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 < Rick Erwin speaks at the press conference Tuesday, May 27, 2008 announcing his plans to open "Nantucket Seafood Grill" at the new Courtyard by Marriott project. Photo by Alan Devorsey / Greenville News.Nantucket Seafood Grill will be a high-end seafood restaurant, at the corner of Main and Broad streets downtown Greenville, next to City Hall. It will be in a six-story development anchoring a 135-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel. "I consider this location the best location in the state of South Carolina" Erwin said during the groundbreaking ceremony. > Click here for the full article. |
| July 2008 - As Seen in TravelHost Magazine Dining Spotlght: Rick Erwin's West End Grille When special friends from Atlanta came to visit several weekends ago, we suddenly realized just how much we'd been "talking-up" Greenville. We began to think we had created expectations that couldn't possibly be met. After carefully planning which sights to show them, we focused our attention on dinner Saturday night. Food, we knew, would play a huge part in creating their first impression of Greenville, so we had to choose the restaurant very carefully. Our friends, you see, are seasoned travelers; they've eaten at the finest restaurants and they're not easily impressed. Naturally, we chose Rick Erwin's. Rick's passion for the complete dining experience was immediately evident. The restaurant's soothing ambiance is enhanced by dark polished woods and brightly colored local artwork on exposed brick walls. The resulting feel is distinctly sophisticated yet comfortable and intimate. We allowed time for a leisurely respite in the bar where Rick's knowledgeable bartender introduced us to a great new single malt while he decanted our wine selection for dinner. Rick Erwin's wine list, a regular recipient of Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence, provided us several superb vintages from which to choose. The West End Grille's menu is traditional American steak and seafood, featuring the finest cuts of Prime and Certified Angus beef and the best available seafood delivered fresh daily. We each had different entrees and shared all around. My crab cakes were as good as Baltimore's and everyone's steaks were simply delicious. They were flavorful, very tender and prepared to perfection. And the service was impeccable, extremely attentive but never overbearing. Bottom line: Rick Erwin's was the perfect choice. We had a marvelous dinner and a great visit with our friends who are, incidentally, already planning their next trip to the Upstate. We can't wait! •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Autumn 2007 - As Seen in Sandlapper Magazine Rick Erwin's West End Grille, Greenville SC: A modern, stylish restaurant with classic steakhouse hardwood decor, Rick Erwin's West End Grill offers quality steaks and seafood with a decidedly masculine appeal. Don't expect to find sushi or quiche anywhere near the place. This is where the John Wayne crowd eats and the other crows runs for cover. I had been seated only a short time when I discovered this was a serious steakhouse - a really serious steakhouse. How serious? Well, when my server brought me the same knife Jim Bowie used to defend the Alamo, I knew there were two distinct dining possibilities awaiting. One, the steak was going to be so thick it would take a Bowie knife to cut, or secondly, a herd of Angus cattle would stampede through the restaurant and I'd need the knife to claim my dinner. I didn't relish the thought of wrestling a half-ton steer into submission, but after devouring a mouth-watering, 20-ounce certified Angus bone-in ribeye ($32), I think the risk would have been worth taking. Not that I needed the Bowie knife to cut the steak; it was tender, moist, flavorful and all meat, no gristle or fat. It filled the plate and had a wonderful aroma reminiscent of campfire grilling on the back 40 of a Montana cattle spread. This was one good cut of meat. My experience was just what Rick Erwin wanted when he opened his restaurant in May 2005 a few blocks from The Peace Center. A 28-year veteran of the restaurant wars, Erwin instilled his outgoing personality into the eatery. "People want to see Rick when they come to the restaurant," said general manager Colin McDonald. "He makes his guests feel welcome and comfortable." Colin takes pride providing an enjoyable dining adventure. "I want our positive energy to be transferred to the guests," he said. "If somebody walks out the door unhappy, then we've all failed. We strive to provide the full package to our clientele, always making sure tha tall requests are met." Colin is up to the task, roaming the restaurant like a ringmaster, orchestrating everyone's enjoyment, intent on creating just the right mood. Most entrees are served a la carte. Not satisfied with merely hardening y arteries, I decided to firmly cement them shut. I chose the three-cheese macaroni and cheese ($5) and cheesy mashed potatoes ($5) to accompany my ribeye. Okay, my side dishes were not too good for the ol' cholesterol, but they were a big hit with my taste buds. Other carnivorous delights are th 14-ounce certified Angus bone-in New York strip ($29), certified Angus filet mignon (11-ounce $30, petite version $24), rack of lamb (two bones for $24; four bones for $44), veal porterhouse, prime dirloin, and Niman Ranch bone-in pork loin chop. Fresh seafood abounds. On the menu are sashimi-grade tuna, Chilean sea bass, Parmesan-crusted grouper, salmon stacks, crabcakes and lobster tail. Rick Erwin's also has an extensive wine list. "A great steak and good wine go hand in hand," Colin said. "It doesn't have to be a special occasion to enjoy a nice bottle of wine." For dessert try the Carnegie Deli cheesecake - yes, the Carnegie Deli cheesecake, flown in from New York City daily. An attentive staff, unbeatable ambiance and succulent dining selections make Rick Erwins a hit on the Greenville dining scene. We go to extraordinary lengths to serve and prepare the finest steak possible for an extraordinary dining experience," Rick said. Mission accomplished. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Nantucket Seafood Grill Cape Cod comes to Greenville with a brand new restaurant offering the very freshest seafood. Fresh, not just because our fish was swimming in the seas just a few short hours before it appears on your plate, but fresh in the way we'll do business. From our preparation to our presentation to a level of service uncommon in many area restaurants, Nantucket will be like no other restaurant in Greenville. The resemblance to the real Nantucket won't simply stop and start with our authentic Cape Cod decor. No, our remarkably fresh oysters, mussels and clams, our fish dinners prepared with delicacy and fabulous flavor, and our luscious lobsters in sizes fit for a king will transport diners to a place that has always been associated with honest-to-goodness freshness and flavor. Nantucket is the most new-fashioned old-fashioned restaurant to ever hit Greenville. Very New England. Very New York. Very Greenville. |
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