CityView Magazine

EatLearn Story by Allison Williams | Photos by Amy Free L ATTA, S.C. – If Interstate 95 is our Main Street then four- diamond dining is closer than you may think. Exit 1A to be exact. No map necessary – the first stop over the South Carolina state line dumps travelers smack in the middle of South of the Border, which means it’s possible to pass Pedro’s Diner and his Stay Ice Cream Fiesta on the way to a six- course gourmet meal at a restaurant rated by AAA and Select Registry. Both give Abingdon Manor high marks, four out of five diamonds 12 years running and billing as one of only eight Select Registry properties in South Carolina. Michael and Patty Griffey opened their Opposite | Learn to whip up a four- diamond meal at Abingdon Manor in Latta, S.C., where guests may dine, spend the night or take a weekend cooking class. inn to overnight guests in 1995, but the restaurant happened almost by accident. Road-weary visitors were reluctant to drive into the nearby town of Dillon for meals, and Latta, a small village, had few late-night options. The Griffeys were already offering breakfast – why not dinner? From there, the restaurant blossomed. It grew so popular the couple recruited Chef Jeff Grubb to help Patty in the kitchen, introduced special monthly wine dinners and eventually added weekend cooking schools, which is where friends Pam Basehore and Jody Lughes of Raleigh could be found on a recent Saturday afternoon. The weekend was a Christmas gift from their respective spouses who lounged while Pam and Jody cooked. Gloomy skies threatened rain outside, but inside, the kitchen was filled with the smells of fresh bread and mushrooms sautéed in butter. The wine flowed freely as students gathered around a large wooden island, aprons tied behind their backs. Abingdon Manor is a massive 10,000-square foot Greek Revival that dwarfs the other homes in the neighborhood, but its kitchen is cozy with exposed brick walls and a large window with a view of the grounds. Abby, the Griffeys’ adorable dog, watched the action from the doorway, hoping for a handout. The cooking school has charm but serious lessons, too. On this Saturday afternoon, Patty had an ambitious culinary itinerary: sorbet followed by roasted red pepper soup, Caesar salad, poached pears CityViewNC.com | 31

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