Join Aiken’s Unexpected Culinary Journey

By: The Local Palate

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Aiken, South Carolina’s culinary scene hits its stride.

First impressions can make or break a visit to a new town. Aiken’s 125-year-old live oak trees along South Boundary Avenue make me gasp and have me wondering what other surprises await.

As I set out on this 48-hour food-finding adventure, I suspected I would only scratch the surface of Aiken’s culinary awakening.

FRIDAY

The Willcox photo of a shrimp dish in Aiken, SC — Image courtesy of The Willcox

An overnight stay in one of the 23 rooms and suites at The Willcox makes this walkable town easy to navigate. Built in 1898, the historic landmark honors the town’s history in well-appointed rooms with modern conveniences. Photos of Aiken’s polo matches, horse races, and Bing Crosby when he visited The Willcox in the 1940s, hang in the elevator. The equine tradition persists: Modern-day guests, traveling with their horses for events, shows, and weekly fox hunts, can tether their horses to the hitching post and order a cocktail in the lounge. On cool days, the fireplaces stay lit.

The Alley, Aiken’s social district, is a 10-minute walk from The Willcox and perfect for lunch. Chef Chad Jajczyk opened Whiskey Alley in 2017, when Aiken was ready for something new, he says. The menu changes daily, except for a few signature dishes such as the chef’s board, a charcuterie plate based on seasonality and local ingredients. With the crispy brussels sprouts, roasted with chili maple drizzled on top, and the Thai chicken salad, a peanut vinaigrette over pulled chicken, fresh greens, and cabbage, I’m set for the rest of the day.

A self-guided walking tour of Aiken reinforces the town’s connection to horses. I discover several of the nine life-size fiberglass painted horse statues, each designed by a different artist, as part of Horseplay, a 2004 exhibit through Aiken Center for the Arts. True Aiken, a boutique shop featuring Aiken-branded items such as hats and t-shirts, highlights women’s polo with photographs on the walls. More than 60 local artisans’ work are represented at the Little Red Fox Shop, and I find too many items I’d like to bring home.

I refuel with a chocolate chip cookie and New York crumb cake at Bottom Line Bakery of Aiken. I resist a slice of Death by Chocolate and Berry Streusel, only because I know I can return the following day—and I will.

For dinner, Park Avenue Oyster Bar & Grill comes highly recommended. Chef Paige Harden strives for an inclusive menu, offering gluten-free options such as the blackened North Carolina catfish and maple-bourbon grilled mahi. The sweet corn hushpuppies, and the special, a Korean beef with rice soup, a sweet and savory blend of flavor and texture, call to me. My entrée, Wagyu beef with a fried risotto cake and asparagus, is followed by homemade vanilla ice cream atop a housemade fudge brownie.

Whiskey Alley in Aiken, SC. Croque Madame Credit Moose Nicholson — Image courtesy of Moose Nicholson

SATURDAY

A fruit smoothie is made fresh while I view the local art on New Moon Café’s walls. But the New Yorker in me is here to ask about the bagels advertised on the menu: shipped straight from the Bronx and baked on the premises. That will do; I’ll take two.

A two-hour Historic Aiken Trolley Tour with a knowledgeable guide instills a sense of place with stories filled with history and local lore. Since the tour happens only on Saturdays, the seats are full of people like me who are here for the weekend, as well as locals introducing visiting family members to the town. During the tour’s stop in Hopeland Gardens, a 14-acre park with historical exhibits, reflection ponds, and a prayer garden, we walk through the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum. As we continue in the trolley, the guide mentions Louise Hitchcock, a local polo pioneer, while passing by the Horse District’s barns and fields.

Rhumba Rum & Cigar Lounge, Ceviche Nikkei Photo Credit Daly Pardue in Aiken, SC — Image courtesy of Daly Pardue

Husband-and-wife team Elier and Jessica Alberto launched Rhumba Rum & Cigar Lounge in April 2024, instantly capturing the attention of locals and visitors with its Latin-influenced dishes in a tropical island atmosphere. Emerald and gold soft seating mixed with dark wood and Latin music playing in the background transports you to an oceanside café. A rotating selection of boutique cigars such as Atabay, Davidoff, and Liga Privada, can be smoked only on the back patio. The Latin bowl, a simple dish prepared with black beans, pickled onions, cucumber, tomato, and chicken (grilled, baked, and shredded) over rice complements the fresh ingredients’ flavors and will make my calorie counting app happy.

The trolley tour guide piqued my interest in Louise Hitchcock and her family. I walk from lunch (with a detour to Bottom Line Bakery for a cookie) to Gateway Park, one of seven entrances into Hitchcock Woods, a designated Heritage Trust Preserve and 2,100-acre woodland with more than 70 miles of hiking and horse trails. From October through March, Aiken Hounds hosts America’s Oldest Drag Hunt (fox hunting using only the scent, not the fox) on Tuesday afternoons and Saturday mornings in the woods, with events open to the public (but leave your hounds at home).

Prime Steakhouse provides fine dining at 15 tables in a cozy room that once housed Aiken’s first dental office in the 1800s. Jajczyk again takes the lead at Prime, highlighting a reserve menu with cuts from his farm, Turkey Creek Cattle Co. My eight-ounce filet mignon and sautéed spinach pair nicely with an Oberon cabernet from Napa Valley, a suggestion from the server.

SUNDAY

I head down to brunch at The Willcox restaurant, one of a half-a-dozen local spots in Aiken open for brunch and lunch. John Vaughn, a local musician, performs a mix of classic and original songs on the piano while I dive into caramelized brioche French toast covered in crème anglaise, fresh berries, and whipped cream. Vaughn is a staple on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. With each bite, I dream about bygone days and when I might return to Aiken.