10 Notable Restaurants in Greenville, SC

Foodies, take note: The culinary scene in Greenville is exploding. A strong economy, customers craving fresh, local and regional foods and a revitalized downtown are encouraging new restaurants to open and others to reinvigorate their menus, craft beers and hand-selected wines.

Ask for a seat near the window at Jianna, so you can overlook beautiful Falls Park in the heart of Greenville. Chef Michael Kramer, who puts a spin on the restaurant's classic Italian cuisine, participates regularly in culinary events and festivals around the United States. Pasta is made in-house daily, Prosciutto di Parma is sliced to order and extruded noodles with unique shapes, like Tonnarelli, are available. Don't-miss seafood options include fresh-shucked oysters and tender, chargrilled octopus served with potato, guanciale (a type of cured Italian pork), pistachio and sherry-lemon vinaigrette. Sit inside or out to order drinks from the signature 40-foot bar.

The staff at Habitap say their friendly, upscale pub is like the bar in NBC's popular TV series, Cheers, where everybody knows your name. The menu features mouth-watering starters, sandwiches, burgers, flats and more alongside craft beer and wine. Bring your family and friends — or make new friends over board games, shuffleboard and cornhole. Even pups are welcome on the patio. Try the pizza tots loaded with marinara and Alfredo sauce, pepperoni, Italian sausage, bacon, banana peppers, jalapenos and Romano cheese. Then move on to the shaved ribeye Philly cheesesteak, or argue about whether pineapple belongs on a pizza named 'The Argumentative' (we vote yes).

Located in Greenville's Historic West End District, Rick Erwin's is the original, nationally acclaimed steakhouse in the Rick Erwin restaurant group. Valet parking is complimentary and the atmosphere is intimate, casual and elegant. Choose a starter of jumbo shrimp with barbeque butter and then feast on a dry-aged Delmonico ribeye with a dollop of truffle chive butter. Go for a side of au gratin potatoes layered with leeks, cream and Fontina and Parmesan cheeses; a butter cake with peach ice cream and salted peach caramel sauce puts a finishing touch on a meal. Leaning toward an Italian entree? Try veal with linguini and piccata or linguini with sauteed lobster, fennel, spicy sausage and linguini lobster cream sauce.

Greenville's Kitchen Sync offers farm-fresh, made-from-scratch foods and lots of warm hospitality. With its handmade bar, reclaimed furniture and composting and recycling programs, it's been named the top independently owned, green-certified restaurant in the country. The banh mi, served with crispy greens, rice noodles, Asian slaw, bean sprouts, cilantro, mint, basil, peanuts and sesame soy vinaigrette, pleases eyes and palates. The shrimp burger, which is simply shrimp, Parmesan and spices on a bun stacked with lettuce, tomato, onion and Kitchen Sync's sauce, is a crowd favorite. Don't leave before you indulge in Miss Betty's Chablis Cake, a butter-and-wine soaked cake baked with pecans and served with fresh fruit.