Blue Ridge Country - November/December 2014 - 38

hannah milling

The Foodie GeTaway in Greenville,
SouTh Carolina

This dish was served on
the recent "At the Chef's
Table" culinary tour in
Greenville, South
Carolina, featuring
homemade ice cream
and chocolate-filled
empanadas at The Lazy
Goat.

towns of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville
team up to dazzle visitors and locals with creative
illuminated displays.
Here are some highlights: Gatlinburg Trolley Ride
of Lights - experience the wonder of the lights
through downtown Gatlinburg and adjacent
Highway 321 by hopping on a trolley and leaving the
driving to someone else so you can concentrate on
the lit displays. Trolley times are 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30.
Catch the trolley at the Mass Transit Center at traffic
light #5 for a 45-minute ride. Buy tickets online at
Gatlinburg.com/events or if you have questions, call
865-277-8222. Also, take note of The Fantasy of
Lights Parade in Gatlinburg on Friday, December 5.
It starts at 7:30 p.m. gatlinburg.com
Where to stay in Gatlinburg: The Lodge at
Buckberry Creek offers incredible winter views of
the Great Smoky Mountains from its 44 suites.
buckberrylodge.com
Pigeon Forge Winterfest kicks off November 5
and runs through February 28, 2015 and features
more than five million lights in this town alone.
Winterfest trolley tours begin on November 12 and
run through January 10, 2015. Tours depart from

Ca
tch the trol ley a
t
the Mass Transit
Center a traffic
t
light #5 for a
45-minute ride.
38 | BlueRidgeCountry.com

Within the span of two and a half hours my teens and I
savored dishes at five different restaurants in Greenville, South
Carolina while listening to secrets from the chefs who prepared our food. A rare opportunity, for sure, to visit so many
eateries in one afternoon - all part of the At the Chef's Table
Culinary Tour, hosted by John Nolan, owner of Greenville
History Tours and author of "A Guide of Historic Greenville,
S.C."
At Soby's on the Side Executive Chef Michael Kramer wows
us with a surprising salad featuring amazing roasted beets,
mixed greens and goat cheese. In addition, he mixes his own
ice tea cocktail punctuated with rum and basil leaves.
Nearby at Nose Dive, Executive Sous Chef Craig Kuhns
plates a dish that he presents on our arrival - fresh catfish on
a chilled gazpacho with a variety of vegetables including
squash, heirloom tomatoes and peppers. The accompanying
drink is Allagash Saison beer. Kuhns talks about how the FDA
defines "locally grown" food as encompassing 500 miles, but
in his restaurant, he really keeps things local by buying from
farmers just a handful of miles down the road.
The walking tour proves to have a smooth, steady balance
of history, interesting sites, unique flavor combinations and
direct contact with the chefs.
The next stop: Soby's New South Cuisine, where Executive
Chef Shaun Garcia delivers plates of perfectly pan-seared
ribeye over a concoction of fresh vegetables. The bartender
complements the food with delightful sangria spiked with
pinot grigio and rum.
Passerelle Bistro, located adjacent to the Reedy River, provides a delightful French open faced sandwich: goat cheese,
prosciutto, arugula, and fig preserves, served with a mimosa.
The final stop takes us to The Lazy Goat, where the motto
is "time well wasted." Sommelier David Soper greets us and
explains our dessert: homemade ice cream (the creamiest I've
ever tasted) with decadent chocolate filled empanadas and a
chocolate espresso cocktail.
Want to sample the food?
Greenville History Tours presents
At the Chef's Table Culinary Tour
Tastes of the South Culinary Tour
Cost: $45 per person; year-round
greenvillehistorytours.com ~MHM

http://www.Gatlinburg.com/events http://www.gatlinburg.com http://www.buckberrylodge.com http://www.greenvillehistorytours.com http://www.BlueRidgeCountry.com

Blue Ridge Country - November/December 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country - November/December 2014