Motor Supply named fifth best restaurant in the South Southern Living readers’ poll awards
April 9, 2019
Columbia, S.C. bistro Top Five slot
Motor Supply Co. Bistro in Columbia, S.C., has landed the number five spot in Southern Living’s 2019 readers’ poll of The South’s Best Restaurants. Now celebrating its 30-year anniversary, Motor Supply is known for its wines, artisan cocktails, relaxed atmosphere and chef-driven menu of sustainable, farm-to-table cuisine. Reservations are available online at www.motorsupplycobistro.com.
Appearing among the South’s Best Restaurants survey winners for the first time, Motor Supply represents Columbia, S.C. as one of only three S.C. restaurants in the top 10. It joins other prominent Palmetto State names Husk and Hominy Grill, both based in Charleston, S.C. Other winners are spread across the South, including restaurants in Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. View the winners online at https://www.southernliving.com/souths-best/restaurants.
“To be on that list with all of those great institutions makes me incredibly proud of our entire team,” says Eddie Wales, owner of Motor Supply. “We’ve worked extremely hard over the past 30 years to elevate Motor Supply into the establishment it is now, and I couldn’t be happier about this honor.”
Motor Supply, located in downtown Columbia S.C.’s Congaree Vista district, led the charge to revitalize the downtown fine dining scene in South Carolina’s capital city when it opened in a historic building on Gervais Street in 1989. It has since been recognized consistently as Best Restaurant in all three major local readers’ choice awards, and the team is thrilled to have been ranked in the top five of the South’s Best Restaurants by Southern Living readers.
“I am blown away,” says Executive Chef Wes Fulmer. “Our focus always has been on using sustainable foods, and we continue to strive for excellence while showcasing the best ingredients our region has to offer. To be recognized in this way is enormous, and I am both humbled and honored. We have a great team here, and they work so hard. It’s a victory for all of us.”
Fulmer, who has cooked in Beard Award-winning kitchens in New Orleans and Philadelphia, took the helm at Motor Supply in Spring 2014. A native of Prosperity, S.C., he puts great focus on sustainable practices when crafting the ever-changing menu.
“When we get community support for an award like this, it makes me proud to help put Columbia on the map,” says Josh Streetman, Head Barman of Motor Supply. “Behind the bar, I’m always looking for inspiration, to switch things up and find new collaborations. I’m on the lookout for something that will affect the community in a positive way. We as a group wish to be ambassadors for promoting our restaurant and our city in a positive light.”
Streetman is known for his unique twists on ingredients when mixing up innovative cocktails. Guests might find a smoky hint of scotch in a margarita or enjoy barrel-aged cocktails with seasonal ingredients grown especially for that recipe. Columbia, S.C. born and bred, Streetman often draws inspiration from the kitchen to make his creations.
The prestigious reader’s choice award is in its third year of recognizing the South’s Best hot spots. Southern Living readers took the survey over a one-month period at the end of 2018, with winners announced early 2019. Other categories of the reader-selected awards include the South’s Best cities, hotels, BBQ joints and more.
What’s next for the Motor Supply team
Currently, Executive Chef Wes Fulmer and Head Barman Josh Streetman are preparing for Heirloom Breeds + Seeds, a signature dinner of Columbia Food and Wine Festival, taking place Saturday, April 27, 6:30 p.m. at Historic Columbia’s charming Seibels House. Joining forces with Jessica Shillato, owner and chef of Spotted Salamander Café and Catering, Chefs Fulmer and Shillato will prepare a thoughtfully curated four-course meal, highlighting heirloom and sustainable ingredients. The event will begin with a cocktail hour featuring libations from Streetman. Tickets are still available at https://www.columbiafoodandwinefestival.com/.
A staple in the Columbia restaurant scene now celebrating its 30th anniversary, Motor Supply Co. Bistro has become widely recognized for being locally owned with sustainably sourced food and farm-to-shaker cocktails. Make a reservation and peruse the ever-changing menu online at www.motorsupplycobistro.com.
About Motor Supply
Known for its artisan cocktails, refined yet relaxed atmosphere and daily-changing, chef-driven menu of sustainable, farm-to-table fare, Motor Supply Co. Bistro has been serving New World, made-from-scratch cuisine in the historic Columbia, S.C. Congaree Vista since 1989. The temperature-controlled outdoor patio features tables made from reclaimed, N.C. barn wood, roll-up garage doors and original, vintage brick. Reservations can be made by calling (803) 256-6687 or by visiting www.motorsupplycobistro.com.
