A night upstairs at The Anchorage: Weekly Dish
This week, we want to highlight a lesser-known amenity of The Anchorage, specifically its second floor.
The Anchorage opened in 2017 in The Village of West Greenville serving an expressive, chef-driven menu that fluctuates by season. The atmosphere downstairs is intimate, making it ideal for a date night or birthday dinner. In contrast, the second floor offers a more laid-back vibe with the restaurant’s bar staff. Reservations for the bar can be made but the restaurant also accepts walk-ins.
On June 19, the Greenville Journal paid a visit with a seat waiting at the bar. The plan was to grab a cocktail or two and a couple bites … but that’s not how the night went.
It began with conversation from bartender Mills Higgins, a glass of Ameztoi Txakoli and the mezcal-based Got My Mojo Working cocktail.
Guided by the Spanish wine’s notes of green apple coupled with its mouthwatering high acidity, the meal started with bread service and, later, mambo lacinato kale flavored by tahini vinaigrette. Lacinato is a distinct variety of curly kale and imparts a more subtle flavor underscored by a nuttiness. The kale is used as a wrap, enveloping rye berry tabbouleh and feta.
Related: Meet The Anchorage Executive Chef Steve Zurkey
Midway through bread service, conversation with fellow bar patrons prompted a switch from white to Sicilian COS frapato — a chilled red wine with juicy notes of red fruit and orange zest and a more light-to-medium body. The switch ushered in a second course of mushroom agnolotti and walleye pike. The pasta incorporated earthy notes with basil and delicate chanterelles, while the fish tied in the heartiness of the mushroom with a buttery beurre blanc and creamed corn.
The whole meal was harmonious but the standout item was a surprise: haupia, a coconut pudding native to Hawaii. Traditionally, it is served as a pie with whipped cream and often accompanied by chocolate custard. Its consistency is more gelatinous than pudding, allowing it to layer. For “local boys and girls” — like me — it is a mainstay of family gatherings when your parents may have forgotten to make a dish.
The Anchorage’s is nothing like the haupia found inHawaii. It takes on its own interpretation, adding purple rice pudding, hazelnut-coconut granola and mango gel. It is both delicious and distinct enough to make even the most homesick local girl forget that it’s the same dish her “maddah” brought to her late “grandfaddah’s” every holiday. The dessert is accompanied by a carajillo.
The Anchorage has a simple goal for the second floor: Striking a delicate balance between contemporary fine dining and beautiful food while encouraging conversation among diners and staff who didn’t arrive together but left feeling acquainted.
The Anchorage is located at 586 Perry Ave.
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On July 23, Jeni’s Ice Creams will host Junior League of Greenville’s Bramble & Brittle Social. The event will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. and 25% of sales will go to local nonprofits. Additionally, the ice cream shop will prepare a brambleberry crisp and brown butter almond brittle. Jeni’s is located in Camperdown Plaza at 12 E. Broad St. in downtown Greenville.
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