Hungry Meets Healthy: Page's Okra Grill, Mt. Pleasant, SC and a tribute to South Carolina

I woke up starving this morning! On the weekends, I'm very relaxed about what I eat. It's important to enjoy life to the fullest, and who wants to be dieting 7 days a week? Not me! Knowing that I got in 5 great work-out sessions this week, I was comfortable with eating a giant, naughty, southern breakfast. Nugget's bf Aaron suggested we go to Page's Okra Grill for brunch. I've passed by Page's many times on my way to Mozzo (amazing deli, btw), but never thought about trying it. My empty tummy was excited to go somewhere new!

We walked right in and seated ourselves in a booth towards the back. The restaurant is decent-sized and very open. It was fairly crowded, but not overwhelming. It smelled so so good. A list of daily specials written on a chalkboard hung above the cash register at the front.

The breakfast menu has lots of options, including your typical eggs, pancakes, waffles, and french toast, but also includes breakfast with a low country flair. Entrees included country fried steak, shrimp & grits, crab cakes, and sausage with gravy. I chose one of their daily specials for the best of both worlds: an unsweetened tea, a shrimp & pimiento cheese omelet (!!) with a side of grits and a biscuit. They were nice enough to let me get all egg whites, but at this point, was that really helping me? Ha.

The "super-healthy-during-the-week-Xtina" would have been just as pleased with their menu. Happy heart menu options include the no-carb breakfast (2 eggs & ham), organic cinnamon raisin toast, and a seasonal fruit plate.

My already big eyes enlarged the size of Euro coins when my waitress put my food in front of me. The omelet was large and stuffed with four large shrimp. The pimiento cheese on top was very good, especially since the heat from the omelet warmed and melted it just a bit. The grits were, well, just grits. The biscuit, on the other hand, was one of the best I've ever had. It was perfectly soft but somewhat crumbly with a light, buttery flavor.

Aaron ordered the breakfast casserole with home fries and toast. I took a bite of his casserole and thought it was pretty good, but it would have been better if it was fresh out of the oven.

My biscuit and Aaron's toast:

I was very pleased with my meal and would definitely go back. Next time I would try their Barefoot Contessa's french toast or their Alton Brown's chocolate waffle. As I walked out, I noticed they had several fresh cakes! I mentally drooled, then rushed out of the door with visions of the treadmill in my head. This whole breakfast experience got me feeling really southern. I don't know what in the heck has happened to me over the past year or so, but I've gone soft for South Carolina. It's such a weird feeling. I grew up in Massachusetts until I was 13, and then my parents dragged me southward "for the weather." I'm a very resilient person, but until recently, I never really knew why I was still living here, aside from Auntie Kelly & family and my awesome friends. I've been proud to be from Massachusetts, even while dating you-know-who who once actually whispered to me "Shh, X, don't tell people you're a Yankee." But then things started changing...

I went to Nascar,

became best friends with Tennessee-bred Jenna,

half-liked watching Clemson football,

held two guns,

caught crabs with my bare hands,

played with raccoons,

and watched my other best friend, Nikki, fall in love & get engaged to an incredible southern man, William:

She has since convinced me that Southern boys are the way to go. :)

I'm happy to say that I really love living here. The people are unbelievably friendly, the weather is unpredictable but beautiful, and I live 5.9 miles from the beach. Yes, our malls completely suck, but with online shopping, what does it matter?

I officially love you South Carolina.