None other than Erica Rhodes, most recently seen on American Idol.

A reader emailed me that she saw Erica yesterday in town for lunch. Erica was very sweet and took some pictures.

The music on this page is very good, take a listen!

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

The Pee Dee Business and Professional Women’s network is having their monthly meeting tomorrow. It is NOT too late to reserve a space! What a great opportunity, I am so glad that our community has this resource.

Via Email:

Our monthly meeting is this Thursday from 12-1:30 at the Florence Country Club and it is visitors month. We are encouraging business and professional women in the Pee Dee area to come see what we are all about. We will have a fantastic catered lunch, testimonials from current members, an overview of our group and the benefits of membership, and fantastic door prizes, including a free membership for one of our visitors. If anyone is interested, please contact Barrett Jackson by email – info@tulipsandtoadstools.com to reserve a seat. Guest lunch is 17.00.
www.peedeewomensnetwork.com

We meet on the 4th Thursday of each month at the Florence Country Club from 12 until 1:30.

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

So the Flossette has discovered a new restaurant in Florence to add to her list of favorites….

Hibachi Grill!

Have any of you been there? Its located next to the old Wal-Mart in the old Athelete’s Foot building (don’t think too hard about that. trust me!) When I walked in the door, I was greeted instantly and given a number so that they could call me when a table was ready. The place was PACKED and it still only took them 5 minutes to seat me.

On the inside, the place is amazing! It almost looked like a casino with a bazillion (not really..but a ton) of buffets! I snagged a flyer before I left and here are some of the highlights:

“We have over 200 different items on the bar. Plus we have a Hibachi selection which you can pick and choose to make up your own menu, so we can cook it on the Hibachi for no additional charge.”

200 items? I believe it! I saw EVERYTHING I could have imagined: A huge fruit bar, pizza, potato skins, cheese sticks, sushi, octopus, pasta, salad, three or four different kinds of rice, a dessert bar and MORE.

Another plus? They are open 7 days a week. They also have private rooms in case you need somewhere to host a party or an office meeting. Also, the prices are completely reasonable!

DINNER:
Mon-Sat: $8.99
Kids (3-6): $3.95
7-10 year olds: $5.50
Sunday all day dinner

LUNCH:
Mon-Sat: $6.29
KIDS (3-6): $2.00
7-10 year olds: $3.99

I would have never thought that I would be so obsessed with this place since I am such a devoted Sakura fan…butttttt I have to give it up to Hibachi Grill because they have got it going on!

Have a great weekend, ya’ll!!

-Flossette

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

I don’t know about ya’ll, but the Flossette is NOT a big fan of Monday’s. I hope that everyone made the best of their Monday and ended up having a great day!

Last weekend, some friends and I decided to head to one of my favorite Florence restaurants: Groucho’s! I could eat there probably everyday of my life and never get sick of the Apollo Dipper… yum! And don’t even get me started on the “Groucho’s Sauce!” Okay, enough. I’m drooling now. (Just kidding!)

But in all seriousness, if you’re ever looking for a filling but quick lunch around Florence, head to Groucho’s (I know there is one at 5 points and one inside of McLeod Hospital).

Have a great week!!
-Flossette

Random Question: Any of ya’ll know of any businesses in Florence hiring for the summer? The Flossette is job hunting and failing miserably!

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

Title: Pee Dee Business and Professional Women\’s Network
Location: Florence Country Club
Description: Subject: Luncheon 3-26-09

Our next luncheon is Thursday, March 26th @ 12pm @ the Florence Country Club. Please join us as Diane Daniels presents on economical marketing during this economic downturn.

Our dues are $45 for the year. Member lunches are $13 and guests are $17. Please RSVP to Beverly@campbellgroupsc.com no later than Monday, March 23rd to procure your lunch reservation.

We will look forward to seeing you there!

Betsy Fuleihan, Pres 2009
Start Time: 12:00
Date: 2009-03-26

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

Hey guys and girls,
Flossette here! Sorry for the lack of posts recently. I’ve had midterms at school the past few weeks and been quite preoccupied! I hope everyone is enjoying this GORGEOUS weather! I know I am! The fact that FMU is on the way to the beach has caused the Flossette to keep driving away from FMU! Ha! Don’t worry though, I never gave in!

I always get annoyed when I get hungry at school. I am not a big fan of the cafeteria, and the Grille is too expensive but on the other hand, Subway & Wendys can get old. QUICK. I feel like there are no real decent places to eat near campus and that’s no good! A week or so ago, I decided to try luck on a little place I’ve always passed and never stopped: The Sunrise Drive-In. It is so homey, very good if you’re in a hurry and their onion rings sure won’t let down either!

What are your favorite lunch spots in Florence?

-Flossette

YAY for Spring Break starting on Friday!!

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

I am a sucker for foreign food. I just can’t help it! I went to Sakura one night last week and let me just tell ya’ll, it ROCKS. Everytime I go, the place is packed & the service is still great. Everything is reasonably priced and the food is yummy! Flossette reccomends the Crab Roll and the Spider Roll..and for you non-sushi lovers, try to Shrimp and Rice plate!

What are some of your favorite places to eat in Florence?

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

I had a lovely lunch with the girls at the New York Butcher Shoppe today. I initially thought that we would just check out the new digs, but upon entering realized we could stay and eat. They have tables set up for dining in, and a lunch menu. As you approach the counter they have paper lunch menus that you can fill out and turn in with your order marked. I chose an Italian sub. While I waited on my sub, I checked out the goods in the store.

The meats at the butcher counter look wonderful. There are many options for cuts of meat, and the prices looked fair. They are more expensive than Food Lion, but superior quality. They are more on par with Harris Teeter, but superior quality. I scanned the fresh fish as well, and this is definitely where I will start buying salmon. I checked out the buffalo meat as well… but I think I will leave that to the more sophisticated connoisseurs. I was also impressed with the cheeses they offer as well as the wines.

I don’t know if you have ever been to the Fresh Market in Columbia, but this is similar in many ways. Those of you that drive to Columbia to buy steaks and bring them home in a cooler will not need to do that anymore. I overheard the proprietor, Brent Tiller, saying that they expect more inventory to come in shortly. I know this will be the place to visit before hosting a party. Chef Jeremy Williams will do a fabulous job with the prepared foods they offer.

After I finished viewing the selections, my sandwich was ready. It really was superb and exactly the way I wanted it. I had some fru-fru gourmet chips as a side and an ice cold soda. What more could I need? (It even met my under 10.00 lunch requirement.)

I am sure I will be back over the Christmas season, but initial reaction is four out of five Palmetto Trees. Check it out, and tell them I sent you! (It won’t get you anything, but it certainly will make you look cooler.)

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

I was almost giddy with excitement today when I lunched at Steve and Donna’s. First, I noticed my post reviewing their new restaurant was on the counter. THEN, I turned around and saw it blown up into a poster hanging on the wall! I felt as if I was a famed food critic that had dined in an exclusive New York City restaurant.
The food was excellent once again. Eating there reminds me of my grandmother. She was very southern, but also very conscious of her weight. She somehow cooked good southern food without it feeling like a lead weight in your stomach when you were done. It is the same at Steve and Donna’s… I leave feeling like I had a good Southern meal, but I don’t have to crawl to my car when I leave.

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

One thing I have learned during my tenure as the Flossip is that there is a lot going on that I never knew about. I don’t even have time to write about everything that is going on! This is one group that caught my eye recently. Betsy was kind enough to email me some more details:

The Pee Dee Business & Professional Women’s Network is a group organized for women, by women over 10 years ago. The goal is to promote either the business they own or the business they represent and enjoy the company of other professional women. We meet every 4th Thursday of the month (sometimes those dates change in Nov & Dec) @ 12pm @ the Florence Country Club. Lunch for guests is $15, lunch for members is $13. Membership dues are only $45 per year ($22.50 through the end of the year). Reservations for the luncheon are required by the Monday prior to the luncheon as we have to turn in a count to the CC. Members receive both post cards and email reminders. Those interested in attending a luncheon that are not yet members can RSVP either betsyfATcampbellgroupsc.com or sweetserenitygourmetATyahoo.com.

We have a wonderful lunch buffet and network at our individual tables during lunch itself and then hear from the speaker(s) for that month. Sometimes we have outside speakers and sometimes we have members from our group speak. This month’s speaker is Stuart Laurence Salon and we will be naming the rest of the 2009 Board of Directors. It sounds like it will be lots of fun! After the speaker we generally all present 30 second info-mercials about our business and let the group know what type of referrals we are looking for. The luncheons usually last about an hour and a half.

We currently have over 50 members and are always welcome guests and new members. As a women in business I have really enjoyed this group and have found it more beneficial than many others around. If you are a woman in business or know a woman that fits this bill I highly recommend you attending one of our luncheons.

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.