Food Guy: Pizzas & Cream opens new SC spot; Lee Street Lounge adds lunch

“We have been overwhelmed with hospitality and kindness during our friends and family soft opening,� the restaurant posted on its Facebook page last Friday. “We are so proud of our team and everything they have accomplished in the short time we have had to prepare.�

The response was so strong, in fact, that they decided to close over the weekend and reopen on Tuesday so they would be better prepared to serve the community the way they want.

“Thank you all for your support and patience through this growth period,� they added. “See you soon!�

The new restaurant inside the shopping center at 90 MacCorkle Ave. SW, across the street from Riverwalk Mall, will be open from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Lee Street Lounge now open for lunch

A downtown bar known more for drag shows and late-night libations is now open for lunch, offering its full menu starting at 11 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Lee Street Lounge, across the street from the Clay Center, serves a variety of bar-and-grill favorites like wings, nachos, potato skins, fried cheese balls and soft pretzels, plus baskets filled with burgers, chicken tenders, pepperoni rolls or hot dogs, served with fries or tater tots on the side.

A large pizza menu features standards like supreme, meat lovers and veggie lovers, plus creative takes like a Taco Pizza (beef, tomato, onion, black olives and sour cream on the side), the Philly (steak, mushrooms, onion, green pepper and white sauce), the Hawaiian (ham, bacon and pineapple), BBQ Chicken (also with onions and bacon), Bangin’ Shrimp (with hot sauce, garlic sauce and parsley) or a white-sauce Pickle Pizza with pickles and garlic.

There’s also the Lee Street Hamwich Pizza piled with ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and mayo and the Mac pizza (think McDonald’s) that comes topped with ground beef, pickles, onion, lettuce and Thousand Island dressing.

Finally, a wings menu boasts nearly 40 different wet sauces and more than a dozen dry rubs, plus there are daily specials.

I popped in for a late lunch on Monday afternoon and was the only customer in the place, so maybe they’re still getting the word out.

In the quiet and fairly dark surroundings of a usually lively bar (there’s also a large patio out back, but it was wicked hot that day), I scanned the menu before settling on the day’s special, a chicken Philly sandwich that I ordered with tater tots instead of fries. It was … OK.

The plate actually arrived with two small sandwiches on it instead of one regular-sized one, which was a little odd, but the portion size was plenty overall. I didn’t love that the Philly was made with those small pre-cooked chicken cubes like you buy in the store, which didn’t blend as well with the sandwich’s onions, peppers and mushrooms. The cubed chicken was also pre-seasoned, making it overly salty while the remaining toppings weren’t seasoned enough.

It’s not something I would order again, but I’ve heard others speak more highly of the bar’s pizzas and other sandwiches, so maybe I’ll give it another spin and try something different next time.

Lee Street Lounge at 222 Leon Sullivan Way in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä is now open from 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m.-3 a.m. Friday; 4 p.m.-3 a.m. Saturday and 12:30 p.m.-1 a.m. Sunday. For more information, call 304-343-3354 or check out the bar’s Facebook page.

New Brunch Bites & The Arts event coming

The folks who bring us the annual Capitol Cocktail Classic drink-and-tapas downtown pub crawl each fall are hosting a fun new brunch event next month.

Hosted by Fund for the Arts, Brunch Bites & The Arts will feature live entertainment by local arts groups while guests enjoy specially curated brunch items prepared by ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä’s own Chef Ke from 10 a.m. to noon in the Grand Lobby at the Clay Center in downtown ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä on Saturday, Aug. 22.

And mimosas will be available for purchase at a cash bar on site throughout the event.

While the brunch menu is still being finalized, you can count on enjoying 10-minute performances by the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Light Opera Guild, Children’s Theatre of ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä, FOOTMAD, River City Youth Ballet Ensemble, West Virginia Symphony Orchestra and womanSong, along with local legend pianist Bob Thompson tickling the ivories throughout the morning.

Tickets, which are $45 each, may be purchased online at fundfortheearts.org.

And speaking of the Cocktail Classic, be sure to block your calendar on Oct. 24 for this year’s rendition. Proceeds from both events benefit local arts organizations.