Rick Erwin Dining Group to open new restaurant on Augusta Road

Just over two months after the owners of The Burrow announced the restaurant would close, a new restaurant is poised to take over the space.

The Vista, a new concept from Rick Erwin Dining Group, will open in the space at 2017 Augusta Street in late October. The new restaurant signals, or rather reinforces, a new avenue for the restaurant group that grew around its white tablecloth steakhouse concept.

Rick Erwin Dining Group has evolved its offerings with newer concepts like Level 10 in Spartanburg, Rick’s Deli & Market and Saltwater Kitchen, but The Vista brings the group firmly into the neighborhood restaurant space.

“This is a polished casual; this is come as you are; this is I don’t feel like cooking on a Tuesday night, let’s go to The Vista,” said Michael Ivey, owner and chief financial officer for Rick Erwin Dining Group. “It is not a special occasion restaurant. We will still have same commitment to service and high-quality food, it’s just going to be delivered in a more casual and comfortable environment.”

The restaurant is inspired in name and concept by the neighborhood that surrounds it. The group has wanted to create a concept within and for Augusta Road for over a decade, Ivey said, but finding the right location had proven quite the mountain to climb.

The Vista is the first restaurant of Rick Erwin Dining’s restaurants that is not a new build. The group moved quickly after the closing of The Burrow. The interior of the 4,800-square-foot restaurant will remain intact, with a few cosmetic changes. Namely, additions that Ivey says are a nod to the Alta Vista neighborhood and the area’s history.

The Rick Erwin Dining Group team did extensive research into that history, digging into Greenville News archives to better understand the area’s transformation from farmland to the thriving neighborhood.

Creating a neighborhood restaurant

So, what does a Rick Erwin Dining Group concept mean in the neighborhood setting? A comfortable place to dine with attention to great service, Ivey says, but also a place where you can come as you are to enjoy a nice meal, where you know the staff by name, and they likely know your go-to drink order.

Helping achieve that balance are two industry veterans. Adam Hester brings 20-plus years of experience in the upscale dining realm and will serve as general manager, while Crawford Campbell, currently executive sous chef at Rick Erwin’s Eastside, will serve as executive chef.

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Foodwise, guests can expect a menu of southern-tinged dishes with a touch of Rick Erwin classics at an approachable price point.

“We will have a steak on the menu, but this is not a steakhouse,” Ivey said. “We’ll have fresh seafood, but it’s just gonna be delivered in a more casual environment. The price point will be different, the service and the quality will not.”

The list of starters features items like deviled eggs, fried green tomatoes, and crispy calamari, with prices starting at $8. Entrees will hover around the mid-teens to $30 range and include dishes like rotisserie chicken, seared tuna and other fresh fish options, along with composed pasta dishes and regular changing chef features. And, of course, diners can expect the famous Rick Erwin Dining's Company Crab Cakes.

The wine list will consist of primarily Oregon and Caifornia wines, Ivey said, available by the bottle and the glass. Similar to the food menu, the wine menu will be designed to accomodate a variety of tastes at a variety of price points.

The Vista’s neighborhood-centric spirit means the restaurant is designed to accommodate everything from a date night out to a last-minute family dinner to brunch with friends.

What about Nantucket?

Before you ask, yes, Ivey and the rest of the Rick Erwin Dining team continue to search for a space for Rick Erwin’s Nantucket Seafood. The restaurant moved out of its home of over 10 years at Main @ Broad this past winter and plans to relocate the upscale seafood restaurant remain in place.

“We want it to be the right location, and we are gonna take our time to be sure we get it right,” Ivey said. "Nantucket, I think still needs to be a downtown destination, so we knew pretty quickly this was not the location for Nantucket; it was an opportunity to do something more casual and more appealing to the neighborhood.”

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Ivey hesitates to predict the future but does allow that he sees, and he hopes for, continued growth to come for Rick Erwin Dining Group. The success of The Vista is key to that.

“This one is a personal one for me that we get it right,” said Ivey, who also lives in the area and spoke to friends and neighbors to inform The Vista concept. “That we really do create this neighborhood-friendly atmosphere. We’ve got a lot of energy invested in this to get it right.”

The Vista is located at 2017 Augusta Road. Once it opens in late October, the restaurant will serve dinner Tuesday through Saturday and brunch on Sunday. For more, visit rickerwins.com/thevista and instagram.com/thevistagvl/.