Question 1

Sharewell Coffee Co and Roastery Expanding

Accepted Answer

Right place. Right time. Scooped the answer to the question, “Guess What” when I was at ShareWell Coffee Co. & Roastery’s 2nd Anniversary celebration in Flat Rock yesterday.

The story begins two years ago when Zach and Candice Pritz welcomed Sharewell’s very first customer, Mei-Ling Varnell. Mei-Ling went on to open Hidden Trails Coffee House in Horse Shoe Gap Village. They all became good friends and continuously supported each other’s businesses.

Now the story takes an interesting turn. After a more than successful run, Mei-Ling is retiring to spend more time with family and Sharewell’s taking over the Hidden Trails Coffee House as a second location. It&#8217;s right on the Ecusta Trail and will have easy access.
That’s not the end of the story for Sharewell. They’re moving their roasting equipment and everything related to it out of the Flat Rock shop to a dedicated location where they’ll have more space for roasting, bagging, shipping, etc., and be able to accommodate more people in classes.

Once the roaster and other equipment are moved out of the Flat Rock shop, they’ll be sprucing up that space and expanding seating.
I also learned that like other area coffee shops, Candice and Zach were having a hard time finding a good bakery that sold wholesale. So, they brought baking in-house. I had a delicious muffin, but next time I’m going to get one of their hand pies. They looked terrific coming out of the kitchen.
Congratulations to Zach and Candice on the success of the business you’ve poured your heart and soul into.

Question 2

New! Stump Farms Hydroponic & Urban Farm in Hendersonville

Accepted Answer

Kevin and Alicia Stump moved to Hendersonville from Magnolia, TX, just outside Houston, about a year ago. They&#8217;ve spent that year setting up Stump Farms at 732 Jonesborough St., basically behind Publix. It&#8217;s a continuation of what began as a &#8220;homesteading journey&#8221; &#8211; while holding down full-time jobs &#8211; and turned into full time farming some five years ago.

What&#8217;s different about this &#8220;new&#8221; business is that they come to Hendersonville with extensive hands-on experience having already built a 2 acre farm successfully from the ground up (wink), to the point of selling at multiple Farmers Markets. Yes, they&#8217;re going to have to deal with a totally different environment, coming from, as far as I can tell, a USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 9a to a 7b zone. It just about killed me to go from an 8b zone and excellent soil to our current 9a zone and clay soil at our Hendersonville home when it came to gardening.

The Stumps refer to their enterprise as a Hydroponic & Urban Farm, producing Clean & Real Food. Hydroponic in that they are growing hydroponically in over 2,000 square feet indoors. Urban in that they&#8217;re growing outdoors and in greenhouses on an urban-sized lot.

The farmshop features plants and produce, as well as a few things like natural skin care products, soaps, and teas. One of us left with a bag of produce. The general concensus was that the pricing was very reasonable.

If you want to learn more about Kevin and Alicia, here&#8217;s a Sept 2021 Voyage Houston article where Alicia talks about their background, how & why they started their farming journey, and where it had taken them:  Exploring Life & Business with Alicia Stump of Stump Farms.
What&#8217;s next for this enterprising, hard-working couple? They&#8217;re talking about opening a small plant-based cafe on the property. This makes me happy and nervous. Nervous because part of this urban property is in a flood plain. And it floods just about every year. They&#8217;ve already had to clean up from flooding after the last extended heavy rain we had.

When asked about the flooding, they explained that they&#8217;d built everything up off the floor, so there were no product losses. We&#8217;ll see what they come up with for their (possible) cafe.

Definitely go to the Stump Farms Website: https://www.stumpfarms.com/ and take a good look at all their offerings. It&#8217;s extensive and includes an online store. Here&#8217;s their Instagram Feed where you can get a feel for what they&#8217;re all about. You can also find them on Facebook.
Stump Farms
732 Jonesborough St
Hendersonville, NC
(828) 642-9680

Question 3

Taco Boy Opening in West Asheville December 20th

Accepted Answer

On Tuesday, December 20, 2022, Folly Beach favorite Taco Boy will open in West Asheville, at 521 Haywood Road, marking the restaurant’s fourth location and its first in North Carolina. The restaurant will be serving its signature tacos and other Mexican-inspired eats, but with one caveat: West Asheville will house the company’s first in-house tortillera that will be producing scratch-made heirloom corn tortillas. Diners will be able to watch the process and taste the difference.

Contact Info: 521 Haywood Road, Asheville, NC 28806 // 828.370.TACO (8226) // TacoBoy.net
Hours: Mon-Thurs, 11am – 10pm / Fri, 11am – 11pm / Sat, 10am – 11pm / Sun 10am – 10pm
Lunch and dinner served daily. Brunch served weekends, 10am – 2pm
Special Holiday Hours: Dec 20 – 23, open dinner only, 4 &#8211; 10pm / Closed Dec 24 & 25
Social Media: @TacoBoyEats

ABOUT TACO BOY
Longing for the ocean-side fish tacos of her youth, Taco Boy was created in 2006 by Charleston restauranteur Karalee Nielsen Fallert, a founding partner and co-owner of a dozen restaurant ventures in the Holy City and a leading advocate for community projects and women-led initiatives. She’s been recognized for her contributions to Charleston’s culinary community and for revitalizing Charleston neighborhoods. She’s also the founder of hospitality management group All Good Industries.
Taco Boy&#8217;s flagship location opened on Folly Beach in 2006, followed by downtown Charleston in 2009, and Summerville, SC, in 2019. West Asheville opens December 20, 2022 after only 2.5 months of construction. Plans are underway to introduce three more restaurants in the Carolinas in 2023, including a second Asheville location in Biltmore Park, with an anticipated summer opening.
A TAQUERIA FOR THE SOUL – COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Taco Boy’s mission is to use the power of tacos to nurture people and build community, which is why there is a very intentional goal to work within each community to partner with and support local nonprofit initiatives and charitable efforts.
In Charleston, a core beneficiary is The Green Heart Project, which was co-established in 2009 by Taco Boy founder Karalee Nielsen Fallert, and uses garden-based experiential learning to educate students and cultivate community through food. In addition to nutrition and hunger initiatives, Taco Boy also supports education, sustainability, equality, mental health, and other efforts that improve the world around us. Other Charleston area organizations Taco Boy has supported include Charleston Pride, Surfers Healing (autism advocacy), Waves for Women, SC Sea Grant Consortium, Pay it Forward Charleston, Charleston County School District, the National Down Syndrome Society, and The Trevor Project (LGBTQ suicide prevention).
Taco Boy’s first community partner in Asheville is Asheville on Bikes, which will benefit from the VIP Preview Party. The company has plans to support many other Asheville initiatives in the future.
“The impetus for our growth is to create a positive impact for our team members and the communities we call home,” says Fallert.
Additionally, Taco Boy is also a major supporter and advocate for its team members, offering generous benefits for full- and part-time employees, as well as an emergency financial assistance program, all of which supports long-term career growth and upward financial mobility. Taco Boy is always hiring, with details at tacoboy.net/jobs.
TACOS, TEQUILA, AND WHAT’S NEW IN ASHEVILLE
A citrus- and salsa-infused feast for the senses, Taco Boy offers scratch-made tacos, authentic sides including rice and beans, chipotle slaw, and Mexican street corn, guacamole and other satisfying starters, plus margaritas and Latin-infused craft cocktails, and a weekend brunch menu that delivers more Mexican-inspired flavors to the table. The restaurant is diet sensitive, offering vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Taco Boy is committed to using responsibly sourced, high-quality ingredients.
Photo by Shell Royster
NIXTAMALIZED HEIRLOOM CORN TORTILLAS
Perhaps the most exciting element to be implemented at Taco Boy West Asheville is the development of an in-house tortilleria using traditional equipment and the centuries-old process of nixtamalization. The process involves steeping corn in an alkaline solution before rinsing it to remove the outer kernel cover (pericarp), and milling it into masa (maize dough). Nixtamalized corn produces a tortilla that is more flavorful, digestible, and is higher in nutritional benefits. Additionally, Taco Boy will be using heirloom corn, in a variety of hues, sourced from near and far. This process will be on view, behind glass, at the new West Asheville location.
NEW BEVERAGE PROGRAM
A longtime Asheville, NC, restaurant industry veteran of 30 years, mixologist Maty Hollingsworth developed the beverage program for Taco Boy. He’s managed and overseen beverage programs for a handful of Asheville establishments, including Limones and its erstwhile sister establishment En la Calle, Jargon, and the former Noble Cider Greenhouse.
The new beverage menu includes a fresh batch of original margaritas and specialty cocktails that lean into a lighter, fresher feel, and offers a multisensory layering of flavor profiles and textures. The new menu also highlights a shift to fresh juicing in-house and scratch-made specialty cordials, including a hazelnut corn orgeat that’s a beautiful complement to the nixtamalized heirloom corn tortillas.
Mezcalindo, Hibiscus Margarita, Baja Sunset. Photo by Shell Royster
Tequila flights are also in store, along with a curated selection of tequilas, cristalino tequilas (rested and filtered with activated charcoal), and smoky mezcals. The tequilas will be front and center for weekly Tequila Tuesdays, offering $5 house margaritas on Tuesdays.
A FRESH NEW SPACE
Expect a fresh new look that incorporates elements by Asheville artists at Taco Boy West Asheville, located in the former Zia Taqueria on Haywood Road. Arched windows are now open doorways, and the former front patio is now enclosed for additional seating. Ceiling beams have been sanded to bring in warmer wood tones. A reconfiguration of the back of house spaces allows for better flow, office space, and a tortilleria that’s visible to the public. Fresh paint and a wall-length mural inspired by Mexico’s vivacious tones by Asheville muralist Wyatt Grant enliven the space. Wooden screen installations by local artist Charles Goldberg also enhances the space. And ceramic cantaritas by Asheville creative
studio Batton Clayworks hold craft cocktails. Elm Construction did the construction work.
A painted logoed sign adorns the building, while the vintage light-up sign out front will be adorned with the words “Hot Tacos Cold Margs” by the end of the month. And in spring 2023, an overhaul of the landscaping will be undertaken by Osgood Landscape Architecture of Asheville. The front parking lot has seen a revision for better flow. And the side parking lot will eventually hold outdoor green space for outdoor dining and communal events.

Question 4

Not a stretch - Tall John's, Asheville's next Best Restaurant?

Accepted Answer

To be sure, I&#8217;ll have to go to Tall John&#8217;s a few more times to make the proclaimation &#8211; &#8220;Asheville&#8217;s next Best Restaurant&#8221; permanent. If last night&#8217;s preview is any indication, there&#8217;s no question about it!
Food hasn&#8217;t surprised me in quite a while, but three of the four dishes we had did just that. I was surprised by unexpected flavors and textures. There was also a little surprise involved with how dishes were presented &#8211; serving dish & utensils, portioned for two. It&#8217;ll be interesting to see if they continue with this approach. Our server confirmed that&#8217;s the plan. It was fine for us, and actually added to the experience, but what if you have a table of four and they all order different things?
WHO
Tall John&#8217;s is helmed by Executive Chef/Owner Trevor Payne and General Manager Jasper Adams.
Chef Payne returns to Asheville, where he has family roots, following an extensive culinary career in Portland, Oregon’s top kitchens (Clyde Common, Le Pigeon, Little Bird Bistro, Olympia Provisions).
Those of you familiar with Asheville&#8217;s culinary scene will know Jasper Adams from Table, The Imperial Life, Cucina 24, and Rhubarb. He&#8217;s a life-long Ashevillian.
WHAT
With a hip, cozy, neighborhood-tavern-like ambiance, Payne has positioned Tall John&#8217;s as &#8220;a place for all occasions for everyone.&#8221; It&#8217;s set to be a destination for everyday meals and special occasions alike, where &#8220;the quality of the food, beverage, and service is just as important as creating an approachable atmosphere where people feel comfortable.&#8221;
Seating capacity is 50 in the dining area and another 20 to 25 on the side patio. They&#8217;re planning a Spring opening for the patio.
The space has undergone extensive interior remodeling. It&#8217;s been modernized, while maintaining the building&#8217;s historic character: the original 1900s-era floors have been refurbished rather than covered over, and a new open kitchen & spacious bar have been added.
That Kitchen Bar definitely brings you up close and personal to the action. It struck me as a narrow space to work in, especially when there&#8217;s a crowd, but there was a smooth flow as Chef Payne directed. Remember this was a soft opening, so first run with patrons. I also wondered if it would get hot with commercial oven, cooktop, and grill about ten feet from our seats. That hood did its job. No unusual heat on our side of the bar.
Payne, son of Asheville artist John Payne, has called upon some of his close relationships with artists and craftspeople to bring original touches to the space. These include custom metal work from Tina and Kayla Councell of Iron Maiden Studios and original artwork from local artist Kevin Hogan (Payne&#8217;s father-in-law).
What&#8217;s behind the name &#8220;Tall John&#8217;s&#8221;? Treavor Payne&#8217;s father&#8217;s name is John, and he&#8217;s tall. They called him Tall John. As Jasper Adams tells it, the name gradually morphed into a feeling of casual comfort and just a generally good feeling.
MENU
The menu will offer &#8220;European-American classics like roasted chicken, cold oysters, radishes and cultured butter, caesar salad, a great steak [and possibly a great burger]. The newly-built spacious bar will serve classics like freezer-cold martinis, an intentional selection of enduring wines from small producers, time-honored draft and packaged beers, and crafted non-alcoholic drinks. There are a variety of seating options to choose from, including outdoor patio seating, a full-service bar, a counter at the open kitchen, and a lively dining room.&#8221;
See the Sample Menu served during their friends, family, and media event in the Gallery befow. You&#8217;ll see dishes are titled, but not described. If you want to know what&#8217;s in the dish before ordering, ask your server.
For instance, the menu said, &#8220;Fall Chicories&#8220;. It was a Chicory Salad with pear, grapes, and a creamy pistachio dressing, topped with cheese. That dressing, though. Seriously delicious! It&#8217;s pictured in the gallery below.
WHEN
Tall John&#8217;s plans to open for dinner service on October 19th from 4-10pm for walk-ins only. Dinner service will be Wednesday through Sunday, with additional offerings, including weekend brunch, daytime coffee, and what the team describes as a &#8220;badly needed in Montford&#8221; retail bottle shop on the ground floor, soon to follow.
WHERE
Located at 152 Montford Avenue, the historic building dates back to 1906. It&#8217;s tucked in among the neighborhood&#8217;s historic residences and old-growth trees. Throughout its history, the building has been home to a Piggly Wiggly and a Pentecostal church before being restored and converted into a restaurant space last occupied by Italian restaurant, Chiesa.
WHY YOU SHOULD GO
What impressed me most was the creative (read delicious) approach Payne takes to his dishes. Even the most mundane &#8211; a side of Baby Turnips. Turnips, you say? Try them before you dismiss the idea. No idea how they make those turnips do what they do. Take a bite, after swiping in the (no nut) pistou, and you get a spash of full, but mildly flavored liquid in your mouth followed by a firm-tender chew.
And those Oysters! Oh. My. Gosh! Definitely put a spoonful of that magic Mignonette sauce &#8211; traditionally made with minced shallots, cracked black peppercorn, and vinegar (either red or white) on top &#8211; followed by a light lemon squeeze.
Our &#8220;Tall&#8221; dish, &#8220;Roasted Half Chicken&#8221; was tender, juicy, and tasty. It made a difference following our server&#8217;s suggestion to add squeeze lemon over top.
I wondered if this was a case of a chef coming from the other side of the country, bringing what&#8217;s standard there as new here. But Asheville chefs have come from all over. He&#8217;s not the first. I&#8217;ve also spent time in Portland without running across cooking like this. Conclusion? It&#8217;s all Chef Trevor Payne.
Tall John&#8217;s
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/talljohnsavl
152 Montford Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
828-782-5514

Question 5

Vintner's Table opens (softly) at Burntshirt Vineyards

Accepted Answer

Burntshirt Vineyards Hendersonville has announced the Oct 7th Grand Opening of their impressive new restaurant, Vintner&#8217;s Table, but if you can&#8217;t wait, they&#8217;re quietly running a soft opening, open to the public. Go with the understanding that they&#8217;ve set up a pretty big restaurant, bar, tasting bar from scratch and are still working out a few kinks. They&#8217;re probably dealing with the same staff shortage as every other restaurant.
Our friends went for lunch this past Thursday and had such a great meal, they asked if my husband and I wanted to go back with them for dinner on Friday.
&#8220;Vintner’s Table provides four separate menus for your dining convenience: a full Dinner Menu and Lunch Menu available at the restaurant, a Terrace Menu offering small bites and appetizers on the extended patio sections, and a Children’s Menu available throughout the serving area.&#8221; BurntshirtVineyards

We had the pleasure of meeting Executive Chef Paul Caricato. Loved how excited he was about the huge kitchen and his menu. The kitchen IS huge &#8211; and everything is still shiny and new. Chef Caricato was nice enough to give me a tour.
MY TAKE
Vintner&#8217;s Table is very good now, and will be GREAT &#8211; after they find their legs.

All pasta is made in-house. You can tell.
The menu isn&#8217;t extensive, but there&#8217;s enough variety that you should be able to find multiple dishes you&#8217;ll like. Not sure if they&#8217;ll expand it or not.
Two of us ordered the 6 oz Filet Mignon entrée. They were both cooked beyond medium rare (as ordered), but were delicious nontheless. On second thought, I&#8217;m wondering if they were cooked correctly, but there was an issue getting them out of the kitchen in a timely manner, like lingering under a warmer or something that caused continued &#8220;cooking&#8221;?
If they haven&#8217;t changed the menu yet, they don&#8217;t have Tartuffo, but DEFINITELY get the chocolate mousse caramel cake they&#8217;re serving in its place. It&#8217;s completely melt-in-your-mouth fabulous!
There were a few minor glitches during our meal, but I&#8217;m confident they&#8217;ll be smoothed out by their grand opening.
We love Burntshirt wines, but it&#8217;s nice to have a choice. They&#8217;re also serving up cocktails at Vintner&#8217;s Table.
If you like to linger over your meal, the wood seats might start talking to you.
The biggest challenge will be the noise level inside, especially when there are more than a few tables occupied. We were able to talk more easily after the large party of about 12 next to us left.  It&#8217;s not going to be easy to fix that while staying true to the lodge-like interior design. It&#8217;s all hard surfaces, top to bottom. Hope they can figure it out.
I&#8217;m looking forward to a meal with a glass of wine on the large covered patio in warm weather. For now, maybe a table in front of the also large fireplace.

Bottom line &#8211; you should go, enjoy the food & wine, and support what is ultimately going to be a Hendersonville jewel.
Burntshirt Vineyards
Vintner&#8217;s Table
2695 Sugarloaf Rd
Hendersonville, NC 28792
828-685-2402

Question 6

Asheville's first all-day Italian eatery, Gemelli, opens Sept 12th

Accepted Answer

From the Team behind Strada Italiano and Social Lounge,
Gemelli Restaurant opens September 12 in W. Asheville
The latest culinary venture from Chef Anthony Cerrato, Gemelli marks its grand opening to the public September 12, 2022, bringing an all-day Italian dining experience to West Asheville, at 70 Westgate Pkwy., next to EarthFare. In the European-inspired, newly renovated space, restaurant-goers can expect gourmet Italian food and scratch-made pastas and ravioli served in a cozy, inviting setting ideal for social gathering. Gemelli presents an Italian coffee shop vibe for breakfast, brunch, and lunch, and an evening wine bar dinner experience, with wine, cocktails on draft, and rotating local beers by the bottle. While guests can enjoy a sit-down, full-service menu all day, counter service with grab-and-go items and lounge seating areas can accommodate customers on the go. Gemelli will be offering catering as well.
Chef Cerrato is already a well-known restaurateur in Asheville and has been a generous community supporter for many years. A son of a big Italian family and graduate of AB-Tech’s celebrated culinary program, Cerrato learned the ropes in independent and corporate restaurants in Raleigh and Asheville, before striking out on his own in 2012, when he opened Strada Italiano and adjacent Social Lounge on Broadway Street downtown. Strada and Social Lounge just marked their 10-year anniversary in March.
What to Expect on the Culinary-driven Menu

Everything on the menu is unique to Gemelli. For breakfast, scratch-made sweet and savory Italian baked goods will be a first in Asheville. Items like Maritozzi (Roman sweet mascarpone-filled buns) and Bombolini (glazed Italian donuts) are among the authentically Italian baked goods. More substantial breakfast and brunch offerings include Benedict Hash (with steak, poached eggs, and paprika hollandaise) and Florentine Frittata.
Soup, salads, antipasti, and shareable dishes segue into lunch, where Sicilian-style thick-crust pizzas and pastas round out the menu through dinner. The 12-inch personal pies present specialty and build-your-own options, with an array of Italian toppings, fine cheeses, and fresh and cured meats to choose from. The pastas include a signature Gemelli pasta dish (with lamb sausage and grana padano cheese), as well as Cacio e Pepe and Spaghetti alla Nerano (with zucchini, garlic, and grana padano). All are made in-house and cooked to order. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options are available. In addition to craft cocktails and beers, there will be a self-serving Cruvinet dispenser for individual wine pours along with bottle service.
“Gemelli’s menu is entirely different from what we serve at Strada and Social Lounge,” says Chef Cerrato. “We aim to make this a gathering place where people can come any time of day, whether they’re wanting an Italian coffee and pastry or a full sit-down pasta dinner with a good Montepulciano or other Italian wine.”
Housed in the former Green Sage Cafe, the space received a complete makeover thanks to Hive Interior Design and Linsey Gray Creative. Gemelli branding is by Sound Mind Creative. Website creation is by Lokk Co. and Chu Art+Dzine. All are local design creatives.
More to Come: Gemelli Brand Food Products
Looking ahead, Cerrato has plans to release Gemelli branded and packaged pastas and sauces, which will be available at the restaurant. They will be sold in a small retail section near the counter along with other local produce and comestible goods.
What’s in a Name
Gemelli is a type of twisted pasta whose name is derived from the Italian word for twins. It’s also the Italian word for gemini, the astrological sign. For Cerrato, the name represents a triple entendre. Not only does the menu offer house-made gemelli, it’s also a nod to his two-year-old twin girls and also his beloved wife, who is a Gemini.
Gemelli
70 Westgate Pkwy.
Asheville, NC 28806
www.Gemelli.restaurant
Phone: 828-565-6111
info@gemelli.restaurant
Open daily, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

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