A collection of photography and exploration focusing on Upstate South Carolina and beyond.
Since we both work and have no kids, we eat out a lot. I like trying new places, and am happy to pass along my opinions on these new restaurants. For these reviews, I try to stay away from the obvious chains (Chili’s, Applebees, Wendy’s, and other things ending with a long ee sound.) I’m also confining my reviews to the general Upstate area. We’ve had lot’s of fantastic meals on our travels, but I’d rather pass along the cuisine of this area.
Amy always complains that there aren’t very many good restaurants in the Fort Pierce area. Although the selection isn’t as extensive as Greenville, I figured there had to be some hidden gems. I had driven through downtown Fort Pierce and spotted a couple of potential targets. Tonight, Laura and I decided to try Yianni’s Greek … Read More “Yianni’s Greek Cafe” »
Obviously, Laura is out of town, and I’m trying new restaurants. Tonight I was in the mood for simple but tasty. I’d heard some folks talking about Southern Fried Green Tomatoes, and thought I needed to give it a try. SFGT is a meat-n-two located on Congaree Road, behind Haywood Mall. Atmosphere: This place is … Read More “Meat-n-2.0, Southern Fried Green Tomatoes” »
I was in the mood for Italian, so I decided to try a little place just around the corner from us. Balducci’s has been open in the Pelham Court Plaza for nearly a year, having replaced Moretti’s, another Italian sandwich shop. Atmosphere: The place is quite small. Basically, a several booths line one wall, with … Read More “Balducci’s” »
My normal breakfast is a cup of coffee and a low-fat power bar. However, once in a blue moon Laura and I like to go out for breakfast on the weekends. We fluctuate between one of the Stax places or Denny’s. This morning, it was Denny’s. There, it became evident that Denny’s blatantly encourages gluttony, … Read More “Encouraging Gluttony” »
Laura has a meeting, and I’ve got a new restaurant. I was feeling adventurous, so I decided to try Pho #1 around the corner from our house. This place started as a Pizza Hut, and retains that distinctive architecture. In the intervening years, the building has housed Mexican and Italian restaurants. A couple of years … Read More “Pho #1” »
Tonight we had dinner up at Thaicoon Ricefire at University Square, near Furman. The owner, Bobby, informed us of something we had already spotted. His is now the only Thaicoon in town. Thaicoon on East North has closed, and is scheduled to re-open as something called Thai Top. While we hate that a Thai place … Read More “Only One Thaicoon” »
NOTE: This restaurant is now closed During the morning’s photography class, Polly had mentioned that some of her photos were on display at the Snapshot Cafe and Art Bar. Several of our class decided that it would be our destination for either lunch or dinner today. Since Laura was grading lab notebooks, it was going … Read More “Snapshot Cafe and Art Bar” »
I finished up my portraiture class well after normal lunch time, and Laura haad already eaten and was out shopping. That meant I was on my on to try something new. Today it was Smoke on the Water at in the West End Shops. Atmosphere: The restaurant describes itself as "a saucy southern tavern." Blues … Read More “Smoke on the Water” »
My wanderings today brought me to the town of Saluda, North Carolina right around lunch time. Back when I was running the Green River just about every other weekend on souped-up innertubes, we would stop at the Saluda Grade Cafe before heading into the gorge. Since that time we’ve upgraded our flotilla to kayaks, and … Read More “Saluda Grade Cafe” »
Laura and I have a standing rule. We never visit a new restaurant until after it’s been in business a couple of months. Last night we violated that rule, and were reminded as to why we had established it in the first place. The new Olive Garden is a welcome addition to the Cherrydale area. … Read More “New Restaurant Syndrome” »