IslandVibesIOP.com 20 FOOD & BEVERAGE Behind the Bar Spread your wings with Jess at The Nest By Sarah Rose On the Menu Woody’s Eatery: Ringing the breakfast bell all day, every day By Sarah Rose Positioned between the Swim Center, Harbor Golf Course Pro Shop and the Tennis Center at Wild Dunes Resort, Woody’s Eatery is a nostalgic spot located near the original site of the Isle of Palms Airport. The restaurant’s menu offers all-day breakfast as well as a selection of hot and cold sandwiches available for dinein or take-out. One could work up an appetite just pondering the selections. Start the day with The Deuce, which includes two eggs any style with hash browns and a choice of bacon, ham or sausage. For a lighter option, choose the avocado toast served with two eggs any style, avocado mash, cherry tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Alternatively, the Grand Slam breakfast sandwich with fried egg, American or cheddar cheese and a choice of bacon, ham or sausage can be served on a plain or everything bagel, croissant or biscuit. For lunch, make the Overhead Smash burger a single or double with an 1855 beef patty, American cheese, shredded lettuce, caramelized onions and special sauce plus the option to add bacon on a brioche bun. Don’t let the door hit you On the Way Out, which Growing up in EagleVail, Colorado, Jessica Backhus enjoyed skiing and bussing tables at a ranch her parents had transformed into an event venue. From ages 12-25 she worked there on and off, learning all aspects of hospitality. By the time Backhus turned 21, she started bartending and found that she loved interacting with the family’s guests. After attending college on the East Coast, Backhus returned home to the Rocky Mountain slopes to work and ski while figuring out her next steps. She was then drawn to Northern California, where she cooked in a kitchen and bartended. Ever the adventurer, Backhus moved to Nashville in 2013 when Husk opened. For the next five years, she experimented with craft cocktails there behind the bar. The journey then took her to Savannah when Husk launched that location. In 2019, she relocated to Charleston and helped open Delaney Oyster House, where she stayed for two years. Then in 2021, when a position to train bartenders and develop cocktail menus for the various themed restaurants at Wild Dunes Resort opened up, the timing aligned, and she’s been there ever since. At the resort, The Nest, which she likened to a “speakeasy where you get to stare out at the ocean,” has become her laboratory for creating top-of-theline cocktails. Two of her favorites to make and sip, she said, are a Negroni and a classic daiquiri. She also recommended the best-selling paloma and the Patagonia sour, which she called “an esoteric, adventuresome and visually-stunning beverage.” However, as Backhus emphasized, she is not a bartender or a mixologist. “Rather, I’m a ‘liquid cook,’ because when it comes to crafting cocktails, using basic components and ingredients requires the same good technique, patience and persistence to get the formula just right.” In addition to her creative freedom and encouraging the bartenders on her team to explore new recipes, what Backhus loves most about The Nest is meeting people from all over the world and hearing their stories. In her spare time, Backhaus enjoys patronizing local restaurants and immersing herself in nature. “Trying foods of all kinds makes me more adventurous in my own cooking and cocktail creation. Kayaking and exploring our waterways lends inspiration to my work as well,” she shared. Backhaus added that all Wild Dunes restaurants are open to the public and offer free valet parking. includes fried bologna on Texas toast with American cheese and yellow mustard. Or go all in with the “Juni” dog, an all-beef hot dog grilled and fried with a choice of chili, cheese, kraut and onions. For an afternoon pick-me-up, try the fried chicken sandwich with house slaw, heirloom tomatoes, pepper jack, spicy pickles and chipotle mayo on a brioche bun. Or swap the bun for a grilled flour tortilla and enjoy the crispy chicken wrap layered with shaved romaine, heirloom tomato and cheese with a choice of Caesar or buffalo. The Alley tenders come with a choice of honey mustard, barbeque, buffalo or ranch sauce. Always a crowd pleaser, the Tennis Club is served with Cajun-smoked turkey, brown sugar ham, bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese and mayo on Texas toast. All sandwiches are served with a side of chips, or you can substitute fries for an upcharge. The beverage menu includes cocktails such as a whisky sour, cosmo, lemon drop, mai tai, rum breeze, old fashioned and the original or spicy margarita. Woody’s wine list offers a choice of sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio or cabernet sauvignon. On draft are Golden Isle Lager, Yuengling, Kona Big Wave and Michelob Ultra. Happy hour is every day from 2:30-4 p.m.
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