Q: Abuela's Little Kitchen, a Breakfast & Lunch Must!

Abuela’s Little Kitchen, 8 Long Shoals Rd in Arden serves Breakfast during all open hours. Their extensive MENU features Breakfast and Lunch dishes and is varied. Cocktails are available. There’s also a SENIOR (over 55) menu section. See their full MENU on their FB “About” page. NOTE they currently have a.25 cent upcharge per egg posted. Fair until prices go down. Pictured above: Mexican Eggs Benedict ($12.99): A (HUGE) English muffin spread with avocado topped with two poached eggs, bacon, chipotle hollandaise, jalapenos and cilantro. Served with home potatoes. Owner Tania Trejo describes the menu as “a mixture of American breakfast with Mexican breakfasts.” Adding, “we sell from pancakes to crepes, toast, but we also sell pambazos, huevos rancheros, and we are very popular for our chilaquiles.” Abuela’s Little Kitchen Crepe ($9.99 plus extra toppings at .99 each): This one’s topped with Nutella, bananas, and toasted pecans. Choose two or four crepe “sections”. Both our completely different meals were terrific! Service was attentive and friendly. When owner, Tania Trejo decided to open this spot, she already had an existing location, under the same name farther down Long Shoals Rd. The name of that location is now, “Abuela’s Cravings” (https://www.abuelascravings.com/). Their Menu is more Mexican “street food” and desserts now. Some are referring to this Abuela’s location as “recently new”, but they opened in early 2023 in the previous JK’s Kitchen location. Hours are 7am to 3pm 7 days a week. Current Hours are 7am to 3pm, 7 days a week. Parking’s easy and free in a lot next to the restaurant. They have a nice covered patio on the side of the restaurant. Push HARD to open the door. And if it’s a windy day, get ready for all the hair on your head to blow back as soon as the door’s open! ?

Q: New Pies by Di Gluten Free Bakery Coming to Horse Shoe

What a gem! Didn’t expect to meet Di, owner/baker of Pies By Di, yesterday when I stopped at Horse Shoe Gap Village to see how the build-out of her new Gluten Free Bakery was going. She pulled in as I was taking pictures, so of course I explained what I was doing and chatted her up. Love conversations with people when they’re given the chance to share their dreams and plans. Di took me through the cottage where she’ll be making GF magic: front counter, children’s play, rest room, baking, and storage areas. There’s still much to do, but shouldn’t be too long if all goes well. Keep an eye on this Bakery. I predict success! Check out her story, including being diagnosed with celiac disease, and her well established Gluten Free Bakery business online: https://piesbydi.com/ As it happened, she’d baked her famous Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Bread for a meeting at Smitten Smiths Gallery, also in the Village. If you’re not familiar, this shop was opened in 2019 by “a small group of lady metalsmiths” and I’ll say they make great jewelry. Especially earrings. There was some of the Lemon Blueberry Bread left, so she surprised me with a slice, as she recommends it’s served – warm & slathered with butter ? Super delicious! Would have never known it was GF! If you know me, you’ll be surprised I actually saved some for Bill.

Question 1

Ecusta Market & Café a Winner in Every Way!

Accepted Answer

Virtue Without Signaling
After savoring every bit of my lunch at Ecusta Market & Café, I realized I hadn’t stopped smiling since owners Emily and Robert Gunn walked me through a tour of their Market, Café, and outdoor spaces.
As I lingered over my latte, multiple thoughts came to mind: this is a happy place. It’s light & bright, friendly (including family friendly), and genuine. Attention’s is paid to little details. Employees are smiling, too.
I first met Emily and Robert Gunn by chance a couple years ago at Sharewell Coffee in Flat Rock. I sat near them and couldn’t help noticing they were going over a site/building plan. Of course I started a conversation, asking as many questions as I could politely get away with. They were very open and forthcoming, sharing their journey and plan. Turned out they each have a decade or more of higher-position experience at very successful Asheville culinary businesses under their belts.
Forward to now and they’ve taken a derelict building and converted it into a fabulous Market (open about 7 months) that features a surprising number of “hyper-local (WNC), local (NC), and Regional” products, including pantry staples, fresh produce, frozen foods, personal care items, wine, beer, and too many other things to mention. Producers are identified by small signs with their details.
MARKET
Emily and Robert also ended up taking on a second derelict building next door, converting it into a wonderful Café! It&#8217;s been open about 6 weeks now. They originally planned on using the space between the buildings as a breezeway, but ended up enclosing it. That space is now restrooms and additional café seating. Both buildings are located a step or two from the new Ecusta Trail. And I mean a single step or two. They&#8217;re located next to Trailside Brewing Company, if you&#8217;re familiar.
&#8220;We built a place we&#8217;d want to be with our family.&#8221; ~ Emily Gunn
CAFÉ
Current Breakfast and Lunch Menus are pictured in the gallery below, but a few small tweaks will be on updated menus soon.
Step out the back door and you’ll see very nice tall boxes planted with flowers and other plants recommended by an employee that has (if I remember correctly) a Botany Degree and Raymond’s Garden Center. Maybe even by the two fun women at Raymond’s known as the “Shady Ladies”? The planters are a friendly barrier between the trail and red-umbrella-shaded picnic tables. Plans are in the works for cords or something similar between planters at all but the two central planters, creating an obvious entrance with a coming soon arbor. Eventually, there&#8217;ll be outdoor seating for about a hundred people. There’s a bike rack out there for folks pedaling their way along the trail. &#8220;Please, no bikes on the patio.&#8221;
&#8220;Our customers get us and what we&#8217;re trying to do here.&#8221; ~ Robert Gunn
There have been a couple glitches – not unusual and all out of their control: a short power outage during open hours that affected all of the Trailside buildings, a keg cooler that stopped working, but yay, it&#8217;s been replaced with a new one as of a few days ago so craft beer should be on tap now, and a brand new customer-facing cooler that isn’t working, but is being replaced.
&#8220;We want people to linger. Come in for a drink or snack and spend time working on your laptop. We want the Café to be a gathering place. Meet friends for coffee. Bring your family in for lunch.&#8221; ~ Emily and Robert Gunn
Also, know they’ve been directly involved, doing all of this while raising their three young children: 5, 3, and 1 ½ years old. Speaking of young children, they’ve created a cute, large fenced play area outside. More play “things” will be coming soon, like a climbing dome and kids &#8220;mulch kitchen&#8221; (meaning no water).
My experience was seamless. Yes, they knew me, but I watched everything with a critical eye, with the Gunns on hand and not, and didn’t see anything or anyone treated any differently. You can probably tell, and I tried not to gush, but I am so thoroughly impressed with Emily and Robert Gunn! Kinda&#8217; wish Robert&#8217;s name was Peter, though. Kidding! First time you&#8217;ve ever heard that, right Robert? 😉
&#8220;This is what we want to do withour lives.&#8221; ~ Emily Gunn
NOTES:

Ecusta Market & Cafe is located at 877 Lenox Park Dr, Hendersonville, NC.
The Gunns worked with Atlas Branding on most, if not all, design features. From colors, to logo, and even custom wallpaper used in the the top front of some Market cases and the walls in both bathroom.
The Cafe serves Breakfast from 8am to 3pm, Lunch 11am to 3pm, and the Lunch Menu plus some extras from 3pm to Close. Extra things like Loaded Fries, a Pimento Cheese Plate with house-made Pimento Cheese and Accidental Baker crackers, Trout Dip Plate, and Mexican Torta. A Cheese Plate and Charcuterie may be offered at some point.

Question 2

Rocky's Hot Chicken Shack (Sweeten Creek) Wings & Strings Concert Series

Accepted Answer

Live music is back at Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack’s Sweeten Creek location at 3749 Sweeten Creek Rd! Known for their Nashville-style hot chicken and made-from-scratch Southern sides, Rocky’s is kicking off its annual Wings & Strings summer concert series.
Every Thursday from 6:30-8:30 p.m., with the next show on June 5th, chicken lovers can indulge in hot wings and other fan favorites like the fried mac poppers and pimento cheese chicken BLT while enjoying live acoustic sets from talented local artists. Please find the full Wings & Strings lineup below:
Credit: Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack

June 5: Hope Griffin
June 12: Peggy Ratusz and Kelly Jones
June 19: Parker Zelter
June 26: Raphael Graves Duo
July 3: Eric Congdon
July 10: Tina & Her Pony
July 24: The Hillclimbers
July 31: Possum Royale
Aug. 7: Craver & Carmody
Aug. 14: Peggy Ratusz and Kelly Jones
Aug. 21: Gabriel Al-Shaer
Aug. 28: Hope Griffin

Please let us know if you have any questions. Rocky’s full menu is available HERE.

Question 3

Burnsville's 1833 NuWray Hotel Celebrates Restoration and New Restaurant

Accepted Answer

The NuWray Hotel celebrates the down-to-the-studs restoration of NC&#8217;s 1833 historic gem, located at 102 Town Square, Burnsville NC.
Built in 1833, the NuWray Hotel is North Carolina&#8217;s oldest continuously operating hotel. Owners James and Amanda Keith planned to reopen the fully restored hotel in September, 2024.

Hurricane Helene cancelled their plans. Without power or water, the hotel and Burnsville community linked arms to transform the historic building into the mountain town&#8217;s emergency hub. For months, it was a place to find shelter, relief support and hot meals. Months later, it continued to house displaced residents and relief crews.
NuWray, the new restaurant inside the hotel, will open this Saturday, May 31st.
MORE on the hotel: www.nuwray.com

Question 4

Mexican Debate Over. Go to Tenango's!

Accepted Answer

At least it is for me. When I&#8217;m in the mood for a broad selection of excellent Mexican, I&#8217;ll go to Tenango&#8217;s, 712 Upward Rd in East Flat Rock. It&#8217;s behind the Shell gas station just off I-26 exit 53.
ABOUT TENANGO&#8217;S
Brothers Juan, Enrique, and Aurelio Hernandez have family roots in Hidalgo, Mexico. They&#8217;ve brought their food as well as their noticeably different decor, “Otomi” art. I noticed and loved it immediately.
&#8220;Otomi embroidery is the Mexican embroidery style known as &#8220;Tenangos&#8221;, using vibrant colors, and unique floral and animal designs. Each Otomi piece is hand embroidered on Ivory muslin by Otomi artisans. Tenango de Doria, Hidalgo, Mexico.&#8221; Learn more about Otomi Embroidery.
Although they&#8217;ve been open about two months at this second location in East Flat Rock and just under a year at their first location in Chesnee, SC, it feels like they put a lot of energy and work into preparing the brand before launching. Not always the case these days.
Enrique was in the kitchen both times I was there. Not sure if that will continue, but it&#8217;s good to know owners are on site for now.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
As soon as menus hit the table, it was obvious that something was different. Their many-paged menu presents as very professional, aka slick, with lots of photos. Not stock photos, their actual dishes that look professionally shot and do the job of making you want every one of them. Their website is also very professionally done.
I&#8217;ve become hesitant to order Flautas because lately, they&#8217;re filled with a mix of meat and beans, often mush textured, leaving you with no idea what&#8217;s really in them. They&#8217;re also smaller in diameter and over-fried.
Tenango&#8217;s &#8220;Flautas de Pollo&#8221; were brilliant! Full of roasted, seasoned, large pieces of shredded chicken &#8211; period &#8211; and gently fried.
LOCALS LOVE TENANGO&#8217;S
The word is out among locals. There&#8217;s a great mix of locals. Seeing Hispanic work crews and families dining here says something. This last time there were crews from two fire departments: Dana and Blue Ridge. Unfortunately, the Blue Ridge crew got a call and had to leave (see gallery) before they took bite one.
My only less than fawning comment to our server was that my frozen Pina Colada was less than optimum in flavor. It just didn&#8217;t hit the classic flavors. He took my comment seriously, so hopfully if I ever get another one, it&#8217;ll be better. In general, they might add more focus on their bar program. That said, the Don Julio/La Bomba cocktail I had was great.
Of course I&#8217;ll still support El Paso, Papas & Beer, Sol y Luna, Janitzio, and other local favorites, but Tenango&#8217;s will be top of rotation.
Tenango&#8217;s Mexican Restaurant
712 Upward Rd
Flat Rock, NC 28731
828-595-4106

Question 5

Hungry in Hendo - a New Dining Series

Accepted Answer

Tiffany had an idea . . . What if we feature Hendersonville restaurants we love in a dining series called Hungry in Hendo, recording and sharing our experiences so people get a real look at what each place is like? I&#8217;m not going to lie, I was really hesitant, warning her that I usually come off as having the personality of a slug on video. We decided to give it a shot anyway, starting with Postero.
Judging by the reaction to the Reel, recorded and edited by Tiffany and Nick Lacey, it was a success! Not only that, we had delicious meals & drinks . . . and fun! Side note, we pay for our own meals.
So, where do we go from here? There&#8217;s no set schedule. We&#8217;ll take it a step at a time, but we&#8217;ve got a few ideas we&#8217;re tossing around.
You can find the Lucey&#8217;s on their Marketing Company website, the Lucey Agency, as well as multiple social media platforms, listed in the site footer (bottom). They also own and manage the Hungry in Hendo website and social media (Facebook and Instagram). And I&#8217;m here on Carolina Epicurean, as well as Facebook, Instagram, and X.
Below are still shots I took. Lost my head and dug into the Beet and Goat Cheese Tartare (delicious) before taking a picture. If you&#8217;re curious, it&#8217;s in the Reel. Click the images for captions.

Postero
401 N. Main St.
Hendersonville, NC 28792
828-595-9676

Question 6

Wildwood Still - Asheville's Newest Rooftop Restaurant/Bar a Hit!

Accepted Answer

Wildwood Still, Asheville&#8217;s newest rooftop restaurant & bar opened this past September, a couple weeks before Hurricane Helene hit, reopening about a month ago. Reopening was delayed long enough for their 50 to 60 employees to get back to work post-Helene.
You can find this amazing addition to downtown Asheville atop the Moxy Asheville. &#8220;Moxy&#8221; is a Marriott International brand that has expanded its US presence with the launch of its first property in Asheville. The Moxy&#8217;s attached to the Aloft, as they&#8217;re both owned by McKibbon Equities and managed by McKibbon Hospitality. Quick note and new for Asheville, hotel guests are greeted with a cocktail, mocktail, or coffee along with their room key when they check-in at Bar Moxy. That&#8217;s right, the bar is the front desk. Guests can use amenities at both hotels.
Wildwood Still is referred to in a number of publications as an &#8220;independent restaurant&#8221;, which is a little confusing because it also appears to be owned by McKibben.
Executive Chef Austin Tisdale is the one to thank for the creative dishes coming out of the kitchen. You might recognize his name from his time at The Grove Park Inn, Lexington Avenue Brewery, Bargello, and Bouchon French Bistro.
After a &#8220;coming soon&#8221; additional whiskey delivery, 150+ whiskeys and bourbons will be available, along with craft cocktails, beer and wine.
&#8220;A Rooftop Bar Experience
For serious whiskey enthusiasts,
the whiskey-curious, and the
whiskey-indifferent.&#8221;
Good friends of mine, Mark and Barrie, went to Wildwood Still for dinner and drinks this past Friday. The video and images below are credited to them. Here&#8217;s what they had to say about the experience:

They were really busy! We didn&#8217;t have reservations, but we sat at the bar. (CE Note: that&#8217;s pretty much where they always sit.)
Mark got the Short Rib. A HUGE chunk of meat that was fork-tender.
Barrie got the Sea Bass &#8211; also great.
Mark tried a new Japanese Whiskey that he liked, and Barrie had Sauvignon Blanc.
The manager was working the entire room, helping in all sorts of ways, including bussing tables. I (Barrie) was impressed.&#8221;
Gorgeous seating of all types.
The view is unmatched. There&#8217;s just nothing blocking it!

Wildwood Still
61 Biltmore Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801
828-949-0191

Question 7

A Conversation with Chef Bradley Herron, Hearth and Herron Owner

Accepted Answer

“People say Hello to You in Hendersonville”
Rumors about Chef/Owner Bradley Herron’s plans to open a new restaurant, Hearth and Herron on 7th Ave E, Hendersonville, had started to swirl around town. Rather than radio silence, what many in his position do, he approached the situation head on, inviting me to give him a call: “here’s my number, give me a call, ask away”. Right off the bat, I liked this guy!
It was a call full of ease. Much like a conversation any of us would have with someone new to town. What made you choose Hendersonville? What do you think so far? And a couple more in this case: What can you tell me about the restaurant you’re opening? Will you & your family actually live here, becoming part of the community?
Q. Should I call you Bradley or Brad?
A. Either is fine. (CE Note: Don’t you just love it when people say that? Now it’s up to me to name the guy. Never did address him by name. Wink. After we meet in person I’ll know.)
Q. Why did you decide to leave Miami?
A. The pandemic triggered a property grab in Miami, a lot of new restaurants came in, paid more, and gobbled up local employees. Local restaurants lost business and were eventually pushed out. Everything got way too expensive. A nice meal for two in Miami now runs about $300-$500. We put our Miami house on the market, left and bought a house in Hendersonville.
Q. What made you choose WNC, specifically Hendersonville?
A. A couple years ago, we put feelers out in WNC, Asheville, and Hendersonville. We looked at Asheville first, but it was congested, too much going on, and not what we wanted for our family.
Q. What were you looking for?
A. We were looking for a permanent home. A family friendly place to raise our kids. People say hello to you in Hendersonville.
We purchased a home here and we&#8217;re already keeping chickens there. Cooking and having family meals at home every day is a priority. We did it in Miami and we’ll do it here.
Q. What will you name your restaurant?
A. Hearth and Herron
Q. What kind of restaurant will it be?
A. I’d describe Hearth and Herron as “New American”, really more “Farm to Table”. I’ve been meeting with WNC and Hendersonville area farmers and suppliers, planning to use of the best products available. Our menu’s been a work in progress with that in mind for the past year. We&#8217;ll be cooking in a live-wood-fire oven.
At first, Hearth and Herron be serving Dinner only. It’ll be a Mom & Pop neighborhood restaurant where patrons will get value for their money. My wife Marisa and I will both be working at the restaurant. My approach is to under promise and over deliver.
Q. Where will your new restaurant be located?
A. It’s at 337 7th Ave E in Hendersonville. It’s in what was the old Chicken Shack, built in 1930. One reason I like this location is that it’s been empty quite a while, so I’m not pushing anyone out.
Q. Have you opened, or been involved in opening a new restaurant before?
A. Yes. I’ve been involved in the opening of about 40 restaurants.
Q. What changes are you making to the building and property?
A. It&#8217;s a small building, so originally we thought we’d have a seating capacity of 35, but once we started taking down interior walls and opening up the inside of the building, we were able to up that to 50 &#8211; 60. That includes 10 bar seats and outdoor seating. We’re planning raised garden planters around the outdoor seating. (CE Note: I drove by this week and the entire lot’s been smoothed and repaved, so outside seating is completely reasonable.)
**********
Welcome to Hendersonville, Chef. I wish you all success and can&#8217;t wait to see what you create at Hearth and Herron.

Question 8

Rebuild + Regrow: A Fundraiser for Asheville Tea Company

Accepted Answer

Join Haywood Common and The Whale Saturday, March 29 from 4pm-7pm. for Rebuild + Regrow: A Fundraiser for Asheville Tea Company.
“We&#8217;ve carried Asheville Tea Company teas for many years and hold their company close to our hearts,” said Hannah Starr, owner of Haywood Common.
The local tea company lost their entire facility during Hurricane Helene.

“We are so grateful to have a platform to help them regain funds from their devastation and to collect donations from our customers to go towards their rebuild,” said Starr.
This family-friendly event brings together the community to raise money for the Asheville-based company as they continue to rebuild and regrow.
“We are all so grateful to have this support,” said Jessie Dean, Asheville Tea Company, founder. “Watching our community come together to help each other, reading letters and notes of encouragement has been incredible. It lights a fire in me to rebuild because it matters to more people than just us.&#8221;
From tea cocktails & tastings to ice cream, merch and more, there’s so much tea to spill about this fun-filled event.
The Asheville Tea Company TEAm will be set up with craft tea tastings and a donation-based blend your own tea station featuring local herbs and botanicals to create your own tea blends.
While you blend, sip into brighter days with Haywood Common’s “No Grey Days,” a delicious tea-infused cocktail with gin, lemon juice, Asheville Grey tea syrup and Cava. All proceeds from this tasty tea tonic will go back to support Asheville Tea Company.
The Whale will also be offering a donation-based draft beer during Saturday&#8217;s event.
For those with a sweet tooth, The Hop will also be scooping out their delicious new ice cream collab featuring Asheville Grey tea, with proceeds also being donated to the cause.
Plus, boogie down with live music by Asheville’s-own DJ Camaro and check out exclusive Stronger Together merch by Snow in July Designs.
“We have been in awe of our community and how we have shown up for each other and supported one another in the wake of the hurricane and are honored to be amongst so many pure hearts and lending hands,” said Starr.
Come give back, share love and be part of this special day…because of course, tea only brews stronger in hot water.
Can’t make it to the par-TEA? Be sure to visit Haywood Common throughout the month of March to sip on “No Grey Days” with proceeds going to benefit the local tea company. Asheville Tea Company is also accepting direct donations at www.ashevilleteacompany.com

Question 9

Bake Me House Now Open on Church St in Hendersonville, NC

Accepted Answer

Meet Thipayapa Thanyadolchanokdech, aka Emily Roper, owner and baker at Bake Me House, 414 N Church Street, Hendersonville, NC. She&#8217;s been baking since before landing in Hendersonville a couple years ago, but this is her first brick and mortar bakery. Officially opened this past March 4th.
I can&#8217;t imagine the hours she keeps, doing everything herself! By that I mean not only baking everything you see in the shop, but making drink ingredients and syrups, cleaning all the equipment she and her husband had installed in the back, and cleaning the public-facing shop. I drove by before the shop&#8217;s opening and she was out front cleaning the windows and door glass.
Thipayapa Thanyadolchanokdech, aka Emily Roper, owner and baker at Bake Me House, 414 N Church Street, Hendersonville, NC
Some people refer to Bake Me House as a &#8220;Thai Bakery&#8221;. I&#8217;d say it’s an “Asian-influenced” bakery from cookies to cakes to drinks. In general that means less sweet, but delicious.
DRINKS
A few Thai drinks are available (see images). I tried the Milk Tea with Cream Cheese Mousse. It’s made with “Premium Black Tea, creamer powder, and brown sugar syrup”.
IN THE CASES
This day the smaller one on the counter held cookies you&#8217;re used to seeing like Chocolate Chip and Red Velvet. The larger case held the fun stuff &#8211; Japanese Cheese Cake (link to Emily describing Japanese vs NY Cheesecake), Matcha Cake, Coconut Cake, and more, all sold by the slice in containers.
I left with a slice of the Coconut Cake to share later with Bill. We both loved it. The frosting on top was so light and fluffy. Probably her Whipped Cream Cheese Mousse. The cake itself was a little denser than I expected, moist, had small pieces of pineapple throughout, and was just sweet enough. So good! Friends Barrie and Mark tried and liked many of the cakes. They feel all of them were low in sodium and sugar.
If you&#8217;re interested, Emily uses pretty top notch ingredients: Matcha, Chocolate, Butter. Browse through the photos on the bakery&#8217;s Facebook Page and you should be able to spot her ingredient posts.

Question 10

Nice-Casual Fine Dining at The Silo Cookhouse

Accepted Answer

On my own, I treated myself to Dinner at The Silo Cookhouse at The Horse Shoe Farm.
There might be more free range chickens than the last time I was there? Had to edge one of the cluckers out of a parking space. By the time I left, three of them were roosting on the porch railing (see pictures). Pretty cute, actually.
Bananas Foster Cheesecake: dark rum caramen, brown butter milk crumb, and coconut tuile. Delicious! Nice to have less than massive dessert portions.
Ambiance is similar to that of a mountain lodge: seating, fabrics, art, decore, and an active stone fireplace. I particularly like the bar stools. Lots of character and comfy.
I sat at the bar, sipping an Old Fashioned, while I looked through the menu. That&#8217;s a real candle. I was happily surprised it was real instead of battery operated.
Fireplace flanked by pieces of art.
By the time I left, the chickens had settled to roost on the entrance railing. Pretty cute!
Their menu isn&#8217;t extensive, but most people should be able to find something they&#8217;ll like. I&#8217;d call Silo Cookhouse nice-casual fine dining. Cost, especially for Main courses, leans toward fine dining pricing. Creativity and care is apparent in everything that comes out of the kitchen.

Question 11

NEW! Hearth and Herron Restaurant to Open at 337 7th Ave

Accepted Answer

It looks like the historic, circa 1930 building at 337 7th Ave E, has been leased and is undergoing major renovations for a new restaurant, “Hearth and Herron”.** Some say it&#8217;ll be affordable and exciting, with wood-fire cooking during lunch and dinner.
Hearth and Herron, LLC owner, Chef Bradley Herron, and his family recently moved to Hendersonville from the Miami area. He spent about a decade and a half working his way up at Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink from Line Cook to Chef de Cuisine, and ultimately The Genuine Hospitality Group Senior Director of Culinary.
Chef Bradley Herron, Photo Credit: Brett Hufziger
Chef Herron’s Bio on the South Beach Wine & Food Festival website reads:
“Bradley began his career at 13 in his hometown of Laguna Beach, California in a taco shop, where he prepped and washed dishes. Herron returned to the kitchen, after having graduated in 2003 from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Pasadena at Joe’s Restaurant in Venice Beach. He was quickly promoted to Sous Chef, and shortly thereafter the restaurant received a Michelin star.”
“Herron worked on the line at Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink for five months before being promoted to Chef de Cuisine. He now oversees the kitchen staff and menus of all The Genuine Hospitality Group restaurants. Basing his dishes around what is local and/or seasonal, Herron has refined his style to simple, thought out, and visually-balanced food. After learning about the Florida seasons, he uses what he can get his hands on and lets the product do the work. Always choosing his jobs based on the knowledge he may acquire has made him the chef he is today.”
If you want to know more about Chef Herron, take a look at this 2018 “Chef Q&A: Chef Bradley Herron of Genuine Hospitality Group” interview: https://nimanranch.com/blog/finest-tasting-meat/chef-qa-chef-bradley-herron-of-genuine-hospitality-group/
**To my knowledge, all the information in this article is publicly available and accurate, but hasn’t been confirmed with any of the principals. I&#8217;ve messaged, but haven’t gotten a response. If I&#8217;m made aware of corrections, I&#8217;ll update this article.

Question 12

Abuela's Little Kitchen, a Breakfast & Lunch Must!

Accepted Answer

Abuela&#8217;s Little Kitchen, 8 Long Shoals Rd in Arden serves Breakfast during all open hours. Their extensive MENU features Breakfast and Lunch dishes and is varied. Cocktails are available. There&#8217;s also a SENIOR (over 55) menu section. See their full MENU on their FB &#8220;About&#8221; page. NOTE they currently have a.25 cent upcharge per egg posted. Fair until prices go down.
Pictured above: Mexican Eggs Benedict ($12.99): A (HUGE) English muffin spread with avocado topped with two poached eggs, bacon, chipotle hollandaise, jalapenos and cilantro. Served with home potatoes.
Owner Tania Trejo describes the menu as &#8220;a mixture of American breakfast with Mexican breakfasts.&#8221; Adding, “we sell from pancakes to crepes, toast, but we also sell pambazos, huevos rancheros, and we are very popular for our chilaquiles.”
Abuela&#8217;s Little Kitchen Crepe ($9.99 plus extra toppings at .99 each): This one&#8217;s topped with Nutella, bananas, and toasted pecans. Choose two or four crepe &#8220;sections&#8221;.
Both our completely different meals were terrific! Service was attentive and friendly.
When owner, Tania Trejo decided to open this spot, she already had an existing location, under the same name farther down Long Shoals Rd. The name of that location is now, &#8220;Abuela&#8217;s Cravings&#8221; (https://www.abuelascravings.com/). Their Menu is more Mexican &#8220;street food&#8221; and desserts now.

Some are referring to this Abuela&#8217;s location as &#8220;recently new&#8221;, but they opened in early 2023 in the previous JK&#8217;s Kitchen location. Hours are 7am to 3pm 7 days a week.
Current Hours are 7am to 3pm, 7 days a week. Parking&#8217;s easy and free in a lot next to the restaurant. They have a nice covered patio on the side of the restaurant. Push HARD to open the door. And if it&#8217;s a windy day, get ready for all the hair on your head to blow back as soon as the door&#8217;s open! ?

Question 13

Gobsmaked! Dinner at 131 Main

Accepted Answer

Be sure to make a reservation if you want to go to 131 Main, 308 Thetford St, in Biltmore Park, South Asheville. The word is out. Expect one of the best restaurant experiences you&#8217;ll have.
With a clear view of the open kitchen, I watched, fascinated by the elegant, effecient pace. It was like a modern dance production. When I asked how servers knew whose order was up when the expeditor(s) raised their hand with no other identifier like number, name, etc., our server, Chris, explained their &#8220;six steps of importances&#8221; system in order from most to least important.
&#8220;If you see a hand up and you&#8217;re doing a first round or a greet, that&#8217;s more important. If you&#8217;re manicuring or bussing a table, then food is more important, so you stop what you&#8217;re doing and go get and run the food.&#8221; Chris
Steps of Importances (as I heard them)

Greet
First Round (drinks)
Guest Request (anything a guest might need to complete their dining experience)
Running food
Manicuring tables
Bussing tables

I watched staff at the next table, hands full of cleared plates, explaining desserts. Another staff member came by and like magic, those dirty dishes passed seamlessly out of the dessert explainer&#8217;s hands without missing a beat describing desserts, and into the passer-by&#8217;s hands. If I&#8217;d have blinked, I&#8217;d have missed it.
One of multiple dining areas. The bar is on the other side of the colorful hanging &#8220;bowls&#8221;, for lack of better description.
Seating is in multiple areas &#8211; all with a warm, friendly feel. Lighting is enough to easily read menus, but not enough to ruin the ambiance.
The Food
Details of each dish are in the gallery image captions below.
Notes

Water was delivered with perfectly clear ice, prompting me to ask if they had a clear ice program. Nope. Just triple filtered water &#8211; important after Hurricane Helene. Sometimes clear, sometimes not, like in my cocktail.
Drinks: Wine &#8211; generous pour. Old Fashioned &#8211; larger than some on the portion scale.
That Chilled Wild Rice Salad served with the Cedar Plank Salmon was fantastic! I&#8217;d be temped to have it as an entree.
Entrees: Whoa! Large portions for the Salmon and Ribs. More than half of those fall-off-the-bone, house-smoked ribs went home with me.
Salmon: Great flavor, moist, generous center cut portion.
Ribs: Whole rack is your menu only option if you want these delicious ribs. A large empty bowl (you know what it&#8217;s for) and heated damp towels (nice touch) arrived with the ribs.
Renovations: A small part of the restaurant is blocked off, but the important thing to know and plan for, is that Restrooms are in a trailer at the side of the building. See the last gallery picture.

Question 14

New Pies by Di Gluten Free Bakery Coming to Horse Shoe

Accepted Answer

What a gem! Didn&#8217;t expect to meet Di, owner/baker of Pies By Di, yesterday when I stopped at Horse Shoe Gap Village to see how the build-out of her new Gluten Free Bakery was going. She pulled in as I was taking pictures, so of course I explained what I was doing and chatted her up. Love conversations with people when they&#8217;re given the chance to share their dreams and plans.
Di took me through the cottage where she&#8217;ll be making GF magic: front counter, children&#8217;s play, rest room, baking, and storage areas. There&#8217;s still much to do, but shouldn&#8217;t be too long if all goes well. Keep an eye on this Bakery. I predict success! Check out her story, including being diagnosed with celiac disease, and her well established Gluten Free Bakery business online: https://piesbydi.com/
As it happened, she&#8217;d baked her famous Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Bread for a meeting at Smitten Smiths Gallery, also in the Village. If you&#8217;re not familiar, this shop was opened in 2019 by &#8220;a small group of lady metalsmiths&#8221; and I&#8217;ll say they make great jewelry. Especially earrings.
There was some of the Lemon Blueberry Bread left, so she surprised me with a slice, as she recommends it&#8217;s served &#8211; warm & slathered with butter ? Super delicious! Would have never known it was GF! If you know me, you&#8217;ll be surprised I actually saved some for Bill.

Question 15

NEW - Coffee Shop? Bar? Local Hang Out? Yes!

Accepted Answer

It&#8217;s new, but what is it? Coffee Shop? Bar? Local Hang Out? It&#8217;s the rebirth of The Old Haywood Filling Station at 5664 NC-191 in Mills River, NC. And after spending quite a bit of time there yesterday with my pal Barrie, I can answer . . . Yes!
Rather than demolishing the tired old building and build new from the ground up, owner Max chose to rebuild, saving as many of the original features as possible. I especially like the original floor and ceiling beams. The stories that floor could tell! Owner Max told us about local old-timers showing him where they’d gather around the wood stove in the original 1958 Gasperson&#8217;s Grocery & Gas Station for warmth and, I’m guessing here, telling some whoppers. You’ll know exactly where that stove was when you look up and see the soot-stained beams that were right above it. From the beginning, Max envisioned the Filling Station becoming a gathering place again.
Casual Fridays (might be weekly or monthly?): They&#8217;re casual and fun with Sommelier John. There will be multiple wine pairings with snack foods available each time. For instance, BBQ potato chips with Pinot Noir, Kit Kat bites with a Cabernet, Cotton Candy with Prosecco, Buttered Popcorn with Chardonnay (stainless steel), etc. And Beer pairings like Nacho Cheese Doritos with a Double IPA. He recommends, “sip, snack, sip”. COST: pay for the glass of wine or beer, snacks complimentary.
Casual Friday Wine and Beer pairings with &#8220;snacks&#8221;. Don&#8217;t ask me how, but it works!
I know a little about wine and what I like and don&#8217;t, but admit no matter what I&#8217;m told to expect to taste with wine pairings, it just doesn&#8217;t happen. And I can&#8217;t tell you what sub-region the grapes came from, whether it has notes of tobacco, wood, or dirt either. So, I was wide-eyed surprised when I actually tasted what John suggested I might taste with the Banshee Pino Noir and Kit Kat combo. Definitely got the strawberry flavor.
Themed Wine Tastings (with distributers as announced) Free: The first one is set to be “A West Coast Road Trip” – wines from Washington, Oregon, and California. No date set yet.
NOTES:

I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t recognize Chef Brooke Crider behind the counter. She was totally justified in calling me out. It&#8217;s okay, Brooke. I&#8217;m so glad you did! 🙂 She’s a fabulous cook and baker and does private catering out of a commercial kitchen! The last time I saw her was when she was cooking at the Dugout during the February, 2018 Hendersonville Restaurant Week. Everyone in the Media group I brought to town to preview Restaurant Week menus was basically dumbstruck. Everything was top notch! She followed that up by competed in the 2019 NC Restaurant and Lodging Association statewide Chef Showdown. So good to see you again, Brooke!
Although Brooke&#8217;s in the house, there are very limited food options. They just don&#8217;t have the facilities or space at this time.
That&#8217;s why a rotation of Food Trucks will be on site regularly soon.
Notice in the Gallery, there aren&#8217;t TVs anywhere. There’s a hookup, but Max told us he wanted people to talk to each other rather than staring at a TV. I like it and it worked. We talked to a bunch of people while we were there.

&#8220;The Old Haywood Filling Station is more than just a coffee, beer, and wine venue. It&#8217;s a place where people can come together, share ideas, and create meaningful connections. We believe that every cup of coffee or glass of your favorite beverage has the power to bring people closer, and we strive to create an environment that fosters community and inclusivity.&#8221; &#8211; The Old Haywood Filling Station

The Filling Station’s Grand Opening is planned for February 8th, Noon to 8pm.
Ask Sommelier John, who is on staff, for a wine recommendation if you can’t choose. I hear he’s very good at it.
Max wants all wines offered to be “a step up”, but approachable, so expect a nice selection.
They JUST got the espresso machine a few days ago, but pulled (pun not intended) off a nice latte for me.
There’s plenty of room for expanded seating if needed.
There’s a nice deck with party lights out back. It overlooks an expansive open lawn area. Max plans on keeping it open for additional seating, games, etc. Corn Hole anyone?
Find them on Instagram @oldhaywoodfillingstation or their website: https://oldhaywoodfillingstation.com/

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