Published: February 01. 2010 2:00AM

By Renata Parker
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

With just one bite, you’ll understand the concept behind American Grocery, the understated chic West End restaurant. With a menu offering refined American dishes created from the finest homegrown ingredients our country has to offer, American Grocery raises the bar in good taste and delivery of authentic farm-to-table cuisine.

A commitment to using products from local and regional farms and producers has always been a part of chef Joe Clark’s DNA and an instrumental force behind the restaurant he and his wife, Darlene own together. “Knowing where your food comes from and under what conditions it was grown or raised is important to us,” says Clark. “We have trusted relationships with a select group of farmers and producers and are focused on the little guy — the people we can look directly in the eye.”

Clark’s passion for food and responsible sourcing goes back to time spent as a child on his grandmother’s farm. While helping her in the kitchen, he absorbed every technique and learned firsthand the labor required for a productive farm and the skills necessary to bring the fruits of this labor to the dinner table. On the farm, nature is in charge. When and how to gather eggs; how to properly care for pigs and what to feed them; growth patterns and soil conditions for garden crops — all are important influences on taste.

“Identifying the best local ingredient is valuable, and then using it in the most flavorful way is key,” says Clark. “In the end, it’s all about execution.”

Clark expanded his culinary education at the Epicurean Culinary Institute and then graduated with honors from the French Culinary Institute in New York.

American Grocery’s all-American menu changes with the season. However, chances are you may find popular items like the Fried Split Creek Farm Chevre with roasted beets, candied pecans and a drizzle of honey lemon vinaigrette or the uniquely grilled romaine lettuce, with toasted almonds, garlic chips and just a touch of creamy paprika dressing. The Hot Smoked Carolina Mountain Trout is smoked to order on pecan wood, which gives the fish a distinct and delicious flavor. Or try the melt-off-the-bone confit of local rabbit, fresh from Blue Chip Farms in Fountain Inn, served with red Russian kale and honey-glazed carrots in a hunter’s sauce.

American Grocery’s sourcing commitment extends to wine as well. Darlene, who is certified through the Court of Master Sommeliers, serves as the restaurant sommelier and personally selects wines from boutique producers to create an impressive wine list.

You won’t find seafood like orange roughy or Chilean sea bass on the menu, as American Grocery is a member of the Sustainable Seafood Initiative, a collaboration between the South Carolina Aquarium, the S.C. Seafood Alliance, Johnson and Wales University, University of South Carolina and the Coastal Conservation League. This initiative promotes the use of sustainable and local seafood and educates about the environmental impact of overfishing. American Grocery is the only Upstate restaurant participating in the program.

“America is our grocery store,” says Darlene.

Responsible sourcing never tasted so good. www.americangr.com