Unforgetable visit to the Historic Belmont Inn
Allow me to tell you about the wonderful weekend my wife and I had at the Historic Belmont Inn this weekend.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and located adjacent to the historic Abbeville Opera House (AOH), a visit to The Belmont Inn is a wonderful trip back in time. The recent renovations throughout the Inn, the genuine hospitality shown to us from the moment of our arrival through to our departure, the meticulous attention to detail including our escort carrying our bags to our handsomely decorated room (number 26) with a balcony overlooking the courtyard , and the exquisite meals in the beautiful dining room combined with taking in a play at AOH, the Official Rural Drama State Theatre of South Carolina, made for a truly unforgettable weekend.
An initial walk around the square was very pleasant with a few stops at the eclectic Court Square Market, an informative tour of the Burt Stark Mansion, and a visit to a couple interesting out of the way shops. We had quickly worked up an appetite.
Simply put, our dinner was world class. Our server Diane was perfectly pleasant, but it was Innkeeper Tatjana Laatz who made our meal a dinning experience. From confidently pairing wines with our three course meal along with a pleasant explanation as to how the vino complimented the course to fileting our Mediterranean Sea Bass at the table; from the homemade crushed olive tapenade and baguette served alongside our appetizers of grilled sauteed shrimp and a tasty asparagus soup to the presentation of our pomegranate and Toblerone mousse, Tatjana earned our admiration.
After dinner we visited with Executive Director of the Abbeville Opera House Michael Genevie who seated us five rows back from the stage and warned us not to get too comfortable because Carrie The Musical would keep us on the edge of our seats. And as usual, he was right. The play was terrific. The singing was top notch and the acting would make Stephen King scared. Afterward, Michelle and I walked across the square and capped off the night with a visit to Natty’s on Trinity to see folk singer Angela Easterling. We’d previously seen Angela at Music on Maxwell at the Sundance Gallery in Greenwood, and we definitely wanted to see her again.
Sunday morning, Michelle and I had brunch at the Belmont Inn. Again we were blown away by the food, service and ambiance. We had recently seen one of our servers the night before as an actor in Carrie the Musical, but fortunately he able to leave his character behind. We feasted on Sauerbraten, Schnitzel, Lamb chops, fresh vegetables, shrimp and grits, apple strudel and so much more. My only disappointment was I got too full too fast. We said good bye to our new friends, and we drove the 12 miles back to Greenwood.
I hope you’ll take in dinner and a play soon at the Historic Belmont Inn soon. And be sure to tell Tatjana that Robert and Michelle sent you.
All the Best
Robert
