Good Eats in Greenville

I love the town I live in. No, not Clemson, although I do love Clemson too. I grew up in a town called Greenville, SC. Although I have always loved Greenville, my love for it grew when I went to college and everyone else seemed to always talk about how much they love Greenville, particularly our downtown area.

Downtown Greenville has grown exponentially over the past 10 years. The renovation of Falls Park and the addition of the Liberty Bridge in 2004 opened the door for growth, and downtown quickly became the city's center of business, culture and entertainment. I could spend a whole day (and have) walking around the park, browsing through the stores and eating at the wonderful restaurants downtown. Greenville has become quite the culinary community.

I had the opportunity to work downtown this summer, and it has made me love the city even more. I recently walked to The Chocolate Moose to grab a cupcake and was stopped by a couple visiting the area. They asked if I was from Greenville and were hoping to get some restaurant suggestions for lunch. I was a little caught off guard and gave them a few options, but of course thought of 10 other places I could have told them after I left.

Although I didn't try as many new restaurants as I would have liked to this summer, I did have the chance to try a few and thought I would share a few with you.

• Soby's New South Cuisine. Soby's infuses food and Southern traditions, with a particular focus on coastal Carolina. The atmosphere is rustic and very warm and inviting, with exposed wooden beams and wooden floors and walls. If you sit upstairs, you can watch the chef prepare the food below in Soby's open kitchen. I had the pork tenderloin and the bf had their famous Gullah Shrimp and Grits. Both dishes were delish.
• The Lazy Goat. The Lazy Goat is a Mediterranean-themed restaurant that sits along the banks of the Reedy River. We chose to sit outside on the patio, and I am so glad we did. Unlike some restaurants downtown, their patio does not sit along Main Street where passerby's squeeze by your table and nosily glance what you're eating as they walk by. Instead, their patio is very peaceful and private. The Lazy Goat has an impressive tapas menu, but I was with the bf and tapas plates are never an option when I'm with him, as the thought of smaller portions scares him to death. So I had the Risotto Primavera pasta and he had the Steak Frites. We both loved our meals and the homemade ketchup is to die for (and I'm usually not a ketchup fan). 

Both of these restaurants are owned and operated by Table 301, which is an establishment that owns a group of restaurants downtown including Soby's, Soby's on the Side, The Lazy Goat, Devereaux's and Nose Dive. I recently ate at Soby's on the Side and Nose Dive too, but will share those in another post. So far, I have been extremely impressed with the Table 301 restaurants I have eaten at and would recommend them to anyone wanting to try something new.