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A Day in Redfern Village
The Hodnett Cooper Vacation Rentals team has years of experience in both St. Simons Island property and St. Simons Island living. In this series of blog posts, we’re digging in to our vacation specialists’ expertise to uncover unique activities and hidden gems only available on St. Simons Island, Georgia.
Today, we present our must-see locations during a day of shopping in Redfern Village. Located just north of the Frederica/Demere traffic circle on Frederica Road, Redfern Village is no longer content to take a back seat to the Pier Village. Packed with unique shops and restaurants, you can easily spend the day shopping and snacking your way through the other village.
Tibi Outlet – This chic women’s clothing store stepped right out of Manhattan and into Redfern Village on St. Simons Island. Amy Smilovic is the owner and fashion designer behind the “Tibi” label. She has a New York City studio (which was featured in a scene in The Devil Wears Prada) and sells the Tibi line in boutiques and major retailers across the country. Amy grew up on St. Simons Island and blesses her hometown with the Tibi outlet store. Her clothes are inspired by the island’s bright colors, bold prints and classic style. And not only will you love the prices, you may also stumble across a one-of-a-kind sample!
Gogo Jewelry – Gogo Ferguson is the great granddaughter of a Carnegie steel baron, who once owned property in Georgia’s Golden Isles with many of his Gilded Age counterparts. Today, Gogo is a jewelry designer who finds beauty in nature. She casts gold and silver from animal bones and sea life, creating unique statement pieces. You can almost imagine Gogo walking along the beaches and island trails stumbling across interesting shapes that most of us would overlook. When you visit her shop in Redfern Village, be sure to ask exactly what you’re looking at—you’ll be surprised at the beauty of a silver rattlesnake vertebrae or armadillo sternum.
Viola’s Market – At Viola’s Market, experience layer upon layer of interesting finds—furniture, books, accessories, jewelry, plants, décor and even Georgia olive oil. With a casually elegant and vintage style that celebrates the coast, you’ll be able to take home a bit of the island style with you.
Our Hodnett Cooper insiders have many more shopping recommendations, so stay tuned for more unique tips.
In the last week or so there have been a numerous starfish on the St Simons Island beaches from Massengale Park south to the St Simons Island Pier. The starfish get caught up in the Johnson Rocks at high tide.
Starfish are beautiful animals that can be a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, although all resemble a star. Even though they are commonly called starfish, these animals are known more scientifically as sea stars, as they’re not fish. They do not have gills, fins or a skeleton. Sea stars have a tough, spiny covering and a soft underside. If you turn a live sea star over, you’ll likely see its’ hundreds of tube feet wiggling.
These iconic marine animals are fascinating creatures. Sea stars move using their tube feet, and have an advanced water vascular system that they use to fill up their feet with seawater. They do not have blood, but instead take in seawater through the sieve plate located on top of the sea star, and use that to fill up their feet. They can retract their feet using muscles or use them as suctions to hold on to a substrate or the sea star’s prey.
The Darien Waterfront Wine & Gourmet Shop is located in the Shops at 107 Broad Street in historic district of downtown Darien, Georgia. They have a wide variety of wine, beer and cheese.
While you are in the store picking out a wine, don’t forget to check out their selection of gourmet food, including Buckhead Certified Angus Beef Steaks, Alaska Wild Caught Salmon, Bahamian or Maine Lobster Tails, New Zealand Rack of Lamb, Center Cut Pork Chops, Ashley Farms All-Natural Chicken, and other fine meats. Their grocery selection also includes locally caught Georgia Wild Shrimp, along with Georgia made Sweet Grass Dairy Cheese and Sugar Marsh Cottage Gourmet Chocolates. Most of their offerings are top-of-the-line and on the expensive side. The Sweet Grass Dairy Cheese is one of our favorites. It is fine hand crafted brie cheese made in Thomasville, Georgia.
Directly behind the store is the Waterfront Wine Bar with a beautiful view of the Darien River. It is open from 5 to10 every Friday and Saturday night. Enter through the Wine Store, then sit down and enjoy a beer, a glass of wine, along with an hors d’ oeuvre or desert while you watch the boats go by and the sun set over the river. Their wine & beer list includes an assortment of red & white wines from around the world, either by the glass or by the bottle, import & domestic craft beers, and sparkling & dessert wines. Pair one of them with an antipasto plate, artisan cheese plate, crab cake plate, or a dessert plate. There may even be live music at times!
Be sure to sign up for their email list for notice of special events and wine tastings.
Olive Affairs is located in the downtown historic district of Darien, Georgia at 106 Broad Street. Olive Affairs features fine gourmet olive oil, vinegars and other olive-related products. They also carry a very limited supply of “Georgia Liquid Gold” which is a 2011 harvest of a chef’s blend extra virgin olive oil from the Georgia Olive Farms in Lakeland, Georgia. They also sell their Award Winning Gourmet Olive Tapenade, Vegan Olive Tapenade, Italian Olive Oils, Gourmet Modena Aged Balsamic vinegars, muffaletta sandwiches, breads and much more. Next time you are in Darien, stop by and check out this very unique shop.
Hodnett Cooper is thrilled that Southern Living magazine, the preeminent source for Southern culture, travel, events and lifestyle, has named St. Simons Island one of its favorite spring vacation destinations. In the article, Southern Living describes St. Simons Island:
“The beaches and golf courses of this Atlantic escape vie for king of the island. About 80 miles north of Jacksonville and 85 miles south of Savannah, St. Simons has multiple golf courses, pristine coastlines, and plenty of outdoor activities to fill those sun-drenched Spring Break days. If you’re bit by the shopping bug, venture to the island’s southern tip to Pier Village to pick up an extra pair of sandals or an easy beach read. Local restaurants specialize in seafood dishes, and The Coastal Kitchen offers a raw shrimp and oyster bar.”
Southern Living goes on to describe accommodations through Hodnett Cooper Vacation Rentals:
“Hodnett Cooper Vacation Rentals offers condos and villas for couples or families on any budget, including daily and weekly rentals.”
We look forward to sharing St. Simons Island with Southern Living readers who have not yet been to our island…during Spring and all year long!
Barbara Jean’s is a family run, multi-unit restaurant operation that began here on St. Simons Island in 1988. Jim & Barbara specialize in both seafood and made-from-scratch, home-style cooking. There is little doubt that they are best known for their Crab Cakes, but their Southern entrees and vegetables are great. At Barbara Jean’s they make three different fresh breads and up to fifteen vegetables daily. They also have three homemade soups on the menu daily, and that always includes their truly incredible “She Crab Soup.” Each day they hand batter and cook to order every fried product, and those include Chicken Fingers, Chicken Fried Steak, Fried Fish Fillets, Chicken Fried Chicken, Fried Shrimp, Fried Catfish and Coconut Shrimp too!
My personal favorites are the meat loaf and the country fried steak. The service is impeccable, the ambiance is lovely, and the food is to die for. It’s rare that a restaurant can pull off both seafood and home-style cooking and do both very well, but Barbara Jean’s does just that. Expect long waits all day long in the summer. I recommend you put your name in at the door and then take a stroll through the Village to the pier to work up a good appetite. You will need it with all the food and bread they serve you!
Fins On The Beach is located on Jekyll Island at 201 Beachview Drive. Fins is—by far—one of the best ocean view restaurant on the Georgia Coast. They have an outside patio dining area with about 12 tables with expansive views of the Atlantic Ocean.
Fins has been newly remodeled and boasts a brand new menu! Fins features signature seafood platters with fresh fish and Wild Georgia Shrimp. I had the hamburger with grilled onions, mushrooms and cheddar cheese—very good and cooked just right. And the fries were very good.
During our visit, the patio was packed but the service was good and fast. Our waitress didn’t miss a beat refilling our tea and cokes though she was quite busy. Next time I visit Jekyll Island, I will give their seafood a try. They also had some very interesting salad dishes I would like to try. Yes, I’m going back!
Fins on the Beach, Jekyll Island
Fins on the Beach, waterfront dining
Indigo Coastal Shanty is located at 1402 Reynolds Street in downtown Brunswick. Indigo is operated by Kate Buchanan, one of the former owners of Cargo Portside Grill. The eclectic restaurant is currently open Tuesday through Friday from 11am to 3pm for lunch and Friday and Saturday night from 5pm to 9pm for supper. The food presentation was great, and what an experience for my taste buds. Indigo has a daily special and soup every day. I had the Stockpot Pozole Verde soup with chicken, tomatilloes, poblanoes with hominy. It was exceptional. My son had the fish tostada which was a crisp blue corn tortilla topped with black beans, island slaw, grilled fish and fresh pineapple salsa. It also came with black beans and rice. A.T. had the Mediterranean veggie stack, which was grilled season vegetables with hummus layered and drizzled with a roasted red pepper vinaigrette and crumbled feta cheese. My wife had the jerked chicken which were two large chicken breast served with Jamaican spices for a touch of heat. It was served with black beans and rice, pineapple salsa & a cooling dollop of sour cream. I had the daily special which was the crisp Venezuelan corncakes stuffed with a beef and pork picadillo, melted Mexican cheese and avocado cream; served with a side of salsa verde, black beans, brown rice & crisp Island slaw. We cannot wait to make a return visit to try out some of the other unique dishes. Get there early because this is a small restaurant popular with the locals, so the line starts forming around 11:30 or earlier.
Mangos Grill is a great Cuban restaurant recently opened in Brunswick at 135 Altama Connector (across the street from the Wal Mart). Mangos serves some of the best dishes from Latin America, including Cuban sandwiches, plantains and burritos. All of their food is made from scratch and is very tasty. I had the Arepas, which are two huge hot corn cakes, crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. They are stuffed with ground beef or chicken. My wife had the hot dogs, which are not your average hot dogs. The all-beef franks are served in a fresh baked bun, top with their secret relish, mayo, mustard ketchup and a very generous sprinkle of potato sticks. The black beans and rice are some of the best we have ever had. Mangos Grill also serves up a variety of salads, sandwiches, wraps, tacos, quesadillas, burritos and nachos. Mangos Grill is open seven days a week from 11am to 9pm. We look forward to a return visit to Mangos Grill in the near future.
When: Saturday, January 28, 2012
Time: 12:00pm until 3:00pm.
Where: HSSCG, 4627 US Highway 17 North, Brunswick, GA
After several years of fundraising and construction, the new Humane Society building is open! On Saturday, January 28, 2012 from 12-3, the Humane Society will host a Grand Opening Celebration! This event is open to the public and will give everyone a chance to see the new Adoption and Community Center, visit adoptable pets and get a sneak peak at some of the new programs. Guests will enjoy the sounds of Michael Hulett in the main lobby, have refreshments provided by Coca Cola, award winning Barbeque from Brunswick’s Right on Q, and try a sweet specialty from Kristen Kramer at Halyards.
Pam Mueller, Author of the Kiska Trilogy about Kiska the Cat and “Hello, Goodbye, I Love You” and “Aloha Crossing” based on the adventures of the dog, Aloha, will be in the Education Center signing her award winning books. There will be activities for children throughout the event and pet & family friendly dogs are welcome to join us too!
While visiting, anyone can register to win some great prizes from our past, present and future business supporters like Golden Isles Bracelet Company, Viola’s, Island Dog and more! The location remains the same at 4627 US Highway 17 North in Brunswick. Come celebrate the Grand Opening and experience why something extraordinary happens when you visit your NEW Humane Society of South Coastal Georgia!
