The Peddler
Tonight Boris sent us on a date to The Peddler Steak House, “Greenville’s most unique dining experience since 1969.” I can’t even remember the last time Kendra and I went out to dinner, just the two of us. The building, a 100 year-old stone and wood construction, was beautiful. It reminded me a bit of something you would find nestled in a small European town. We sat in a screened in deck, with wonderful views of the trees behind the restaurant. I felt like we were eating in a tree house high above the woods – very Swiss Family Robinson.
Once the waitress told us the menu, I knew why Boris liked the place. There were quite a few options for steak, and they brought a big slab of raw meat to the table and cut your piece for you on the spot. Kendra seemed impressed, but I found it slightly unsettling. Who carries raw meat around a restaurant, with nothing but a blue cloth napkin covering the surface? Well… we ARE in the South. Anyway, we ordered the jumbo shrimp cocktail appetizer, two filet mignons (mine with baked potato, Kendra’s with baked sweet potato), and made our way to the salad bar. I found the sheer number of options at once overwhelming and confusing. There were a lot of things I wouldn’t normally put on my salad, but I have learned to just nod my head and go with it when I am visiting down here.
The dinner itself was quite tasty, and I had almost forgotten what a true baked potato tastes like. We usually toss ours in the microwave, which is just not the same. This potato was phenomenal – I mixed in loads of butter, salt, and sour cream, savoring every bite. By the time we were done eating, I was full – too full for dessert. However, Kendra insisted, so when the waitress gave us our options, we narrowed it down to the bananas foster cheesecake, or the triple-layer chocolate cake. Both sounded great to me, though I am wary of restaurant chocolate cake. Bakeries usually do a good job, but you never know what you’ll get at a steak house.
I have a particular chocolate cake I love more than any other. It is huge, with four layers of cake glued together with rich fudgy frosting. There is an even more generous layer of frosting on the outside of the cake, which is then coated in chocolate flakes. Just one piece gives me a sugar high for days, but it is by far the best chocolate cake I have ever eaten. Costco sells it – and it tastes the same from every Costco. I know because I have had both the New Hampshire and South Carolina versions.
So, as I mentioned, I was skeptical of the chocolate cake. However, this cake was phenomenal. Slightly warm, with chocolate sauce lightly drizzled atop, and a dollop of whipped cream, this cake was the best I had ever eaten. And from a restaurant! Of course, as soon as it came out, I recognized it was a big old slice of Costco cake, so it was no surprise that it was so good 😉 Though a swanky restaurant that serves up Costco cake as its own might put off some people, I think it’s a brilliant move. Why WOULDN’T you want to serve the best chocolate cake in the world? Bold move, Peddler, bold move. Needless to say, it was a great ending to a lovely date. I was full of great food, got to eat my favorite cake, and had the chance to spend some alone time with Kendra. Thank you Boris!
