recall any particular meal of special significance. Soooo, unless you are well traveled in other countries, pretty much anything MIGHT impress your palate. You have good advice about sampling random regional fare - who knows, maybe you'll come across something that you would never have dreamed of eating that turns out well. "Chitlins" isn't gonna be one of them. And do not leave the South without your very own grit tree so you may enjoy this southern favorite in the future in Europe. Shrimp in smoked brie grits, however, IS one of them! Be sure to learn to enjoy the difference in the North and South Carolina styles of barbeque sandwiches -slaw included. Don't get fried chicken from a fast food joint. Ask a local about how to find the GOOD stuff. Eat at Paula Dean's in Savannah and allow the time necessary to go get in line (queue up to you Brits) to get in. Watch out for cheap crab cakes filled with more bread crumbs than crab - again ask a couple of locals for suggestions. Go to Shemm's Creek when in Charleston, SC. When you get to PC, be sure to not ask Rudy where to eat - he always follows my lead for our irregular luncheons cuz he has the palate distinction of a hungry shark. We'll treat; at least Rudy will offer Jill's wallet... Watch out for the too-heavily marinated steaks served in some chain restaurants like TGI Fridays. Don't order fish in a restaurant specializing in steak or vice versa. Rudy does this, and it drives us all nuts. If you like background music while dining, don't bother asking Rudy along - I have seen him on a chair surreptitiously (he's not a small guy, but he's quick and sneaky) pulling the plugs to the speakers. His opening line to the wait staff is, "Bring me a gallon of your cheapest tea and get the manager over here so I can tell him to turn down the music." Nuff said. Sweet tea (the table wine of the South) is pronounced "swetea" and is sugared while hot so it will be super-saturated with sugar when iced. Wait staff carrying two pitchers of tea, one un-sweetened and the other full strength swetea, in order to refill orders by the enlightened amongst us for 50-50 tea. BTW, you can get "hot tea" pretty much everywhere. I know this because my 95-year old mother invariably orders same even if it is 100 degrees F and 110% humidity outside. Some places even come with a small box of choices for you; however, it generally pays not to be too picky about your hot tea. I feel that in general that you get what you pay for in all things, food included. Sure, there are many local dives that may provide first rate local food, but you need to do your due diligence in searching for them, and you may not have time (nor intestinal fortitude) for adequate research. Hopefully, you will entertain us at some point with your impressions and adventures. I am sure that you may call upon us for any help we as a group or individuals can lend. You'll never know which trawlerite lurks around the next corner. It could be Rudy just waiting to toss you an emergency snubber - I'll be the guy at the cleat tailing the 5-inch line that comes sailing at you. Rich Gano CALYPSO (GB-42 #295) Southport, FL (near Panama City)

ating it to get the butter and salt slathered on top anyway. The ONLY way to get corn-on-the-cob is FRESH. Time from stalk to table must be measured in single digit hours, the lower the number, the better the corn will be. If it's not fresh, don't bother. Fresh corn served with hot fresh crabs and beer. A Chesapeake Bay staple! Don't be timid, ask when the corn was pulled, and INSIST on the crabs being fresh. NEVER accept re-heated or chilled crabs. They should come from the steamer to your table. Locals know which spots serve crabcakes that are mostly filler, and the ones that serve the real thing. Whatever area you find yourself, don't hesitate to post a note on the list, you'll likely find a T&T lister who'll be thrilled to entertain, myself included! cheers! -- Steve Sipe Solo 4303 "Maerin" Middle River, MD

ons, whether you're in a huge city or a small town. Pick a location and use their search feature to check things out. Or if you don't find what you're looking for, register and post your question. There is no substitute for an unbiased recommendation from a local, not to mention a local foodie who is obsessed enough to spend time reviewing on a web site. (Don't bother with TripAdvisor for this, by the way.) And this is not all about expensive fine dining, either, although of course that is a popular topic as well. The Hounds abhor a ripoff or an expensive tourist trap above all else, and value for the $ is king. I think the discussion on where to find the best burger in Los Angeles has been ongoing for 2 years and hundreds of postings. I can only imagine the bytes devoted to tasty grits in the deep South! We have discovered tiny, memorable local gems that we never would have otherwise found... and in some cases, had we found them on our own, would never have stumbled inside... in places all over the U.S., the U.K. and elsewhere in Europe, Mexico and Central America. Currently we're in Lisbon for a few weeks, while our boat sits enjoying the rain and lightning in Costa Rica, and we've hit a few more home runs thanks to this web site. Enjoy your journey! Valerie m/v Pax Nautica, Selene 53 Marina Papagayo, Costa Rica On Aug 19, 2011, at 4:01 AM, trawlers-request@lists.trawlering.com wrote: > > > "I'm likely to be quite a bit South of NY. What should I eat? What do you > think will impress a Brit?" > >

UK. While my experiences back in the 70's and 80's, having pitched up just after the aging of meat was outlawed in the late 80's or so, aren't so memorable, recent experiences are. I've had the most amazing veal in a pub in Cheshire, smoke so thick on the ceiling it looked like fog as it was darts night. Seafood and berries that rivaled anything I've had cruising BC in a little town north of Oban on the west coast of Scotland. London's culinary treats are, in the culinary world, renown for variety and quality with choices so numerous choosing is difficult. Pasta like you used to only find in Italy in a little brewery town off of the M1 near Nottingham. Even the take-away choices are heavenly with a diversity found few other places in the world. America has some great food and some of it is even prepared well, but the quality is certainly no better than is available in your country, just different. The UK has the third highest number of Michelin stars behind France and Italy. I used to go just for the sailing, now it's sailing and eating! Robert Phillips, Managing Director Doyle Sailmakers BVI, Ltd Tel: +284-494-2569 Mobile: +284-541-2206 VOIP US Tel: 423-285-8752 Skype: doylebvi

What do you > think will impress a Brit? Paige, There is an American TV show called "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives". It's a fun watch, and they highlight places usually known only to locals. Best of all, their web site allows you to find ones near where you are staying. It's available here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/local/search/Controller?mode=filter&showName=Diners%2C%20Drive-ins%20and%20Dives Scott Welch Island Eagle

the people off this list. Thank you all so very much for your replies, both on here and directly to me. Paige

Frederiksted is where the cruise ships pulled in and put most of their passengers on buses to get out of there because F-sted was not such a nice place. The locals set up street-side shops under covers and occasionally would drum up a street fest for the ship's passengers. I have seen a stray cruising sailboat anchored of F-sted near the fun waterfront bar north of town. Back when we were there F-sted was fine in daylight, but not a place to hang out after dark. I would not wander off the beaten path in C-sted at night either. But being in St Thomas, you probably already know these common sense precautions. We enjoyed a number of restaurants in C-sted like Tutu Bene's and even wandered out into the country to the eastward to Cheeseburger in Paradise (you need a ca for that). We rented cars when we arrived at the airport. There a lots of touristy shops in C-sted. Prices may vary with cruise ship presence. Nearby the Tamarind Reef is a fine marina nearby cut into the island, and we were able to rent kayaks and snorkeling gear to run out to the nearby islet. There was a sailing catamaran tour out of the marina to the JFK underwater national site at an island several miles to the east where we swam around with the manta ray that entertains itself by surprising unsuspecting snorkelers like my wife by swimming by right under them. There was a casino way out in the middle of nowhere near the eastern end of the island. The famous beer-drinking pig at the bar way up in the rain forest on the peak overlooking F-sted died of liver failure many years ago, but the owner was still feeding a pig cans of alcohol-free beer to entertain patron in 2000. Rich Gano Calypso (1972 Grand Banks 42) Panama City, FL

ist guide. The north side is very lush and scenic. http://www.gotostcroix.com/buck-island http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g147401-d149043-Reviews-Buck_Island_Reef_National_Monument-St_Croix_U_S_Virgin_Islands.html All the best, Wayne Beardsley GB49 Classic, Long Legged lady