.



The burger also surprised me - not because I wasn't aware of the ramps - but because I didn't realize they'd be in the ground beef itself. I was thinking there would be a ramp sauce of some sort. But I loved the seasoning and flavor the ramps gave the ground beef. It was tasty - and the bun, for me, was perfect. It was the perfect combo of soft and chew. I was able to adda as much or as little mayo and ketchup as I wanted, so it ended up perfect. 



And then, I made one more purchase on this day. 



Larry's Awesome Sauce, based out of Fairmont, had a beautiful ombre orange display of sauces. They have Honey Mustard, Zesty Honey Mustard, Sriracha Honey Mustard, Insane Heat Honey Mustard, and Ramp-Infused Zesty Honey Mustard. 



I tried a sample and really liked both the honey mustard and zesty honey mustard, so I took home one of the former to see what I can use it for. 



Did you make it this year? Or have you gone before?

The Capitol Market held its inaugural Flowers After Hours event today. And, it was such a lovely evening that I'm hoping it's a yearly event. 



This time of year is perfect at the market - the plants are out, the sun is out (maybe a bit too much today), and people are ready to shake off winter. 



Flowers After Hours featured wines from The Wine & Cheese Shop, personal pizzas and sangria from Lola's, and other snacks like sushi from Sushi Garden.



Each ticket holder also received a sweet little burlap gift bag with chocolates from Holl's - and a wine cup if you purchased the alcohol ticket. 



The RedLine Band played a fun set all evening. 



And, if that wasn't enough - Gritt's Midway was giving away adorable little succulents! 

Hook & Barrel is a noted seafood restaurant in Myrtle Beach that focuses on local food and  sustainability.



Chef Heidi Vukov started this restaurant and has won many awards, including the 2018 South Carolina Chef Ambassador. 



Hook & Barrel was one of the first places I knew I wanted to dine at when I decided to take a trip to Myrtle Beach because it had been recommended to me a few times. Vukov's other location, Croissants Bistro & Bakery, is also one we'll come back to later. 



The restaurant itself is beachy. Open, airy, light, a large wraparound porch - which is where I chose to have my meal. 



I started with the crackers and pimento cheese, which, wow, is quite the way to start a meal. Super crisp chips with a heavy scoop of cheese and mayo and pimento that is was just hitting all the right notes.



I ordered a crab cake before I knew of the delightful complimentary pimento cheese appetizer, but I always love a crab cake. These three mini ones were plump with a flavorful remoulade. The cakes had hunks of crab, perfect seasoning and just a delicious pairing with the creamy sauce. 



The menu spans from fresh oysters and she crab soup to smoked shrimp & grits and pan-seared scallops. The latter is the one I landed on, which came with celery root puree, sauteed kale and roasted mushrooms. A beautiful scallop is special thing. That nice sear gives way to a meaty scallop that is slightly sweet. Paired with the puree, kale and mushrooms - it really was a perfect dish.

Grade: A