Love Locks at Pomegranate on Main

Looking to lock down your love?  You might want to head over to Pomegranate on Main in downtown Greenville. Last night my husband and I cranked up the romance and went with an engraved lock in hand to Pomegranate on Main to add our Love Lock to the gate on their patio.

I heard about the locks going up on the wall in a recent article in the news and so had to do it. My husband bought us a lock and engraved it himself. (Yes, he is awesome.)  It was a really neat experience.  As a couple, committed to love each other for life, you attach your lock to the gate and throw the key in the fountain.  And then, the restaurant brings out two glasses of champagne or wine for a toast.  How cool is that?! A definite must for Greenvillians in love.

I've been to Pomegranate a couple of times.  One time was really amazing.  One time wasn't.  But the thing is, I really didn't know what to order!  I was invited by the restaurant to come out and graze the menu to write something for the blog, and we had an amazing server who walked us through the menu this time and helped pick out some incredible food!

From closest to farthest away, we tried the Mast Khiyar (a cool and fresh mixture of diced cucumbers, yogurt, raisins, walnuts and fresh herbs), Borani Spinach (a hearty and warm blend of sauteed spinach, onion, yogurt and garlic), Kashk Bademjan (sauteed eggplant and onion topped with Persian cream of whey, crispy fried onion and mint), and Hummus (pureed chickpeas, sesame tahini, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice - some of the best hummus we've ever eaten!). Our favorites were the Mast Khiyar and Borani Spinach. All of the Starters were incredibly flavor packed.  

  Every table is also served a plate consisting of a wedge of unsalted butter, mint, radishes and feta cheese along with a basket of flatbread.  Butter and feta on bread is a traditional Persian breakfast, actually! The restaurant puts their own spin on it with the mint and radishes. The combination is very nice.

After we finished our champagne, we ordered a Pomegranate Martini, the restaurant's signature drink, which came with a frozen grape in the bottom.  The drink was tangy, sweet and delicious.

For our main course, we picked out two combination plates: the Scallops and Rack of Lamb served with Dill and Lima Bean Rice, and Tenderloin Torsh Kabob and Koobideh Kabobs served with Cranberry and Saffron Rice.   Here's the breakdown, our favorite dish by far, was the Tenderloin Torsh, cuts of tenderloin, marinated in a zesty sweet and sour pomegranate sauce mixed with walnuts and charbroiled.   It was tangy, which sounds odd for beef, but it was absolutely lovely and tender.  The rice was sweet and flavorful, as well.  I could have it with every meal for the rest of my life!

Do you see the roasted tomato on the side?  Traditionally, it should be chopped and mixed into the dill and lima bean rice (and the blander rices served as sides for some of the kabobs) with a sprinkling of the Sumac spices that sit in a little container with a spoon for serving on each table.  Sumac is the ground, tangy-citrusy husk of berries. The spice was used for tartness before lemons were introduced by the Romans!  It is also very good added to Hummus.

Back to the meat.  The scallops and lamb were very nice and savory. I will say that we didn't enjoy the Koobideh as a kabob, but it would make a good lunchtime sandwich.   When we go back, we are definitely ordering a plate full of the Tenderloin Torsh and Cranberry and Saffron Rice!  

Dessert!!!  

We were lucky we didn't have to choose just one.  I will point out that by this time we were STUFFED, but could not possibly leave without a sweet sampling for you people!   We ordered the Chocolate Cake (crazy rick and moist decadence, made with four kinds of chocolate), the house made Mint Chocolate and Pomegranate Ice cream with a drizzle of Pomegranate Molasses (it sounds like too much, but really it was bliss) and a piece of the (creamy and quickly gone) Coconut Custard Pie, a special of the day. A ton of food, right?  I will add that there was also a Pumpkin Martini that looked heavenly, but I just DID NOT HAVE ROOM for one more thing. 

Six very cool things you should know about Pomegranate on Main:

1. The owner's wife makes a lot of the desserts from scratch.  (And she is super talented.)
2. All Entrees are Gluten Free.
3. All Starters are vegetarian PLUS there are Veggie Kabobs AND a very interesting looking Vegetarian Fesenjan Stew of sauteed portobello mushrooms slow cooked in a walnut and pomegranate sauce.
4. Most items on the menu are already perfectly paired with a wine selection.
5. The dining room feel is classy... dressy.  The porch is more casual and quieter, has an amazing waterfall fountain, and is climate controlled so you CAN sit outside in the winter and rain.
6. They also serve lunch!

We can't wait to go back and take some of our friends.  Thank you Pomegranate for a very lovely evening, a marvelous meal and some very neat memories with my husband.

For more information about Pomegranate on  Main or to make your reservations, click here.