Bin 112

On Saturday, We decided to go to dinner at one of our all time favorite Restaurants, Bin 112 in Downtown Greer. We discovered Bin on August 18th, 2007. The night we got engaged.

We'd eaten that evening at Gerrard's, which was also in Greer but closed a year or so later. After dinner, we were walking around downtown and came across Bin. It had opened only two months earlier in June. We went back and tried it a few weeks later and instantly fell in love with it.

The atmosphere is very intimate and casually elegant but the food and service was what really got us. The wait staff are very attentive but what really stands out is how friendly they are. Each time we go back they remember us and always strike up a conversation. A few of them will even remember our favorite dishes each time we go even if they don't wait on us for months at a time.

Atmosphere and service are great, but the reason we go, of course, is the food. The cuisine can best be described as "eclectic southern". Every item on the menu comes in half or full sizes so you can get your own meal or go tapas style. We prefer tapas style. I also love the little southern touches like the use of collard greens in many of the dishes.

Here's a rundown of our dinner on Saturday night and a few of our favorite items. We start with a bottle of Redhead Studios Yard Dogs Red Blend of Cab, Malbec and Petite Verdot From Australia. They also bring complimentary homemade chips and bread.

Our first items were half size orders of "Flaming Kasseri" "Mussels on the Beach", "Tapas the World, Mom!". Three of our standards.

The Flaming Kasseri is a fried Greek Mediterranean melting cheese finished with lime and flamed with Tequila. So freakin' good.

The Tapas the World, Mom! is a plate of marinated vegetables like olives, roasted red pepper, roasted garlic, green beans, artichoke hearts and tomatoes.

Mussels on the Beach is my personal favorite. It's fresh mussels sauteed in an incredible garlic, lemon Sauvignon Blanc sauce. My suggestion, get more bread to soak up the broth once the mussels are gone. (The picture doesn't do it justice, trust me.)

After our standards, we tried something new. The night's special was a pan fried grouper with a bacon-wrapped scallop over Carolina rice and collard greens. The dish was garnished with clams in a lobster cream sauce. WOW! The grouper was absolutely fantastic.

For dessert, we tried their new special... the Cordillera S'Mores. It's a homemade smoked chili chocolate bar with marshmallows and graham crackers served with a fire pot so you can make the s'mores yourself at your table. It was very fun.

As always, our meal was fantastic. But don't take my word for it. Try it for yourself. The website is bin112.com.

- Jeff