Dining on Snug side of town

For our latest dining excursion, we wanted to explore a different part of Augusta.

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It took us two hours to decide exactly which part it would be. (We got lost, OK?) As we wandered about we spotted a billboard that described a little hideaway tavern that had lobster, steaks, and pasta -- with an endearing name, The Snug. It sounded comfy, so we headed in that direction (or so we hoped).

Tom: Snug is the word for this place -- comfortable, casual, warm, with friendly servers. Ours was Kevin, who zipped back and forth from the bar to his tables with ease. I told him right off the bat that we'd be a pain; it didn't faze him a bit.

Julie: The first thing you'll notice about The Snug is originality. It has homemade everything -- Bloody Mary mix, breads, salad dressings. Very unusual, and tasty.

Tom immediately zeroed in on the jumbo lump crab dip for an appetizer.

Tom: And it was exactly as described -- jumbo lumps of crab in a succulent, sweet, cream dip, served with garlic slices. When you go to this restaurant, make sure that you order this appetizer.

Julie: I opted to try a little of everything, gaining reassurance from Tom, or course, that he'd help me out. I ordered the hors d'oeuvres platter, which includes barbecue wings and riblets, fried cheese sticks, fried mushrooms and fried shrimp, served with a homemade ranch sauce. This platter is more than a meal by itself.

Tom: But Julie made a generous dent . . . and also helped me out with the crab dip. In her defense though, she managed only a few bites of her entree, and never mentioned the word dessert. She's losing her edge.

Julie: So gallant of you, dear. Had I known how good the Pasta Isle of Capri would be, I'd have had a hard time deciding between that and the hors d'oeuvres platter. So I ended up sampling the delicious mixture of shrimp, scallops, and marinara over fettuccine.

Risking redundancy, the portions here are more than generous.

Tom: Being the sensible Republican that I am, I was able to finish off the "Papa New York Strip" -- cooked to perfection as I like it: charred and medium.

Julie: We can't forget the salads, Tom.

Tom: Right. The salad is served in one large bowl for you to mix, along with a selection of homemade dressings, suited to the tastes of the finicky.

Julie: Unlike anyone I know. I chose the honey mustard; he chose the closest thing to bleu cheese offered -- ranch. And yes, he did ask Kevin if there was any bleu cheese. The salad was crisp and colorful, filled with a variety of vegetables.

Tom: Except for the ominous discussion we got into about my impending birthday (Julie gave me a red Ferrari -- 5 inches in length -- and Speedos; it's enough to drive a man insane), we had a marvelous time. You'll find an impressive selection on the Snug's menu, which includes everything from burgers to steak and lobster.

Rating:

Atmosphere: ***

Service: ***

Food: ***

Dining out

Restaurant: The Snug Tavern & Grill

Location: 240 Davis Road

Phone: 863-1118

Hours: 11a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays; 3:30 to 11p.m. Saturdays; closed Sundays

Tom Curran and Julie Gates are the proprietors of the Floyd Manor Inn in Blackville, S.C. They may be reached for comment at (803) 284-3736.