First visit: Mar 2023
The rest of the day was just as pretty as the morning. I visited a few record shops with the most success coming in Greenville itself, which was my final destination. The work hotel was designated to be the Westin Poinsett, a wonderful historical lodging establishment from the 1920s that was left for ruin in the 1980s before some redevelopers came along and spruced it up. Now it's part of the upscale Westin chain. As noted about the Palmer House in Chicago, the RJG loves old hotels and this one has all those nooks and crannies that make them special.
It's also conveniently located in downtown Greenville, and there's plenty of dining and drinking options within walking distance. The RJG has a long history in Greenville. This is where my grandparents on my Dad's side retired (from New York City). And I visited 3 times from 1969 to 1972 as a little boy, before my step-grandfather passed away in 1974. I didn't know he was a "step" though I always wondered why I didn't have grandparents with my last name like all of my friends did. I was to learn all of that later, as that side of my family is rich with history. In 1974, my grandmother moved to Dallas to be close to us, and that was the end of my Greenville years. In 1992, I drove through again for the first time since then - while on a record buying trip ironically enough. I have an hysterical story about my experience of revisiting the house where my grandmother lived. It's great for the bar, but I won't tell it here. And in 2016, I showed Mrs. RJG that same house as we passed through, but we didn't stop to do anything else. So this is really the most focused time I've spent in the city since 1972, when I was all of 7 years old. And I do not recall my grandma ever taking us downtown, which tells me it's probably been revitalized and wasn't a good place to go back then.
I had a free evening, so the place that jumped out to me was Barley's, yet another craft tavern with Italian food on the menu. And it's clear that they dive deep into the microbrews, so I was a kid in the candy store. Especially since they offered 10 ounce pours, I went ahead and tried 6 of them. Remember all I had to do was stumble back to the hotel. 60 ounces is about 5 beers, and none were really strong. To be honest I didn't really feel it that much, must be my German and Irish heritage. Great on the beer, but how did the food come out?
Well - look at that would ya? When you travel, one thing you don't want is heavy food. I'm here to tell you that was the lightest and most fresh tasting rigatoni bolognese I've ever had. The noodles were al dente and the sauce was meaty yet still very light and tasty. Delicious. Talk about a perfect RJG place! It's atmosphere is great as well. Sitting in a refurbished old downtown building, with hardwood floors, and the sun comes through the shades perfectly at sunset. Lots of barstools and tables - it would take a lot of folks to fill it up.
Apparently Barley's was originally opened as the second of a chain (same name) from Asheville, North Carolina. But they bought it out 20 years ago and remains fiercely independent. Go here.
3/18/23 (new entry)
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