Freshfields Village Offers an Appetizing Spread of Dining Options

One day four years ago, Suzie Allen and her husband were driving from Houston to Dallas when, as rural Texans might put it, they got a powerful hankerin’ for some soup. As the clock ticked away and the odometer clicked away, they realized that getting delicious homemade soup would require a two-hour pit stop at a pricey restaurant, if they could find one. An idea for a hot new restaurant was cooked up right there in the car. Scott Kier had a similar epiphany after spending eight years as a bartender at The Cheesecake Factory. Why was it so difficult to find a sports bar that offered a similar level of fresh, quality food served in large portions? He, along with three partners, turned his education at the “University of Cheesecake Factory” into a better idea for sports fans who wanted to score more than frozen hamburgers and fries.

Both restaurant concepts will add new flavor and variety to the exceptional restaurant array at Freshfields Village, a collection that already includes Hege’s, Vincent’s Drug Store & Soda Fountain, Pizzeria Venti, Java Java, and Newton Farms.

Allen’s brainchild is Ladles Homemade Soups (http://www.ladlessoups.com), scheduled to open for business near the post office by the beginning of May. Like the first store that opened in West Ashley to rave reviews last October, the Freshfields location will serve 12 – 14 of the most popular scratch-made soups. You can also enjoy sandwiches on bread made daily, salads, pasta, and fruit, and get some 60 varieties of soup on the website. Ladles goes beyond the usual eat-in and carry-out concepts, to create a Starbucks-style gathering place, with free Wi-Fi and flat screen TV with kids’ movies. You can even order a full- or half-pot of soup from a collection of 400 recipes for pick-up the next day.

Kier says he and his partners Eric Frank, Jason London, and Mike Petrillo were invited by KICA to bring their popular King Street Grille (http://www.thekingstreetgrille.com) concept to Freshfields. The upscale sports bar’s third location is now open in Freshfields for lunch, dinner, and “late night suppers.” As Kier says, “Delicious food is what has gotten us this far. We use no frozen products – everything is fresh-made in house, and served in generous portions.” Located near the pond and fountain, King Street Grille offers outdoor seating with sunset views. With 20 plasma TVs and all the sports packages, it’s already a hot favorite during all kinds of sporting events and for post-golfing get-togethers. As Allen says “When I looked at how many people love coming to Freshfields, I knew this was where we needed to be.”

Veteran Freshfields restauranteurs Suzanne Kowalski and Bobbi Zielke of Java Java, Shannon and Brian Carpenter of Pizzeria Venti, Richard Hege, Chef-Proprietaire of Hege’s, and Damien and Debbi Lamendola of Vincent’s Drug Store & Soda Fountain understand exactly what she means. Each restaurant has found its market niche and enjoys regular year-round clientele, as well as seasonal traffic.

Hege’s is French-inspired in its decor and menu choices, enhanced with fresh seasonal products cooked and served “the way they were intended.” Pizzeria Venti offers authentic Italian pizza, Timpanini®, new appetizers, baked pasta, soups, salads, and desserts all made fresh, by hand. Vincent’s Drug Store and Soda Fountain recaptures an era when sweethearts met for a malt and cheeseburger, with some modern-day twists. Java Java is “The Coffee House That Gets You Wired” with Internet access, tea, great pastries and other tasty treats. “Fresh Food To Go” and gourmet selections make Newton Farms a great place to grab a tasty meal, while you’re picking up bread and milk.

With so much menu choice at all Freshfield Village restaurants, your major dining dilemma will be what to try first. Allen says her favorite menu item at Ladles is the Chef’s Signature Black & Bleu soup – a scrumptious combination of sirloin steak and bleu cheese. Aside from the “Build Your Own Salad” that is King Street Grille’s claim-to-fame, especially at lunch, Kier would choose the Southwest egg rolls as his favorite dish. If you haven’t dined at Freshfields’ lately, what are you waiting for? Come put some “yum” in your day, today!