Good Times & Great Food at the Daniel Island Oyster Roast

After a long awaited reprieve from “Old Man Winter”, more than 300 guests from Daniel Island and throughout the Lowcountry headed to the Pierce Park Pavilion for the annual Daniel Island Oyster Roast on Saturday, February 20. The afternoon boasted warm temperatures, and the evening could not have been more perfect as the temperatures slightly cooled and the sun set over the Wando River as guests enjoyed the beautiful river and marsh views from the Pavilion.

Barbara McLaughlin, Manager of Community Services for the Daniel Island POA and event organizer, came away extremely pleased. “It was apparent that oysters were the main draw to the event, where Southern charm and gentility were pervasive! It was great seeing all of those die-hard oyster lovers jockeying themselves to find that open niche at the Oyster Roast tables that were full from start to finish.”

The event was catered by Dixieland Delights Catering, who prepared delicious local oysters and old favorites like macaroni-and-cheese, homemade chili and hot dogs. Local Band, Just Doesn’t Matter, rocked the stage and entertained the crowd by playing everyone’s favorite party music!

And to top it all off, for the first time, the event benefited East Cooper Community Outreach (ECCO) so organizers were able to help ECCO’s cause while also offering guests an affordable “one price covers all” oyster roast. The partnership between the Daniel Island Property Owners Association and ECCO proved to be a win-win for event organizers and guests!

“ECCO was honored to be a part of an event like this and grateful for the growing relationship with Daniel Island. Not only do we receive the generosity of the Daniel Island POA, but we were able to introduce so many new people to ECCO,” said Ann Ward, Director of Development for ECCO. “When I checked the weather report earlier in the week, I was astounded to see that Saturday was going to be sunny, in the 60s with 0% chance of rain! I called Barbara and we agreed this could be the best event ever!”

“There was just such a happy and light atmosphere to the whole event. Everyone loved the food and the music, and people seemed to be engrossed in joyful conversations all over the place,” said Ann. “While I was weaving in and out of the crowds, people kept stopping me and saying, ‘I’ve been meaning to come volunteer at ECCO, I am coming by this week.’ Sharing our mission with the community is what allows us to continue and grow our programs.”

“Everything worked our perfectly,” agreed Barbara and Ann. They were both extremely happy with the results of the partnership. They felt in the end that the oyster roast was a success – “a fun event with an incredible price for an outstanding cause!”

"What’s Eating Chuck" Grabs Lunch at Laura Albert’s

Sarah and Steve, the dynamic duo behind “What’s Eating Chuck”, a blog featuring video reviews of Charleston’s favorite dining spots, recently stopped by Laura Albert’s Tasteful Options on Daniel Island for a lunchtime feast.

The pair, with their camera woman Megan, dined on the Island Crab Cake Open-face Sandwich, the Fried Green Tomato Pesto Ham Sandwich, the “Catch of the Day” and a number of amazing-looking dessert treats.

Take a look below to see what they had to say about Laura Albert’s!

WEC – Laura Alberts from S. Murphy on Vimeo.

Stay in touch with Sarah and Steve to see what else they have to say about some of Charleston’s great restaurants by visiting http://chucktowneats.wordpress.com.

Sippin' & Strollin' on Daniel Island

SIP of Daniel Island, a new event organized by the Daniel Island Rotary Club, is making its debut on Wednesday, March 3 and island residents and businesses are already hoping it will become an annual event!

From 5:00 – 8:00 pm, ticket holders will stroll through downtown Daniel Island, stopping at each of the event’s nine participating restaurants. As they progress from location to location, guests will chat and mingle while they sample and enjoy a taste or drink from each spot.

And the list of participating restaurants looks delicious! Guests will stop at Queen Anne’s Revenge, Laura Albert’s Tasteful Options, Vespa, Wasabi of Daniel Island, Dragon Palace, Two Rivers Tavern, Et Cetera Gourmet, Daniel Island Grill and Brewer’s Bistro.

Proceeds from the event will go to Charleston-based Water Missions International, a Christian, nonprofit organization that provides clean, safe water to people in developing countries and disaster areas. To read My Island Town’s recent article about Water Missions International, click HERE.

Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased from any Daniel Island Rotarian, participating restaurants and the Property Owners’ Association office.

A limited number of tickets will be sold for this event — get yours now before they sell out!

A Rare Sight: Snow Falls on Daniel Island

Not since 1989 has the South Carolina coast been blanketed with measurable snow. It’s usually our neighbors in the upstate who deal with the cold temperatures and falling snow. But that wasn’t the case on Saturday, February 13, when Daniel Island residents woke up to as much as three inces of snow covering their porches, yards and docks.

We might boast about our mild winter weather and warmer temperatures, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t enjoy the chance to get outside and play in the snow, build snowmen, make snow angels and even participate in a few snowball fights!

The snow lasted just a few hours before it melted away, but there were memories made on Daniel Island that morning that will last much, much longer!

Take a look at some of the photos island residents sent in:

Resident Brad Reed Leads Water Missions Intl’s Relief Efforts in Haiti & Beyond

Brad Reed was living in the Charlotte, N.C. area with his wife and two sons when circumstances surrounding his corporate job as a senior executive at a global manufacturing company caused a series of events that significantly changed the course of his life and his career.

“Our company was purchased in 2005, and as things began to change within the organization, I realized that I, too, was ready for a change,” he explains. But when a lucrative job offer in Canada came through within two weeks of leaving his former company – a job and location that seemed to be a perfect fit for him and his family – something caused him to pause and think twice about what he was about to do.

“It didn’t have peace about the job opportunity, and I couldn’t put my finger on why. It took several months of soul-searching and prayers for me to realize that what I was looking for was an opportunity to apply my management experience and Christian faith to help lead a church or nonprofit ministry,” says Brad.

So when he was introduced to the work of Charleston-based Water Missions International (WMI) – a Christian, nonprofit engineering organization that provides clean, safe water to people in developing countries and disaster areas through a variety of technologies – and learned they were looking for someone to help run their organization, he knew he had found his calling.

“My educational background is in chemical engineering and I had been actively involved in ministry and church leadership for years,” Brad explains. “A Christian engineering organization was a perfect fit.”

Brad began leading WMI as President and Chief Operating Officer in 2006, and his wife, Debbie, began researching where in Charleston they would relocate their family.

“I moved ahead of our family so our son could finish the first semester of his seventh grade school year. One day my wife called and said, ‘Start looking on Daniel Island – that’s where we need to be.’” Shortly thereafter, the family purchased a new home in the island’s Center Park neighborhood. “The schools and casual lifestyle were the main draw for us,” he says.

The family quickly settled into their new home, and their youngest son enrolled in the Daniel Island School. Brad joined the Daniel Island Rotary Club. “Integrating into the community here was easy,” he says. “There are so many ways to get involved.”

When the devastating earthquake struck Haiti last month, WMI was quick to respond, and the Daniel Island community was quick to provide support. Island-based fundraising efforts raised more than $17,000, enough to send an additional Living Water™ Treatment System (LWTS) to Haiti (since the disaster, WMI has sent more than ten LWTSs to Haiti each week). The Daniel Island Rotary Club mobilized to organize “A Sip of Daniel Island,” a fundraising event scheduled for March 3. DI Rotary is also partnering with the Charleston Lunch Rotary Club to fund and implement a safe water project serving six needy communities and approximately 10,000 people in Iquitos, Peru in April.

“While our disaster response in Haiti is making news these days, community development projects in places like Iquitos, Peru continue to be implemented in order provide sustainable access to safe water to communities in daily need,” says Brad. “It’s a life-long mission, and the support of the Daniel Island community has been a blessing.”

To learn more about the incredible work of Water Missions International, and how you can help people throughout the world in need of safe water, visit www.watermissions.org.

Island-Based Fundraising Efforts Bring Safe Drinking Water to Haiti

Thanks to several Daniel Island-based organizations – and the quick and generous response of island residents, businesses and employees – thousands of people in Haiti will soon have access to fresh, clean, safe water as they continue their plight to recover from the devastating earthquake that struck earlier this year. Separate fundraising efforts led by Providence Baptist Church and the Daniel Island Company combined raised more than $17,000, enough to fund a Living Water™ Treatment System from Charleston-based Water Missions International (WMI). The System will be shipped to Haiti later this week.

The initiatives began in the days following the January 12th earthquake. Island residents wanted to do something to help, and island-based Providence Baptist Church agreed to coordinate efforts by collecting funds on behalf of WMI. More than $7,000 was quickly raised.

Meanwhile, the Employee Advised Fund (EAF) of the Daniel Island Company chipped in by making a $10,000 contribution to WMI. The EAF is funded by employees of the Daniel Island Company, Daniel Island Club and Daniel Island Property Owners Association, along with employees and sales associates at Daniel Island Real Estate. Voluntary payroll deductions and contributions are matched dollar-for-dollar by the Daniel Island Company. The $10,000 contribution marks the remainder of a four-year, $20,000 pledge to WMI that was initiated in 2008.

Representatives from Providence Baptist Church and the Daniel Island Company and its subsidiaries visited the WMI facility this week, where they adorned the treatment system with notes and prayers of hope for the people of Haiti. One resident brought notes from the students in her daughter’s second grade class at the Daniel Island School, which will be shipped along with the unit.

“On behalf of Water Missions International and the people of Haiti, we so appreciate the generosity of the Daniel Island residents, the Daniel Island Company, and Providence Baptist Church to provide the financial resources to implement a safe water system capable of providing safe water to 5,000 people as part of our disaster relief efforts,” said Brad Reed, President and Chief Operating Officer of WMI. “The personal notes and prayers written to the people of Haiti are a welcomed and meaningful part of connecting donors with recipients. We’ve already received two personal Emails from leaders of the receiving communities in Haiti thanking Water Missions International and our donors for the life saving provision of a safe water system.”

When the unit arrives, it will immediately be installed and capable of producing enough water to serve the daily needs of approximately 5,000 people in disaster relief. Hopefully, the notes and prayers from the people of Daniel Island will also provide some sense of hope for the people of Haiti that they are not alone in their plight.

How To Host A Lowcountry Oyster Roast

Charleston is known for many things – its grace, beauty and charm; its historical significance; its well-mannered residents. But the South Carolina Lowcountry is also known for its delicious, fresh seafood, and one of our favorite pastimes is inviting family, friends and neighbors over to enjoy an authentic Lowcountry Oyster Roast.

To host your own oyster roast, here’s what you need:

• A couple of bushels of oysters, depending on the number of guests. (Keep this in mind – 1 bushel will feed close to 10 people)
• A Grill Rack (about 2 ½ feet by 5 feet) to fit over a gas burner or wood fire
• An outdoor gas burner or wood fire
• A sawhorse and a piece of plywood with a hole cut from the middle (this will be your table)
• A number of trash cans, one to go under each “plywood table” to capture the oyster shells and a few extra cans for other trash
• Oyster Knives & Gloves
• Saltine Crackers & Condiments – hot sauce, horseradish, melted butter, ketchup
• Extras – outdoor heaters if necessary; cold beer and drinks, including vodka for “oyster shooters”; other food items for people who don’t eat oysters

Oysters can be purchased through local seafood stores. Try to keep them as fresh as possible. It’s best to purchase them on the day before or even the day of your roast. Check the oysters to make sure they are alive – if their shells are already open, then it’s likely they are dead. If the oyster is dead then throw it out.

Place a wet towel over the container of oysters and keep them somewhere cool (in a refrigerator if there’s room) until you are ready to roast them.

Get your gas burner or fire pit going. Pile the oysters on the grill rack and place it over the heat. If you need to, use bricks or rocks to secure the rack. Don’t pile the oysters too high – cook them in batches if necessary.

You can also try steaming the oysters by placing a wet burlap feed sack over them. Make sure you keep the bag wet so that it won’t burn.

Regardless of the method you decide to use, the oysters shouldn’t take too long to cook. Once the shells have started to open, they are ready to eat. Make sure your guests don’t try to open any of the oysters that didn’t open on their own. If they remain closed, it means they are bad and not meant to be eaten. Transfer the oysters from the fire into a bucket to cool for a few minutes then pour them onto the plywood table.

Use the oyster knives to shuck the open oysters. Place the oyster on a saltine cracker, add some hot sauce or butter and enjoy!

* Keep in mind that local oysters are best eaten during the cooler months, mainly between September and April.

HAPPY ROASTING!

* Not interested in hosting your own oyster roast? Then get your tickets now for the Daniel Island Property Owner’s Association’s Annual Oyster Roast on Saturday, February 20. Click HERE for more information.