A Florence standout worth returning to!…read more
As a San Francisco Bay Area foodie, I'm always searching for restaurants that care about sourcing, seasonality and the entire dining experience. Town Hall checked those boxes for me a couple of years ago, so when work brought me back to Florence, I knew exactly where I wanted to eat.
I looked at other options first, but nothing appealed to me at quite the same level. Town Hall's farm-driven, Southern-inspired menu, shareable plates and beautiful setting won me over again.
And I'm happy to report: the second visit was every bit as memorable as the first.
We started with the house-made cornbread and honey butter at our server's recommendation. Be warned: this stuff is dangerous. Hot, sweet and almost cake-like, with that honey butter melting into it. We promptly ordered another basket.
Cocktails were equally impressive. I ordered a Sidecar, and when our server asked my cognac preference, my colleague volunteered Hennessy. Hennessy it was--and it made one spectacular Sidecar.
For dinner, our server described a scallop special served over a shrimp étouffée-style preparation with microgreens. Sold. I paired that with the wedge salad because, well, I needed some roughage. The wedge came beautifully dressed with blue cheese, tomatoes, pickled red onion and bacon. The scallops were beautifully seared and tender, and the rich sauce underneath made the dish.
My dining companions joined the fun with the house-made sausage, another order of the scallops, and a ribeye with French fries swapped in for the creamed corn--a little steak frites moment.
Everything landed beautifully.
What impressed me almost as much as the food was the service choreography. Our server was knowledgeable, personable and attentive without hovering. There was thoughtful table touching throughout the evening. Our dishes arrived together, and no plates disappeared while someone else was still eating. Those details may seem small, but polished hospitality lives in those details.
We were far too full for dessert, so we called it a night--happy, well-fed and already talking about how good everything had been.
Town Hall is the kind of restaurant I hope to find when traveling for work: locally driven, interesting food, strong cocktails, beautiful surroundings and service that understands hospitality. Two visits several years apart, and both delivered.
If you're in Florence--or passing through South Carolina on your way toward the coast--Town Hall is worth making part of the trip.
Life is too short not to eat well, sleep well, travel well and shop well. Get out there and find your next destination.
