Straub’s Charcuteries, owned by Melissa and Kevin Straub, hosted a cozy and elegant pop-up dinner at Bent Creek Farms on August 21st. This is one in a series of pop-up dinners they will host in the coming months. Straub’s Charcuteries was born out of the Straub’s love of entertaining and making delicious food for family and friends. It began with a simple request for a charcuterie board for a small event and quickly turned into many requests for desserts, hors’doeuvres, and full meals for weddings, showers, and parties. Straub’s Charcuteries is unique in its customization because they do not have a set menu, rather they plan the menu based on what their customer wants. From taco bars for wedding receptions to savory wings and pasta dishes for graduation parties to cakes and cookies for wine tastings, no matter what your style or theme is, the Straub’s will customize a menu that will not only be delicious but perfectly crafted to your vision for your event.
The pop-up dinner at Bent Creek Farms was a showcase of a full meal that Straub’s Charcuteries can cater. The meal began with a small charcuterie board consisting of two kinds of cheeses, cucumbers, salami, bread, and crackers. Next, guests were served a salad of fresh tomato slices stacked with mozzarella and balsamic glaze. The entrée was seared beef tenderloin with a wild mushroom cream sauce, served with roasted carrots and au gratin potatoes. The beef tenderloin was savory, juicy, and so tender it cut with a butter knife. For dessert, there was a decadent chocolate mousse with whipped cream and strawberry garnish. Guests were served their choice of red or white wine, sweet tea, or water. The meal was delicious, and it was clear each dish was made with high quality ingredients.
The setting for this event was the perfectly charming, rustic barn at Bent Creek Farm located at 1307 Bethany Church Road Belton, SC 29627. This is a wedding and event venue with a natural, relaxed atmosphere. The white lights on the outside of the barn created a cozy ambience as guests were welcomed inside. The dinner was served with low lighting and candles that further added to the relaxed and peaceful atmosphere.
In addition to the amazing meal, this was a wonderful opportunity to meet new people in a small, intimate setting where you can have good conversation without all the hub bub that comes with larger, louder events. One of the highlights of the evening was meeting a couple who moved to Anderson from the Boston area last year and hearing them speak extremely highly of our town and how they have spent the last year exploring every nook and cranny of Anderson and the surrounding areas. They had even discovered some great restaurants in our neighboring towns that the locals at the table had never heard of. It was a reminder of how lucky we are to be living in this unique and growing town where you can be a lifelong resident who thinks you know everything Anderson has to offer but discover that there are still hidden gems in the area that you never knew about. By the end of the evening everyone was exchanging numbers and social media handles. Everyone left with full stomachs and unexpected new friends. While this kind of thing probably happens in any number of towns, it was nice to be reminded that southern charm and friendliness is alive and well in Anderson and this is still a place where you can go to a small dinner party one evening not knowing a soul and leave with lunch plans for the next day with new friends.
Straub’s Charcuterie will host their next pop-up dinner on September 27th at Liberty Hall Bed and Breakfast in Pendleton from 6:30pm-8:30pm. They do want to keep these dinners small, so reserving your spot early is encouraged. To reserve your spot, visit Straub’s Charcuterie’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/straubscharcuteries/. You can also visit their website at www.straubscharcuteries.com or find them on Instagram at Straubs_Charcuteries.
To learn more about Bent Creek Farms, visit their website at https://bentcreekfarm.us or find them on Instagram at bentcreekfarm.sc.