Umi, Open Studios and a writing workshop

So tonight this girl is snacking on Jalapeno Poppers and Chardonnay and Ritz Crackers and Pimento Cheese.  Oh, and Halloween candy. High class, right? I'm on a cheese kick, can you tell? It's the  perfect ending to a perfect first half of my weekend.  We ate at Umi in Hendersonville again last night.  It's our new favorite sushi place. We sat at the sushi bar and watched the chefs whip and roll these beautiful plates of sushi.  It was incredible.

Then today I met my buddy and fellow blogger April Blake (The April Blake) in downtown Greenville.  We had lunch at High Cotton.

It's one of those places I've been to for events, but never to actually sit down and eat. I had duck perched on a pile of red peas with crisp green beans.  Beautiful duck. I love ordering it out because I just can't bring myself to cooking it at home.  It's a duck for goodness sake.  They are just way too cute.   Like I'd never be able to cook a guinea pig. Never.  Anyway, it was so heavenly.

We hit a few artist studios for Open Studios too. I just love Emily Clarke's paper dolls paintings.  Her studio is right on the river and I have to pop in to see what she's working on any time I am close by. I also stopped by to see J.J. Ohlinger's Subway series: Portraits of the F Train.  I contributed to the project on Kickstarter, so you could say I have a vested interest. The paintings are mesmerizing.  His attention to detail is crazy!

And I wanted to tell you all about his artist who had these quilts made with foodie print fabric: peppers, coffee, pizza, etc.  Well, there would be a picture and I would tell you who she is, but she refused to let me photograph her quilts (I did, but won't post them per her request) and she wouldn't even let me link her.  What the heck?  Clearly she does not know how cool I am, right?  And that I have amazing readers who would run right out to find her studio and see her cool quilts?  Whatever artist lady! BAH!  

Then we went to a food writing class taught by one of my literary idols, Ashley Warlick.  I absolutely think she is the cats pajamas.  She has written several novels, is the editor for Edible Upcountry and wrote an absolutely beautiful piece on Greenville for my dream mag, Garden and Gun. I did very well not to fawn over her, but in that extreme effort, also forgot to get a picture with her, which I so wanted so I could share. Sigh.  I'm so bad about the picture thing.  I've got to get better.  I have no shame, so you'd think I'd remember to cheese it up and ask her for a picture, right?

Anyway. She told us about several foodie books we should check out.  I thought I'd share:

• Stuffed By Volk, Patricia (Google Affiliate Ad) (I MUST get this one). The author writes about growing up in her family's popular steak restaurant in NYC. 
• The House on Mango Street
• The Raw and the Cooked
• The Gastronomical Me by MFK Fisher (Ashley Warlick's fav which I am running out to snag right away)

         

We also ate cake and drank coffee and wrote about cake.  

What a super cool day!  I love days that make you so happy you are bursting at the seems, don't you?  And now I'm off to play with my bff.  What a super day.  Happy Saturday y'all!