Studio-to-Table

The benefits to ceramicist Darin R. Gehrke include income but, maybe more importantly, exposure. As part of their training, each of the servers at The Anchorage can direct inquiring guests toward the origin of all the art pieces, whether that’s their plate or the light hanging above their table or the art on the wall behind them.

Chef McPhee benefits from complete customization, requesting a particular size plate (that fit the particular size custom table, all of which fit their particular spot in a particular neighborhood). He also commissioned bowls and mugs and, with Beth, chose glazes from samples Darin made.

But even if you never knew the plates were custom, you couldn’t walk into The Anchorage without noticing some imaginative detail. Kendra Schrimmer, a server at the restaurant but also a local flower farmer at Laurel Creek Florals, created the moss artwork that hangs on the interior walls. These aren’t just pretty; they are Chef McPhee’s creative approach to soundproofing. And the list of artistic partnerships goes on and on.

The stunning mural on the side of the building, a vibrant garden scene hand-painted by Sunny Mullarkey McGowan and Liz Kenny, has become the geographical marker for most things in The Village. Scandinavian brass light fixtures are the creations of Lonely Mountain Metal-works with light cords by Snakehead Vintage. The antique church pew you’ll sit on while you inevitably wait for a table (this place is that good) was sourced by Whim and refinished by local treasure Barb Blair. Both the wooden tables and the gorgeous charcuterie boards were custom-made by Slab Woodworks. The art displayed on the walls was curated by Teresa Roche at Art and Light Gallery, just down the road from the restaurant and home to a dozen Greenville-area artists.

Maybe reliance on the locals seems like the kind of thing someone does early in his career, progressing from homegrown to slick and chic after hitting it big time. But Chef McPhee isn’t going to “move on.” The community collaborations are central to his vision, from aesthetic appeal to menu inspiration to accountability for the quality and well-being of the neighborhood. He even credits some of the restaurant’s success to these partnerships. “I don’t think we can build a better arts or food culture without collaboration,” he says. “What’s pushing us forward is that we’re willing to work with each other. And not just willing but excited to do it.” Members of the Village of West Greenville Business Association and personal patrons of these artists, the McPhees are the epitome of beauty cultivators who labor for the greater good.

CICLOPS CYDERI AND BREWERY: THE ART OF DRINKING

Another excellent model is Ciclops Cyderi & Brewery in Spartanburg, located inside the beloved Hub City Tap House. Proximity was influential here, too: a couple years back ceramicist Allison Gross, owner of Oak Leaf Pottery, heard the buzz about a new bar opening in town. Her first thought was, “How cool would it be to have a place like this using my mugs?” So she made a prototype and, despite her fierce introversion, forced herself to walk through the front door soon after their opening.

Luckily, the person on the other side of that door was co-owner Kolby Garrison, one of the most gregarious, inviting humans you’ll ever meet. Willing to gamble on Allison, he ordered a batch of 25 mugs on the spot using the last dollars he had in the bank that day. Once introduced to customers, the mugs sold out in four hours.

At Ciclops the mugs aren’t just an accent. As the inspiration for their mug wall and “Hub Club,” they have helped shape the culture of the place. Patrons who buy a mug can drink from it every time they come in, and true regulars who drink 99 different varieties of beer are upgraded to the “Board of Directors,” where they sip from top-shelf mugs bearing the Ciclops logo. Shelves along the back wall display the mugs, now numbering more than 150.

Allison has had other opportunities to work with local restaurants, including Rainer’s Café downtown. It was the confidence she gained from the Rainer’s partnership that gave her the idea to approach Ciclops. “I can’t thank these owners enough for taking a chance on me,” Allison says.

Other recognizable pieces of the brewery were crafted by locals. The steel front of the bar was designed by Kevil Belue, known to locals as “The Man of Steel.” He also made the steel bases for the community tables. Artwork in the shape of South Carolina hangs on one wall, made by local contractor Ben Palmer and using wood over 200 years old.

But even before you notice Allison’s mugs or Kevin’s bar, you’ll probably spot the giant mural on the wall of the bar and brewery. Painted by Russell Bannan and Eli Blasko, the public artist team Bannon Blasko, the mural bears the original name of the bar before the owners started brewing their own beer in 2015. Despite rebranding “we’ll always keep it,” Kolby says, “because it’s a part of the place.”

Not only does Ciclops make beer locally, they are integrated into the Spartanburg community in a hundred different ways. Located directly across the street from the Chapman Cultural Center downtown, Ciclops has even partnered with the Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra to create custom beer pairings that reflect the spirit of concerts there. (For a Mendelssohn-heavy performance, they brewed a German blend named for the town where the composer lived his final years.) No one needs convincing that this symbiosis is a beautiful thing: I think we can all agree the only thing that improves a concert is a beer made for that concert, and the only thing that improves a beer is a concert made for that beer. Here again, from patron to artist to brewer, everyone is a winner.

METHODICAL COFFEE:  CUSTOM CAFÉ

This collaboration was one of my favorites, probably because it was so unexpected. A painter painting is one thing, but what might a maker and designer of artisan clothing have to offer a restaurant? Evidently kindness is the mother of creativity. Bill Mitchell, a local maker of custom jeans, wanted to support his buddies Will Shurtz and Marco Suarez as they opened a storefront in the center of downtown to house their coffee enterprise. He envisioned barista aprons that weren’t just functional but beautiful, too, with precise engineering of straps, pockets, and colors to suit the coffee slinger. 

I hear Methodical’s coffee tastes amazing, but I must confess: I don’t drink coffee. Not a drop. So it has to mean something that nonetheless I’ve sat in their café, drinkless, on multiple occasions. The beauty of that place cannot be denied. (Even the baristas are beautiful to watch, I swear it.) The packaging is so pretty I’m tempted to nail a bag of coffee to my wall. No surprise—it was designed by artist Annie Koelle (see Artists Who Cook). Another of my favorite collaborations? The cloth napkin squares were custom-made by the owners’ moms. Wooden tables and the bar were also designed by Slab Woodworking. All of these details add up to a gorgeous space where even java abstainers have much to drink in.

THE COMMUNITY TAP:  PULL UP A SEAT

From the beginning, The Community Tap has been a neighborhood joint. Back in 2010 the growler approach encouraged patrons to return again and again for fill-ups, getting to know their beer guy whether they wanted to or not. The place has since evolved into more of a gathering place, evidenced by its relocation, expansion, and the addition of tables and seating. The Community Tap is our Cheers, a place people go habitually to socialize, escape, or work with a pint in hand. 

Owners Ed Buffington and Mike Okupinski aren’t trying to blaze a hipster trail by commissioning art from their region. No, this is as authentic as it gets: one gets the impression they never even considered there might be another way to go about outfitting their space. If a local artist wasn’t going to do it, who would?