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Cindy's a wonderful step back in time

By Deidre Schipani

Deidre Schipani

Cindy's Seafood Cafe and market feels like an authentic "cracker barrel."

The tchotchkes of a sea-faring life hang like warriors around the barn-like restaurant.

Block and tackle are recruited to perform new feats of support — the menu board. Local artisans' pottery, photography and antique collections are displayed as "still lifes" throughout the space, but they can be yours for the right price.

Even your chair has a price tag on it. So, be wary of a neighbor who may have scored an oak chair, and you are sitting on it.

The atmosphere is casual; the staff is friendly and Cindy herself may very well bring your order to you.

In this cross between a farm produce stand, a seafood shack and an emporium of certified South Carolina grown products, Cindy Sawyer channels her inner green side to provide the community with fresh seafood, organic fruits and vegetables and a menu of prepared foods that can simplify your life.

You go up to the counter, and review the daily specials. Specials usually include a catch of the day, a soup and seasonal vegetable. Once you've checked out the specials, place your order and let the kitchen work its magic with fresh, local and seasonal foods.

Cindy and her husband Henry also operate the Full Circle Farm, dedicated to the principals of organic farming and sustainability. So, the cafe has a regular assortment of fruits and vegetables along with takeout foods for purchase.

In season, the place hosts an oyster roast (Saturday's 5-9 p.m.) presided over by Mr. Ed. Mr. Ed was featured on "America's Dirtiest Jobs" when the Discovery Channel show profiled the work of an oysterman harvesting his crop from the pluff mud. Mr. Ed's family has been in the oyster business for 150 years, and they have the exclusive rights to harvest the Kiawah River's oyster beds. These are the oysters available at Cindy's.

The lobster and shrimp salad are served on classic New England buns — the sides appear to be trimmed into rectangles. Grilled to a toasty crunch, they are the crispy foil to the sweet filling of lobster ($12.99) or shrimp salads ($9.99). These also can be ordered filled with fried shrimp ($10.99) or scallops ($12.99).

The cocktail sauce tasted faintly of allspice and the tartar sauce was house-made. The coleslaw snapped to attention with all the crispy goodness of cabbage and carrots.

The fish case glistens with the local catch and those same specimens are part of your menu options. The French fries give those at Rue de Jean, downtown, a run for the money. However, Cindy's are a thicker cut.

You can't go wrong when served local and seasonal foods, and Cindy does it right.

It is a paper plates place. There are also "polyurethaned" pine tables. But the Oriental carpets and freshness of the ingredients escalate your dining experience.

This is your source for Sea Island eggs, Jersey cow raw milk, and South Carolina's ocean- caught fish.

The slaw is pickled, the fries are rough cut, the tomato and cucumber salad looks like your grandmother made it, and the greens are organic.

There is a freezer case for homemade ice cream, Cokes can be had in small glass bottles, and the tea ($.99) and lemonade ($.99) are self-serve.

Cindy's is a step back in time — when roadside farms only sold what was local; the fish was freshly caught and the unique imprimatur of the owners pervaded the stand.

Expect to find pimento cheese, shrimp and grits quiche, swordfish pie and crab-cakes for carry-out.

Youngsters will be entertained by a collection of John Deere trucks, a Thomas the Train "town" play mat, and assorted toys.

Their parents will enjoy a visual landscape of antiques, collectibles and the works of local artists.

The menu is mostly fried seafood and salads — lobster salad roll ($12.99), shrimp salad roll ($9.99), crab cake sandwich ($10.99) and platters ($14.99), but some items can be ordered grilled. It is simple, honest fare.

If you loved the dressing on your salad, or the tartar or cocktail sauce, you can purchase it to go and keep the flavor of Cindy's on your table long after your visit to her cafe.

Cindy herself supports the labors of other farmers in the area and buys from them to stock the market.

This is pretty much a self-serve kind of place. The staff is friendly, the food is fresh, and the commitment of the owners to the practices of organic farming and their community are admirable.

Cindy's goes for the green and it tastes very good.

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