Charlotte – What to do when you’ve driven two hours to Charlotte International Airport for a morning flight, it’s cancelled due to bad weather at your destination, you’ve spent hours in various lines, and are re-assigned to an early morning flight the next day?
You book a room and spend the rest of the day tooling around Charlotte.
Love the space. Love the pastries. Love the espresso drinks.
Amélie’s is decorated with a flare for the unusual, with particular attention paid to lighting.
The baked goods are amazing.
Three full cases of them.
Below is a “side” room with lots of additional seating.
Don’t be surprised if crowds come in, forming a line that winds throughout. Sit back with your treat and espresso drink, taking in the show.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are also available. See all menus here.
Epicurean Note: We were at the “mother ship” location, but there are also two more Charlotte locations, a Rock Hill, SC location and an Atlanta, GA location.
Owner/Chef Karen Donatelli creates gorgeous confections, including the most sublime cakes and pastries. Donatellis has converted from a retail space to an appointment only format outside of downtown. Kept her bakery on this list just in case you want to order a custom cake or pastries. She’s that good.
Co-owners Lisa and Matthew specialize in breads, but they bake plenty of pastries, too. Two of my favorites are their Almond Horns and Christmas Bread. They’ve been at their Historic 7th Ave. location for 5 years now, enticing locals and visitors alike to visit a part of town they’re helping revitalize.
Image: Underground Baking Co Facebook PageImage: Underground Baking Co Facebook Page
Flat Rock Village Bakery is housed in a cute building warmed by a wood-fired oven used for baking breads, pastries, and pizzas. If there are any left by the time I get to the bakery, I usually get a Turnover – any flavor. In warmer weather, find a seat on the spacious deck in the shade under one of the large Magnolias.
Image: Flat Rock Village Bakery Facebook PageImage: Flat Rock Village Bakery Facebook Page
Camino is one of those sweet spots that anchors a neighborhood. This one happens to be downtown Winston Salem. They have a nice loose leaf tea selection, in addition to espresso drinks, that can be ordered by the cup. If you prefer your cuppa with tea in a bag, they’ll hand tie one for you.
2706 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 401-2600
A terrific German bakery/cafe. Love this place for a meal, fresh-baked bread, and pastries. Be sure to check out their yearly Oktoberfest celebration and seasonal Christmas Stollen.
GuglhupfGuglhupf
Loaf (Durham)
111 W Parrish St
Durham, NC 27701
(919) 797-1254
Owner Ron Graff bakes in a 30,000 pound custom wood-fired oven and has set up Loaf in the European tradition; a neighborhood shop where you pick up your fresh-baked goods, rather than a bakery/cafe. Accordingly, Loaf’s interior might be considered minimalist with a bread rack, pastry case and coffee hot pots.
Stop in for items you want to take home, to a friend’s place, or on a picnic.
With his wife and partner, Missy, Lionel Vatinet opened La Farm Bakery in 1999 and hasn’t looked back since. The star here is definitely bread. Vatinet is an acknowledged expert bread baker. He authored the well received book, A Passion for Bread.
I’ve run into Lionel at the Asheville Bread Festival, Beaufort Wine & Food Festival, and many other events over the years. He’s an exceptionally nice guy.
Nichole and I stopped in at the Cary “mother ship” for lunch and dessert in September. There are plenty of delicious sweet treats made at the bakery, too.
Image: La Farm’s Facebook PageImage: La Farm’s Facebook Page
The Peppered Cupcake (Wilmington)
105 S Front St
Wilmington, NC 28401
(910) 399-1088
More than 80 unique flavors from sweet to savory – served warm. What more could you ask for in a cupcake? Next time I’m in Wilmington, it’s a Ginger & Pear cupcake for me! Wait – maybe the Bourbon Black Cherry & Vanilla Cobbler? No, the Strawberry Basil Cobbler sounds really good. Anyone up for sharing?
Image: The Peppered Cupcake Facebook PageImage: The Peppered Cupcake Facebook Page
Last Saturday, we took an out of town visitor into downtown Asheville to see the sights and have dinner. We wanted to show off our town.
I was shocked and embarrassed to see the state of things!
As we walked on Haywood, in front of Woolworth Walk on Haywood St., we passed a man passed out/sleeping, flat out on the sidewalk. You may think that’s not a big deal. You see that all the time in many cities. Not in Asheville. At least I’ve never seen it before. Especially in the middle of the afternoon.
Then we walked over to Pack Square, where groups of 20-somethings, obviously feeling no pain, stumbled around and out into traffic. The topper was the guy who was vomiting as we stood nearby.
Asheville, we need to face this and find a solution.
Update: This article is about my experience on the streets of Asheville, not about how long I’ve lived here, economic growing pains, or tourists, or antisemitism, or racism, or homeless people. It’s about getting so drugged up or drunk that you are public nuisance. Bad behavior is bad behavior, whatever the reason.
Rather than demolish a decommissioned bridge in 2013, folks in Lake Lure got creative and re-purposed it as a walkable garden spanning the Broad River. The garden extends just beyond each end of the bridge, also.
Next time you’re in Lake Lure, stop, walk the bridge, and breath deeply.
“Officially dedicated Oct. 19, 2013, the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge blooms on the historic 1925 Rocky Broad River bridge in Lake Lure, NC. When the bridge was closed to traffic in 2011, the Friends of the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge came together to create gardens on the 155 feet of the bridge and along a pathway at both ends of the three-arch span itself. With an emphasis on native plants, the Friends mission is to create a “Gateway to Somewhere Beautiful” for the enjoyment of the public.” ~ Friends of the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge
Rutherfordton – What to do with a cool building that once housed the firehouse, city water, and police departments when it’s no longer needed?
Turn it into a gorgeous Bed and Breakfast, of course!
Co-owners Keven and Kitty McCammon purchased The Firehouse Inn, a beautiful 6 bedroom bed and breakfast, from previous owners who had completely remodeled the interior. Since the purchase, they’ve made it their own.
The lowest level serves as home to BlueRidge Design, Kitty’s interior design company. She has exquisite taste, by the way. It’s chock full of the cutest and most beautiful gifts and products.
I had the opportunity to spend some time with Kitty while staying at the Inn. Think lovely southern born and raised woman with character strong as steel. She is the proud owner and manager of Maple Creek Farm, where she and her husband raise Texas Long Horn cattle.
You can buy the famously lean Maple Creek Farm meet at BlueRidge Design shop.We hopped into Kitty’s Hummer (right, a Hummer) and drove out to the farm for a look-see. Because the cattle would walk away if they sensed strangers, Kitty drove right out into and around the hilly pasture. Talk about fun!
The Firehouse Inn
125 W 1st St
Rutherfordton, NC 28139
(828) 286-9030
BlueRidge Design
134 N. Washington St
Rutherfordton, NC 28139
828-286-8069
Chef Cruz is one of 16 acclaimed Chefs participating in IBEROSTAR’s ambitious initiative, “Iberostarchef on Tour“. They’re spotlighting the flavors and creativity of some of the most renowned Spanish chefs, through exclusive dinners at IBEROSTAR hotels in the Caribbean (Dominican Republic, Cuba and Mexico) and Spain.
Each month, one of the most important contemporary Spanish chefs will visit our stoves and create some of the best dishes from his or her recipe collection.
Also on Tour are Chefs: Dani García, Ángel León, Quique Dacosta, Andoni Aduriz, Nacho Manzano, Marcos Morán, Fernando Pérez Arellano, Pepe Solla, Pepe Rodríguez, Paco Morales, Fina Puigdevall, Beatriz Sotelo, Yolanda León, Macarena de Castro and Begoña Rodrigo “Top Chef Spain 2013”. See bios of all participating chefs HERE.
Back to Chef Jordi Cruz. I’m over the moon at the opportunity I’ve been given to meet this culinary star and try his food. He’s the second youngest chef in the world to gain a Michelin star (he now has four), and offers a cuisine defined in his words as “evolutionary and restless, based on the product and where creativity and tradition are merged.”
Is it wrong of me to say that it’s going to be hot in the kitchen?
Chef Cruz currently heads up the culinary team at ABaC, Barcelona, Spain.
All the latest news and the Iberostarchef on Tour calendar can be found on the initiative’s website at www.iberostarchefontour.com.
I’ll be staying at the adults only, all-inclusive, 5-star Grand Hotel Bavaro for a few days. That way, I’ll have time to check out the resort, fun local activities, and report back to you. The Dominican Republic is just south of Cuba, an easy half day flight away from the Carolinas.
Hidden, but visable if you know where to look, you can find the Biltmore Estate’s dirty secrets. They’re mostly across the river from Antler Hill Village.
A group of us with an interest in sustainable, healthy farming took a tour of the dirty (producing) side of Biltmore.
SO many fascinating things are going on in the “back 40”, it’s better to share an overview without going into too much detail, and include an Image Gallery you can peruse.
Our tour was led by the personable Dr. Ted Katsigianis, a 32 year Biltmore employee.
After earning master’s and Ph.D. degrees in animal science under adviser Thomas Merritt at Penn State, he worked as a livestock extension specialist at the Universities of Kentucky and Maryland. While at Maryland, a close friend called him about a buddy with a farm in North Carolina who was looking to get out of the dairy business and into beef cattle. The buddy turned out to be William Cecil, George Vanderbilt’s grandson. Katsigianis agreed to consult and eventually became a permanent employee of The Biltmore Company.
Dirty Secrets aka What you probably don’t know about Agriculture & Farming at Biltmore:
The pretty Gazebo just outside Lioncrest used to be a livestock sale ring.
The old ferry used by anyone wanting to cross the river to the agriculture and farming side of the estate was replaced by a bridge about 4 years ago. Much easier for everyone, but a little piece of history gone.
All electric livestock fences on property are solar powered.
A couple dozen bee hives are producing honey used on the estate. They’re hoping to up production soon.
Chicken and Quail are raised on property, producing eggs and meat for Biltmore’s many restaurants.
Their chickens lay brown eggs and are the same heirloom breeds that Vanderbilt kept.
A limited number of pasture-raised pork are on site.
Estate sheep can be seen grazing under solar panels and throughout the vineyard. There are 150 to 175 lambs per season that supply Biltmore restaurants.
A 42 acre man-made lake moderates temperatures year round in the vineyard and is also used for irrigation.
Dairy cows used to reign, but it’s all Angus-Wagu cross now (600 to 700 head).
Biltmore Chefs get 20lbs of prime cuts from each steer. They serve up to 50 steers per year.
On-property solar panels (9 acres/5,000 panels to date) provide 25% of Biltmore’s power needs.
There are four to five acres planted in vegetables and microgreens, but there are plans to expand that to twenty acres. Fifteen to twenty percent of all produce used in Estate restaurants is grown on property.
Currently, 18 varieties of red and green lettuces are being grown hydroponically.
Non-GMO Canola is a big crop on the estate now. Look for the beautiful yellow fields when the canola is blooming. They make bio-diesel fuel from the canola that powers many work vehicles. Their goal is to some day produce food-grade oil also. See photos of their lab in the Gallery.
The Biltmore Mound, one of thirty currently documented archaeological sites on the estate, is an American Indian mound that was discovered in 1984 by an archaeologist working for the state. It remains today as a site that has over time yielded invaluable insight into the lives of the Connesstee indians, believed to be ancestors of the Cherokee tribe.
Different colored signs on the trees in various parts of the estate indicate Biltmore Challenge equestrian endurance ride routes. We’re talking 25 to 100 mile rides completed in one day! Competitors from around the world regularly participate.
Biltmore’s dirty secrets are out! Hope you learned some interesting facts about what goes on at Biltmore behind the scenes.
Cloudy Stevia Clear made me nervous. Why was it clouding up? Was it safe? Should we throw it out?
This natural sweetener is not cheap. We paid $26.74 (includes tax) for a 4oz bottle at Asheville’s Earth Fare. At one or two drops per mug of coffee, the 576 serving bottle lasts us a long time.
Instructions on the bottle say “Refrigerate After Opening”. We refrigerate over night, but leave it out during the day – we like our coffee.
We first called Earth Fare and were told that the Stevia had separated from the water-Stevia solution. The employee was reassuring and offered to replace our bottle at no cost, but I wasn’t completely satisfied.
Next, we called Wisdom Natural Brands (800 number on the bottle), maker of SweetLeaf Sweet Drops. They told us that the Stevia had indeed separated. This was because they had changed over to all organic Stevia and the parts of the solution were not holding together.
Wisdom Natural Brands has now reformulated the product. Separation should no longer happen.
After asking for the lot number and expiration date, they quickly offered to send a replacement at no cost. It arrived today, only a week after calling.
Bottom line – cloudy Stevia Clear won’t hurt you, but if it bothers you like it did us, you should be able to replace the bottle easily and quickly at no cost.
