It doesn’t get much better than brunch with ocean views and a bottomless glass of sweet tea. Especially when the food is good, and it was on the poolside patio at Tides, the restaurant at the Kiawah Island Beach Club that’s taken several forms since its debut in 1994. Tides is the latest iteration, opening in May 2005 with a menu from consulting chef Tom Colicchio. Yes, the same Tom Colicchio that broods weekly on “Top Chef.” Colicchio’s contract with Kiawah lapsed this fall, but his menu is primarily intact, and the food at brunch was better than ever.

To begin, our table received a basket of warm pull-apart rolls with soft herb butter.

My father’s cup of She Crab Soup ($4) wasn’t as creamy or sherry-laced as most versions of the Charleston classic, but it did feature tufts of sweet crabmeat and minced chives.

They layered a special “skillet” with impeccable grits, two golden fried crab cakes, firm fried green tomatoes and chunky pancetta-spiked red pepper relish.

Tides’ Shrimp and Egg Skillet ($16) hosted sweet local shrimp, two eggs over easy, juicy chicken-apple sausage, Hollandaise sauce and root vegetable hash with diced sweet potatoes and potatoes.

It may be too early to tell, but it appears that Colicchio has had a lasting impact on the limited Kiawah dining scene.