Q: Henderson Co launches pilot food waste collection

Hendersonville – Henderson County’s “Convenience Center” will launche a pilot food waste collection program on September 14th. They’ll have two dedicated 64 Gallon carts available. Permitted Items: “breads and pastas, coffee/tea grounds, paper filters/tea bags, cooked meat, fish, poultry, bones (cooked only), herbs and greens, eggshells and dairy, grains and cereals, fruits and vegetables, leftovers and scraps, rice and beans, compostable containers, cut flowers and stems, paper towels and napkins, soiled pizza boxes and paper bags.” NOT Permitted in food waste carts: “aluminum foil, cans, ash or coal, bathroom products & baby wipes, chewing gum, glass, household trash, liquid cooking oil, pet waste, fur, hair, plastic containers, bags, film, raw meat, recyclables, steel cans, straws, plastic silverware, plates, textiles, tobacco products, yard waste and leaves.” Three backyard compost worshops taught by Asheville Greenworks will take place this fall on Sept 23, October 14, and October 17. A DIY kit costs $15. Registration information can be found online at www.hcrecycles.org. For more information call (828) 697-4505 or (828) 694-6524. via Hendersonville Lightening

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

Question 1

When a rectangle becomes a heart: Appalachian Coffee Company

Accepted Answer

Hendersonville/Laurel Park &#8211;  Laurel Park has a hit on its hands with Appalachian Coffee Company (https://www.appalachiancoffeecompany.com/)! It&#8217;s in an unassuming roadside building that&#8217;s been renovated into a wonderful space you&#8217;re going to love!

After completing carefully thought out renovations to the building at 1628 5th Ave. West, including an awesome deck out back, they celebrated their Grand Opening about 2 1/2 weeks ago, on March 17th and 18th.
The location is especially nice for a couple reasons: they have plenty of free parking in their lot, and they&#8217;re next door to Laurel Green Park.
The parking lot is self-explanatory, but let me tell you about the sweet park. It&#8217;s at the intersection of 5th Ave W and White Pine Drive. The park has paved walking trails perfect for toddlers on foot or wheels, Little Laurel Green Playground &#8211; including a playhouse, a gazebo, shaded park benches, a creek and pond with ducks. The park is open sunrise to sunset and is pet-friendly, as long as they&#8217;re leashed.
There are no bathrooms in the park, but you&#8217;re welcome to use Town Hall facilities across White Pine Dr. Monday &#8211; Friday, 9 am &#8211; 5 pm. If a police officer is in the office after hours or on weekends, the restrooms may also be available.
So what&#8217;s the big deal about Appalachian Coffee Company being next to a park? Moms and dads that hang out at parks with their kids know. Go-cups keep you sharp at the park.

Later, when the kids get a little hangry (&#8220;bad-tempered or irritable as a result of hunger&#8221;), you pop back over to Appalachian for a sandwich, salad, juice, or maybe a smoothie. They also have sweet treats like cookies for the deserving.
The coffee&#8217;s great. No question. They passed my latte test with flying colors.

Interior decor and finishes are awesome! There are plenty of tables for small and large parties. To the right just inside the front door is lux leather sofa/chair seating. The place is just so inviting, you&#8217;ll want to hang out every chance you get.

I&#8217;ve talked to a few people who&#8217;ve tried different sandwiches here and loved them. But Avocado Toast ($5.65) is one of my faves, so had to check it out. It&#8217;s described on the menu as &#8220;rustic sourdough toast, avocado, hard boiled egg, sprinkle of salt, pepper, and paprika.&#8221;
This was the strangest take on Avocado Toast I&#8217;ve had to date. It made for a beautiful presentation, but the egg mixture had a fluffy, &#8220;fuzzy&#8221; mouthfeel and was pretty tasteless, even though it was mixed with shredded cheese. Perhaps it needs more than a sprinkle of salt?
After speculating with my table-mate on how in the world they got that texture, I asked. Shredding the hard boiled eggs was the answer. The bread/toast was great. The avocado was fine. Try it if you think it&#8217;ll work for you.

Besides great coffee and sandwiches, a few things set them apart from many other coffee shops. They have a &#8220;extensive and exceptionally curated beer and wine retail market&#8221;, a good-sized event space in back (still being finished up), and great outdoor seating on their deck.

Epicurean Notes:

Free Wi-Fi is available
Appalachian currently has three locations:

Laurel Park
Hendersonville &#8211; Includes a drive through at 1314 Asheville Highway
Brevard &#8211; on the Brevard College campus in the old Brevard College boiler house, which was rechristened as &#8220;Bill&#8217;s Boiler House&#8221; in 2014.

Appalachian Coffee Company (https://www.appalachiancoffeecompany.com/)
1628 5th Ave West
Hendersonville, NC 28739

Question 2

Sunday Brunch at 1898 Waverly Inn: "puts you in a good temper"

Accepted Answer

Hendersonville &#8211; Only three years before the 1898 Waverly Inn  (https://www.waverlyinn.com ) was built in Hendersonville, the word &#8220;Brunch&#8220;, a portmanteau, was coined in Britain to sugest a new Sunday meal for &#8220;Saturday-night carousers&#8221; in the writer Guy Beringer&#8217;s Punch magazine article &#8220;Brunch: A Plea&#8221;.

&#8220;Brunch is cheerful, sociable and inciting. It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.&#8221; ~ Guy Beringer
Brunch happens at 1898 Waverly Inn every Sunday, and is indeed &#8220;cheerful and sociable&#8221;. Not so sure about &#8220;inciting&#8221;.
My sisters, son, husband, and I went for the $20 pix prixe Easter Sunday Brunch this past weekend. Drinks were not included in the price, but four very reasonably priced ($5 and $6) mimosas were on the menu: Orange, Cranberry, Creamsicle, and Caramel Apple. I had two. Don&#8217;t judge.
First up were THE most delicious Hot Cross Buns I&#8217;ve ever had. That seems a pretty strong statement, but it&#8217;s true. Not only were the buns delicious, the &#8220;honey butter&#8221; was more of a super light citrus (orange and lemon) oh so delicious frosting. It melted just enough to moisten the bun, but not fall off to the side.

My son really enjoyed the Spring Mix Salad with Grapes and Pistachio Crusted Goat Cheese. I didn&#8217;t take a taste, but according to him, everything was fresh and the balsamic dressing was very good.

Apparently it was too hard for my sisters to choose between the Soup and Salad options. They both ordered the Cream of Asparagus Soup (as did hubs and myself), AND a salad to go, intending to have it later with dinner at home.
Everything on the menu was house-made, including the balsamic dressing, soup from scratch, and dessert. Hats off to Chef Lily!
Oh, that soup! The mouthfeel was thick and luscious and bursting with flavor.

Co-owner Mike Burnette and wife Tracey were both on hand, helping with service. But, in addition, Mike had smoked the Honey Glazed Smoked Easter Ham himself. It was served with a cold Potato Green Bean Salad.
Know that I&#8217;d sign up for Mike&#8217;s honey glazed smoked ham any time! Every bite of this sweet, smoked ham was very good. Although we liked the potato, bean, and egg salad, the general consensus at our table was that we would have preferred a warm side.

Chef Lily&#8217;s Coconut Cream Pie was such a perfect finish! Light, refreshing, and just sweet enough. The jelly beans were cute, but I took a pass this time.

Mike also smokes pork for their BBQ dinners and events. Looks like they have live music by Nitrograss on the front lawn scheduled for April 12th. BBQ and refreshments will be for sale. They&#8217;re good about posting events on their Facebook Events page.
If you go, there&#8217;s a shared parking lot between 1898 Waverly Inn and The Charleston Inn. Enter from one-way N. Main St, just before it merges with N. King St.
1898 Waverly Inn (https://www.waverlyinn.com/)
783 N Main St
Hendersonville, NC 28792
Phone: (828) 693-9193

Question 3

Henderson County Career Academy and North Buncombe High  Advance to 2018 National ProStart Invitational

Accepted Answer

Raleigh &#8211; First-place winners in culinary and management divisions win more than $500,000 in scholarships in annual competition
The North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association (NCRLA), the voice of North Carolina’s $23 billion restaurant, foodservice and lodging industry, today announced that Henderson County Career Academy and North Buncombe High School secured first place finishes in the 2018 North Carolina ProStart Invitational (NCPI) presented by Golden Corral. NCPI is a high-stakes culinary arts and restaurant management competition organized by the association’s philanthropic arm, the North Carolina Hospitality Education Foundation.
The 2018 NCPI took place Feb. 26-27, at Johnson & Wales University &#8211; Charlotte. High school students from across North Carolina put their skills to the test in front of industry leaders, family and friends with the hopes to earn more than $1 million in scholarships—awarded to first, second and third place teams—to top culinary schools across the country. More than 100 ProStart students, made up of 18 teams from across the state, demonstrated their mastery of skills in the fast-paced, high level competition.
The following teams placed in the top five for the management and culinary divisions of the competition:
2018 NCPI Culinary Winners
First place: Henderson County Career Academy, Flat Rock, NC

Second place: Smithfield Selma High School, Smithfield, NC
Third place: Cary High School, Cary, NC
Fourth place: Southwestern Randolph High School, Asheboro, NC
Fifth place: Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School, Raleigh, NC
2018 NCPI Management Winners
First place: North Buncombe High School, Weaverville, NC
Second place: Sanderson High School, Raleigh, NC
Third place: West Rowan High School, Mount Ulla, NC
Fourth place: Western Harnett High School, Lillington, NC
Fifth place: Davie High School, Mocksville, NC
Both Henderson County Career Academy and North Buncombe High advance to the prestigious National ProStart Invitational in Providence, Rhode Island, April 27-29. The two teams will attend a preparation boot camp March 14, at Wake Tech Community College in Raleigh.
“North Carolina’s hospitality industry is thriving, and demand for talent to meet job growth is at an all-time high. We are proud to be a part of a program that continues to prepare the industry’s future leaders for a fulfilling career in the restaurant and hospitality industry,” said Lynn Minges, president and CEO of NCRLA and NC HEF. “These students have demonstrated amazing competencies during the annual North Carolina ProStart competition. There is no doubt that they will make us proud as they advance to the National ProStart Invitational in Providence, Rhode Island, this April.”
The culinary competition highlights each team’s creative abilities through the preparation of a three-course meal in 60 minutes, using only two butane burners, and without access to running water or electricity. The culinary teams are evaluated on taste, skill, teamwork, safety and sanitation.
The management competition requires teams to develop a proposal for the next promising restaurant concept and present it to the panel of industry judges. Students must communicate their entrepreneurial ideas clearly and use their problem-solving skills to solve challenges faced by managers daily.
The ProStart program is utilized in more than 1,700 high schools in 50 states, Guam and on U.S. military bases and reaches nearly 120,000 secondary students annually. Many post-secondary schools in the nation recognize ProStart’s Certificate of Achievement, which is awarded to students who complete both levels of the program and at least 400 hours of work experience, and reward them with scholarships and credits.
To learn more about the North Carolina ProStart program, click here.
About NCRLA
Established in 1947, the North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association (NCRLA) works to advance and protect North Carolina’s $23 billion restaurant, foodservice and lodging industry. The association provides access to the resources and support restaurant and lodging professionals need to lead thriving businesses, while serving as conscientious, contributing members of an unparalleled industry. To learn more information about NCRLA or its membership opportunities and cost-saving benefits, please visit www.ncrla.org.
About NC HEF
The North Carolina Hospitality Education Foundation (NC HEF) is the philanthropic foundation of the North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association, helping to enhance the hospitality industry’s service to the public through education, community engagement and promotion of career opportunities. NC HEF works to attract, develop and retain a career-oriented professional workforce for the hospitality industry. For more information, please visit https://www.ncrla.org/foundation/.
Release

Question 4

A peek inside the 5 year Hendersonville restaurant project

Accepted Answer

It happened. It happened today, Thursday September 21, 2017.
This was the day I was invited to tour possibly the most anticipated new Hendersonville restaurant &#8211; ever. It&#8217;s been in the works for five years. FIVE years.
Owners Bobby and Layla Rogers were incredibly welcoming as they walked me through the building, top (roof bar) to bottom (lower level event space).
Did I ask THE question? Yes I did! &#8220;Why has it taken you so long to get this place open?&#8221;

You&#8217;ll agree the answer makes complete sense when you read the interview I&#8217;ll be publishing soon.
What I wasn&#8217;t able to get out of the Rogers was what they plan to name the place. If you&#8217;ve followed along over the years, you know they&#8217;ve said the name has 5 letters. Friends and I have our top three guesses: D&#8217;layd, Later, and Fīn-l-y (that&#8217;s a long &#8220;i&#8221;).

It shouldn&#8217;t be too long before they&#8217;re open for business. All that&#8217;s missing are a few pieces of kitchen equipment, finalizing some paperwork, and getting that which anyone who has ever built a business or home has waited for, the CO (Certificate of Occupancy).
As soon as they open for business, you must go in for a drink, meal, or both, and take a good look around. I can say with some confidence you&#8217;ll be as impressed as I am with the attention to detail, incorporation of advanced technology, and quality of design & construction.
There are so many things that impressed me, I&#8217;m just going to mention a few here:

Know that most interior cabinetry, booth seating, tables, and other wooden structures were built by the Rogers using the building&#8217;s original floor joists. Some were milled into boards of various sizes.
The building is being held up by those who know as a fine example of how to restore a historic building the right way.
Watch the action in a big, beautiful, open kitchen as you dine. It&#8217;s going to be a good show!
When it&#8217;s open, definitely check out the rooftop bar. It&#8217;ll be THE place to be in nice weather.
They&#8217;re not easy to spot if you don&#8217;t know what you&#8217;re looking for, but find the black circular wall-mounted magnetic &#8220;docks&#8221; for tablets around the restaurant. When a tablet is on the dock, it&#8217;s charging as it&#8217;s being used.
Don&#8217;t like handling the restroom door handle on your way out? Use the foot pad to pull it open before stepping out.

What about the menu? Expect a mix of multiple cuisines with a healthy dose of American &#8211; classic and nouveau, with approachable prices.

Question 5

Henderson Co launches pilot food waste collection

Accepted Answer

Hendersonville &#8211; Henderson County&#8217;s &#8220;Convenience Center&#8221; will launche a pilot food waste collection program on September 14th.
They&#8217;ll have two dedicated 64 Gallon carts available.
Permitted Items: &#8220;breads and pastas, coffee/tea grounds, paper filters/tea bags, cooked meat, fish, poultry, bones (cooked only), herbs and greens, eggshells and dairy, grains and cereals, fruits and vegetables, leftovers and scraps, rice and beans, compostable containers, cut flowers and stems, paper towels and napkins, soiled pizza boxes and paper bags.&#8221;
NOT Permitted in food waste carts: &#8220;aluminum foil, cans, ash or coal, bathroom products & baby wipes, chewing gum, glass, household trash, liquid cooking oil, pet waste, fur, hair, plastic containers, bags, film, raw meat, recyclables, steel cans, straws, plastic silverware, plates, textiles, tobacco products, yard waste and leaves.&#8221;
Three backyard compost worshops taught by Asheville Greenworks will take place this fall on Sept 23, October 14, and October 17. A DIY kit costs $15.
Registration information can be found online at www.hcrecycles.org. For more information call (828) 697-4505 or (828) 694-6524.
via Hendersonville Lightening

Question 6

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 7

Why Postero Must Not Close

Accepted Answer

Hendersonville &#8211; Another year in the books, business partner and friend, Nichole Livengood (Gap Creek Gourmet), and I celebrated over dinner at Postero.
I&#8217;m a sucker for Brussels Sprouts. Postero&#8217;s take: Carmelized Brussels ($5) with local honey and toasted peanuts was fantastic. A generous serving, it&#8217;s practically a meal in itself. Loved the added crunch of the toasted peanuts.
See the complimentary bread behind the Brussels? It&#8217;s dangerous. It&#8217;s delicious, but be strong. Don&#8217;t be tempted to eat too much. You&#8217;ll regret it when your appetizer and entreé show up.

And just look at this $5 Smoked Butter and Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes appetizer! Both of these dishes are listed as &#8220;Provisions&#8221; on the menu. So good, but huge! Sharing is a good thing.

Just as we were marveling at the size of the apps and how much food we had inadvertanly ordered, Owner/Chef Jason Reasoner sent out Edamame Hummas ($6) from his &#8220;Snack&#8221; menu. Wow! We&#8217;re talking tahini, lemon sauce, olive oil, crushed edamame, and pickled yellow raisins, served with an ample supply of crostini. Now we were really in trouble. We loved the flavor and texture combinations.
Chef told us later that people weren&#8217;t too sure about this dish when he first put it on the menu, but now it&#8217;s sometimes hard to meet demand.

Yours truly was in the mood for something substantial and special. Postero&#8217;s &#8220;Steak&#8221; ($27) &#8211; grilled Beef Tenderloin with smoked butter-cauliflower mashed potatoes, Postero Steak Sauce, Burgandy braised mushrooms, and Blue Cheese butter met the bill big time.
I can&#8217;t say enough about the Postero Steak Sauce. It&#8217;s definitely not your average steak sause. Absolutely fabulous! It&#8217;s the kind of sauce you don&#8217;t want to leave on your plate. And those mushrooms. Terrific!

Every single dish came to the table hot. That doesn&#8217;t always happen at restaurants.
Nichole ordered a Market Plate ($19). This is a gamble I almost took, but opted for the Steak instead. I would have been totally happy with this daily preparation of &#8220;seasonal produce from the fields and local markets&#8221;. What a great combination of nuts, greens, cheese, and other veggies. Yum! Another good plate to share.

We were pretty full, but wanted to finish on a shared sweet note. Even though Chocolate Molten Cake can be cliché, we thought Postero&#8217;s version sounded different &#8211; and it was house-made. On the menu as Chocolate and Peanut Butter ($6), it&#8217;s filled with peanut butter sauce and served with a scoop of salted peanut brittle ice cream. You really have to try this. So good.

Postero must not close. Ever. Hendersonville, NC has needed a fine dining spot for quite a while. The kind of place you previously had to head north to Asheville to enjoy. And if you were paying attention, you would have noticed prices are definitely reasonable for this level of creativity and skill.
Postero is definitely Epicurean recommended.
Postero
401 N Main St
Hendersonville, NC 28792
(828) 595-9676

Category: Hendersonville

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