Small business: there is nothing “small” about it
By Kevin Fitzpatrick
Contributor
I opened my American Express account back in 1986, and it remains, for many reasons, my preferred spending method, but that is not what this is about. Amex is anything but a small business, however, in 2010, they created something called “Small Business Saturday,” and now, in 2024 it has reached the point where I get repeated email, text and push notification reminders that it is coming up, including one this morning. While out on a beautiful fall morning walking Abbey the dog I was thankful that the local heat dome has been raised until sometime in May. Then it hit me that this is the golden weather that was one of the motivating factors in relocating to the Lowcountry, and I started to consider exactly what qualifies as a small business. After that, I started to wonder how many of them Sue and I actually patronize, not just on one Saturday a year, but often, and why we choose them when we have a choice.
Naturally, my first thoughts were local food and drink establishments since we seek them out when we travel. When we do, I always ask the question of the locals “where would you take your wife/husband/partner for the best experience that may or may not be off the beaten path?” Every time I have asked that question, whether it was in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, Hawaii, Tuscany, Charleston, Savannah, etc., the answer always is among the highlights of the trip. Sometimes, it led us to a spectacular restaurant like Mama’s Fish House in Maui, where each dish contains a list of the ingredients and who were the local purveyors they sourced them from. Sometimes, it was as simple as being pointed to the Alchemist Brewery in Stowe, Vt., where just sitting and sipping a cold Heady Topper IPA in the Green Mountains was everything.
We are lucky in our extended area to have many such places we can easily recommend, so many in fact, that I might have to do some follow up pieces just so I don’t leave out any of our favorites, but for this one, I thought I would stay “hyper local” and point out four that really fit the definition of both local and small. Slider Bar, WineTime, Crudo and The Bluffton Room, all within the literal “stone’s throw” of each other in Old Town Bluffton. I’ll tell you why they fit the bill and why they are among our four favorites.
What Kevin Cleary has created in WineTime is a very comfortable place to sit and relax and sip some excellent wines. He has a very knowledgeable, gracious and frankly funny staff, who can make great recommendations if asked, and he has a regular, ever-shifting list of wines by the glass where you can have a regular pour or a “short pour” along with an outstanding selection of wines by the bottle that you can have there for a modest corking fee (waived on Monday) or take home. There are some great small plates to accompany your sips (one of the best cheese and charcuterie boards we’ve had adaptable to any size group), and other choices as well. He also has a two bottle per month wine club that brings with it many other benefits. Take it from someone who belongs to multiple wine clubs, this is one of my favorites. We frequently stop in on the way to dinner just as a starter, though it is also its own destination.
Pete Palladino took a small space a little further into the Promenade and opened Slider Bar. It is primarily what the name says, a place to go and enjoy small burgers and hand cut fries, but don’t be fooled thinking your “sliders” are the one bite White Castle type or those you see on cooking shows where they use the dinner size Hawaiian rolls. In the new normal that has become “supersized,” these are reasonably sized burgers that are filled with outstanding ingredients and flavors that I’m still trying to replicate at home. In addition to the classic beef burgers, he also has a slider with Pastrami that is prepared and cured in house for 10 days and then smoked for 16 hours (courtesy of his next-door neighbor, Bluffton BBQ, another “small” business). He also has various chicken options and, amazingly for a “small” business, does not overlook those who lean toward vegetarian and vegan giving them options as well.
If you continue a bit further, you will find Brian Behnke’s Crudo. Sue and I both love well prepared seafood, so when Brian opened Crudo, we were very excited to give it a try. From our first visit, we were hooked. What he has done is create a location where the preparation and presentation of various crudo and ceviche’s are spot on and craveable. What he has also done is offer a menu that is varied enough for everyone, including those in a dining party who may not lean toward seafood. Do not be fooled by the name, there are more seafood options than just Crudo (technically an ingredient-driven dish that typically includes raw fish or seafood dressed with olive oil, salt, acidic juices, and vinegar). There are small plates that can be shared, think “tapas” style, as well as entree options that are available to both pescatarians and down-home meat and potato folks. They also have great crafted cocktails and a wonderful wine selection and are one of the few local places that will serve great raw oysters with mignonette as the main condiment.
Just as some of our traveling experiences have led us to fabulous restaurants, I will wind down this piece with The Bluffton Room. Jeff Congdon, Tonja and Cory Hughes have created an atmosphere that welcomes you like a warm hug, whether it is your first time visiting or you are a regular. The moment you walk in and are greeted, you understand you are in a special place. The setting is classically intimate but comfortable and not at all stuffy. The service is so on point that it’s almost impossible to actually describe. Even after many visits, I still wonder if they have some “wizard” sitting in the back looking at many cameras. Water glasses are never empty. Napkins are never left unfolded if you get up. You are never asked “are you finished,” they just know. Wine glasses are always topped off at exactly the right time. If you are having cocktails, you are asked at exactly the proper moment if you’d like another, yet it is never intrusive. That brings me to the star of the show, the food. The menu, while not overwhelming, allows options for everyone from starters (they also serve their raw oyster selection with mignonette) to entrees and desserts. Jeff manages to balance flavor and spice like very few chefs can do across the board, whether it’s seafood, beef, chicken, game, etc., and the accompaniments are always complementary and seasonally perfect. The Bananas Foster, prepared tableside, is a finale not to be missed.
What unites all four of these places is how they have managed to take the idea of “small” and make it available, comfortable and desirable while never giving off the idea that they are exclusionary or stuffy. Each one of them has a very comfortable bar to sit at as well as other seating options, and weather permitting, three of the four have outside options for those so inclined.
When we have guests, these are among my first options when we are asked about good experiences small, locally owned and operated and outstanding, quite the trifecta.
Kevin Fitzpatrick is a retired teacher who, along with his wife Sue (also a retired teacher) is enjoying exploring life in the lowcountry and all it has to offer.
