Hello hello, again, Foodie Friends 🙂 Hope you had a fantastic weekend! In this edition of Foodie Adventures, I’ll be taking you on a tour of Motsu Socks Grand Opening, Downtown Simpsonville foodie stops, and Farmers market finds!
You all may not know this about me but I’ll tell you a little secret…I LOVE crazy socks. I’ve got them all, toe socks, long socks, short socks, glow in the dark socks, you name it!
When I heard about this grand opening on Facebook, I knew I had to go 😍
So I grabbed the boyfriend and we drove to Simpsonville, where we were fortunate to meet Candace and catch up with Calvin, the owner of Motsu Socks.
“Motsu” – To have (Japanese). “Motsu Socks” = To have socks
Calvin came up with his idea for the store in 2013, after matching his first crazy pair of socks to an outfit years ago and loving funky socks ever since.
He then worked on following vendors on Instagram and trying to get more people excited about the idea, knowing that if he loved crazy socks, there must be others who did too!
Along with creating their own locally made and sourced sock line, Calvin prides himself on their Recycle Program:
“You bring in your older socks that maybe you don’t wear as much or are a little worn, and those get recycled to be turned into new socks. We then donate a new pair to the homeless, and you get a percentage off your next sock purchase in store! It’s a great way to give back to the community, as socks are the number one item asked for and in short supply in homeless shelters.”
Calvin, Motsu Socks Owner
Calvin says there’s always something new in store, so its a fun excuse to come back and see what they change out from month to month or week to week. One of the brands he knows are coming in soon is STANCE socks – which boast MLB, NBA, NFL, and many college sports themed prints (just in time for baseball season!).
While he loves involving local brands or socks made in the USA, (NC, TX, and Greer, SC [VToe] for example), Calvin’s shop highlights socks from all over the globe, including ones made in Cape Town, South Africa; Canada, and Poland, to name a few. He even has compression socks for our doctors, nurses, or people whose profession keeps them on their feet all day.
Picture #1: Socks from the UK, France, USA, and London. Picture #2: More socks from London, Socks based on sports cars, Socks from Ghana. Picture #3: Socks from Portugal & Jamaica.
This was my haul from Motsu socks!
Ya’ll know how much I love brunch, so these bacon & eggs and bagel socks were calling to me 😍🍳🥓
The purple socks on the left are extra special, because buying from this brand gives 100 days of water to a family in need.
Whether you’ve never worn funky socks but appreciate good hosiery, you’ve been hunting for the perfect stocking stuffer for the kiddos, or always wanted to know what Taco Cat socks looked like – This is the place to check out! There’s something here for everyone of all shapes, sizes, and ages 🤗🧦
Downtown Simpsonville Adventures
Simpsonville, SC
Zach and I realized after our time at Motsu that we had never explored Downtown Simpsonville and decided to walk around!
There were some great little shops on Main St., including an olive oil store next to two breweries, this pharmacy, and a great little rail trail we hit up after lunch!
Lunch at Shortfields – Baja burger with avocado for Zach, and Pimento Bacon cheeseburger for me! Super delish, their sweet potato chips were amazing ❤
Dessert from the Ice Cream Station soon followed, my first Strawberry Dole Whip for me and a frozen chocolate banana for Zach with “The Works” – Peanut butter drizzle, Oreo crumbles, all coated in milk chocolate.
We also found a great little Crepe place right off the main street, will definitely have to check that place out next time! What do you say, Foodie Friends, up for hearing about a Crepe Comparison from the top three restaurants in the area at some point? Let me know in the comments down below! Be sure to check these places out if you’re in the area.
Mauldin Open Air Farmers Market
Mauldin, SC
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mauldin-Open-Air-Market/143326489047572
Going to the farmers market this time of year is my favorite! Almost everything is in season and its the perfect time to utilize fresh versions of foods you may not have all year round.
I really wanted to do something with stone fruits this week, whether that be a cobbler or tart or pie, so I got two types of peaches (local SC yellow and white varieties), along with two kinds of plums, which I might make a jam with as well. Look out for some recipes closer to the weekend for those!
They also had a great selection of heirloom tomatoes!
I also ended up using the bi-colored zucchini (from the first picture) in a crock pot dish I recently made (recipe on that coming out soon). It has the same flavor as a normal zucchini, which would be great if you were making a stir fry and wanted to add some color to the dish.
They also have a wide variety of homemade jams, jellies, relishes, and baked goods from around the area. Reminds me of a farm stand in Maryland we used to go to when I was growing up.
My final haul, all around $11! 2 onions, 3 zucchini, 1 bi-colored zucchinis, 8 peaches, and about 16 plums! Super happy with this purchase.
If you like fresh local produce at a great price, you gotta check this place out!
So how was your weekend Foodie Friends? What’s your favorite little hometown restaurant or ice cream spot? Do you like going to farmers markets too? Sound out in the comments below or let me know your suggestions of where I should try next. As always, feel free to like, comment, and share 🤗
Zach said he liked the sox place. The bacon pimento burger with sweet potato chips looked great.
I follow 2 farmers markets here and one veggie stand. Love going. You are right just getting fresh produce is a delight!
Looking forward to 14!
Thanks so much, appreciate it 😁
Like!! Really appreciate you sharing this blog post.Really thank you! Keep writing.
Hi ปั้มไลค์,
Thanks so much for the comment, appreciate you being a fan!
Stay tuned for more recipes and blogs coming out this week. 😊