Restaurants/Food

Making baklava is a time-consuming process that involves buttering 60 layers of filo dough, but Thalia O’Gorman loves baking the Greek dessert. O’Gorman owns Thalia’s Baklava, which recently began leasing space in OPP Kitchen located at 359 Furys Ferry Road in Martinez. She sells seven flavors of the dessert, including traditional, chocolate, blueberry, and espresso. “It’s like apple pie; everybody who makes it has their own version of it,” said O’Gorman, a native of Connecticut. “And we all swear ours is the best.” She grew up in a Greek family

Restaurateur, Renee Hajek (above in green, hugging supporters) will have some more time to serve beer and wine at Stay. Social, Tap & Table. That’s because Chief Superior Court Judge Jim Blanchard, Jr. will be busy reviewing hundreds of pages of letters, evidence, petitions, and a nearly one-hour video of the Oct. 4 commission meeting in which Columbia County Commissioners revoked Stay’s license. Yesterday morning, Blanchard presided over a court hearing to determine whether Stay’s alcohol license will remain in effect. On Oct. 13, Blanchard overturned the County’s decision and

Editor’s Note: Wes Hennings never met a meal he walked away from and is an opinionated eater! Each Thursday he shares the results of a business lunch he’s had with a colleague as a way to advise our business community on the good, bad, and tasty across the CSRA. He doesn’t let ABD or the restaurant know where he is going and his opinions are his own. He grades the restaurants he visits on a 1-5 scale with “5” being outstanding. We call this our “Real Business Lunch Review”. Food

How many times have you been on vacation, headed to the beach or the mountains from the CSRA, and the kids ask for the millionth time, are we almost there? On the edge of Aiken County, almost close enough to throw a rock to the Barnwell County line, a new restaurant has opened. If your tribe is hungry, you can stop in at Almost There Café. The building at 245 White Pond Road in Williston has been a donut shop, a chicken joint, and a mercantile over the years. Now,

Editor’s Note: Wes Hennings never met a meal he walked away from and is an opinionated eater! Each Thursday he shares the results of a business lunch he’s had with a colleague as a way to advise our business community on the good, bad, and tasty across the CSRA. He doesn’t let ABD or the restaurant know where he is going and his opinions are his own. He grades the restaurants he visits on a 1-5 scale with “5” being outstanding. We call this our “Real Business Lunch Review”. Food

Chef J.D. Wier recently revamped his menu and began offering lunch again, and, so far, his diners have been pleased with the changes. Wier owns Noble Jones, a Southern-style eatery located at 816 Cotton Lane off Reynolds Street, the former home of the Cotton Patch. The restaurant serves a variety of sandwiches, such as chicken, pulled pork, and brisket. It also offers several types of meat dishes, including chicken wings, sausage, and baby back ribs, which, according to its menu, are only offered on Friday and Saturday. The previous menu

The new owner of Aiken’s Tiffany’s at the Stables restaurant has been a stay-at-home mom and a cosmetologist, but Tiffany Burris Smith always gravitated back to her years of experience in managing bars in Augusta and working in the restaurant and catering business with What’s Cookin’ Downtown in Aiken. “I’ve cooked, bussed tables, and worked 19-hour days. I decided if I was going to work that hard, I wanted to open a place for myself,” Smith said. When the opportunity arose, she was able to fulfill her dream of owning

Editor’s Note: Wes Hennings never met a meal he walked away from and is an opinionated eater! Each Thursday he shares the results of a business lunch he’s had with a colleague as a way to advise our business community on the good, bad, and tasty across the CSRA. He doesn’t let ABD or the restaurant know where he is going and his opinions are his own. He grades the restaurants he visits on a 1-5 scale with “5” being outstanding. We call this our “Real Business Lunch Review”. Food

After two years of covid-related shutdowns, North Augusta’s annual Jack-O-Lantern Jubilee is back this week. Headlining the event is a free concert by Grammy-nominated country singer, Joe Nichols. The city’s 36th annual Jack-O-Lantern Jubilee will be held on Georgia Avenue in North Augusta, Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. In 2020 and 2021, the event was canceled due to Covid. Sponsors include Communigraphics, the Augusta GreenJackets, and SouthState Bank. “The Jack-O-Lantern Jubilee has been the flagship event for the City of North Augusta for many years, and its absence