Although I worked on Solstice & Sea Studios for most of the summer—usually in the evenings—I actually launched it from a vacation condo on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

 

I was lucky enough to spend a week on the beach, lounging by a variety of pools, visiting Savannah, eating delicious food, watching a little Netflix, and reading. I was a bit of a reading dragon that week.

One of the highlights of the trip came on our last day, when we stopped for brunch at Ma Daisy’s Porch in Bluffton, South Carolina, on our way to the Savannah/Hilton Head airport.

 

Ma Daisy’s Porch is at the heart of a Gullah cultural experience, and the food was incredible. I had the Crab Fries—French fries topped with blue crab and snow crab meat, garlic, Boursin and smoked cheddar cheeses, with a side salad. They smelled so good that I completely forgot to take a photo before I started eating.

 

Oops.

 

But Ma Daisy’s Porch is about much more than the food. The property includes Chef B’s, Backus Bakery, a heritage center, and retail space featuring specialty items created by Gullah makers and Black entrepreneurs. There’s indoor seating as well as outdoor seating on the actual porch, along with fire pits, fascinating sculptures, and family spaces with games.

 

It was one of those places I was delighted to discover—and exactly the kind of place I want to share here.

 

If you’d like to learn more about the history and culture of the Gullah Geechee people, visit the Gullah Geechee Corridor.

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