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What’s Happening on Hendersonville’s Main Street – Update

Laura
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11
What’s Happening on Hendersonville’s Main Street – Update

Here’s what’s new on Main Street, Hendersonville as of Thursday, August 22, 2024. A few changes have happened since my previous June, 2024 “What Happened on Main Street” article. Images below.

  • 119 S Main St – The Tipsy Taco buildout’s coming along. New and existing equipment’s being stored in space to the left while work continues on the right. Looks like sheetrock’s going up on a new bar(?) and walls.
  • 117 S Main St – Elena’s Taco Cantina has had brand new double glass doors with glass upper and side panels installed, replacing the single wooden door. Doors and windows are still papered.
  • 101 S Main St – The Kingmaker’s Draft (Board Games & Beverages) is closed. This space is still empty, but it looked like, to a “casual observer”, that someone might be interested. A couple people were on site, taking pictures & texting. Might be something. Might not.
  • 114 N Main St – Wild Mountain Trading Co opening soon.
    • Ed and Dee Sine recently moved to Main Street after 34 years at 8,000 foot living on the side of a Colorado mountain. Co-owner Dee told me the “very, very friendly people and climate” were the two big draws for them. They’re opening multiple business entities, similar to those they owned and ran in Colorado, in this two-story space.
      • First: Wild Mountain Trading Co (gift shop) – the website’s live, including the ability to purchase items online. The website shows mounted signage on the building, but nothing’s up on the exterior yet.
      • First: Wild Acoustic Music Co (Instrument Shop) that also offers Music Lessons.
      • Second: Wild Moose Café and Coffee Bar – coming once retail is up and running. Pastries, sandwiches & soups to stay or go, and espresso.
      • Third: Ticketed live acoustic Music Events with local musicians held upstairs as “mini-concerts” where you can talk and enjoy a quiet evening. Drinks and bites, including charcuterie will be available up there.
    • The plan is to have the gift and music shops open in time for the Apple Festival.
    • They’re currently in the process of setting up displays and products after spending quite a bit of time cleaning and working on the building: plumbing, electrical, new flooring behind the bar, and repairing a few holes in the walls & floor. Good thing Ed’s an Architect. They’ve also installed new kitchen equipment.
    • Co-owners Ed and Dee have full careers behind them. Ed has degrees in Architecture & Engineering and is Founder and Creative Director at Red Creek Design Company. Their client list is impressive and includes residential and commercial heavy hitters.
  • 222 N Main St – Deluxe Social House could open any minute, from what I saw.
    • Tables are set. Someone inside was finishing up a few things. They have a Website that isn’t completely populated with Deluxe-specific information yet. Social media pages are up and running, although they don’t have any content yet. The food menu’s in the window and on the website, but the drink menu’s not public yet. Don’t be surprised if the menu, hours, etc., change after they open and do their shakeout.
    • The interior looks upgraded, but not completely different than it did as Black Rose.
  • 238 N Main St – Bone & Bottle Butcher Shop a few steps closer, but it’s still in the buildout process.
  • 459 N Main St – Franklin, NC Caffé REL French bistro owners Tracy and Katie Passmore are getting their 2nd location ready behind the papered windows and door of the previous D9 Brewing spot. They have to build a kitchen from scratch, so it’s going to take a while.

Dinner The Bohemian Way in Brevard

Laura
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0
Dinner The Bohemian Way in Brevard

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’s Italian. Wrong. Read the menu, start to finish and got it. And it was fun & right up our alley!

“The Bohemian Restaurant invites you on a culinary journey around the world with our diverse menu, always offering something unexpected.”

“Carefully curated with a fusion of cultures.
Each bite will make you travel with us.
Experience a melting pot of flavors.”

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’s the previuos location of Hobnob Restaurant.

The building isn’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’t huge, so I’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’t huge, but there’s a nice variety. Bill’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 – light and mildly sweet – was one of the best I’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’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 “look”. He smiled and said, “in a way. We’re all Brazilian.” He went on to say they all go to Brevard College. That’s when I asked if they play soccer. Why, yes, they do! They’re all on the team and have a Brazilian Coach. I nailed it!

The Bohemian is a great addition to the Brevard dining scene!

Getaway to Charming Galena, Illinois

Laura
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0
Getaway to Charming Galena, Illinois

The time we spent on our recent getaway roadtrip to Galena, IL via Columbus, IN, flew by way too quickly! We broke the drive into two days there, two days back, spending a night at the Holiday Inn Columbus each way.

COLUMBUS

Wouldn’t normally mention the hotel, but it was exceptional. There’s a nice outdoor pool, decor was fresh and interesting, and the open-air, cozy mezzanine bar was terrific. We actually had dinner there both nights. Pizza both times,because it was good, but they have salads, burgers & more.

You can learn a lot talking to bartenders. For instance, among the fine lineup behind the bar were whiskeys and distilleries I’d never hear about: Heaven Hill Distillery, Hard Truth Distilling Co, Angels Envy Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery (named after Master Distiller Nearest Green, the first known African-American master distiller), and MGP Distillery. MGP dates from the early to mid 1800’s, is one of the biggest distilleries in the country, and is behind more than 50 whiskey brands that they don’t publicly discuss.

She also told us some interesting things about the town of Columbus and a couple of annual events held there that sounded great: Ethnic Expo and State Street Taco Tour. Both are food events.

GALENA

Charming, historic Galena, IL is a testament to maintaining the heart and soul of an idea that began in the early 1800’s, when in 1818 John Tyler Armstrong built a cabin on the east bank of the Fever River (now mostly known as the Galena River). It was the first recorded permanent settlement on the Fever River. Streets and lots were first laid out as early as 1826 by Lieutenant Thomas.

Interesting to note, the river used to be much bigger. By the 1850s, Galena was the busiest port between St. Paul and St. Louis often boasting as many as fifteen steamboats at a time docked along Water Street. Over time, the river’s gotten much smaller due to settling silt and sediment that flowed down reiver over time. During mining years, the river was dredged so larger boats could still reach the docks for loads of lead.

The Galena Chamber of Commerce was established in 1838, and the town was chartered as a city in 1841. During the civil war, the town was home to nine Generals, including General Ulysses S Grant. He, his wife and four children lived in what is now a historic site for about a year. Grant returned to live in Galena after the war.

History buff? Read more about Galena’s History: 

This was our third visit to Galena. The last time we were in town was in 2020 during covid. Absolutely loved the way they handled the situation (see gallery below)! The charm and comfortable vibe of Galena and surrounding small towns & farmland make it a super relaxing place to spend time. There’s plenty to keep you busy: golf courses, shopping, good restaurants, wineries, breweries, a distillery, boating on the river, an 8 mile river trail for walking & biking, and more. Note: it helps if you know how to parallel park if you’re planning on parking on Main Street. 

I’ll be following up with a post covering the culinary offerings in Galena.

 

Kitchen Sync Announces New Eastside (Greer), SC Location

Laura
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0
Kitchen Sync Announces New Eastside (Greer), SC Location

Using Restaurant Week as a backdrop, one of Greenville’s most popular and highly rated restaurants –– Kitchen Sync –– announced it is beginning construction on a second location. The announcement comes eight years after opening its first location on Laurens Road.

The second Kitchen Sync will be located at 2420 Hudson Road in the Brushy Creek Crossing shopping center in the space formerly occupied by Dragon Den.

Owner and longtime Greenvillian, Kevin Feeny, said, “People have been asking us for a long time to open a second location closer to Greer and when this space came available there was no doubt it was perfect for us.”

The location at the intersection of Hudson Road and Old Spartanburg Road has many surrounding neighborhoods but not an abundance of casual, neighborhood restaurants with high quality food and drinks. This was a similar situation to Kitchen Sync’s original Laurens Road location when it opened in June 2016. Today, the Laurens Road corridor, now referred to as “Midtown”, is fast becoming a Mecca for restaurants.

With on-site parking and a soulful neighborhood vibe, Kitchen Sync offers a downtown-quality casual dining experience without the hassle. Customers of Kitchen Sync’s second restaurant can expect the same great menu offerings, exceptional hospitality and a unique blended value business model that strives toward a greater good.

“By investing in our employees and the community we serve, everyone succeeds,” explains Feeny. “Indeed, the S-Y-N-C in our name speaks to our business model and the intertwining of our values of compassion, community and stewardship into our soulful neighborhood restaurants.”

Examples of Kitchen Sync’s greater good:

  • Blended value business model that values people, planet and profit.
  • Investing in quality of life for employees with offerings like five-day work weeks, health benefits, and flexible scheduling.
  • #1 independently-owned Green-certified restaurant in the U.S. for eight years running.
  • Nurturing strong relationships with community social enterprises, such as Jasmine Kitchen and Soteria CDC.
  • Kitchen Sync founded and funds the KISS FOUNDATION (Kitchen Sync Stewardship) that invests and participates in select community stewardship initiatives.

Once complete, the 3,500 sq. ft., facility will seat approximately 100 guests indoors and 25 to 30 outdoors. In addition to building an outdoor patio for dining, Kitchen Sync is adding 500 sq. ft. to the interior. A cozy new bar will seat approximately 15, and a comfortable blend of tables and booths will be available inside the dining room.

Anyone interested in sampling the Kitchen Sync experience at the 1609 Laurens Road location will have a unique opportunity during Restaurant Week, August 15-24, 2024. The Restaurant Week offering may be found on the Kitchen Sync website at kitchensyncgreenville.com. Full menus and additional restaurant information is available on the Kitchen Sync website.

Local companies LMG Architects and Cely Construction have been retained for design and construction of the new restaurant.

About Kitchen Sync

Established in 2016 in Greenville, SC, Kitchen Sync is a locally owned, soulful neighborhood restaurant offering farm-fresh, scratch-made fare served with extraordinary hospitality. The ‘sync’ comes from a business climate and culture with the values of community responsibility, ecological integrity, and compassion ‘baked’ into the company DNA. Evidence is realized in a work culture that respects and nurtures individuality and authenticity; support of local social enterprises such as Soteria CDC and Jasmine Kitchen; and being ranked the nation’s #1 Independently Owned Green Certified Restaurant since 2016. For more information, visit kitchensyncgreenville.com.

Kitchen Sync
2420 Hudson Road (In the Brushy Creek Crossing shopping center)
Greer, SC 29650

WonderWorks Special Sensory and Homeschool Days

Laura
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0
WonderWorks Special Sensory and Homeschool Days

WonderWorks Pigeon Forge is hosting some special events that locals and visiting families alike will not want to miss out on. WonderWorks Pigeon Forge is hosting a Sensory Day event and multiple Homeschool Days in the coming weeks and months. These events give everyone a chance to experience all the fun this indoor amusement park for the mind has to offer, all while making it more comfortable for some and providing an excellent learning environment for all.

“Our upcoming Sensory Day event is a great opportunity for guests to experience our attraction without feeling overwhelmed. Many exhibits will be altered, but they’ll still be just as fun!” said Joe Baumgartner, general manager at WonderWorks Pigeon Forge.

WonderWorks will offer a special Sensory Day on Sunday, August 25, 2024, from 2-6 pm. During this special event, the exhibits will be altered to provide limited stimulation for guests with special needs. The altered exhibits aim to make the facility more comfortable for everyone to interact with and participate in each activity without being overwhelmed. Admission tickets for Sensory Days are $15 per person, plus tax, and can be purchased upon arrival. To get more information about Sensory Days, visit the site at: https://www.wonderworksonline.com/pigeon-forge/sensory-nights/.

WonderWorks is also offering Homeschool Days during September and October 2024, on weekdays when school is in session, from open until 3 pm. Homeschool students, teachers, and their families can take advantage of tickets that are just $13.99, plus tax. Guests must show their homeschool ID or proof of homeschool affiliation at the admissions counter upon arrival to redeem this deal. Homeschool groups with 10 or more who make advanced reservations qualify for an even lower discounted rate of $11.99, plus tax, per ticket. The special homeschool rates are not available on holidays.

Homeschool families and groups can enhance their learning experience with classroom activities, lesson plans, scavenger hunt, and more. All of these options are available upon request. To get more information about homeschool tickets, visit the site at: https://www.wonderworksonline.com/pigeon-forge/homeschool/.

“We love celebrating homeschool families here at WonderWorks, so our whole team is very excited to kick off our fall Homeschool Days,” said Melanie Benson, education sales manager at WonderWorks Pigeon Forge. “Spice up your curriculum with a trip to everyone’s favorite amusement park for the mind!”

Like homeschool teachers, public and private school teachers looking for great field trip opportunities this school year should look no further than WonderWorks Pigeon Forge. With over 100 interactive exhibits, teachers are sure to find a fun way to engage students actively in learning. All exhibits are based on science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM). They create a fun, exciting, and memorable way for students to learn. Plus, school groups can engage students with an educational scavenger hunt, take a lunch break in a private room, and more. The amusement park for the mind offers discount ticket rates for groups on field trips with prior arrangements. To get more information about school field trips, visit the site at: https://www.wonderworksonline.com/pigeon-forge/groups/pigeon-forge-field-trips/.

Locals can also join in on the fun with the numerous birthday party options, team-building experiences, student contests, local appreciation deals, and more. With over 42,000 square feet of “edutainment,” there is a wealth of fun and engaging activities for guests to explore inside. The over 100 hands-on exhibits cover themes such as physical challenges, space discovery, natural disasters, light and sound, illusion art, and more. WonderWorks Pigeon Forge is open daily, 365 days a year. For more information, visit https://www.wonderworksonline.com/pigeon-forge/.

About WonderWorks

WonderWorks, a science-focused indoor amusement park, combines education and entertainment. With over 100 hands-on exhibits, there is something unique and challenging for all ages. Feel the power of 71 mph hurricane-force winds in the Hurricane Shack. Make giant, life-sized bubbles in the Bubble Lab. Get the NASA treatment in the Astronaut Training Gyro and experience zero gravity. Nail it by lying on the death-defying Bed of Nails. Conquer your fear of heights on the indoor Glow-In-The-Dark Ropes Course. To learn more, visit https://www.wonderworksonline.com/pigeon-forge.

Low Country Oyster Co breaks ground on new Seafood Processing Facility

Laura
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0
Low Country Oyster Co breaks ground on new Seafood Processing Facility

South Carolina-based Lowcountry Oyster Company (LowCo.) has grown exponentially since Trey McMillan founded the sustainable oyster farm in 2017 in the ACE Basin. Now, as the state’s largest oyster farm, LowCo. harvests millions of oysters annually—and McMillan has no plans of slowing down. Expansion is on the horizon as LowCo. breaks ground on its latest venture, a 6.4 million dollar project that will bring at least 30 new jobs with it.

Construction is officially underway on LowCo.’s “Oyster Outpost,” a state-of-the-art Seafood processing and cross-dock facility in Green Pond, SC. Located just over an hour from downtown Charleston and only 30 minutes from I-95, LowCo. hopes to open its doors to other seafood producers and buyers to draw interest from wholesalers and trucking lines by the end of 2024.

Lowcountry Oyster Co
New “Oyster Outpost” Rendering

“We are so proud of what we’ve accomplished over the past seven years in just 16 acres of water here in the ACE Basin,” states McMillan. “Our goal from the start has always been to feed as many people as possible on the smallest footprint possible, and this expansion will allow us to reach more oyster lovers than ever before in the Southeast and beyond. As we invest in ourselves with this exciting expansion, we’re also proud to be able to invest in others. We expect to create more than 30 new jobs in rural Colleton County over the next five years. Giving back to the community has always been important to us as a company, so we are excited about bringing economic opportunity to this area.”

This facility will have a state-of-the-art chilled water wet storage system and climate-controlled processing and holding areas – boasting over 10,000 square feet of refrigerated space – making it the first of its kind in the state. The new machines will allow LowCo. to go from processing 5,000 oysters to 20,000 oysters an hour. McMillan hopes to increase LowCo.’s production and sales tenfold, aiming to deliver more fresh South Carolina oysters to shellfish lovers nationwide.

Lowcountry Oyster Company also plans to expand into a new-build retail space in West Ashley in the near future.

Brooks Tavern: Tryon vs Hendersonville

Laura
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0
Brooks Tavern: Tryon vs Hendersonville

This is going to be a short article, mostly image-based. I want to say right up front, I’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’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’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’ve done work for Brooks Tavern, building and now maintaining their website.

Fun 80’s Flashback Weekend in Franklin, NC for Shriners Hospital

Laura
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0
Fun 80’s Flashback Weekend in Franklin, NC for Shriners Hospital

The 80’s Flashback Weekend event announced its full two-week schedule so fans can relive the quintessential Gen X decade while helping children with critical medical needs. The events will raise money and awareness for the Shriners Children’s Greenville Hospital.

Time Warps Mountain Town Back to the 1980s for Children – Annual 80’s Flashback Weekend Celebrates 10 Years and Raises Tens of Thousands of Dollars for Shriners Children’s Greenville Hospital.

Beginning July 27, the 80’s Flashback Weekend will celebrate icons like MTV VJs, Michael J. Fox, Eddie Murphy, and the music of artists like John Cougar Mellencamp while turning this beautiful mountain town into the home of western North Carolina’s largest fundraiser.

“It’s amazing that for 10 years people have traveled to our idyllic town to celebrate and help Shriners Children’s Greenville offer their life-saving work,” said organizer Dave Linn, a former Shriners patient himself. “As a parent and former patient, I know how important it is to have the healthcare industry’s best available for children in need thanks to the donations from so many good people.”

While the event is always held the first weekend of August to coincide with the original 1981 launch of MTV, this year is different because of the 80s Flashback’s 10th anniversary.

80's Flashback Weekend

“We’ve moved the concerts to Main St. in downtown Franklin and we’re expecting massive crowds,” said Linn. “This new venue, along with the addition of food trucks and all the participating businesses, will make this annual celebration of Shriners Children’s Greenville more like a fundraising festival than anything else.”

Calendar of events:

  1. Saturday, July 27, 7:30 p.m. – The Miss 1980-Something Pageant at the Lazy Hiker Brewing Co. of Franklin, NC.
  2. Friday August 2, 7 p.m. – An Evening with John Mellencamp (featuring Cougar Town) on Main St. Opening act is Carbon Harry (performing the hits from the 70’s to 90’s).
  3. Saturday, August 3 at 9 a.m. – 80’s Flashback 5K Race
  4. Saturday, August 3 at 6 p.m. – 80’s Flashback Parade on Main St. Also, performing from 4:30 until 6 p.m. is Corey Stuart II on the Main Stage. (Best 80s theme floats win prizes. There’s no entry fee.)
  5. Saturday, August 3 at 7 p.m. Totally Awesome 80z Party (featuring 80z Nation, one of the leading 80’s cover bands of North Carolina).

About the 80’s Flashback Weekend

For 10 years in Franklin N.C., the 80’s Flashback Weekend has turned the first weekend in August (as an homage to MTV’s 1981 launch) into the largest fundraising event in Western North Carolina. Over two weeks, the 501c3 holds multiple events to raise money and awareness for the Shriners Hospitals for Children’s in Greenville. For more information or to donate, email 80sflashbacknc@gmail.com or visit the 80s Flashback Weekend fundraising page.

About Shriners Children’s

Shriners Children’s is a network of non-profit medical facilities across North America. Children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patient’s ability to pay. Care for children is usually provided until age 18, although in some cases, it may be extended to age 21.

Shriners Children’s is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and relies on the generosity of donors. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. Shriners Children’s is a registered name under which Shriners Hospitals for Children conducts activities. For more information, please visit shrinerschildrens.org.

Have Celebrity Chefs Overstepped at Root & Bone in Horse Shoe?

Laura
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0
Have Celebrity Chefs Overstepped at Root & Bone in Horse Shoe?

Based on my experience with friends at The Crossroads – Root & Bone this past Friday, the answer is “No, they haven’t overstepped at all”. Along with property owner, John Turchin, they’ve taken an existing building, updated both interior & exterior, and opened a restaurant that’s serving up a unique, approachable menu at reasonable prices for the area.”

As far as what you can expect, I found it comfortable and welcoming. A nice mix of folks. Somewhere it was suggested dress was “resort casual”. If it’s for locals, all locals, I’d say nice-casual to casual dress should be fine. It felt like the kitchen was about 95% on top of things. A new Manager, Jonathan Miller, started this same day. He was previously at the Asheville Ruth’s Chris for eight years. The two friends I was with knew people he knew at Ruth’s Chris. He was definitely on his game.

Three of us were lucky to get seats at The Crossroads U-shaped bar. I’m guessing total capacity is about 50 on that side of the building. The bar accounts for about 40% of that seating with comfortable backed chairs. Two of us knew Chelsea, one of our bartenders from a couple previous spots she’d worked in town. She and Logan took excellent care of us on a busy Friday night. Note – multiple people have said it can be loud with ambient noise, but we didn’t experience that and the room was full. I’m guessing it’ll be harder to have a conversation when there’s live music, unless it’s soft acoustic.

It looked like table seating for 24 on the lighter/brighter side of the building toward the back, and four or five cushioned stools with backs at the open kitchen counter.

Lastly, there’s additional outside deck seating. Unfortunately, it started raining while we were there, so those folks came inside or finished up quickly and headed home.

DESIGN

You might not notice, and there may be other things I didn’t notice, but look under The Crossroads bar at the “bar wall” and foot rail. The wall is covered with railroad “tie pads” gleaned from the rail to Ecusta Trail conversion. You can also spot tie pads supporting hardware that’s attaching beams to the ceiling over the bar.

Look back down under the bar and you’ll also notice the foot rail is one of the actual rails pulled up during prep for the Ecusta Trail. Think of the traffic that passed over that rail!

DRINKS

Cocktails and other drinks are offered at very friendly pricing. Cocktails $11-$15, averaging $12.60. Sixteen ounce Draft Beer $6, Cans $5 – $7, and wines by glass and bottle are too many to list here, but they’re reasonably priced, in my opinion. Two of us had their tasty Ziggy Stardust Old Fashioned at $12, and the third had their fun Mountain Mermaid at $15. Don’t miss the footnote on this cocktail, letting you know the extremely heavy mermaid vessel it’s served in is cursed: “This mermaid is cursed & will bring financial hardship if removed from her home.” Love this wording! Humorus, but you get the message.

FOOD

We had five dishes (three “Starters”, one “Salad”, and one “Side”) between the three of us. Didn’t share, but we did take tastes of each other’s dishes. See MENU and more information in gallery image captions below.

  • Beet Tartare: It’s very savory, with very little beet flavor. Most, beet lovers and not, should be happy with this dish. I liked it, eating every bite, including the “swoosh”, pumpkin seeds, and garnishes. House-made chips are excellent.
  • B.L.T.: Nice fried green tomatoes and tomato jam. If you’re a pimento cheese fan, you’ll be happy. I especially liked the pork belly on top. It had less fat than usual and was well cooked.
  • Smoked Trout Dip: Good, but a little “fishy” according to a friend who’d had it a few days before, and confirmed by us. Not necessarily a bad thing. Every bite was gone in our case. You’ll have to decide for yourself.
  • Southern Peach Caprese Salad: Felt like the kitchen was rushed putting this dish together. Peaches were good, but under the lettuce & not featured. Get this if you like peaches, pickled tomatoes, and vinegar-based dressing.
  • Mac & Cheese: Generously portioned (sharable, if you’re willing) with a “biscuit herb crust” on top, baked and served in a small cast iron skillet.

WHAT’S NEXT?

This is all tentative. No guarantee any or all of what I’ve heard is going to actually happen.

  1. A stage/deck for live music is planned for outside. Sounds like it’ll be between the deck attached to the building and the Ecusta Trail.
  2. A Bakery is going to be added in the existing space on the left (still unremodeled) side of the building as you look at it from the street.
  3. Did you know there’s a “downstairs”? It’s a space with a smaller capacity, maybe 20+? I’ve heard two things – one, it’ll be a Private Event space and also used for wine storage, and two, there’ll be a small bar and additional seating. 

Building and Restaurant owners have said they intend this to be “a place for locals”. I took a wait and see approach before going, but unless something happens to change my mind, I think they’ve hit the mark. Prices are very reasonable and spaces are welcoming & well thought out.

 

The Crossroads and Root & Bone
Website: https://thecrossroadsnc.com/
4165 Brevard Rd.
Horse Shoe NC 28742
828-309-0818

What Happened on Main Street!

Laura
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What Happened on Main Street!

Pay attention or you might find the Hendersonville Main Street shop/restaurant/brewery you’ve frequented for years is gone and a new business is in its place. It happened to me. All I did was blink. Images of most locations below.

  • 119 S Main St – This previous Never Blue location is becoming the 9th Tipsy Taco
    • (Tex-Mex with a Little Twist) location. It’s a Greenville, SC based franchise.The space is totally gutted, being prepared for the new buildout. Frank Roman, owner of the new Hendersonville franchise, as well as two other Tipsy Taco locations, said in a recent Hendersonville Lightning article, “It should be about two months of work” and “he hopes to open Tipsy Taco by Labor Day for sure.”
    • Background: Tipsy Taco is a Greenville, SC franchise with eight locations in and around Greenville, SC. Company owners Lazaro Montoto, Tony King, and Brian Shelton talked about their plans in this 2020 article, “New Tipsy Taco owners have aggressive plan for growth” A Feb 2023 SC Biz News article says “Roman comes from a music background and moved from Miami to Greenville about five years ago.” Read even more background in this BlueRidgeNow May 29th article.
  • 101 S Main St – The Kingmaker’s Draft (Board Games & Beverages) has closed. This space is currently available, as is the 2nd floor office space.
  • 114 N Main St – Moes Original BBQ has closed and is relocating to 1794 Asheville Hwy, Hendersonville, the previous Zen Hen locatation.
  • 238 N Main St – Bone & Bottle Butcher Shop is still in the buildout process.
  • 305 N Main St – Eclat Realty + Co has opened in the previous 305 Lounge and Eatery location, moving from their previous East Flat Rock office location at 126 W Blue Ridge Rd.
  • 341 N Main St – Orchard Properties has opened in the previous Goldcrafting by Phillips location.
  • 424 N Main St – The Village Green Antique Mall space is now The Emporium On Main with quite a variety of vendors. They might be right when they say, “Over 80 Vendors! Something for everyone!” They advertise “Handcrafted, Handmade, Upcycled Resale, Vintage, Antiques, Ladies Boutique, Doggy Boutique, General Store, Fiesta Dinnerware, Collectibles, Woodworking, Stained Glass, Pottery, Fabric Art, and Artists – all under one roof!” I can confirm there’s plenty to choose from and it feels bright and fresh inside!
  • 425 N Main St – Franklin, NC Caffé REL French bistro owners Tracy and Katie Passmore are opening their 2nd location in the previous D9 Brewing spot. According to a recent Hendersonville Lightning article, it sounds like it’ll be a while before they’re open: “We have to build a whole kitchen, which will take some time. We’re not in a big rush.” No pictures of this one.
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