Recently I had a meeting with Julian Loue of Rise Bakery and asked him to join me at the new City Tavern in downtown Greenville.
I’d already made one visit and was served some of the best wings I’ve had in this town. Julian beat me to the Tavern and had already had a plate of the Kansas City nachos and some chicken bog bites. Chicken bog is risotto’s distant cousin, a rice dish made with meat and a few aromatic vegetables and served wet with broth. It’s not soup or stew, but is much closer to a Louisiana etouffee.
At the Tavern, the bog is rolled into a ball, chilled, breaded and deep fried. If that sounds too new and fancy for bar food, arancini — the Italian version of this dish of cooked and fortified fried rice balls — dates back to the 10th century.
Taverns are supposed to be dark and dusty. They serve lousy food, their beer choices can be counted on one hand, and their service leaves a lot to be desired.
All of those axioms have been turned on their head at the updated City Tavern. The new menu is full of familiar favorites such as stuffed mushrooms, quesadillas, meatloaf, and fish and chips — and it’s all handmade. Partners Jeremy Krauze and Chris Rosensteel, the dynamic culinary duo behind Society Sandwich Bar and Social Club, have breathed new life into the tavern.
Thanks to our state’s liability insurance for any business selling adult beverages, opening something new like City Tavern is quite the challenge. But I’ll make the case that places like City Tavern are important. They offer a social environment where strangers can meet and greet one another, share a pint and connect over sports, a certain song or a plate of wings. Modern cellphone-based lives do not offer those face-to-face connections that are critical to humanity’s peaceful coexistence.
“You’re getting all existential on me, chef,” Loue said. “Here, have some of this sandwich.”
Loue offered half of his Cajun Philly cheesesteak sandwich. A large hoagie roll filled with shaved beef, served with battered onion rings and ranch dressing with a (small) kick of cayenne, was more than enough for two and it was quite tasty. Mal, our server, pointed out that although it was quiet when we were in — it was early on a weeknight — the Tavern can get rambunctious on trivia or Karaoke nights.
A while back I wrote about Society Sandwich Bar and Social Club and its dedication to delicious, handmade food in a bar setting. Krauze answered: “We could’ve taken a safer route, but where’s the fun in that?”
That commitment to fun and delicious is serving them well. City Tavern, at 128 N. Main St., is open daily.
