Abanico Tapas Bar, Spanish small plates in Greenville

There is no other place in Greenville like it, and the luscious Spanish tapas will only tempt your tastebuds more as we slowly turn the corner into spring and roll into the heat of summer…

Abanico Tapas Bar - Restaurant & Music opened its doors four months ago, serving a menu of small plates as well as a few entrees. The name means ‘fan’ and is a nod to the owner’s Spanish roots as well as the range of items on the menu. A Madrid native, Amador Herraiz has hired a chef from Spain in a successful effort to recreate the authentic Spanish tapas experience here in Greenville.

The menu is bursting with flavor; seafood options such as Gambas a la Plancha (prawn seared with sea salt & olive oil), Atun con Salsa de Frutos (seared ahi tuna with wild berry sauce) and Coca de Venduras con Anchoa (puff pastry with roasted peppers, onions & anchovy) dominate the current menu, although vegetables make intriguing appearances in dishes like the Coles de Bruselas (fried Brussel sprouts with mojo sauce and Manchego cheese) and Champinones Relleno (stuffed mushroom with goat cheese and ham). A robust drinks menu that includes favorite local drought beers and a generous pour on the wine, combined with delectable dessert offerings such as Spanish flan rounds out the package – what more could you want?

Gambas a la Plancha with Coles de Bruselas and Chiperones Fritas in the background

Maybe dancing? The club upstairs offers a venue for music and dancing, as well as private events. Salsa lessons, DJs, dancing late into the night…

Well, that’s a fantasy for this mom right now, because in reality we are toting three young children around, so any restaurant we frequent has to be open before 6pm and family friendly – which is another way Abanico stands out in the Greenville scene. So many children’s menus offer the same things: chicken nuggets, hot dogs and burgers. The closest thing to a burger on the menu was the Pincho de Chorizo (house-made Spanish sausage with baguette), yet the boys all left with their appetites sated and having tried a dozen new things – without even knowing it. Meanwhile, the adults were able to enjoy a mouthwatering meal that effortlessly brought back memories of paella on the Mediterranean…

Pescaito Frito, whole small fried fish

The thing about tapas is that they are small, and they are meant to share. You order something and the kids don’t like it? Fine, the adults eat it and there is no waste of food. You want to try something new? Go ahead and order it, it’s not going to hit the wallet like an uneaten entrée. If you really have a picky eater try the Patatas con Tres Salsas (potatoes w/ 3 sauces), bound to satisfy even the fussiest eater. But if your children are like mine (hungry!) they will try a few things and put together a customized meal, broadening their palates and discovering new foods in the process.

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This post is part of the Food on Friday series. For more featured restaurants, click here.

Want to read about the freshly caught seafood, Gypsy Kings-style music, Mediterranean breezes and Spanish architecture feels that a meal at Abanico will evoke? You’ll want to read my post about Saintes-Maries-de-La-Mer, Barcelona, and Gaudí…

Cafe and Then Some, featuring Viva Greenvegas!

“Something to offend everyone” is the motto at Cafe and Then Some, downtown Greenville’s comedy dinner theater. In business since 1979, Cafe and Then Some combines great food with hilarious entertainment for an evening of make-your-sides-hurt fun.

We headed downtown to check out the new show, Viva GreenVegas: “Join Toy Pettigru, Mary Louise Earl McDaniel Hampton Pinckney, Veranda Bannister and her daughter Madison, a Greenville city policeman, two Reedy River crayfish and a host of others as they attempt to explain exactly what is going in in Greenville with all the trendy restaurants and new construction of apartments and condos!  And where the hell all the people are going to come from to support this madness!”

The comedy troupe is spot-on in this newest show, poking some good-natured fun at Greenville’s restaurant scene and current events. The cast includes Susan Smith, Maureen Abdalla, Jim Wilkins, Traysie Amick and Bill Smith, and the show ran the gamut of comedy with one-liners, funny costumes, musical numbers and enough witty repartee to keep the laughter coming.

The cafe opens for dinner at 6:30, but another option is going for drinks and dessert (served at intermission). The menu ranges from standard to southern, but make sure to save room for dessert; their "Homemade Sin" is a chocolate chip cookie baked during the show and smothered in ice cream, chocolate sauce, whipped cream and peanuts. Or try "The Elvis!," a miniature peanut butter and banana sandwich, battered, deep-fried and rolled in powdered sugar and cinnamon, topped with a mixed berry puree and mini marshmallows. The drinks menu is reasonable, and the service always friendly and cheerful. The show starts somewhere after 8pm and goes around two hours – admission is $20+tax. Make reservations in advance as the venue frequently sells out, and to stay up to date on the newest shows (and get alerts on opening night which is usually free), check out their facebook page. Shows run Wednesday through Saturday, and the dialogue often changes over the course of time as the cast fine-tunes the skits based on audience response. 

This article is part of the Food on Friday series.

The Toasty Farmer at Brewery 85

This article is part of the Food on Friday series.

Browsing The Toasty Farmers market

With the recent article in Town Magazine, The Toasty Farmer is no longer an Upstate secret; however, parents in the know have discovered that the family-friendly, winter farmers market can be the perfect outing on a cold winter’s day.

The unassuming frontage road that leads to Brewery 85 might lead new visitors to question their GPS, but you’ll soon known you’re in the right place by the cars overflowing from the brewery parking lot. The craft microbrewery is named for Interstate 85, central to the location on Whitlee Ct. and also to the region, connecting the hometowns of members of the ‘Brew Crew.’ The farmers market is mostly an indoor event, but you’ll find the food trucks outdoors; hot chocolate to warm up those kiddos, anyone?

Brewery 85 is celebrating their 4th anniversary on Saturday, January 27th!

The main entrance opens into the bar area where knowledgeable staff will help make a decision among the multiple beers on tap (they also have cider, wine, and a few non-alcoholic options for kids) that can be taken into the vending area in the main area of the brewery just around the corner.

Before we even make it into the market, the kids get sidetracked by the view of the brewery floor, all the enormous, shiny tanks, kettles and mills fueling their imagination. The brewery opened in 2014, and The Toasty Farmer launched a couple years later to provide an outlet for farm produce and goods during the winter season (in addition to bringing customers to the brewery). Starting with 7 markets the first year, this second season there will be a total of 19, every Saturday through March 10^th. Doors are open from 11am to 2pm.

Sea Eagle Seafood setting up for the oyster roast in the picnic area

Once you’ve browsed the bakery, dairy, winter veggie and other vendors, head to the back of the space to pick up some Sea Eagle Seafood, who bring their fresh catch from Beaufort every other week. On the first Saturday of the month the market hosts an oyster roast – all you can eat fresh cluster oysters and low country-style sides – turning the picnic area out back into a community gathering place (as weather permits, the tables are set up indoors in inclement weather).

Snacks provided by Upcountry Provisions

The kids’ favorite vendor has a sweet pastry that we allow them to dig into while shopping, and I enjoy browsing cheeses from the creamery and perhaps purchasing a local wine. When the weather is warmer the kids can run around outside while the parents enjoy a beverage at one of the picnic tables, while in cold and rainy weather we seat them with a snack and relax & enjoy the atmosphere indoors. With 45 vendors it’s a sure bet to find a local artisan, producer or farmer to talk with; the food trucks, music and craft beer are a bonus.

Greenville-based ViviDivine jewelry 

For more information, visit The Toasty Farmer Facebook page.

Food on Friday: Piney Mountain Bike Lounge

There is one spot that definitely needs to be on your bucket list this summer if you live in Greenville and have kids who enjoy riding bikes – Piney Mountain Bike Lounge!

Piney Mountain is a cross between a bicycle shop and a taproom, complete with a pump track out back! Located between downtown and Paris Mountain, the Lounge caters to mountain bikers on their way to and from the mountains. It has also become a gathering spot for the local community to come together and share their love for riding – or share their love for craft beer while their kids are busy wearing themselves out on the dirt bike course!

Our most recent visit was a weekday. The boys were all still running full steam, wearing on my last nerve. We still had several hours of daylight, and so we loaded up three kids, three bikes and three helmets and headed to Piney Mountain Road.

Although the exterior looks much like it did when it was the Landscapers Supply, the interior has been completely revamped. On one side is the bar, serving up craft beer alongside what is the bicycle repair space. On the other side is a lounge, complete with couches, a foosball table and handlebars in the place of mounted trophies. The center is filled with all the latest cycling gear and bicycles, trail maps on the walls of favorite dirt biking destinations in the area. Finally, in the back you’ll find the former loading dock, converted to outdoor patio. Full of picnic tables, the space overlooks the pump track, a small, looping trail system that you can ideally ride continuously without pedaling.

Since their grand opening in March, Piney Mountain has settled in with a rotation of food trucks to make the Lounge truly a one-stop evening hot-spot. With Upstate favorites such as Automatic Taco, Ellada Kouzina and Chuck Truck each night, for the current schedule check the website or follow Piney Mountain Bike Lounge on facebook. For the beer enthusiasts, a list of the 14 regional and local craft beers on tap can be found here. The pump track is closed when it’s wet for safety reasons as well as to protect the track, and a waiver must be signed before use. Usually one of us will take the boys & bikes around to the track and get them set up, while the other orders food and beer and gets settled in at one of the tables by the track – then it’s just a matter of shouting out a few encouraging words to keep them circling the track while we enjoy our meal.

The lounge

Piney Mountain offers a variety of tune-up and service options as well as a demo option if you’re looking to buy a bicycle but not quite ready to commit. For those with kids in middle or high school that might be interested in a mountain biking team, NICA (the National Interscholastic Cycling association) is coming to Greenville and often meets at Piney Mountain – check out Upstate Composite on facebook for more info.

When it comes down to it, I’m really more of a Swamp Rabbit Trail gal than a Paris Mountain cyclist, but it really doesn't matter: Piney Mountain is a great addition to the Upstate's cycling scene, as well as to the north-Greenville community. Whether you’re looking to get your bike ready for the season, catch up with friends after a day at Paris Mountain, or just ‘cycle’ through some of that energy in the kids on these long days, make sure to swing by the Lounge this summer!

Worn out!

For more information about Piney Mountain Bike Lounge go to www.pineymtb.com.

You can also follow them on twitter and instagram. For a similar experience, check out The Hub in North Carolina, the bike shop, outfitter and tavern on the Pisgah National Forest.

Food on Friday – Craft & Barrel

It seems that there is a new restaurant opening in the Upstate every week, and while we enjoy trying out the trendy spots (which often become favorites), we also have our go-to restaurants. There are the ones that we visit when celebrating birthdays and wedding anniversaries, but we have a handful that are on regular rotation for occasions such as the fridge is empty, it’s too hot in the kitchen or mommy needs a break. These are the family-friendly places that have dishes suitable for the kids (but still have an interesting menu for the adults), have a fun atmosphere, include stress-free parking and reasonably priced meal options.

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Don’t judge a book by its cover; just as a restaurant on Main St. isn’t guaranteed to be good just because it’s squeezed in among all the current bestsellers, being located in a strip mall shouldn’t disqualify a new author from consideration. I’ve recently become familiar with yet another dining option in Greenville that offers local craft beer and fresh, Southern-inspired menu offerings paired with a convenient location and plenty of parking – making it a sure bet for a weeknight.

Craft & Barrel gastropub specializes in local craft beer, hand-crafted bourbon & whiskey cocktails, and a fresh, Southern menu. The owners Ritch Matthews & Lauren Cramer have been in the food industry for more than 17 years and opened Craft & Barrel in the fall of 2016 where the old Cheers used to be. Be warned – this is a gastropub – meaning it’s more of a bar (but with great food!) than a restaurant, and although it’s a place I’ll take the boys, I will make sure it’s not a night when a live band is playing or karaoke night. We’ll bypass the bar and sit in the back room near the stage, or in the enclosed outdoor patio, and we might go a bit earlier to avoid the evening rush (Wednesdays are usually perfect!).

fried green tomatoes

The full menu features a wide range of options, with the entirety (other than a couple of exceptions) made on site, from scratch. With this in mind, here are a few of my favorites:

From the small plates – fried green tomatoes & housemade cheese sticks. The tomatoes are every bit as good as the ones made in Juliet, GA where the movie Fried Green Tomatoes was filmed, the remoulade probably better. The cheese sticks with fresh marinara sauce are light without being greasy.

From the snacks – bacon jalapeno deviled eggs. A spicy twist on a southern fave, the locally-sourced cheddar and bacon kicking it up a notch.

macaroni & cheese large plate

From the flatbreads – the pesto and heirloom tomato is a best-seller, and for good reason.

From the large plates – the buttermilk fried chicken, the fish and chips. My favorite menu item is the macaroni and cheese: jumbo shells blended with white cheddar cheese, chopped bacon, diced tomatoes and scallions, plus I add the grilled shrimp. Note, if you order mac&cheese as a side, you'll be getting the classic macaroni and cheese...

Sides – you can’t go wrong with the sweet potato chips, and a good test of a chef is his fried okra; ours was perfect.

Dessert – (Order it! Selections do change daily…)

pesto and heirloom tomato flatbread

The specialty drinks I’ve tasted have been excellent, interesting ingredient pairings with good presentation. The blackberry julep is a favorite: Bulleit bourbon, fresh blackberries, fresh mint & sugar. The St. Basil left me perplexed; what was supposed to be Basil Hayden’s bourbon, muddled basil, grapefruit bitters & St. Germain instead contained cilantro, however the combination was delicious and so I didn’t even attempt to clear up the misunderstanding.

Buttermilk fried chicken with sweet potato chips & fried okra

In addition to the live music that takes the stage most Friday and Saturday nights, there are plenty of TVs, a room for darts (that can have some serious competition certain nights), a weeknight happy hour and karaoke. Our service has always included good recommendations and a friendly stop-by from the owner, and the timing of food coming out is flawless. It doesn’t have to be downtown for it to be a Greenville favorite – Craft & Barrel is the perfect example.

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Click here for Craft & Barrel's website.

They are also here on facebook, and are @craftbarrel on instagram.

Food on Friday - ASADA

It seems that there is a new restaurant opening in the Upstate every week, and while we enjoy trying out the trendy spots (which often become favorites), we also have our go-to restaurants. There are the ones that we visit when celebrating birthdays and wedding anniversaries, but we have a handful that are on regular rotation for occasions such as the fridge is empty, it’s too hot in the kitchen or mommy needs a break. These are the family-friendly places that have dishes suitable for the kids (but still have an interesting menu for the adults), have a fun atmosphere, include stress-free parking and reasonably priced meal options.

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The first time I tried Asada, it was from the food truck – the very first of its kind in Greenville. Five years later I finally made it in to their brick-and-mortar, and we’ve been fans ever since. Asada is a neighborhood restaurant; on any given night it will be full of couples and families that have walked over from their Vista Hills and Stone Lake homes.

Enjoy a drink on the patio

Inspired by Latin American cuisine, Roberto Cortez and his partner Gina Petti offer menu options using seasonal and local produce. Global meets familiar, the menu features new twists on popular favorites. Tacos, burritos and quesadillas take their place on the menu next to options such as Nicaraguan-style churrasco and grilled chimichurri wings w/crispy rosemary potatoes.

The chimichurri wings

In addition to the wings and churrasco, I like the chicken karaage taco and the Korean burrito. You can’t go wrong with a side of the Bolitas De Yuca Con Queso – fried yuca balls stuffed with cheese – a scrumptious appetizer only made better with the tangy but creamy side of mild spicy Peruvian Huancaína sauce (made with Ají Amarillo peppers).

Made fresh, in-house, including the insanely addictive pico de gallo

This time of year it’s all washed down nicely with sangria, and on our most recent visit there were two on the menu: a white and a red. I opted for the white, complimented nicely with citrus and apple. There’s a perfectly respectable beer menu for those going the less-fruity route.

A post shared by ASADA (@asada_restaurant) on Dec 30, 2016 at 8:39am PST

And if you’ve still got room after the huge portions Asada dishes up (and even if you don’t), you’ll need to sample the tres leches cake to guarantee only the sweetest dreams. Trust me, you won’t regret it – and you’ll be back soon for more.

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Find ASADA on facebook, instagram and on their webpage, www.asadarestaurant.com.