When you’re on vacation, eating great food is half the fun! At Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort and Shelter Cove Harbour, we have plenty of wonderful places to dine whether you’re looking for a casual stop on the beach or a gourmet meal overlooking the water.

This week, we wanted to share some of the best Hilton Head appetizers from around Palmetto Dunes and Shelter Cove.

Dunes House Chicken Nachos
Take a break from the beach or ride your bike over to the oceanfront Dunes House within the resort. Our appetizer pick from this fun outdoor restaurant is their Chicken Nachos. Indulge in tortilla chips smothered in grilled chicken, queso, black bean relish and jalapenos. Sour cream and salsa is served on the side. Tip: Get plenty of napkins!

Big Jim’s BBQ, Burgers & Pizza Sliders
At Big Jim’s restaurant, located at the Robert Trent Jones course, try the sliders. It’s the perfect appetizer to share with a group of buddies! Choose from three smoked pulled pork or smoked chicken sliders with cole slaw and pickle OR three Angus beef sliders with smoked onion and pickle.

San Miguel’s Guacamole Dip - Shelter Cove Harbour
This is one of the best guacamole dips on the island complete with fresh avocados blended with tomatoes, onions and spices and served with their flour tortilla chips. Enjoy the view, a  margarita and chips and guac!

HH Prime’s Shrimp & Grits (Omni Hotel at Palmetto Dunes)
You can’t come to the Lowcountry without eating shrimp and grits -- it’s a Southern staple! HH Prime, located within the Omni Hotel at Palmetto Dunes, offers a plate full of jumbo shrimp and grits made with smoked cheddar cheese, tasso ham and sherry butter sauce. Delicious!

Ela’s Blu Water Grille, Shelter Cove Harbour – Mama’s Fried Green Tomatoes
Another Southern must-have is fried green tomatoes! Get your fill at Ela’s Blu Water Grille, a Shelter Cove restaurant with a fantastic view. Your tomatoes will come lightly fried and crispy and served with Creole sauce, the owner’s family tradition.

Alexander’s Seafood Restaurant & Wine Bar’s Oysters
If you’re a visitor to the island, you may not have been exposed to the joy of eating oysters! We consider it a delicacy down south. Alexander’s, located within the gates of Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort, offers North American cold water oysters on the half shell in half dozen or a full dozen. You can also try their Oyster Baked Oyster Combination of three Rockefeller oysters topped with bacon, spinach and hollandaise sauce and three Savannah oysters topped with shrimp, crab, scallops, bacon and cheddar cheese. This dish will make anyone a fan of oysters!

Which dish sounds the best to you? Which appetizer are you dying to try? We hope you enjoy dining at Palmetto Dunes and Hilton Head when you visit us this spring and summer. Bon Appetit!

It’s a busy week at Big Jim’s BBQ, Burgers & Pizza, the Hilton Head restaurant at Palmetto Dunes located conveniently at our Robert Trent Jones South Carolina golf course. Through Feb. 2, we’re participating in the Hilton Head Island Chamber Restaurant Week with a special  “prix-fixe” (price fixed) menu, and we’ll be offering a variety of party-to-go or dine in specials for Super Bowl Sunday.

Hilton Head Island Chamber Restaurant Week is held each year on the island to encourage both locals and visitors to sample restaurants in the area. Participating restaurants offer prix fixe menus of several courses usually for a discounted price.

Big Jim’s will be offering a $16.99 restaurant week menu that includes a cup of soup or house salad; pulled pork, smoked BBQ chicken or smoked beef brisket platter; and a draft beer, glass of house wine or house cocktail. Big Jim’s has happy hour daily from 4-7 p.m. and a new outdoor fire pit for warming up on colder evenings. The restaurant serves a variety of menu items, including a burgers, sandwiches, grilled pizzas, seafood, steaks and salads. There is also a kid’s menu and a selection of wine and beer.

Several Shelter Cove Harbour restaurants will also be participating in Hilton Head Restaurant Week, including ELA’s Blu Water Grille and Bistro 17. To see the full list of participating Hilton Head restaurants, visit the Hilton Head Island Chamber Restaurant Week website.

Big Jim’s will also be going all out for Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013. Whether you’re rooting for the Ravens or the 49ers, you can watch on Big Jim’s eight big screen TVs and enjoy a variety of Super Bowl food and drink specials.

We’ll have a full BBQ buffet from 5 p.m. through the third quarter with pulled pork or chicken, baked beans, coleslaw, pizza buffet and chips and dip for every table. There will be $2 Bud Light pints and $10 bottomless mimosas, as well as Happy Hour prices on house wine and liquor.

Prefer to watch the big game at home? Take home some grub from Big Jim’s! Our To-Go specials include pulled pork or chicken, ribs, coleslaw and baked beans. You can also order a Party Platter with sliders of pulled pork or chicken, Angus beef or fried chicken. Call us at 843-785-1165 to order.

Also in celebration of the Super Bowl, we’re offering a buy one round, get one free golf special. Book your Hilton Head tee time online through Feb. 3 using code Super2013 to get the deal. We’ve also got sales in our Hilton Head golf pro shops, including 20% off all non-sale merchandise and 10% off all sale items, plus Titleist Pro VI for $39.96/dozen.

Join us at Big Jim’s soon!