Day 1 - Kingstree, SC

I went to see my mom last Wednesday- oh, a week ago today! It was her birthday weekend and I was due for a visit, so I went - and Conrad stayed back at the hacienda.


On Thursday morning we got up and it was raining, but we still decided to head out on a little thrifting/vintage/eating expedition and we had a REALLY good time. My mom and stepdad normally take their dogs to a vet in Kingstree -but they had never been there just to hang out, but they said it was a cute little town, so we set out.


When we got there, it was lunchtime and we were ready to eat! But since they had never been there for fun stuff, we didn't know where to go. We drove to the downtown area that had little shops and I thought maybe there would be something fun to eat around there ... we saw the police station, with a few cops standing around and there was one rather large one in the middle of the bunch ...  and mom just offhandedly said, "Let's ask that fat cop right there, where to eat. He looks like he knows where the good stuff is" ... and that set me and my stepdad off into gales of laughter. We were like UH, you can not ask a fat man where to eat! ... and I think I might have said, "MOM!" ...


So we went along and we found a place that looked pretty ok. The Cafe on Academy (Academy was a street).

We went in and I ordered the special for the day. It was lasagna, bread and a salad for like $6.99 and it was GOOD. It tasted just like my mom's! I didn't leave a drop!

But then something outrageously funny happened. I had my back to the door, was facing my mom and Brian ... and was focusing on my food, when I looked up and fat cop walked by! I could NOT believe it. I said OMG - OMG - look who's here! I guess this IS the best place to eat in town!!!

We were HOWLING. It was the funniest thing!!! We talked about it all the rest of the weekend. We could not believe that man walked into the cafe.


We went on to some thrift stores and this cool antiques/trading post place where my mom bought this cute little nightstand thing - for only $30 !!!

After that, we went home, still laughing about the cop.... and later that night they took me to a new favorite place they discovered. It's been there forever - but they didn't realize it was a restaurant. It's called the Alpine and it's in Eutawville and it's GOOD. I think I want to live there, AT the Alpine.

I got the patty melt, on Brians's recommendation and OH MY GAW it was delightful. The right bread, the right cheese ... the onions ... kinda buttery and greasy on the bread. It was PERFECT. I got fried okra to go with it, which was just fine but I should have gotten their homemade potato chips - PINE CHIPS! (more on that in another post). My mom got the chips and I tried them and they were WONDERFUL and I was sorry I had the okra.

Ohhhhhhhhhh looking at it again makes me WANT it again. I LOVE YOU ALPINE PATTY MELT!

They also sell college and professional team signage. They are handmade by a little old couple who live close by. Brian has a Florida Gators one. I fell in love with the Alabama one. Not cause I love Alabama but because the elephant was so cute. Everyone CALM DOWN! and no ... I didn't buy it. But now I have the picture, forever.

Anyway, that was the end of day 1 - and we also stopped and got some boiled peanuts. YUM YUM.

Kah