Taking its place at Hone is Sacrament GVL.

The new pop-up has become well known for its matcha and flash – a style of cold brew invented in Japan – as it has not had an espresso machine since it got started in March.

On May 19, the budding coffee shop announced it has acquired an espresso machine, dropping a new menu May 20. Side note: Sacrament doesn’t up-charge for oat milk, seeing the selection as a necessity rather than a choice. What sweethearts!

Bite-sized bits:

• A new coffee shop will soon enter Greenville, Kind Cafe. It has a sister restaurant in Fairhope, Alabama.
• Potluck GVL will host a unique pop-up dinner at the Spartanburg Art Museum. The dinner – entitled Kiln to Kitchen – will be split into two parts on June 7 and June 26. On June 7, guests will get to make three pieces of their own plate ware in a ceramics class led by a local instructor. On June 26, Potluck will host a coursed-out dinner during which guests can use the plates they made and take them home. Tickets are available at dinepotluck.com.

In case you missed it:

• There is now a local Hawaiian plate lunch food truck, Simply Aloha. The truck is owned by Rebekah Ball, who hails from Makakilo, Hawaii on O’ahu. Ball opened the truck because she missed food from home. The truck serves items like chicken katsu, fried rice, loco moco (hamburger patty with gravy, mac salad and rice). Ball is of Korean descent and adds homemade kimchi to her plate lunch. Although not normally an addition to the plate in Hawaii, it is a tasty ode to her heritage.
• Did you hear there is a new speakeasy in downtown Greenville? Juhl & Co. opened March 31, bringing painstakingly classic cocktails to the space above Rey’s. The speakeasy was originally Rey’s Jeweler’s and the decor pays homage to the Art Deco era. Guests need a code to enter so be on the lookout.

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The episode features the remaining six chefs starting at Topsoil in Travelers Rest for their Elimination Challenge. It drew on the city’s growing reputation for biking along the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail in tandem with the fact that Michelin North America is headquartered right here in our fair county.

The challenge was set up Michelin Guide-style with mystery judges dining in as regular guests. I was a mystery judge. The challenge item was rabbit and the chefs prepared their dishes in an outdoor kitchen set up at Topsoil.

Here’s the thing: I don’t watch “Top Chef.” In fact, the only culinary shows I ever watched were “No Reservations,” “Parts Unknown,” “Good Eats with Alton Brown” and Claire Saffitz’ “Gourmet Makes” on YouTube.

I couldn’t really follow the competition but I’m good at taking direction given a brief stint in a film career. I understand restaurants due to a decade-long tenure serving.

Given the abundance of brilliant food writers in this city – some of whom are chefs – I was shocked to get a call from an unknown number Sept. 19, the first day of euphoria 2025. Euphoria, Greenville’s showcase food and wine festival, is my own personal Super Bowl involving round-the-clock weekend “work days.”

I was coming out of a lunch at The Vista when I got the call inviting me to the taping of Episode 11 of Top Chef at Unity Park on Sunday but also to be a mystery judge at Topsoil the following day.

I headed to Travelers Rest on Monday. There’s a phrase in the entertainment business that goes “hurry up and wait,” meaning that if you’re on early then you’re merely on time but you’ll still spend a good chunk of that time waiting before you’re on camera which is cool because it allows you to watch the process.

The morning was spent observing the chefs in the kitchen set up outside Topsoil to guess at what they may be creating on monitors in a sort of video village. I was placed back with the other diners shortly before filming began and mic’d up as we were all ushered into Topsoil. My husband, Daniel, came with me so we just appeared to be two diners.

We were served a glass of wine before all six rabbit dishes were places in front us each with their own flairs: a rabbit loin with pea stew, roasted rabbit legs with carrot-ginger puree, rabbit croquette with tenderloin, mushrooms and leek sauce, rabbit roulade, rabbit siu mai and jerk rabbit with mofongo.

My father’s family are Latin American immigrants who moved to the tiny urban suburb of Passaic, New Jersey. When I think of my childhood, it was sprinkled with dishes like Puerto Rican-style chicharron or Peruvian cau cau. They’re the working-class comfort meals that remind us no matter how far we are, home can be right here in your kitchen.

Chef Sherry Cardoso was raised in New York City and Brazil. She executed her dish with the warmth and familiarity of those comfort meals. It’s pretty clear what my favorite was and which I rated most highly. Congratulations Chef Cardoso.

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Owner Nate Warner dreamed up the shop last year, taking over the former Cosmic Rabbits Tea Company near Fireforge Brewing. He has been popping up around the Upstate bringing his classic, European-style concept to spots like Hone and Community Tap.

He brought on Bake Room alum Skyler Cook, who has a flair for croissant-style dough.

“We’re still going to have some of the staples that we had at our pop-ups with like the focaccia, the buttermilk biscuits, and then the fan-favorites like chocolate chip cookies,” Warner said.

“I personally think that the underdog item that we do serve as the cardamom buns that she makes,” he dishes. His favorite latte is “The Hermit’s Cup,” an orange and five-spice latte.

Nine of Cups – so named for the tarot card – will deliver a light and dark motif with rich burgundy and malted milk shades. The walls will be adorned with an Alfred Hitchcock “The Birds” poster and custom-made Death card.

The hope is that the space has its own sense of place that’s easy to connect with. Warner aims to have the cafe open May 26.

***

Remember Lucy Anne’s? The cross-culture concept that brings Upstate NY to Upstate SC by fusing elements of Southern cuisine with Italian fare? Owner Michael Rednak has been popping up in places like Hone or Augusta Street Market but will soon have a permanent home in Spartanburg.

Rednak made the announcement on social media March 23. The “modern take on your grandma’s kitchen” restaurant had a residency in West Greenville incubator, Hone, until May 17. The residency ended with a passing of the torch final culminating in a Sunday supper with the next concept to fill the spot, Pasta Guru, owned by Troy Arnold.

Lucy Anne’s will be located at 148 W. Main St. in Spartanburg. An opening date has not been given but we’ll anxiously await Chef Michael’s arancini and pasta.

Bite sized bit:

• Tropical Smoothie will soon come to 101 Verdae Blvd. in Greenville. The smoothie franchise will join spots like Greenfield in Aston’s Verdae Village. Aston Properties is a Charlotte-based developer and majority shareholder in The Commons.

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“The Soil Remembers” is now nominated for a James Beard Commercial Media award, involving Montgomery in two potential wins.

The documentary details Montgomery’s 2024 experience committing full-time to a regenerative farm and dining business northwest of Asheville, North Carolina. It examines the transition from employee to businessman and the apprehension that comes with starting an enterprise. Just as Montgomery began to get his bearings as an entrepreneur, Hurricane Helene hit the Upstate and Western North Carolina. Montgomery and his wife Fran pivoted, helping to feed the devastated community.

Oshiro, owner of Undercurrent Film Co., won Greenville’s first James Beard media award in 2024 for his film “Great Wall,” following the story of Khailing Neoh and the opening of downtown’s Sum Bar.

“At its core, this film is about people choosing to care deeply for something bigger than themselves,” Oshiro said about his film in a written statement. “Taylor and Fran have built a life centered around the land, their community and service to others. I think that resonates deeply, especially in the world we’re living in right now.”

The city of Greenville has drawn immense attention in the past 12 months – featuring on Bravo’s Top Chef cooking show, and earning its first Michelin Star and guide recommendations. Now it is up for a second or even third James Beard Award win.

***

Bite-sized bits:

• It looks like the Greer location for The Slice is getting closer to opening. The Simpsonville-based pizzeria posted on social media in mid-April that it was hiring front-of-house positions.

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The hotel and its attendant restaurant have a new chef on the line: Curtis “Chef Bear” Hillard.

Hillard is a Pinehurst Resort alum, which is known less for its accommodations and more for its reputation as the “Cradle of American Golf.” In a similar way, Hilliard’s career as a chef is occasionally shadowed by his role as as a James Beard Foundation member and support for the Bocuse d’Or competition – an Olympics-style cooking competition in France. His presence in these arenas displays a deep commitment to innovation and merit.

So what does this all mean for Patterson?

One of the items Hillard is most excited about is wild mushroom bruschetta. The dish is served on a thick crostini with whipped ricotta. The mushrooms are sautéed with salt and cracked pepper and topped with herb vinaigrette arugula, pecorino Romano and a hint of truffle oil.

“It’s a little over the top, layered, but still grounded in something simple – and that balance is probably the best reflection of my personality on the menu,” he said in response to an emailed question.

One of the questions I asked Hillard was: “Which of the new dishes are most indicative of your personality or upbringing and why?”

He replied: “I don’t usually design menus thinking about myself directly, but there are definitely elements that come through,” he said. Instead, he explained that his childhood in the Midwest wasn’t over-complicated. Meat and potatoes were a staple and he was exposed to other cultures’ cuisine through his friends. With that in mind, he explained that roasted chicken was most reflective of his meals at home.

“When you look at chefs like Julia Child, Jacques Pépin, and Thomas Keller, they show you that something as simple as a roasted chicken can still be one of the most refined and technically demanding dishes if you do it right. That idea has always stayed with me.”

Finally, for a dish that most mirrors the chef’s values, he chose the arancini croquettes which utilizes Carolina Gold rice in place of arborio with pimento cheese. The “fried rice balls” are complimented by macerated green strawberries in pepper jelly and finished with elements of sorghum, red vein sorrel, microgreens and white balsamic vinaigrette with lime.

“It hits everything I care about – using local product, respecting tradition, and applying technique in a way that elevates the dish without losing what it is.”

Bite-sized bits

• CAMP, Modern American Eatery announced on social media it would introduce a private dining component with the added venue under construction. A launch date was not given but the new digs did look spiffy.

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“We will be keeping (404 Cedar Lane Road) for production. The new space is just not going to be able to handle both sides of the business,” said owner Christina Barest.

Barest said the plan is to have the new-and-improved West Greenville location up and running by August but it may look a little different than we originally thought.

In January 2024, the plan was to expand the offerings by adding a wine bar but ultimately functioning as more of a pre-dinner stop. That has changed with the hire of chef Chris Mydosh. Mydosh was former executive chef of now-shuttered Foxcroft Food & Wine in downtown Greenville.

Bringing Mydosh in as part of the team will give the pasta shop a bit of restaurant flavor. The front of the space will have a banquette on one side, a market area and tables in the middle, and  fridges and freezers on the opposite side from the banquette. Just behind the market will be a bar, allowing guests to see into the open-air kitchen.

Mydosh said the team hopes to utilize pasta in versatile or unexpected ways.

“What’s the buzzwords these days? ‘Approachable, friendly, light, fun?'” Mydosh said.

“[It’s] just a real good environment to work in, so a representation of that and what they’ve what they’ve cultivated over the eight years of owning the spot.”

Bite-sized bits:

• Speaking of Mydosh, he will co-host a pop-up dinner with a former employee from his Foxcroft days, Potluck GVL owner Jimmy Ngyuen. The five-course meal will take place May 13 at Hone, located at 12 Lois Ave in the village of West Greenville. Tickets can be purchased at dinepotluck.com/upcomingevents.
• Three local breweries took home gold medals in the Brewer’s Association World Beer Cup April 22: Wild Yarrow Brewing won for “Fables Overturned,” a German-style schwarzbier. Liability Brewing Co. won with “Feral Garden Gnome,” a Belgian-style blonde. The Southern Growl won with “Quad Bless Your Heart,” a Belgian-style quadrupel.
• Hotel Hartness Patterson Kitchen + Bar has a new chef, Curtis “Chef Bear’ Hillard. More to come on this next week.

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Allow me to reintroduce the concept: This is the Weekly Dish, here to deliver food news and experiences. We took a brief hiatus but recognizing the people of the Upstate may be missing bite-sized food knowledge and sip happenings, we thought it was high time to return.

We’re sliding in right on time to bring you a recap of euphoria SpringFest event, Forever 21, hosted at Society Sandwich Bar & Social Club in downtown Greenville April 17. The event was 21st birthday-themed in honor of euphoria’s 21 years in existence. With that, the team at Society shook up nostalgic cocktails that harkened the days of masking liquor – sweet and mawkish.

Stephen Phillips, Oscar Chena and Society chef and co-owner Chris Rosensteel, divided the evocative meal into four courses each paired with a cocktail.

The Neon Nights stood out for its incredible commitment to balance.

It’s no secret we love ramen for its complexity. Ramen exists to us in a window of contradictions – as sentimental as mom’s bone broth on a sick day, as complicated as its tares and aromatic oils rendering it a standalone soup.

It’s also no secret that Rosensteel has managed to carve out space for himself that honors traditional ramen’s complexity and his own upbringing thousands of miles away from Japan – making Society’s ramen perfectly creative without pretentiousness nor pining for its origin.

Neon Nights featured coconut matcha ramen with duck breast, chili crisp, and glazed carrots topped with furikake and bulls blood beet. Despite the earthiness of furikake, matcha and bulls blood, what really came through was succulent duck breast that wandered just a hair past richness but was balanced by a whiskey-forward cocktail “What’s my age again?” – a nod to a popular Blink-182 song.

As the song goes, “nobody likes you when you’re 23.” Luckily, euphoria is still two years and oodles of noodles away from it.

Bite sized bits:

• The Rabbit Hole in West Greenville is now serving pasta Thursday nights. Each night will feature a different pasta dreamt up by chef Victoria Pessolano.
• Rise Bakery, also in West Greenville, will now serve Roman-style pizza every first Friday.
• “The Soil Remembers,” a film by James Beard Award winner Rioin Oshiro about James Beard Best Chef southeast finalist and Urban Wren alum Taylor Montgomery, will premier at Camelot Cinemas May 3 then play again at Zen Greenville June 5. The June 5 showing will come with a five-course dinner designed by Montgomery. Tickets for the film premier can be purchased on Eventbrite. Tickets for dinner and the show can be purchased at montgomeryskyfarm.myshopify.com.

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Today, Lee works at USC Upstate in Spartanburg, teaching leadership to his students. He has a background in middle education and administration, and owns a plant-based cosmetics company that’s growing every day. He’s also a published author, having penned works on intersectional leadership and education practices challenging the age-old saying that “a rising tide lifts all boats.”

It sounds disparate. But, like most things in life, it all ties together.

Lee grew up in the small community of Eutawville, just south of Santee. He described an environment that reinforced the idea that it took a village to raise a child. If Lee misbehaved, his teacher would call to explain the situation to his mother and father. Then, she would tell the bus driver because the bus driver was his father’s aunt. As a result, the bus driver would pull up to his house, relaying the message again to Lee’s aunt and uncle. The closeness created a network that extended outside of school and into every facet of life and home.

Walter Lee’s approach to teaching adult students at USC Upstate

The levels of support came to shape his teaching and leadership practice, the CARE framework. CARE stands for:

• Culturally relevant practices
• Affirmations
• Relationships
• Expectations

Although his educational background began in middle education, Lee applies the CARE method to adult students at USC Upstate.

“Nothing changed. The language just gets a little bit more sophisticated,” he said.

The stakes are higher for adults. Lee said it is important to lean into relationship building, giving the example of attending a student’s wresting match or the funeral for a loved one. Since the stakes are higher, it also means being realistic about expectations and affirming their capabilities while being sensitive to the real world challenges.

“‘Sister girl, tell me what’s going on here, because this ain’t you. I know this grade, but this ain’t you. Tell me what’s going on. Because I can’t accept this, not from you,’” he said, giving an example conversation. “Keeping the expectations high. ‘I have belief in you. I do know you can do this. I do know you can have this.’ Constantly affirming the good.”

Lee received his Ph.D. in philosophy of educational leadership from Clemson University in 2018. Obtaining a doctoral degree is a stressful process. While writing his dissertation, he developed a case of adult eczema that caused him to lose sleep. He went to the doctor but was disenchanted with the side effects of the medicines prescribed. So he took to YouTube and began formulating his own topical ointments.

He created combinations of natural butters and oils, and it helped. Over the year, he updated his recipes and was encouraged by friends to sell the formula.

The goal was just to help people with skin care and maybe cover his car payments. The business he created — Dr. Walt’s Co. — has surpassed that in sales and in its intrinsic mission.

“What it’s become now for me is advocacy for people in skin care, but actually advocacy for people in care of self, holistically,” Lee said. He also gets to employ his students but maintains the CARE method with his business.

The company grew in 2023 when he joined Village Launch, Mill Village Ministries’ entrepreneurial guidance arm. At the end of the 10-week cohort, Lee participated in a mandatory pitch competition and won.

“You just have to be open to [opportunities],” Lee said. “One of my affirmations, affirmations that I recite every day is, ‘I look forward to all the good that is already headed my direction, seen and unseen.’”

Walter Lee’s daily affirmations:

• I look forward to all of the good that is coming my way seen or unseen
• All is well with my life
• I am learning to think in ways that support my joy
• I lack nothing; all of my needs are already met
• I choose to start my new life now
• I am aligned not delayed, I honor steady progress
• Out of this, only good will come

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On Jan. 28, The Community Tap held “Polished: A Guide to Premium Sake,” giving novice sake enthusiasts an opportunity to dip their figurative toes in the flood waters of Japan’s sake breweries.

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The business made the presentation during Feb. 3 Project Preview Meeting, a city meeting allowing the public to provide feedback on upcoming projects before they go before the city’s boards, commissions and council.

The meeting took place at the Prisma Health Welcome Center in The Commons, inside Unity Park.

Racer Cafe serves breakfast items and coffees along with burgers, fried chicken and soft serve ice cream. Co-owner Brad Galland was present at the meeting.

The business is currently under contract to purchase the three-acre property at 309 Butler Ave., and 601 and 615 Buncombe St., on the north side of downtown. The plans showed a 4,325-square-foot space for the restaurant in the middle lot.

There is one Cafe Racer in operation in Athens, Georgia, with plans to open a second. Galland said Greenville was chosen as a point of expansion because of its proximity to Athens and for personal reasons.

“Selfishly and personally, I’ve been coming up to Greenville for a whole lot of years,” he said. “I’ve had family and friends that have lived here for a very long time, and … quite frankly, I mean, it’s pretty remarkable,” he said.

Once the sale of the property is complete, the business will apply for rezoning from site’s existing designation as PD (Planned Development) to MX-2 (Mixed Use 2). It will also apply for a special exception to operate an accessory drive-thru.

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Approved: Impact fee feasibility study

The commission reviewed whether an impact feasibility study should be conducted. Its recommendation would go on to County Council for consideration. Impact fees are one-off charges to new residential or commercial developments to help support infrastructure.

The advice given to the county was that if impact fees should be used, it should go toward the sheriff’s department, emergency medical services, and parks and recreation. That advice was met with some division considering transportation was not advised. Several members felt roads and transportation needed to be a primary focus of impact fee distribution.

The general sentiment was that a study should be conducted to include roads. The commission unanimously approved the impact fee study but to include the category of roads and infrastructure.

Denied: Bellewyn changes

Bellewyn is a returning subdivision that first came before the Commission in October 2024. It returned the following month then in March 2025, when it was met with conditional approval by the commision despite some public objection.

The development is located along South Batesville Road southwest of Greer

One of the conditions was that if the project changed its preliminary plan, then it needed to return to the commission. The developer made some changes in its land disturbance permitting phase.

The subdivision returned during this meeting with some changes and continued public disapproval. One of those changes included an additional retention pond. The public criticized its perceived lack of open space and claimed the subdivision would not match the neighborhood’s character. Additionally, the public noted that they were not made aware of changes.

The commission sided with the public, specifically about the lack of open space, and denied the application, 8-1.

Rezonings

• Rezoning at 506 and 508 S. Buncombe Road and 1710 Hood Road near Brushy Creek Road in Greer from an S-1 Services District to an I-1 Industrial District: Approved
• Rezoning at 105 Pebble Creek Drive and Kindlin Way near Pebble Creek Golf Course from a PD Planned Development District to a PD-MC, Planned Development District – Major Change: Denied
• Rezoning at 333 Gibson Drive just north of the Berea community from an R-S Residential Suburban District to an R-15 Single-Family Residential District: Denied
• Rezoning at 2706 White Horse Road in Five Forks from a C-2 Commercial District to I-1: Approved

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On Jan. 29, Bravo dropped the trailer and the release date. The season will premier March 9 at 9 p.m. with early access March 3 on Peacock. Starting March 16, the show will move to 9:30 p.m., its regular air time. Each episode will total 75 minutes.

This season is hosted by longtime judge Gail Simmons, Kristen Kish, who won Top Chef in Season 10, and Gramercy Tavern co-founder Tom Colicchio.

The network announced the first episode will take place at Charlotte Motor Speedway and feature NASCAR legends Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch. Other celebrity guests include comedian Fortune Feimster and “Southern Charm’s” Madison LeCroy and Craig Conover.

The Greenville episode will feature the Swamp Rabbit Trail and include actress Danielle Brooks, and Keith Habersberger and Rachel Ann Cole of YouTube channel “Try Guys.” The contestants will make a stop in Asheville to observe reconstruction efforts following Hurricane Helene.

The contestants are:

• Sieger Bayer, Chicago
• Jassi Bindra, Houston, Texas
• Sherry Cardoso, Brooklyn, New York
• Brittany Cochran, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Oscar Diaz, Durham, North Carolina
• Brandon Dearden, Hamilton, Montana
• Jonathan Dearden, Alexandria, Virginia
• Duyen Ha, Los Angeles
• Jennifer Lee Jackson, Suttons Bay, Michigan/Detroit, Michigan
• Anthony Jones, Alexandria, Virginia
• Day Anaїs Joseph, Atlanta
• Laurence Louie, Quincy, Massachusetts
• Rhoda Magbitang, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
• Justin Tootla, Suttons Bay, MI/Detroit, Michigan
• Nana Araba Wilmot, Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Notable guest judges and diners include Lewis Donald of Sweet Lew’s BBQ; Emeril Lagasse; Charlotte restaurateur Jeff Tonidandel; and Greenville’s own Carl Sobocinski of Table 301.

The winner of Top Chef will receive a $250,000 grand prize, their own headlined dinner at the James Beard House in New York, and an opportunity to present at The James Beard Awards this year.

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The chefs are Michael Kramer, owner of Jianna; Jon Buck, executive chef at Soby’s New South Cuisine; Steve Zurkey, executive chef at The Anchorage; and Adam Cooke, executive chef at Topsoil Kitchen & Market.

The dinner series, called “By the Starlight,” will take place between February and April. It will spotlight four chefs each presenting a course that exemplifies their creative voice. Each course will be paired with a wine from local distributor Mission Grape.

The first dinner will take place at Jianna on Feb. 23 at 6 p.m.

Tickets went on sale Jan. 30 at 10 a.m. for $250. The tickets are all-inclusive with the wine pairings. They can be purchased at euphoriagreenville.com/events/by-the-starlight-jianna.

By the Starlight is presented in partnership with VisitGreenvilleSC and $15 of each ticket will benefit the nonprofit arm of euphoria Greenville, Local Boys Do Good.

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This year’s headliners include international acrobat, ballerina and juggler Christina Gelsone, and Drew Gehling. Gehling is currently portraying Shakespeare in “& Juliet” on Broadway, but cut his teeth in the Broadway production of “Jersey Boys” as Bob Gaudio.

The festival will also feature its first full production – “The House That I Live In: Josh White’s America.” The nonprofit festival commissioned the play written by Donnetta Lavinia Grays, a Columbia-based playwright. The play tells the story of Josh White, a 1930s- and 1940s-era musician and Civil Rights activist from Greenville.

SCNPF developed the production over the past three years, taking interviews with Grays, White’s family, including Josh White Jr., and local scholars like Ruth Ann Butler, Mary Duckett and Josh White Jr. Auditions for the production will take place in May. The production will detail White’s rise to prominence beginning in the Upstate and taking him to New York City’s club scene, Broadway and Hollywood.

Gehling will perform in the Broadway Cabaret taking place in a historic spiegeltent, The Cristal Palace. The spiegeltent will be provided by West Coast Spiegeltents and will be set up on the lawn at New Realm Brewing. Spiegeltents were created in Belgium in the early 1900s. The word translates to “mirror tent” in Flemish and is built with mirrors in the interior of the tent.

The production of “The House That I Live In” will also take place in the spiegeltent.

The festival was founded in 2022 and takes place at various locations around downtown. The festival will shut down Main Street Aug. 8 for Spinx Market Live Arts Fair, presenting a new late-night variety show headlined by Gelsone beginning at 9:30 p.m.

Four other plays are still to be announced, two of which will take place at the Greenville Theatre and another at Warehouse Theatre. One play’s location is still to be determined.

This year will also see the return of South Carolina’s Next Broadway Star Scholarship Contest, a scholarship opportunity the nonprofit announced last year. The contest gives an opportunity to local middle and high school musical theater students to perform for industry professionals and awards of $5,000 (first place), $2,500 (second), and $1,000 (third).

Students can audition by video. The field will be narrowed to 50 participants, then 12, then the top three. Auditions can be submitted to southcarolinanewplayfestival.org/scholarshipcontest.

Tickets for all three shows are available now at southcarolinanewplayfestival.org.

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Oak & Honey, the restaurant in Residence Inn/Springhill Suites in downtown Greenville, boasts an island bar with marble bar tops, wood finishes and overall contemporary design. Currently, the restaurant offers a spicy dark chocolate martini to keep the day rich and hot, along with a Valentine’s spritz to keep it sweet using sparkling rose and Grey Goose berry rouge.

“I would recommend our affogato be paired with the spicy dark chocolate martini,” said Oak & Honey executive chef Steven Musolf. “The house-made vanilla bean ice cream along with the espresso create a familiar and classic marriage of creamy mocha flavors. The amaretti crumb adds a whisper of nuttiness.”

Up toward the mountains, Restaurant 17 in Hotel Domestique is running a Black Velvet Please, a cocktail that pairs with the restaurant’s tiramisu.

The cocktail takes on notes of cherries and dark chocolate with the intent of pairing with the tiramisu’s cream and coffee elements. It’s boozy, made to counterbalance the richness of the dessert.

If you don’t want to have a Valentine’s Day dinner and just want to have fun, Rôtie By Stella’s in BridgeWay Station is hosting Galentine’s Day brunches Feb. 7 and 8 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days.

13 Stripe Brewery renderings

On Jan. 14, 13 Stripes Brewery released new renderings for its upcoming move to Hampton Station, a relocation announced in June. The brewery opened in 2017. The renderings were designed by Zach and Emily Landrum, who own Olde Soul Creative Studio.

Zach said a primary goal for the new location was to maintain the brewery’s spirit. It is community-oriented, with the American Revolution as its central motif. The challenge was to create a space that incorporated that theme without skewing into garishness. Luckily, the historic mill already has a vintage aesthetic.

The goal was to highlight elements of a traditional pub by coalescing different classic components like millwork, gas lanterns, stained glass and gilded signage against the mill’s exposed beams. In the process, they would create a space that was open and bedecked with natural light by day but cozy by night.

“We want to attempt to meld Colonial, primitive Americana elements with a traditional pub aesthetic,” Zach said.

13 Stripes is currently located in Taylors Mill at 250 Mill St. in Taylors.

Nico Abello restaurant update

In March 2025, Table 301 corporate chef Nico Abello announced his new restaurant that would open under the restaurant group’s umbrella. On Jan. 22, he announced its name and opening timeline.

Abello’s new restaurant, Enlō, will open in the summer. He made the announcement via personally addressed bottles of champagne and candles. The gesture offers a snapshot of the experience to come from his restaurant. Further details have not been released but future guests can expect a chef-driven tasting menu.

Enlō will be located in the space above The Lazy Goat at 170 Riverplace in downtown Greenville.

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