John Wilson and Sheila Springfield
have a vision of a place where neighbors meet to share gossip and good food.
They wanted their restaurant to be a kind of community center in the tradition
of the town where they operate, Travelers Rest. Their café, at the intersection
of Tigerville and Locust Hill roads features a long table in the center of the
room designed to bring neighbors and strangers together.
I was there for breakfast a few
days after they opened in August, 2012. John, an affable and avuncular sort,
welcomed me at the door and offered a sample of their breakfast fare: Country
ham, grits, and a huge biscuit slathered with country gravy. The ham was excellent and not overly salty
and the biscuit and gravy were grandma-good, but the grits took best of show;
soft and creamy, almost melting in the mouth. Sheila came around in her customary
black apron and permanent smile, and confessed that, though she is the head
chef, John is in charge of grits.
Sheila is a fan of Southern
Appalachian cooking and her menu consists of recipes she learned from her
grandmother, and old favorites as well as those she has researched from old and
new southern cookbooks. The cafe offers a
seasonal menu of country fair made with locally sourced ingredients.
Visitors are invited to browse the
shelves of art and crafts from local artists, and may even pick up a gallon of
local raw milk, honey or a bag of local tomatoes to take home. The hungry
drover is a welcome addition to upstate fare.
The Hungry Drover is open Monday-Friday,
10AM-6PM and 8AM-2PM on Saturday.
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