Q: Sovereign Remedies: serving up delectable eye candy {photolog}

Asheville – This past Thursday, four friends met for dinner at Sovereign Remedies. The evening involved five cocktails, a pint of local craft beer, five small and 2 large plates. No beverage photos were taken, but I felt compelled to document the beautiful food presentations that also happen to taste amazing. We did share an order of Bone Marrow Tater Tots ($8) with capers, celery, and pickled red onion. Three come on the plate, so two of us shared one tot and the other two each had their own. Next time, I’m ordering three for myself. Loved these! “Honey Crisp Apples ($11): Celeriac, Lobster Mushroom, Pickled Turnip, Melon Vinaigrette, Sunflower Seed” “Perfect New Potatoes ($11): Corn Pudding, Concord Grape, Red Onion Marmalade, Brown Butter” “Watermelon Glazed Carrots ($12): Figs, Daikon Sprouts, Popped Sorghum, Pickled Mustard Seed” Tomato and Cucumber: sorry, no price or description for this one “Bavette Steak ($19): Honey Mushroom, Delicata Squash, Shell Beans, Green Tomato, Herbed Jus” “Joyce Farm Chicken ($18): Breast, Thigh Presse, Pickled Scallion, Summer Squash, Nasturtium Aioli, Baby Fennel” Read about a previous dinner at Sovereign Remedies here. Sovereign Remedies 29 N. Market Street (At the Corner of Walnut) Asheville, NC 28801 Phone: 828-919-9518

Q: Posana: where to go for Sunday Brunch

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

Question 1

Find your Passion for Pinot at Season's

Accepted Answer

Flat Rock &#8211; Last week my husband and I were lucky enough to attend the Season&#8217;s at Highland Lake (http://hlinn.com/seasons) Passion for Pinot Wine Dinner.
I was really looking forward to a meal prepared by Executive Chef Nate Sargent. He&#8217;d put together such great menus for Hendersonville Restaurant Week, so I had high expectations. And watching him interact with a WSPA reporter filming him cook for a Restaurant Week news story, I knew he had a fun, approachable personality.
Before the sold out dinner for 50 began, Chef Nate gave us an overview of the evening to come. He also introduced Tom Leiner, Grapevine Distributors wine expert, who had worked with Chef to pair the perfect Pinot with each course.
Left: Tom Leiner, from Grapevine Distributors Right: Executive Chef Nate Sargent
There was an unintentional theme that ran through the evening. It was actually pretty humorous. Chef Nate would describe each course before it was served and he just couldn&#8217;t help himself. As his enthusiasm got the better of him, he&#8217;d invariably mention &#8211; BUTTER. Rich, buttery flavor, texture, etc. By the dessert course description, the room waited with bated breath . . . and there it was, butter! The room chuckled along with a grinning Chef.
First Course: AMUSE-BOUCHE
Paired with: 2016 Underwood Pinot Noir, Oregon, USA
A lightly Mesquite-Smoked Verlasso Salmon with Capers, Green Apple Slaw on Crostini. Some approached the crostini as a hand-held appetizer, while others used knife and fork. Either way, it was a delicious mix of smoked, salty, and sweet flavors.

Second Course: FROM THE SEA
Paired with: 2016 Kurtatsch Pinot Bianco, Alto Adige, Italy
This dish was a wonderful dance between flavor and texture of Seared Sea Scallops cooked just shy of loosing their most flavorful, soft texture, smooth Fire-Roasted Artichoke Hearts, and crispy Coriander Pickled Radish & Serrano Ham Chip, drizzled with a buttery Smoked Tomato Beurre Blanc sauce.

Third Course: SALADE
Paired with: 2017 Elk Cove Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, USA
I concede this dish looks a little like a beached ship&#8217;s hull. Normally I&#8217;m not big on wedges of lettuce, no matter what kind, but this Romaine Heart topped with Spring Pea Mousse, and served with Truffled Shiitake, Fennel Fronds, crumbled Chèvre and Candy Spiced Sunflower Seeds was surprisingly good stem to stern.

Fourth course: DECONSTRUCTED DUCK WELLINGTON
Paired with: 2014 Rock Wall Pinot Noir, Russian River, USA
There are deconstructions and then there are deconstructions. This one struck me as a minimalist inside out Wellington, with fork-tender Duck, Mushroom Mélange, and Fingerling Potato-Horseradish Puree placed gently on buttery, flaky Puff Pastry that had been drizzled with Duck-Sassafras Demi-Glace. Small-scale hearty and light at the same time, it was full-flavored and was perfectly portioned for a multi-course dinner like this.

Dessert course: SALTED CARAMEL & PEAR PASSION
Dessert was fabulous! I really hope Season&#8217;s keeps this on the menu so I can go back and have it again. Chef Nate baked buttery Dacquoise Biscuits with Hazelnuts and topped them with a mixture of William Pears in a Caramel Bavarian Cream. It was light with a brulee-like texture. Oh. My. Goodness.

Season&#8217;s hosts a variety of wine dinners through the year, two of which are Passion for Pinot themed. Watch their Facebook Page for event announcements and get your tickets quickly, before these popular dinners sell out.
Season&#8217;s at Highland Lake (http://hlinn.com/seasons)
86 Lily Pad Ln
Flat Rock, NC 28731
Phone: (828) 696-9094
Sponsored

Question 2

A fresh look at Rezaz

Accepted Answer

Asheville (Biltmore Village) &#8211; Considering all the new, sparkly openings in Asheville, it seems like Rezaz (http://rezaz.com/) &#8211; beloved by locals &#8211; has been around forever.
&#8220;The menu is also changing, with the addition of fare from North Africa, Spain and Greece. New dishes include Tunisian ahi tuna, fragrant Israeli chicken soup, Sicilian burrata cheese and grilled Delmonico steak.&#8221; ~ The Laurel of Asheville
Co-owners since 2015, Laura and Brian Smith, reopened Rezaz last month after a major remodel. The place was basically gutted and totally reconfigured. As an aside, Laura&#8217;s smile is completely infectious. You just can&#8217;t help but smile in response.
They also shook up the menu, re-focusing from Middle Eastern to Mediterranean. Not to worry, though. Some favorites like Grilled Octopus and Bento Box lunches are still available.
I&#8217;d been wanting to go for quite awhile and this remodel was the perfect motivator. The prospect of great food? Well, yeah, that too.
22&#8242; Custom Wine Wall
Complimentary house-made Banana and Focaccia Bread that arrived at our table were so good, none of us bothered dipping.

Okay. Here&#8217;s a little story for you. My sister ordered this cocktail while I was looking at the wine list, so I didn&#8217;t pay attention to ingredients. I was distracted by the three page wine folder, that when opened, was completely blank.

We all tasted the drink and agreed it was light and refreshing, perfect for warmer weather. And just look at that color!
As soon as our server stopped back to take my wine order, I said, &#8220;Nothing on your list spoke to me. Perhaps you could choose something for me?&#8221; It was fun watching her reaction when she opened it up to pick the perfect match for my meal.
Although the food pictured in the Moroccan Tagine ($22) below isn&#8217;t in focus, I wanted to show you the lovely serving piece (Tagine) they&#8217;re using.

Here&#8217;s a better shot of the sweet & savory tagine mixture of lemon pickle, apricot, fregola, cashews, olive and chicken. You have a choice of protein: tofu, chicken, or shrimp.
What a wonderful symphony of flavors, cooked to tender perfection. This is a dish you must order when you go.

My choice was the Parisian Beef Bourguingon ($26). Imagine a boneless Short Rib resting in a shallow bowl of Red Wine Jus topped with Potato Beignets (herbed mashed potatoes, deep fried), Grilled Asparagus, and bread crumbs.
I would have been happy stopping at the short rib in red wine jus, to tell you the truth, but asparagus and potatoes completed the meal beautifully. Meat &#8211; fall-apart tender; Asparagus &#8211; al dente and bursting with a lightly smoked flavor; Potatoes &#8211; subtly seasoned and an interesting concept.

Three of us shared this large slice of Coconut Cake layered with lemon curd. Absolutely fantastic flavor and great texture! You must order this, too &#8211; even if you&#8217;re full. Take it home for later if you have to.

Actually, you really should try everything in this post. All our meals were generously portioned. So much so, we all went home with enough for a hearty snack or mid-day meal.
Rezaz has a small lot next to their building, but it&#8217;s frequently full. We parked in the free Village lots across the street and walked the block or so.
If you&#8217;ve never been, or haven&#8217;t been since Laura and Brian remodeled, you must go.
People frequently ask me that impossible to answer question &#8211; &#8220;What&#8217;s your favorite restaurant in Asheville?&#8221; My answer is always, &#8220;There are so many fabulous restaurants in Asheville. It depends on the cuisine you&#8217;re in the mood for, your preferred price range, and ambiance.&#8221; And then I list off three or four favorites. Rezaz in now on the top tier of that list.
Rezaz (http://rezaz.com/)
28 Hendersonville Rd
Asheville, NC 28803
Phone: (828) 277-1510

Question 3

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 4

Sink your teeth into this!

Accepted Answer

West Asheville &#8211; Have you been to Foothills Butcher Bar and Kitchen (https://www.foothillslocalmeats.com/) yet? It&#8217;s one of my go-to spots for an in-house butcher and what they call &#8220;honest meats&#8221;.
Open for a while now, but easy to miss if you don&#8217;t know where to find them, look for Foothills tucked away at the back of a small, L-shaped mall right next to the West Asheville Ingles Market. See satellite MAP here: https://goo.gl/maps/GwLFRsmJ8ET2
But wait! Not only can you get fresh cuts of meat, you can also order from their kitchen menu (eat-in or to-go), and full bar!

&#8220;Our West Asheville Butcher Bar and Kitchen is a family-friendly destination for eat-in or take-out, grabbing a pint of local beer or a casual cocktail after work, or swinging by to pick up fresh grocery staples or your weekly Meat CSA package from our butcher counter.&#8221;
Yes, I took a picture of their glassware. Can&#8217;t you just imagine an Old Fashioned or other whiskey drink in that tumbler, served with an awesome grilled steak?

I went for a &#8220;classic&#8221; and ordered the Foothills Burger ($13). Take two luscious ground beef patties, top with lettuce, tomato, onion, house pickles, ketchup, mustard, Dukes (mayo, for the uninitiated), and american cheese, on a sesame seed bun from Annie&#8217;s Bakery.
Rarely [?] do I eat an entire burger in one sitting, let alone a double-patty burger. But yes I did! So delicious, with a perfect char. And the fries held their own, too.

If memory serves, the sandwich pictured next was on the &#8220;specials board&#8221;. According to the lunch pal that placed the order, it was completely tasty! Very tender, easy-to-bite meat, pickles, mustard, mayo, and melty cheese.

I&#8217;m a huge fan of Charcuterie Boards, but feel Foothill&#8217;s Butcher’s Tray ($14) is a little out of the ordinary. Perhaps more of a purist&#8217;s take. The assorted house made deli meats and Charcuterie are on the &#8220;heavier&#8221; side, encouraging savoring the meat for the meat&#8217;s sake rather than putting it on a cracker and topping it with relish or chutney &#8211; which I also love.
Take sink-your-teeth-in bites and savor what it is your&#8217;re eating. Also on the tray are local mustard and &#8220;fixin’s&#8221; like pickles and pickled onions. You can add local cheese selection for $3, which is what happened here.

A good Reuben ($13) is always one of my top lunch choices. Foothills makes theirs with thin sliced, house cured pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, thousand island dressing, served on Annie’s Bakery marble rye bread. And, boy, was it delicious! Portioned generously with just the right amounts of pastrami, sauerkraut, and cheese. This is what I&#8217;ll be getting the next time.

They have a cold case toward the back of the shop that keeps a nice selection of fresh products chilled. I didn&#8217;t check with them, but I&#8217;m betting you could order ahead if you wanted special cuts or a large quantity of something specific.

And for a special treat for the pups! Nice.

There&#8217;s just one caveat: seating is of the metal type and slightly narrow with side supports for the seat back. Interpret that as seating may not be the most comfortable for some folks.
Epicurean Notes:

Sunday Brunch with full bar and specialty cocktails is offered from 11am to 3pm. See the menu here.
They park their Food Truck at Hi Wire Brewing’s Big Top Taproom at 2 Huntsman Place, Asheville NC 28803. Visit this page for days/hours and a link to order and pay online for dine-in or take out.
Their Catering menu and details are here.
Foothills offers two types of CSAs:

Meet Share CSA &#8211; &#8220;&#8216;Heat and eat” dishes, seasoned meats for easy cooking, and Foothills house deli meats all created by Chef Dave Kane&#8221;
Butcher Shop CSA &#8211; &#8220;Fresh, uncooked, unseasoned beef, pork, and chicken for your fridge or freezer. For folks who love to buy in bulk!&#8221;

Foothills Butcher Bar & Kitchen (https://www.foothillslocalmeats.com/)
697 Haywood Rd Unit E
Asheville, NC 28806
Phone: (828) 417-7081

Question 5

Jargon - the language of delicious in West Asheville

Accepted Answer

West Asheville &#8211; Looking for interesting food and killer ambiance? Jargon&#8217;s (https://jargonrestaurant.com/) the place!
Lights are set low and the intimate space is jam-packed with witty references to speech and communication &#8211; along with random things like lava lamps &#8211; throughout.

Notice the vintage printers type trays under the bar and on the wall? Don&#8217;t know about you, but for me, they invoked warm feelings for times gone by.
Wall of mirrors
One in our group of three ordered the Goat Cheese Fondue ($12). It&#8217;s served in a tall mug, the hollow bottom of which holds a lit votive candle that keeps things warm and melty.  Tempura vegetables, dried apricots, green apples, and herb bread arrive along with the mug on a nice board.
Good thing she offered to share &#8211; a little &#8211; or there might have been a problem.
Wasn&#8217;t sure what to expect when I ordered the Roasted Beet Salad ($9), but was pleasantly surprised with the plating. On the slate &#8211; roasted golden beets, Three Graces honey goat cheese, toasted pistachios, micros, and balsamic reduction.
It&#8217;s quite a bit of Goat Cheese, so if I were to order this again, I might ask for few crostini or pieces of bread for spreading.

If memory serves, the following is a photo of this night&#8217;s fish special. I didn&#8217;t take a bite, but reports were good.

Their Duo of Marrow ($15) got rave reviews! There wasn&#8217;t a spec left of the roasted garlic and thyme, and crème brûlée marrow mousse. It&#8217;s served with a pickled parsley and shallot salad, blackberry chutney, and herb bread.

Also offered as a special this night was Jargon&#8217;s take on Chicken and Waffle, served with a sweet potato mixture and 64 degree egg. It was savory and had a definite kick.

Of note: The Scrabble feature wall in the restroom is awesome! There are lots of names and words in there. Can&#8217;t even imagine gluing all those tiles on the wall! Well done, though. Well done.

Next time I go, I&#8217;ll be bringing my DSLR camera with macro lens so I can get some decent pictures.
Service was exceptional. Our orders came out of the kitchen quickly. Bar service was great.
Jargon
715 Haywood Rd
Asheville, NC 28806
(828) 785-1761

Question 6

Dainty Dishes set before us at The Blackbird

Accepted Answer

Asheville &#8211; This past Fall, I was lucky enough to attend a new-menu tasting at The Blackbird ( http://theblackbirdrestaurant.com/ ) These particular items may or may not be on the menu now, but they&#8217;ll give you an idea of what&#8217;s coming out of their kitchen.
I&#8217;d started this article just before the news came out that Blackbird owners Jesson and Cristina Gill had taken over ownership of a second Asheville restaurant, Early Girl Eatery. That confirmed that writing this now was fated because after spending an evening over an intimate dining experience that included Jesson and Cristina, not only did I come away with a new appreciation for Blackbird&#8217;s food, I also found myself liking the Gills very much.
I&#8217;m thrilled they&#8217;ve experienced enough success at Blackbird that they&#8217;re able to expand their holdings.
The Tasting
Executive Chef Michael Reppert and Bar Manager Rama Malinak walked our small group through multiple courses, some paired with wine expertly chosen by Rama.
We began with a light, delicious cocktail. It&#8217;s a variation of the classic &#8220;Blue Moon&#8221;. It&#8217;s made with lemon juice, Fords Gin,  Cointreau (triple sec), and Crème de violette. I didn&#8217;t catch an official name, but they should know what you&#8217;re talking about if you mention their Blue Moon variation.

Many of the ingredients used by Blackbird are sourced from local farms. The Peach Tomatoes in this delicious Caprese dish are sourced from Common Ground Farm. House-made Mozzarella tops the tomato slices.

Peach Tomatoes? You read that right. It&#8217;s hard to tell from the photo below, but these small tomatoes actually have soft, fuzzy skin, just like a peach! The left-on skin didn&#8217;t detract from the Caprese at all. Normally, these will be used in salads because they&#8217;re too small for regular sized Caprese dishes.
I love learning about new/different produce, don&#8217;t you?

A warm Peach and Brie Salad followed. The SC-sourced peaches are also considered local. Under the peach slices was a 1/4 wheel of Goat Lady Dairy&#8216;s Snow Camp Cheese (similar to Brie). Goat Lady Dairy is in Climax. According to Chef, the cheese is that good &#8211; wink. The chopped greens are from Serious Dog Farm (Asheville).
The peaches and cheese work well together as a tasty, refreshing, and somewhat filling dish.

House-made Brioche Toast topped with locally foraged mushrooms, dried cranberries, Romano, and Apple Cider Molasses followed. Interestingly, the molasses had been reduced 10 to 20 times, so it&#8217;s Apple Cider that&#8217;s been thickened and has a concentrated flavor.
Rama paired this mushroom dish with an Altos de Rioja Tempranillo. &#8220;It&#8217;s light enough that it won&#8217;t step on the mushrooms, but robust enough in its minerality to compliment earthy flavors.&#8221; It was perfect!

Time for a palate cleanser &#8211; Raspberry Sorbet made in-house by their Pastry Chef.

Corn and Goat Cheese Pie, a hearty vegetarian dish (also Gluten Free) inspired by the image of a cake layered with toppings. Normally there&#8217;d be a crust under the Corn Pie, but for the tasting, Chef used a crumble as a base.
Topped with a reduced warm tomato and mushroom salsa mixed with goat cheese, it was delicious!

As we were talking about various dietary restrictions and requests that come in to restaurant kitchens, Chef recalled an order for a Cheese Board with no cheese or hummus. They ended up with a lot of pickled vegetables. Cheese Board becomes Pickle Board.
Moving on, we come to a South Carolina low country specialty, Seafood Pilau. Chef&#8217;s take was absolutely fantastic. Not familiar? It&#8217;s a tomato-based sauce with clams, muscles, shrimp, crawfish, and Andouille sausage on top of a bed of rice. &#8220;South Carolina&#8217;s answer to a Paella&#8221; ~ Chef Michael

Rama chose the Chateau Montelena 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon to accompany the Seafood Pilau.
Interesting note: the movie Bottle Shock was about Chateau Montelena&#8217;s 1973 Chardonnay secretly entered and winner of the blind tasting at the first Judgement of Paris competition. At that time, the French wouldn&#8217;t even consider anything less than a French wine as worthy. See the movie if you haven&#8217;t had the chance. It&#8217;s a cute, feel good story.

Two more courses were served. A Sous Vide Beef Tenderloin and their famous Coconut Layer Cake. Unfortunately, I didn&#8217;t capture good photos, so you&#8217;ll have to use your imagination.
The Beef was fall-apart tender, served with house-made steak sauce, and absolutely delicious. It was served with whipped potatoes and succotash. Comfort food to be sure.
The Coconut Cake? It&#8217;s famous for a reason. I&#8217;m talkin&#8217; coconut custard between four layers of yellow cake &#8211; all from scratch. Don&#8217;t forget to order it for dessert and see for yourself what all the fuss is about.
Bar Manager, Rama Malinak focuses on small batch producers when stocking Blackbird&#8217;s cellars. He may or may not have mentioned a private stash, which I will attempt to investigate further at some point. 🙂
I wasn&#8217;t planning on documenting the paired wines, but photographed this Chablis label toward the beginning of the evening as a note to myself. I don&#8217;t want to name the paired dish for fear of getting it wrong. It was unexpectedly tasty.

The Blackbird is at the corner of Biltmore Ave and Aston St., across Aston from Double Deckers coffee and dessert bus.
When you go, if you can&#8217;t find street parking, park in the City Garage located under the Aloft Hotel (and Blackbird). Garage entrances can be found on both Biltmore and S. Lexington Avenues. The first hour is free. After that, it&#8217;s $1.25 per hour.
The Blackbird ( http://theblackbirdrestaurant.com/ )
47 Biltmore Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 254-2502

Question 7

White Labs Kitchen & Tap - it's all about the yeast!

Accepted Answer

Asheville &#8211; Slightly off the beaten path &#8211; meaning just outside Asheville&#8217;s downtown core, but easy to get to &#8211; is a new-ish company called White Labs.
&#8220;What began as home brewers searching for higher quality yeast, quickly grew into a team of dedicated biochemists exploring new ways to advance brewing altogether.&#8221;
Their primary focus is yeast research. And what better place to set up labs for yeast research than Beer City?
They also happen to have a pretty hip little &#8220;boutique restaurant and tasting room that showcases the delicious art of beer-infused and fermented foods.&#8221; in the adjoining building. They call it White Labs Kitchen & Tap. In nice weather, the patio out front would be the place to be. Hope they have umbrellas for those tables, though.
I wanted to see if I could taste the difference between four Pasteur Coffee Porters, each made with different yeast so I ordered a flight. They include a lot of information on the menu:

White Labs • Pasteur Coffee Porter &#8211; WLP004 Irish Ale Yeast • Porter &#8211; Other • San Diego, CA • 5.05% ABV • 35 IBU • 152 CAL
White Labs • Pasteur Coffee Porter &#8211; WLP006 Bedford British Ale Yeast • Porter &#8211; Other • San Diego, CA • 4.94% ABV • 36 IBU • 148 CAL
White Labs • Pasteur Coffee Porter &#8211; WLP059 Melbourne Ale Yeast • Porter &#8211; Other • San Diego, CA • 5.07% ABV • 39 IBU • 152 CAL
White Labs • Pasteur Coffee Porter &#8211; WLP810 San Francisco Lager Yeast • Porter &#8211; Other • San Diego, CA • 5% ABV • 39 IBU • 150 CAL

Verdict? There were definite differences in taste. I preferred the one with the Irish Ale Yeast over the other three. The beaker in back is their water delivery system, aka water for cleansing your palate and refilling your water glass. Cute way to subtly remind you about the whole lab thing.
&#8220;Featured dishes include woodfired pizzas made with White Labs pure liquid yeast, fermented sauces, farm-fresh salads and other beer-infused dishes and desserts. Enjoy cocktails, wine and 28 rotating taps of White Labs and guest beers.&#8221;
My friend Nancy and I split a Hansen’s Ferment Board ($14) listed on the menu as served with &#8220;local cheeses, fermented vegetables, Old World cured meats, and bread made with White Labs yeast cultures&#8221;.
It was that and so much more: house made pickles, mozzerella (a little chewy), and pâté; &#8220;swooshes&#8221; of tangy mustard & fruit chutney/jam; and a lovely salmon spread topped with roe. And oh man, that bread! I ate it plain, foregoing any topping, including the herb butter. We both thought this board was well worth the price.

We also shared a Brisket Woodfired Pizza ($18 / one size) &#8211; &#8220;smoked brisket, provolone, house-made mozzarella, salted onions, Calabrian chiles, barley miso, White Labs Pasteur Porter barbecue sauce, and dill pickles&#8221; top &#8220;72-hour dough fermented with White Labs yeast cultures&#8221;. Gluten Free dough is available.

I was intrigued by the idea of brisket on a pizza. I like chicken and non-standard proteins on pizzas, so why not brisket? Sad to say, neither of us were thrilled. The meat was tender and tasty, but overall, my enthusiasm fizzled.
Those Calabrian chile peppers bring heat as well as flavor. If you don&#8217;t like heat, take them off. But beware, oil from the peppers remains and still imparts a little kick.
The good news is that when Nancy went back for a second go with some other friends, they all thought the Scampi Pizza was great. See White Labs full menu HERE.
Image: White Labs Kitchen & Tap
Epicurean Notes:

There are nothing but hard surfaces here, so expect it to be noisy when crowded.
BONUS! Park in the FREE lot that runs from the front to further back on the right side of the building.
A limited (snacks) bar menu is served from 3:30pm to 5pm.
Wine, beer, and cocktails are served.

White Labs Kitchen & Tap
172 S Charlotte St
Asheville, NC 28801
Phone: (828) 974-3868

Question 8

BimBeriBon - what does it mean?

Accepted Answer

West Asheville &#8211; Before spilling the BimBeriBon beans on what the name means, I want to tell you about this sweet new West Asheville eatery.
Order at the counter where a large menu is posted on the wall, or step up prepared after looking at one of the paper menus available, especially if they&#8217;re busy.

After ordering, be sure to walk the length of the counter, noting the espresso station and a bakery that puts out gorgeous breads and sweets.

After looking at all those goodies, know that BimBeriBon&#8217;s tag line is &#8220;Real Feelgood Food&#8221;. They are completely gluten free and use no refined sugar, substituting coconut oil, honey, and natural oils for sweeteners.
My sister and I stopped in for breakfast one day before going on the Grovewood Village History Tour. If you get the chance, go on the tour. It&#8217;s an informative and interesting look back at the historic weaving and woodworking complex of Biltmore Industries located next to the Omni Grove Park Inn.
We both liked the Dosa Masala she ordered. Tasty and a big portion.
Dosa Masala: sweet potato, kale, pickled mustard seeds, cilantro chutney, raita (V)
I loved my Dutch Baby Pancake! Of course, I&#8217;m a sucker for dessert that masquerades as breakfast. The portion size was perfect. If it had been much bigger, it would have been too much. Know that it&#8217;s normally served with chocolate chips on top. I asked them to hold the chips.
Dutch Baby Pancake: stewed stone fruit, crème fraîche, flax, sorghum (V)
A friend and I had lunch here a couple months later. I really enjoyed my Avocado Toast: made with house-made millet toast, a fried egg, pink peppercorn, smoked salt, and tomato (V). It&#8217;s too bad I don&#8217;t have a photo to share. It was beautiful to look at and the toast was absolutely delicious.
Unfortunately, my friend was less than impressed with the Sardines Catalan Escabeche, saying it was &#8220;okay&#8221;, but not something she&#8217;d order again. Try it for yourself if you like sardines. Presentation was cute with sardines in a small tin.
There&#8217;s a board in back where people post their take on what BimBeriBon means. Some are short and sweet. Some humorous. Some explain in detail after serious thought and introspection.

Epicurean Notes:

BimBeriBon is co-owned by Reza Setayesh (founder of Rezaz and a co-owner of Baba Nahm) and Mitch Orland
They&#8217;re open 7 days a week for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.
There&#8217;s lots of free parking on the street and in a lot.
They serve wine, hard ciders, and have a full bar.
BinBeriBon makes their bread, syrups and other items in-house.

BimBeriBon
697 Haywood Rd
Asheville, NC 28806
Phone: (828) 505-0328

Question 9

Sovereign Remedies: serving up delectable eye candy {photolog}

Accepted Answer

Asheville &#8211; This past Thursday, four friends met for dinner at Sovereign Remedies. The evening involved five cocktails, a pint of local craft beer, five small and 2 large plates.
No beverage photos were taken, but I felt compelled to document the beautiful food presentations that also happen to taste amazing.
We did share an order of Bone Marrow Tater Tots ($8) with capers, celery, and pickled red onion. Three come on the plate, so two of us shared one tot and the other two each had their own. Next time, I&#8217;m ordering three for myself. Loved these!
&#8220;Honey Crisp Apples ($11): Celeriac, Lobster Mushroom, Pickled Turnip, Melon Vinaigrette, Sunflower Seed&#8221;
&#8220;Perfect New Potatoes ($11): Corn Pudding, Concord Grape, Red Onion Marmalade, Brown Butter&#8221;
&#8220;Watermelon Glazed Carrots ($12): Figs, Daikon Sprouts, Popped Sorghum, Pickled Mustard Seed&#8221;
Tomato and Cucumber: sorry, no price or description for this one
&#8220;Bavette Steak ($19): Honey Mushroom, Delicata Squash, Shell Beans, Green Tomato, Herbed Jus&#8221;
&#8220;Joyce Farm Chicken ($18): Breast, Thigh Presse, Pickled Scallion, Summer Squash, Nasturtium Aioli, Baby Fennel&#8221;
Read about a previous dinner at Sovereign Remedies here.
Sovereign Remedies
29 N. Market Street (At the Corner of Walnut)
Asheville, NC 28801
Phone: 828-919-9518

Question 10

Something Fishy Happened at Beaufort Grocery Co

Accepted Answer

Probably my all time favorite media tour to date, the three days spent learning about North Carolina seafood, caught, grown, or processed in-state, were eye opening.
There&#8217;s knowing about NC seafood . . . and then there&#8217;s immersing yourself in the reality of life for commercial fishermen, shrimpers, their families, fish farms, clam & oyster farms, processing facilities, and more.
Dinner our first evening was at the landmark Beaufort Grocery Co. We were joined by two commercial shrimpers who graciously spent hours talking to us about what life is like today for commercial fishermen. Read about our conversation HERE.

When we media folks (bloggers, journalists, culinary event producers) get together there&#8217;s almost constant talking, along with laughter and comparing of notes on NC Foodways, social media best practices, latest/greatest restaurants, farmers&#8217; markets, and anything else you can think of that has to do with food.
Our dinner began with these tasty Stuffed Squash Blossoms that had been dipped in a light batter and fried gently until golden and crunchy.
Ricotta Stuffed Squash Blossoms w/ Caramelized Onions, Roasted Tomatoes & Balsamic Drizzlen- Sourced from our local farmer Donnie Lewis in Otway, NC
After the squash blossoms it was nothing but NC seafood. First up was this two to three bite Asian inspired Tuna Napolean. The tuna was sourced from Morehead City&#8217;s Blue Ocean Market.
The rest of our meal was served family style. Beaufort&#8217;s Fishtowne Seafood supplied the crab meat for these deliciously cute Miniature Carolina Crab Cakes. I&#8217;m talkin&#8217; lots of meat, not filler. So good.
Miniature Carolina Crab Cakes w/ Sauce Remoulade- Sourced Crab Meat from Fishtowne Seafood in Beaufort, NC
Believe it or not, I had never had Flounder before. The closest thing to fish we had growing up was frozen fish sticks. Over the years I&#8217;ve developed a love of most seafood, but am still a little hesitant when it comes to unfamiliar fish. You realize this is a big public confession for a food writer, don&#8217;t you?
Scored and flash fried, this flounder was absolutely delicious! Loved it! It was also sourced from Blue Ocean Market, Morehead City. Since this dinner, I&#8217;ve been seeing flounder everywhere. I chalk it up to selective attention and confirmation bias &#8211; the interesting Baader-Meinhof phenomenon.
Whole Flash Fried Flounder w/ Apricot Gastrique, Jasmine Rice & Carolina Caviar- Sourced from Blue Ocean Market in Morehead City, NC
And finally Pan Seared Scallops and Shrimp in Champagne Cream Sauce on Cappelini, one of my favorites of the evening. I love scallops to begin with, but oh that sauce!
Pan Seared Scallops and Shrimp in Champagne Cream Sauce on Cappelini- Sourced from Fishtowne in Beaufort, NC and Blue Ocean Seafood in Morehead City, NC
Want more? Read the short story behind Beaufort Grocery Co and its owners here. Even more interesting is the story of the Beaufort community.
A huge Thank You to the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for hosting us on this tour.
Epicurean Note: I&#8217;m confident the quality of any item on the menu at Beaufort Grocery will be just as good when you go in for lunch, brunch, or dinner.
Beaufort Grocery Company
117 Queen St
Beaufort, NC 28516
Phone: (252) 728-3899

Question 11

Cucina24 - Rare Italian Fare

Accepted Answer

Asheville &#8211; Not as in &#8220;uncooked&#8221;, but as in hard to find, Italian cuisine taken to the next level. That is unless you&#8217;re talking about this Steak Tartare sent out to us by Chef Brian Canipelli at Cucina24. Thank you, Chef!

After meeting up with friends for dinner at Sovereign Remedies, we decided to head over to Cucina24 for a(nother) drink and perhaps a little more noshing. Mind you, these friends are slightly crazy foodiots, like me: a PR company owner who reps restaurants, a professional food photographer, and a well known local freelance writer who frequently covers culinary subjects.
We sat at a dimly lit table in the bar, drifting deeper into a conversation examining the difference between chefs (and other creators) as artists versus craftsmen/women. Is there a difference?

Tagliatelle BologneseAs the discussion wound its way through agreements and disagreements, I was reminded of weed-fueled conversations back in the day &#8211; that I never took part in, of course. The difference was this one was fueled by exceptionally good cocktails and sigh-inspiring food.
Oyster Mushrooms, Flowering Thyme, and Fontina Cheese (I think)
The Beef Tartare and Tagliatelle Bolognese (a dish I love) were both really good, but the next two . . . Oh. My. Word. I have no idea what Chef did in the kitchen to create polenta that ascended the more usual mere cooked cornmeal, before topping it with a riot of fresh flavors and textures.
On the right Stracciatella & Tomatoes. I was not familiar with Stracciatella, but was informed by one in our group that it&#8217;s frequently sweet. In this case, it was not exactly savory, but seasoned to compliment the beautiful ripe tomatoes. Absolutely fabulous! Next time I go, these two dishes will be my meal, if still available.
L &#8211; Polenta with Pecans, Peach, and Berries R &#8211; Stracciatella & Tomatoes
All Cucina24 pasta is house made. Don&#8217;t remember the name of this dish or what was in it, but it was just as delicious as the others.

Tasting each dish on the table is always a great way to go. A bite of each was perfect because I was pretty full from our meal at Sovereign Remedies. My choice was dessert: Bitter Almond Panna Cotta with lemon & mint sorbet and blackberries. And coffee.

The Panna Cotta was delicious &#8211; light and had a wonderful &#8220;mouth feel&#8221; as well as flavor. I was reminded just how good when I had Panna Cotta a couple weeks later at another restaurant. Not naming names, but it was a dismal fail.
Our server said the only coffee available at that time of night was an &#8220;Americano&#8221;, but it was more like an espresso &#8211; thick and luscious. My only, and I mean only, suggestion would be to inform people that they will be charged for a second cup when asked if they&#8217;d like more coffee.
Chef Canipelli offers a prix fixe dinner that&#8217;s served &#8220;family style&#8221;, which must be ordered by everyone at the table. It&#8217;s priced at $45. A fair price when you consider the amount and quality of food you&#8217;re getting.
Consider experiencing Cucina24 if you haven&#8217;t been, and go back if you haven&#8217;t been in a while. Heck, go even if you went last night. Chef Brian Canipelli is not known to blow his own horn, so I&#8217;m going to tell you he is a Star Chefs Rising Star 2013 and a semi-finalist for the James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Southeast award 2016. No small awards.
Cucina24
24 Wall St
Asheville, NC 28801
Phone: (828) 254-6170

Question 12

The 11 best North Carolina travel-worthy restaurants in unexpected places

Accepted Answer

Searching for the best out of the way North Carolina restaurants? Here are the top 11 culinary outposts in unexpected places that are absolutely travel-worthy.
A couple on the list aren&#8217;t exactly &#8220;out in the middle of nowhere&#8221;, but are beacons of culinary excellence that stand out among nearby peers, if there are any.
In no particular order:
Off The Square
114 S 2nd St
Albemarle, NC 28001 &#8211; MAP
Phone: (704) 986-0621
http://www.offthesquarenc.com/
Off The Square is literally just off the town square in Albemarle. Albermarle is a small town that serves as Stanly County seat and was a former booming textile mill community. Off The Square was opened by a couple who returned after leaving NC for the bright lights of NYC. They have won culinary competitions such as Best Dish NC. They take pride in sourcing locally, supporting farmers and other producers.
Whatever they&#8217;re serving, it&#8217;s good. If Creme Brulee is on the menu, order it.

Grilled lamb chops with a fresh mint pesto served over garlic mashed potatoes and roasted winter vegetables. Image: Off the Square
Kitchen Roselli (Home of THE Cream Puff)
105 Main St
East Bend, NC 27018 &#8211; MAP
Phone: (336) 699-4898
http://www.kitchenroselli.com/
One of my all time faves! Kitchen Roselli is a family run restaurant that really is in the middle of nowhere. They serve roll-your-eyes-up-in-your-head Italian. Some refer to their Gnocchi as heavenly pillows. I&#8217;ve had them and they&#8217;re amazing. Roselli&#8217;s is especially known for their HUGE Cream Puffs. Order yours when you are seated because they will probably be sold out by the time you&#8217;re done with dinner. #testify
Imate: Kitchen Roselli
Gnocchi. Image: Triad Foodies
Southern Smoke BBQ
29 E Warren St
Garland, NC 28441 &#8211; MAP
Phone: (910) 549-7484
http://southernsmokebbqnc.com/
Matt Register, his wife, and his parents are frequently all on hand. Matt&#8217;s family goes back quite a bit in Garland. Given the chance, they&#8217;ll tell you what used to be here and there around town, including where Southern Smoke BBQ is located. At their last &#8220;Southern Supper&#8220;, my husband and I sat at a table with long-time Register family friends. One told us a story about growing up poor in Garland. The owner of the General Store would help out anyone that needed help with money and in other ways, too. He kept a running total in a book at the store, but never mentioned paying off the loans to anyone. The man telling the story got help through his high school years, including help with what he needed to go to the prom, but payed off all $500 as soon as he could.
The food&#8217;s down home delicious! Be prepared to wait in the line that forms before they open. As of this writing, they are only open on Thursday and Friday from 11:30am to 3pm. They are also working on getting a food truck on the road.
Image: tripadvisor.com/members/charliespr
Blanco Chicken. Image: Southern Smoke BBQ
Chef & the Farmer
120 W Gordon St
Kinston, NC 28501 &#8211; MAP
Phone: (252) 208-2433
http://www.vivianhoward.com/chef-the-farmer/
You&#8217;ve probably heard about Vivian Howard and her husband, Ben. How they are wildly successful, with an award-winning PBS show, an award-winning cookbook, Deep Run Roots, and tons of media coverage.
Again, Vivian and Ben &#8220;came home&#8221; to Vivian&#8217;s home town after honing her chef-cred in NYC. I won&#8217;t bother telling the much told story here since it&#8217;s easy to find online. The thing is, lots of people think this has been easy for Vivian and Ben. That fame and fortune magically came their way. Actually, they&#8217;ve worked incredibly hard to get where they are today. If you get the chance, say hello to Vivian and Ben. They&#8217;re good people.
The food is wonderful. Many dishes are family recipes as they have always been, or tweaked by Vivian. We took a road trip to Kinston with another couple. Dinner at Chef and the Farmer, Dessert and drinks next door at their Boiler Room Oyster Bar, and overnight in a nearby B&B. In the morning, we checked out the Farmers&#8217; Market (had to leave before Vivian got there to do a demo) across the street from Chef and the Farmer and then toured a few wineries on the way back &#8220;up the mountain&#8221; to Asheville.
Image: Chef and the Farmer
Watermelon Salad. Image: Chef and the Farmer
Canyon Kitchen at Lonsome Valley
150 Lonesome Valley Rd
Sapphire, NC 28774 &#8211; MAP
Phone: (828) 743-7967
http://lonesomevalley.com/cashiers-nc-restaurant/
Canyon Kitchen at Lonsome Valley is a seasonal spot, open in the warmer months. Chef Adam Hayes is at the helm. He&#8217;s not only Executive Chef, managing what happens at the restaurant, he also manages the gorgeous organic garden just outside the open-air restaurant and an on-site chicken house. He&#8217;s continually expanding the garden, seeking out heritage seeds in particular.
This is a great place to go whether it&#8217;s for an event or dinner with friends. The food is top notch and the views are killer! Just a heads up, Chef Hayes serves styled courses on large, white plates that sometimes make portions look small. Believe me, you&#8217;ll be happily sated by the time you finish your meal. I love the drive, but for some of you &#8211; you know who you are &#8211; beware winding mountain roads.
Image: Canyon Kitchen
Grilled Duck Breast, Blistered Cherry Tomatoes, Squash Oyster Mushroom, Sweet Potato Puree, Crispy Pickled Onion, Ramp Chimichurri. Image: Canyon Kitchen
Heirloom Restaurant
8470 Bellhaven Blvd
Charlotte, NC 28216 &#8211; MAP
Phone: (704) 595-7710
http://www.heirloomrestaurantnc.com/
Consistantly good food. Owners committed to sourcing locally and supporting farmers. Watch their website and/or social media channels for special dinners like their August 19th &#8220;Best Wines You&#8217;ve Never Heard Of Tasting&#8221; and their August 20th &#8220;Six Course Vegan Tasting Menu&#8221;.
My fondest memory of Heirloom is the time an entire glass of red wine was spilled on me and into my purse, which I&#8217;d set open on the floor for easy camera access. The poor server was mortified. His face . . . They handled it well and we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner, even if I was a bit &#8220;damp&#8221;.
Image: Heirloom Restaurant
NC Lump Crab Cakes. Image: Heirloom Restaurant
Mountain Magnolia Inn, Suites, & Restaurant
204 Lawson St
Hot Springs, NC 28743 &#8211; MAP
Phone: (828) 622-3543
http://www.mountainmagnoliainn.com/
Great food. Great views. Chef Zeb McDermott was born and raised in Asheville. After his formal education, he honed his skills in Portland, OR and Boston before returning to NC. Another one, right? He now attributes his success to &#8220;lots of trial and error&#8221;. Zeb prides himself on sourcing fresh and in season produce and meats, as well as on building lasting relationships with local farmers. Call to make your reservation.
Image: Mountain Magnolia Inn
Atlantic Salmon topped with a sauce made of eggplant, red peppers, garlic and onion served over roasted broccoli. Image: Mountain Magnolia Inn
Gamekeeper Restaurant
3005 Shulls Mill Rd
Boone, NC 28607 &#8211; MAP
Phone: (828) 963-7400
http://gamekeeper-nc.com/
Gamekeeper is a super cool spot in the mountains between Boone and Blowing Rock. Yes, they serve game meats &#8211; probably tastier than what you&#8217;ve had before &#8211; but many standards, too.
It feels like you&#8217;ve found a mountain lodge on top of a hill, out in the woods. A lodge where they know their way around the kitchen. They say of themselves, &#8221; As one of the first restaurants in the area to embrace farm to table, everything on our menu reflects this philosophy.&#8221; And I can tell you that they live that statement.
Gamekeeper is a semi-seasonal spot like a lot of higher elevation mountain restaurants. Beginning in November, they cut their operating days back to Thurs &#8211; Sat, so call to make a reservation and be sure they&#8217;re open. The decor is cozy, warm and welcoming.
Image: The Gamekeeper
Cocoa rubbed, grilled elk denver leg with blue mac and cheese, veggies. Image: The Gamekeeper
Spring House Restaurant, Kitchen & Bar
450 N Spring St
Winston-Salem, NC 27101 &#8211; MAP
Phone: (336) 293-4797
http://springhousenc.com/
I can&#8217;t say enough about Spring House co-owners Lynette Matthews-Murphy and Executive Chef Tim Grandinetti. They are the epitome of Southern grace and hospitality. Their desserts and drinks are awesome, too. If you&#8217;re not up for dinner, check out the Library Bar. It&#8217;s a great place to hang out. The ebullient Chef Grandinetti kills it in the kitchen and is also known for his BBQ prowess.
Grandinetti goes by Doc Brownstone when it comes to BBQ, and holds the multi-day Doc Brownstone&#8217;s Sweet Summer Luv Luv Festival at Spring House every year. Talented guest chefs come in from out of state and have a huge BBQ party. It&#8217;s a ticketed event held outdoors on the tented lawn. You can watch the action close up before, during, and after dinner. Go if you can.
Image: Spring House
Image: Spring House
The Colington Cafe
1029 Colington Rd
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948 &#8211; MAP
Phone: (252) 480-1123
http://www.colingtoncafe.com
The Colington Cafe has been in the same Outer Banks (OBX) location for well over 20 years. The restaurant&#8217;s now landmark property &#8220;is one of the oldest deeded properties in the Outer Banks, owned and passed down by many generations of the Twiford family, as was most of the property in this area&#8221;.
It&#8217;s all about seafood, baby. This is where you go for local NC seafood at its freshest and best. If you just can&#8217;t do seafood, there are a few options for you on the menu.
Image: The Colington Cafe
Salmon and local scallops. Image: The Colington Cafe
Kindred
131 N Main St
Davidson, NC 28036 &#8211; MAP
Phone: (980) 231-5000
http://kindreddavidson.com
Kindred is one of the places I was talking about when I said a couple of spots on the list really aren&#8217;t out in the middle of nowhere. But co-owners Joe and Katy Kindred have been crushing it since the day they opened on Davidson&#8217;s main drag years ago. Their approach is seasonal, chef-driven, and they walk the talk when it comes to sourcing both their food and beverages with integrity.
The last time I was at Kindred, my friend and I sat at the bar and had drinks and murmur-worthy appetizers. Actually, I haven&#8217;t had anything less than murmur-worthy at Kindred. If you&#8217;re a regular Carolina Epicurean reader, you&#8217;ll know I publish their cocktail recipes every now and then.
Their menu changes all the time, but may offer things as varied as Grandfather&#8217;s Pickles, Warm Castelvetranno Olives (my favorite olives right now), Red Curry Sweet Potato Soup, Wagyu Beef Tartare, and Ravioli.
Image: Kindred
Santa Rosa plums, stracciatella, purslane, crunchy salt. Image: Kindred

Question 13

Flat Rock Wood Room Ascending

Accepted Answer

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

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

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

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

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

Question 14

Posana: where to go for Sunday Brunch

Accepted Answer

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

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

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

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

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

Question 15

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

Accepted Answer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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