Euphoria 2013: The Pictures. The Food. The Fun.

Euphoria 2013, a set on Flickr.

GCG Snag that Swag Giveaway Reboot

Gap Creek Gourmet Snag That Swag Giveaway!

Okay guys.  Time for a fantastic giveaway courtesy of euphoria, Greenville's premier annual foodie event. I met euphoria director, Gillian Trimboli, at Soby's on the Side for coffee this morning and she was nice enough to pass on a VIP swag bag from last year's event.  There's some good stuff in here folks: an Edwin McCain Cd, Tuscan Herb Blend EVOO from Palmetto Olive Oil Co, jewelry from Fox to the Opera, a limited edition tile from Greenville photographer Al Keiser, misc mags, and two virtually unbreakable stemless wine glasses all in an insulated euphoria bag!

How this thing works: Comment. Like. Share. Post.
*You must either live in the Upstate or be willing to come to here to pick up your swag bag - location negotiable.
1) Comment on this blog post.
2)"Like" Gap Creek Gourmet on Facebook.
3) "Share" the Gap Creek Gourmet Facebook fan page with friends on your timeline  (clicking on the little tool drop down beside "Message" below the page banner).

4) Post a link to this post on your Facebook page.

That's four steps to enter, but it will take you only a minute. A winner will be chosen Friday afternoon!

GCG euphoria experience 2011.   Go here for a recap. 

Euphoria was founded in 2006 by Platinum-selling singer/songwriter and Greenville's own Edwin McCain and restaurateur Carl Sobocinski. The weekend long event is slated for September 20-23, 2012 continuing a tradition of exclusive tasting events, cooking demonstrations, chef cook-offs, wine seminars, multi-course dinners and live musical performances. Proceeds from euphoria fund Local Boys Do Good, a nonprofit created by McCain and Sobocinski to benefit local non-profit organizations.  Tickets are on sale now folks, so mark those calendars and get yours now!

Keep checking back in on the euphoria website for news about a foodie event coming in July!

Good luck with the contest and thanks euphoria!

A little taste of Euphoria 2013

  

Last weekend food lovers descended on Greenville for Euphoria 2013, four days of all you can eat foodie bliss. It's been almost a week.  I think I am mostly recovered. I missed the debauchery in 2012, but was lucky enough to snag tickets this year for a weekend of  amazing sip and nosh and crazy paparazzi-style picture taking. (That's me and Soby's Chef, Shaun Garcia.) 

On Friday, we grazed around the beautiful Peace Center Amphitheater on the Reedy River in downtown Greenville for the Verizon Wireless Taste of the South.  Josh Leo and Adam Craig Band cranked out country tunes as we sampled small plates from Greenville's best restaurants: Larkin's on the River, Devereaux's, The Green Room, The Lazy Goat, Rick Erwin's West End Grille, Soby's, Stella's Southern Bistro, and Bacon Bros. Public House. (I left out a few, but you get the point. The best of the best were there. It was freaking amazing.) Top that with beverages provided by Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka, Stella Artois, Thomas Creek Brewery (a local fave), Sierra Nevada, Williamsburg Winery, Trump Winery, and Boxwood Winery and  Barboursville Vineyards. 

Kat Kinsman was at Euphoria from CNN's Eatocracy blog!

Let me give you an idea of the very cool food we put in our face. Fried chicken and spicy waffle with maple syrup from Larkin's on the River, Braised Duck Pot Pie with Jalapeno Cornmeal Crust from Stella's, Korean Pork Tacos from the Rick Erwin's group of restaurants, Braised Beef Short Ribs with Poblano Slaw and Cherry Coke Glaze from Soby's and Smoked Manchester Farms Quail with Pimento Cheese Grits and Bacon Jam from Bacon Bros Public House.   

  

Take a look at my Euphoria 2013 post for more Euphoria pics. 

Let's talk about Saturday. (Stay with me.  Gonna be a long post!) I was crazy excited about that Charles Krug Wines and Justin Wines were going to be at the Bon Secours St. Francis Health System Tasting Showcase.  If you've seen me excited about something, you know why the guys at Justin Wines considered giving me a job when I walked up to their booth. I'm a total fan girl. If you've had their Cabernet, then you understand why I was so stoked.  R Stuart and Co. was also there with their Big Fire Pinot Gris, one of my favorite whites.  

Beer companies were sampling too. I'm not normally a beer girl, but I was happy to try them all.  Greenville's own Thomas Creek Brewery was there with their River Falls Ale (my favorite of all beers) and I loved the Blueberry beer from Atlanta's Sweetwater Brewery. Poppington's Popcorn was also there handing out samples of their Buffalo Popcorn. YUM!

Saturday, to me, is mostly about the booze, quite frankly, but Tupelo Honey Greenville was there serving up an absolutely amazing dish of Southern Chicken Saltimbocca with Country Ham in a Mushroom Marsala Sauce. It was one of my favorite dishes of the weekend. I've got to get my hands on that Tupelo Honey Cookbook.  Look for that to be on my Christmas List! And if I'm lucky, maybe they'll give me one to give away on the blog.  Stay posted.

Other tasty highpoints were the fare at the Fine Wine Auction and Reserve Tasting at Soby's on Saturday afternoon and then the macarones from Buttercream Bakehouse.  And we did linger over the breads at the La Farm Bakery booth for quite a while...

After a change of clothes and a switchout of girlfriends, I headed back down the mountain to check out the Euphoria Food Truck Driven Associates Traffic Jam at The Old Cigar Warehouse on Saturday night. Columbia's 2 Fat 2 Fly was there with their stuffed chicken wings, The Chocolate Moose was handing out cupcakes, and ASADA Food Truck was fixing up California-Mexican goodness. (I can't get enough of their tacos.) Also there: Henry's Smokehouse, Kona Ice, Thoroughfare Food Truck and Fudrucker's The Fudd Truck.  This was the first year for the Traffic Jam event. 

The Euphoria girls sure know how to throw a party.  It was a hoedown style event complete with strings of lights, cornhole games, a live band and even a hammock.  The lines for some of the food trucks were problematic (more booze than food =  drunk people) and one of the more popular trucks ran out of food before the event was over, but doesn't that just mean it was SUPER successful?

Sunday. That's me with the new chef of Hotel Domestique's Restaurant 17, Adam Cooke. (He's a cutie, right?)  I was excited to hear from him that the Hincapie venture should be open by November.  I hope they show some GCG love and allow us a preview!

I ran around chasing chefs most of the morning... until I spotted cake. This girl loves her cake.  Especially Brick Street Sweet Potato Cake.   Yes, I ate that first. With a Mimosa while I tapped my foot to the tunes of South Carolina Jazz Orchestra. But the best dish of the day goes to Performance Foodservice for the Smoked Salmon Strudel with Red Onion Relish.   

It was truly an amazing weekend.  I want to thank Sparkle Boss Taryn Scher (the PR genius behind Euphoria) for being so kind and for the Euphoria staff for doing an absolutely amazing job. Again.  You guys are the bomb.

Oh!  And one last story.  So right before we left, I grabbed Taryn for a hug and a thank you.  I asked for a picture.  I just wanted to snap a selfie shot. (I think she is amazingly cool.) She was worried about us looking funny that up close.  We were cute actually!  Until I got home and realized in my picture edits that I had food all in my teeth!  How long had that been there?!  Isn't that  the way of the world?  You think you're all snazzy and then you realize you had food in your teeth the whole time!

Until my next embarrassing moment.  

   

Cinco de Mayo Euphoria style

 The folks at Euphoria are throwing a Cinco de Mayo party on Sunday, May 5 that’s not to be missed.  To kick off Euphoria 2013 ticket sales they have invited the Blue Dogs and country music’s rising start Rachel Farley for a one night only concert at Greenville’s Little Theatre. 

Described as a young girl with an old soul vibe, Farley has toured with Brantley Gilbert and recently signed to Jason Aldean’s record label. You can check her out here:

Before the concert there is an exclusive VIP party on the lawn featuring tasty bites by the hottest chefs on Greenville’s culinary scene.

Roost, Devereaux’s, The Lazy Goat, The Green Room, Performance Foodservice, and two new restaurants, Bacon Bros. Public House and Passerelle will be serving up crowd pleasing fare.  Liquid Catering will be on hand whipping up custom margaritas with Camarena tequila or guests can grab a Stella Artois or glass of vino at the open bar.  

Event goers will be the first to see the much anticipated event schedule for Euphoria 2013 which includes the popular Guest Chef Dinners, Sunday Supper, and Taste of the South, but also a few new surprises.  Word is, there will be big things happening at Noma Square and food trucks are getting involved in Euphoria this year.  Popular events always sell out quickly, so this is a great chance to get a jump on ticket sales.  Tickets to this one day only event are on sale now at www.euphoriagreenville.com/events/one-night-only. VIP tickets are $100 and general admission concert tickets are $25.  

Foodie fans unite for Euphoria 2011

Euphoria 2011 has come and gone and my palate (and brain) are frantically waving a white flag. I spent the weekend in foodie bliss, learning about wine, grazing on dishes by some of America's top chefs, and mingling with fellow writers, local celebs and fans of all things food.  

(above: me, American Grocery's dish of goodness, my empty glass, and chefs Rob Wiedmaier and Victoria Moore)

On Friday, Greenville's top restaurants set up chow at the Peace Center Amphitheatre: The Plaid Pelican, Ruth's Chris, Nantucket Seafood Grill, Smoke on the Water, Rick Erwin's, Stella's Southern Bistro, Soby's, American Grocery, The Lazy Goat (to name a few...). Firefly Sweet Tea in hand, I roamed around, mouth hanging open and dumbfounded.  After my shock subsided, I managed to sample my way through most of the dishes, gawked at the local chefs (my own personal rock stars) and found a few dishes to rave about. 

Stella's Southern Bistro gets the Gap Creek Gourmet Cupcake award for their Spiced Carrot Cupcake with Split Creek Farm Goat Cheese Frosting and Salted Caramel drizzle.  The cake was heavy and moist and the icing was whipped into a delicate cream.  I finished very few dishes during the weekend (for fear of bursting from eating too much), but I almost licked the bowl on this one.  Their Dirty CheeseGrit and Cornbread Souffle with Smoked Chicken Gumbo and Crispy Country Ham was also amazing.  

Smoke on the Water gets the best all around award for three solid dishes (and they are affordable enough that I can recommend it to most everyone on my Facebook page).  I loved their (perfectly cooked) Smoked Beef Tenderloin over Loaded Mashed Potatoes with Teriyaki BBQ Sauce.  Their food isn't over the top complicated, but the presentation was nice.

(above: top: Grilled Shrimp and Grits from Smoke on the Water and Cupcake from Stella's Southern Bistro, bottom: Smoked Trout on Corn Cake from Nantucket and the Euphoria crowd)

American Grocery Restaurant's Caw Caw Creek Porkbelly over Anson Mill Grits with Bourbon Maple Sauce totally won me over.  Salty pork, creamy grits and sweet maple in beautiful harmony (there was a grilled apple slice on the pile too).  Best dish of the entire weekend.  

Already star struck by the local chefs, I ran into the Weather Channel's Jim Cantore.  I convinced him to put his healthy living habits aside and taste an Iced cupcake with me and we discussed the qualities of a good Red Velvet Cupcake. (This one missed the mark.)  Among the other amazing people I met were the Taryn Scher, the very stylish PR genius behind Euphoria, Chrysti Shain, South Carolina Dept. of Tourism's SC Insider editor, SC Food Insider Gwen Fowler, and fellow freelance writer Clayton Hensley from Knoxville.  I ran into former massage clients Dan and Reba Collins and caught up with my friend (and new Thomas Creek Sales Director) Casey Smith.  I also chatted it up with some complete strangers, which I am prone to doing.

Full belly and wine in hand, I wrapped the night with a serenade by southern rocker, Edwin McCain. (No, he wasn't just singing to me, but I can pretend, right?) 

I headed down the mountain bright and early Saturday morning for day 2. Under the big tents at Main and Broad Streets I found wine mecca: tables and tables of vineyard reps and wine merchants surrounded by hundreds of bottles of vino. Some of the hightlights of the day were talking to Christopher Barefoot from Flowers Vineyard, Michael De Loach from Hook and Ladder Winery (we talked about vine origins...he's a real character), and tasting and talking wine with the J. Lohr guy. 

I also discovered The Chocolate Shop Wine.  I would never have purchased a wine called Chocolate Shop. The name just doesn't say good wine, but when I stuck my nose in that glass I was transported. Seriously.  I don't know how they did it, but they bottled the essence of chocolate.  When it hit the tongue I tasted sweet red wine and then the sweet smooth chocolate set in.  Definitely a guest at my next cupcake tasting event!  I found a tasty Korean Taco and Mint Lemonade for lunch, listened to Jacob Johnson tear up the guitar on stage and watched a cooking demo by Robert Wiedmaier, chef and owner of Brasserie Beck in Washington DC before heading home.

Sunday's brunch and culinary cookoffs were a nice end to a busy weekend.  I grabbed a cup of coffee and decided on Soby's Crabcakes and and a lavender cupcake from Iced.  Nicely flavored icing with a crispy lemon candy on top, but I just can't get behind their cupcake batter... it's like a store bought muffin... not my fav.  I also chatted with some friends and watched a bit of the top chef style "NOLA Smackdown" between chefs Haley Bittermann and Heidi Trull and chefs Drew Dzejak and Shaun Li.  After taking some last minute pics, I headed out... back up the mountain to my family and my own kitchen.

(below: Jim Cantore, Michael De Loach and Jacob Johnson)

a bit of Euphoria 2012 news and the monthly rip and file (aka catching up on august mags)

One of my favorite local Chefs asked me to share a little bit of Euphoria news with my peeps: Stella’s Bistro in Simpsonville, is offering one hell of a Euphoric deal!  They are giving away $40 gift cards (one per couple) to anyone that purchases two tickets to their Euphoria Wine Dinner featuring Iron Chef winner Edward Lee of 610 Magnolia in Louisville, Kentucky and Paul Fehribach of Big Jones in Chicago.  Go here for more info!

Now back to the regular programming: 

To switch things up a bit, I decided to paste the stuff I ripped out mags this month into one of these cool Smash notebooks that my brother gave me.  While I'm waiting on two Apple Crisps and roasted Butternut Squash (for this recipe) to finish doing their thing in the oven, I thought I'd share .

The Movies:

I so can't wait to see To Rome With Love. Another Woody Allen film.  Yea!  

And Emma Watson's next big project, The Perks of Being a Wall Flower.  I can honestly say I didn't see a single Harry Potter film so there's no chance of having post traumatic Harry syndrome during this one. 

What's destined for my Tivo:

FOX's new sitcom, Ben and Kate.  I am CRAZY for We Bought a Zoo so the fact that little Maggie Jones    ("We bought a ZOOO!!!!") is supposed to be cat's pj's  in this one... I'm totally there. 

The L.A. Complex. I just love a good "trying to make it in L.A. story" and am a really horrible, horrible person probably for finding some sort of enjoyment out of CW television...

I need another book to read like I need a hole in my shoe:

BUT I can't wait to get my hands on Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klaussman and Everyday by David Levithan.  

Oh the places I will go:

I have not stepped foot into Shinola at 19 Mohawk Drive in Greenville yet, but based on the very cool junk exploding out their doors, I am going to be a regular.  I gotta get there soon... and should probably stop into Community Tap too to restock the vino.  (This one's gonna be a blog post folks!)

There is apparently a bar called Speakeasy in Charleston... a hidden little place that involves a secret walkway and a tiny staircase. There is no sign.  It all sounds shady to me, but does anyone remember the cool little saiki bar on Main Street where you had to walk through another place to get there and it only seated like 12?  THAT is the reason I totally have to go find the little bar of which I speak. 

In the kitchen:

Big hugs to Chef John Malik for sharing his Molasses-Brined Pork Tenderloin recipe with Edible Upcountry readers.  It's now on my to-cook list. 

Uncorked:

Oregon Wines to try: Ponzi Vineyards and Thistle.  Noted. 

I've been watching Bottleshock over and over again.  Tis the season.  And I am so longing to do nothing but sit in my back yard in a good chair sipping on a beautiful golden chardonnay.  Something from Boomtown, Tranche, StoneCap and Waterbrook are on my list... never tried those vineyards, you?

Smells like the Butternut Squash is almost finished.  The crisps are a smashing success! And you have some links to peruse now, don't ya?

Happy Sunday evening!  If this beautiful weather follows us through the week, it's gonna be a fantastic one folks!

Valley girls hit the town for Tapas and 'Tinis

The folks at Euphoria threw one hell of a preview party last Thursday night at one of Greenville's premier event spaces, The Loft at Soby's.  My buddy and I ventured off the mountain to check out the fare and mingle a bit. 

photo booth fun.

Liquid Catering was in the house pouring reds and whites from J. Lohr vineyards and mixing up tasty blueberry drinks. I had quite a few of these little marvels. (Van Gogh Vodka and Greenville's Town Magazine kindly sponsored the event).  And big time chef Daryl Shular was manning the kitchen with Soby's folks.  Aside from being the Corporate Executive Chef for Performance Foodservice-Milton's, Shular's a gold metal winner at the International Culinary Olympics (honestly, I didn't know this existed, but I'm intrigued) and is on the 2012 ICS International Culinary Olympic Team.  All I know for sure is that he was whipping up some pretty seriously fantastic party fare.  (The beef bites with foie gras was off the chain folks! I know, I know animal cruelty and all...)

After grazing, we headed up the spiral staircase for the rooftop scene.  Greenville band Wine Down and a pretty awesome jazz/funk band that plays Brown Street Jazz Club (and were headed there after) kept the tunes rolling and the people dancing.  Euphoria's Executive Director, Gillian Trimboli knows a bit about throwing a swanky party.

I'm stoked about Euphoria this year.  Last year was my first trip to the big show weekend and I swear to pete I was sick of eating and drinking by Sunday.  I just wanted a cracker and water... okay, not even that. 

 This year's lineup of superstar chefs include: New York Chefs George Mendes, Kenny Callaghan, and Carmen Quagliata, and  Joseph Lenn, of The Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee.  Also in town are Charleston talents, Jeremiah Bacon, the Executive Chef and Partner at  The Macintosh on King Street (on my go to list!) and Craig Deihl, the Chef de Cuisine of Charleston's Cypress!

I have to be honest, I enjoy seeing the talent brought in from out of town, but I think I'm more star struck by the talented chefs from the Upstate.  We have some seriously amazing chefs here!  I turn into the biggest fan girl around Devereaux's Chef Spencer Thompson, The Lazy Goat Chef Vicky Moore (love her!), Stella's Southern Bistro Chef Jason Scholz,  Chef de Cuisine Shaun Garcia from Soby's, and Grits and Groceries owner and Chef Heidi Trull. I was so nervous about talking to Heidi, I didn't even walk up to her for a pic when I was at her restaurant last week!  What's wrong with me?  I totally talked to her husband Joe (who is a pastry and dessert god) but could I talk to her?  No.  What the hell, right?

I'm thinking you should grab a ticket. Seriously, you'll eat some of the best food of your life. The Taste of the South event is an absolute must.  Edwin McCain takes the stage at the end of the evening.  Cool, eh? Go here for ticket info. 

Thanks for an awesome party folks and a shout out to my new friend Saige Irlacher who owns Saige Consignment Boutique on Pelham Road.

Press pass lined up for Euphoria!

 euphoria: a weekend of foodie bliss.

In 2006 Edwin McCain and Greenville restaurateur, Carl Sobocinski, got together and planned a charity event (proceeds go to their Local Boys Do Good organization) that quickly became a southern foodie mecca.  

A weekend of: Wine. Beer. Celebrity Chefs. Master Sommeliers. Awesome music.