Any foodie worth their salt is familiar with Stella’s two restaurants: Stella’s Southern Bistro in Simpsonville and Stella’s Southern Brasserie in Greenville’s Hollingsworth Park. Owned by local chef/restaurateurs Jason and Julia Scholz, both spots are known for their dedication to sourcing ingredients from area farms.
In July, the couple added another star to their small constellation of establishments, opening Rôtie by Stella’s in the BridgeWay Station complex in Mauldin. True to the restaurant’s name (French for “roasted meat”), the menu revolves around proteins that are cooked on the double rotisserie that forms the centerpiece of the kitchen.
Chicken, pork, quail, duck, and pot roast are all cooked on the rotisserie. Duck legs are rubbed with house-made five-spice powder and marinated before being roasted low and slow, yielding a luscious confit-style result. Meatloaf, wrapped in jalapeno-cured bacon, spins in its own basket, and even some of the sides profit from the rotisserie drippings.
“Our Rotisserie Cabbage is a good illustration,” says Stella’s company executive chef, James King. “We roast a whole corned beef brisket [on the rotisserie] and take the braising liquid from that meat and make a mustard butter for the cabbage.” Smoky from the meat juices and garnished with shredded corned beef, this side dish has been a big hit. Similarly, Rôtie Vegetables—fingerling white potatoes, sweet potatoes, and pearl onions—are cooked at the bottom of the rotisserie, where they catch the savory drippings.
The cooking style relies on French techniques while speaking in a decidedly Southern accent. “Southern food is not just fried and heavy,” says Rôtie’s chef de cuisine, Justin Meadows, who calls on his fine-dining background, as well as time spent cooking with his grandmother when growing up in Florida, to breathe new life into classic Southern dishes. “[Southern food] is light, it’s fresh, and a lot of different cultures have gone into it. I think it’s time we let that shine.”
Small plates and entrees are meant to be shared and accompanied by a choice of sides (hint: don’t pass up the Umami Mac and Cheese). “We designed the menu to be family-style and a la carte, as I wanted it to be a departure from our other two restaurants,” notes Julia.
That communal nature of the menu stands out at Rôtie. It’s complemented by the warm atmosphere of the restaurant, where indigo-blue paneling embraces banquettes covered with cream faux-leather cushions, and a lovely wood pergola overhangs the bar area. Details such as mismatched china serving plates and a mirror framed in antique rolling pins add a homey charm.
“We live in a world where human connection is getting lost,” observes King, “and if we can provide a spot where people can . . . get back to sharing food, sharing stories, and sharing laughs in an environment that feels like coming to someone’s home, I think we’ve done a good job.” By all indications, the Rôtie team has hit their mark. Cue the applause.
Rotie by Stella’s, 1103 Via Corso Ave., Mauldin. 864.780.9161, stellasrotie.com
Pickled Peaches Recipe from Rotie chef de cuisine
From Justin Meadows, chef de cuisine at Rôtie
Chef’s Note: If you love peaches as much as I do, you’ll want them available for longer than our short South Carolina season provides. Pickling them is a great method to preserve their shelf life. In the restaurant, we use these pickled peaches in numerous recipes and to garnish plates.
Ingredients
- 12 firm-ripe peaches (if peaches are too ripe, they will turn to mush)
- 2 ½ cups water
- 4 cups champagne vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- 15 black peppercorns
- 8 juniper berries
- 10 allspice berries
- 3 whole cloves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 sliced jalapeño pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While the water is heating, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl, using equal parts ice and water.
- With a paring knife, make an X in bottom of each peach’s skin, then submerge peaches in boiling water for 1 minute. Remove and submerge fruit in ice bath to stop the cooking. When peaches are cool enough to handle, peel them and place whole peaches in sterilized glass containers.
- Bring all remaining ingredients to a boil over medium heat, taking care not to scorch spices; then reduce to low and simmer 5 minutes. Pour hot liquid over peaches, cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 week before opening—the longer, the better.
Unopened, these peaches will keep for 6 months; opened they will last up to a month in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
