-
You are currently browsing the archives for the Dining category.
Facebook & Twitter
STP Sandwich at Groucho’s Deli in Greenville
We met two of our sons yesterday for a quick lunch at Groucho’s Deli in downtown Greenville, South Carolina. Both of our boys insisted we get the STP Dipper. It was huge…
…and they were right. The STP Dipper was delicious. Packed with roast beef, turkey, and bacon bits, and covered with melted swiss cheese. But the tastiest part was the Formula 45 sauce. It was amazing. (I’d tell you what’s in it, but then I’d have to…)
Ok, seriously, it was fantastic. And the service was great — and fast!
There was one small thing that seemed a bit odd, and it left a bad taste in our mouths. We each had a 25-cent charge on our tickets for a cup of water. (We also bought coffee.) The last time I was charged for water was about 30 years ago at a restaurant in California during a three-year drought. (I haven’t heard about a water shortage in Greenville, SC, have you?)
Take a look at the Groucho’s Deli menu by clicking here. The address is 20 East Coffee Street in Greenville, SC. For an interactive Google map click here. It’s worth finding. (Just don’t drink the water.)
Awesome Dinner at Square Root in Brevard, NC
We took a little ride last night over to Brevard for dinner at the Square Root restaurant. We started our meal with fried calamari that had been marinated in buttermilk. Our waitress suggested we get it half and half, with both Asian sauce and spicy Fra Diavolo…
She was right. That’s the best way to get it. Delicious. Then we had a fresh salad, followed by a special entrée. Chef Adam Wilson told me he had “flown in some fish” from Hawaii. It sounded interesting, but I had no idea what was coming…
It was a perfectly grilled, short billed marlin with califlower mash, topped with pineapple chutney and a coconut beurre blanc sauce. The picture doesn’t do it justice, and I simply cannot describe it. The meal was off the charts. Fantastic.
Afterward, Chef Adam prepared a nice lemon sorbet to cleanse our palate, and then we had our favorite. I don’t think it’s on the menu, but I believe the three layers include a raspberry mousse on top, a light lemon cake in the middle and a delicious cheesecake on the bottom…
Special thanks to Chef Adam and Manager Rick… and their staff… for making our date night so amazing. We’ll be back again soon.
For a wonderful meal with great service, visit Square Root in Brevard, NC. Our special entrée, flown all the way from Hawaii, was only $20. For an interactive Google map to Square Root click here. To look over the Square Root menus and web site click here.
Pop’s Diner Now Open for Dinner On Weekends
When we drove by Pop’s Diner after dinner this evening we realized they were open so we stopped in for dessert. Before the re-opening and renovation the diner closed daily after lunch. Their new schedule is obviously a huge success. They were sold out of all their pies and desserts, so we had a root beer float with vanilla ice cream. It was delicious. We sat at the opposite end of the counter from the pink pay phone…
Carolina Diner Reopened Today As Pop’s Diner
Posted by admin in Attractions, Dining on January 23, 2012
I read that the old Carolina Diner in Hendersonville, North Carolina, was renovated and is re-opening today as Pop’s Diner. It sounded like a pretty cool place, so I got up before the sun to see for myself…
It hadn’t opened yet, and staff members were still busy preparing for the 6:30 a.m. opening, but they let me in anyway so I could take some pictures. Leigh Kelley, a writer for the local Times-News, did an excellent job of describing it in her article over the weekend. Here are a couple of pictures inside the “new” 1950s-style Pop’s Diner…
There’s even a gas pump at one end of the dining area. I wondered if it wasn’t put there to inspire crusin’ again on Main Street. By the time the weather warms up I’ll bet the parking lot will be full of 1950s and 60s street rods and muscle cars…
Pop’s Diner used to be called the Carolina Diner. It’s located at 5 Points in Hendersonville, across from Hendersonville High School and Boyd Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick. The address is 860 North Main Street. For an interactive Google map to Pop’s Diner click here. To read the menu click here or on the picture below…
Biltmore Village McDonald’s Is Not Ordinary
I got a treat yesterday when I stopped by McDonald’s at Biltmore Village in Asheville, NC.
It started when I realized this McDonald’s restaurant was directly across the street from the entrance to the grand Biltmore Estate in one direction and the spectacular Grand Bohemian Hotel in the other direction…
Then I went from the grand Biltmore Estate and the Grand Bohemian Hotel outside to the baby grand piano inside McDonald’s…
The dining area was pretty grand, too, with its stamped, copper ceiling…
…and a pretty grand fireplace. It’s almost hard to believe this is really a McDonald’s…
…but I got some proof. Although times may have changed since you could buy a burger or Coke for 15 cents and French fries for a dime, some things never change…
Beautiful Lake Junaluska is Open to the Public
Posted by admin in Accommodations, Dining on January 5, 2012
I met the CEO and marketing director at Lake Junaluska yesterday and found something interesting: a large number of locals don’t know that the lodging and dining facilities are open to the public. I also learned there are big changes in store for this beautiful place…
The strategic plan recently adopted by the board of directors includes a) renovations to the lodging, meeting and food service facilities that will bring the Terrace Hotel up to a standard equivalent to a Hampton Inn, b) provide a “grand hotel” experience for guests at the Lambuth Inn, and c) fully develop outdoor facilities for recreation, refreshment and renewal.
While Lake Junaluska facilities are open to the public, it will always have the United Methodist Church as one of its primary customers, and its mission will continue to be a place of Christian hospitality where lives are transformed through renewal of soul, mind and body…
When you’re ready for a round of golf in an amazing setting, book your tee time here. Or for hotel reservations click here.
The Square Root Restaurant in Brevard is Fantastic
It was lunch time the other day when we were leaving the Bluewood Gallery in Brevard, NC, so we asked the manager for a recommendation. She suggested the Square Root restaurant in Times Arcade Alley around the corner. We were very pleasantly surprised. Here’s a picture of the dining room…
Our waitress was very helpful — and patient while we took our time looking over the lunch menu. I chose my favorite, of course: a hamburger. What a treat! It was the best I’ve had in western North Carolina, no exceptions, and cooked exactly the way I wanted…
Square Root has been voted “Best Restaurant in Brevard” two years in a row (2010-2011) for good reason. They do an awesome job of preparing every meal. Presentation, taste, and pricing are excellent. Here’s a picture of the Raspberry-Lemon cake (my sweetie said it was the best dessert she can remember, and I’m pretty sure she’s right)…
Now we just have to get back there for dinner. When you see their menus — click here for the lunch menu and click here for the dinner menu — you’ll understand why.
The Square Root is owned by Rick and Adam Wilson (father and son). They make a great team. Chef Adam graduated from the culinary school at The Art Institute of Atlanta (with honors) in 1999, and has cooked at the the Ritz Carlton, served as a private chef on a 150-ft. yacht, and as executive chef for a prominent family in Connecticut. His education and experience are obvious at the Square Root.
The Square Root restaurant is off the main drag in Brevard, so you might miss it unless you know how to find it. The address is 33 Times Arcade Alley. For an interactive Google map click here.
When you go, ask Rick or Adam about the bar. It’s a very unique piece of furniture…
Chinese Food: New China Garden Hendersonville
We finally stopped a couple of weeks ago for Chinese food at the New China Garden carry-out on Asheville Highway in Hendersonville, NC. We were pleasantly surprised. I don’t know how many times we’d driven by because of the humble exterior…
We ordered General’s Chicken and combination Lomaine with beef, chicken and shrimp. We watched the cooks prepare it and then put it in our car and drove home. It was still hot when we arrived. And it was excellent — so good we went back again last night! I didn’t ask if they were the owners, but these two courteous staffers helped us both times…
We’ll definitely be back. And if you’re in the mood for good Chinese food carry-out, call them at 828-692-8087. (Once you place your order, don’t waste any time picking it up. They’re fast!) Here’s their address: 1410 Asheville Highway Hendersonville, NC 28792. For an an interactive Google map click here.
