CHRISTMAS COOKIES ARE A WORLDWIDE TRADITION

Christmas cookies are traditional in many cultures, are fun to make ahead of time and give as gifts at cookie swaps. Depending on the recipe, cookie doughs can be either pressed, rolled, molded, dropped, baked, cut into bars or deep fried. 

Some cookie swaps have a theme — one fun event is the Ugly Sweater Cookie Swap. Guests are encouraged to not only decorate their cookies with the tackiest, gaudiest sweater designs but to wear their ugliest, decoration-laden sweater as well, all the better with blinking lights. Hosting a cookie swap, unlike a diner party with a long to-do list, is a great way to bring together friends with much less effort. All you need to stage a casual get-together is to send out invitations, decorate a table for displaying the cookies, then prepare hot cocoa or coffee or serve wine. 

CATCH 22 CAPTURES THE TRUE ESSENCE OF LAND, SEA AND SERVICE

The doomsday phrase “catch-22” doesn’t apply to the Hilton Head Island restaurant of the same name. The mission of restaurant Catch 22 is pretty straightforward: To serve the best seafood, chops and USDA prime steaks to its loyal band of customers, just as it’s been doing since 2001. Always fresh, nothing frozen.

Penny and Gary Duren, owners since the beginning, have created a comfortable culture for their customers and staff. The staff stays on for years and the patrons — locals and repeat tourists — keep coming back. Catch 22 exceeds expectations for its excellent service, delicious food, innovative menu, eclectic ambiance and superb dining experience.

The Bluffton Taco Bell will reopen in November after undergoing renovations. Meanwhile, construction is underway on a new Taco Bell location in Hardeeville; that construction is also expected to be completed in November. The Hardeeville location will feature the company’s modern explorer design, including warm gray tones, wood veneers and an open-kitchen concept. 

CHARLIE’S L’ETOILE VERTE IS COOKING UP SOME CHANGES AS IT LOOKS TO THE NEXT GENERATION

When Charlie Golson opened the current Charlie’s L’Etoile Verte 17 years ago, Hilton Head Island was a much different place — especially for a restaurant. With fewer restau-rants around him, the Green Star had less competition for the attention and affections of area diners.

Golson won people over quickly with his signa-ture seafood creations — dishes that masterfully tread the line between French high cuisine and approachable Lowcountry flavor. And for 17 years, even as Charlie has stepped away from the business, that same culinary brilliance has kept his restaurant top of mind among the island’s foodies.

Chicken Salad Chick is opening a store in front of the Kroger on Buckwalter Parkway. The Chicken Salad Chick menu features multiple styles of chicken salad, as well as soups and other sandwiches. Currently, the closest location is in Pooler.

Executive chef Eric Sayers from The Cypress of Hilton Head Island was among five national finalists selected to compete in the inaugural LCS “Chef of The Year 2019” competition in August. Chefs were given three baskets containing mystery ingredients that they had to transform into three delectable courses. Sayers, the former executive chef at CQ’s Restaurant in Harbour Town, was the runner-up, scoring just one point less than the winner.

The long-awaited reopening of Starbucks at Sea Turtle Marketplace is scheduled for late November. The new store will replace the Starbucks that burned down due to an electrical issue in January 2018. There is an additional Starbucks store slated to open in early 2020 at Okatie Crossing in the Sun City area. 

Baja-style tacos have arrived in Lowcountry: Sean Fatzinger opened the state’s first Fuzzy’s Taco Shop franchise in Hardeeville in October. It’s the first 24-hour restaurant in the chain; the taco shop is located at exit 8 on Interstate 95. Fatzinger is originally from Texas, where the brand was created, and currently is the director of food service operations at Enmarket Convenience Stores.

The new business at 1230 May River Road is a beer-tasting room, informal restaurant, retail shop and art gallery. Wine, gourmet chocolates, and other specialty foods are for sale. Owner Mark Weisner, who also owns Bear Foot Sports event management company, envisions Bluffton Trading Post as a community gathering place.