Fletcher (Arden) – Have you been to Blue Ghost Brewing Company (https://www.blueghostbrewing.com/)? They’re tucked away at 125 Underwood Rd, Fletcher, NC. Even though their address is in Fletcher, I think of their location more as Arden. It’s not too far off Airport Road, down behind/past the Apple Tree Honda dealership.

I’m talking rectangular metal building that’s been tricked out with a nice, no frills bar and seating that screams, “grab a brew, some food from the food trailer (The Hungry Ghost), and come on over and hang out with your buddies for a while.”

There’s lots of table seating and plenty of parking, too.

A good selection of board games are on shelves by the back door. That’s the same door that will take you to outdoor picnic tables and play area for the kids, and the food trailer.

Head back to your crew with a “beeper” after ordering. It’ll go off when your food’s ready for pick up.

I’m not sure which beer our second had, but our third ordered the seasonal Honey Lavender Kolsch – “4.7% ABV, 25 IBUs. This beer starts with the Blue Ghost Kolsch and adds a secondary addition of fresh lavender tea and clover honey to create a beer that has a sweet flavor with a refreshing, palate cleansing finish. BACK 4/20.” He was pretty happy with his choice. See their Brews here.

It might seem a little lame not to order beer, but I was intrigued by house-made Root Beer. It was tasty, but could have used a bit more carbonation. Next time I’ll go for a beer.

Silly me. I thought the Fried Brussels ($6) were a “side”! This was a huge portion of very good sprouts served with garlic-basil aioli. Half went home with me for later, when they tasted just as good reheated. 

In a way, it was good I didn’t know how many sprouts were coming my way, because I wouldn’t have ordered these terrific Pulled Pork Tacos ($7). They’re on the menu as “pulled pork, BBQ sauce, sweet vinegar slaw, cilantro, and queso fresco, served on your choice of 2 corn or flour tortillas.”

They were excellent! One of the best pulled pork tacos I’ve had. Only thing I’d change is swapping out the corn tortillas for flour. The corn tortillas came apart under the weight and moisture of the filling. See their full menu here.

Blue Ghost is the quintessential local, small-scale brewing company made accessible to all. No hype. No pretense. Just honest, good beer and a welcoming place to enjoy it. 

Epicurean Note:

• Hungry Ghost Kitchen (the food trailer) has a monthly Sunday Brunch. The next one is on April 29th from 12-3pm. See the Facebook event details here.

Blue Ghost Brewing Company (https://www.blueghostbrewing.com/)
125 Underwood Rd
Fletcher, NC 28732
Phone: (828) 376-0159

Flat Rock – Last week my husband and I were lucky enough to attend the Season’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’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.

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’t help himself. As his enthusiasm got the better of him, he’d invariably mention – 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’s hull. Normally I’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’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’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’s at Highland Lake (http://hlinn.com/seasons)
86 Lily Pad Ln
Flat Rock, NC 28731
Phone: (828) 696-9094

Sponsored

Asheville (Biltmore Village) – Considering all the new, sparkly openings in Asheville, it seems like Rezaz (http://rezaz.com/) – beloved by locals – has been around forever.

“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.” ~ 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’s smile is completely infectious. You just can’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’d been wanting to go for quite awhile and this remodel was the perfect motivator. The prospect of great food? Well, yeah, that too.

Complimentary house-made Banana and Focaccia Bread that arrived at our table were so good, none of us bothered dipping.

Okay. Here’s a little story for you. My sister ordered this cocktail while I was looking at the wine list, so I didn’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, “Nothing on your list spoke to me. Perhaps you could choose something for me?” 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’t in focus, I wanted to show you the lovely serving piece (Tagine) they’re using. 

Here’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 – fall-apart tender; Asparagus – al dente and bursting with a lightly smoked flavor; Potatoes – 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 – even if you’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’s frequently full. We parked in the free Village lots across the street and walked the block or so.

If you’ve never been, or haven’t been since Laura and Brian remodeled, you must go.

People frequently ask me that impossible to answer question – “What’s your favorite restaurant in Asheville?” My answer is always, “There are so many fabulous restaurants in Asheville. It depends on the cuisine you’re in the mood for, your preferred price range, and ambiance.” 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