This quaint spot serving up “parkside provisions” on the edge of Legacy Park in Greenville, South Carolina, is where French flair meets Southern comfort.  On a nice Saturday night, my mom and I decided to try somewhere different from our usual haunts in downtown or on Augusta Road that we go to when I’m in town.  Boy, were we glad we did!  We found a gem of joint by the park.

The inside of Stella’s Brassiere is very European-esque with traditional brasserie tile flooring, neutral grays offsetting the dark wood tones, white subway tile, and expansive windows letting in tons of natural light to give the space an open airy feel.  It opened in April, so it’s new on the Greenville dining scene.

It was such a lovely evening, my mom and I decided to dine al fresco out on the patio.  There was a light breeze as the sun was setting – perfect for patio dining!

We started with the Happy Cow Buttermilk Okra Frites served with sorghum aioli.  If you don’t know what sorghum is, it’s a southern staple sweetener.  It’s like a molasses.  The syrup is pressed from the grain stalks of a special variety of sweet sorghum.  The aioli served with the okra is like a sweet and garlicky mayonnaise.  I’ll admit – I’m an okra snob, especially when it comes to fried okra.  To me the perfect fried okra is lightly battered so you can still see some of the pod and the okra should be al dente with a nice crunch.  This appetizer is a fan favorite and I’m one of those fans.  We nibbled on the okra to our southern hearts delight!  I suggest pairing the fried okra with either their sparkling rose or sauvignon blanc.

Next we split the Bibb Lettuce & Soft Herb Salad.  It’s served with the lettuce leaves stacked and a little dollop of Happy Cow buttermilk dressing on each leaf.  To top it off, there’s lemon zest, finely chopped chives, and salt and pepper.  It’s light, refreshing, and bursting with flavor.  The lemon zest is a zingy surprise for your taste buds.

For an entree we split the North Carolina Mountain Trout.  It’s served with a carrot soufflé paired with a pecan gremolata and crispy oyster mushrooms then topped with micro greens.  Both of us loved the unusual flavors with a southern classic.  The fish itself was flakey and fabulous.  The carrot soufflé was airy, unusual, and perfectly paired with pecan gremolata for a little sweetness with the earthiness.  They look like potatoes when fried, but the crispy oyster mushrooms were an unexpected treat since they’re fluffy and flavorful.  We pretty much cleaned out plates!

Somehow, we saved a little room for the Local Peach Bread Pudding.  Now, bread pudding isn’t usually what I go for, but the local peaches got me.  Of course served with vanilla ice cream, the bread pudding was not overly “bready” like sometimes they can be.  This dessert was packed with peaches and not too sweet.  So good!  We waddled out in happy food comas thanks to Stella’s Brassiere.