We had some friends coming in to town and wanted to take them out for a special dinner. My first thought was The Anchorage in the “under development” area of downtown Greenville, SC. Re-branded as “The Vill” or The Village of West Greenville, is up and coming, like most areas in and around our little town.
The concept for the first year or so was first come first serve, no reservations. You could add your name on the list if they couldn’t seat you right away. Not a huge fan of that but the week before this meal, they started taking reservations, so I grabbed a 7:30pm on a Thursday.
I’ve eaten the Chef’s food many times. He worked at Husk in Charleston and Restaurant 17 in Travelers Rest before opening his own restaurant. The food is amazing and will catch me off guard which is always a good sign. If you are a party of 4 or more, I highly recommend the Chef’s Tasting Table. That is a five course tasting menu, you will not be disappointed. It changes almost every day, based on what is fresh and available. Below are the courses we had and some photos. I forgot to get a pic of the drinks or the oysters. You can kind of see the oysters behind the charcuterie board.
My highlights were the Bourbon Liver Mousse and the Pappardelle. The Pappardelle I could probably eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner, every day forever. Soooo goooood. The pasta is perfect. The lamb chorizo added great texture and a little heat. The cauliflower gave some bite and smoke. The greens added some earthiness and color. And the egg, oh the egg. Soft, like as soft as you can go. They placed the egg on the bottom of the rest of the ingredients and when you cut through the yolk, egg oozes and adds a richness that elevates the whole dish. YUM!
Course One
- Bourbon Liver Mousse, Prosciutto, Soppressata, Blue Ridge Creamery Cheeses, House Made Pickles, Beer Mustard, Grilled Bake Room Bread
- White Stone Oysters on the Half Shell, Rio Red Grapefruit Espuma, Sea Salt, Thyme
Course Two
- Spicy Albacore Tuna Tartare, Foie Gras, Purple Daikon, Scallion, Young Ginger, White Turmeric, Mustard Oil
- Raw Sliced Grass Feed Beef, Citrus, Cherry Blossom Soy, Orange Lime, Chrysanthemum, Sweet Potato Crisp
- Apple and Bibe Salad, Lonza, Shaved Red Onion, Pistachio, Pepper Herb Goat Milk Dressing
Course Three
- Hand Cut Pappardelle, Lamb Chorizo, Wood Roasted Cauliflower, Charred Greens, Soft Egg
- Parsnip Ravioli, Persimmon, Roasted Chestnut, Yukina Savoy, Brown Butter
Course Four
- Yellow Corn Grits, Rutabaga, Sherry Raisin, Whipped Mascarpone
- Potatoes, Crema, Ham Dust
- Charred Brussel Sprouts, Brussel Sprout Pesto, Preserved Lemon
- Trout, Fried Sunchoke, Pickled Shallot, Grapefruit, Grilled Winter Onion, Citrus Rind Puree
- Can’t remember either Elk or Venison, Shiitake Mushroom, Apple Confit, Young Turnip, Madeira Glace
Course Five
- Chocolate Cremeux, Toasted Meringue, Housemade Graham Crackers, Candied Peanut Dust
- Sticky Toffe Pudding Cake, Rum Sauce, Pecan Nougatine, Plantain Chips, Brown Sugar Rum Ice Cream
one foodie 