James Beard semifinalist and patissier extraordinaire Tania Cienfuegos Harris has brought her sweet conceit to Hotel Hartness and Patterson Kitchen + Bar as pastry chef.
She started in July and has brought four new options to the dessert menu: corn crème brûlée, chocoloco, coconut rice pudding, and a peach dulce de leche popsicle.
She was classically trained at the Colegio Superior De Gastronomía in Mexico City, and could have chosen any gastronomical avenue. For her, the decision to go into baking actually came from failure.
“Part of your exam is a practice exam, so you have to cook some of your items. And my dessert was bad,” she recalled with a smile. “I was kind of a nerd during school. I always like to be good at what I’m not good at. So I was like, ‘You know, I’m not good at dessert. I’m going to focus on desserts.’”
The decision to join Hartness came down to good vibes and pride. The hotel brought on a new executive chef, Patrick LeBeau. She admired LeBeau’s background and creativity.
Hotel Hartness is located at 120 Halston Ave., just off state Highway 14 east of Greenville.
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The state’s first kava bar, Kava Konnection, is growing.
The social gathering spot announced on social media July 23 that it would take over the store next door come fall.
Although the expansion will see the loss of Bossy Bakers, the kava bar will get some much-needed additional space. The bakery chose not to renew its lease.
Kava is a nonalcoholic beverage hailing from the South Pacific that has a mouth-numbing affect on its consumer. It is derived from the kava plant, then pounded or blended with liquid like water or coconut water.
Owner Gabriel Coggins decided to start Kava Konnection back in 2014 after pivoting to a life of sobriety a few years prior. In 2018, he was selected as CommunityWorks’ Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
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Downtown’s Bellwether Public House is embracing the Olympic spirit with summer games cocktails. Aptly named Gold, Silver and Bronze, the cocktails will be offered through the duration of the Olympics. The Bellwether Public House is located at 941 S. Main St. in downtown Greenville.
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Since we’re all low-down burger fans at heart, The Habit Burger Grill is making its way to Haywood Road with a slated opening date for Aug. 14. This will be the seventh edition of the California-based business in the Upstate, with recent openings in Easley, Greer and Spartanburg.
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