GREENVILLE – The entertainment world declared 2023 the year of the woman, with Barbie, Taylor Swift and Beyonce dominating charts, social and at least one conversation per person per day. If you’re mad about that, be forewarned about what follows, because Greenville’s food, wine and music festival, euphoria, has decided one year isn’t enough.
For another plan-ahead Date Night, read on for a special euphoria-themed evening to give us something to look forward to and give us that nudge over the winter doldrums at the end of February into spring.
It’s also an all-in-one opportunity to eat, dance, imbibe, eat some more, and responsibly enjoy an open bar in a singular location while celebrating a roster of powerhouse women who are responsible for some of the best food around. Side bar: please ride-share or carpool.
Dubbed an event that’s “good for what ails you” when A Southern Remedy was created years ago, this first euphoria party of the year has a definite agenda. Always with a theme tying the chefs together, this one is celebrating the culinary achievements and down-right delicious food from nine women who are chefs and entrepreneurs and know how to fix a bad mood with the perfect bite.
Before we get to that impressive line-up I will mention that dancing to the Jamie Wright Band’s cover tunes is already easy but becomes increasingly so the more beverages you consume. Plan your footwear accordingly for multiple laps around the venue and that 9:30 p.m. dancing burst.
Now to the women of the hour, whose variety of cuisine and talent will undoubtedly create a menu that represents multiple cultures and celebrates southern ingredients. I’ll break it down for you.
Dayna Lee, chef and owner of James Beard-nominated Comal 864, brings Rio Grande Valley dishes to the party that reflect her hometown in Texas in an approachable way. Her specific Mexican-American cuisine is not Tex-Mex. Eugena Tally creates plant-based soulfood that could fool omnivores at The Herbal Farmercy.
Jenifer Minelli of Passerelle Bistro’s dishes come from where Louisiana and France converge. Newly rebranded as Yeah That Maker, Katie Chaney found her hospitality niche when she launched and, sadly, closed Hester General Store. She’s reworked her business model and thank goodness her pies will still be around, maybe even at A Southern Remedy.
Kristin Bergshneider, executive chef of The Cliffs at Mountain Park, packs quite the resume and a focus on renewing the classics. Meredith Bost, the hot-dog-and-dry-wit-slinging owner of Resident Dogs and now food truck chef with Project Host, can’t help but make my favorite bites wherever she goes. Stephanie Bolden with Chefanie has a knack for nailing comfort food.
Tarciana Harger is the pastry chef whiz at Soby’s and always delights with her creations that aren’t ever an end-of-the-meal afterthought. (Go ahead and plan to eat dessert first, in other words.) Teryi Youngblood Musolf has worn many hats in Greenville’s kitchens, and as chef of Camilla Kitchen, she adds her signature dose of southern sass to every savory and sweet dish.
If you leave hungry, unenthused or otherwise dissatisfied, that’s most likely a you problem.