Rainer's

Our New Coffee is Spankin' Fresh!

2011-02-02T06:11:00.000-08:00

Throughout our short little life in the beautiful West End of Greenville, we have come to know our neighbors as friends. Our neighboring business owners, and the wonderful people who work and play downtown have become an important part of our everyday happenings here at Rainer's. We enjoy the "West End neighborhood gatherings" we experience, the conversation, and the relationships we have created! Becoming a positive part of the lives of those around us is an integral part of who we are. We love to make people smile!

If you've ever came into Rainer's, you know we love to explore and try new things! We even have a section of our menu devoted to our current experiments, and you can bet there's always something new, exciting, and most importantly, yummy! It occurred to us, while looking around, that we have a neighbor who just happens to roast some seriously great coffee. The West End Coffee Company is right around the corner from our chillin' little art gallery flavored "tall dude" cafe...so it was a no-brainer!

We met with Tad, the Co-founder and President of this West End coffee roasting heaven, and the rest is history! We gathered the troops and headed for a visit to check out what West End Coffee is all about. The simple act of opening the door and walking inside is a pleasure all by itself! The aroma is unbelievable...and the coffee, it's even better! While we were there, we all drank a lot of coffee...well, all except our tall dude Rainer. He took the non-coffee-drinking, information absorbing approach. We all had a great time, experimented with various roasts, and made the decision to welcome West End Coffee to Rainer's! Woo hoo!

Photo courtesy of WestEndCoffee.com...
Check them out, we love 'em!

West End Coffee is literally just down the street, so we'll always have the freshest roasted coffee for our customers! In addition to our new Rainer's Blend, we also decided to add some flavored coffees to the mix. On a rotating basis, we'll have various flavored coffees for you to enjoy too! Retail packages are available so you can enjoy them at home...but you know you have to come in and enjoy one our super fresh brewed varieties! While you're at it, don't you forget about our famous french press coffee!

Oh, and the good new continues! While Rainer was chillin' during our coffee tasting experimentations at West End, he even discovered some sweet new concepts! So we're expanding our beverage selections to include some kickin' tea smoothies and blended ice coffees. Can it get any better?

Who knows what's going to be next around here?! Guess you'll just have to wait and see. One thing's for sure though, you'll be hooked on our new tasty concoctions in no time at all! Just sayin'. ;-)

Our New Winter Hours

2010-12-21T07:01:00.000-08:00

So, what time is at the Tall Dude Cafe anyway?

If we're open...you should be here!

Just like our ever changing homemade soups and sides, our hours are changing with the seasons too!

Our New Winter Hours:

Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday: 11:00 am to 4:00-ish pm

Thursday: 11:00 am to 6:00-ish pm

Friday: 11:00 am to 11:00-ish pm

Saturday: 11:00 am to 10:00-ish pm

Sunday: Closed

We're closed Tuesday & Wednesday, August 3rd & 4th...

2010-08-02T08:18:00.000-07:00

...because we're AWESOME!

Soooo, we're going to be closed Tuesday & Wednesday, August 3rd & 4th.

We're headed down to help clean up the Gulf.

Even though we'll be super tired & hydration deprived, we'll still be back, & open, on Thursday, August 5th.

Hope to see you then!!

Where do our cool tees come from??

2010-02-24T18:00:00.000-08:00

Well, it's simple, our cool tSlow Loris....& we LOVEEEEE them. They're so unique, so comfy, & made in the USA!

Check out our very own Slow Shirts online here from the Christopher Park Gallery. You can also come into Rainer's & take one home today!

Here's a little Quick History from Washington's very own Slow Shirts: Slow Loris designs are original drawings hand screened in small editions right here in our studio on Guemes Island. In our 12 years of business, we've never used computers for any designing steps in our illustration process, so every line and color separation you see, was made with my very own double-jointed fingers using an ink pen, xacto knife, and rubylith film. The drawing then, after being exposed onto a screen, is printed by a set of hairy knuckled fingers onto clothing, paper and accessories. This handmade quality is the unique difference you can count on. Team Slow is a partnership between artist and founder Jessica Lynch and newly retired fisherman turned screen printer, Arlo Rumpff. We screen print from a solar powered studio on Alternative apparel organic cotton clothing and American Apparel sweatshop free clothing, as well as various FLA (fair labor association) brands.

We're a Favorite place on Google!

2009-12-29T19:58:00.001-08:00

What does it mean to be a Favorite place on Google. Well, it means that Google has identified over 100,000 businesses in the U.S. as "Favorite Places on Google" based on Google users' interaction with local business listings. We're one of those businesses! Each business is receiving a window decal with a unique QR code that you scan with your phone to read reviews, star the business as your own favorite and more. Check out a few of the favorites below, and try scanning a code.

We're proud, because this means we're one of your favorite places...& Google says so! :)

G Magazine: The Naturals, Irmgard Looser, The Cake Maven

2009-11-04T17:13:00.000-08:00

G Magazine's November 2009 issue featured two of our very own & we're proud! Congratulations to Ildi Revi of Leopard Forest Coffee Company & Irmgard Looser of Rainer's.

Food and Wine: The Naturals

November 2009

Relying on old-fashioned recipes and time-tested techniques, these Upstate food artisans serve up the past, one confection (or concoction) at a time

Photographs by: Patrick Cavan Brown

It’s arguable that food has never been so in style. From Top Chef to Food Network to Julie and Julia, we dine in an age where farming trends, celebrity chefs, and blogs about last night’s dinner are about as commonplace as frozen pizza. We are attuned to food, not only for its tastes, its connection to our health and environment, or the pleasure of turning out a really fine meal—but also to seek specialness in a world fast becoming too flat, connected, indistinct, and impersonal.

In our twenty-first-century pace, there is something wholly comforting about the purity and slowness of food made by hand. Its quality is noticeably superior—not to mention mouthwateringly delicious—and its tinkerers, scientists, and artists have become sacred keepers of time-tested culinary traditions. They are links to the past, to a time when life felt a bit less hurried. Lucky for us, these Upstate artisans continue to thrive.

The Cake Maven

Pastry artist Irmgard Looser’s cakes look almost too pretty to eat
by Blair Knobel

Irmgard Looser Cake creator

Eat Cake: Irmgard’s cakes are available at Rainer’s, 610-A South Main Street, in downtown Greenville. (864) 232-1753

She makes a fresh delivery every Tuesday morning, and her offerings vary weekly.

Faced with such elegant cakes, it’s hard to believe their creator was, at one time, thoroughly opposed to the job. “I hated baking,” confesses Irmgard Looser, the petite Hamburg-born baker extraordinaire. “I would buy $20 worth of ingredients and make a mess out of it.”

But after ten years of co-owning Haus Edelweiss, a local deli and gift shop offering German bites and knickknacks, Irmgard decided to change course. Having relatively little pastry experience—let alone at a fine-dining establishment—she convinced the executive chef of Greenville’s venerable Seven Oaks Restaurant to hire her to lead his pastry program. Then, instead of earning pedigree at a sterling culinary school or even taking a single class, the determined Irmgard taught herself the intricacies of cake making—by poring over texts, experimenting with ingredients, and calling on her own European roots. “I suppose it is the German in me; I refused to quit.”

Twenty years later, Irmgard continues to challenge herself to the delight of friends, family, and customers of Rainer’s, an artsy café near Greenville’s West End. Her cakes stand out artistically (fresh berries dance around precisely appointed swirls of white-chocolate mousse), technically (a delicate chocolate-rum mousse cake is a structural marvel, keenly executed and perfectly balanced), and authentically: Each of Irmgard’s cakes is a mouthwatering result of her own tinkering and trial-and-error baking process. She is a perfectionist and purist, often using imported ingredients to meet her high standard.

And the taste?

“I don’t do shortcuts,” she asserts. “If you’re going to splurge on calories, you might as well make the most of it. I use only the best ingredients and no preservatives.”

An assertion in this case (or any displaying Irmgard’s stunning work) that is deliciously apparent.

Courtesy of www.gvillemag.com, G The Magazine of Greenville, by Blair Knobel, Photographs By: Patrick Cavan Brown, Full article

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

2009-11-01T20:24:00.000-08:00

Simple. Fresh. Good. ...That's how we do it here at Rainer's.

2009-10-19T20:23:00.000-07:00

Welcome to talldudecafe, new home of Rainer’s.

At Rainer’s we’re passionate about what we do. That’s why it’s so refreshing. Come in and enjoy fresh food, hot coffee and homemade desserts in an inspiring art gallery atmosphere. Our motto is, 'Simple. Fresh. Good.' and it's not hard to see why we chose those three perfect words.

Don’t forget to check out our new Menu online, then you'll have absolutely no excuses to pass by without stopping in. :)

As a little side note, please be patient with us, as we’re currently under construction. Watch out for loud noises, falling debris, & the smoke coming out of the operators ears. Thanks!

Welcome.

Greenville City Guide, 10 Best: Run On Over to Rainer's

2009-10-18T20:20:00.000-07:00

Run On Over to Rainer's

This eclectic café mixes creative cuisine with crafty art

Provided by

by Lydia Dishman

"Lunch should be cancelled for lack of interest," said a friend as she pondered her choices for the noon meal at her desk. At the time, she worked in a small downtown 'ville (not of the Green variety) and was lamenting the lack of adequate shops to grab an interesting sandwich, soup, or salad. Sure, there was the local deli and the ubiquitous fast food chain but nothing that went beyond a tasteless sub or greasy burger.

She'd be singing a different tune if she'd been able to lunch at Rainer's.

A relative newcomer to the West End dining scene, Rainer's is located right next to Christopher Park Gallery at 610A South Main. Maybe you've passed Christopher Park and been startled to giggling by the stuffed grandma who sits in the window peering out of cat-eye glasses? Or seen the "Chicken Man" silhouette dancing across a sandwich board on the sidewalk? That's the touch of humor wielded by the witty and affable Betty Bercowski, owner of both establishments.

Bercowski has been the purveyor of affordable outsider art, conversation-starting furnishings, and statement jewelry for over five years. The whimsy of her gallery now infuses Rainer's café with an offbeat charm that makes waiting for lunch or coffee a visual treat.

Rough-hewn tables and stout, angular chairs flank the exposed brick wall to one side. On the other, a counter/bar of varying height alternately showcases dessert offerings, allows a glimpse of the French press paraphernalia, acts as a dining space, and conceals the work of the chef. The wood panels are painted with different iterations of the "Chicken Man," the light fixtures are quirky painted metal chandeliers, and the walls are studded with paintings, photographs, sculpture, and stained glass. Everything (even those hanging lamps that resemble fluffy fur hats) is for sale.

But you may be more interested in satisfying those hunger pangs than a craving for the creative. The menu is rather brief, but choices such as the zippy chicken salad made with orange zest – or Mindy's "Man" Bowl salad stuffed with tender cuts of ham, roast beef, and turkey drizzled with tangy Betty's Dressing – are artful departures from standard fare. So, too, are the side dishes, which are different daily but often include house-roasted potato salad, coleslaw crafted with apples and grapes, and "mango tango," featuring peaches and peppers and dressed with raspberry vinaigrette.

The sandwiches are rather small, but the sides are generous. Don't be too greedy, because a trip to Rainer's necessitates a sampling of dessert. Yes, there's Jell-O, but cakes are the stand-out. Made locally by artisan bakers, they include tender and tempting cheese, carrot, or German chocolate – just some of the selections that also change daily. The coffee is brewed from locally-roasted Leopard Forest beans, and the tea is a heavenly blend of lavender, rose petals, orange, and other spices that's sweetened with agave nectar.

Whether you're in the market for a table or a torte, Rainer's fits the bill.

Our Hours - Why we say "-ish"

2009-09-30T21:06:00.000-07:00

Tuesday & Wednesday: 11 to 6-ish

Thursday: 11 to 9-ish

Friday & Saturday: 11 to 11-ish

It's so refreshing!

2009-09-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

Our black bean toss is the best. In fact, it’s refreshing. You should try it

We're Celebrities!

2009-09-29T20:01:00.000-07:00

We're celebrities now. Metromix, here we come.

Yvonne Zusel came in to interview us. She just moved here from Chicago to begin a new career with Metromix. We welcomed her with smiles, laughs & good food!! She's loving the Southern hospitality so far & we guarantee she won't have a problem fitting in, it's as if she's been here forever. :)

We should be in Metromix sometime next week. Have no fear, we'll let you know as soon as we do we! As for Yvonne, we wish her all the best & hope to see her again for something less business-like & more yummy food filled! Be sure to check out her blog too.

You should come take our picture & get our autograph...but not really. :)

Hellooooooooooo World!

2009-09-28T19:57:00.000-07:00

Please be patient with us, as we’re currently under construction. Watch out for loud noises, falling debris, & the smoke coming out of the operators ears.

At Rainer’s we’re passionate about what we do. That’s why it’s so refreshing!

First Look: Rainer's ...in Metromix

2009-09-28T16:04:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are again, in the news!! We enjoyed our visit from Yvonne & we love Metromix! Here are the highlights but be sure to read the whole article here.

Credit: Yvonne Zusel

If you frequent Christopher Park Gallery in the West End of downtown Greenville, you might have a bit of déjà vu if you stop in for a bite or a cup of tea at Rainer’s, the sandwich shop next door.

That’s because Rainer’s (pronounced like rye bread)—which opened in mid-May 2009—and the gallery are both owned by Betty Bercowski and feature much of the same art.

The idea, according to manager Matthew Blalock, is to “create a place where people can come and have dessert and coffee and feel like they’re doing so in a gallery atmosphere.”

Named for Bercowski’s son, a 22-year-old college student, the airy, long space indeed looks like a café within a gallery. The walls are adorned with bright paintings and sculptures and larger pieces fill the corners of the restaurant.

Even the light fixtures, tables and chairs are works of art—and if you like what you see while you bite into that roast beef sandwich, you can take it home with you. Everything in the gallery, from the art on the walls to the coffee mugs to the chairs are for sale.

“So you can eat a really fresh meal off of interesting dishware and have a cup of coffee out of an interesting cup, and if you like it, you can buy it. It’s available to you,” Blalock says.

Those fresh meals, all made in-house and to order, consist of straight sandwich shop-style fare, including black bean salad and Blalock’s signature chicken salad (which he promises will never have too much mayo) with some twists.

A large display case shows off a variety of desserts, all home made by four local women. A native New Yorker takes care of the cheesecake and the tiramisu, and a German makes “unbelievable” layer cakes, according to Blalock. Other offerings include red velvet, carrot and chocolate cake.

And if your tastes trend toward the retro, there’s always the JELL-O parfait dessert, which pairs a layer of JELL-O and a layer of sweet cream cheese, topped with whipped cream.

Rainer’s also prides itself on its French press, fair trade coffee from Travelers Rest spot Leopard Forest and its uncaffeinated herbal tea sweetened with agave nectar.

Though the space is filled with art, Blalock says the décor is a work in progress.

“It changes all the time, and we’re slowly but surely filling everything up,” he says. “We wouldn’t put something up there just to have something to look at. We want it to be right.”

Blalock says the café’s eager-to-please vibe (if you’re in the mood for something not on the menu but they have the ingredients to make it, it’s yours) the freshness of the food and the thought put into the artwork contribute to its laid-back charm.

“We’re local, we’re comfortable, we’re not stuffy,” Blalock says. “We’re just a relaxed place to come and eat.”

Courtesy of Yvonne Zusel & Metromix, Greenville.

Restaurant Review: Rainer's

2009-09-28T15:54:00.000-07:00

“Freshness is probably really our biggest thing,” he said. “If we don’t think it’s up to par, we’re not going to serve it to you.”

The eclectic diner features sandwiches, salads, coffee and desserts in an atmosphere that’s part café, part art gallery.

“Betty (Bercowski, owner of Rainer’s and attached Christopher Park Gallery) wanted her customers at the gallery to be able to sit down and have a quick bite, a cup of coffee, something sweet and be able to do that in a relaxed atmosphere where you felt like you were sort of sitting in the gallery,” Blalock said.

And if you like what you can see, you can take it home. Everything from the dishes and glasses to the furniture and light fixtures is for sale.

While Bercowski keeps the décor cool and fresh, it’s mainly Blalock who has crafted the simple menu, which includes things like the “not so plain green” salad ($4.95), Matthew’s signature chicken salad sandwich ($5.95), egg salad ($4.95) and Blalock’s nod to his own childhood – Jell-O.

“Everybody loves Jell-O. People always talk about it but nobody sells it anywhere or if they do sell it, it’s three little cubes in a cup,” he said.

So he took his mom’s recipe and tweaked it a little to create a multi-layer concoction with Jell-O, fruit, cream cheese topping and whipped cream. It’s available as a side dish with a sandwich or on its own for dessert.

Regularly changing side dishes are available to accompany sandwiches, including the black bean salad that migrated from occasional special to regular menu feature by popular demand.

And if you don’t see something you like, just ask. “We want you to feel like it’s Grandma’s kitchen in that if we have it here, we’ll make it for you even if it’s not on the menu,” Blalock said. “If we can do it, we will.”

If your bent runs to the sweets, there are also a variety of cakes available, all homemade locally, for $4.25 to $4.75.

“We enjoy the happiness that sweets bring to our customers,” Blalock said with a laugh.

Enjoy a fresh-brewed (or French-pressed) cup of coffee with your cake. It’s a special blend made for Rainer’s by Leopard Forest Coffee in Travelers Rest.

Rainer’s (pronounced “Rhy-nurz”) is located at 601-A S. Main St. and is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursdays and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; closed Sundays and Mondays. Blalock said closing times are usually amended with “ish” since he’ll stay open when people want to eat.

“We want you to be able to come down here and have dessert and coffee after you go see something at the Peace Center or after you see Shakespeare in the park or after you go listen to the music behind the Peace Center,” he said. “We’re a great place to come have a quick, fast meal; a quick, fresh meal.”

Call 232-1753 or visit www.talldudecafe.com.

Courtesy of Amy Clarke & GreenvilleOnline.com

We're in HD!

2009-09-28T15:53:00.000-07:00