Alfresco is the Way to Go

It is always a temptation to get out of the kitchen on a sunny day. The first time I recall dining outdoors at a restaurant was at a location by the Río de la Plata in Buenos Aires, Argentina. My family had moved there...

Aiken Music Fest Interviews The Red Clay Strays

A conversation between local Aikenite, Rob Heilig, and The Red Clay Strays ahead of their Aiken Music Fest show on July 3: Slightly ahead of the 2:00pm scheduled time, my...

Two Strong Legs | Lux Libations

I’ve lived in Augusta for almost six years now. I’m hardly nomadic, but I’ve lived in quite a few places in the eastern United States: Pennsylvania, Virginia, Atlanta, Maryland. I’ve...

The Mushroom Medley | An Interview + Recipe with Chris Najmola

From the Kitchen of... Fuse Aiken: The Mushroom Medley - An Interview + Recipe with Chris Najmola You will need: 8 oz. assorted mushrooms — we recommend using Circular Farms...

The Beautiful People Gala

In December of 1969, Melanie Safka released her song “Beautiful People” in recognition of the homeless population in the United States. The opening line of the song says it all:...

Red Snapper | Lux Libations

My dad, born and raised in Pennsylvania, attended Mercer in Macon and graduated with a degree in education and a love for southern food, especially fried chicken — I’ve never...

Pimento Cheese | From the Kitchen of… Fuse Aiken

Interview with Corie Allison, Sous-Chef at Fuse Corie, what is your background? I’ve worked management in many different corporate restaurants and pretty much hated every second of it. I dreaded...

Beer, Bella: The Beer Making Process

It is spring. The weather is getting warmer and people are spending more time outdoors. What might you find in someone’s hand on the golf course, tailgating at a sporting...

Aiken Brewpub | 24 Years in the Making

Rob Pruiett began his adventure in micro brewing on December 1, 2003, when he and his father, Lannie Pruiett, purchased the Aiken Brewing Company from Dan Beavers. Rob had moved...

Beer, Bella: The Aiken Brewing Company

And so it begins, rightly so, right next door to the Bella Magazine Studio, in downtown Aiken, South Carolina — the first brewery on my beer journey. I moved to...

Irish Coffees | Lux Libations

Irish whiskey cocktail is obligatory for March because the whole month is basically St. Patrick’s Day, right? What else is there in March? Well … Julius Caesar’s death, but what...

Little Sean’s Jalapeño Goat Cheesecake with Blueberry Compote | From the Kitchen of…Fuse Aiken

Sean Butler, AKA Little Sean, has been a core member of Fuse since just before we opened here in Aiken. After his interview, we realized we had a lot in...

What It’s Like …On The Road Singin’ For Her Supper: Solo Singer/Songwriter Josephine Johnson

As the live music landscape continues to shift, it’s nice to know these places in Aiken are doing great things to keep music alive and keep patrons safely entertained. Solo...

Beer, Bella: The Adventure Begins

Nostalgia is a powerful thing. Sights and smells and tastes can literally snap you back to a point in time — memory instant replay, no matter how much you might...

NOLA Cocktails | Lux Libations

It’s difficult to think about the month of February without summoning romantic memories or without perhaps considering the awkwardly introspective question, “Are we serious enough to go out on a...

Jalapeño and Ham Grits

From the Kitchen of... Fuse Aiken: Jalapeño and Ham Grits An Interview and recipe with Chris Najmola Ingredients 1 cup stone-ground yellow grits, Anson Mills preferred 1 cup heavy whipping...

Sparkling Wine Cocktails | Libations

I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so maybe you thought 2020 rocked. Yeah. Maybe you’re into pandemics, polarizing elections, systematic racism, murder hornets, wild fires, impeachment,...

Celebrate with a Piece of Cake

Everyone knows that 2020 has not been a piece of cake, but perhaps one thing that could help us all in this difficult time IS a delicious piece of cake....

Just As I Am

“What am I here for and what’s my purpose?” It’s a question we have all asked ourselves. We feel like we have an idea of our direction until, suddenly, a...

Buying Your First New Car

So I got a new car! Yay! It was much harder than I expected. There were many things I didn’t know I would have to know. So I figured that...

Turkey on Zoom?

No, this does not mean chasing a fast turkey, Uncle Billie-Bob… I don’t think it is worth my time to address all the cons for having to practice social distancing...

Lux Libations | Traditional Sours

Jack Rose — not quite a household name when it comes to cocktails, but maybe it should be. At first glance, there isn’t anything special about a cocktail like this....

Music Scene

Local musicians, remember this — every step matters. It might not seem like it when you don’t have the number of Instagram followers, Facebook Live viewers, or YouTube subscribers you...

Creative Ways to Celebrate Halloween

5 Ways to have to Spooky Good Time Fall is one of my favorite times of the year — you get to wear sweatshirts and leggings and drink pumpkin-spice-flavored everything....

Lux Libations

Whether you are 21 or 90, a Cosmo drinker or an IPA drinker, odds are that you’ve at least tried an Old Fashioned. It’s one of the few drinks you...

Something Spectacular Comes This Way

Fuse Set to Open in Downtown Aiken Pre-Halloween If there is a worse time to consider remodeling an old building, taking on the expense of upscaling a commercial kitchen, and...

From the Kitchen of… The Publishers

For me nothing says summer like being outside ‘grillin.’ We thought we would take the recipe page just once more time before we hand it over to a sponsor, so...

From the Kitchen of ….

As you may have heard, we are exploring the idea of a recipe section within the magazine where we will bring you recipes and ideas from the kitchens of some...

Hooves, Paws and Claws Benefit for Aiken Equine Rescue Event

Hooves, Paws and Claws Benefit for Aiken Equine Rescue Event to Feature BBQ Cookoff, live auction, and music If asked to name the most admired nonprofits in our community, many...

Bacon! Bacon! Bacon!

Who doesn’t like BACON? The aroma, the taste, the crunch, especially when followed by an ice cold craft beer. Well, the third annual Aiken’s Bacon and Brews Festival! The Aiken...

High Jinx