2025 Rewind: Food and drink

It was a year of achievements on the Greenville County food scene.

Scoundrel earns Greenville’s first Michelin star

Scoundrel, a French-inspired restaurant opened by Greenville native Joe Cash in 2022, received a coveted star in the inaugural edition of the Michelin Guide American South. The honor was announced during a Nov. 3 ceremony held at the Peace Concert Hall in downtown Greenville.

“It’s absolutely amazing,” Cash said after the ceremony, which was just blocks away from his 18 N. Main St. restaurant. “We came back here to make a point and to really do something big, and the fact that was seen is outstanding.”

Four other Greenville restaurants earned “recommended” mentions in the American South guide: Soby’s and Jianna in downtown Greenville, The Anchorage in West Greenville, and Topsoil in Travelers Rest.

The Michelin Guide American South includes restaurants in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. It incorporates the preexisting Atlanta guide, which debuted in 2023. Michelin guides highlight the best dining and culinary experiences in the world using the famous star system.

Soby’s earns coveted wine award

Soby’s New South Cuisine was honored with the Wine Spectator Grand Award. The recognition has only been bestowed upon 97 other restaurants since 1981, its inaugural year. It is the highest distinction awarded to restaurants by the publication and has been a goal for owner Carl Sobocinski since he opened the Main Street restaurant in 1997.

“(I’m) still pinching myself,” Sobocinski said in June after learning of the honor. “It’s been an emotional day.”

He later celebrated by sabering one of the restaurant’s bottles of champagne. Soby’s has become well-known for its underground wine cellar which has a total of about 17,000 bottles and 4,000 varieties of wine. The award was a first for South Carolina. In 2025, only three other restaurants were awarded: Selby’s in Atherton, California, and Le Bon Georges in Paris.

Soby’s is located at 207 S. Main St.

Restaurants benefit from local nonprofit efforts

Two nonprofits serving the local restaurant industry got up-and-running.

À la Heart GVL is Greenville County organization that provides emergency assistance to food and beverage workers. Funding may be provided to workers experiencing injury, disaster, illness or loss. The nonprofit can also pay for funerals for deceased hospitality professionals. It launched June 1 and was modeled after Hubitality in Spartanburg County. It was founded by the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association’s Greenville Chapter in collaboration with VisitGreenvilleSC.

Mill Village Ministries obtained and opened a location at 12 Lois Ave. in West Greenville for its restaurant incubator, Hone. After hosting some private events, the nonprofit opened to the public Dec. 15 with its first cohort of chefs. The goal is to give practical business knowledge to budding restauranteurs while showcasing their talents.

Facade updates in downtown Greenville

Finally, two downtown Greenville restaurants completed or proposed facade updates as part of a city initiative. City Tavern got a facelift, replacing its teal exterior with a modern look. Construction commenced in February and was completed in June. Rey’s submitted facade plans to the Design Review Board in May which were met with approval.