High Thyme (Sullivan's Island, SC)

Last week my wife and I headed to the South Carolina coast for some much needed R & R. While cruising around we hit the "Business District" of Sullivan's Island. This area is only about a block long, but it has many locally owned restaurants, most of which looked great.

One of this blog's readers suggested that I visit Poe's Tavern. Unfortunately, it was packed. So my wife and I went across the street to check out High Thyme... with a name like that, I HAD to give it a try.

The patio of High Thyme was mostly empty, so we grabbed a table under an umbrella (which I promptly ran into with my forehead), and took a look at the menu. To be honest everything sounded good. The menu focused on fish dishes (which you'd expect from a restaurant on a small island), but it also had entrees that featured pork, beef, or chicken.

Since this was our first dinner out, we decided to celebrate with a half bottle of champagne. We also decided to share the warm Spinach Dip appetizer. But for the entree, we were split and couldn't compromise -- I chose the Baked Tilapia Stuffed with Crab, and she uncompromisingly chose the Mahi Mahi Special. Who's entree would win this clash of wills? Read more to find out. :)

The champagne arrived first, and our waitress popped the cork. Unfortunately, the cork went flying as did the champagne. The bubbly goodness poured out of the top, and onto the floor. Our waitress apologized profusely, but we weren't worried -- after all we were on vacation!

While we sipped our champagne, our Spinach Dip arrived. It was accompanied by a large amount of home-made flour tortilla chips. These chips were amazing by themselves. Freshly cooked, they were still warm, and mouth watering. They added a nice crispiness to the creamy and warm spinach dip. The dip was topped with a generous helping of cheese, and the two together were divine. Combine that with the warm evening and champagne, and we were in heaven.

Shortly after we finished inhaling delicately eating the appetizer, our entrees arrived. My stuffed tilapia was served over smoked gouda grits, and was accompanied with green beans. The grits were creamy and delicious. I'd never had smoked gouda grits before, but I want to have them again -- soon! In addition, the beans tasted like they were cooked in a tub of butter. YUM!

However, the tilapia was slightly overcooked. It was dry, and not as flaky as I would have liked. In addition, because of this overcooking, the crab lacked flavor and I was slightly disappointed in the entree. Don't get me wrong, it was good. After all, it's freakin' talapia stuffed with crab -- it's always good! But it should have been sooo much better.

My wife's mahi mahi was amazing. It was perfectly cooked, and topped with a drizzle of lemon glaze. I liked her dish so much that I kept sneaking a bite when she wasn't looking -- until I got caught. Seriously, her meal was one of the best fish entrees that I've ever had!

As we finished our small bottle of champagne, our waitress brought us each a glass of a REALLY good champagne, to compensate us for the previously spilled champagne. With service like this, our first night of vacation was one to be remembered.

Score:
Atmosphere: 4.5/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Total: 13.5/5

Price: $$$$$ (With tax, tip, drink, etc. this cost about $45 per person)
Kid Friendly: Yes. Great food, but laid-back atmosphere made this a family-friendly restaurant.

Conclusion: This is a great local restaurant, with a great service, food, and atmosphere. I can't wait to go back. Highly recommended.

Restaurant Info:
High Thyme
2213-C Middle Street
Sullivan's Island, SC 29482
p) 843-883-3536
http://highthymecuisine.com