Month: January 2012

Now that’s more like it

/ sugarsitaspell / Leave a comment

It’s our every-other-Friday pizza treat. Mythos (6140 Wade Hampton Blvd) makes a New York pie that makes our bellies very happy. Our regular (half cheese – him, half pep – me) is a bit greasy but McB, and most native New Yorkers, would tell you that grease is part of a good pizza.

They are a bit stingy with the pepperonis but those that are there have a nice flavor. There is enough cheese that McB doesn’t find it necessary to order extra cheese. I haven’t tried it as cold pizza but it does reheat quite well.

 

 

 

Our big fat Greek(ish) dinner

/ sugarsitaspell / Leave a comment

After our outing to the Greenville Zoo on New Year’s Eve, Mr. McB and I were starving. He really wanted pizza so we headed down to Pelham Road to have a pie at Bertolo’s only to find that they were closed. The same was true for Moe’s Southwest and Acapulco.  It was just four in the afternoon so the folks who own/run these establishments must have been gearing up for quite that party that night.

We notice that The Original Acropolis (3620 Pelham Road – Earth Fare Plaza) was open and since he was starving, McB was more willing to try a Greek restaurant that normal. Things were pretty quiet so we got a seat immediately. The décor is very showy. It seems that this is true of many Greek restaurants in the US. I don’t mind it, it’s just very…fancy.

We review the menu and quickly realize that Acropolis serves a mix of Greek and Italian dishes. This seems to be pretty popular in this area. We had a good experience at Greek/Italian Pomodoros just south of Asheville and our beloved Mythos pizza comes from a Greek/Italian kitchen.

I am pretty hungry so I select the moussaka. It’s a heavy dish but I’m hungry enough to handle it. McB picks pizza (regular Italian not the pita version.)

Greek saladMy meal came with a Greek salad. It was a good basic salad with a flavorful Greek vinaigrette that really popped with the olives and feta in the salad.

 

MoussakaThe moussaka was a bit different than what I was expecting. I was presented with a slightly Americanized version of Greek moussaka (eggplant/potatoes, seasoned ground beef, béchamel sauce) but it was surrounded by a hearty tomato sauce with slices of feta. It was like a little Italian moat around my moussaka castle. The core dish was good for the most part. The beef was well seasoned with the traditional cinnamon and all spice. The potatoes weren’t cooked as thoroughly as I would have liked.  There was also some bitterness to the eggplant but it’s eggplant and sometimes that just happens. The tomato sauce and feta pairing was good but I feel like they were there on the plate trying to cover for the shortcomings of the moussaka. While this odd combination wasn’t horrible, it didn’t provide the authentic experience I was looking for.

Pizza from AcropolisMcB’s cheese pizza featured the same sauce that surrounded my moussaka. It was a heavy sauce that was applied liberally – too liberally for his taste. The crust held up to the sauce but the ratio of cheese to sauce was less than ideal. The next day I tried to have one of his leftover pieces as cold pizza but this pizza just isn’t made to be eaten cold. I wrapped it in foil and reheated in the oven. I wasn’t fond of the pie. The sauce was just too much for the pizza.

I’m not sure we’d head back to The Acropolis. We only go out once or twice a week so I don’t see us using one of our limited opportunities there. It’s not a horrible place, the service is good and the portions are plentiful and other than the pizza, the food isn’t bad. It’s just not the place I would pick.

Furman Photo Walk

/ sugarsitaspell / 1 Comment

These photos are from our visit to Furman University back on December 17, 2011. Mr. McB and I had planned to go to the movies but we thought better of when we realized what a mild, sunny Saturday we’d been blessed with.

Furman is known for having a gorgeous campus, see number 12 on this list. In addition to the beautiful buildings, the campus also features many beautiful natural areas. They even produced a field guide to the trees and animals that you’ll find at Furman. Here are a few images from our little photo walk.

Dorms by the LakeLakeside housing

Original building, new locationThis is the original building that housed Furman’s two classrooms. It was moved from its original location and can now be found near the lake.

Sky mirrored in the lake

Furman’s Florentine belltower and bare trees
This photo was not touched up in anyway. The sky was just a stunning shade of blue.

These trees flank the pathway to the bell tower. They are so smooth, I could have rubbed them all day. These are the kinds of trees that are heaven to a tactile person like me.

The clouds showed up in this photo of the pond in the Japanese gardens.

The last remnants of fall were trapped in the pond.

Even dead grass can make an interesting contrast.

Cattails that look like big fat corn dogs – albeit moldy, furry corndogs.

Heading to the Strip Club

/ sugarsitaspell / 2 Comments

You can relax. I’m writing about The Strip Club 104, a steakhouse in downtown Greer.

I stumbled upon The Strip Club 104 (104 East Poinsett Street) through an Upstate Deal email. After giggling at the name, Mr. McB and I salivated over the menu and decided to buy into the deal.

We used our special for a mid-week dinner in early December. Reservations are recommended. The restaurant is small and popular. I called on a Friday afternoon for our reservation on the following Wednesday. I thought everything was taken care of – I repeated the day, date and time and our name before the end of the conversation. Yes, I looked at a calendar before making the call since I’ve already admitted to having some trouble with dates these days. When we arrived on the appointed night, there was no record of our reservation. I was annoyed by this but more bothersome was the fact that the restaurant was empty when we arrived and yet the hostess had to make us stand in a state of flux for a few minutes and then make a big production over talking to the manager to see if we could get a table. He seemed to look at her as if she was crazy and we were seated shortly. I’d like to note that even with a large party, the restaurant wasn’t full when we left. I looked at the computer while the hostess left us in purgatory and there were only two reservations so really, what was the big deal?

If you make it past the hostess stand, the restaurant itself is warm and inviting. There are exposed beams and brick along with lots of crisp white linen and wood accents. The retro pinup-girl prints provide a witty decorative touch and make for fun conversation.

Our server was wonderful. His demeanor soothed whatever feathers the hostess ruffled. He went over the specials in detail, answered questions, and offered advice when asked.

I admit that we really splurged during our visit. We began the meal with flaming saganaki. I do love the theatrics that go along with this flaming Greek cheese and this was a very appetizing version. I should back up a moment to say that the meal actually began with buttery, warm biscuits. Ummm…biscuits.

New York Strip, balsamic glaze, mac-n-cheese, asparagusFor his entrée, Mr. McB selected the New York strip with a balsamic glaze. His sides were mac-n-cheese and grilled asparagus. The aged steak was massive and didn’t cook away despite the fact that McB ordered his steak well done. I want to pause for a moment and give the server props for not trying to dissuade the hubby from ordering his steak well done. My husband isn’t quick to anger but please just tell him how to order his steak and you’ll see the temper. McB was very pleased with his entrée and sides. He loved the balsamic glaze as an accompaniment to the beef. The asparagus was light and tender. The mac-n-cheese was a heavenly blend of cheesy goodness. I also approved of the sides. The steak was good but for my own tastes, it would have been magnificent if only it was medium but it wasn’t my steak so I can’t really complain.

Redneck DelicacyI selected the “Redneck Delicacy.” This meal featured two spicy/tangy shrimp (Boom, Boom Bang Shrimp per the menu) and spinalis of black angus. Spinalis are the cap of the ribeye –well marbled yet very tender when properly cooked and this was tasty and tender. The sides were smoked bacon collard greens and garlic mashed potatoes. The whole delicious mess was finished with a lobster sherry gravy and warm pimento cheese. The flavors played nicely together. I was impressed by the meal as a whole. On their own, the collard greens fell a little short. They were nice but didn’t live up to the description in the menu. In all honesty, I think their blandness worked for my selection but had I ordered them as a side for a simpler dish, I would have been a bit disappointed.

My small plate version of the entrée left room for dessert. I chose the carrot-cake cheesecake. It was nice. There was a lot of creamy cheese goodness which I enjoy very much. I didn’t enjoy the raisins but I should have expected them, it was carrot cake after all. McB chose a chocolately dessert. It was a bit rich so he didn’t finish, but he enjoyed what he had.

McB and our frequent stripper cardDespite the rocky start, we had a lovely evening at The Strip Club 104. The food was original and tasty. Our server was great. We came home with the loyalty card so they’ll definitely be seeing us again. I’ll just be calling to reconfirm those reservations.