Lodge and Legend • Volume 2 • Issue 2

Oh
my goodness, you blink and two years
have flown by in our new home for
Saskatoon. (Well, can you still call the place new
after having been in it for two years?)
The “new” location has afforded us so many
opportunities: a larger restaurant space to serve
more customers, an expanded kitchen to more
efficiently prepare Paleo Meals and an Event Space
that has hosted some many different events.
Yes, the past two years have truly flown by; I
often describe it has “drinking from a firehose!”
In fact,Renee and I are both working as many
hours every day as we have ever worked!
Now, if I was to tell you that in these two past
years, we often get to the restaurant between
8 or 9 a.m. and most days finish work between
midnight to 1 or 2 a.m., you would tell me that I
was crazy! And you would be right, if we were just
doing it for some material thing like money.
But what drives us are the moments with our
teammates and customers, changing clients’ lives
by transforming them with our Paleo Meal Prep
program or creating lasting memories in all the
events in our Event Center.
This issue of Lodge & Legend, shares a portion
of this through the eyes of our customers and
employees. We are truly grateful.
In this issue, you will meet some of these
wonderful “stakeholders”:
• Bob Ellis, a family friend for 60 years and the
architect who designed our new space
• Bob Miller, a local entrepreneur and very good
customer (what else do you call someone who
comes in monthly, or even weekly?)
• Angie Finazzo, a fellow restaurateur, good
friend and advisor who is now heading our
Corporate Events
• Jackie Heintzelman, a Paleo Client and one of
the most disciplined and motivated people I
have ever met and had the honor of serving
• Carrie and Kevin Ballenger, old friends who
allowed us to share their memories when they
got married at Saskatoon…
Thank you to each of them and to you for your
support and patronage, without which, Saskatoon
would not be here today.
As 2019 draws to a close and 2020 begins, I am
truly so grateful for what the good Lord and this
great country has given us—the chance to live a
full life, working hard in an honorable work that
touches people’s lives to make a difference.
May you have a glorious New Year, and I leave you
with this blessing: “May your troubles be less and
your blessings be more and nothing but happiness
come through your door!”
See you at The Lodge,
Edmund, Renee, and the family at Saskatoon
Copyright @2019 by Saskatoon Lodge and The Brand Leader. All foreign and U.S. rights reserved. Contents of this publication, including images, may not be
reproduced without written consent from the publisher. Published for Saskatoon Lodge by The Brand Leader.

FOR THE WINTER
IN THIS ISSUE
19
TWENTY
3
FROM THE GARDEN
Planning for Winter Growing
4
PALEO PROGRAM BEGINNINGS
Paleo-a-Go-Go
6
8
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Bob Ellis
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
Angie Finazzo
10
A PALEO SUCCESS STORY
Jackie Heintzelman
12
14
15
16
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
A Rainy Day Wedding
RECIPE
Paleo-Friendly Comfort Food:
Zuppa Toscana
CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT
Bob Miller
THE SASKATOON LODGE MENU
Our Appetizers & Entrées
1

LIFE’S
TOO SHORT
TO SPEND HOURS OF YOUR LIFE PREPPING HEALTHY MEALS.
Since 2009, thousands of people have discovered our healthy, convenient at-home
meal plans prepared by the same team of chefs that make dinner at Saskatoon
Lodge every night. Try it for yourself to keep your diet and your schedule in peak form
with our pre-packaged Paleo meals, available by weekly order.
If you’re tired of fad diets, are ready to try a sustainable, healthy plan and want to learn
more, visit saskatoonrestaurant.com/low-carb-paleo or email edmund@edmundwoo.com.
681 HALTON RD. GREENVILLE,SC 29607 • 864.297.7244 • saskatoonrestuarant.com/low-carb-paleo

FROM THE GARDEN
F R O M T H E G A R D E N
Planning for WinTer Growing
Most farmers, even in the South, will take the winter off of vegetable
production to recharge their batteries from the long drain of physical,
mental, and emotional abuse incurred over the course of the year on the farm.
Not us! We feel like we would be missing out on some of the most pleasant
growing conditions of the year, and we pride ourselves on growing 365 days a year.
It can be a long year-round grind, but there are many benefits.
The bugs are non-existent, the cool days make field-work
enjoyable, and there are no weeds to compete with the crops.
However, winter farming presents its own challenges.
If you’ve tried growing over the winter, you’ve probably noticed
the painfully slow or seemingly non-existent growth in your
garden. Even though we have a mild climate that is suitable
for certain cold-hardy varieties to grow throughout the winter,
the shortened days cause crops to go into a sort of suspended
animation with dramatically slower growth rates.
Eliot Coleman, the father of the modern organic farming
movement and winter farm production expert,refers to this time
as the “Persephone Days” in honor of the vegetation goddess’s
annual return to Hades over the winter. From November through
February, the plants don’t seem to grow much at all. However,
if you can get your crops to at least 50 to 60 percent of their
mature size before the end of October, they should then mature
and are able to be enjoyed over the winter.
At Saskatoon, our goal is to plant as much of the garden beds as
possible in bulk quantities of each crop by the end of October
and cover them with frost blankets. The frost blankets help
to trap the heat that is in the ground from escaping over the
night when the temperatures cool, and also protect the plants
from the cold winter winds, while still allowing for 80 percent
light transmission. The greenhouse will be closed up and allow
us to grow salad greens throughout the winter, and provide
a comfortable environment to grow our spring starts in late
January or early February. Basically, we hope to treat the gardens
as a giant refrigerator and pull out a nice weekly mix of root
vegetables and cold-hardy greens for the restaurant each week!
MY FAVORITE
THINGS TO PLANT
FROM FEBRUARY
THROUGH APRIL FOR
A SPRING HARVEST
•••
Beets, Carrots, Radish, Lettuce,
Leafy Greens, (Kale, Collards,
Chard, etc), Cabbages, Turnips,
Broccoli, Cauliflower, Mint,
Leeks, Potatoes (if covered)
•••
Go grow em!
Chris Miller
That Garden Guy, LLC
yeahthatgardenguy.com
Do you keep a winter garden? What are your favorite tips for
keeping your crops during the cold months? Whatever you do,
don’t get frustrated—a slow growth in the cold means a bit
boost when spring finally comes!
3

Paleo-a-go-go
You may know Edmund Woo as the owner of
Saskatoon Lodge, among several other restaurant
businesses over the years. But in addition to
running the recently relocated and rebranded Saskatoon,
Woo maintains a thriving Paleo diet service through
Saskatoon that serves thousands of locals. If you had
asked him eight years ago if he could pull off this
venture, you might not have heard an “of course!"
Whatever you
can do, or dream,
you can begin it.
Boldness has genius,
power & magic in it.
JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE
With the New Year comes an
opportunity for new beginnings. If you
want to eat healthier and get fit in the
New Year, consider letting Saskatoon be
your personal chef. Read about our Chef
Prepared for You Paleo Meals Program
in the following article by Greenville
Business Magazine.
It was a lot of work because I didn’t have the staff for
it,” Woo says. “In the beginning, it was me, my wife, and
one of the chefs. We would be here physically working
from eight or nine in the morning Saturday morning
till one or two on Sunday morning. We would be back
on Sunday morning at about nine and we would work
straight through to about five a.m. Monday morning! So,
every week we would look at each other and say, ‘Maybe
we should stop. Maybe we should wrap this up.’And I’m
glad we didn’t, because otherwise we wouldn’t be here
talking today.”
Woo, who along with his wife, Renee, has owned
Saskatoon for nearly 25 years and has been in the
restaurant business for almost 40 years, had his first foray
in the Paleo diet field in 2010 while working out at a local
Crossfit gym. The owner, Billy Fletcher wanted a good,
healthful source of meals for his clients and knew that
with his cooking prowess, Woo could be that source.
Despite the initial reluctance and hardships, Woo began
to really believe in the benefits of the diet and wanted to
expose other people to it. It wasn’t until the end of the
second year that his program began to pick up steam.
4

PALEO PROGRAM BEGINNINGS
The Saskatoon
5-Week Paleo Program
15 meals a week for 5 weeks:
5 breakfasts, 5 lunches , 5 dinners,
4 shakes (2 for breakfast & 2 for lunch),
10 snacks, & 5 desserts
Additional Benefit:
Saving time from not having to shop
for groceries & prepare meals.
From his experience going from gym to gym, it became clear
to Woo that many people who worked out just didn’t diet. So,
he instead began to market to people who were focused on
eating right—particularly, people who wanted to lose weight.
“The Paleo diet tells you what to eat if you want to eat well,”
he said. “The Paleo diet is not necessarily a weight-loss diet,
but it becomes a weight loss diet, because if you eat well,
your body naturally doesn’t want to hold on to the excess fat.
And if you take out a lot of the things the Paleo diet tells you
that you shouldn’t eat, your body actually sheds that weight.”
The Paleo diet, short for Paleolithic diet, is restricted
to the natural hunter-gatherer diet of its namesake time
period: meats, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
The idea is that these foods have always been more easily
processed than the foods that humans eat now, such as
dairy, starches, and refined sugars.
The Saskatoon five-week program offers five breakfasts,
five lunches, and five dinners; 10 snacks; five desserts; and
four shakes, two for breakfast and two for lunch, totaling 15
meals a week for five weeks. Adding in the time gained from
not having to shop for groceries and prepare meals, many
see it as an excellent value.
While some versions of the Paleo diet, such as the Whole
30, are very strict and completely cut out other foods, other
versions of the diet occasionally add a few non-Paleo foods
in small amounts. Woo and his team will sometimes add
cheese or grains to a meal because, while they understand
the importance of sticking to a healthier diet, it can be
overwhelming to completely cut out certain foods—something
that Woo cites as a reason it’s difficult for people to stick to
diet- or exercise-related resolutions, and why he cut out the
required workouts that were originally part of his program.
Each week, the Paleo team at Saskatoon has a meeting to
decide what will be on the next week's menu, so dieters
aren’t eating the same thing over and over. Some of the
items are inspired by the cookbooks Woo has, others are
meals they’ve done before, while still others are non-Paleo
dishes made Paleo-compliant—for example, a chicken curry
dish, inspired by the curry Woo helped his daughter make
for a class project.
Woo’s focus and attention has resulted in the program’s
growth—so much so, in fact, that there wasn’t enough room in
the kitchen at Saskatoon’s Haywood Road location. In order to
keep up with the demand, not only for the program but for the
restaurant itself, Woo began searching for a new home. This
ultimately led Saskatoon to a move to a bigger location just
over a year ago. The Halton Road Saskatoon has two kitchen
lines, plenty of dine-in seating, and a large event room.
Eight years ago, Woo might not have been completely
confident about his Paleo program. Now, he has no regrets
about the time and effort put into it.
“The Paleo business was something that I was very passionate
about,” Woo says. “[The program] allowed me to articulate
that passion into a business. It allowed us to do something else
with our business that helped people besides just providing
great experiences at the restaurant. This was something that
invigorated us and gave us a new lease on life.”
5

Bob Ellis
The
Architect
Behind the lodge
Bob
Ellis
FROM THE GROUND UP:
THE ARCHITECT
BEHIND THE LODGE
While many people can say they’ve
known Edmund a long time, or been
to Saskatoon’s for years, few are able
to top the claim Bob Ellis holds: he’s
known Edmund since he was born.
During childhood, Bob’s father left his own career
to open a produce stand off of Poinsett Highway.
Named for his two sons, Bo-Nat’s (Bo for Bob
and Nat for Nathaniel) quickly became a core
component of the area, serving as a convenience
store for local homes and restaurants. In fact, Bob’s
father rented the land where the convenience store
was located from Edmund’s parents. The store was
located right next to the New China restaurant—
Greenville’s first ever to deal in Asian cuisine, and
the workspace of the Woos.
While they grew up together, the two boys’ lives
soon diverged. After interning in the Daniel building
and receiving a degree in architecture from Clemson
University in 1978, Bob decided he wanted to learn as
much as he could within the industry from as many
different people as possible.
“I wanted to work with as diverse a group of architects
as possible,” he said. “The most eccentric, the most
conservative, the most detailed—I wanted to learn it all.”
That’s exactly what he did, working for firms like
Harry Payne and Associates, Townes and Associates,
Joe Hiller, James Lawrence, the Diran Corporation, and
others. He worked for large companies, independent
architects, and even development corporations, creating
layouts for golf courses.
Finally, after working for a firm that was laser-focused
on the medical industry, Bob got his fill of working for
everyone else. In 1983, he went out on his own.
“I thought, ‘I’m sick and tired of hospitals; I’m just
gonna leave,’” he remembers. “So, I left and started my
own firm—without one client or job.”
6

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
The lack of clients didn’t last long. Soon he picked up a few
small projects that kept him busy. He began to focus on
restaurants, and word spread, until he was asked to do a
project for a group out of Atlanta. The name of the project:
TJ Applebees.
Bob helped convert an old Wendy’s into the first Applebees
restaurant. When that client expanded his franchises in
South Carolina, Florida and Virginia, Bob was already on
board. Still, after a background filled with such a high
level diversity, he was concerned. “I got scared,” he says,
remembering back. “You don’t want to be known for
just one thing, because if that market goes soft you’re in
trouble.” To combat that fear, he took on different projects,
including apartments and shopping centers, and soon
became known across 16 states for his craft.
Locally, however, he was still well-known in the restaurant
industry, having worked on plans for everything from the
Dragon’s Den restaurants to Firehouse Subs as well as the
Plaza Diner restaurant for his childhood friend, Edmund.
When Edmund decided to create a new restaurant concept,
Bob’s opinion not only mattered, but helped shape what
Saskatoon’s would be. “We talked about what it should be,
and I said it should be a destination location so he could
keep from paying high real estate prices in the trendy areas
of town,” Bob notes. “As we talked about that and he asked
me what I would do, I told him I would do some sort of
hunting lodge with a special menu—not like the type of
food you can find in the woods around here, but something
from far away that people don’t get to sample that often.”
Acoustical issues like those revealed through the high, hard
ceilings were solved with speaker cloth and gapped boards
to absorb sound.
As Edmund recalls, “Bob is truly some kind of a savant
when it comes to design. I remember we were all in this
meeting, all of my consultants (not Bob as he had not
arrived yet) and we just weren’t coming up with the
solution I was look for. Bob arrives, listens for a couple of
minutes, then takes out some tracing paper and sketches
out the perfect solution. He is awesome!”
The Lodge was one of Bob’s most recent designs, but not
one of his last, no matter how bad he wants to retire. Now
on project 1,389 under the Ellis Architecture umbrella, he
realizes the community isn’t quite ready for him to stop
just yet.
“I’ve been trying to retire for the last year or two,” he said.
“I’m trying to ease out but unfortunately, I have all these
relationships and friends, and now I have more work than
I’ve had in the past three or four years. “Still,” he adds, “it’s
been a fun ride!”
Together, they discussed in detail the idea of a Northwestern
Hunting Lodge—the types of which might be found in
Canada. That idea became Saskatoon, and for years it
was well-known not only for its food and service, but for
its ambiance, as well. “I remember that conversation.”
Edmund reminisces. “We were outside of Bob’s old office
on Washington Street. I had been thinking about a hunting
lodge motif and Bob says, ‘How about a hunting lodge?’ It
was uncanny!”
Fast forward about two decades later, Edmund reached out
to Bob again, to find a location for the new lodge location
for Saskatoon, and an architect that he trusted. “When the
opportunity to build our new location came up, I didn’t
think twice about who would design it,” Edmund declares.
Bob designed the new Lodge with amazing similarity to the
original location. In fact, long-time regulars might notice
everything in the main restaurant is in the same place as
the original, just larger. The main differences—an added
event space and an Upstairs area that could eventually
serve as private dining—were added on to the main design.
7

The
Second
Time
Around
— M E E T —
A N G I E F I N A Z Z O
If you’ve been to an event at
Saskatoon recently, chances are
you’ve already met Angie Finazzo.
But if you’ve been around the
restaurant scene in Greenville for
any amount of time, there’s a high
likelihood that you’ve seen her
before that, as well.
Angie splits the Saskatoon Lodge Events duties
with Jane Hanna, who focuses on Rehearsal
Dinners and Weddings (more on Jane in a future
issue). Angie books the non-wedding related events
such as Corporate events, Celebrations of Life, as
well as the food for all of the events. Her husband,
Peter, is on Edmund’s de facto board; he was one
of those that helped Edmund decide on the site for
this new location and continues to be a sounding
board whenever Edmund runs into a challenge.
Before that, however, Angie was a longtime staple
in the Upstate culinary industry, with a story that
started way back in 1969, in a French restaurant in
Florida. “Our family was on vacation in Sarasota, and
my two little girls and I (Daddy Peter and Young Peter
were fishing) went into a little French restaurant for
lunch,” she recalls. “So I’m looking around and I said
to the girls, ‘I think I want to open a restaurant.’” As
small children often do, they spilled her musings to
their dad the first chance they got.
The family was already close to the industry—Angie’s
husband, Peter worked in corporate feeding and
healthcare as Director of Food Service for Anderson
Memorial Hospital. But while Angie wanted to open
a restaurant, it was a misdirected catering order that
led her into the business, when someone approached
Peter to do a wedding reception.
Angie Finazzo
With more than 18 months
& 150 events under her belt
as the Event Planner for
Saskatoon Lodge, Angie has
brought Saskatoon events to a
whole new level.
While Peter couldn’t take that job due to a conflict of
interest with his job at the hospital, Angie could, and
before she knew it she was making 800 eggrolls from
scratch in her own kitchen. Word quickly spread
in the small town of Anderson, and soon Angie
was made an offer she couldn’t refuse—to open a
restaurant in the Caldwell Johnson Morris House, an
historic property built in the mid-1800s. By the time
she opened her doors to customers on November 11,
1981, it was called the Morris Street Tea Room.
From there, the catering offers poured in—for
weddings, parties and Seders. As the business grew to
jobs that covered the likes of Michelin and other large
corporate clients, Angie’s reputation spread. “One
Pictured left: Peter Finazzo tending the fire for Saskatoon’s Oregon Salmon Bake

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
Monday—and I remember it was Monday
because we were closed that day—a man came
knocking on my door,” Angie remembers.
“It was Bob Hughes (the famous real estate
developer), and he told me, ‘I want to put a
restaurant up at River Oaks Shopping Plaza.
Everyone I talk to, your name comes up.’”
Angie and Peter went to look at the
space, but faced a big decision: while the
opportunity loomed large, Angie knew she
would need Peter’s help, but he was still
employed with a great position with the
hospital. Eventually, Peter left the hospital
to help Angie run what would soon become
Peter David’s—one of Greenville’s most
well-known, high-end restaurants of its
time. In fact, Angie and Peter were named
S.C. Restaurateurs of the Year in 1993!
While the restaurant was well-known,
Angie and Peter’s catering business grew
even more. After the opening of the BMW
Zentrum, they were asked to do the United
Way Event that was held there. Only a few
years later, they were awarded the contract
to serve more than 300 guests at the
Performance Center for 12 days, culminating
with the reveal of the new BMW X5. It was
an opportunity Angie never could have seen
coming, but relished when it happened.
“We had to present every meal for the two
weeks at the performance center, including
the tables, chairs, linens, china, silverware,
flowers, food—everything, for every meal.
Then, we were selected to do that event,”
she says (Edmund actually remembers this
saying, “Peter and Angie beat out several ‘big
name’ regional caterers for this job). One of
Angie’s favorite memories from this event
was a compliment from Sandy Hale, who
was the Event Planner for BMW Corporate,
“You had them eating out of your hands!”
Other large events included being asked
to serve then-President George H.W. Bush
when he came to Greenville for benefit of
Congressman Bob Inglis, the opening night
of the Peace Center serving over 500 guests
and the Self Family wedding, which hosted
1,500 guests in the arena at Greenwood—an
event that featured hanging chandeliers,
draped ceilings, 167 ficus trees, 5 hand ice
sculptures by Peter, 17 bartenders and more.
Finally, in 2012, the Peter David’s property
was re-leased, and Angie and Peter decided to
retire, but remained involved with a number
of local charities like Taste of the Nation and
Meals on Wheels. Angie was restless, doing
small catering jobs for close friends, but
knowing she needed to find something to do.
Then, in 2016, received a call from Edmund
Woo, and the two talked event planning.
Edmund says, “Our main experience was in
the restaurant side of the business as well as
in the Paleo Meal Prep business. While we
had catered many events and hosted more
at the restaurant, we felt we needed to take
our ‘event’ game to the next level at our new
home. Renee and I had long admired Angie
and Peter as fellow restaurateurs, and as
caterers, their reputation was phenomenal!
Angie had both the knowledge and
experience, so I asked her for help!” Angie’s
response was simple: “Here I am.”
Now, with 18 months and over 150
events under her belt as Event Planner for
Saskatoon Lodge, Angie has found her niche
for the next stage of life. “Every event is the
most special event, and I love working with
my clients,” Angie says, “My motto now as
it was in my Peter David days is: ‘When only
the best will do!”
“Angie’s knowledge and experience have
been crucial in helping Saskatoon put on
stellar events,” the Woos add. “But it is
her infectious good spirits and drive to do
her very best for our clients that has really
resonated with us.”
9

Before
After
As most Paleo connoisseurs know, there is a self-protectiveness that
begins when you start the plan.
You have to stay focused on your goals and you have to be careful when you go out to eat.
Stay on plan and don’t accidentally (or in a moment of weakness) eat something that could
set you back mentally or physically. So when Jackie Heintzelman first started Paleo meals with
Saskatoon, she too was rather strict, to ensure that she would be able to stay on plan and on
the road to health. Jackie, however, went to the extreme.
“One time we went to Saskatoon for dinner, and I had just started the meals,” she remembers
with a laugh. “I was so strict that I actually took my pre-packaged meal and had them heat it up
for me at the restaurant.”
Outside of how Edmund and the team feel about heating up their own Paleo creations during
dinner hours (he just chuckles fondly when he remembers this), that level of commitment had
huge payoffs for Jackie. Since starting the Saskatoon Paleo meal plan a little over a year ago, she
has had significant health benefits that she loves to tell others about whenever possible.
10

A PALEO SUCCESS STORY
About three years ago, health complications led Jackie to believe that she might have Barrett’s
Esophagus, a potentially serious side effect of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Her internist at
the time, Dr. Sheila O’Grady Irwin, recommended significant dietary changes to help rein in
the issues she was having.
“If there was ever anyone I wanted to thank, it would be her,” Jackie says. “I knew I had to make
a choice then: Do I want to have a healthy lifestyle or continue down the path I was going?”
With high blood pressure, and elevated blood sugar, she knew she had to do something.
With Dr. O’Grady-Irwin’s help, she first started by removing gluten, dairy, caffeine and sugar
from her diet, and while it helped, eventually she hit a plateau. It was at that point that she
remembered something a co-worker had once told her about.
“About three years ago, a girl from work came in with one of their Paleo meals and told me
about it,” she remembers, “We had eaten at Saskatoon for years, but I hadn’t heard of the
Paleo meals. But after that point I didn’t think any more about it.”
Eventually, though, her doctor would recommend Paleo, and that conversation would pop back
into memory. So, she signed up, and noticed huge results.
“I noticed a big difference when I went on Paleo; my acid reflux was gone, I came off my blood
pressure medication, and this past year my cholesterol drastically went down,” she says, noting
that the portion control the meals offer is a big part of her health. “I like it being portion
controlled. It’s too easy overeat otherwise, and I am miserable when I do. “I’m probably now in
one of the best spots I’ve been in a long time.”
“Jackie’s story is one of success,” Renee Woo says. “While we are the ones who prepare her food
for her, it is because of her self-discipline and drive that she has transformed herself.”
But even though she has seen great success with the Paleo plan, Jackie remains strict with her
regimen—one that includes a consistent exercise routine, as well as eating her meals at home
as often as possible.
“When we went on vacation &
I was off the plan for a while,
I noticed the symptoms coming back.”
Now, she’ll eat at home every night, even if it means she misses eating out with her husband. “He eats at a local
restaurant most nights. So much so that one of the servers asked if we were still together, because they never see me.”
Still, because of her successes, Jackie has become an inspiration for many—even though she says she doesn’t see it
that way—to embrace the Paleo lifestyle and reap the benefits for themselves.
“People I have worked with, like my boss and his son, have went on the plan. Then, building management went on the
plan because they saw how successful they were with it,” she remembers. “One of the girls who works for building
management said I was a walking advertisement for Saskatoon and how I inspire others without even knowing it. “I
don’t know about that,” she adds, “but I would like to think I do.”
If you’ve been considering a change in your diet or food lifestyle and want to learn
more about the Saskatoon Paleo program, visit the Saskatoon website at
Saskatoonrestaurant.com/low-carb-paleo
11

12

INSIDE KEVIN & CARRIE
BALLENGER’S BIG DAY
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
The biggest worry for any wedding is that something will go wrong. In the South, one of the
biggest challenges is the constant change of weather. For Carrie and Kevin Ballenger, their
outdoor wedding took a turn when a few days before the big day, the weather called for rain.
“Kevin has some property on a farm, and we were going to
get married on that property and then have the reception at
Saskatoon,” said Carrie, of their plans. Having been longtime
customers of the Lodge, they had selected the space for
the reception after seeing the new event space. “We liked the
lodge feel, and when we looked at the event center there it
was just perfect.”
Edmund and Kevin had been workout partners for years
(Kevin owns and teaches at Hurricane Martial Arts on
Haywood Road). Before Kevin and Carrie even started dating,
they were both customers at Saskatoon—Kevin was even one
of Saskatoon’s first Paleo Meals clients.
Carrie is a nurse practitioner which proved lucky for the
Woos this past Valentine’s Day, when Ayden (the Woo’s
younger daughter) fractured her wrist in two places all
the way through in an intermediate gymnastic tumbling
accident. “Carrie was there and made sure Ayden got the
best care and help her through a very traumatic experience,”
Renee says. “We love her!”
Coming up on the Wedding Day, the forecast, however, had
them scrambling to make new plans on short notice. Fearing
the worst, they called Jane Hanna (Saskatoon’s Wedding
and Rehearsal Dinner Events Planner) and Edmund a few
days before the wedding and asked if they could move the
ceremony there, as well. The staff came together to adapt the
rooms for what was needed.
“We changed it really quick, but they were super easy to
work with,” Kevin and Carrie agreed. The couple opened up
the sunroom—which would later be used as a dance floor—
to host the nuptials, and even found the perfect location for
what Carrie calls “gloomy weather photos” (take a look at
their wedding photos…aren’t they great!?!)
In the end, the rain held off long enough for the wedded
couple to grab photos outside the large bay window in the
floral archway, before the reception proceeded as planned.
But even with rain, the Ballengers knew they had had the
perfect day.
“It was a very special day,” Edmund says. “It was a beautiful
wedding, a great reception and made all the better that
Carrie and Kevin are such dear friends and patrons!”
The Ballengers says, “We were overwhelmed with Edmund’s
staff, and their professionalism; there wasn’t a thing we
could have asked for that they didn’t provide. We left that
day thinking that we don’t think that this day could have
gone any better.”
13

PALEO FRIENDLY
COMFORT FOOD TO
Warm Up This Winter
Zuppa Toscana
Ingredients:
Serves: 4
• 4 slices bacon
• 1 pound mild Italian Sausage
• 2 heads of Cauliflower (about 1½ pounds)
diced into bite size pieces (if you don't like
cauliflower, substitute rutabaga or turnips,
keeping in mind that after adding them, you will
need to cook for about 15 minutes until soft)
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 7 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups kale diced bite size (stems removed)
• 1 can unsweetened full fat coconut milk
(if you do not need the soup to be diary free, you
can add heavy cream instead)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• For a little heat, add 1 tsp of red pepper flakes
With a name that means “soup in the style of Tuscany,”
Zuppa Toscana is a soup made famous by the Olive Garden.
This is a great warm addition to the winter months, and a
great one-pot meal for busy families. We cook this often for
our Chef Prepared Paleo Meals program, so here is our take
on it to make it healthy, paleo, gluten free, diary free and
sugar free for your 2020 meal planning!
Directions:
1. Brown Italian sausage and bacon until done and remove,
leaving ½ of the grease in.
2. Add onions and garlic and cook until clear.
3. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil
4. Add cauliflower and reduce heat to medium. (I prefer my
cauliflower al dente. If you like them softer, cook a little longer.)
5. Add coconut milk and sausage, then stir until smooth.
This should be at the very end of the cooking.
6. Finally, add in kale and bacon. Cooked kale is bright
green (do not overcook the kale).
7. Add sea salt and ground black pepper to taste and serve!
14
For information about our Chef Prepared Paleo Meals program, visit saskatoonrestaurant.com/low-carb-paleo.

CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT
When Bob Miller and his family started
frequenting Saskatoon almost 20 years ago,
it was for the same reason that so many others do—it
was an experience they couldn’t find anywhere else.
It was just a different place to go, and they always recognize you when you
walk in the door,” Miller notes. Because his close family lives in Greenville,
they often use their trips to the Lodge to catch up and spend time together—
not just grab a bite to eat before running to the next thing. “It’s nice to just
be able to go in there and relax; you’re not going to be in and out in an hour.”
The big draw for Bob to the Lodge? Premium steaks. “When you look
around Greenville, you don’t have a whole lot of steakhouses, and every
time someone closes a restaurant it seems they put in another Mexican
restaurant. Here, we know we can get a steak, or a filet, or prime rib.
There aren’t a lot of those places around.”
But while the food is a huge reason for coming—even for his son, who is
vegetarian—there’s something else that resonates on a deeper level. Like
Saskatoon, his business is built on incredible service.
After moving to Greenville 35 years ago from Pittsburgh, Bob began work in
the HVAC industry. In 2006, he went out on his own, and in 2013, he started
Miller HVAC Service in Greenville. The move was significant for him; he
wanted to create a business that truly focused on the service to the customer.
“I’m in a business that is a service business, and we have a lot of customers
that we’ve had for 20 years or more,” Bob says. “Sure, there are always people
who just come to work to make a couple of dollars, but at our place we don’t
do that. When we show up, they know they’re gonna get good service.”
That customer-focused approach has paid big dividends, as well. With 20
percent growth year over year, Bob now has almost 40 employees, and
runs 25 service trucks around the Upstate. In addition to that, Miller
HVAC has consistently given back to the community through various
charities like Meals on Wheels, Folds of Honor, Upstate Warrior Solution,
the Gateway House, and many others. In fact, Bob estimates that since
the company’s inception, they have given away just under $100,000 to
local charities. “They all have good causes, and we know that if you give,
you get back,” he says. “Mostly they are all local, and we know that the
money is going right into the charity.”
In the smaller gaps of downtime, however, you might find Bob and his
family relaxing together. Bob likes to play golf and his wife, Kelly, likes
to ride her horse. When they travel—which is as often as possible, and
a favorite pastime for them—you can find them across the globe on
expeditions like a fishing trip to the Florida Keys, an adventure to Lake
Tahoe, or even jet-setting to Italy.
But more often than not, if you catch them at the right time, you’ll find
the full Miller family spending a late Friday night catching up together
and spending time over great food in a comfortable atmosphere—in their
favorite go-to spot, Saskatoon.
15

THE SASKATOON LODGE MENU
APPETIZERS
Bacon Wrapped Scallops
Pan-seared, then oven-roasted with citrus garlic cream
and rémoulade dipping sauces. 9
THE
FOUNDER’S
PROMISE
—
WE BUILT SASKATOON LODGE
ON THREE PROMISES:
UNIQUE EXPERIENCE
We believe you deserve an unparalleled
experience. Our staff’s been with us for decades,
and many of our guests have become more like
family than visitors, so every detail matters.
SUPERIOR QUALITY
We serve only hand-selected meats, aged in
house, hand-carved daily by our lodge chef and
grilled over hickory fire, cooked to your preference
and sealing in a burst of flavor inside every cut.
Wild Game Sausages
The chef’s selection of three unique sausages;
smoked, then seared on live hickory fire served
with horseradish cream and Yukon golden-honey
mustard sauces. 10
Portabella Mushroom
Stuffed with roasted chicken, black olives, tomatoes,
Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses. 7
Buffalo Flank Steak
Served over caramelized onions and house-made
hickory barbeque sauce. 9
Yukon Chicken Tenders
Fresh chicken tenders taken from the breast, skewered,
grilled, and served with Yukon golden-honey mustard,
and hickory barbeque sauces. 7
Saskatoon Spicy Shrimp
Plump shrimp skewered, grilled and served with Cajun
rémoulade sauce. 9
Spinach Bacon Dip
Creamy Swiss and Monterey Jack cheeses laced with
spinach & crisp bacon. Taste the outdoors! 9
House Salad
Served with your choice of Caesar, Balsamic Vinaigrette,
Creamy Garlic Ranch, or Honey Mustard. 4
HOME GROWN
We provide optimal freshness and taste in a superior
culinary experience by supporting local farms,
cultivating relationships with hardworking business
owners and growers experienced in best practices
of sustainability in working with the region’s unique
soil and climate conditions. We also support local
hand-crafted beer brewers and winemakers who put
their heart and soul into their products.
SO RELAX, ENJOY AND LET US TAKE
YOU TO A FARAWAY MOUNTAIN LODGE…
A PLACE PRESERVED IN TIME AND AN
EXPERIENCE YOU’LL TREASURE FOR LIFE.
Try our exclusive collaboration
with local brewery Thomas Creek!
Saskatoon Lodge Fireside Brown Ale has
a deep leather hue with notes of roasted
caramel and molasses. This beer has a perfect
balance of hop bitterness that finishes with
a piney citrus flavor and aroma.
CALL AHEAD SEATING
864.297.7244
16

ENTRÉES
THE SASKATOON LODGE MENU
Your dinner includes fresh vegetables and your choice of our farmhouse-special potatoes
(Our signature Northwest skin-on garlic mashed potatoes, jumbo baker or golden wedges).
WILD GAME
L O D G E S P E C I A L T I E S
Elk Tenderloin
Eight-ounce portion with grilled portabellas and our
signature ginger demi-glace. 30
Antelope
Eight-ounce free range and field harvested from
Texas, grilled over live hickory. Very lean and high in
protein. 35
Buffalo Flank Steak
Hickory grilled with caramelized onions and house-made
hickory barbeque. Tender and flavorful. 24
Saskatoon’s Mixed Grill
Chef’s choice! A selection of three wild game cuts
with a wild mushroom cream. Ask your server for
today’s selection. 26
FISH & SEAFOOD
F R E S H & S A L T W A T E R
Cedar Plank Salmon
Oven roasted on cedar aromatic slats, then finished
with citrus chardonnay cream. 20
Pecan Crusted Salmon
Lightly seasoned, then brushed with Dijon mustard
and honey, crusted with Georgia pecans and oven
roasted. 20
Citrus Shrimp & Scallop Skewers
Hickory grilled and served with garlic cream and
rémoulade sauces. 20
Sizzlin’ Rainbow Trout
Fresh from the cold, clear, Idaho waters and grilled for
a light smoky flavor, served sizzlin’ in the pan with
your choice of wild plum or lemon pepper seasonings
and garnished with a large shrimp. 19
Fresh From The Stream
Ask your server for today’s selection. Market Price
TAME GAME
B E E F & S T E A K S
Ribeye Steak
Cracked pepper, sea salt, hickory-grilled twelve-ounce cut,
finished with parmesan peppercorn butter.
A lodge specialty! 32
Filet Mignon
Our nine-ounce cut is hand-selected, aged, trimmed and
grilled. A wonderful cut of beef! 34
Sirloin Steak
Ten-ounce cut, seasoned with our special Northwest blend
of herbs, then hickory grilled. 21
THE BIRDS
C H I C K E N & D U C K
Remington Roasted Duck
Herbed, oven-roasted half duck finished with
a l’Orange. A truly unique flavor! 23
Campfire Chicken
A Saskatoon favorite! Hickory grilled, herbed,
double breast finished with a tarragon cream
sauce and pecans. 16
PORK
T E N D E R L O I N S
Pork Tenderloin
Pan-seared, oven-roasted medallions prepared with a
mustard-herb bread crumb crust and a white wine Dijon
cream sauce. A Lodge tradition! 19
NOTE: Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood,
shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness,
especially if you have certain medical conditions.
After your meal, be sure to ask
your server for a Dessert Menu!
HAVE AN UPCOMING EVENT?
Our new event center is now available for company get-togethers, family gatherings,
and everything in between. Be sure to ask your server for more information.
17

681 Halton Road
Greenville, SC 29607
SASKATOONRESTAURANT.COM