Tag Archive | south carolina

Farmer Shed – Tuesday lunch

I was on my way to Savannah and was driving through Lexington, SC at lunch time. How fortuitous for me! I decided that I needed to stop by Farmer’s Shed for lunch. I was all ready to order the cranberry pork chop, when the lady taking my order said "That is Wednesday’s menu. Today is Tuesday."

Oh.
I was in a quandary now. I did not know what I wanted to order. I finally decided to get the chicken pot pie, collards, and squash casserole. The collards were very tasty as usual. And the squash casserole was equally wonderful. However, for me, the chicken pot pie was just okay.

(1) I thought I was going to order pork chops. I was so thrown off, that it did not really matter what I ate. The enthusiasm that I had going in was gone.
(2) Even though there was a lot of good flavor in the pot pie, there was so many peas. I don’t like peas. I spend more time picking peas out of the pie than actually eating it.
Complaints aside, the crust on the pie was flakey, delicious goodness. There was a lot of meat which made this very filling. That being said, the peas are a deal breaker so I would not order again. I hate peas that much.

If I do, I will make sure of the day’s menu so I can avoid taste bud disappointment (that has to be a first world problem). All in all, this a Triple D pick that was on point. Sometimes his suggestions can be hit or miss. I am not above giving credit when credit is due. Good going Guy Fieri!

Asada food truck – Greenville

Dec14

Asada food truck in Greenville gets two thumbs up from me. I have been to several of the food truck events where Asada and Neue (another Greenville food truck to be discussed in another post) have set up shop.

Asada focuses on Latin fusion of flavors. I don’t know from which countries the chefs hail, but their food has influences in a lot of different styles. The mainstay on their menu is the different variation of tacos. However, there are different daily specials in addition to the menu. I usually try the specials just because I know I can get the regular menu items any time.

The picture shows what I ordered one evening in November 2012: (top) short ribs with plantain chips and fried cheese (bottom) chicken empanadas

The short ribs were cooked in a Honduran style. There was not any sauce on the ribs. The intense seasoning permeated the meat so that any sauce would have been deemed extraneous. I could have had an entire plate of the fried cheese. It was so yummy. I think it was the queso tropical para freir. For those of you who don’t know Spanish, that means tropical cheese for frying. It is not gooey like mozzarella. Its texture is firm but soft when fried.

The chicken empanadas were to die for. The crust was so flaky like a perfect savory pie crust that it crumbled in my mouth when I bit into it. I could not focus on the flavor of the filling because I was so captivated with the crust. When I finished, I was left checking the plate for crumbs and wanting more.

If you live in Greenville SC and do not know about the food trucks, follow them on Facebook or Twitter. Their food is AMAZING! Get on location early so that you can get dessert. Every time I have ordered dessert from Asada, they have been sold out. Boo hoo for me. But people who have had their tres leches and flan have said it was pretty delicious as well.

Cositas Ricas

Nov20

I don’t have a lot to say about Colombia restaurant Cositas Ricas (located in Greenville SC) but that is one of my favorite places to buy empanadas de pollo (chicken empanadas). It seems that every Latin American country has their version of an empanada. An empanada is a dough or pastry with a yummy filling. Some are sweet and some are savory. The sweet empanadas have fruit or jam in them. The savory empanadas have meat fillings. I like them all.

When it comes to meat fillings, Cositas Ricas does a good job by heavily seasoning the chicken and adding bits of potato to the filling. I don’t know if this is the authentic Colombian way to make empanadas or a Latin fusion because Greenville is home to Hispanics from many different Latin countries.

It does not really matter because the result is delectable goodness. I usually call ahead and order at least 5. Last time I went, I think these cost $1 each but I did not really pay attention to the price. I am usually ordering a lot of other things off of their menu so it is hard to keep up with how much each item costs.

This post is all about a moment I was having where I wished I was eating an empanada de pollo for lunch today. Next time I am in Greenville, I will have to make a stop and place my order.

Buffalo Grill

Nov20

Buffalo Grill – Main Street, Greenwood SC

Last summer Buffalo Grill opened. They serve wings, burgers, chicken sandwiches and fries. It took me a while to go because I heard they were pricey. Plus, I have another spot that I go and was not interested in trying the competition.

That being said, my friend suggested Buffalo Grill and I decided I did not have a better suggestion and we went. With regards to the cost of the sandwiches, it was not as expensive as I thought. You can expect to pay $7-10 for the sandwiches without fries. Fries are about $3 but the serving sizes are big enough to feed 2 people (maybe even 3 depending on how hungry everyone is). I ordered the buffalo chicken sandwich and it was a big fried piece of meat generously doused in buffalo sauce. The flavor was good and "hot" was not too spicy. And the "buffalo fries" were covered in the same buffalo sauce. A simple concept but I was wondering why no one else has thought of it!

The atmosphere and feel of the restaurant was what I expected. It has an open layout with televisions tuned to the sport’s networks. Servers greeted us with a smile as soon as we walked it. It did take considerable time for us to get our food. That is because they make everything to order. I only mention that because if you are going there for lunch, be prepared to get back to work a little late. Other than that, it was a good meal and I will be back.

I love Fusion – Greenwood SC

Jul31

Fusion Thai and Japanese cuisine in Greenwood SC is one of my favorite restaurants. They serve (as the name implies) Thai and Japanese food.
From the Japanese menu, I like the hibachi chicken, fried rice, and fried vegetable mix (mostly cabbage though). During lunch, the entrée comes with soup and salad. It is not anything too special but it is really tasty. The portion size is also good for me. When I am really hungry, I can eat the whole thing. But on a normal day, if I eat all of my soup and salad, I can eat about half of my chicken and rice. I do not know if they make their ginger dressing, but it is good. The balance of flavors work very well together. I usually ask for extra so that I can put ginger dressing on my hibachi vegetables. Don’t knock until you try it .

From the Thai menu, I usually get one of the various curry dishes (see picture). When I have Thai food, I get white rice. The picture show the dinner portion. I was eating off of this plate for days. I did not realize so much rice comes with the meal (in the silver dish with ladle). When asked how spicy I want my food, I usually go for the medium hot spice. For anyone that eats Thai food knows, Asian spicy can cause a sneaky-take-a-minute-for-your-head-to-catch-fire feeling. And I like it!!! But if you are not used to spicy, let the server know. I do not want you to ruin your meal because you cannot eat the food if it is too spicy. Depending on who you ask, you might not get a real understanding how spicy the food is until you begin to eat it and you are sweating profusely while your nose is running and your tongue goes numb. For me, I like a little foodie torture while I feel the heat.

If you live in Greenwood and you have not been by Fusion, you are missing out on some really delicious food. If you live out of town, do yourself a favor and pass through Greenwood and visit Fusion. You will not be disappointed.