Chef's Choice

Elegantly shabby and, oh, so tasty

March 2011

By S. KIM HENSON

Tucked in beneath the palms and overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the “elegantly shabby” Sea View Inn bed-and-breakfast on Pawleys Island just might be the Grand Strand’s best-kept dining secret.

The inn’s 60-seat dining room features a lovely beachfront view and a menu of savory Lowcountry and southern favorites. And while most of the tables are reserved for staying guests, savvy foodies know that with a phone call and a little luck, they can book open seats, especially during the off-season periods of April, early May, late September and October.

Shorts and flip-flops are the dress code, say owners Brian and Sassy Henry. “For non-staying guests, we encourage them to come early and enjoy a rocking chair on the porch, so they can take in the view before their meal—and be on time to hear the dinner bell,” Brian says.

Sea View Inn’s Palmetto Macaroni and Cheese
Serves 8

1 pound macaroni
1 tub regular or jalapeño Palmetto Cheese
1⁄4 cup butter or margarine
1⁄3 cup flour
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper

Cook macaroni in boiling water for approximately 12 minutes or until pasta is tender. Drain and set aside. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir flour into the melted butter until combined. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add milk and stir until flour mixture has dissolved. Continue to stir until the mixture has thickened. Once thickened, add 1 cup of Palmetto Cheese and remove from the heat. Stir until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. In a 9-by-13-inch pan, combine macaroni and the cheese sauce until mixed thoroughly. Spoon remaining Palmetto Cheese over the top. Bake at 350°F until bubbly, approximately 25 minutes.

Once through the double screen doors, just follow your nose to the dining room, where you’ll mingle with staying guests like Eleanor Vallejos, a resident of San Diego who vacations here annually—in large part for the Southern cuisine. “Their fried chicken is my favorite,” she says. “I also love their crab divine, macaroni and cheese, hush puppies, fried green tomatoes . . . oh, and their creamy grits every morning.”

The Henrys purchased Sea View Inn in 2002 after Brian (a former Coca-Cola executive) and Sassy (a sous chef) grew tired of bustling Atlanta and relocated to Pawleys Island. They inherited a six-person staff that has been preparing and serving meals there for more than 25 years, and the new owners weren’t about to mess with a good thing. The menu is updated seasonally, and the price includes the meal, all sides, dessert and non-alcoholic beverages. Guests are welcome to bring their own beer and wine if they like. “Folks who dine with us look forward to the best, most authentic Low Country and southern cooking they’ll ever eat,” Brian says.

One addition to the classic menu is the inn’s now-famous Palmetto Cheese. It’s based on Sassy’s pimento cheese recipe, but it was Vertrella Brown, one of the inn’s veteran cooks, who added a secret blend of Lowcountry spices to give it an extra kick. Guests began asking how they could take the addictive appetizer home with them. Today the “pimento cheese with soul” is packaged and sold—with Vertrella’s picture on the label—in more than 1,000 stores in 10 southeastern states. Available in regular and jalapeno varieties, it’s also sold online at palmettocheese. com, which is how Vallejos gets her fix between visits. “It’s the best I’ve ever eaten,” she says, and a reminder of “a truly special and unique place.”

Visit the Seaview Inn Web site

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