Q: Warning - Donut Stop LLC Sells Out Quickly!

Pulling up at noon, we were pretty confident we’d have our choice of fresh donuts at Donut Stop LLC in Arden. Wrong! The word’s out this is the place to get some of the best donuts in the Asheville area. They open at 5am, so folks heading out early get the best options. Storefront Hours are 5am until Sold Out every day but Sunday when they close at 2pm. SOLD OUT at NOON! Our donuts are made fresh by hand each day. With a wide variety flavors to choose from, there’s something delightful for everyone. Lucky for us there were a few left (in the back). Two Apple Fritters left? I’ll take two! Donuts filled with different Jellies or Bavarian Cream and topped with Glaze or Chocolate? I’ll take one of each! Barrie scored a few, also. People have said a couple things about their donuts in general (BIG) and Apple Fritters in particular – EXTRA BIG and LOTS OF APPLE. I can vouch for both! The Apple Fritters I took home covered a “sandwich” plate. Glazed Bavarian Cream Filled, Chocolate Bavarian Cream Filled, and Apple Fritter. Cinnamon Twist, Raspberry Jelly Filled, and Glazed Bavarian Cream Filled. No guarantees, but we were each given a small complimentary bag of donut holes. I’ve seen others mention they were also treated to this special gift. Donut Holes Their Menu covers all the bases and is priced reasonably, in my opinion. Menu Board Let’s just say Bill was not unhappy to see me coming through the door with fresh, delicious donuts. Donute Stop LLC 2270 Hendersonville Rd, Ste 4 Arden, NC 28704 828-767-5714

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! ?

Question 1

Warning - Donut Stop LLC Sells Out Quickly!

Accepted Answer

Pulling up at noon, we were pretty confident we&#8217;d have our choice of fresh donuts at Donut Stop LLC in Arden. Wrong! The word&#8217;s out this is the place to get some of the best donuts in the Asheville area.
They open at 5am, so folks heading out early get the best options.
Storefront
Hours are 5am until Sold Out every day but Sunday when they close at 2pm.
SOLD OUT at NOON!
 
Our donuts are made fresh by hand each day. With a wide variety flavors to choose from, there’s something delightful for everyone.
Lucky for us there were a few left (in the back). Two Apple Fritters left? I&#8217;ll take two! Donuts filled with different Jellies or Bavarian Cream and topped with Glaze or Chocolate? I&#8217;ll take one of each! Barrie scored a few, also.
People have said a couple things about their donuts in general (BIG) and Apple Fritters in particular &#8211; EXTRA BIG and LOTS OF APPLE. I can vouch for both! The Apple Fritters I took home covered a &#8220;sandwich&#8221; plate.
Glazed Bavarian Cream Filled, Chocolate Bavarian Cream Filled, and Apple Fritter.
 
Cinnamon Twist, Raspberry Jelly Filled, and Glazed Bavarian Cream Filled.
No guarantees, but we were each given a small complimentary bag of donut holes. I&#8217;ve seen others mention they were also treated to this special gift.
Donut Holes
Their Menu covers all the bases and is priced reasonably, in my opinion.
Menu Board
Let&#8217;s just say Bill was not unhappy to see me coming through the door with fresh, delicious donuts.
Donute Stop LLC
2270 Hendersonville Rd, Ste 4
Arden, NC 28704
828-767-5714

Question 2

Excellent Afternoon Tea Discovery! Bed and Breakfast on Tiffany Hill

Accepted Answer

When two sisters want to take a third to the perfect Afternoon Tea for her birthday, it can take lots of research and discussion. There&#8217;s price, dates that work for all of us, sharing allowed or not, dietary restrictions, location near or far. It&#8217;s not easy. 🙂
The Inn
Luckily, we had to cancel our original plans due to the recent WNC ice storm. I say &#8220;luckily&#8221; because in the meantime we stumbled upon a little known Afternoon Tea (experience) at Bed & Breakfast on Tiffany Hill in Mills River!
Owners Karen and Craig Verm are pretty darn amazing.  Karen is a pianist and Craig is an opera singer. As second owners they&#8217;ve been at the Inn&#8217;s helm for about two years. Impressively, on one day&#8217;s notice Craig recently stood in for a singer with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra. This is just one of the reasons a performance comes with Breakfast for overnight guests or Afternoon Tea.
Don&#8217;t make the mistake of thinking anything at the B&B is &#8220;stodgy&#8221;! Both Karen and Craig are so genuinely jovial.  The building was thoughtfully designed and built to be an Inn. Design is classic beauty, aka light, airy as well as cozy, and gorgeous.
Suites are spacious, beautifully layed out and decorated with attention to detail. They&#8217;re all en suite, also. You can browse them all here.
Afternoon Tea
Pricing for Afternoon Tea is per person and extremely reasonable. I&#8217;m not mentioning specific price in case it changes. I can&#8217;t say enough about the extent Karen went to in accomodating dietary restrictions! Well above and beyond, she tried new products and adjusted recipes. Everything was absolutely delicious!
When weather&#8217;s not cooperating, tea and meals are at a large communal table just off the kitchen and front hall. In nicer weather there&#8217;s seating at multiple tables on the back patio.
After your Tea or Breakfast, you&#8217;ll be served  what they call the &#8220;Fourth Course&#8221; &#8211; entertainment in the form of a short concert by the Verms. Loved it!
For more information on the Inn and it&#8217;s wonderful keepers, check out this WLOS article published 9 months ago: &#8220;Musical bed and breakfast continues community support 8 months after Helene&#8220;.
I came away full and happy, but even more importantly, feeling like I&#8217;d met two exceptionally good humans.

https://vimeo.com/1169350548?share=copy&#038;fl=sv&#038;fe=ci
 
Bed & Breakfast on Tiffany Hill400 Ray Hill RdMills River, NC 28759Phone: 828-290-6080Email: vacation@tiffany-hill.com

Question 3

Exploring WNC Gems: The Pure and Proper

Accepted Answer

Friends Joe, Paula, and I needed some recharging after exhaustive furniture shopping in the maze known as Tyson Furniture in Black Mountain. What better place than Pure & Proper, located in what originally was the 1941 Pure Oil gas station, 114 E State St, Black Mountain.
Pure & Proper owners Richard & Heidi King and Chef Jake Whitman worked together to take the building, that had been empty and neglected for 20 years, to a deliciously engaging eatery.
For the longest time, I thought they were located outside of downtown Black Mountain. They&#8217;re not. They&#8217;re just off the main downtown intersection, around the corner from Tyson Furniture.
Two things struck me: the different & interesting MENUS and the build-out that kept so much of the building&#8217;s original character front and center, some aspects I imagine, with a wink & nod towards theme and uniqueness.
Take their Brussels Sprouts, described on the menu as made with: &#8220;makhana sauce, buttermilk raita, Calabrian balsamic reduction, with pomegranate [seeds] and cashews&#8221;. Chef Whitman has said in past interviews (not a quote) that he likes to incorporate a little Asian/Japanese here and there in menus to keep things interesting. I definitely caught that vibe from the sprouts dish. And it was beautifully plated with the pops of pomegranate red throughout.
Seating is fun and comfortable with faux fur &#8220;throws&#8221; on chairs and high top seating for two inset into the wall just off the bar. I&#8217;m looking forward to patio seating in nice weather. And hadn&#8217;t noticed, but Paula pointed out that their host stand is a large tool chest. Perfect.
Of note, Chef Jake Whitman has &#8220;chefed&#8221; in Asheville area eateries that take different approaches to their menus, serving up creative fare. Chef Jake and Ali Whitman opened a brand new restaurant, Bev&#8217;s Steak, in Black Mountain on December 2, 2025. Concerned, I called Pure & Proper and was reassured that Jake is still involved with the restaurant and menu development.
Now you have at least two good reasons to head to Black Mountain for an excellent meal &#8211; Pure & Proper and Jake and Ali Whitman&#8217;s Bev&#8217;s Steak.
SOCIALS:

Pure & Proper

Instagram
Facebook

Bev&#8217;s Steak

Instagram
Facebook

Question 4

Hearth and Herron - A Hendersonville, NC Experience

Accepted Answer

There are reasons for choosing to have a meal at a restaurant bar instead of a dining room table. It’s easy conversations with people in nearby seats. Same with the bartender. View and vibe can be very different, also.
Love the warm, cozy feel in Hearth and Herron&#8217;s bar. There’s probably 10 to 12 seats. Walls are exposed historic brick. The lit shelves of bottles in front of exterior windows make a big impact. Haven’t been during the day, but I’m guessing those shelves would look great then, too.

Prime example, dinner at Hearth and Herron this past Sunday. People on one side of me were visiting from near Fort Mill, South Carolina. It was interesting to hear their thoughts on Hendersonville and which restaurants they’d tried. On the other side, a woman who lives in Hendersonville and her friend visiting from Tryon. They told me which dishes they’d had and what they though about them.
The friend was raving about the Wood Roasted French Feta, with market vegetables, orange marmalade, and grilled slices of Underground Baking Co Sourdough Bread.

He made it sound so delicious, I had to order it, even though I planned on dessert and could have stopped after the dish I will forevermore rave about &#8211; Flying Cloud Farms Winter Squash Salad with freekeh, parmesan aioli, arugula, and pumpkin seed gremolata. What’s “freekeh”, you ask? It’s “a cereal food made from green durum wheat that’s roasted and rubbed to create its flavor”. It’s crunchy and delicious! See image at top of article.
Biggest personal takeaway after chatting with the two bartenders is that they make their own Limoncello. I’m a Limoncello fan. We almost always have a chilled bottle of Limoncello on hand at home. They were kind enough to give me a taste. I’m still shaking my head at how good it was. Clear, smooth texture, and great lemon flavor!
The other takeaway is what the lead bartender said about staff. “We’re a small crew, we all like each other, and work well together.” As far as I could tell, watching interactions, all of that is true.
Oh! Speaking of bartenders, the lead bartender said he’s really getting into the finer points of wine and is looking into starting Sommelier courses. Hope he does well and brings that knowledge to H&H.

From the beginning, Owner Chef Bradley has said this would be a Mom & Pop/family restaurant. After meeting and talking with his wife, Marisa (sweetest ever), I can share that their young boys also help out doing things like stacking old brick kept after demo and buildout of the 1930 building’s interior, and stacking firewood. Marisa went on to say “as soon as they’re 14, you can expect to see them working in the restaurant.”

This landed well with me because our three children started doing chores when they were toddlers. Things like setting the table, bringing milk in from the front porch milk box, getting the mail. Easy, but a responsibility and something that helped the family. When they got older, they each had a cleaning caddy and were responsible for various rotating chores around the house: cleaning bathrooms, washing floors, vacuuming, dusting. Ready for life after they went off on their own.
Hearth and Herron has been open a few months now and are consistently busy. Chef Brad mentioned that some folks come in a little warry, but as soon as they see the menu, they visibly relax.
Speaking of their menu, it changes daily depending on market availability. Some items change, not the whole thing. Where’s the menu? If you’re having trouble finding their menu, they post it daily as a Story on their Instagram account. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, comment and I’ll explain. If you don’t have an Instagram account and can&#8217;t view their account/menu, take a chance and go. I&#8217;m confident you&#8217;ll be glad you did.
Sunday, November 2, 2025 Menu
They don’t have a website as of now, and may or may not have one. Even if they did have one, it would be pretty tough (possibly expensive) to change the Menu on a website every day.
Dessert: daily dessert, that’s right, one dessert is offered each day, and might not have an official name. When I said I’d like to order a dessert, they did a good job describing it to me: &#8220;it&#8217;s like creme brulee meets flan topped with an ice cream quenelle, with baked apple and nut halves in a light caramel sauce&#8221;. Take a leap. Whatever it is, it&#8217;ll be good!

Bottom Line: Go! You won’t regret it. Bar is first come, first served. seating Make a Reservation on Resy if you want a table.
More on Chef Bradley Herron: https://carolinaepicurean.com/a-conversation-with-chef-bradley-herron-hearth-and-herron-owner/
Chef Bradley Herron Background: https://carolinaepicurean.com/new-hearth-and-herron-restaurant-to-open-at-337-7th-ave/
Hearth and Herron
337 7th Ave East
Hendersonville, NC 28792

Question 5

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.
Details in Gallery Captions

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 6

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 7

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 8

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 9

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 10

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 11

Dinner The Bohemian Way in Brevard

Accepted Answer

Our first visit to The Bohemian Restaurant, 192 west Main Street, Brevard this week was slightly confusing. After a quick look at the menu, I was like, okay it&#8217;s Italian. Wrong. Read the menu, start to finish and got it. And it was fun & right up our alley!

&#8220;The Bohemian Restaurant invites you on a culinary journey around the world with our diverse menu, always offering something unexpected.&#8221;
&#8220;Carefully curated with a fusion of cultures.
Each bite will make you travel with us.
Experience a melting pot of flavors.&#8221;

Looking up at the entrance from the street, it felt like it was going to be an adventure getting up the stairs, through the arbor and lush plants, across the porch, and inside this once private home. All the plants made it feel quasi-tropical and semiprivate on the porch. Sit there in nice weather, if you can. The Bohemian Restaurant opened in June of 2023. It&#8217;s the previuos location of Hobnob Restaurant.
The building isn&#8217;t huge, but does have four different seating areas, each with their own character: the porch (lovely), a couple of main floor tables (good people/action watching), main floor bar (good conversation), and upstairs (airy, spaceous). Capacity isn&#8217;t huge, so I&#8217;d suggest making a reservation, just in case.
We each had a glass of wine. Bill, Scarlett Vine Cabernet (Maipo, Chile) and me, Ely Cabernet (Paso Robles, CA). Their menu isn&#8217;t huge, but there&#8217;s a nice variety. Bill&#8217;s first course, Soup du Jour Creamy Crab Bisque was good. My Side Salad had some chopped tomatoe, corn, onion, and cheese on spring mix. The dressing &#8211; light and mildly sweet &#8211; was one of the best I&#8217;ve had.
Our entrées are pictured below with descriptions. Know they were both generously portioned (half went home with each of us) and delicious. No dessert this time because we had Peach Cobbler I&#8217;d made waiting for us at home.
I asked our server if he and the other servers were related because they all had a similar &#8220;look&#8221;. He smiled and said, &#8220;in a way. We&#8217;re all Brazilian.&#8221; He went on to say they all go to Brevard College. That&#8217;s when I asked if they play soccer. Why, yes, they do! They&#8217;re all on the team and have a Brazilian Coach. I nailed it!
The Bohemian is a great addition to the Brevard dining scene!

Question 12

Brooks Tavern: Tryon vs Hendersonville

Accepted Answer

This is going to be a short article, mostly image-based. I want to say right up front, I&#8217;m a fan of both Brooks Tavern locations. Both have warm and cozy feels. Same menus, but definitely different spaces.
Hendersonville is a smaller space, therefore less seating. Choose between booth or bar seating, plus a couple tables. Original brick walls, lighting and bar design set the tone. It&#8217;s been a local hang out since it opened.
Tryon has a lot more space with multiple table/chair seating areas, a piano in one of them, and bar seating. Tables are topped with black tablecloths, that along with lots of older brick & rock walls & wood beams, add to the knotched up, but relaxed ambiance.
Eight of us met for dinner at the Tryon Brooks Tavern this week. It was a very early dinner, so there weren&#8217;t many people in the house yet. I took advantage and took lots of pictures to share.
Not pictured, because we immediately dug in, are two Appetizers. Both were very good!

Deviled Eggs: classic creamy stuffed eggs with paprika and a sliver of Brooks famous candied bacon.
Fried Mushrooms: fresh mushrooms hand breaded to order, then deep fried golden brown, served piping hot with their homemade Ranch dressing.

Full Disclosure: I&#8217;ve done work for Brooks Tavern, building and now maintaining their website.

Question 13

The Hare and Hound Pub - hunt for good times and food over!

Accepted Answer

Every now and then we make the half hour run &#8220;down the mountain&#8221; from Hendersonville to O&#8217;Darby&#8217;s Liquor Barn in Landrum, SC. This last time we stopped at The Hare & Hound Pub for lunch before heading over to O&#8217;Darby&#8217;s. Opened in 2002, the restaurant&#8217;s a Landrum icon that feels like it&#8217;s been there forever. I&#8217;m guessing the building was probably built in the late 1800&#8217;s to early 1900&#8217;s.
Hare & Hound&#8217;s location at 101 E Rutherford St. anchors both sides of the corner at one end of downtown Landrum&#8217;s two-block stretch of shops, gallerys, and eateries. Landrum&#8217;s historically an &#8220;equestrian&#8221; town. I used to frequent a second-hand shop at the other end of the two blocks. It carried the most beautiful top quality clothes, many sporting equestrian motifs, but sadly it&#8217;s gone now.
Can&#8217;t swear to this without much more research (wink), but The Hare & Hound feels like a community hub. Lunch or dinner hours, there&#8217;s a cozy, family-friendly vibe inside and out. They even have extra high highchairs for high-tops if that&#8217;s your choice for seating. It&#8217;s got that semi-darkish pub feel inside, with plenty of interesting decor. Not so dark you can&#8217;t see your food, though. You&#8217;ll recognize all the dishes on the menu and know how to pronounce all the ingredients. And those dishes lean towards hearty.
Servers are friendly and efficient. They&#8217;ve got a solid cocktail program, as well as wine & beer. Outdoor seating is shaded and lovely in nice weather. Do NOT leave without having Dessert!

The Hare & Hound Pub
101 East Rutherford Street
Landrum, SC 29356

Question 14

Going, Going, Go to Auction House Food Hall?

Accepted Answer

Auction House Food Hall&#8216;s concept is fun and perfect for its Fletcher, NC location at 29 Fanning Bridge Road. That said, I&#8217;m going to sum up my two visits as, first visit &#8211; &#8220;don&#8217;t need to ever go back&#8221;. Second visit &#8211; &#8220;okay, I&#8217;ll give them another try after this one&#8221;. See why I went back after that first visit and the gallery below for more details.
First visit take: love the concept, super creative fun decor, love that they included a pass through bar to lots of fun outdoor seating and stage area, still deciding on exterior only for going from one floor to the other (it was raining this day), hated the dry & chewy Fish Camp Twenty Five Fried Cod Sandwich I ordered, and liked the Crab Hush Puppies. My friend&#8217;s KO Burger burger, ordered with katchup, was impossible to pick up and eat because there was so much katchup on it, everything else slid out into a big katchupy mess.
Second visit take a few days later with two other friends that wanted to give them a try: The Chicken Tinga Quesadilla from Mercado Cantina had plenty of chicken in it and was tasty. Even though three of us liked and shared the zesty Blue Collar Bourbon Social Fried Brussels Sprouts, there were plenty left to take home. We didn&#8217;t order a Burger this time, but DID see one waiting for pickup and it looked 100% better!
Overview: There&#8217;s plenty of seating throughout. Ordering at Mercado Cantina on the main, street level, is fine. Ordering from Fish Camp, KO Burger, and Blue Collar is all done at Blue Collar, and is less than fine. That wasn&#8217;t a problem during the first visit because there weren&#8217;t very many people there. It WAS a problem on the second visit because there were a lot of people there and everyone was in one long line to order. It took quite a while to get up to the counter to place our order. We went back up to the main floor with our pagers and then back down again to pick up our food. All lower level food pickups are done at the center window between KO Burger and Fish Camp.
Spaces:  Weather permitting, I will always choose dining and hanging out in the outdoor space out back. Next, I&#8217;d choose the upper level because it feels open with lots of windows, airy, kind of energized.  There are also a few tables that look good for seating on a narrow upper level deck, overlooking the outdoor seating below.  Finally, downstairs seating.
Parking: Is plentiful and easy in the huge parking lot they put in behind the building. Lower access is quick and easy. Upper level access from the lot is either up exterior stairs on the far side of the building, or up a long accesible ramp on the near side.
Bottom Line: Give them a try. If it&#8217;s not the best on your first visit, go back again, giving them another chance. I&#8217;m really glad I did!

Question 15

Claywood: Something Deliciously Different in Hendersonville

Accepted Answer

Three of us tried Claywood for the first time a few days ago. We waited until they&#8217;d been open for a couple months and had a chance to get their footing.
During those months, the three things I heard most often were, &#8220;owner Carly is so nice&#8221;, &#8220;it&#8217;s too expensive&#8221;, and &#8220;their &#8216;boards&#8217; are too big, have too much piled on them, and I have to dig around to get to what I want&#8221;, in that order.
I can confirm that owner Carly IS very nice after many online conversations with her. I wasn&#8217;t able to attend their opening preview, but they did know when three of us were coming in. That said, I can honestly say we got one bit of special attention (a complimentary board), but otherwise were treated like everyone else.
My take after an evening at Claywood
We had no idea that complimentary board was headed our way (thank you Carly), so we ordered a Mimosa Board, and three Small Plates: Carrot and Ginger Salad, Caramelized Brussels Sprouts, and Spanakopita Strudel. It would have been way too much food even without the complimentary smaller board. We had time to cancel the Sprouts, but nothing else. We each brought a small box of fruit, cheese & more home.
Boards
If you look at what&#8217;s on each board and what it would cost you, at current prices &#8211; to purchase all of those ingredients, prep, and serve &#8211; the price is fair. Many of their boards are large, so it may feel like the price is high, but you&#8217;re not just paying for what&#8217;s on the board, you&#8217;re also paying for preparation, presentation, service, ambiance, convenience, and overhead. And Claywood&#8217;s boards are meant to be shared, so there&#8217;s that.
If it makes sense for them financially, it would be nice to have one or two smaller boards on the menu.
As far as having to dig for what we wanted, we didn&#8217;t have any problem getting whatever we wanted from the boards. Everything&#8217;s presented beautifully. A feast for the eyes and belly. Small gold-colored tongs and spoons for sauces come with the boards. I admit to using my fingers once or twice. Don&#8217;t judge me.
Small Plates
I feel like a couple small plates might be priced a little high, but overall, they&#8217;re reasonably priced. Very much like what you&#8217;d expect at other area restaurants.
Brunch
Not only does Claywood&#8217;s current Brunch Menu look especially delicious, prices are average among nicer restaurants in the area.
Cocktails, Wine & Whiskey
Claywood&#8217;s classic and original cocktails listed on their menu average just under $16. I consider that expensive for Hendersonville. You can always order a basic (like a G&T) cocktail made with &#8220;well liquor&#8221; if you prefer. They have a nice selection of NA cocktails, too.
That said, from what I experienced, Claywood&#8217;s bartender Bret is exceptional. Tell him what liquor you like, taste preference, etc., and he&#8217;ll whip you up something delicious. Sit at the bar and watch the show. No pressure, Bret. 😉
Their curated Wine & Whiskey programs are solid. They already have over 120 bottles in the whiskey program to choose from. Keep an eye on the offerings as they grow.
The Space
Claywood&#8217;s tag line is &#8220;Wine & Whiskey Social&#8221;. They&#8217;ve done a great job converting a long, narrow rectangle into a warm, cozy space with sofa seating, leather-like sofa and club chairs like you&#8217;d find in a lounge, nice bar seating, and a few tables. It&#8217;s about socializing and conversation. In the back of the space is what they call &#8220;The Social Room&#8221;. It&#8217;s the only place I saw with a screen on the wall. As of now, it&#8217;s for overflow seating and private events. It&#8217;s lovely. See the gallery below.
The Crew
As soon as we walked in, two out of three working the open kitchen recognized me, and I them. I knew Sous-Chef Jordan and Line Cook Alex when they worked at The 2nd Act, The Buzz, and now Claywood. Love living in a town where this happens! Chef W. Flakes is new to the area. He goes by &#8220;W&#8221;. Just say the letter.
I also recognized our server Chris. He&#8217;s currently working at Claywood and another spot in town. He&#8217;s pretty amazing, handling the entire dining room by himself this evening. Bret might have jumped in a couple of times? Every picture I took of Chris is blurred to some extent because he rarely stopped moving.
Bottom Line
Claywood&#8217;s offering a relaxed, elevated experience that&#8217;s new for Hendersonville. The demographic leans younger, but not exclusively. Feel is somewhere between &#8220;bohemian&#8221; Asheville and &#8220;professional&#8221; Greenville, SC. Dress? I&#8217;d suggest &#8220;dressy casual&#8221;. It reminded my friend of being in a bigger city, hanging out with urban professionals after work.
Go to Claywood and see what you think. Pretty sure you&#8217;re gonna to love it!

NOTES:

Claywood&#8217;s Menu is a little hard to find on Mobile screens. It&#8217;s found by clicking the image under &#8220;Claywood Food And Cocktail Menu&#8221;.
Live Music Friday evenings from 6-8pm
They&#8217;ve paid for dedicated parking, free for customers, in the lot next to their building. Not sure if that will continue after the 7th Ave road construction is completed?
It&#8217;s quieter than many other bars. At least it was this night.
Claywood&#8217;s a good spot for meeting up with friends for drinks.

Claywood
317 7th Ave E
Hendersonville, NC 28792
Phone: (828) 471-7500
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