Newly opened on the waterfront at Hilton Head Island’s Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina, The Other Sister’s Wine Bar is an ideal destination to meet friends or make new ones.
Located adjacent to Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina’s iconic mermaid, at 13 Harbourside Lane, The Other Sister’s Wine Bar (TOS) has been a glitzy gathering spot for tourists since its grand opening in late August.
Now that most of the island’s tourists have returned home for the school year, The Other Sister’s is becoming a popular choice for locals looking for an exciting new setting to hang their hat.
“We want our locals to come down,” said Mia Ayanian, who owns the establishment with her husband, Kevin. “We want them to have fun, if it’s sitting at the bar, having a glass of wine, watching TV and having a good time.”
Mia Ayanian said that The Other Sister’s plans to have “locals’ night” during the fall and winter months, including games such as mahjong and canasta. On October 23 from 5 until 7 PM, they will celebrate an inaugural “Hallo-wine” tasting. Come in costume (if you’d like) and be ready for a “spooktacular” tasting, with light hors d'oeuvres served. Cost is $25 per person and 10 percent off your dinner — if dare to stay.
The Ayanian’s retired to Hilton Head from Maryland, becoming full-timers on the island about two years ago. “We didn’t want to shovel snow anymore,” said Mia. “We decided to make that move and we’re so glad we did.” Both are wine connoisseurs. They call The Other Sister’s a 10-year dream in the making, “and we’re living it,” said Mia.
“We have a passion for wine,” she said. “We love talking to people and getting to know where their taste buds are. What they like and don’t like. Giving them a little wine education. Sometimes it’s nice to know where those grapes are coming from that you’re drinking and how it’s cultivated and manufactured by the actual wine makers themselves.”
Along with an array of beautifully hand-crafted cocktails, delicious, exotic and local wines, and beer, The Other Sister’s boasts an ideal location by the Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina mermaid. There is also an impressive outdoor bar for wine tastings and other gatherings.
One of their most popular cocktails is called the “Tipsy Mermaid.”
“If you stand here at the mermaid or you sit down at a high-top table or the bar, you’ve got a beautiful view of the palm trees and the marina and the amphitheater where local talent performs during the year,” said Mia Ayanian. “We are in the best spot that you can imagine.”
Along with a wine list featuring more than 50 different selections, The Other Sister’s web site (TOSWineBar.com) includes monthly favorite cocktails and specialty drinks.
Among the tantalizing menu selections, TOS appetizers include an Olive Cocktail, Low Country Empanadas (sweet corn, mozzarella, sautéed onions and red peppers, with a homemade empanada sauce), a Hummus Platter (avocado, beetroot, chickpea hummus, served with crackers, naan and homemade bread) and Watermelon Salad (fresh watermelon, crumbled feta cheese served with a blueberry dressing).
Breakfast includes scrambled eggs served with honey crispy bacon & two grilled sausages, a fluffy croissant stuffed with ham, Swiss cheese, & tomato served with a selection of jams & butter, the Shelter Cove Benedict (cured ham topped with two poached eggs on an open-faced English muffin, topped with a fresh hollandaise), Steak Benedict (sliced steak, cooked to your preference, topped with two poached eggs & served with hollandaise & blue cheese), Salmon Benedict (smoked salmon topped with two poached eggs served with cream cheese & chives), Spanish Omelet (eggs whipped with onions, parsley, tomatoes, served with an English muffin and sausage) and the Smoked Salmon Omelet (smoked salmon, whipped egg omelet served with capers), along with Pancakes topped with fresh fruit and a side of whipped cream.
The lunch menu includes a variety of paninis including the Caprese Panini (fresh basil, olive oil, tomatoes and mozzarella), Cheese Addict Panini (Havarti, cheddar and Swiss), Veggie Panini (marinated zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, and red peppers with fresh mozzarella), TOS Chicken Panini (grilled chicken strips marinated with pesto sauce, tomatoes, & Swiss cheese, served with mayo) and the Meat Lover's Panini (salami, beefsteak, pepperoni, caramelized onion, & pickles served with honey mustard), along with a decadently delicious Beach Burger.
The dinner menu includes a variety of salads, and entrees including Tofu Skewer (tofu grilled served with roasted vegetables and mixed pickles), Honey Chicken (grilled chicken with honey balsamic served with grilled sweet potatoes), Ahi Tuna (tuna served with a strawberry balsamic sauce accompanied with angel hair vermicelli), Seafood Platter (fresh seafood stewed with roasted vegetables served with a tomato sauce), Crab Cakes (two crab cakes served with a remoulade sauce and accompanied with a Caesar salad to pair) and Red Wine Steak (sirloin steak marinated with rosemary and served with mashed potatoes accompanied with a vegetable medley).
Of course, TOS features an impressive collection of Charcuterie Boards including Cheese & Charcuterie (Cheeses — Irish Cheddar, Dutch Gouda, French Emmental, Brie, Blue Cheese, Belgian Fontina, Colby Jack, Pepper Jack, Swiss Cheese and Cheddar; Charcuterie: Americano Prosciutto, Genoa Salami, Hot Sopressata, Pepper Salami, served with perfect accompaniments to pair) and a Charcuterie Plate (Meat Only: Americano Prosciutto, Genoa Salami, Hot Sopressata, Pepper Salami, served with perfect accompaniments to pair).
TOS is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30 AM until 9 PM, and closed on Monday. And who says Sundays are for sleeping in? They are also serving up a good time and great food every Sunday for Brunch from 11 AM to 4 PM.
Happy Hour is Tuesday through Friday from 4 PM until 7 PM.
As the youngest sister of three, Mia Ayanian said she really was, “the other sister.”
“My other two sisters were so beautiful and talented, I was dubbed the other sister,” she said. “It was one of those one-liners that sticks with you.”
She said that although their experiences, passions, talents, and dislikes differ, the indescribable bond between sisters is more than skin-deep and cannot be broken.
“So even though I may just be ‘the other sister’ to some, I know to them, I am loved and cherished,” she said.
Cheers to “the other sister.”