We all have favorites – a favorite flavor of ice cream, that song on the radio that makes you turn it all the way up, or the way your child looked as she blew out the candles on her fourth birthday. A favorite is something that gives us a small interior smile, enriching our lives in myriad small ways. Here are some things we want to share with you that give us that smile – some of our favorite things.
On East Bay, I love looking down the small, cobblestone alley beside Magnolias. The afternoon light looks so dramatic and beautiful, I always want to take pictures of it.
Clemson football Saturdays in the fall: it’s the rare combination of delicious relaxation and intense excitement wrapped into one day that’s so appealing.
Passing the painted boat and reading the messages to loved ones heading to Folly.
A fence covered in morning glories, a mound of blue-purple blooms against deep green leaves.
Playing ball with Mallory (my cocker spaniel).
Our pancake day at Alex’s: Alex’s definitely has the best pancakes in town, as Evan happily attests to every Saturday morning. Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and the longtime servers at the Mount Pleasant location will probably know yours after just a few visits.
Cats in windows: it’s comforting to see a feline relaxing on a downtown Charleston window sill.
Orbit Sweetmint gum. (I have Orbit gum on me at all times, and I probably will be buried with it. I actually burn an extra 11 calories with my gum chewing habit.)
The tiny crabs scurrying back to the marsh when I walk my dog.
The window table at
Al di La … so romantic you feel like you’re in a movie.
Taking Evan to the South Carolina Aquarium on a Saturday morning because we can walk through it in an hour and he doesn’t get bored; also has a fun children’s play area.
The top of the Isle of Palms connector heading from Mount Pleasant to IOP when you drive over the crest of the road and see the ocean.
The swing to the right of the fishing pier at James Island County Park. I can sit there and see the marsh and tidal creek and the bridge to Johns Island.
Basil’s Pad Thai.
For a quick lunch when I am on the run, I grab Planet Smoothie’s “PBJ”: a delicious blend of peanut butter, strawberries, bananas, and yogurt. To cut the calories and fat, ask for it with half the normal amount of peanut butter.
Almost anything on the menu at Five Loaves.
Publix Fried Chicken:
Juicy with a tasty batter that rivals Kentucky Fried Chicken’s.
A New York Strip with Brandy Peppercorn Sauce and a side of asparagus and creamy grits from Triangle Char and Bar.
Grilled Shrimp Taco from Taco Boy: the crispy cabbage and the sauce makes it perfect.
Huevos Rancheros and a parfait on the deck at Lost Dog Cafe. Fried shrimp, hushpuppies and coleslaw at Starfish Grille.
White Veal Scaloppini from the New York Butcher Shop, where they pound it thin for me for my own home-cooked meal of my mother’s Panéed Veal with Fettuccine.
A few years ago on a trek out to the West Coast, my heart was unexpectedly stolen by Sante Fe, N.M. I drove through the desert and into the foothills of the Rockies at sunrise, surrounded by adobe housing as far as the eye could see. I instantly felt the sensation of coming home and finally understood what painter Georgia O’Keefe had been so passionate about all those years!
The Native American, Hispanic, and European influences create a collage of culture, art, and energy that is indescribably inspiring. From quick, heavy afternoon rains to dried chilies hanging on window sills, and turquoise-colored door frames to Spanish saints watching around every corner, Santa Fe offers up a kind of ethereal experience that gets in your veins and may never run its course. I just know that the beautiful Native American Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, who shines in front of The St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral, is waiting on me to return to write my great novel!
Holly Herrick
I tend to eschew big name labels from big name regions of the wine world like Bordeaux and Bourgogne (though I’d be hard-pressed to turn down a great version of one of these), and go for the lesser known varietals from little chateaux. Top on my list is a white Corbières from a vineyard called Chateau Haut-Gléon located in the Languedoc region of France.
I love this wine not only because it tastes fabulously layered and subtle, but also because I visited the Chateau regularly when I lived in this part of the world. Buying a case was a relative indulgence, compared to the ubiquitous $4 bottles of the region, so when I clambered down to my dusty cave to grab a bottle, it was always for some kind of celebration with my rustic, country French friends. The memories of those times still linger as sweetly as the wine in my mind.
Photo Credits
Clemson, “Mallory,” cat, crab, and Orbit gum photos provided.
Aquarium photo courtesy of the South Carolina Aquarium.
Planet Smoothie photo provided.
Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi Photo by Chris Corrie, courtesy of Santa Fe Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Wine photo provided.
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The tiny crabs scurrying back to the marsh when I walk my dog. 
For a quick lunch when I am on the run, I grab Planet Smoothie’s “PBJ”: a delicious blend of peanut butter, strawberries, bananas, and yogurt. To cut the calories and fat, ask for it with half the normal amount of peanut butter. 
