The Making of a Tybee Island Weekend

It was a crispy cold but sunny day on the beach in January. We were out there shooting an episode of Eat It and Like It about Tybee’s off-season. It can be brutal at the beach during the winter. The shops were selling their bright colored tees and buckets for sand castles, but wuddn’t no one scooping any sand.

I wrapped up the shoot just as I got hungry for some lunch. The young lady walking down the sidewalk had no idea what my next move was, but she decided to yell halfway down the block that she loved our show and we should pop in to the Wind Rose Cafe for the best lunch deal in town.

A peek at the sign in the window revealed “Country Fried Steak, gravy, mashed taters, squash casserole and a drink for $8.” I was equal parts intrigued and suspicious. How good could it be, really? It was at that moment that I reminded myself that some of the best food you could ever find sometimes comes from taking a chance. So I stepped inside.

There was no one there. Well, I stand corrected, there were 3 of us. The bartender, the cook and me.  Clearly, hiding behind a menu in a corner seat at the bar was not an option. Let me also be clear. The Wind Rose is a dive bar, in all of its glory. In this case, they also served food. An $8 lunch special I was game to try.

What followed was a fascinating conversation with Alaina, the bartender. It turns out, she only works at Wind Rose a couple of days a week. Her day job is publisher of Tybee Island’s monthly magazine “Tybee Beachcomber.”

Six weeks later, I was on the cover of the March issue.

Of course, in between there was a weekend adventure on the island.  Classic Tybee. We met some amazing people, ate and liked some fantastic food and may-or may not-have been over served a time or two. Hey, when in Rome, right?

You can read all about that adventure by clicking here. You can also find out why Tybee Island has and always will have, a giant soft spot in my heart. You can also be sure to pick up a free copy anywhere on the island during the month of March.  Good reference guide to some of the great eats on the island.

A huge thanks to Tybee Beachcomber for the opportunity to tell the story.

See you on TV,

Jesse