Dog Friendly in Hilton Head

One of the joys in my life is that I live in a place that most people only visit on vacation. Great beaches, warm weather, (this past winter notwithstanding) lots of great restaurants and a lifestyle primarily focused on the outdoors with an emphasis on assorted water sports. As an expatriate Canadian you would think the primary influence that drove my move to the Hilton Head area was the weather. Well, let’s face it Sweater golf weather in the winter beats shoveling snow any day but we could have made the move to Florida and had even warmer winters. No, the number one influence on both my husband and I deciding we had to live here was the dog-friendly aspect.

I guess founding a company like Lucky Dog Cuisine dedicated to enhancing all dog’s nutritional lives is enough of a clue to allow most people to figure out that I am animal crazy. To make a lifestyle decision based on dog friendly may border on the pathological so I will state in advance. It certainly wasn’t the only reason. Plenty of people choose to live right here in paradise every year and, though I can’t understand this, they don’t even have dogs. It was definitely the combo platter that gave us the impetus to move here but the fact that it is one of the most dog oriented places I have ever been certainly helped.

Did you know that dogs are allowed on the beach all year? Yes, there are a couple of restrictions during the daytime hours in midsummer but with temps in the 90’s or higher who wants to take the dog to the beach at mid-afternoon anyway. It gets better. For most of the year dogs do not have to be leashed on the beach as long as they are under voice control. Eat your heart out all you dog owners in Florida. (Yes, I know there are isolated dog friendly beaches but I don’t count those).

I went to Shelter Cove mall the other day. It is the largest indoor mall on the island and the first thing I saw when I went in the front door is a sign saying PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE YOUR DOGS IN THE CAR. As I read further it stated that their policy is that dogs WERE WELCOME IN THE MALL. I repeat how cool is that. I can shop at Banana Republic and my dog can come in with me.

Ok, so far we’ve got beach and shopping. Only one more staple required for me to be happy all the time. Food! This entire area is filled with restaurants with outdoor dining. In many cases dogs are welcome to come up onto the deck or patio as long as they are well behaved. We have enjoyed many meals at restaurants in the Hilton Head, Bluffton and even Beaufort area. I have attached a brief list below. See, I told you in my first blog that I was going to provide a list of dog friendly places as we go. If you have any additional places that should be featured please send them along to my email address Janice@luckydogcuisine.com for inclusion in future blogs.

I am going to briefly highlight two of my favorite places. “Skillets” is a restaurant on the South End of the island in Coligny Plaza and it is a wonderful spot. With a large wraparound patio with a choice of shade or sun, a great staff that always welcomes the puppies like the family members they are and a diverse menu serving breakfast, lunch and dinner it is a great choice for vacationers and locals alike. Amy the owner always has time to stop by and make sure everyone is taken care of especially the four-legged customers. We usually make a point to leave time for a walk on the beach, which is only a half block away after our meal. If you are there in the morning, try the breakfast burrito, the whole-wheat pancakes or the breakfast parfait. Our dogs particularly love the biscuits and that’s fortunate because I would eat all of them if they didn’t help. Wow, you get to read a dog blog and get human food reviews as well.

A little further north nestled in the beautiful Shelter Cove Marina is another great choice for the dog and its owner. Bistro 17, one of the few French restaurants on the island is a phenomenal find for its food alone. Open for lunch and dinner this restaurant overlooks the marina and has an expansive outdoor dining section that welcomes all dogs with open arms. Owner Anna Buckingham even has a large dog friendly sign predominantly displayed on the patio. The staff wears shirts with the words “A Dog Gone Friendly Café” emblazoned on the back. Bistro 17 is much more than a café; it is a culinary treat for the senses. They have a Sea Bass dish that my husband Jeff, definitely not a fish eater, thinks may be one of the best meals he has ever had. I on the other hand love everything on the menu. I don’t even need to order, just bring me anything and I will be in heaven.

Great views, great food, wonderful service and my dogs curled up at my feet. Oh yeah, let’s not forget about the dogs. When you walk in with the dogs the staff are quick to bring water bowls and a food bowl filled with dog cookies. If Rover is hungry don’t worry, when they bring you your menu they will also bring you a dog menu as well. Your dog can choose from Pierre’s, Fifi’s, or Françoise’s favorites with a special of Bugsy’s available as well. Don’t worry about either taste or quality these are all home cooked meals for your dog. Hmm, four recipes, home cooked meals for your dog? OK I’ll admit it the names are different but Bistro 17 is smart enough to serve Lucky Dog Cuisine to their discriminating canine clientele. Anna is such a sweetie that all the proceeds from all of the dog meals go to Best Friends Animal Society in Utah as seen on Animal Planets Dogtown.

http://www.bestfriends.org/

All in all Hilton Head is a great place for dog lovers. Oh yeah, the people are nice too.




Remember, you and your dogs need whole foods.


Janice



~ "Remember, Health comes from the inside out!" ~

http://www.luckydogcuisine.com/