Since Leslie opened The Cottage in 2009, she has transformed one of Bluffton’s most historic cottages into one of the Lowcountry’s most popular, and highly regarded, restaurants known as The Cottage Cafe, Bakery & Tea Room. She is also the Queen Bee at the popular Bluffton juice bar and emporium, The Juice Hive and is also the creator/owner/”chief roaster” at May River Coffee Roasters. In late 2022, she purchased The Pasta Shoppe in Bluffton and recently changed the name to The Bluffton Pasta Shoppe, carrying fine Italian foods, wines, and gifts.
Leslie has won many local and national awards for her cuisine since founding The Cottage Café, including numerous “Good Food Awards” (a highly regarded national food competition.) She has been named a winner in the national USA TODAY 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards – where The Cottage was honored as one of the top 5 Shrimp & Grits dishes in the entire state of South Carolina for its Bacon Pimento Shrimp & Grits and has won multiple honors in the Artisan Flave Awards.
Leslie’s commitment to bettering the Greater Bluffton area through her culinary endeavors is evident through her quarterly fundraisers for local charities, including events raising money for Paws Rehome, Search + Rescue through a “Bring Your Dog to Brunch” event, and restaurant fundraisers for the Palmetto Animal League.
In 2024, Governor McMaster named Leslie as one of three South Carolina Chef Ambassadors. This is the 10th year of the program, which was created in 2014 to highlight South Carolina as a destination for great food. Chef Ambassadors represent the state through food festivals and other promotional opportunities, sharing South Carolina’s culinary traditions, agricultural heritage and undiscovered places with the world.
“The Chef Ambassador program celebrates two important sectors of our booming economy — agribusiness and tourism,” McMaster said in the release. “Our state’s outstanding culinary talent contributes to the rich cultural heritage and quality of life that makes South Carolina unique and attractive to all.”
South Carolina Chef Ambassadors support the state’s farmers by using Certified South Carolina produce, meats, dairy, seafood and other farm-fresh foods in their own ways.
List Of Our Awards | |||
2022 Good Food Awards 2021 Sun Select Today Awards: 2021 Best of Bluffton Awards: 2021 Good Food Awards: 2020 Hilton Head Monthly Reader’s Choice Awards: 2020 South Magazine: Greatest Travel Spots 2020 Best of Bluffton Awards 2020 Best of Bluffton Awards 2020 Good Food Foundation 2020 Millenials in Bluffton 2019 Hilton Head Monthly Reader’s Choice Awards | 2019 International Flavor Awards: Artisan Flave 2019 Best of Bluffton Awards 2019 Best of Bluffton Awards 2019 Sun Today Select Awards 2019 Sun Today Select Awards 2019 USA Today 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards 2019 Island Packet 2018 Good Food Foundation 2018 Sun Today Select Awards 2018 Best of Bluffton 2018 Best of Bluffton | 2017 Beaufort Shrimp Festival 2016 Hilton Head Monthly Reader’s Choice Awards 2015 Sun Today Reader’s Choice Awards 2015 Sun Today Reader’s Choice Awards 2015 Hilton Head Monthly Reader’s Choice Awards 2015 Hilton Head Monthly Reader’s Choice Awards 2014 Sun Today Reader’s Choice Awards 2014 Sun Today Reader’s Choice Awards 2014 Hilton Head Monthly Reader’s Choice Awards! 2014 Hilton Head Monthly Reader’s Choice Awards | 2013 Hilton Head Monthly Reader’s Choice Awards 2013 Bluffton Today, Best of Bluffton Awards 2013 Bluffton Today, Best of Bluffton Awards 2013 Peanut Festival 2012 Hilton Head Monthly, Reader’s Choice Awards 2012 Pistachio Cake, Bluffton Today 2012 Bluffton Today, Best of Bluffton (BOB) Awards 2011 Bluffton Today, Best of Bluffton (BOB) Awards 2011 Hilton Head Monthly, Reader’s Choice Awards 2010 Hilton Head Monthly, Reader’s Choice Awards |
HOURS OF OPERATION
Breakfast: Mon-Fri 9-11am, Sat 8-11am
Lunch: Mon-Fri 11am-3pm, Sat 11-3pm
Sunday Brunch: Sundays 8am-2pm
The Good Food Awards or GFAs is an annual award competition for outstanding American craft food producers. |
The Cottage- 2022 Readers Choice Winner: Great news! The Cottage won Bluffton’s Favorite European Restaurant! |