Weekend Foodie Warriors – Take 64! – Camperdown, Juniper, and Greens & Things Market
Hello hello, again, Foodie Friends 🙂 Hope you’ve had a great week! For this edition of Foodie Adventures, we’re taking you on a tour of the new Camperdown Plaza, a taste of the new Juniper Restaurant & Bar, and some new farmer’s market finds at Greens & Things! 🍹
Exploring Camperdown Plaza
Downtown Greenville, SC
On Mother’s Day a few weeks ago, I took my mom on a walk past the new Camperdown Plaza area, only stopping briefly, as we had other places to be. Jamie and I had double-date dinner plans at the new Juniper Restaurant last Saturday, which our good friend Gloria made about a month in advance! She’s a champ. 🙌🥰
We got there a little early before the sun had set and decided to explore the area. Absolutely loved the greenery outside of Paloma right off of Main Street (new Spanish/Meditteranean tapas restaurant), and the red carpet of Juniper as you walked up. They had some great color and really cool sculptures in the plaza as well, which flanked both Camp, another brand new restaurant that opened a couple of weeks ago, along with Insomnia Cookies, which opened up in the last three months as well. We will definitely be going back to check out all the new happenings!
We took a peek into Camp and they had a really awesome bar that looked straight into an open kitchen. I would love to be able to grab dinner there in the near future!
Probably the coolest thing about the plaza was this awesome music feature we found. Right as you come up the staircase, there are these industrial-looking metal rods, which if you touch them, light up and make noise! Jamie ended up hitting them in a specific order, which ended up activating what I’m calling “Greenville’s own Disney theme song”!
There were sparkles, lights, and music, which went on for at least 2 or 3 minutes before Jamie tried to hit the buttons in the same order again. This time though, they sounded completely different and we couldn’t replicate it. Check out this video below for the entire ensemble, and let us know if you figure out what the magical combination is!
Juniper Restaurant & Bar Review
You can tell they created Juniper to be a swanky, higher-end vibe when you first walk up to the building. Whoever was their interior designer deserves a raise, because the whole place was absolutely gorgeous.
Once you get past the red carpet, you’re ushered into a mirrored room that leads you to the elevator, which takes you up to the bar and restaurant itself with a gorgeous view of downtown Greenville and a peek at the Reedy River. I loved all the plants, whether they are fake or real, displayed proudly in the hallways and nooks and crannies. All the outdoor spaces flowed so well with the interior spaces, and this is definitely somewhere I could see myself coming back to. They did fantastic with all the art and wallpaper that you find throughout the spaces as well.
Inside Juniper’s entrance corridor in downtown Greenville, SC. 
Overlooking downtown from inside Juniper’s entrance corridor in Greenville, SC. 
Inside Juniper’s entrance corridor in downtown Greenville, SC. 
Juniper’s bar in downtown Greenville, SC. 
Awesome hanging plants above Juniper’s bar in downtown Greenville, SC. 
Juniper’s rooftop seating in downtown Greenville, SC. 
Juniper’s rooftop seating in downtown Greenville, SC. 
Overlooking downtown from inside Juniper in Greenville, SC.
We started out with drinks of course, as Juniper is known for its gin cocktails.
Gloria had a raspberry cocktail called the “Rich Girl”, and Jamie had a whiskey cocktail made with Four Roses called the “Roses Are Free” which tasted amazing. I actually got a mocktail which was a fun change of pace, called the “Root for Me”, made with blackberry sauce, ginger, & lime cordial. This flavor combination gave it some of those bitter, sweet, and sour notes that you might find from a fruity alcoholic beverage. Last but not least was the “Lady in Pink”, which to me tasted like strawberries and lemons.
We moved onto an appetizer of Focaccia with three different spreads. The first was a fig & pecan spread, which tasted like an elevated version of a fig newton on a piece of fresh bread. One was homemade churned butter, and the last one was an olive tapenade. Each one balanced out the other, with sweet, salty, and creamy spreads to cleanse your palate from the other stronger flavors.
Jamie went with the Thai fried shrimp, which was coated in black and white sesame seeds and a gochujang sauce. It was a lot spicier than I thought it’d be, but Jamie loved it! Both Alex, Gloria, and I got the bao buns which were stuffed with pork, cilantro, and julianned onions.
It was a little pricey, but I expected nothing less from somewhere in such an upscale area downtown. What I did not get pictures of though was the awesome live entertainment that we had throughout the night, including a DJ, a live singer who came and stopped at every table (she had an amazing voice), along with a dancer that had iridescent light up butterfly wings! I wish I’d gotten a picture or video, because my description probably doesn’t do them justice.
The music and the ambiance were great. It was loud, but not too loud, the portion sizes were pretty good as well. It was definitely more of a bar that also serves food, as opposed to a restaurant that also happens to be known for its drinks. The portion sizes were small enough to be shareable, but not so small that you couldn’t order more than one and be full. There was also a wedding going on while we were there, so it’s definitely becoming popular in the last couple of weeks. I can see what all the hype is about. Definitely check this place out soon, but make sure you make reservations just in case!
I’m always excited to check out a new farmers market, and even better when it helps in supporting a great cause. There was a farmers market, within the last six to eight months that was started by Maranatha Farms, a local community garden, and farm, that wanted to help fill a void in what is considered a food desert in Greenville.
This “Greens and Things” farmers market has a focus on vegetarian and vegan vendors while stressing the importance of education with healthier fruits and vegetables, along with taking care of one’s health. They also accept S.N.A.P., and created a subscription box program with their farm that includes various price levels and vegetable and fruit options, allowing people who may not have had access to fresh fruits and veggies to do so.
The last time that we tried to check this out a couple of months ago, we didn’t go right at the beginning of the event, and by the time we got there, the entire market was completely sold out. I was super happy and proud of them, but also made sure that this weekend, we went early so we didn’t miss out on everything!
Last Sunday, they had the farm stand right out front with various greens and summer strawberries, along with two food vendors.
Herban Eats, a local vegan caterer in the area, were serving up Smoking BBQ Jackfruit sammies and Hibiscus Lavender punch on their menu. They also offered various classes and educational pamphlets to help teach people more about healthy eating!
Latin Flavors, another food vendor, was focused on Vegan empanadas. They had two flavors, the first was stuffed with a seitan and potato filling. The second empanada, a sweet and saucy one, had seitan and raisins. They also offered a tropical tutti-frutti drink and a side of guac and plantains for dipping! FYI, seitan, made from gluten, is used to create vegan meat-like products, such as Tofurky.
There was another lady, The Pink Salt Chef, selling her homemade spices and hot sauces, which looked delish! Jamie and I have no less than 12-15 hot sauces in our fridge at all times, so I’ll make sure to stop by and say hi next time I visit.
The first of the two vendors that I stopped to talk with for a few minutes was the African Violet. I bought two amazing teas from the lovely ladies at this company, one being an afternoon sipping tea called “The Second Line in a cup”, which I got to try while I was there. ☕ The other was called the “Divini-tea”, a herbal tea focused on women’s wellness. Both were delicious and came with the cutest cards that told you a little more about each cup of tea and what went into it.
After a ton of time following Jen on social media from Jenauri’s Vegan Baking, I finally got the chance to try her awesome creations! 🧁 She had key lime, sweet potato, and lemon blueberry cupcakes there, along with various cookies. I grabbed up three of the cupcakes and finally got to introduce myself in person to her, which was exciting! 😁👏
I believe I have now tried almost all of the non-dairy or gluten-free friendly bakers in the area, so I’m happy to have been able to add Jen to that list. Her sweet potato cupcake was super moist and I loved the frosting on those. The key lime had just enough lime flavor and punch, while not overpowering the icing (or vice versa). I haven’t tried the lemon blueberry yet, but based on the two cupcakes I ate already, I can imagine it will be just as delicious! 😋
I’m super happy to support great causes like this market that give back to the community and help with food security and education, and look forward to their next Farmers Market! Check them out on Sunday, June 27, 2021 from 10am – 1pm at Pleasant Valley Connection, Inc., 510 Old Augusta Road, Greenville, and show them some love! 💜
So how was your weekend, Foodie Friends? What’s the next city we need to review? Sound out in the comments below to let us know your suggestions of what dishes to make or places we should visit next. As always, feel free to like, comment, & share 🤗
