5 Restaurants You Don't Want to Miss on Hilton Head Island - Yahoo Voices - voices.yahoo.com

Hilton Head Island, in South Carolina, is one of my favorite vacation spots on the East Coast. That's because this beautiful, idyllic resort town fulfills all my prerequisites for a perfect vacation spot -- beaches and gorgeous surroundings, mild climate, relaxing atmosphere, a variety of outdoor activities, and, at the top of my list, an abundance of restaurants to satisfy my passion for food. Although there are 250 restaurants on the Island, typically I return to the same restaurants I've enjoyed during previous visits, but on my most recent trip, I decided to be adventurous. If you've already been to these restaurants, you're probably wondering what took me so long to discover them. If not, step out of your comfort zone, and try one or more of these five restaurants for your next dining experience on Hilton Head Island.

Skull Creek Boathouse
397 Squire Pope Road
Hilton Head, South Carolina
Close to Hudson's Seafood House on the Docks
843-681-3663

You only have to look at the menu to understand why Skull Creek Boathouse, otherwise known as The Boathouse, is a local favorite. There's no shortage of interesting and tantalizing choices to satisfy any seafood lover's palate. For example, I ordered their Catch of the Day, John Dory, which is a mild, slightly sweet-tasting fish. We were told that they rarely get this fish, so apparently it was not only a treat for me, but for The Boathouse, as well.

Lunch is served daily from 11:30 to 4 p.m., dinner from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and weekend brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The menu is mostly seafood, as you would assume by the name of the restaurant, but there are also limited pork and chicken dishes.

Skull Creek Boathouse is located on the waterfront, so you'll be rewarded with stunning views, as well as excellent food.

It's Greek to Me
11 Lagoon Road
Across from Coligny Plaza
Hilton Head, South Carolina
843-842-4033

If you're craving Greek food, or like me, you're trying out different cuisine, you should check out It's Greek to Me. To start, you can begin with appetizers, such as Saganaki, which is flaming Greek cheese, or Dolmathes Avgolemono, which is ground beef, rice & fresh herbs wrapped in grape leaves. Then, to name two entrées, you could order Souvlaki, which is a marinated and grilled chicken or pork kebab, served with tzatziki, or grilled lamb chops. We ordered Mousaka, which consists of baked eggplant, potatoes, and seasoned ground chuck, seasoned with cinnamon, and topped with homemade Béchamel sauce and a smattering of nutmeg. Although I knew the dish contained cinnamon, I expected the flavor to be a little more subtle. Nevertheless, I would definitely order the Mousaka again.

It's Greek to Me is open 7 days a week, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Quarterdeck
32 Greenwood Drive
At the base of Harbour Town Lighthouse in Sea Pines
Hilton Head, South Carolina
1-866-561-8802

Located at the base of the most recognizable landmark in Hilton Head, Harbour Town's Lighthouse, the view from this restaurant is stunning. We couldn't resist -- we had to stop by for lunch during our bike trek around the Island. You have choices, such as beef or salmon burgers, seafood salads, soups, and shrimp wraps. We had the Dijon-crusted Salmon Salad, which consists of spinach, feta, bacon, and red grapes, and the Shrimp Cobb, which has Romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, cucumber, bacon, parmesan cheese, avocado, and, of course, shrimp. Both are topped with balsamic vinaigrette.

Open for lunch and dinner, the hours are typically 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., for lunch, and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., for dinner. It couldn't get any better -- delicious food, surrounded by equally delicious scenery.

Frankie Bones
1301 Main Street
Hilton Head, South Carolina
843-842-4033

I received several suggestions to give this restaurant a try, and it certainly lived up to its reputation. They are open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner, and Sunday brunch is served from 11:30 to 3:00 p.m. Frankie Bones' dinner menu consists of steaks, chops, seafood, and pasta dishes. For lunch you can enjoy sandwiches, homemade soups, salads, and pasta dishes.

If you like salmon, I'd recommend the Salmon Oscar, which is Char-grilled and topped with lump crab dressing, asparagus, and hollandaise. It has whipped potatoes on the side, which they would be happy to substitute for veggies or rice, if you choose. The lump crab dressing, which is plentiful, was quite a treat, since often toppings are apportioned in such small amounts that there's barely enough for a good taste. The entrée was served with soup or salad. I chose the Caesar Salad, which consists of Romaine lettuce, imported parmesan cheese and garlic croutons, with Mayfair Caesar dressing. The salad also has feta cheese, pine nuts, and dried cranberries. It was very different than the usual Caesar, and undeniably scrumptious.

Mellow Mushroom
33 Office Park Road
Hilton Head, South Carolina
Right Outside Sea Pines Gatehouse
843-686-2474

If you want something different than your usual beach fare, stop in at the Mellow Mushroom. They have specialty pizzas, calzones, salads, and hoagies. Choose from pizzas, such as Maui Wowie, Holy Shitake Pie, and Red Skin Potato Pie. We ordered the Magical Mystery Tour pizza, which has a pesto-based crust, button and portobello mushrooms, mozzarella, spinach, feta and jalapenos and the Philosopher's Pie, which has an olive oil and garlic-based crust, grilled steak, portobello mushrooms, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, provolone, feta, and mozzarella cheese. The Mellow Mushroom carries gluten-free dough, also. And, if you enjoy special brews, you'll surely find something you like, because they have a wall full of beer on tap, as well as a large variety of bottled beers.

The Mellow Mushroom is open 7 days a week -- Sunday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Oldies, but Goodies

My perennial favorites have been the The Old Oyster Factory, Truffles, and The Wreck of the Salty Dog. Although they've always been at the top of my list, after trying these five new restaurants, they have some competition.