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

“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.” ~ Guy Beringer

Brunch happens at 1898 Waverly Inn every Sunday, and is indeed “cheerful and sociable”. Not so sure about “inciting”.

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’t judge.

First up were THE most delicious Hot Cross Buns I’ve ever had. That seems a pretty strong statement, but it’s true. Not only were the buns delicious, the “honey butter” 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’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’d sign up for Mike’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’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’re good about posting events on their Facebook Events page.

If you go, there’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

West Asheville – Have you been to Foothills Butcher Bar and Kitchen (https://www.foothillslocalmeats.com/) yet? It’s one of my go-to spots for an in-house butcher and what they call “honest meats”. 

Open for a while now, but easy to miss if you don’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! 

“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.”

Yes, I took a picture of their glassware. Can’t you just imagine an Old Fashioned or other whiskey drink in that tumbler, served with an awesome grilled steak?

I went for a “classic” 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’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 “specials board”. 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’m a huge fan of Charcuterie Boards, but feel Foothill’s Butcher’s Tray ($14) is a little out of the ordinary. Perhaps more of a purist’s take. The assorted house made deli meats and Charcuterie are on the “heavier” side, encouraging savoring the meat for the meat’s sake rather than putting it on a cracker and topping it with relish or chutney – which I also love.

Take sink-your-teeth-in bites and savor what it is your’re eating. Also on the tray are local mustard and “fixin’s” 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’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’t check with them, but I’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’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 – “‘Heat and eat” dishes, seasoned meats for easy cooking, and Foothills house deli meats all created by Chef Dave Kane”
  • Butcher Shop CSA – “Fresh, uncooked, unseasoned beef, pork, and chicken for your fridge or freezer. For folks who love to buy in bulk!”

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

West Asheville – Looking for interesting food and killer ambiance? Jargon’s (https://jargonrestaurant.com/) the place!

Lights are set low and the intimate space is jam-packed with witty references to speech and communication – along with random things like lava lamps – throughout. 

Notice the vintage printers type trays under the bar and on the wall? Don’t know about you, but for me, they invoked warm feelings for times gone by.

One in our group of three ordered the Goat Cheese Fondue ($12). It’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 – a little – or there might have been a problem.

Wasn’t sure what to expect when I ordered the Roasted Beet Salad ($9), but was pleasantly surprised with the plating. On the slate – roasted golden beets, Three Graces honey goat cheese, toasted pistachios, micros, and balsamic reduction. 

It’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’s fish special. I didn’t take a bite, but reports were good. 

Their Duo of Marrow ($15) got rave reviews! There wasn’t a spec left of the roasted garlic and thyme, and crème brûlée marrow mousse. It’s served with a pickled parsley and shallot salad, blackberry chutney, and herb bread.

Also offered as a special this night was Jargon’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’t even imagine gluing all those tiles on the wall! Well done, though. Well done.

Next time I go, I’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

Asheville – 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’ll give you an idea of what’s coming out of their kitchen.

I’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’s food, I also found myself liking the Gills very much.

I’m thrilled they’ve experienced enough success at Blackbird that they’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’s a variation of the classic “Blue Moon”. It’s made with lemon juice, Fords Gin,  Cointreau (triple sec), and Crème de violette. I didn’t catch an official name, but they should know what you’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’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’t detract from the Caprese at all. Normally, these will be used in salads because they’re too small for regular sized Caprese dishes.

I love learning about new/different produce, don’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‘s Snow Camp Cheese (similar to Brie). Goat Lady Dairy is in Climax. According to Chef, the cheese is that good – 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’s Apple Cider that’s been thickened and has a concentrated flavor.

Rama paired this mushroom dish with an Altos de Rioja Tempranillo. “It’s light enough that it won’t step on the mushrooms, but robust enough in its minerality to compliment earthy flavors.” It was perfect!

Time for a palate cleanser – 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’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’s take was absolutely fantastic. Not familiar? It’s a tomato-based sauce with clams, muscles, shrimp, crawfish, and Andouille sausage on top of a bed of rice. “South Carolina’s answer to a Paella” ~ 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’s 1973 Chardonnay secretly entered and winner of the blind tasting at the first Judgement of Paris competition. At that time, the French wouldn’t even consider anything less than a French wine as worthy. See the movie if you haven’t had the chance. It’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’t capture good photos, so you’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’s famous for a reason. I’m talkin’ coconut custard between four layers of yellow cake – all from scratch. Don’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’s cellars. He may or may not have mentioned a private stash, which I will attempt to investigate further at some point. 🙂

I wasn’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’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’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’s $1.25 per hour.

The Blackbird ( http://theblackbirdrestaurant.com/ )
47 Biltmore Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 254-2502