Crispy hand-made fries and braised short rib on a toasted baguette. I don’t eat like this often, and when I do, it is courtesy of Ken Frazier at Woodside Bistro. I met Ken right after he and his partner Austyn McGroarty opened their tiny bistro on Woodside Avenue. Decorated with black and white photos of our town’s textile past, Woodside also celebrated its working-class neighborhood with reasonable prices and charitable works.
Now the pair have found a new home for their restaurant, but that doesn’t mean they’ve left their roots behind.
“We hated leaving that spot, it had so much character, but it was time to move up,” Frazier said. “And when we were approached about a space at Woodside Mill, we knew it was a good move for us.”
With its high ceilings, new-restaurant smell and glorious art, Woodside Bistro feels far removed from its humble beginnings. Ken believes otherwise.
“Look out the window and you can see we’re shaded by that enormous water tower, one that used to bring water to this huge mill,” he said. “We’re still the same place, with the same great food and people. We’re all grown up now.”
Grown up indeed. Modern dishes such as watermelon sashimi with an Asian slaw and avocado hummus with grilled focaccia now share space with that braised short rib sandwich and a cornmeal dusted and properly crisp catfish plate. There are plenty of seats and great cocktails at their bar, along with a patio that, thanks to its approximation to the mill’s pool, feels almost beachside.
Diners may find Ken hustling away on the grill or maybe serving a perfect club sandwich. On my most recent visit, he was showing a young cook how to clean the hood.
“I know I spend a lot of time here, but I love it,” Frazier said. “I love the fast pace, and I love to make people happy. I can mess up something on a Thursday and come back to work on Friday and make it right.
There’s no waiting to correct mistakes. And I love translating my kitchen skills into creating something wonderful, memorable and sustaining. A great meal or a simple sandwich can be very powerful. I remember that feeling my sister and I had when my mom cooked for us. I couldn’t wait to see what we were having for dinner. She worked then came home and was so excited to cook dinner. She cooked lots of comfort food, and on Sundays she really threw down with a huge breakfast. Mom really enjoyed cooking and she reminded me not to be afraid to fail and to always improve on my mistakes. The restaurant business is like that. Lots of chances to fail, then lots of chances to redeem yourself.”
Woodside Bistro is at the northwest entrance of Woodside Mill at East Fifth Street and is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
John Malik is a restaurant coach and chef consultant in Greenville. He can be reached at chefjohnmalik@gmail.com.
