When Gina and Ian Griffin met working at the same restaurant, Gina was the front-of-house manager and Ian was the sous chef. The very first conversation they had, they shook hands over a deal to open a restaurant together. Gina would manage the front of the house and Ian would helm the kitchen. After falling in love and moving to Asheville, they decided it was time to seal the deal. They would set out to create a neighborhood spot where customers and employees were excited and comfortable to be there. Griff’s Kitchen & Bar (https://www.griffskitchenandbar.com/) will be that spot.
Slated to open late summer 2020, Griff’s Kitchen & Bar will be the place they’ve envisioned, where the food is outstanding and the environment is inviting to all. Located at 1390 Sandhill Road, Suite 6, the new restaurant will give the community a space to relax after work, watch the game, or bring their families out for a meal.
Gina currently works as the business manager at Mountain Area Residential Facilities and has plans to set up a program for those with disabilities to find employment at Griff’s. “We care about who works for us, who comes to eat, and the food we serve,” Gina said. “We want to use our restaurant as a platform for those who may not have a voice.”
Ian is currently a chef at All Soul’s Pizza in Asheville and was previously a chef at Garland and Panciuto. “We understand the difficult time we are all in. I, too, have been recently laid off from All Soul’s Pizza,” he said. “The way the community has come ‘together’ by staying home and staying well has been incredible. Alone together, we will get through this and when we do, we can all share quarantine stories over a great meal at Griff’s.”
Griff’s Kitchen & Bar will serve lunch and dinner, focusing on contemporary American cuisine that takes inspiration from foods across the globe. The seasonal local menu will include weekly specials that have a unique international flair.
In addition to the handcrafted, chef-driven menu, the owners of Griff’s are focused on employee well-being, transparency in the kitchen, and education for customers about all the moving parts involved with running an independent restaurant.
“The word ‘local’ is a big buzzword in restaurants, but it’s easy to say and very difficult to execute,” Ian said. “To me, it means hiring local, supporting small local farms, and most importantly, keeping money in the local economy. The Enka-Candler community has been so welcoming and supportive. We’d like to give back and help build the community in any way we can.”
From the food and the drinks to the atmosphere and the service, Griff’s Kitchen & Bar welcomes the community to dine in at their neighborhood spot for a meal that you’ll bring your friends back for.
Griff’s Kitchen & Bar is slated to open summer 2020 in the heart of the Enka-Candler community. For updates, visit www.griffskitchenandbar.com.
Epicurean Note
It feels odd, publishing a “new restaurant opening” announcement at this time. But in a way, it’s a reminder that life goes on – and it will go on, after COVID19 restrictions are lifted. It’s a ray of hope, looking toward the near future.
The Henderson County Chamber of Commerce presented Highland Lake Inn & Resort (https://hliresort.com/) with this year’s Environmental Sustainability Award. The Flat Rock, NC resort was able to reduce energy consumption by 10% and also played an active role in educating the public about sustainability by facilitating a Climate Crisis Forum. In addition, they continue to implement several environmentally friendly practices that include:
A comprehensive recycling program for staff and guests.
The implementation of brown, unbleached paper towels and toilet paper that is made from recycled materials.
All straws and stir sticks in the restaurant are compostable.
Composting organic waste from the restaurant in their garden
The recycling of all grease and oily liquids from the restaurant.
The elimination of Styrofoam – replaced with compostable corn cups.
A 2-acre garden provides organic vegetables for the restaurant.
Point of use water cooler’s deployed to avoid the use of plastic water containers.
“Save Our Planet” signage is used to encourage the reuse of towels.
Bulk dispensers for soap and shampoo eliminate wasteful individual containers.
Low-flow shower heads and adjustable toilet valves to reduce wastewater.
Room cleaning products that are all bio-degradable and phosphate-free laundry detergents.
Motion sensor technology is used throughout the property to reduce energy waste in unused rooms, at vending machines and other public areas.
All new HVAC units have SEER ratings of 19 or higher.
All new window units are dual pane and energy efficient.
The entire property uses energy efficient LED lighting.
Digital programmable set-back thermostats are used to reduce energy waste throughout the property.
Reversible ceiling fans are used in lodging, offices and the restaurant to reduce heating costs in cooler months.
Season’s restaurant follows the guidelines of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program to ensure we purchase only sustainably caught seafood.
Highland Lake Inn & Resort is committed to demonstrating the importance of sustainable operations. As the hospitality industry rapidly grows in Western North Carolina, local hoteliers play an integral role in preserving natural resources. Each year, the goal is to operate in a manner that is more efficient than the last and provide guests an environmentally friendly place to enjoy.
Highland Lake Inn & Resort was honored to receive this recognition and thanks their staff and guests for continually making the environment a priority. Senator Chuck Edwards presented the award to Peter Fassbender, who accepted the award on behalf of Highland Lake Inn & Resort.
For questions or additional information, please contact Kim McCall at kmccall@hlinn.com.
An exciting new partnership between Salvage Station (https://www.salvagestation.com/) and the Root Down Food Truck (http://www.rootdownfoodtruck.com/) will allow the sprawling entertainment venue along the French Broad River to feature some delicious new food options while giving award-winning food truck co-owner Dano Holcomb the chance to branch into a brick-and-mortar space.
Dano’s new role at Salvage Station is going to allow him to expand on his classic training in country French and New Orleans cuisine. While the menu of many locally sourced ingredients will fluctuate with the seasons some, a variety of NOLA-inspired mains, sandwiches, and sides are in store. Standouts include a 12-hour, pecan wood-smoked and pulled pork sandwich with grilled pepper cheese; a catfish po’boy with jalapeno-avocado tartar; classic boudin balls with Creole mustard sauce as well as gumbo; hog jowl chicharrones with pepper jelly; crawfish poutine; and an alligator pie stuffed in a mini pie shell from Geraldine’s Bakery.
“Now I’ll be able to do more things that I learned in New Orleans that I haven’t necessarily been able to do with the food truck simply because our capacity was more limited, like broiled and sautéed items,” says Dano.
The menu will include vegetarian-friendly options too, including a vegan sausage sandwich with grilled seitan and a loaded black bean burger. A catering menu offered through Salvage Station’s special events will present even more options, including a slew of sides from collards and black-eyed peas to fresh seasonal salads to Creole deviled eggs.
Owned by Dano Holcomb and his wife, Julie, Root Down Food Truck launched in 2012 (in Statesville), serving Creole, Southern, and soul-influenced comfort food. Since moving to Asheville in 2014, Dano has received multiple accolades for his food, including being recognized among the South’s Best Food Trucks in both Southern Living magazine (2016) and on CNN’s Wander Musts (2019). A graduate of Delgado Culinary Arts Program in New Orleans, Dano trained in some of NOLA’s finest kitchens and worked briefly for farm-to-table pioneer Cassie Parsons at Harvest Moon Grille in Charlotte.
The Root Down Kitchen at Salvage Station will be open Tuesday through Sunday, during Salvage Station’s regular business hours. “In addition to bringing even more great music to our lineup this year, we are equally excited to offer this new menu to our food loving patrons.” says Danny McClinton, founder and owner of Salvage Station. The kick-off event on Fat Tuesday, February 25 starts at 7pm and is free to the public. Patrons can expect a special Mardi Gras-inspired menu and musical entertainment by Zydeco Yaya and Unihorn.
About Salvage Station
Founded by Danny McClinton in 2016, Salvage Station is a riverfront bar, restaurant, concert hall, and award winning special events venue located along the French Broad River in Asheville, NC. Indoor and outdoor stages are in store for many big acts in 2020, including Stephen Marley, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Big Gigantic, JRAD, Steep Canyon Rangers, and more. salvagestation.com
About Root Down
Owned by Dano and Julie Holcomb, Root Down Food Truck launched in Statesville in 2012. Hailing from an Italian household where food was a centerpiece, Dano is a Chicago area native and graduate of UNC Asheville, who spent 14 years as a NCAA Division I soccer coach before moving to New Orleans in 2009 to pursue his dream of cooking. He trained at Delgado Culinary Arts Program and in the kitchens of some of NOLA’s finest chefs, where he learned the nuances of classic Creole, French, and Southern cuisine as well as the farm-to-table ethos. In search of a city with a supportive and creative local food community, Dano found himself in Charlotte, working for farm-to-table pioneer Cassie Parsons at Harvest Moon Grille, before launching Root Down Food Truck. He and his family moved to Asheville in 2014. In addition to being recognized among the South’s Best Food Trucks in both Southern Living magazine (2016) and on CNN’s Wander Musts (2019), Root Down took top honors for four years at the Asheville Food Truck Showdown (2014, ’15, ’16, and ’18) and won People’s Choice award for the showdown in 2016, ’17, and ’19. He was also invited as a guest chef on the 2020 Jam Cruise. rootdownfoodtruck.com
No amount of research prepared me for the “pistol” that is “Head Fire Maker, champion pitmaster, author, barbecue judge, teacher, barbecue eating expert, and PRIME Barbecue (https://www.prime-bbq.com/) Owner Christopher Prieto”.
I’d read up, watched interviews, and listened as he described his technique, but I learned so much about the man, his family, his journey, and his philosophy (as it relates to barbeque) on a recent Hard Hat Tour of his new PRIME Barbecue restaurant in Knightdale (near Raleigh), NC.
Owner Christopher Prieto talking about how he chose the location and his vision for PRIME Barbeque.
Starting outdoors and moving inside, we took in the covered seating area. There’s room for lots of additional seating, including counter seating for people that want to watch the pit room action, provides plenty of shade, and a view of the park. This space can also be used for private events. The counter to the left can be set up as a bar with a big screen TV (coming soon) on the wall.
That view of the park mentioned previously is no accident. PRIME is situated perfectly on the edge of 76 acre Knightdale Station Park, with views of soccer fields, an amphitheater, expansive playground, trails, and more. The wall of windows make watching what’s going on in the park easy while you eat inside, also. Prieto’s plans include a small “grass” area in front of the outdoor patio for relaxing on blankets.
Prieto comes from a big family (approximately 30 first cousins) of Puerto Rican decent. He talked about his life growing up, explaining his grandfather had a painting of a large bull on his wall, and about how he pulled Christopher aside as a child, telling him that he, Christopher, was that bull. That’s why you’ll see a large mural of a bull painted on an inside wall by well known Raleigh-based mural artist, Lisa Gaither.
He also cracked me up when he talked about his mom bathing him weekly in cologne (joking), and about the critical importance of an exactly straight part in his hair. That brought back great memories of children my kids grew up with and their parents.
Family played a big part in the creation of PRIME Barbeque, the building was engineered by Christopher’s cousin Beto, and some of the food (sides) were tweaked by his brother, Chef Nelson Prieto.
So many reasons are behind the design detail of this smoke-and-fire-centric structure. High ceilings and the hand forged, circular lights are meant to be thought provoking. The wall detail that looks like a tin ceiling (pictured toward the back below) is a nod to the ceiling Prieto always imagined installing, as he built PRIME Barbecue in his head over the years.
When you’re ready to order, follow the orange floor tile to one end of the building, around the back of the wall/condiment area, and you’ll arrive at the “cutting area”.
By the way, those are temporary tables and chairs set up for the media event. What I expect will be gorgeous custom tables, as well as doors, are being built by Raleigh-based Arrowhead Studios.
“A Texas native, Prieto originally developed Prime Barbecue to inspire, educate and demonstrate the processes, techniques and traditions behind the art of smoking. Since then, he has been featured on Food Network’s Chopped Grill Masters, Man Fire Food, Destination America’s BBQ Pitmasters, Fox & Friends, My Carolina Today, Zagat’s BBQ Documentary, “The Cradle of ‘Cue” and the 700 Club. Prieto’s passion for the craft has forged a nationally recognized cookbook with Southern Living, “Ultimate Book of BBQ”, a barbecue school, “Ultimate School of BBQ”, and a therapeutic tool to help organizations such as Wounded Warrior Project.”
You’ll have time to read over the menu while you’re in line. If not, it’ll be under the lights on the tiled wall behind the counter.
Lest you forget where you are when you step into the restroom, this custom floor tile should do the trick.
The kitchen is impressive. The pantry is bigger than most. The pit room is most impressive of all! Having been in my share of black, smokey, windowless (or they just felt that way because they were covered with black smoke) pit rooms, this completely wonderful space definitely caught my attention.
Two 1300 lb and a 700 lb “Barbecue Pits” live in the pit room, along with a huge double grill. There’s a door on the back wall that leads out to firebox access. Speaking of fire, they’ll be using Oak and Pecan wood for big cuts of meat, Cherry for smaller cuts, and Sugar Maple for turkey.
Remember those counter seats outside? This is the room you’ll be looking in to, where all the action takes place.
The Pit Room is really well ventilated with series of screened windows and openings on both outside walls.
Christopher has worked closely with the Wounded Warrior Project for years. Clearly, it’s near and dear to his heart. A Chef’s Table will be in the pit room, specifically for veterans and their families. Not that having five children has anything to do with it, but Christopher is installing a private TV by the Chef’s Table for kids, so they can watch cartoons or whatever is okay with their parents.
The Food
High quality pork and beef are sourced locally and from a respected Missouri farm.
All sausage is hand-piped in house. It’s a four day process that involves resting, curing, cooling, and cooking. And it’s delicious! Ribs? Scrumptious! Brisket? At the risk of hyperbole, the best I’ve had! Really. Sides? Couldn’t get enough of the Sweet Potato Salad (bottom right container). Beans and Slaw? Here’s where I admit to preferring sweet baked beans, with or without pieces of bacon, and sweet-ish (more mayo/less vinegar) slaw. Give ’em a try when you go and decide for yourself.
If you’re a pickle lover, you’ll be happy with the house made pickles and pickled onions.
For dessert, we had Peach Cobbler with vanilla Blue Bell Ice Cream. Can’t go wrong with that combo. If you’re not familiar with Blue Bell, it’s that or nothing when it comes to ice cream for some folks. One of my nephews actually had Blue Bell shipped to his home when he lived where it wasn’t available in the stores.
Of Note
Prieto has wanted to have a barbecue restaurant since he was a young child. He immersed himself in the BBQ world as much and often as he possibly could. He imagined his restaurant – what it would look like, what would be on the menu, even the name. In fact, his dad bought the rights to that name when Christopher was still a child.
It didn’t quite fit what he’s doing here and now as an adult, but he didn’t want the dream to die. So at the side of the building, next to the patio area, will be a children’s play area, including – drum roll – a play BBQ restaurant called “Good Times BBQ”! Y’all. Can it get any better?
On a serious note, look for a tall flag pole (installed soon) out front, flying a large American flag. It was given to Christopher by a soldier who, unfortunately, didn’t make it home.
One More Thing
Throughout the Hard Hat tour, I could hear & see Christopher’s passion for what he’s doing. More than once, as he was talking about this or that feature of the building or process, he’d say, “It’s really rad!” Brought a smile to my face every time.
So, next time you’re in the Knightdale, NC area and you’re hungry, go to PRIME Barbeque. It’s really rad!
Epicurean Notes:
PRIME Barbecue is scheduled to open mid-April. They’ll be serving up delicious BBQ five days a week for five hours a day.
Mini Blue Bell Ice Cream cups will be available for children.
All soda served at PRIME is “real soda”. Meaning they’re made with real ingredients like sugar, as opposed to aspartame or other artificial sweeteners.
Art & Coffee Bar on 5th Ave, the newest Hendersonville coffee shop, has been open for a few months now, but I hadn’t been able to stop in until this week.
Art & Coffee is completely adorable. The two (and 1/2) room interior has an open feel, with spaces defined by half walls topped with open shelving. Beautiful local art is displayed on shelves and walls throughout.
Seating for about 20 is available, spaced comfortably: sofa, chairs, and tables with chairs.
I’m not sure if it’s the best place for hard core remote work on your laptop, but definitely a super place to hang out with friends, read, surf the net for a while. Just to confirm, free Wi-Fi is available.
The obligatory Carolina Epicurean latte test was passed with flying colors. Delicious. Baked goods were whispering to me as I waited at the counter for my drink, but I resisted. This time. Next time, no resisting.
The Bargello (https://bargelloavl.com/) Yarn begins in 17th Century Florence, Italy, when a set of chairs were discovered in Bargello Castle. They were covered in a new needlework style, now known as the Bargello style, after the castle. Those can be seen today in the same building (built in the 12th – 13th centuries), which is now the Bargello Museum.
Image: Jeff Beck
History of the style’s origin is short on documentation, but long on legends of creation by both Italian and Hungarian noblewomen. After watching the de Medici television series, one legends I particularly like is that of a Hungarian noblewomen practicing the craft, including a Hungarian princess marrying into the de Medici family.
Fast forward a few centuries to Bargello, the recently opened restaurant in current day Asheville. Co-owner Martha Pollay took design inspiration for the Mediterranean-inspired eatery from her mother’s love of needlepoint and the Bargello stitch she loves to use. Specifically her mother’s bench and pillow done in the Bargello style.
Interestingly, General Manager Peer Larson’s mother also had a Bargello needlepoint chair cover in his family home, which they are currently framing for the Bargello office.
So how is this yarn being spun?
As with Bargello needlework, hues of one color – blue in this case – and repeating geometric patterns have been used in Bargello, the restaurant’s, beautiful design.
Note the repeating arched design throughout the interior and on the exterior sign.
But what about the food?
I’ve known Peter Pollay for years and was thrilled to accept his invitation to do some sampling of Bargello’s menu. There were four of us at one of three high-tops overlooking the very open kitchen: myself and my friend Anne, along with another media person and her guest. By the way, all of these high-tops have easy to access outlets for your devices. It is in a hotel, after all, and sometimes you want to get a bite and work at the same time. I’m not sure about outlets at other types of tables & booths.
The evening was a wonder of moving parts in a smooth-running professional kitchen.
It began with Peter handing us the restaurant menu saying, “You can look, but not order. We’ll be sending dishes out for you all to share.”
Firstly, it can be exciting and fun to go out for a meal and tell your server, “please ask the chef to send out whatever he thinks we should try.” Secondly, it can be just a little scary because you never know what’s going to happen.
In this case, sixteen out of thirty one menu items rolled out to our table at a comfortable pace, one after the other. The flow was interspersed with questions and answers, note-taking, and a sampling of wine and cocktails.
Every. Single. Dish. Delicious. You may be thinking, of course they were. The kitchen knew who you were. Well, we specifically watched food going out to the “general dining room population”, and there was no noticeable difference. I’ll be going back, incognito and will be paying attention to see if there’s any difference in presentation, taste, etc.
Fascinating side note. One of the dishes we sampled was a tasty “Israeli Salad”. Ingredients had previously been those of a classic Israeli Salad, but had been seasonally adjusted. My friend Anne took one look and said, “This isn’t an Israeli Salad”. One of the other women at the table agreed. As it turned out, this other woman was Israeli – Israel-born, America-raised. An in-depth discussion of classic ingredients ensued, a little of which between these two, in Hebrew, just for fun.
Given current restaurant prices, Bargello’s menu is very reasonably priced. All the “For the Table” shareable plates were between $10 and $15. I could easily make a meal out of two. House-made pasta dishes are $17 – $21. All sides, like the Crispy Brussels Sprouts and Roasted Baby Sweet Potatoes we had were $10. Their incredible Cider Glazed heritage Pork Belly is $22, but three other “From the Farm” selections are more. Spice & Pepper Crusted Brisket (for 2-4 people) is $58, 32oz Bone-In Rib Eye is $70, and Joyce Farms Brick Chicken is $38.
The yarn Bargello is spinning is one of attention to detail, excellent service, delicious food you will not quickly forget, and a long-term plan to serve Asheville from this location.
Takeaway
If I were to boil this all down to one takeaway, it would be that you MUST go.
Epicurean Notes:
Cocktails are lovely and truly craft cocktails.
There’s an open-fire oven, open-kitchen area right on the lobby edge with counter seating for your viewing and dining pleasure.
You can dine, snack, drink outside on a large patio that runs the width of the building. Choose to sit at a table or on soft seating while you watch the Biltmore Ave, Pack Square action.
Current Days & Hours: OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK, BREAKFAST: 6:30 – 10 AM, LUNCH: 11 AM – 2:30 PM, DINNER: 5 – 10 PM
Don’t forget, you don’t need to be a hotel guest to dine at Bargello or across the lobby at District 42.
Bargello is located in the Hotel Arras ground floor lobby, 7 Patton Ave (corner of Patton and Biltmore), Asheville, NC 28801
Looking for a new reason to visit Asheville, NC? The eye-popping $24+ million expansion of the Asheville Art Museum (https://www.ashevilleart.org/) will showcase American art of the 20th and 21st centuries. The museum challenges guests to experience the art of this period and explore its relationship to Western North Carolina and the Southeast.
1. Put your finger on the pulse of the hottest artists in Southern Appalachia right NOW with the opening exhibition.
For Appalachia Now! An Interdisciplinary Survey of Contemporary Art in Southern Appalachia, New York-based scholar and curator Jason Andrew considered more than 700 artists (including nominations from an open call) from the Southern Appalachian states of North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. After 55 studio visits, Andrew selected 50 diverse working artists. Mediums span photography, ceramics, glass, performance, painting, new media, music, sculpture and more. The exhibition is on view in the Explore Asheville Hall and Appleby Foundation Hall through Feb. 3, 2020. Meet four women artists tapped for the exhibition.
2. Feast your eyes (and more!). The new Museum offers a glass facade and Perspective Café.
The Museum’s expansion includes:
A stunning glass facade and art-filled Windgate Foundation Atrium
The Oculus, a 15-foot viewing window in the SECU Collection Hall, affords unmatched immersive city views and a place for reflection
Sculpture terrace and Perspective Café worthy of Asheville’s foodtopian values
Henry Richardson’s glass sculpture, Reflections on Unity, chosen as the first public installation on the Museum plaza
Now with 70 percent more Collection gallery space, new galleries showcase recent gifts of photography, craft, art, glass
3. What is Western NC’s relationship to art in America? Why is Black Mountain College a big deal?
Intersections in American Art offers a fresh look at the Museum’s permanent art Collection in the 10 galleries of the SECU Collection Hall. A grant from the Henry Luce Foundation allowed a diverse group, including an N.C. poet laureate, to help reinterpret the Collection with ideas derived from the groundbreaking Black Mountain College (1933-1957). Several of the most important artists of the 20th century taught or studied at Black Mountain College.
4. The Museum is a place for children, adults, even those with memory loss.
The Wells Fargo ArtPLAYce, a hands-on creative space for guests of all ages, allows visitors to learn together. In addition, a new program called CONNECTIONS will serve adults living in the WNC community with mild to moderate memory loss and their care partners. You may also notice the diversity of themes, subjects and types of art. The Museum features art made by African Americans, Cherokee indigenous peoples, and people from various backgrounds, working from different perspectives.
“In rebuilding our home…we reflected on what it means to be in this place, a site nestled in the mountains of Appalachia of significance to native and immigrant communities of all backgrounds.” – Asheville Art Museum Executive Director Pamela L. Myers
ABOUT THE ASHEVILLE ART MUSEUM The Asheville Art Museum’s mission is to engage, enlighten, and inspire individuals and enrich community through dynamic experiences in American art of the 20th and 21st centuries including work of significance to the Southeast. The schedule for opening events is showcased here.
The Museum is located in downtown Asheville at 2 South Pack Square. General admission: $15. Open 11 am-6 pm daily, except Tuesdays. Late night on Thursdays until 9 pm. Closed on Tuesdays. Visit ashevilleart.org.
The Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and receives support from the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources; the National Endowment for the Arts; and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and media sponsor Asheville Citizen Times.
The Museum recognizes top supporters who made the expansion possible: The Museum gratefully acknowledges the leadership supporters of the new Museum and its vibrant programming: Appleby Foundation, Buncombe County, Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, City of Asheville, Edith and Frances Mulhall Achilles Memorial Fund, Henry Luce Foundation, Institute of Museum and Library Services, Janirve Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, State Employees’ Credit Union Foundation, William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust, Windgate Foundation and the many other foundations, businesses and individuals who supported the Art WORKS for Asheville Capital Campaign and who support the exceptional programming, exhibitions and collections which enliven the new Asheville Art Museum on a daily basis.
THE BIG WINE EVENT takes place Friday, November 22nd from 5-8pm at Wine Sage and Gourmet (https://winesageandgourmet.com/), Hendersonville.
Wine reps from several companies will be on hand for this Grand Tasting! Find your new favorite! Stock up for the holidays! Food, fun and wine! The perfect Friday evening!
Cost is $5 at the door for your take-home tasting glass!
Donation from this event will go to support Safelight!
Chef Greg has planned a truly special menu for Thanksgiving at The French Broad (https://thefrenchbroad.net/). They hope you will bring your family and friends to enjoy a wonderful meal with them and each other. There will be two seatings: 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. The cost is $60 per adult, $25 per child. Reservations are required. Reserve now.
Thanksgiving at the French Broad Three course Prix-fixe
Appetizer Options
French Onion Soup
with crouton and gruyere cheese
Green Salad
with roasted butternut squash, candied walnuts, goat cheese and sherry vinaigrette
Wild Mushroom Croquettes
with charred shallot aioli
Entree Options
Roasted Pheasant
pheasant and cranberry roulade with haricot vert, maple sweet potato puree, and pheasant demi-glace
Beef Bourguignon
braised terres major with mirepoix, mushrooms and tomatoes with creamy polenta
Toasted Barley Risotto (V)
with whole roasted baby carrots, braised greens, asiago and chimichurri
Dessert Options
Chocolate Layer Cake
with raspberry butter cream and Chambord chocolate ganache
Spiced Apple Cobbler
with duck fat streusel
Come and Join Us
Location
342 North Main Street
Hendersonville, NC 28792
828-595-9797
The Market Place Restaurant (https://marketplace-restaurant.com/) has been recognized for its role in promoting good food and sustainable food systems with Six Links on the third annual Good Food 100 Restaurants List from the Good Food Media Network.
The list is based on self-reported annual food purchasing data, independently verified by NSF Responsible Sourcing. Restaurants are rated with two to six links—symbolizing links in the food chain—based on the percent of total food costs spent to support state, regional and national ‘good food’ producers and purveyors. A corresponding economic assessment conducted by the Business Research Division, Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder measuring the dollar impact locally, regionally and nationally by these restaurants will be available this summer.
“My mission when it comes to sourcing is local first, but always sustainable. Local food provides immediate impact on our communities, and this impact helps to create change not only by putting hyper-fresh ingredients on the table for our guests, but in our economies as well, by supporting local farms and food artisans. The Good Food 100 is an important next step in our industry to provide transparency for our guests to know the chefs and restaurants who are taking care in sourcing healthy ingredients,” said William Dissen, Chef & Owner of The Market Place Restaurant.
“Consumers are making a concerted effort to be aware of where their food is coming from. Now diners can select where they want to eat not solely based on a critic’s pick, Yelp review or best-of lists, but by which restaurants are actively contributing to the betterment of our food system through sustainable purchasing practices. The Good Food 100 is not only a compilation of these restaurants, it’s a celebration of them,” said Sara Brito, co-founder and president, Good Food Media Network. “Congratulations to all of this year’s participants. We look forward to expanding this list even more and honoring the many wonderful restaurants and food service businesses that are positively impacting every link in the food chain.”
The Market Place Restaurant is celebrating our 40th anniversary, and has always been a forward thinking restaurant from its inception in 1979 in downtown Asheville. The restaurant’s vision for local sourcing and sustainability have helped it to garner national and international accolades for their ingredient driven and seasonal menus as well as their approach to community leadership. Under the direction and leadership of Chef William Dissen, The Market Place Restaurant has pushed ahead to a creating thoughtful cuisine by collaborating with organizations like the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, the James Beard Foundation’s Impact Programs, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program. Partnering as a leader with the Good Food 100 is an opportunity to showcase our dedication to using the best ingredients that help to make a positive impact on the world around us.
Nearly 140 restaurants from 39 states participated in the national survey. To learn more about the Good Food 100 and all the restaurants, visit the Good Food 100 website.
Methodology: Restaurants were segmented into five groups based on their respective level of good food purchases as a percentage of overall food purchases. The top cohort reporting good food purchases earned six rings—meaning that they reported the greatest percentage of good food purchases among the participating restaurants. The next cohort earned five rings and so on. Restaurants earning two rings reported some good food purchases. Those who participated but reported no good food purchases were designated as a “2017 participant”.
