Chris Sermons of Bio-Way Farm
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plates FOOD NEWS & EVENTS BY ARIEL TURNER
Sidewall is at it again
The third and newest concept from Sidewall owners Andy O’Mara and Loren Frant is the comically named barbecue joint Monkey Wrench Smokehouse, which is just days away from opening in the former Martha’s Hardware, 21 S. Main St., in Travelers Rest. O’Mara says to look for an opening announcement after Feb. 5 inspections.
A SEAT AT THE TABLE
One step closer to breakfast tacos
The production, sale, and consumption of local food brings significant economic and health benefits to communities. But the next step is securing greater accessibility for all, including underserved populations WORDS BY AARON VON FRANK | PHOTO BY WILL CROOKS It’s a cool morning at Bio-Way Farm, a small certified organic operation in Ware Shoals. Chris Sermons, the farm’s owner, instructs his new helpers how to properly pick the produce they’ll be harvesting and selling that day. “You want to loosen the carrots like this before you pull them, or they’ll snap off in the ground,” he says as he demonstrates. Sermons’ helpers are participants in the Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms program. Often referred to as WWOOFers, they perform short internships on organic farms around the country or even the world, learning on the job before eventually taking fulltime paid positions or starting their own organic farms. On this morning, the team is harvesting Nantes carrots, an heirloom French carrot originally bred in the late 1800s and revered for its flavor. Chefs also love it because rather than tapering from large to small, the roots are a uniform width all the way from top to bottom. A short while later, coolers are stuffed full of a diverse and colorful selection of
carrots and seasonal greens that were — until a few hours ago — still pulling moisture and nutrition from the rich, living soil on Sermons’ farm. “Good soil is the foundation of organic farming,” Sermons says. “It’s what grows healthy plants and helps give my produce a better flavor.” Recent research supports this oft-heard claim, showing that organic food is more nutritionally dense than conventional food and that soil on organic farms around the U.S. has much higher soil organic matter and carbon sequestration capacity. The coolers are loaded into Sermons’ truck and are soon making their way toward nearby restaurants. First stop: Stella’s Southern Bistro in Simpsonville and Stella’s Southern Brasserie in Greenville, whose menus boast local produce and meats. Jason Scholz, Stella’s owner and chef, greets Sermons in the kitchen and checks off the items that he ordered by email earlier in the week. The two have worked together for more than a decade, ever since Scholz worked at High Cotton
and was looking for area farmers from whom to buy local produce. “Throughout my career, I always worked in kitchens where using local food was as natural as breathing. When I moved here in 2007, it was hard to find anyone selling local produce. Chris was pretty much the only game in town,” Scholz says. After getting his check, Sermons continues to a handful of other upscale restaurants in the Greenville area, but his carrots’ journey is nearly complete. That evening, Scholz and his team work magic on the carrots, transforming them into carrot souffle, carrot soup, carrot pudding, and other delicacies. Each dish is beautifully plated and whisked out to the restaurant’s patrons, where it’s happily received. Although this local farm-to-table story no doubt stirs your appetite, it’s hardly representative of where most of the food in restaurants and grocery stores throughout the Upstate comes from. Despite the increasing popularity and success of the now decades-old “local «
We’ve all been waiting more than a year for Neo Burrito to open in the Village of West Greenville, and we’ll have to wait just a bit longer. The hazardous sidewalk along Pendleton Street in front of Neo has been ripped up by the City of Greenville (thank you!), and construction is underway to replace it, along with the addition of some lovely new streetscaping. Sign us up for seven days a week of burritos, tacos, y mas.
Speaking of tacos…
Tickets for the all-you-can-eat (but not all-you-can-drink, guys) second annual Tacos ‘n Tequila Fiesta are on sale now. The event sold out last year, so better make those #SundayFunday plans now for March 25 at The Old Cigar Warehouse. Festivities include local bartenders and chefs competing to create the best Lunazul tequila cocktails, tacos, and side dishes. But really, we’re the real winners. Snag tickets at tacotequilafiesta. com.
Burgers, bourbon, or beer (oh my)
Tuesday isn’t just for tacos anymore. At Roost, it’s all about the three B’s, and it’s a steal. Every Tuesday night at the restaurant inside the Hyatt, pick a burger and a craft brew or bourbon from a select list, and pay $11.99. After that, you can enjoy heavily discounted pours from the list.
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