“It is. I think so. Slow and lazy.” Says Chris Johnson, Executive Chef at Black Marlin Bayside Grill on Hilton Head Island. “You come here, have a few cocktails and forget about whatever is going on that day.” he says.
Black Marlin is the kind of spot on the island you don’t generally know about unless you are in the know. Tucked away among the trees in a tiny courtyard. Complimented by gorgeous views of the island’s Broad Creek. Black Marlin is widely regarded as a locals hideaway. Because of it’s location mid-island it is isolated, in a very good way.
“Unless you’re coming here. You wouldn’t know its here. Secluded.” Johnson says. “This is their (locals) home. They know about us. They are gonna come and see us. Regularly. I think a large part of it is our location. You miss the hustle and bustle on the major roads.”
That doesn’t mean you won’t find plenty of people who are in on the secret. The reason why is the consistency of the food. It is consistently outstanding. “Our food is fresh seafood” Johnson says. “That is what we base the majority of our menu off of. We do mix it up, though.” he says. “We do Asian. We’ll do quintessential low country. Heck, I even do some Italian based dishes. I am very familiar with Italian. I bring some of my background into the seafood realm.”
They really do have it all and it is all very popular. The most popular of the bunch being a couple of apps and a main course you won’t soon forget. “Our sushi nachos are one of our biggest sellers.” Johnson says “Crispy Wonton Strips, Ahi Tuna, a little seaweed and wasabi aioli.”
“We also have a Sweet Heat Blackened Mahi. That’s topped with a Mandarin Orange salsa that includes avocado, hearts of palm and cilantro to bring out a little bit of the flavor.” he says.
Those are a couple of dishes that will likely get you going, both of them are excellent. But the sushi nachos are addictive. I dare you to eat just one. Then, there is the top selling main event.
“The Grouper Group Daufuskie is a huge hit here. Always has been. Served on a bed of lemon butter sauce with a grit cake that we make every day. We use stone ground grits. It’s lightly fried. It’s then topped a beautiful piece of local grouper. Then is gets our Daufuskie topping. Crab, Andouille Sausage, fresh spinach and parmesan cheese.”
That sounds amazing, doesn’t it? Trust us, it is. Not just our opinion either. The Grouper Daufuskie is the kind of dish that cannot be pulled off of the menu. Not seasonally, not permanently, not ever. “It would never happen.” Johnson says with a laugh. “It’s probably one of the best sellers. We could never do that.”
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