What's new in Greenville: Boutique bowling, speakeasy and a dog hotel

Greenville, S.C., is a foodie nirvana in the midst of an outdoor paradise, only two-an-a-half hours from Atlanta.

Credit: Courtesy of VisitGreenvilleSC

Credit: Courtesy of VisitGreenvilleSC

Greenville, S.C., is a foodie nirvana in the midst of an outdoor paradise, only two-an-a-half hours from Atlanta.

Well, the secret's been out for a while now about Greenville, S.C. – yeah, that Greenville – the modestly sized Upstate South Carolina city just a couple of hours from Atlanta up I-85. I mean, it was noted as one of the "52 Places to Go in 2017" by The New York Times, for goodness sake. It's a remarkably high-caliber foodie and art city, has not one but two intriguing escape rooms, and several exceptional outdoor recreation opportunities, including great hiking and biking trails, The Gorge Zipline Canopy Tour and much more.

This is a foodie paradise that doesn't just rest on its laurels. Despite its current embarrassment of culinary riches, it just keeps adding more. Up on the Roof , a roof-top bar/food spot opened atop the downtown Embassy Suites in January. Vault & Vator , a speakeasy/eatery should be open in February, and upscale Italian restaurant Jianna at Falls Park Place is due late-February or March.

A couple of other soon-to-open Greenville offerings:

Expected to open in April, Stone Pin is a "boutique" bowling alley that will offer not only alleys, pins and balls but an upscale environment and a full restaurant and bar. The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner and late-night bites. The menu is expected to include everything from chicken wings to Kobe beef burgers, a variety of flatbreads and unusual sliders. The bar will have a bowling-themed cocktail menu and a good selection of beer and wine.

Stone Pin Bowling Alley, 304 E. Stone Ave., Greenville, 864-603-1584, www.facebook.com/stonepincompany

For those who travel with their pet dogs and would like to set Fido up in style, The Noble Dog Hotel is due any day now. It will be the first canine-only hotel in Greenville, and one of the few in the entirety of the Deep South. Located just over the city line at Hampton Station, five minutes from the heart of downtown, The Noble Dog Hotel will have private luxury suites and amenities including luxury Snoozer bedding, a private chef, pet spa and fitness center.

The Noble Dog Hotel, 1320 Hampton Ave., Suite 8, Greenville, www.nobledoghotel.com