Q: Posana: where to go for Sunday Brunch

Asheville – Posana was my husband’s choice for Father’s Day Brunch this year. Oh, okay. I guess I’ll struggle through a meal at one of my favorite Asheville eateries. Even thought it’s one of my favorites, I hadn’t been for Brunch before. Our son lives a few blocks from Posana, so he met us there. He ordered iced tea, which first steeped in this fanciful set up. Things like this add to the experience just enough that they’re kinda cool – not gimmicky. And the tea had great flavor. Not your normal Biscuits and Gravy. Posana’s version has fried chicken on each house-made biscuit half, topped with Jones Dairy sausage gravy, and served with home fries ($13). I didn’t take my usual bite or two, but my son thought it was delicious. I went with a Roasted Asparagus Omelet ($12) which was really nice. As omelets go, this one was light and fluffy, with flavorable, firm asparagus. Normally this Posana Blueberry Brioche French Toast ($12) is something I’d order, rather than my husband. It’s served with sweet corn crème anglaise and blueberry mascarpone. Delicious! See the full Brunch menu here. See all Posana menus here. Posana has a nice patio area. While the weather’s warm, sit there if you can. It’s great for people watching. Posana 1 Biltmore Ave Asheville, NC 28801 Phone: (828) 505-3969

Q: NEW: Independent Bean Roaster opens on Historic 7th Ave

Hendersonville – The wait is over! Matthew Hickman and Lisa Hoffman, co-owners of Underground Baking Company have opened their long awaited Independent Bean Roaster two doors down. Matthew and Lisa refer to their shop as a “Brick and Mortar ‘tasting room’ and roasting operation” as opposed to a “coffee shop”. With that in mind, there are no plans for Wi-Fi, free or otherwise. They’d like folks to stop in, taste various beans and roasts, perhaps with a pastry from Undergound, and join the conversation. Today, I met Barista Sandy Polson. If you’re local, you might recognize her from Jongo Java on Main St. She made me this gorgeous latte full of robust flavor. Not in to coffee so much but your coffee-lovin’ friends want to check IBR out? They offer a pretty good variety of teas. Like what you’re drinking? Pick up beans, mugs, and other accoutrements while you’re there. Full disclosure: I’ve known and have had a massive soft spot for Matthew and Lisa from the time I met them as they first dipped their toes in retail years ago. They’re dedicated to their craft and sincere in their dealings with the public. Many customers have become friends. If you go in the next week or so, please have patience. I expect they’ll be busy and possibly working out a few processes. As of this writing, hours are: Tues – Fri: 7:30AM – 2PM Sat: 8AM-?? Sun and Mon: CLOSED Independent Bean Roasters 346 7th Ave E Hendersonville, NC 28792

Q: Espresso and Baked Goods now at The Garage on 25

Fletcher – Stopped at The Garage today to see if they had their espresso machine up and running. The answer was YES! Finally!! This was probably my fifth time stopping in to see what they were going to do with their well-decorated coffee shop. Awesome decor is fine, but it is all about the coffee after all. Shocking as it might be, I’ve been drinking fewer lattes lately. This means that what I do drink has to be darned good. I’m afraid it made them a little nervous when I asked if they knew what they were doing with the espresso machine. A little spilled milk later, I had an excellent latte in my hands. Rich, robust, and hot. There aren’t a ton of baked goods yet. I’m guessing they’ll carry more as they get busier. Baked goods they do have are excellent and are from what I consider Hendersonville’s top notch bakery, Gateaux, and Blue Door Bakery in Candler. This coffee shop is part of the bigger Garage building, a booth-type shop where various vendors sell original art, antiques, vintage, and this & that. If you have time, definitely explore. My only suggestion for the owners regarding the coffee shop is to add electrical outlets, surge protectors, or whatever, to increase the number of outlets. There are a few available if you need to recharge your device as well as yourself. At this point, they have a Facebook Page, but no website. The Garage on 25 3461 Hendersonville Rd Fletcher, NC 28732 Hours: Open today · 10AM–5PM Phone: (828) 376-0198

Question 1

Sovereign Remedies: Cocktails and Veg-Forward Plates

Accepted Answer

Asheville &#8211; Waking up to an email yesterday from friends saying they were in town and asking if I could meet for dinner was perfect!
They chose Sovereign Remedies, which was great because I&#8217;d been meaning to go for a while now. Friends have been raving about their food program as well as their cocktails.
Every one of our cocktails was superb!
Sovereign Remedies has managed to create an amazing food program considering the size of their kitchen. When I told another friend that a group of us were going, she said, &#8220;focus on vegetables&#8221; and &#8220;I&#8217;ve had their chicken, and it was good&#8221;.
So we went &#8220;veggie&#8221;. And sharing is SOP (standard operating procedure) with this group.
Between the four of us we ordered:
Chickpea Fries ($7) &#8211; fermented pepper, harissa, and dill yogurt. I didn&#8217;t actually taste the fries, but I&#8217;ll just say they were gone in no time.
Chickpea Fries
Perfect New Potatoes ($10) &#8211; corn stuffed squash blossom, blackberry, red onion marmalade, and brown butter. This creative combination was definitely a hit. Love it when fresh fruit like berries are added to vegetable and meat dishes.
Perfect New Potatoes
Two dishes tied as my personal favorites. The Summer Plum and Nectarine Salad ($10) &#8211; sorrel cucumber gel(!), blistered Padrón peppers, sunflower seed, holy basil, and pedro ximénez, a white Spanish wine.
I wasn&#8217;t familiar with Padrón peppers. I learned they&#8217;re usually mild, but a small percentage can be really hot depending on the amount of sun, heat, and water they get when growing. These were mild, tasting somewhere between a green and red Bell pepper. The gentle blistering left them crunchy inside. Perfect.
Summer Plum and Nectarine Salad
And the Tomato & Gherkin ($10) &#8211; fried okra, lavage oil, New Zealand spinach, and pickled pepper. You really should get this dish, even if you aren&#8217;t sure about fried okra &#8211; light and crunchy on the outside, creamy inside.
Tomato & Gherkin
Sovereign Remedies is knocking it out of the park when it comes to creatively conceived and executed dishes. They&#8217;re in a small corner location one block off Broadway. Make sure you include a meal and cocktails here on your &#8220;Asheville Must Visit&#8221; list.
Food is available downstairs where there&#8217;s definitely a cool cocktail bar ambiance and somewhat limited seating. A small dining room is upstairs that can be more comfortable for small to medium groups. If you have a large group, give them a call. You might be able to book the upstairs room.
Sovereign Remedies
29 N Market St #105
Asheville, NC 28801
Phone: (828) 919-9518

Question 2

Flat Rock Wood Room Ascending

Accepted Answer

Flat Rock &#8211;  Four of us went to Flat Rock Wood Room for dinner a few weeks ago. I really had no intention of reviewing the place. Didn&#8217;t bring my &#8220;big girl&#8221; camera. Only my phone for pics, if I felt so inclined. Just wanted to enjoy a meal with friends.
They knew who I was, but the meal wasn&#8217;t comped or anything. We had excellent service, but as I watched the packed room throughout the evening, everyone else seemed to be getting good service, too. The Owner and the Chef did come over to our table to say hello, which we appreciated.
Speaking of the owner, I hadn&#8217;t realized that the couple who opened FRWR, Wayne and Kim Blessing, are in the process of transferring ownership to a friend, colleague, and dynamo named Jamie Guay. He&#8217;s considered the owner, but I think a few details need completing.
I say &#8220;ascending&#8221; because Wayne and Kim were able to create a top notch restaurant while at the same time competing in BBQ competitions in multiple states across the country. After meeting Jamie, I feel pretty sure he&#8217;s going to take the Wood Room to the next level. He&#8217;s a guy you should know if you get the chance.
One of the things I really like about FRWR is their commitment to community. They fed an awful lot of fire fighters and others during the WNC wildfires. And if I&#8217;m not mistaken, they helped in other ways, too.
For snacking before our entrees arrived, we ordered the Rib Teaser ($10.25): 4 St Louis Ribs served over a bed of onion straws. We put it in the middle of the table so we could all reach in for a rib. After I took the picture below, we each cut our entree into 4 parts and shared all around.

This is their &#8220;Famous Flame Broiled Pisgah Pork Burger ($13.99): hand pattied 7 oz. pork burger piled high with creamy apple slaw, and tangy BBQ sauce served on a grilled brioche bun.&#8221; It does have a little kick.

And served hot, right out of the imported wood-fired oven, Pepperoni Pizza with mushrooms. I&#8217;m not sure of the price with the added mushrooms. It&#8217;s on the menu as mozzarella cheese and pepperoni for $13.75.

All four of us thought the Brisket Stack Brioche Sandwich was the absolute best! It&#8217;s &#8220;1/3 lb of shaved marbled brisket point covered with sauce and grilled with melted provolone cheese then piled on a buttered grilled brioche’ roll topped with a generous stack of fried onion rings and covered with competition bbq sauce. Ohhhhhh yeaaaaaa&#8221; ~ Jamie Guay. PIC and I will be heading back soon so we can each have our own.

After listening to Jamie describe the Buckboard Bacon Melt, I had to order it.
&#8220;Buckboard bacon is bacon made from pork shoulder instead of pork belly. We debone pork shoulder and butterfly it out flat like pork belly. Then we use a mixture of seasonings and pink salt along with brown sugar and maple syrup brining it for 10 days. After this curing process we smoke it to 160 degrees and cool it down over night. Next day its shaved thin When the buckboard bacon melt is ordered We make a Sriracha, honey mayonnaise sauce and layer it on the top and bottom of a Cuban roll. Sliced provolone is then placed on it and a pile of shaved buckboard bacon. We then place our famous southern greens on the bacon and sweet and house brined sweet and sassy pickles. The sandwich is buttered and wrapped very tight with foil and pressed till crisp and hot on the outside and hot and melty-gooey on the inside. The salty sweet delicate flavors enhanced by the collar greens with the crispy texture of the Cuban bread is not found anywhere but the Flat Rock Wood room.&#8221;
If you&#8217;re looking for something a little different and delicious, ask your server if this is available.
The other thing to know is that Flat Rock Wood Room desserts are AMAZING! Kim had previously done the baking, but has since trained a staff member. She&#8217;s definitely rockin&#8217; it!
Lemon Cake &#8211; had a wonderful lemony flavor. Not over the top.
Chocolate cake with raspberry (I think-could be strawberry?) frosting. Fantastic!
Flat Rock Wood Room
1501 Greenville Hwy
Hendersonville, NC 28792
Phone: (828) 435-1391

Question 3

Posana: where to go for Sunday Brunch

Accepted Answer

Asheville &#8211; Posana was my husband&#8217;s choice for Father&#8217;s Day Brunch this year.
Oh, okay. I guess I&#8217;ll struggle through a meal at one of my favorite Asheville eateries. Even thought it&#8217;s one of my favorites, I hadn&#8217;t been for Brunch before.
Our son lives a few blocks from Posana, so he met us there. He ordered iced tea, which first steeped in this fanciful set up. Things like this add to the experience just enough that they&#8217;re kinda cool &#8211; not gimmicky. And the tea had great flavor.

Not your normal Biscuits and Gravy. Posana&#8217;s version has fried chicken on each house-made biscuit half, topped with Jones Dairy sausage gravy, and served with home fries ($13).
I didn&#8217;t take my usual bite or two, but my son thought it was delicious.

I went with a Roasted Asparagus Omelet ($12) which was really nice. As omelets go, this one was light and fluffy, with flavorable, firm asparagus.

Normally this Posana Blueberry Brioche French Toast ($12) is something I&#8217;d order, rather than my husband. It&#8217;s served with sweet corn crème anglaise and blueberry mascarpone. Delicious!

See the full Brunch menu here. See all Posana menus here.
Posana has a nice patio area. While the weather&#8217;s warm, sit there if you can. It&#8217;s great for people watching.
Posana
1 Biltmore Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
Phone: (828) 505-3969

Question 4

NEW: Independent Bean Roaster opens on Historic 7th Ave

Accepted Answer

Hendersonville &#8211; The wait is over!
Matthew Hickman and Lisa Hoffman, co-owners of Underground Baking Company have opened their long awaited Independent Bean Roaster two doors down.

Matthew and Lisa refer to their shop as a &#8220;Brick and Mortar &#8216;tasting room&#8217; and roasting operation&#8221; as opposed to a &#8220;coffee shop&#8221;.
With that in mind, there are no plans for Wi-Fi, free or otherwise. They&#8217;d like folks to stop in, taste various beans and roasts, perhaps with a pastry from Undergound, and join the conversation.

Today, I met Barista Sandy Polson. If you&#8217;re local, you might recognize her from Jongo Java on Main St. She made me this gorgeous latte full of robust flavor.
Not in to coffee so much but your coffee-lovin&#8217; friends want to check IBR out? They offer a pretty good variety of teas.
Like what you&#8217;re drinking? Pick up beans, mugs, and other accoutrements while you&#8217;re there.

Full disclosure: I&#8217;ve known and have had a massive soft spot for Matthew and Lisa from the time I met them as they first dipped their toes in retail years ago. They&#8217;re dedicated to their craft and sincere in their dealings with the public. Many customers have become friends.
If you go in the next week or so, please have patience. I expect they&#8217;ll be busy and possibly working out a few processes.
As of this writing, hours are: Tues &#8211; Fri: 7:30AM &#8211; 2PM Sat: 8AM-?? Sun and Mon: CLOSED
Independent Bean Roasters
346 7th Ave E
Hendersonville, NC 28792

Question 5

Beyond the beer: Sierra Nevada Brewery

Accepted Answer

Mills River &#8211; It&#8217;s a given. Sierra Nevada Brewery puts out some dang good beer. But what about their tours and food?
There are multiple tour types: Brewhouse; Beer Geek; Trip in the Woods; Beer, Cheese & Charcuterie Tasting; Guided Educational Tasting; and the Visitor Corridor. The Brewhouse tour is complimentary, but other tours require a paid ticket.
I took a Brewhouse tour with a group of media friends followed by dinner as part of a WNC Farm Tour (search #wncfarmtour) with the NC Department of Agriculture.
Our tour began in a room just off the taproom. We listened to a short presentation while sipping a beer. I&#8217;m not sure if this was part of the standard Brewhouse tour, or if it was offered to us because we were a media group?

We headed down hallways overlooking the bottling line, passing rooms where the science behind the beer takes place, a hops sample/storage area, and a huge room with row after row of tanks.

A tank room with beautiful copper tanks, pictured below, was our last stop before hitting the tasting room.

Adding hops
As tasting rooms go, this one&#8217;s a pip! Plenty of room and intimate at the same time. And just look at that generous lineup on the counter!

We were happy campers, and we hadn&#8217;t even had dinner yet.
Part of our group pictured L &#8211; R: Johanna Kramer, Stacey Price Sprenz, Kristen Baughman, and Leah McGrath
If you haven&#8217;t been to Sierra Nevada&#8217;s &#8220;estate&#8221; in Mills River yet, you&#8217;re in for a treat. You have some choices when it comes to food: seating inside or out, reservation or first come first served seating, order from full menu, indoor bar, or walk-up counter outside.
Sometimes when a restaurant is attached to something else, like a brewery, distillery, etc., the food doesn&#8217;t exactly shine. That&#8217;s definitely not the case here.
One of my all time favorite soups, Butternut Squash, was made with estate grown squash, swirled with crema, and topped with toasted pumpkin seeds. Thick, creamy and delicious.

Isn&#8217;t this Market Salad beautiful? It&#8217;s made with Pitch Pine lettuce, grilled NC squash, Holly Springs heirloom tomatoes, estate lunch box peppers, and drizzled with Stout balsamic vinaigrette. So fresh!

Our entree &#8211; Braised Bison Brisket &#8211; served with Freedom Farm potatoes in a rich sauce, estate celeriac, and shiitake gratin was surprisingly good. I was honestly impressed. Fork-tender and beautifully seasoned.

And to cap it all off, a Lively Orchard Cobbler made with Fuji apples. Our group of cooks, food photographers & writers took one look at the first spoonful and sent it back for more oven time. Second time delivered was the charm. Delicious!

You may be wondering at the heavy nature of our dinner. The weather hadn&#8217;t turned warm yet so it was perfect for a chilly night. See all current menus* here. *Remember that online menus sometimes aren&#8217;t updated, so using them as a reference is best.
Epicurean Notes:

Note the care, detail, and quality along the approach the main gate.
Prepare yourself for something unexpected and special when you go through the main gate the first time and see the brewery. The first time I saw it, I was reminded of a huge California winery estate.
Take time to walk through the garden or play Corn Hole out back.
Lve music can sometimes be found out back on the outdoor stage.

Sierra Nevada Brewery
100 Sierra Nevada Way
Mills River, NC 28732
Phone: (828) 708-6176

Question 6

Southern Smoke BBQ honors Southern Supper Clubs

Accepted Answer

Garland &#8211; &#8220;. . . folks in the South know that breaking bread with others is the time-honored approach to cultivating new friendships and deepening old ones.&#8221; ~ Southern Living
That southern tradition is what Southern Smoke BBQ owner Matthew Register adopted when he began his South Supper Series in 2015. He wanted to &#8220;start an event where people from various places and walks of life could gather together in a relaxed, backyard atmosphere.&#8221; Where folks sit at long community tables, enjoy local food prepared by Matthew, guest chefs, and his kitchen team while hanging out with new and old friends.
PIC and I had a May trip planned to visit family in Southport and Oak Island. Lucky for us, the timing worked perfectly to stop in the Garland area for a couple days on our way to the coast. That meant we could accept Matthew&#8217;s gracious invitation to his May 20th South Supper, themed &#8220;Taste and Color&#8220;.
Southern Smoke BBQ is a small affair in a small southern town on a side street behind a gas station. As we parked in the grass lot across the street, we could see folks lining up. We joined the smart group standing in the shade of SSB&#8217;s food truck.

These dinners are BYOB affairs. Coolers on wheels gave away the veterans.

A magical space strung with lights, and fences hung with local art greet those who pass under an old beam and through four weathered reclaimed doors.

After mingling a bit and getting self-serve drinks of iced tea or water, we chose seats and settled in. Introductions were easy and comfortable.

Starters were served buffet style. Hate to say this, but if you go and you&#8217;re hungry, get in line quickly so you&#8217;re toward the front of what can be a long wait.
Starters:

&#8220;Heritage Farms Cheshire Pork&#8221; Porchetta
Grilled Ramps with preserved lemon vinaigrette and creamed parmesan in gougers
Pickled Summer Squash
Baked Harker&#8217;s Island Oysters with roasted shrimp butter, chili&#8217;s, panko, and palm oil

Supper (also via buffet line):

&#8220;Heritage Farms Cheshire Pork&#8221; whole hog (pulled meat served from a tray)
Shrimp and Okra with sungold tomatoes, corn, and dark roux
&#8220;Carolina Gold&#8221; Rice and squash pudding
Grilled Spring Asparagus and Wild Mushrooms over garlic leek-creamed grits and a coddled farm egg

Photos of all the food didn&#8217;t happen. There was just too much going on and my plate piled with all that food wouldn&#8217;t have photographed well. See lots of great pics in the slide show at the bottom of this page.
Desserts were served at each table. The one half way decent food pic I got was of the Strawberry Tarts as they arrived. There were also Blueberry Tarts.

During dessert, Chef Register thanked everyone, including his mom and dad who helped all evening. He talked about the food we&#8217;d enjoyed that evening and a little of what happens behind the scenes in the kitchen during a dinner like this.

Guest Chef this evening was the talented Dean Neff, Executive Chef and Owner of Pinpoint Restaurant in Wilmington. He described his dishes in detail. Of particular interest to me was the cooking method he used to create the &#8220;coddled eggs&#8221; &#8211; a very long cooking time at low heat. And amazingly enough, he cracked and served each and every egg himself, placing them gently on plates held out by diners as they reached his buffet station! That&#8217;s dedication to the experience!

I can&#8217;t help but think that this is a prime example of &#8220;build it and they will come&#8221;. There were locals as well as those that had come in from out of town.
We decided to spend a couple nights at Cape Fear Vineyard and Winery in nearby Elizabethtown before heading to the coast. Watch for details soon on our stay at the winery, breakfast in Elizabethtown, and the White Lake Water Festival.
Epicurean Notes:

If you’re interested in attending a future South Supper Series, send an e-mail to southsupperseries@southernsmokebbqnc.com and you will be notified when the next series has been planned.
Tickets for this dinner were $60
Not sure what happens if it rains? You might want to ask if you&#8217;re are planning on going to one of the dinners.

Southern Smoke BBQ
29 Warren St.
Garland, NC 28441
(910) 549-7484

Question 7

Espresso and Baked Goods now at The Garage on 25

Accepted Answer

Fletcher &#8211; Stopped at The Garage today to see if they had their espresso machine up and running.
The answer was YES! Finally!! This was probably my fifth time stopping in to see what they were going to do with their well-decorated coffee shop.
Awesome decor is fine, but it is all about the coffee after all.

Shocking as it might be, I&#8217;ve been drinking fewer lattes lately. This means that what I do drink has to be darned good.
I&#8217;m afraid it made them a little nervous when I asked if they knew what they were doing with the espresso machine. A little spilled milk later, I had an excellent latte in my hands. Rich, robust, and hot.
There aren&#8217;t a ton of baked goods yet. I&#8217;m guessing they&#8217;ll carry more as they get busier. Baked goods they do have are excellent and are from what I consider Hendersonville&#8217;s top notch bakery, Gateaux, and Blue Door Bakery in Candler.

This coffee shop is part of the bigger Garage building, a booth-type shop where various vendors sell original art, antiques, vintage, and this & that. If you have time, definitely explore.
My only suggestion for the owners regarding the coffee shop is to add electrical outlets, surge protectors, or whatever, to increase the number of outlets. There are a few available if you need to recharge your device as well as yourself.
At this point, they have a Facebook Page, but no website.
The Garage on 25
3461 Hendersonville Rd
Fletcher, NC 28732
Hours: Open today · 10AM–5PM
Phone: (828) 376-0198

Question 8

The perfect lunch outing with the girls!

Accepted Answer

Tryon &#8211; Even if you&#8217;re not a &#8220;horse person&#8221;, get yourself over to the Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) for lunch, dinner, shopping, cocktails, and family friendly fun!
Four of us gal-pals decided to head over to TIEC, get some lunch, and check the place out. Two had already been and two of us were &#8220;newbies&#8221;.
It&#8217;s summer. It&#8217;s hot. Especially in the sun. Good thing there&#8217;s plenty of shade throughout the property. And watch from the shade is what we did before lunch. Each horse and rider entered the arena from the tunnel before tackling the course for points. It was fascinating watching the horses go around the circuit and over the jumps.

After we&#8217;d watched the action for a while, we headed over to Blue Ginger Sushi & Noodles. If Sushi isn&#8217;t your thing, or your just not in the mood, there are multiple eateries on site.
Tuna Tataki Salad: Green leaf mix with tomato, cucumber, avocado topped with Tuna Tataki and Sesame dressing
Special of the day. Can&#8217;t remember what was in this roll.
A few of the rolls are actually set on fire at your table. Nancy got the Pyro Roll. We all thought it was fun to hear the roll sizzling as it cooked, but the flames would be more dramatic in the evening when it&#8217;s a dark. The roll is wrapped in foil and placed in a shallow pool of &#8220;151&#8221; alcohol. The fire goes out when there&#8217;s no more alcohol to burn.

If a drink is what you&#8217;re looking for, definitely check out Legends Grille. The bar area had a good vibe. Of course, they serve great food, too.
As we walked around the property, we came across this very cool Silo Bar! Check out the hammock chairs under the arbor. LOVE it! I can just picture hanging out in those chairs or around the fire pit with friends on a summer evening, cocktail in hand.
Besides dining, there are a ton of other things to see and do at TIEC! Watch &#8220;Gladiator Polo&#8221; (June 24th) and the &#8220;Hobby Horse Series&#8221; (yes, it&#8217;s a thing), and for family fun, check out Saturday Night Lights Grand Prix. At past Saturday Night Lights, there have been fire twirlers, acrobats, magicians, free pony rides, mechanical bull riding, sand-castle building, shag dancing competitions, vintage car shows and craft beer festivals. See what fun they&#8217;re planning on their Facebook page.
Need more to keep you busy? There&#8217;s a market/small grocery store and coffee shop, and they&#8217;ve ingeniously brought in modular log cabins and set them up as a variety of, albeit high-end, retail shops.
I was even thinking that TIEC might be a fun place for a weekend get away. There&#8217;s quite a selection of lodging on site (1 &#8211; 7 bedroom homes and log cabins), RV pads, and more options coming quickly: a 5-star hotel/spa, a 4-star hotel, and more. Go to the &#8220;Lodging&#8221; link in their website&#8217;s main menu for details and prices.
One of my favorite spots is a large riverside gazebo with seating and grills right next to a cluster of log homes. There&#8217;s even a sandy area next to the water.

Gosh! I think I&#8217;ve covered everything . . . TIEC is just incredible. They are working furiously on infrastructure and more additions to the complex because they won the World Equestrian Games 2018 (think winning as the city that will host the Olympics). Over 600,000 visitors and participants are expected!
Regional tourism boards, lodging associations, and other groups in NC and Upstate SC have been working together to plan and be prepared for this event.
This is a WORLD CLASS destination in our region that has a few minor kinks to work out regarding speed of service at the restaurants, but I only see it getting better. And in my opinion, the food was worth waiting for.
Epicurean Notes:

It&#8217;s usually FREE ADMISSION at TIEC. During certain (WEG) events that happen infrequently, there may be an entry fee.
There are nice spaces you can book for private events
Dining tables overlooking the main arena are available to rent
TIEC is a year round venue, but horse shows do not typically run in the winter.
Check for special winter events like the Christmas Craft Markets/Shows and the New Year&#8217;s Eve party

Question 9

Baked Pie Company - totally cute and delicious!

Accepted Answer

Arden &#8211; Sweet Tooth and I decided to check out Baked Pie Company a few days ago. They&#8217;ve been open about two months and getting rave reviews.
Check out the corrugated tin ceiling. And believe it or not, the floor is tile. I admit to touching it to be sure. As she served up our flights, owner Kirsten Fuchs&#8217; sister-in-law gave Kirsten all credit for the cozy decor.
In addition to being the only dedicated pie shop in the Asheville area, they are unique in that they are offering flights. That&#8217;s right. Three &#8220;slivers&#8221; of pie.
I&#8217;m hear to tell you that they are not &#8220;slivers&#8221;. They are slices. Not huge, granted, but certainly not slivers. Flights, including a scoop of ice cream, are $12.99. The ice cream is optional and will save you $2 if you do without.
All three of my choices were good, but if I had to pick a favorite, I&#8217;d go with the Honey Pecan.
Left to Right: Lemon Meringue &#8211; Honey Pecan &#8211; Apple
Sweet Tooth&#8217;s favorite was the Peanut Butter Brownie.
Left to Right: Peanut Butter Brownie &#8211; Cranberry Crumb &#8211; Apple
Both Sweet Tooth and I thought the Lemon Meringue was good, but could be a bit &#8220;brighter&#8221;. Meaning a little more &#8220;lemony&#8221;. The filling texture was a somewhat different from what you might expect. Maybe more home made?
We mentioned all of this when asked how we liked the pies. They were very receptive, so it may be different when you go. Definitely order it if you like Lemon Meringue.
We both liked that the Apple pie wasn&#8217;t over-spiced, with just the right amount of cinnamon.
A daily list of pies is posted on a chalk board behind the counter and on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bakedpiecompany/

When you cannot eat another bite, there&#8217;s a bus station for your dishes down the hall by the restrooms.
Oh! Almost forgot to tell you about the cookies they make! I especially flipped over the sheep cookie.
Baked Pie Company is most definitely Epicurean recommended!
Epicurean Notes:

All merchandise in the shop is for sale.
Baked Pie is open late-ish until 8pm most of the week and 9pm Friday and Saturday.
If you go later in the day, call to be sure they&#8217;re not sold out.
This is a great spot for a date night, girls night out, or after an early movie.

Baked Pie Company
4 Long Shoals Rd
Arden, NC 28704
Phone: (828) 333-4366

Question 10

Craft Brewers bring jobs and nearly $1B to Asheville area

Accepted Answer

Asheville — The Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County has released a contribution analysis of the brewery industry in the four-county Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area (Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, and Madison counties). Sponsored by McGuire, Wood, & Bissette Law Firm, the study showed breweries and a small cluster of related industries created or supported over 2,500 jobs in the Asheville region in 2016.
Contribution analysis can be used to help show what an existing industry contributes to the local economy. The study was produced to add quantifiable economic insight on the industry as employment growth has been considerable: 754% from 2011 to 2016 and still adding jobs. “This was the fastest growth among manufacturing industries in the MSA in the time period,” noted Heidi Reiber, Director of Research for the EDC who conducted the analysis adding, “the study showed approximately 2,571 workers were created or supported in the Asheville MSA. These workers were paid approximately $111M in labor income as part of companies’ $365 million contribution to Gross Regional Product in 2016.” Total overall output in the study was estimated at $934 million. A future study of winery and distillery employment, as well as related impacts of the craft beverage industry on the region’s tourism and hospitality industry could measure far greater impact still.
“We are aware there are more than 35 businesses engaged in brewing in the Asheville region,” stated Rebecca Crandall, Attorney, with McGuire, Wood, & Bissette Law Firm. “The study highlights the considerable talent that has grown the national reputation of the region, and quantifies the important catalytic impact on related professional services and supply chain growth.”
Exemplary of this growth, San-Diego headquartered White Labs celebrated the grand opening of new facilities in Asheville earlier this year. At full buildout, the world leader in yeast production and fermentation sciences for the brewing and winemaking industries will employ over 65 professionals in Asheville’s growing life sciences sector. The company also provides analytical services and product related training for industry professionals with plans to open a tasting room and expanded educational facilities in fall of 2017.
“We are pleased to add this data to support what we know about the outstanding brewers in our region,” said Janice Brumit, Board Chair of the EDC. “Craft Brewing remains an engine for economic growth and regional innovation. These jobs represent opportunity and significant new career paths for residents of the Asheville region and Buncombe County.”
Infographic summary of the contribution estimates:
The Economic Development Coalition (EDC) for Asheville-Buncombe County is a public-private partnership committed to: creating and retaining high quality jobs, community leadership, and being a resource for better business decisions. The EDC accomplishes this mission through its four core services: business retention and expansion, small business and entrepreneurship, research, and marketing and recruitment. The EDC is funded by Buncombe County, the City of Asheville, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and over 80 private investors through AVL 5&#215;5. The EDC holds the prestigious distinction of being one of only 50 Accredited Economic Development Organizations in the world by the International Economic Development Council. Visit www.ashevillechamber.org/economic-development. Learn more about AVL 5&#215;5 at www.asheville5x5.com.
The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce is a member organization with over 1,800 member businesses and organizations. Chamber members collaborate with community organizations and coalitions to support the community and each other with the mission of building community through business. The Chamber is home to a 4,000 square foot Visitor Center that welcomes over 208,000 visitors per year.To be active in the Chamber, visit www.ashevillechamber.org.

Question 11

Asheville Farm to Table Tours Gears up for Second Season

Accepted Answer

Asheville &#8211; Asheville Farm to Table Tours will resume tours June 2, 2017. We are excited to announce a new 3 hour mini tour. This new tour will still provide an in depth, behind the scenes farm tour but will visit fewer locations than the premium 6 hour tour. At Asheville Farm to Table Tours, we lovingly create authentic, enriching and educational experiences through creativity, careful planning, and relationships with local sustainable farms.
The concept for Asheville Farm to Table Tours was developed through a love of good food, the desire to share the experience of Farm Fresh products with others and the ability to do so because of the incredible local family farms and farmers of Western North Carolina! “I realized that although the farm to table movement is vibrant in our area, there was little opportunity to experience this movement from farmer, to seed, to meal,” says Founder Ann D. Stauss.
As one of our customers said: “As far as I am concerned, this tour should be at the very top of the list of activities in and around Asheville. From the outset, Ann was a delight to meet and the perfect guide for our visit, her van is extremely comfortable and well appointed, and our personal comfort was of utmost importance to Ann. We had an incredibly unique and memorable day interacting with the farmers as they enthusiastically guided us through their beautiful properties and explained their farming methods in an unhurried and informative manner. This tour far exceeded our expectations, and I would highly recommend it to others.”
ABOUT FARM TO TABLE TOURS
Our tours visit sustainable family farms in beautiful Western North Carolina, where the farmers share their passion and knowledge. Specializing in produce, cheese, chicken, beef or lamb, each farm adds their own unique approach to sustainable farming. At the culmination of our day, the Chef prepares a special lunch with ingredients from the farms visited. For more information on booking a tour, please visit http://www.ashevillefarmtotabletours.com/ or call 828-606-9553.
Release

Question 12

Looking Glass Creamery expanding, building new cheesemaking facility on historic Harmon Dairy in Columbus, NC

Accepted Answer

Fairview, Columbus (Polk County) &#8211; Exciting news from one of my favorite North Carolina creameries!
Looking Glass Creamery, owned by Jennifer & Andy Perkins, is expanding production and building a new facility with underground cheese aging caves in the agricultural heart of Polk County, NC. Their existing facility located in Fairview, NC will also be renovated to offer more retail and food service options and improved parking. The new cheesemaking operation will add to the burgeoning agricultural economy in Polk County and fit well alongside the numerous vineyards, five wineries, diversified vegetable operations, and livestock farms already thriving in the area. The new facility will be located on the historic Harmon Dairy, a second generation cow dairy run by brothers, Doug and Alan Harmon.
Harmon Dairy
Dawn Jordan, Director of the Polk County Office of Agricultural Economic Development, believes that the new cheesemaking facility is a perfect complement to the growing number of agritourism offerings in Polk. “The expansion of Looking Glass Creamery and the preservation of Harmon Dairy is exactly the type of agricultural operation we are looking to support in Polk County. Preserving our verdant farmland through value added processes, while supporting small family operations, represents the character and place making set forth by Polk County in its 20/20 Vision Plan adopted in 2010.”
Harmon Dairy is a 226 acre farm originally purchased in three parcels by Doug & Alan’s father in 1947. In 2013, the brothers placed the farm, as a whole, under an agricultural conservation easement to keep it intact so that it could never be subdivided and would be protected from development in perpetuity. The Harmon brothers were committed to seeing the farm continue as a working farm after their retirement and felt that adding on-farm processing of the milk into cheese was a viable way to accomplish that goal. Looking Glass Creamery has been looking at expansion options for two years trying to find the right location for their vision and growth. After 8 months of negotiations, an agreement has been reached that will fulfill the needs of everyone involved.
Natural Capital Investment Fund (NCIF) is providing the funds for the construction of the new cheesemaking facility which is scheduled to start as soon as permitting allows and is projected to take 6-9 months to complete. NCIF is a business loan fund that provides debt financing to small and emerging businesses. They have a focus on entrepreneurs and enterprises that are good stewards of natural resources. “I am so grateful to have played a role in helping Jen and Andy bring their expansion dream to life, one that has such positive impact for the larger community. This is entrepreneurial conservation at its best!”, stated Erika McGilley, Western North Carolina Regional Lender.
During the construction phase the Harmons have agreed to mentor the Perkins on the farm, training them on the daily operations of the milking parlor and in pasture and herd management. The Harmons will continue to own and operate the dairy until the creamery is operational. Once the construction of the creamery is completed and cheesemaking has commenced at the new facility, Looking Glass Creamery will take over all operations of the dairy. “We feel so fortunate that the Harmons have the vision, patience and commitment to the land and their broader community to protect this farm and find a way for it to grow with respect for the past but with an eye to the future.” says co-owner Andy Perkins. It is a rare situation where two unrelated families can cooperate in pursuit of shared goals that address preservation of agricultural traditions, sharing knowledge, growing a business, farmland preservation and transferring land ownership.
The move will enable Looking Glass Creamery to expand production, improve their affinage and allow them to tell the whole story of the farm and their cheeses from the cow to the customer. The company will host culinary events and dinners that are centered around the farm, the dairy and the cheese made on the property. Visitors to the farm will be able to see the production floor through a picture window to watch the cheese making process and peek into an aging cave. Looking Glass will be adding ice cream and several varieties of blue cheese to their regular product line. A farm store will be added later to the Polk County facility where visitors can purchase cheese and other products made on the farm. Once the production is re-located to Polk County, the company’s original location in Fairview, NC will be renovated and the hours of operation will be expanded. The renovations will include an enlarged retail area, additional seating, light food service, and a small classroom space. Their original location is already a popular, off-the-beaten-path destination for locals and visitors to the area.
“We have been blessed with this opportunity but with that blessing comes a lot of uncertainty and new responsibilities. It is our customers, independent restaurants and retailers that have made us successful over the past 9 years. As we grow new roots in Polk County, we look forward to sharing the farm and the cheesemaking process with our long-time supporters and develop new ones in Polk County, Greenville, and Charlotte too, “ says co-owner Jennifer Perkins.
Many people, businesses and entities contributed to the evolution of this endeavor. Looking Glass Creamery would like to say a special thanks to our families and friends, our employees, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, Austin CPA, Bryan C. Young, the Branan Law Firm, Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Growing Rural Opportunities, Natural Capital Investment Fund, North Carolina Department of Agriculture, North Carolina Department of Commerce, Polk County Soil & Water District, Polk County Economic Development and Agricultural Economic Development Offices, our dear friend Ken, and the vision of Doug & Alan Harmon.
Looking Glass Creamery is a small, family run cheesemaking operation which was started in 2009 by husband and wife team, Jennifer & Andy Perkins. The company makes fresh to aged cheeses and caramel sauce from cow’s milk. Looking Glass Creamery has garnered regional and national recognition for their product line including awards by the American Cheese Society and the Good Food Awards. They operate a cheese shop at their original location in Fairview, NC which is open Thursdays 1pm-5pm, Friday & Saturdays 11am to 5pm. Their product line is available at the best restaurants and retailers in Western North Carolina. Distribution in NC and regionally is available through Cornucopia Cheese & Specialty Foods and Cheney Brothers.
Release

Question 13

An Historic Inn, Six Cabins, Two Guys, and their story

Accepted Answer

Asheville/Candler, NC &#8211; An easy fifteen minute drive west of downtown Asheville, grand dame Engadine Inn, of Engadine Inn and Cabins, has presided over comings and goings from her hillside vantage point since 1895.
Image: ashevillebba.com
Engadine began life as private home to Captain John Keais Hoyt, &#8220;a former Confederate Officer in Company K, 3rd Alabama Infantry in Stonewall Jackson’s Brigade&#8221;, and his family. Captain Hoyt planted grapevines and became a successful vintner, selling his popular Engadine wine nationally as well as locally.
Sadly, during early prohibition, authorities came on to the property and destroyed barrels full of aging wine, bottled wine, and production equipment. Can&#8217;t begin to imagine how the Hoyt family felt as they stood by helplessly watching a lifetime of work destroyed.
The good news is that one of Captain Hoyt&#8217;s original grapevines still grows on the grounds. Perhaps one day, there may be Engadine wine available again?
Over the years, Engadine has been a summer home, full-time home, and beginning with a conversion in 1994, an Inn. See the full history of Engadine, including why the name &#8220;Engadine&#8221; here.
Engadine, the Inn, sits snug against a hill that acts as prow for the 12 acre compound known as Engadine Inn and Cabins. Six rental cabins have been placed strategically for optimal views on rolling hills behind the Inn.
As guests of Engadine, courtesy of Rick, Tom, and the Asheville Bed and Breakfast Association (ABBA), my husband and I paid particular attention to detail during our two night stay. The Inn&#8217;s interior is gorgeous and kept very clean, as was our cabin. Full of fantastic woodwork and architectural touches like fabulous, carved hinges on room doors. Of course, the first thing I noticed, me being me, was their food-related Sanitation Rating of 100. Made me smile and anxious to see the kitchen.
Note: my cutoff for dining at Buncombe County restaurants is 92. If their Sanitation Rating is below 92, I turn around and go somewhere else. I qualify this with Bumcombe County because inspectors seem to be subjective by county. My cut off for Watauga County, for instance, is lower because health inspectors there give much lower ratings on average.
We toured the beautiful, spacious Inn rooms, but stayed in the Blue Ridge Mountains Cabin. Our french door entry overlooked a new plateau recently built for weddings and other events. It&#8217;s a lovely spot to enjoy sunsets from. We set ourselves up in two of the colorful Adirondack chairs with a bottle of wine, and glasses from our cabin kitchen, and lazily sipped as we watched the sun go down over the tree tops.
View from our cabin
That&#8217;s the Inn and cabins. What about the two guys? Tom Watson and Rick Bell came &#8220;home&#8221; to WNC, purchasing the property in November, 2014. They have some some pretty ambitious plans for the place, but before I get to that, I&#8217;d like to say these two are pretty golden; funny, sincere, and they can cook! PIC and I are looking forward to meeting up with Rick and Tom for dinner and a night on the town soon.
Rick Bell (L), Tom Watson (R)
Breakfast is included with a room stay, but extra if you stay in a cabin. The thinking behind this is that when the Inn is full, there aren&#8217;t enough seats in the Dining Room. And cabins have their own kitchen, cooking gear, dishes, and utensils. I would like to suggest to Rick and Tom that they provide a starter supply of coffee, creamer, sweeteners, etc., in the cabins.
Rick does the breakfast cooking, rotating menus so you will never get a repeat meal during your stay. He&#8217;s also happy to adjust the menu as much as possible for many dietary restrictions.
Tom was quick to fill our mugs with coffee, and re-fill often, while we chatted with Rick as he cooked.
Our breakfast began with caramelized baked apples topped with yogurt and house-made granola. The aroma had us salivating, waiting patiently to be served.

Oh, I forgot to mention that if you are staying in the cabins, wish to have breakfast, and the Inn is full, there might just be room at the &#8220;Chef&#8217;s table&#8221; in the kitchen. You can also request a Continental Breakfast delivered to your door. The Dining Room is gorgeous and definitely should be enjoyed while visiting with other guests, but if you&#8217;re staying in the Inn for multiple nights, you might ask if you can breakfast in the kitchen, also. We pretty much camped out there.
Baked apple topped with yogurt and house-made granola
The main course was a lovely quiche, two sausage links, home fries and tomato garnish. We did not go hungry.

We spent some time in Asheville; dinner at Posana followed by dessert at French Broad Chocolate Lounge, both in the heart of downtown. Asheville is extremely walkable. Park in a city garage for first hour free, $1 each additional hour. My go-to city garage for the Pack Square area is at the Aloft Hotel on Biltmore Ave. Same pricing.
Since we&#8217;re locals, we spend a lot of time in Asheville, so during our second day at Engadine we headed an hour and a half north, across the Tennessee border to visit Davy Crockett&#8217;s birthplace at the Davy Crockett State Park in Limestone, and President Andrew Johnson&#8217;s home and National Historic Site in Greenville. We were smitten with historic downtown Greenville! More about that easy, scenery-filled road trip in a future post.
Tom and Rick have some pretty amazing plans for the property, focusing on expanding offerings and facilities for weddings, corporate, and other events. Up next, if I&#8217;m not mistaken, is a fresh new exterior refurbishment and paint job. A new website is already in the works and should launch soon.
One of the great things about Engadine is the combined number of rooms, including space for down time if needed, available for groups. It&#8217;s perfect for a family reunions, for instance. Everyone can hang out together comfortably indoors or out.
It&#8217;s not too late to book a stay at Engadine Inn and Cabins for Fall Leaf Viewing! Check availability and make reservations here.
Epicurean Notes:

Once you exit I 40, GPS can be a bit wonky. Following these directions will get you there.
&#8220;Accommodations range from stately quarters featuring free WiFi, cable TV, private bathrooms and gas fireplaces, to cabins with living rooms, full kitchens and private porches. Most rooms have wood floors and some have claw-foot tubs or whirlpools.&#8221;
If booking via online discount sites, note any additional fees.

Engadine Inn & Cabins
2630 Smokey Park Hwy
Candler, NC 28715
Phone: (828) 633-1110

Question 14

Intimate conversation over Cocktails and Small Plates at Isa's Bistro

Accepted Answer

This was a milestone birthday for me, so the celebration stretched over a few days.
My sisters and husband celebrated with me over dinner at Chestnut. Then a few days later, my husband and I celebrated again, just the two of us, at Isa&#8217;s Bistro.
Their dinner menu isn&#8217;t huge and it&#8217;s about half Small Plates and Snacks. The intimate evening called for cocktails and sharing of small plates as we talked about our life together over the last 30-some years and what the future might hold.
Our plates came out of the kitchen as they were ready, tapas-style dining. Mixing and matching was part of the fun.
These Castelvetrano Olives ($5) were a first for me tonight. They looked like mini Granny Smith apples, were slightly crunchy, and had a distinct taste of clove after a light brine. They are my new favorite olive.

French Onion soup is great in the winter when you want a strong, hot, hearty bowl of bread, cheese and soup. Isa&#8217;s lighter version, Vidalia Onion Bisque ($7) is perfect for warmer weather. Served hot, but as a light bisque, it was topped with &#8220;yellow corn crunchies&#8221; and roasted mushrooms. Our server was great through the entire meal. She was attentive and efficient, with no sideways glances when we asked her to bring us two spoons.

On the menu as &#8220;Spring Asparagus&#8221; ($11), I was surprised and pleased with this presentation. Thinly sliced saffron poached fingerling potatoes, hard-boiled quail eggs, Parmesan, and a scattering of dainty greens were tossed, along with the asparagus, in a light truffle vinaigrette. The flavor was terrific, but &#8211; and this may be a personal thing &#8211; although I like asparagus al dente, these tiny spears could have been cooked just a tad longer.

Executive Chef Duane Fernandes has designed a lovely Roasted Baby Beets ($11) plate. Toasted farrow anchors alternating baby beet varieties, topped with sugar snap peas, shaved Parmesan cheese and scattered marcona almonds, and baby arugula. A light citrus vinaigrette pulls it all together.
I wasn&#8217;t too interested in the baby arugula &#8211; a little to much like a vine for my taste. Other than that, everything else on the plate had great flavor and a nice mix of texture from tender-firm to crisp.

Our last dish was Louisiana &#8220;Lobster&#8221; Roll ($12). As we ordered this, we asked our server to cut it in half. That&#8217;s when we learned it would be served on two rolls. Happily the house-made yeast buns were soft and easy to bite through. It was easy to keep the filling from spilling out, also.
I&#8217;m not sure why the word Lobster is in quotation marks, unless it means there isn&#8217;t lobster in the roll? We didn&#8217;t ask, but I&#8217;m thinking it might have been more crawfish, as named an ingredient on the menu, than lobster? A tasty tarragon aioli holds the mixture together.

Chef Fernandes is a comparative unknown (by the public) culinary star that doesn&#8217;t get a lot of coverage. Why? Now, this is my own opinion, unsupported by any hard facts, but I think it&#8217;s because he doesn&#8217;t actively cultivate a following &#8211; asking diners to vote for him as a James Beard Award winner on social media, for instance. And I&#8217;m guessing neither he nor Isa&#8217;s Bistro owners have a publicist or public relations company working to build and maintain media buzz. If they do, they&#8217;re not doing a very good job. Fernandes seems to be happy creating some of the best food in Asheville in Isa&#8217;s basement kitchen without fanfare.
Located right in the heart of downtown, where two popular streets walked by many intersect, Isa&#8217;s patio is a great spot for taking in Asheville&#8217;s bohemian vibe.
Isa&#8217;s Bistro
1 Battery Park Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
Phone:(828) 575-9636

Question 15

Sweeten Creek Brewing - Have you been?

Accepted Answer

Even though the address is 1127 Sweeten Creek Rd, you&#8217;ll find Sweeten Creek Brewing tucked behind street-front buildings, a short way down what looks like a side street.
The building houses a tasting room, a sandwich shop, and the brewery. I can&#8217;t quite decide how I feel about the exterior. It feels like something once nondescript that&#8217;s been given as much creative exterior treatment as it can take.
Inside is another story. This building underwent huge changes, mostly done by the owners, over quite a long period of time. To see what it takes to put a new brewery together, follow this link to their Facebook album, The Making of Sweeten Creek Brewery.

Co-owners Joey and Erica Justice are behind the beer and their partner/co-owner Chad Gibson handles the food side of things. All three have worked enough in their respective industries before opening Sweeten Creek to know what they&#8217;re doing &#8211; and it shows.
As soon as you step in to the tasting room, it&#8217;s pretty obvious this team is creative. They&#8217;ve used old vine-covered downed trees found on the property, and one that a neighbor had to take down, to create beautiful live-edged bartops, tabletops, and wall paneling (the good kind). Upper concrete block walls have been painted a perfectly warm shade of burnt orange.
And see the board above the taps with multiple North Carolina cutouts? That&#8217;s where they post their current beer list. Speaking of taps, they had six of their own, as well as a two from other breweries and a cider ready to pour.

Food can be ordered directly from the sandwich shop or in the tasting room. To get to the sandwich shop you can enter from the outside, or through the tasting room and a corner of the brewery, where you can take a peek at the heart of the operation as you pass through. The menu is limited but offers a good variety, fairly priced, and from scratch. Vegetarians haven&#8217;t been forgotten, either.
Where the magic happens
Sandwich Shop
They were kind enough to let me sample all six of their beers. Loved five of them and would recommend the sixth to friends that like IPAs. My faves were the Porter, the Spring Ale, and Burn Dawger Brown Ale. For your non-beer drinking friends, I did spot some wine behind the bar.

You know, I&#8217;d go to Sweeten Creek Brewing just for the food. Friend Barrie ordered the Meat and Cheese Plate ($12). Charcuterie and premium cheeses were on the plate along with an apple chutney, seasoned seeds, and mustard made with their Black IPA. It&#8217;s served with pretty tasty warm flatbread and crackers. About half of this lunch went home with Barrie.

My Monte Cristo ($8) was chock full of brown sugar brined ham and fontina cheese slathered with dijon, and creatively sandwiched between white bread wrapped in a light crepe batter. It&#8217;s served with berry preserves &#8211; &#8220;for dipping or schmearing&#8221; &#8211; and your choice of side.
That sandwich was huge, hot, rich and delicious. The watermelon salad, made with red grapes, julienne jicama, and mint, was served overflowing a small jar.

Joey Justice was quoted in this Citizen Times article as saying, &#8220;We wanted to find something that we could turn into someplace interesting&#8221;. They&#8217;ve certainly done that. Sweeten Creek Brewing is family and pet friendly. In addition to the brewery, tasting room, and sandwich shop, there&#8217;s an expansive, level lawn area scattered with picnic tables that&#8217;s perfect for hanging out with friends over a beer, as well as special events.
If you haven&#8217;t been yet, get yourself over to Sweeten Creek Brewing.
Sweeten Creek Brewing
1127 Sweeten Creek Rd
Asheville, NC 28803
Phone:(828) 575-2785

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