The Motor Supply Experience

Columbia area foodies will tell you that absolutely must go to Motor.  By Motor, they mean Motor Supply Company Bistro, Columbia, South Carolina's shining star of culinary awesomeness. For more than twenty years, the place has been kicking out amazing food.  Much like Soby's in Greenville, the restaurant set a standard for the culinary scene in Columbia, and was one of the first restaurants in the now, very cool, Vista area of downtown.

Let me tell you.  This restaurant doesn't play.  They are SERIOUS about some food.  Almost everything on your plate is house made. They make their own stocks for sauces, they butcher and smoke their own meet, make their own charcuterie (sausages and the such), pickles, mustards... they are event venturing over into house made beverages, making their own ginger beer and soon, their own sodas.  And what they can't make inhouse, they locally source, reaching out to area farmers like the folks at City Roots, Trail Ridge, Wil-Moore, Doko Farm, Carolina Bay Farms, Freshly Grown Farms and Humble Farm...the list goes on. 

When my friend Nina and I decided to head to Columbia on Friday to check out the Annie Leibovitz exhibit at the Columbia Museum of Art, we had to hit Motor.  We made reservations, but it was not necessary based on the amount of people who came in for lunch.  It was busy, but not too crowded.  We immediately noticed the handwritten menu.  Can you believe they change the menu two times a day here? The chef is constantly working on new dishes, playing with new ideas. It's part of the Motor mystique.  I was enamored with the bible of a wine menu.  Chef Tim Peters, by the way, also knows wine.  He handpicks the wines and pairings at his restaurant. I'm telling you, it's in the details here. (My beer GALS: the beer list isn't shabby either.)

With many of our restaurant experiences lately, I talked to the waiter and said, listen, the menu is awesome (and it was), so please tell the chef just to pick some things to send out to us that give us a good idea of what his restaurant is about.  I think too many times people go into restaurants and order what they are comfortable with ("I'll have the chicken!") and totally miss the point of the whole restaurant.  I WAS invited to come experience Motor Supply for the blog, but that doesn't mean that the average diner can't ask for a little help grazing the menu!  My husband and I did it at Bacon Bros Public House in Greenville and had one of the best meals of our lives.  So. Point being. Don't be afraid and just go for it!

Drinks first. Bartender Jessica Williams brought out a nice sampling of the signature drinks at Motor.  We tried the slightly sweet and bubbly Hail to Carolina (Presecco, Grand Marnier and Cranberry with berries), a crisp and tart Lunch Martini (Grey Goose Le Poire, Dolin Blanc, Lemon, Honey and Prosecco) and a super sweet 40-Love (housemade Ginger Beer, Dobel Maestro Tequilla, Honey and a little Chipotle spice). We were curious to try the Komucha, but totally forgot until we were too stuffed to care.  

Now the food:
Chef Tim Peters brought out a beautiful plate of charcuterie. From bottom to top, that's a slice of Country Pâté with dried blueberries and walnuts, sliced spicy house sausage with a bit of goat cheese, Pork Rillette, Pork Head with a little allspice and mace, house picked asparagus, house grain mustard and wait for it.... Pork Butter.  I kid you not.

I waved him down after I had a bite.  Seriously? Pork Butter?!   "The Pork Butter just came to me one day. An epiphany," said Chef Peters.  "I whipped it up in a Kitchen Aid Mixer in the walk-in, almost into a meringue."  It's rendered fat (to refine the flavor a bit and get out the porky meatiness), then chilled and then whipped into a beautiful white butterlike spoonful of awesomeness.  I swear to pete it was heaven spread on a slice of crusty bread, and even better eaten with some of the shredded pork head and mustard.  Wasn't a huge fan of the sausage (not a goat fan),  but lovingly grazed the rest of the plate.

Next out was a simple deconstructed salad of Bib Curly Leaf hybrid lettuce, amazingly mild and smooth Humble Farm Goat Cheese, macadamia nuts, dried peaches and raisins (?) all drizzled with an olive oil made by a student at USC and finished off with a squeeze of lemon.

And then came out this giant meat platter with sides of creamy jasmine rice and mashed potatoes with haricot verts. No, the meat platter is not on the menu, but it was a sampling of four different meat dishes currently on the lunch or dinner menu at Motor Supply. There were several thick slices of Ribeye Spinalis (the Spinalis muscle is the back piece of the Ribeye) in a pork demi-glaze, a Caw Caw Creek Pork Shank that was awesomely crisp on the outside and juicy inside (Note: pig is no longer available from Caw Caw. This was the last of it! That's not a joke.  No more Caw Caw pork.), a lovely NC duck leg, and a piece of Charleston Trigger Fish in a chili emulsion with lime. My favorite was the Spinalis and the fish...the duck, then the shank, but choosing a favorite was like trying to pick my favorite pet to rescue in an emergency fire. Seriously hard.   

Did you know that Trigger Fish mostly feed on crab?  If you have a crab allergy, um, you might want to rethink trying this one!

I warned my lunch companion not to try to clean her plate.  I knew there would be too much food for the two of us to eat.  By the end of the meat course she was DYING!  I knew desert was coming, so I ate like a bird up until this point.  And I was so glad I showed some restraint because the piece of Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing swimming in a sea of Bourbon Caramel Sauce that arrived on our table was freaking delicious and I got to eat my share and hers!

No, you aren't going to go to Motor and eat every dang thing on the menu.  Heck, we tried and we couldn't even manage it! So you wanna dine Gap Creek Gourmet style? You wanna get to the heart of Motor Supply? So make reservations, take TONS of people with you.  And ask the waiter or chef to pick some starters and  a salad or two and pass them around, then have the staff pick your meals, then order up drinks paired to the selections?  BAM.  Motorlicious.

Cola, crush and crashing.

I spent last Friday rambling around Columbia.  I've become quite fond of SC's capital city. I played with the Lorikeets at the zoo in the morning for work and then went to meet Ed, the giant kid at Edventure in the afternoon (also for work).  You can crawl inside him, check out his brain, his stomach and slide out his colon.  (I saved that treat for my next visit.)   

I met fellow food blogger April Blake at the Hunter Gatherer Brewery and Alehouse for lunch (Nice vibe, but I can't rave about the Mac n Cheese, though I was so hoping...).  April and I have chatted it up on Facebook for a while now so I thought we should actually do the face to face thing.   I've met some really awesome people through Facebook and blogging. She is rad! Follow her blog! 

How have I never seen this? I don't think I've watched videos since before MTV abandoned the format. Thanks to one of my buddies at Friday night's girls night in Columbia, I am newly obsessed with this video and Mr. JT.  

Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around...C by LIMIT-AR

I put some crazy mileage on the car this weekend meeting friends!  After coming back home for long enough to get a shower and kiss the hubs and child, I was back in the car bound for Spartanburg for a homemade Empanadas lesson and to catch up time with my Argentinian friend.  (Love ya X!  Thanks for the lesson!  I wish I had brought some home!)

There was not enough time in my Sunday to recoup from my Weekend o Girls' Nights. I made this Fig and Gorgonzola Crisp from the How Sweet It Is blog before my figs went bad.  So yum but REALLY rich...

 and managed to get some sit down time to watch Hunger Games.  Our friend was a prop guy on the movie, so we were excited to see what he had been doing for months and months.  We also watched the season finale of True Blood.  I wanted to squeeze in The Newsroom too, but didn't happen.  I'll be so bummed when I finish the season finale of that one. I really, really love it.  Scandal (another one of my top pics) and Boardwalk Empire and Walking Dead will all be on again soon, so at least there will be something to tide me over til Girls starts in January.

On the health front... I am now allergic to air.  I'm kidding.  But I have been itching in random places all over my body for the past two weeks (like fleeting hives) so I'm not ruling it out.  My doc thinks I'm now allergic to my bipolar meds. Yeah... expect a breakdown post soon. Today I was doing good to stay vertical.

BUT the fact that Snapfish sent me a nice email with news of their SocialPic Book did provide me with a moment of excitement!  I can't wait to get on there and play.  But first, I must work.  Real work.  The kind I get paid for.  And get ready for an event tonight, but oh how my bed calls...

Ta y'all.

The Monday Mumble

Fall is hurling toward us.  I’m happy because I am just not geared for 90 degree weather, and thought I love my child dearly and hanging out with her is so much fun, I am glad to get my schedule back so I can actually get some work done.  BUT I’m also sad because listening to ZacBrown’s Toes in the Sand 5,000 times a day isn’t okay when you’re wearing a sweatshirt.  I guess it’s retired until next summer. I need some fall music.  Any suggestions?

You know I stalk How Sweet It Is.  In her last week’s Tuesday Things email (you must sign up for it!  It's too cool!) she had this Rich Kids of Instagram site linked.  It’s Instagrams of rich kids doing rich kid things. It entertained me to no end on the drive back home from IOP.  And she made this Brown Sugar Fig and Gorgonzola Crisp.  I am totally rounding up some figs today. I’m not kidding. 

I JUST found out that my parent-in-laws have never read my blog!  WHAT?! Right?  So a big hello to the father-in-law who decided to join the party.  I’ve been dragging them around to restaurants and taking pictures of my food and cooking crazy stuff for over a year now.  They probably thought I was NUTS since they had no idea what I was up to.  Well, now ya do. And I’m not 100% nuts.  Just maybe 87%.

My daughter is a rock star.  Just saying.

This is the best Zinfandel I have had in my life.

I’m headed to Hollywild Zoo to cuddle some animals and get a tour this week for my animal of the week column for discoversouthcarolina.com…and I’m heading to Columbia to meet fellow blogger April Blake.  I am so excited.  I love her blog and we’ve been chatting it up on Facebook.  And I’m apparently climbing into a giant kid (?) statue/interactive thing at Columbia’s kids’ museum for the day job.  That should be interesting. I’ll see what sort of culinary shenanigans I can get into for you folks in between this week.  Always willing to suffer for the masses.

I MUST try out the ASADA food truck.  Two Greenville food trucks popped onto the scene while I was sick and I’ve totally missed out.  I’m on a mission.  

Have a great week guys.  And be sure to suggest some fall music.  New bands preferably.  I WILL check them out! 

PS: Dangermuffin is coming to Asheville on Nov. 2^nd.  I can’t stand myself.

immaculate destination, dirty life and cash mobs

Immaculate Consumption
I'm about to tell you a rambling story about why I was so excited to eat at this little coffee roaster in Columbia, SC.  So I am a big folk/outsider art fan.  I ran an outsider art fest in Travelers Rest for three years and actually curated a folk art exhibit at Metropolitan Arts Council in Greenville once.  I really, really dig it.  So, one of the people I really admire is Scott Blackwell, who started Immaculate Baking Company.  You might have seen Immaculate cookies, biscuits, etc at Whole Foods.  Anyway, Scott is a huge supporter of folk artists and has an immense private collection, some of which, I personally have fondled and drooled over.  So.  He got his start at Immaculate Consumption. He started baking some there and decided to leave the coffee company.  Ta-da.  That's my story. (I know, I'm a nerd and sort of a stalker.) So that's why I wanted to go there. So when I was in town and saw it was across the street from the headquarters of SCPRT (aka new job) I ran over and got a bite. 


I had a Turkey Sandwich with horseradish mayo. Pretty yum, but the place reminded me so much of the coffee shop  where I started my arts organization years back.  I hated to have to jump up and leave so quickly. If you're around Cola  (apparently what the cool people call Columbia, SC), go in for lunch.  They have a pretty expansive sandwich menu and serve breakfast too.  That's my story.


In the know...

Valslist.com

I am totally, and infinitely stoked about this new website I found this weekend in my dose of Oprah wisdom (aka Oprah mag).  So this gal Val has a website called valslist.com.  She's in her mid-50's, but the woman has her finger on the music pulse fo sho. She is like a minivan disc jockey.  Her site is full of playlists, new tune suggestions, covers, classic hits and world music you've never thought to search for.  There are concerts and videos... it's a blog meets iTunes.  There's music to get yo mamma off the couch or to chill with on a Sunday afternoon.  

Did your parents (or you) love Janis Joplin, the Eagles, The Beach Boys?  With her Sounds Like... feature you can search an artist you love and she'll suggest a contemporary artist she's found whose musical stylings you might like as well.  Awesome, right?  Go check that out and share with your friends cause it's good stuff. Won't be the last you hear from Val.  She's got an App coming down the pike too. 

The Dirty Life

My friend Andie talked me into reading The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball.  It's a true story of how she gave up life in NYC, married a farmer and learned to enjoy getting down and dirty on the farm.  I was pleasantly surprised that it's a good read, but shouldn't be so shocked since she started her professional life as a writer.  That's how she met her husband - she was interviewing him for an article.  He saw her and immediately knew she was going to be his wife.  It took her a little longer to get there but she followed this farming boy on one hell of a life changing adventure. Definitely a recommended read.  Let me know how ya like it.  I'm almost finished and raring to read the next Dorothea Benton Frank novel that just came out last week.

Cash Mob!

You've heard of flash mobs by now I hope... random people standing around suddenly break out into an organized dance routine.  I'm a fan.  So now, there are cash mobs and they are a huge boost to small businesses across the country.  A local group organizes people, usually via social media, to show up at a predetermined time at a local business to spend some cash on their products or services and show the business some financial love.  RelyLocal in Greenville are getting the ball rolling here!  

The next Greenville, SC  Cash Mob is this Wednesday at Miracle Hill Thrift Store in Taylors.  Go show them some love and hit up Pinterest for some repurposing ideas!   

I'm out folks. Happy Monday!  

Moving up, southern egg rolls, Kelly and my cat

So I got a job.  Okay, I've had a job.  I'm a freelance writer.  I juggle projects all the time, but this time.... it's a really, really good project.  Hows about USA Today found my blog and asked me to do a project for them!  Shut up!  Right?!  So at first I thought it was spam.  Seriously. Nope.  No spam.  (Squeals!).  I'll keep you posted.   I took my daughter to Starbuck's to celebrate after I picked her up from school.

Then I went home and made Southern Egg Rolls.  I think my husband was more excited about these than my new project!  He told me I should post.  So here it is.  

I had leftover black eyed peas in the fridge and pork in the freezer and I didn't want to do something boring, so... I cut up an onion and about 1/8 of a head of cabbage and cooked that on the stove until the onion was a little transparent, then I ground up 3/4 lb or so smoked pork in the food processor,opened a can of collards and dumped in the black eyed peas and some shredded carrot for texture/crunch/health fa-la-la.  Then dumped little piles in the center of egg roll rappers, wrapped them up, brushed on olive oil and baked them until brown.  

 
Then I whipped up some tasty, super spicy sauce with Spicy Chow Chow (only in the South would this just happen to be in your cabinet), spicy mustard, duck sauce and honey.  We ate the rolls with butter lettuce (my new fav...) with Ginger Dressing.  We're still eating rolls three days later, but they are too good to put in the freezer!

Here's my cat.  She loves Live with Kelly. She watched for the longest time!

Two more things:  In case you didn't know, Starbucks is doing half price Frappuccinos from 3-5pm until May 13th!  A shout out to the folks at Cherrydale Starbucks in Greenville. Sup guys?!  Love ya!

 They have chocolate whipped cream now.  It is freaking amazing, so go check that out!  You're welcome.  Tomorrow's Friday people.  Don't forget those mother's day presents!  I'm still hoping for a surprise trip to Columbia's Food Truck Rodeo.  Still have no idea what to get your mom? Coffee gift cards... maybe in a new to-go mug?  Cheers!

Columbia Open Studios and Indie Grits kickoff party

I've had an eventful weekend so far and it's not even full-on Saturday yet! On Thursday morning I hit the road to Columbia bright and early to visit my friend Griet and to pop in at the Indie Grits/Columbia Open Studios kickoff party.

Columbia Open Studios started today, Saturday, April 21^st 10am-6pm and runs through Sunday, April 22, 12pm-6pm.  If you haven’t participated in an Open Studios before, here’s the deal: you get a map, fill up your gas tank and go on a journey, a very nosy journey, inside the private studios of artists.   

All of the artists have their work on display for sale.  It’s a really cool way to see the creative process behind the work you see in galleries and shops.  It’s personal and intimate… and note: there is often free food and beverage at each stop.

The Indie Grits Festival is going on, too.  The festival (April 19-29) is presented and created by the Nickelodeon Theatre, the only non-profit, art-house theater in South Carolina. Now in its sixth year, Indie Grits includes not only film but several festival partner events that celebrate art, music, craft, food, performance and technology.  There’s too much going on to list, so check out the website here.

If I weren't so dang busy, I'd go back for the Crafty Feast.  I love a good indie craft event!

So here's a wrap-up of the party folks.  Flock and Rally know how to throw a party.  

The decor was a killer indie craft/diy bonanza with an interactive taped out map of downtown Columbia on the floor.  Above event venues for the coming weeks (theaters, studios, etc) were signs and some stops included interactive activities like this one: 

This was a crazy good idea!

And there was a lite-brite station!

And the food... a grits bar by Scott Hall Catering and Event Design (owner of the Bone-In Artisan BBQ truck) with crazy toppings like dried thai prawns and wasabi peas!  Seriously. I had what appeared to be a blue pork skin, spicy collard greens, cheese and pepper on mine. Delish. 

Very cool party. So you don't live in Columbia?  You can still check out the events: take a stroll through the festival and artists' websites and enjoy the show!

sunny skies, grits and piglets

The sun is out!  Thank you God!  I has rained like crazy here for the past 24 hours (and hailed in some places so much it looked like inches of snow fell).  Stump and Sierra found refuge from the mid-day thunder and lightening in a sleeping bag on the couch beside me while I worked.

So my engineer brother and his horticulture girlfriend are coming over on Saturday to help me build this.  I'm going to plant tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, squash, peppers...and herbs.  And maybe some of these.  Then LeAnn and I are going to bake two yummy cakes.  I'm pondering a pineapple cake with whipped cream/cream cheese icing... a little domesticated bliss.

Looks like little Mrs. me and my buddy Griet are going to the Indie Grits Festival Kickoff and 701 CCA Columbia Open Studios Preview Party in Columbia on Thurs, April 19th.  I got a random invite in my inbox and being that I'm looking to expand my freelance roots, off I go. They are having a grits bar by the guy who owns the Bone-In Artisan BBQ truck (my favorite and that alone is worth the trip to the midlands) and a make-your-own Lite Brite Station!  (What the heck?) I can't wait.

For more about the Indie Grits Festival go here.  And for Columbia Open Studios info go here.

I'm obsessed with holding a baby pig.  What is that about?  Anywho.  I found  Sweet Pea Potbelly Pig Farm in Easley. No, I really don't want one in my house (for this reason) and I can't keep one outside because we live in the woods and coyotes would eat them... oh, and the hubs would KILL me if I brought one home.  Keep your fingers crossed that I can visit the farm next week and the lady won't think I'm a crazy person... which could be likely due to my strange "please let me come cuddle your piglets" email. I will have to take a normal person with me. Will keep you posted.

Here's an Easter chick made by Sierra Livengood.  Happy Easter weekend. 

Columbia Food Truck Food Court (and other Columbia adventures)

On Friday, I drug my friend (bff since early middle school), Griet, along on a Gap Creek Gourmet quest to investigate the Columbia Food Truck Food Court in downtown Columbia.  (She went willingly.) 

The food truck fad is spreading like wildfire. (Thank you Food Network.)  They’ve been around for a long time, and you’ve probably eaten at one, but they have an exciting label now: food truck, and thus now are the new big thing.   It’s basically a kitchen on wheels.  And the best food trucks are serving up everything from sushi to a gourmet reworking of downhome bbq.

So through the miracle of Facebook Fan Pages, food trucks post their daily location (usually a business parking lot) on their page and fans come out in droves. The fad has even gone a step farther now: mobile food court.  You heard me.  Food court.   Once a month or so, multiple food trucks gather in a parking lot or field and invite a band. Sometimes there’s booze.

Six or so food trucks came out for Columbia Food Truck Food Court set up in the parking lot of Adluh Flour Mill.   Griet settled on Beef Brisket from locally famed Bone In BBQ.   and I ordered a BLT from Pawley’s Front Porch Mobile Eats.  Both came with a HEAPING pile of fries.  While we waited on our food I went up to random strangers and asked them if I could take pictures of their food.  Yes, I’m a freak.  One lady had BBQ sliders with a side of sweet potato fries with blue cheese on them.  Holy S.  

Only two of the trucks were doing booming business, the others were sort of sad. Hot dogs, fried fair food. (The stuffedwings truck wasn’t there!  So bummed, but I did see the driver, apparently on the way to the USC game on Saturday morning, dancing behind the wheel of the truck at a red light.)

Griet had shredded Beef Brisket in Hickory Hoisin Sauce on a dill focaccia bread with a side of apple slaw and a heaping pile of homemade potato chips sprinkled with dill and other spices.   It was smoky and really sweet (borderline too sweet), but so rich and yummy.  The slaw was made from shredded apple with a little bit of carrot and cabbage soaked in sweet vinegar dressing. We both agreed we wanted a little more spice or something in it, but it was good.

My BLT was off the chain!  Fried green tomatoes and thick cut bacon slathered with homemade pimento cheese on a jalapeno cheddar bread.  We split my sandwich, inhaled my sweet potato fries and snacked on her lunch… well, it was sort of dessert. 

I sat there with a stupid grin on my face.  It was one of those meals that make the rest you’ll eat that week…maybe that month… pale in comparison.

How we had room, I don’t know, but afterward, we swung by Cupcake and tried the French Toast Cupcake (we split it and practically licked the wrapper) and a Carrot Cake Cupcake (bland and uneventful... we took a bite each and threw it away). 

Then we went by one of Griet's favorite deli’s, Di Prato’s, to pick up a container of Pimento Cheese for later.  She said it is the best she's ever eaten. Their deli case had the most incredible selection of “picnic” food… flash fried cauliflower, tomato stacks, cornbread salad.  If I wasn’t so stuffed that I thought I would die, I might have actually tried a thing or two.  Totally going back. (We were so full all night we forgot about the pimento cheese in the fridge!)

In the evening, Griet whipped up pound cakes for a boy scout bake sale while, we sat side by side with wine glasses in hand and laptops open playing on Pinterest (now, that people, is friendship), and we hung out with her neighbor, Nicole, who CRACKS me up!

The next morning I was up super early, (they were leaving for a Clemson game) hugged my Griet and headed out for the All Local Farmer’s Market on Whaley Street. I have never seen such a well balanced market: sea food, organic meat, honey, flowers, gelato, baked bread, baked sweets, jewelry, fiber artists, organic fruits and veggies... and some guys had quiche and grits cooking for breakfast.  I bought some apple donuts, one apple, a bag of chocolate marshmallows (that are heaven in a bag), a peanut butter cookie and a present for my mom… and a hot cup of coffee to go.  I drove around Columbia for a while... around USC and the Capital Building.  It was early and there weren’t any cars out.  The air was cool and it was pretty dang awesome.