To celebrate Valentine’s Day, we asked Jeena Fox, the beverage director for Stella’s Restaurants and general manager of Stella’s Bistro, if she would dream up a special libation for us. “There’s nothing more romantic than the light pink blush of this cocktail, and for added romance, the flowers of love—roses—top it off,” Fox says.
First Blush
Makes one cocktail
Ingredients
- 1 oz gin of your choice (we recommend Old Tom Gin for its milder flavor and sweetness)
- 1 1/4 oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur
- 2 oz freshly squeezed ruby red grapefruit juice
- 3/4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 egg white
- 2 large fresh sage leaves
- 3 dried rose buds for garnish
Instructions
Combine gin, St. Germaine, ruby red grapefruit juice, lemon juice, white of one egg, and 2 sage leaves in a shaker; dry-shake vigorously for 30–40 seconds. Add ice to the shaker and shake for another 10–15 seconds. Double strain the mixture into a coupe glass. Garnish with 3 dried rose buds.
Tavola
Warm woods, natural stone, and soft sage-green hues meld together to bring a Tuscan ambience to BridgeWay Station at Tavola. The newest concept from Carl Sobocinski’s Table 301 Hospitality, Tavola is the group’s first venture outside downtown Greenville, and its feel echoes the Italianate architecture of the BridgeWay town center complex in Simpsonville.
Embrace the carbs in a starter of arancini with truffle honey, and the signature house confit garlic focaccia, before moving on to one of Chef Beau Owens’s house-made pastas, the crispy-skinned whole branzino, or a rustic chicken parmesan.
Book a table or reserve a seat at the chef’s counter to watch the action up close. On the wine list, you’ll discover fine vintages that roam the regions of Italy from the Piemonte to Sicily. Even the cocktails honor Italy, in libations such as the tequila- and amaro-based Amalfi Peak and a sparkling gin-spiked Seville Spritz.
620 Bridgeway Blvd., Simpsonville, tavolaitalian.com
A Taste of Spain
For years now, friends and fellow chefs Daniel Lopez and Camilo Franco have talked about opening a restaurant. Now they’ve made that vision a reality in the new wing of The Commons with Paseo, an expansion of the catering company that Lopez, who grew up in Barcelona, started 12 years ago.
A 14-seat tapas bar invites customers to sit and sip wine—from the all-Spanish list—and nosh on small bites of tapas, pintxos, and montaditos, defined by Lopez respectively as “anything on a plate; anything on a skewer; and anything over a piece of bread.”
That way, diners can create their own food adventure. As the only authentic Spanish tapas bar in Greenville, Paseo will use imported Spanish olives, anchovies, and other ingredients. “Our main focus and what we love about food in general is bringing people together,” says Franco. “This is what we want to share with the community.”
The Commons, 147 Welborn St., Greenville, commonsgvl.com
