This review comes to you from my amazing mother, Tina. She’s beautiful and crazy and has relatively good taste (most of the time). Here goes!
…And this is one of her BETTER moments.
Sydney posted a link on my Facebook wall the other day for a write-up from a Greenville food blogger about a new restaurant in called The Owl on Pleasantburg Road. The article made it look so good we decided to go there for dinner that same day. After reading the reviews we thought it would be packed, but luckily for us, 5:30 on a Tuesday evening must be the calm before the storm, because we were their only customers for a while.
The bar scene has definitely been kicked up a few notches. We had visited this building a number of years ago when it was a private club known as Gumby’s. Though it’s a small place and sparsely decorated, this once shabby tavern has been transformed into a chic establishment. I really like the cool bar stools and open kitchen.
The atmosphere was pretty neat. I like that it was really simple in the way of decor. Each of the tables had different color candle holders and a nice cold bottle of water.
I was really looking forward to trying some of the stuff mentioned in the blog post we read, but when we looked at the menu, none of the dishes we read about were actually on the menu. Apparently their menu changes seasonally, so what you see here might not actually be on the menu when you visit.
The menu is made up of appetizers, “small plates,” and full-plated entrees. We started with the Fruit Plate and the Lamb Meatball Plate. The Lamb Meatball plate wasn’t considered an appetizer, but it could have been and we were curious. The Lamb Meatballs were scrumptious. I loved the duck fat mashed potatoes. Not sure on what the sauce was on top. Looked like a mustard or a cheese but was neither. The pistachio pieces on top made the whole thing look pretty. Tasted wonderful. Interestingly, while eating it as I first bite into a pistachio piece I thought I was a seed or shell because I forgot there where nuts on it and that threw me off at first. You don’t think about nuts when chewing on a meatball. But altogether it was fantastic.
This is the Fruit Plate. Not what I pictured, but tasted amazing. I could eat this all day long. The pear and parsnip slices were warm, the nuts pieces were toasted and the ricotta was cool and creamy. It was simple, but the flavors came together really well. I’d go back for the fruit plate alone, it was that good.
For my entree, I ordered the steak well done. I know I’m “not supposed to do that” but that’s how I like it, and I’m the one who has to eat it, so just deal with it. Lots of places have problems cooking steaks well done, but The Owl cooked my steak just the way I like it. It came with Fried Brussels Sprouts which were the bomb. I should cook my Brussell Sprouts like this forever. The pile of cheese and mound of butter tied everything together. This can only be described as a mouthful of yummy flavor.
Russ got the Pasta Pomodoro, with something called “parmesan foam,” whatever that is. I have to say that The Pasta Pomodoro was my least favorite thing. I tried it once, went about eating my steak, then tried it again and I have to say–it did not get any better. I wanted it to be yummy. It looked yummy. It wasn’t so yummy. I don’t know if it was the Hazelnut, or “basil chip” or something in the spice department but the taste wasn’t where it could/should have been. Maybe this for someone else’s palate but not mine.
The service was wonderful. Everyone was very welcoming. The Chef even came out to thank us for stopping by…And stopping by is what we will do again and again. Can’t wait for the new menu change to try new and exciting entrees and revisit a few favorites. A very enjoyable dining experience.
The Owl
728 Wade Hampton Blvd
Greenville, SC 29609
(864) 252-7015
