Q AN INFORMATIVE LINEUP OF THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE GOLDEN ISLES
Behind the Scenes T h e S t. S i m o n s L a n d T r u s t ’ s w e l l- b a l a n c e d f e a s t WORDS BY LESLIE LAMKIN | PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE ST. SIMONS LAND TRUST
B
ushels of steamed oysters are the undisputed stars of the St. Simons Land Trust Annual Oyster Roast on January 13 at Gascoigne Bluff. But there are plenty of tasty foods co-starring in the annual production — all generously donated by the Golden Isles’ favorite chefs. For a dozen of the Land Trust’s 18 roasts, Richie Williamson has been the volunteer chairman who has pulled the well-balanced dinner together. When he took over as restaurant coordinator, there were some 25 to 30 restaurants providing meats, sides, and desserts. This year, the number topped 45. Even the wine, beer, and soft drinks are donated.
JANUARY/F EB RUA RY 2018
19
Williamson was initially recruited by a neighbor to organize the food pickup. From doing the pickup the first year, he took on more and more responsibilities in subsequent years. “I think the fact that it was for the Land Trust made it easy to accept,” he says. “I’m a huge believer in the mission of the Land Trust.” Local restaurants are quick to get involved, too. “I was doing the recruiting three weeks after Hurricane Irma. They’ve already lost a week to 10 days’ worth of business, and they immediately said yes to my inquiries. It’s very impressive – our restaurants and their commitment,” Williamson says. Last year, five restaurants had dropped out because of Hurricane Matthew, but he says, “they’re all back this year.” How does Williamson ensure a balance of items on the menu? When he visits a potential contributor, he may ask for something in particular. “When I’m recruiting, I look at their menu to see what they have and I try to come up with a suggestion. Of course, we let them pick if they want to.” The resulting menu includes everything from fried chicken and barbecue to soups, salads, vegetables, and desserts. Much of the food is set out on buffet tables, where restaurants provide up to 60 servings of their creations. In addition, seven restaurants provide 300 to 400 servings of their dishes at separate stations scattered around the park’s perimeter.
Oyster Roast 2018 planning session in Gascoigne Park. Photo by Jett Lamkin.
The Delivery How do you get a feast for almost 1,000 people to an outdoor venue on time? That would be the responsibility of Williamson’s pickup team, all of whom have been on the job for 12 years or more. Each person or pair contacts five to seven restaurants the Friday before the roast, letting them know they’ll stop by before 4:15 on Saturday to pick up the donated dishes. 20
G O L D E N I S LES
{BY DESIGN}
WORDS BY LAUREN MCDONALD PHOTOS BY BOBBY HAVEN ake what you’ve got, and transform it. It’s a simple decorating technique that comes with nearly limitless options. By mixing new and old furniture — modern styles with antique pieces — you can create a unique, interesting style in your home. “You can mix some of the new with the old,” says Louise Bledsoe, owner of Antiques, Etc. in downtown Brunswick. “Even if it’s a table and then putting new funky chairs; or the opposite, like a funky glass table with old chairs. It’s just making it eclectic and fresh. It doesn’t have to all look like granny’s house.” Dressers can be transformed into bars. A chest of drawers can be shifted into a sink for the bathroom. A trunk can be a coffee table. Secretary desks can become bookcases. People today are finding innovative ways to decorate their homes, using just a handful of antique pieces.“All kinds of people are repurposing,” says Bill Nutgrass, manager of Antiques, Etc. “They’ll take a door and make a hall tree out of it; put a seat on it, put books on it.” Nutgrass has seen people buy bookcases to be used for extra closet space. Instead of stacking novels of literature, the new owners pile their sweaters, shorts, and t-shirts high on the shelves. Antiques, Etc., which takes up 28,000 square feet of Newcastle Street in downtown Brunswick, offers a maze of thousands of
antique pieces in all shapes, sizes, and forms. Within that maze, a home decorator can find a plethora of oneof-a-kind design ideas, including multiple ways to incorporate the new and the old into their home-furnishing style. Furniture, lamps, and home decor are on display, along with jewelry, silver, china, and an assortment of other items. The ideas are limitless and the staff at Antiques, Etc. can also offer out-of-the-box decorating ideas using items found in the store. “We’ve got the baby box springs, and you can take them and hang things,” Nutgrass says. “You can take old doors and make bed headboards. I’ve seen people take shutters and make bookcases with the shutters as the sides.” The design technique can also work for seasonal decorating and special events. “We don't want to spend money anymore,” Bledsoe says. “We want to take what we’ve got and transform it, then do a little bit just to tweak it so it can make do … You can do that with every holiday.” Bledsoe has owned the store for 11 years, and she says visitors come from all over to peruse their collection of antique items. And just about everything on sale at Antiques, Etc. could be repurposed into a creative home decoration, Nutgrass says. “It’s all up here, in your imagination,” he says. JANUARY/F EB RUA RY 2018
45
A Special Thanks to OUR GUESTS Amy Broderick, Kate Buckley, Dr. Sage Campione, Allison Culbertson, Kate Dart, Elaine Griffin, Stephanie Jacobs, Donna MacPherson, Ada Owens, Denise Taylor CLOISTER BELLE TEAM Captain Brian Quin, and Lindsay Earl PHOTOGRAPHER Brooke Roberts FOOD TEAM Donna MacPherson of Golden Isles Olive Oil and Dr. Sage Campione
JANUARY/F EB RUA RY 2018
69