March/April 2017

kicking your keurig to the curb discover why you should eat more cinnamon pairing bold red wines with vegetarian food

raise a glass to spring in hendersonville

march • april 2017

contents Celebrating a one-of-a-kind dessert found only in Surry County, NC Eight stops on the trail in the following towns: Dobson, Elkin, Mount Airy and Pilot Mountain

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why i kicked my keurig to the curb

For a FREE trail map

pairing bold red wines with vegetarian (or vegan) food

(800) 948-0949 or go to: SonkerTrail.org

Call

six healthy reasons to eat more real cinnamon

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a glass to spring 26 raise in hendersonville

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2014

in each issue 06 ripe for the picking

33 places to go, people to see

08 juicy morsels

34 scene around town

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wine picks to savor as spring moves in

drink & taste your way around the world, right here in the q.c.!

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seats & eats

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volume 9 • issue 2

get your fill of irish cheer at the workman’s friend

profiles of passion

share a glass or two at stony knoll vineyards

a calendar of local events

check out who’s been out and about

36 local flavor

spring into fresh flavors

38 the juice

must-have products, hot topics and more

39 words to live by w w w.epi cu rea n ch a r l otte.com

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LE MERIDIEN CHARLOTTE T +1 704 372 9610 lemeridien.com/ charlotte

Epicurean Charlotte is published locally by Charlotte food and wine lovers for fellow food and wine lovers.

We hope you enjoy our publication and find it helpful when choosing wine, a place to dine or events around town. Copying or reproduction, in part or in whole, is strictly prohibited.

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Engage your senses at lemeridiencharlotte.com

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704-552-1116 | www.cafemonte.net

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Courtney Matinata

design & production Ashley Blake Chappell ashley@epicureancharlotte.com advertising sales Linda Seligman linda@epicureancharlotte.com 704.904.8249 contributing writers Carmina de Alba, Erin Chamerlik, Zenda Douglas, Margie King, Courtney Matinata, Madeline Puckette, Catherine Rabb contributing photographers Sam Dean Photography, Courtney Matinata, The Workman’s Friend

cover image Sam Dean Photography

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volume 9 • issue 2

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ripe for the picking

ripe for the picking

Phong Luong of Zen Asian Fusion can't get enough of the Bodegas Luzon 'Altos de Luzon', Jumilla Red Blend 2010.

Thomas Camps of Carolina Prime Steakhouse recommends the Silverado Carneros Chardonnay 2013.

Glass $10.00, Bottle $38.00

Citrus and ripe yellow apple aromas with a hint of oak and butter blend perfectly with ripe citrus, vanilla, and juicy fruit flavors. A medium body with a round texture and balanced acidity yield a long and lingering finish.

Dylan George of Pasta & Provisions suggests the Grochau Cellars 2013 Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir.

Bottle $33.99

A dark fruit profile with good acidity and tannins accompany black raspberry and cherry aromas, with notes of wet earth, slate, and sweet spice. Pairings include duck breast with pomegranate glaze, garlic and herb roasted pork tenderloin, and baked salmon.

Dominick Quinzi of Healthy Home Market says you should try the Louis M. Martini 2015 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Bottle $30.00

This wine has ripe flavors of black plum jam and black currant, a reflection of the warmer vintage. Hints of oak and a touch of baking spice support the fruit.

Doug Lawson of The Workman's Friend suggests the Les Trois Couronnes Côtes du Rhône 2014.

Glass $6.50, Bottle $25.00

Comprising a fulfilling experience of true RhÔne Valley wine, this wine boasts a subdued nose, a medium deep color, musky red berry licorice aromas, juicy flavors, loose knit chalky tannins, and mineral length.

It’s ready to drink now.

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To kick off our spring issue, I wanted to go with a classic choice just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. This season, ring in the Irish holiday with none other than a Guinness Beer.

Bottle $31.00

A blend of Monastrell, Tempranillo, and Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine boasts purple garnet color and powerful ripe fruit, cocoa, blackberry, plum, and vanilla notes. Toasted notes from new oak combine with complex, smooth, gentle, gourmand, mineral, and ripe tannins. The blend has good acidity, a silky texture, and excellent balance.

Veronica Beltran of Evoke Restaurant is raving about the Fontanafredda Serralunga d'Alba Barolo 2008.

Bottle $108.00

Ruby-red color with garnet reflections, this wine’s aromas are sharp and intense, with hints of vanilla, spices, withered roses, and underbrush. The taste is dry, but soft, full, velvety, harmonious and very long lasting.

drinks with kate

by kate bruce

My selection is an obvious one, but the place to get it is not. When it comes to an authentic pub for St. Patrick’s Day, it doesn’t get much more authentic than Sir Edmond Halley’s Restaurant & Freehouse. Nestled in the back court of Park Road Shopping Center, Sir Ed’s has all the appeal of a classic pub. Dim lighting, a traditional wooden bar, and a “regulars’ table” that serves as a centerpiece. Inside, the environment is relaxed, cozy, and effortlessly comfortable. The feeling is just as it should be; you can tell this place has roots and offers up the ideal setting to indulge in an classic cold one. The Guinness is served just right—perfectly chilled with a thick, creamy head. It’s velvety, smooth, and rich in flavor. Deep in color but not overpowering in taste, each sip has a bit of coffee undertones with a refreshing bite. Each and every brew is poured to perfection, and the folks at Sir Ed’s take pride in knowing how to do it right.

As I sit on an traditional wooden bar stool, out of the corner of my eye I catch a glimpse of an old, framed advertisement that reads “Lovely Day for a Guinness.” I smirk as I take my final sip, and I can’t help but feel that there is no better place in town to order up an old favorite. Until next time ... cheers and enjoy!

Helen Marie White of Sir Edmond Halley's Restaurant & Freehouse is enjoying the St. Supéry Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2016.

Glass $7.50, Bottle $30.00

This is a well-balanced and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc with pale yellow hues sparked by hints of green boasts rich, expressive, and enticing aromas of passion fruit, pink grapefruit, and lime. On the palate, flavors of grapefruit and lime zest come together with passion fruit to create an intense and delicious wine.

WHEN WE SHINE, YOU SHINE®

Matthew Matinata of Old Stone Steakhouse recommends the Bodegas Nieto Senetiner Don Nicanor Malbec 2013 for your dining experience.

Glass $9.50, Bottle $37.00

This is an intense wine with a well-defined profile and deep red hue. The nose has intense aromas of plum and cassis with subtle vanilla notes. The mouth is elegant, fresh, delicate, and has medium structure. Drink with grilled or roasted red meat, semi-cured cheese, and stuffed pastas.

epicurean charlotte food & wine

Find a store near you at autobell.com volume 9 • issue 2

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juicy morsels

drink & taste your way around the world, right here in the q.c. by carmina de alba

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Steven Caldwell of Elevate Lifestyle, envisioned the organization of Charlotte’s Wine & Tapas Week. Their aim is to provide people with a cosmopolite journey of the city’s restaurant scene as they experiment with new little dishes paired with select wines in the merriment of good company.

Over 25 restaurants are currently participating, with more joining the lineup as the event approaches. All of them will offer $30 or $35 per person packages, which will include two glasses of wine and two tapas per tasting, allowing diners an opportunity to savor small plates or smaller portions of each restaurant’s popular entrées or new and exclusive samplings made just for the occasion. The wine selection will be up to the sommelier of each restaurant, ensuring a perfect pairing to the tapas selections.

The organizers want Wine & Tapas Week to take you on a drinking and tasting tour around the world without leaving Charlotte. The restaurants vary from Asian to Italian and from casual bistros to elegant steakhouses. So no matter what your tastebuds fancy, there’s bound to be a tapas and wine pairing to suit.

Participating eateries include the following: Bernardin’s, a fine dining venue specializing in seafood and pasta; Essex Bar & Bistro, a craft cocktail bar and gastropub whose menu includes a selection of Mediterranean dishes; Zen Fusion, presenting a contemporary and globally accented Spanish and Asian menu; Malabar, specializing in fresh, made-to-order paellas and other Spanish plates; and Dogwood Southern Table & Bar, where everything from the décor to the food comes from local artisans and farmers.

As Charlotte’s culinary landscape continues to evolve, Wine & Tapas Week is bound to be the perfect event for wine enthusiasts, gourmands, or anyone curious to savor new experiences.

Mark your calendars, Wine & Tapas Week will take place from April 21st to the 30th all around town. For more information on the participating venues, visit www.charlottewinetapasweek.com.E

FOXYS FOREST MANUFACTURE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

he Queen City is soon to host its first wine and tapas week in late April. This 10-day adventure will have you swirling, sipping, and savoring treats from casual, upscale, and fine dining restaurants all over town. Partnering wine with tapas is quite fitting, as both are currently enjoying vast popularity.

Wine tasting as a social activity has boomed in the last decade, especially among the millennial generation of both genders.

According to a report by the Wine Market Council, 42 percent of all wine consumed in the U.S. in 2015 was accounted to millennials, who have shown to have one of the most varied tastes in wine drinking history. Women compose half of that statistic, as they’ve joined the drinking ranks with wine as their drink of choice.

As the market for wine has globalized, so too have the areas for producing it. Adventurous wine growers make wine in unlikely places such as Kenya, Texas, Japan, Scandinavia, and even in our own backyard. As a matter of fact, the “Old North State” is no foreigner to viniculture, being home to America’s first grape. It’s also one of the only places on earth where every major grape varietal can be grown.

Tapas on their own might are having a rebirth. Originating in Spain, tapas trace their centurial history to the time of Kings from the Middle Ages. While the exact historical details are uncertain, one of the legends recounts that upon a royal visit to a restaurant, the king was served a glass of wine with a slice of cheese on top. The cheese was being used as a “tapa,” a cover to protect the wine from bugs and dust, but the king ate it anyways. Following this occurrence, the king continued to ask for “tapas” with his wine everywhere he went. Since the literal translation of the word tapa is cover or lid, this is by far the most acceptable explanation to the dish’s origin. The tapa could have been anything from a piece of cheese to bread or ham, which over time evolved into more elaborate bites that became characteristic of Spanish cuisine.

Just like wine, tapas have transcended boundaries and have been adopted by other culinary styles all over the world. They can be served warm or cold, and be an adaption of any dish.

But despite their evolution, two things remain constant—wine is their natural companion, and they are meant to be served in the context of a fun social atmosphere.

That being said, it’s only logical to have wine and tapas as partners featured in their own special event. In this fashion, restaurateur and founder Phong Luong, along with co-founder

Carmina de Alba is a communications specialist with a passion for writing. Foodie, fit-nut, art lover and world traveler, follow her on Twitter @CarminaDeAlba.

Interested in becoming a sponsor?

Reach out to Steve@CharlotteWineTapasWeek.com or Phong@CharlotteWineTapasWeek.com.

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seats & eats

get your fill of irish cheer at the workman’s friend

by courtney matinata

images courtesy the workman's friend and courtney matinata

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s we head into the month of March, our minds can’t help but wander to perfectly poured Guinness pints and traditional Irish entrées. This year, look no further than the beloved, old world feel of The Workman’s Friend for all the delicious offerings of Eire you desire.

Just a mile northeast of Uptown, this cozy establishment sits at the corner of Central and Thomas Avenues amid the eclectic social scene of Plaza Midwood. The team behind Charlotte hotspots like Connolly’s and Tyber Creek brought this unique, Irish-inspired experience to the area in June 2015, and it has been a welcomed addition to the community’s food and drink lineup ever since.

Housed in an 80-plus-year-old building, the site exudes character and was designed specifically with a warm and inviting aura in mind. Owners Kevin Devin, Tommy Timmins, and Maynard Goble based the interior off what they would find back at home in Ireland, filling the space with intimate pub tables, quaint bar stools, and rough exposed walls to elicit a feeling of familiarity, welcoming you to sit back and socialize.

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“We want to be that second living room for you,” describes General Manager Doug Dawson. And that’s exactly the sense of security you’ll come to find here. Whether you choose to find comfort at the bar, a dining table, or outside in the beer garden, you’ll be transported to a different time and place by way of various rustic wood accents, interior brick, dimly lit mantles, and old sewing tables. It’s a newly designed space that feels like it’s been in existence forever, which is the exact allure drawing in regulars day in and day out.

If you’re in for a date night, a seat by the fireplace surrounded by candlelight and vintage chandeliers is the ideal spot for a more romantic ambiance. Dropping in for a drink with friends? Head outside to the secluded beer garden for plenty of room to spread out since the bar area can get a bit busy come evening. The patio’s open until 11 p.m. daily, and even consists of a covered area with an additional fireplace that’s perfect for chillier nights.

Being that it’s a pub, you can rest assured that your thirst can be quenched by a satisfying variety of libations while you

epicurean charlotte food & wine

the workman's friend 1531 central avenue • charlotte 980.224.8234 • theworkmansfriend.com wait for an open table. The Workman’s Friend adds diversity to the neighborhood’s drink collection by not only offering a range of local craft beers, but a great selection of European brews and more than 20 Irish whiskeys as well. Creative cocktails like the signature Workman’s Friend or the Honey Badger are popular choices, or opt to warm up with the best Irish Coffee around—a blend of local Pure Intentions coffee, brown sugar, Jameson, and fresh cream. You also, of course, can never go wrong with a “pint of plain” (a Guinness), the inspiration behind the restaurant’s identity from Flann O’ Brien’s old Irish poem, “The Workman’s Friend.”

Be sure the food menu doesn’t slip you by while you’re soaking up the setting. When it comes to cuisine, The Workman’s Friend is far from the typical bar experience.

Chef Charles Jeffries’ menu is equally on par with the impressionable Irish environment in which you’ll be relaxing. The high-quality fare features classic Irish pub offerings with a Southern influence to create the ultimate comfort food combination for your easy-going evening out.

Upon settling in, ponder the tasty options among the starters’ section. Several of these appetizers are large enough to share among the table, or even have as a meal. We recommend the Sausage Roll, an Irish specialty consisting of house ground sausage in a crispy, golden brown puff pastry—a hearty and substantial pick to kick off your Irish experience.

Next, traditional standbys like Fish and Chips or Shepard’s Pie are featured favorites when it comes to entrées. The fish and chips plate is comprised of cod fried up flawlessly in a light and crispy batter alongside thick-cut seasoned fries served in a workman’s-style brown bag. The minced beef and lamb pie is a perfect colder weather arrangement cooked volume 9 • issue 2

tender with peas and carrots and topped by creamy mashed potatoes for a beautiful layering effect of flavor. If you’re in search of a vegetarian option, your go-to selection will be the Sweet Potato Gnocchi. This dish is an elaborate collaboration of gnocchi, mushrooms, fennel, and rainbow Swiss chard blended in a sweet, sage brown butter sauce and served up on a thick wood slab aside a warm baguette.

The kitchen understands that you may be seeking some variety, so if you’re not into the traditional fare, salads and cheese plates are up for grabs too, not to mention the ravedabout house ground beef burger complete with Kerrygold cheddar cheese. Pair it up with a side of Kerrygold Mac and Cheese, and you may never be the same.

Whatever your selection, you can be certain you’re getting authentic Irish ingredients when the opportunity avails itself, even down to smallest details like the butter that will accompany your bread.

There’s always something to celebrate at The Workman’s Friend, and this spring is certainly no exception. With Saint Patrick’s Day right around the corner, Workman’s Friend will be in full swing with bands, pipers, and plenty of partiers.

Take advantage of Irish Night on Thursdays, with Irish beer deals and shot specials, or make a pit stop on the weekend for Sunday Session featuring rotating acoustic music. You can also catch brunch specials both Saturday and Sunday, just make sure to pair your morning meal with a Bloody Jimmy, the restaurant’s delicious take on your standard Bloody Mary using bacon-infused Jameson.

No matter your day of choice or length of stay, great food, delicious drinks, and cozy conversation among friends await you at The Workman’s Friend for a much needed break from your week.E w w w.epi cu rea n ch a r l otte.com

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profiles of passion

share a glass or two at stony knoll vineyards

by catherine rabb images by sam dean photography

stony knoll vineyards 1143 stony knoll road • dobson 336.374.5752 • www.stonyknollvineyards.com

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hen wine lovers gather to share a glass, often a pleasant debate arises about what contributes more to the making of a great wine—the land or the hand? The land refers to the growing of grapes, the hand to the making of wine from those grapes. It’s a discussion without an answer, but the conversation almost always leads to how special wines can be when the same hands grow the grapes and make wines from them.

At Stony Knoll Vineyards and Winery, those lands and those hands belong to Van Coe, who coaxes the best from his plot of grapes in the Upper Yadkin Valley of North Carolina and shepherds the grapes into delicious wines that are fermented, aged, and bottled on the property. The results are impressive. Coe makes memorable wines, has gathered a large and faithful following of fans, and is a shining example of what hard work, respect for place and process, and vision for the future can produce.

All really good wines start with the land. The property where Stony Knoll Vineyards and Winery is located has been in the family since 1896. The property traces its heritage through Coe’s wife Kathy’s family. The actual knoll for which the nearby Community of Stony Knoll was named is on the vineyard property.

Coe speaks with a charming Southern drawl, noting that, “we were tobacco farmers for years and years. When we found out

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that our land had conditions conducive to growing Old World, vinifera-style grapes, we made the transition,” wanting to make the property valuable, and more viable, in the future.

In 2001, the Coe’s planted 3,700 original vines, and have since planted more around their tasting room and have acquired a small property three-quarters of a mile to the north of the original property. Stony Knoll Vineyards and Winery now has 10 acres under vine, planted to eight varieties, and makes 12 different wines. Lovers of local, this is about as local as it gets.

Growing any crop is not easy, but growing quality wine grapes in North Carolina can be challenging. Van and Kathy live .2 mile away from the vineyard so they can check on the grapes at all times. Fertile North Carolina soils are a plus, but heat, cold, and humidity all play a huge role. Growers only have one shot at a quality crop each year. Whatever Mother Nature delivers every year, growers must use all their skills to make the most of it, and Mother Nature always bats last. Coe speaks about each vintage (or harvest year), in detail. Vintages in 2012 (frost) and 2013 (excessive rain) were challenging. Just imagine how discouraging it must have been to have two difficult vintages in a row, even with mature, firmly established vines. But the 2014 vintage was flawless. Coe talks about checking his weather gauges morning volume 9 • issue 2

and night, seeing perfect air mass formation and rain that came at the right time and in the right amount. Growing was easy, and the grapes practically fell into the bottle, rich in color and flavor.

An excellent grower like Coe can get the best from a crop in a challenging year, but can also delight in the quality from a terrific year. Coe talks about the thrill of tasting wine made from these exceptional vintages like 2014 and 2015. “You taste the wine and all of a sudden you go, “where did that come from?” he says.

“Burgundy? Bordeaux? What is this we’re tasting coming out of North Carolina?”

It’s also about the hand, though. The tasting room offers a selection of lovely wines in the $10 to $20 dollar price point.

Specializing in dry wines, the signature style showcases quality fruit in balance with the structural components of tannin and acid. I loved a floral Viognier, highly perfumed but delicate, and a lively Chambourcin.

To see the impact of the hand on wine, compare the stainless steel fermented Chardonnay to the barrel aged version. All the Stony Knoll wines allow the fruit to shine without masking it.

All the wines are made and bottled on the property, a huge and complex task. When I asked Coe how a tobacco farmer learned to make wine, he laughed and said “it’s a continuum, constantly reading, studying, learning, and applying what you learn.”

Coe suggests, “for those guests who want to experience and delve into understanding the extra workmanship in the vineyard, and special craftsmanship in winemaking, Stony Knoll has a something special. Coe talks about what the land delivered in 2014. Recognizing an excellent vintage early, he babied the vines with targeted nutrition and rigorously reduced the output of the vine, forcing extra flavor into the remaining clusters. The winemaking hand took the grapes packed with flavor and highlighted the fruit by not masking it with overt oak, allowing the grape flavors shine. Coe recognized that the grapes and the wine were epicurean charlotte food & wine

special, and while the wines were aging in oak, Coe noted that a stave in the oak barrel where the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were aging was literally black with the pigment from the wine, and he dubbed the wines Master Exquisite Black Oak Stick (MEBOS). You can still taste a MEBOS wine from 2014, an utter steal at under $50 a bottle. Also recognizing the quality, Coe used a high quality 2” cork to seal the wines, as he believes they will age at least a decade, and wanted a cork designed for longevity.

There is more for a small operation to be successful, however.

Left out of the discussion of the land versus the hand is perhaps the more challenging issue of how to market and sell your lovely, locally-produced product. The Coes built a handsome tasting room, which opened in 2004, and renovated a historic cabin called the Wine Lodge on the property for overnight guests.

Kathy, who is a nurse, manages the Wine Lodge.

Coe says he very much enjoys the selling piece of the business, expressing his deep pleasure in meeting people and hearing their stories as they raise a glass together in the tasting room. Coe had just helped an engaged couple buy wine for their wedding when I dropped by, and recalls a conversation he had the day before with a retired couple about their life, children, and achievements.

He notes that he and Kathy are grateful for every person who comes to taste, are thankful they’re able to grow quality grapes, and make beautiful wine in North Carolina on this special land.

The Coes are advocates for the wine business in the Yadkin area and participate in the Surry Wineries Association, a community of winemakers in the area, which Coe describes as a group of good-hearted, like-minded people who lift each other up, and are building a future for the wine business.

Cheers to the Coes and to Stony Knoll, and may wine lovers enjoy many more years of good conversation with these talented, dedicated people growing grapes and crafting wines that celebrate place and heritage.E ma rch • a p r i l 2 017

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why i kicked my keurig to the curb by erin chamerlik reprinted with permission from greenmediainfo llc

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ROB HAINER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

hat busy person doesn’t love the idea of having a personal cup of coffee instantly with the push of a button? Many people are delighted when the Keurig machines show up in the workplace or doctor’s waiting room. I loved the idea. I bought one from Costco along with the handy unit to store those awkward K Cups. I, of course, insisted on the Newman’s Organic K Cups for my coffee choice.

We stocked our hot beverage center with a variety of flavored K Cups. Then, that little voice in my head started asking questions.

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epicurean charlotte food & wine

I pushed those concerns away for the sake of convenience. After all, filling my own coffee filter with fresh ground coffee takes all of what ... two minutes? I’m a busy person, just like you!

I wondered, how fresh is the coffee in a K Cup? What toxins am I exposing myself to as the hot water forces the coffee through the little holes poked in the plastic cup? What is that lid made of that is poked at the top to allow the water to enter the cup? What chemicals are used in the flavored coffee selections?

Is there a filter inside the plastic cup? What is it made of and how is it secured inside the plastic cup?

If you own a Keurig, please continue reading this post, because what I discovered is shocking and will explain why I’m kicking my Keurig to the curb.

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The Lid is Polyethylene Coated Foil: Aluminum foil. Yes, we would like to avoid aluminum because of the connection with the biggies: Alzheimer’s Disease, anxiety, depression, autism, and Celiac Disease. Dr. Stephanie Seneff, PhD, recently gave a talk, “How aluminum and glyphosate (Roundup) collaborate to cause anxiety, depression, autism, and Celiac Disease.” You can still get MP3s and transcripts if you a year re interested.

The Filter: The filter is made of filter paper and what? I don’t know, but somehow it’s fused or glued inside the plastic cup.

Reusable K Cups: Although there are reusable K Cups called My K-Cup on the market, you’re still faced with the stagnant water situation and the hidden water tanks and tubing that can’t be cleaned. The reusable My K-Cup still needs to be filled every time you make a cup of coffee, and the filter needs to be cleaned with every use. There goes your convenience, but if you’re willing to risk the microbes, then this is better for the environment and more economical.

The Coffee: The flavored coffee K Cups are typically flavored with “natural” or artificial flavors. We know that food manufacturers use these names to hide ingredients that act like MSG, a neurotoxin. I help people get to the root cause of chronic migraines and headaches. Often, these MSG flavors are causing the problem. One Keurig K Cup user complained of nausea, fatigue, dizziness, and vomiting. “This all started when my work got a Keurig machine and I started drinking their tea regularly.”

Another user reported, “I’ve noticed when I use the K Cups on a daily basis, my lips tend to get dry and numb on the outside.”

One of my clients noticed a connection between skin rashes and the use of the Keurig K Cups with flavoring.

is your keurig harboring mold and bacteria?

plastic k cups conundrum

The Plastic: The K Cup is a composite plastic, #7. Although this is technically BPA-free, the chemicals from the composite plastic are not safe, and they still have estrogenic activity. As long as I mentioned fake estrogens coming from the plastic in your K Cup, don’t make a bad situation worse by adding soy milk to your coffee! Men, would you like “moobs” with your mocha and soy?

The Cups Are Non-Recyclable: This is a big problem for the environment since we’ve seen an explosion in the use of single cup coffee makers, like Keurig, in the last few years. MotherJones. com reports that over 8.3 billion K Cups are discarded every year, enough to circle the earth 10.5 times!

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well, do you?

Do you care about the taste and quality of your coffee?

Do you care about the environment and the workers in the coffee bean industry? Do you care about your health?

There’s nothing like a steaming hot cup of freshly brewed coffee made with quality coffee beans. Using the Keurig was easy, but the taste was marginal. I don’t consider myself a coffee connoisseur, but I love a good cup of coffee. Finally, I allowed myself to consider all the issues with the Keurig, and I decided to kick my Keurig to the curb.

now that’s a good cup of coffee

The coffee beans you purchase should look inky black and ideally, they’re Fair Trade, organic, and shade grown. Coffee beans should be grown and processed without the use of pesticides, herbicide, or chemicals.

According to Mercola.com, “Most people are not aware that regular coffee consumption can be a significant source of pesticides.

According to the CS Monitor, conventional farmers apply up to 250 pounds of chemical fertilizers per acre!” Are you sipping pesticides with your brew? We know that pesticides are contributing to the growing rate of cancer, Parkinson’s Disease, and miscarriage.

Be sure to use non-bleached filters, as they’ve been bleached with chlorinated bleach.

Shade grown coffee is better tasting since shade-coffee beans ripen more slowly, resulting in a richer flavor. More importantly, they’re better for the environment and provide a healthier environment for the workers. When shopping, always look for organic, fair trade, shade grown coffee.E

ROB HAINER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; NIMON/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; BUKHTA IHOR/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

When I packed up my kitchen to move 500 miles south, I wanted to make sure that my Keurig was completely empty and dry before it went on the moving truck. IMPOSSIBLE! Keurig.com states, “Once your Keurig home brewer has been primed, you cannot empty the water from the inside. The internal tank of the brewer cannot be drained.”

The microbiologist in me is disgusted at the thought. Back in the day when I worked in a hospital lab, we emptied all water reservoirs daily or they would grow bacteria and a biofilm could develop. You are familiar with biofilms if you’ve ever cleaned the goo out of a flower vase after the flowers have died. Biofilms are found wherever there is water and a surface to stick to (like your shower curtain).

The rubber tubing and the internal tank of the Keurig cannot be drained. It’s possible that bacteria and mold are happily living inside that hidden water tank where it’s nice, dark, and warm.

Another mold-magnet is that black rubber ring on the bottom of the exterior water container. Look now—is there green or black slime? Ewwwww (biofilm!).

Donna Duberg, M.A., M.S., an assistant professor of clinical laboratory science at Saint Louis University says, “Bacteria forms a slick biofilm when grown in moist, dark places, and so do molds.” No, your coffee bean’s antibacterial action is not enough to kill these microbes that are floating through the system.

Duberg also points out, “There is research which shows that it is only about 50 percent effective in killing bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus mutans, and molds.”

Unfortunately, your water isn’t getting hot enough to kill all microbes that are living in your coffee system either. For that to happen, the water would need to reach boiling temperature and stay there for one minute. And, for heaven’s sake, wash your workplace coffee mug with dish soap and water. Researchers found that half of workplace coffee mugs were contaminated with fecal bacteria.

Can you clean the Keurig? The first step is to empty out the exterior water tank and look inside the tank. Does it feel slimy?

Clean and dry that tank and run a few cycles of diluted vinegar through the Keurig. Good luck with that. One person said, “I could still smell a moldy aroma after doing quite a few vinegar cycles. There were also black, floaty things in my cup even when I just brewed hot water.”

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six healthy reasons to eat more real cinnamon by margie king reprinted with permission from greenmediainfo llc

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f you live in North America or Europe, that jar of “cinnamon” in your cupboard is probably not truly cinnamon at all, but a very similar spice known as cassia or “bastard cinnamon.” True cinnamon is usually labeled “Ceylon cinnamon” and comes principally from Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar, Brazil, and the Caribbean. Cassia, on the other hand, is often designated as “Chinese cinnamon” or “Saigon cinnamon” and comes principally from Indonesia, China, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea.

Ceylon cinnamon is more expensive and more difficult to find in North American, where most spices labeled cinnamon are actually the cheaper cassia. Sweeter, lighter, and more refined than cassia, true cinnamon is most suitable to flavoring desserts rather than more robust, savory dishes, which can handle the heavier cassia.

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Cinnamon is one of the oldest and most popular spices and has been used for millennia both for its flavoring and medicinal qualities. In ancient Egypt, it was used to fill body cavities of corpses as an embalming agent. In ancient Rome, it was considered so valuable that the Emperor Nero burned a year’s supply on his wife’s funeral pyre as proof of his devotion to her.

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It helps thin the blood and prevent unwanted clumping of platelets. It is so effective as an anti-coagulant that patients taking prescription blood thinners are warned not to take cinnamon in concentrated form such as supplements or extracts.

Besides flavor, the most important distinction between the two spices, however, is in their levels of coumarin, a natural compound that acts as a blood thinner when ingested.

Cassia has much higher levels of coumarin than true cinnamon. As such, patients on blood thinners like warfarin (trade name Coumadin) are often advised to limit their intake of cinnamon, although this generally applies to cassia more so than to real cinnamon.

Both types of cinnamon are excellent sources of the trace mineral manganese, which is an important activator of enzymes essential to building healthy bones as well as other physiological processes, including carbohydrate and fat metabolism.

Both are also very good sources of dietary fiber, iron, and calcium. The combination of calcium and fiber is thought to be helpful in reducing the risk of colon cancer and lowering cholesterol levels, in addition to relieving constipation or diarrhea.

Here are six reasons to make sure you’re getting your cinnamon every day:

fights bacteria and fungus

Ayurvedic medicine has long used cinnamon for its anti-microbial qualities to support the immune system and prevent colds and flu. It’s been proven to help stop the growth of bacteria, fungus, and the common yeast Candida. One study showed that it’s an effective alternative to chemical food preservatives, and just a few drops of essential oil of cinnamon added to refrigerated carrot broth prevented the growth of food-borne pathogens for up to 60 days.

boosts memory and protects the brain

lowers blood sugar levels

lowers cholesterol

Diabetics can also reduce their risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease by consuming even one daily gram (about 1/3 teaspoon) of cinnamon.

One 2003 USDA study found that after 40 days of eating between just 1 and 6 grams of cinnamon (about 2 teaspoons), type 2 diabetics were not only able to reduce their blood sugar levels by 18 to 29 percent, but also lowered their triglycerides by 23 to 30 percent, their LDL (bad) cholesterol by 7 to 27 percent and total cholesterol by 12 to 26 percent.

supports healthy blood clotting

Much research has been devoted to cinnamon’s effect on blood platelets, which contribute to clotting.

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Cinnamon has been shown to normalize blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics by improving the ability to respond to insulin. It does so in part by slowing the rate at which the stomach empties after eating, as evidenced by a study in which people ate about a cup of rice pudding with and without about a teaspoon of cinnamon. Adding the cinnamon slowed the rate the stomach emptied from 37 to 34.5 percent and significantly slowed the rise in blood sugar levels. Even less than half of a teaspoon a day is shown to reduce blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics.

Chewing cinnamon flavored gum or just smelling the sweet spice has been found to improve brain activity. Research led by Dr. P. Zoladz and presented at the 2004 meeting of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences, in Sarasota, Florida, concluded that cinnamon enhances cognitive processing and was found to improve test subjects’ scores related to attention, memory, and visualmotor speed when working at a computer.

A 2011 study suggested that it may have a role in reducing the kind of chronic inflammation that leads to various neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, multiple sclerosis, brain tumor, and meningitis.

improves digestion

In traditional Chinese medicine, cinnamon has been used for flatulence, nausea, and diarrhea.

It’s also believed to improve the body’s ability to digest fruit, milk, and other dairy products.

Both cassia and real cinnamon are often labeled the same in North America. The true Ceylon version will be more expensive, and it will be a lighter shade of brown, a finer powder, and have a sweeter scent. When buying the sticks, known as “quills,” keep in mind that, generally, cassia will be thicker and the two ends will be rolled toward each other rather than being rolled in one direction only.E Margie King is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition®. A Wharton M.B.A. and corporate attorney for 20 years, she left the world of business to pursue her passion for all things nutritious. Margie is the author of Nourishing Menopause: The Whole Food Guide to Balancing Your Hormones Naturally. She is also a professional copywriter and natural health, beauty, and nutrition writer.

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pairing bold red wines with vegetarian (or vegan) food by madeline puckette reprinted with permission from wine folly

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f you’re a vegetarian (or the person responsible for feeding one), you might be under the impression that wine pairing with vegetarian food is limited. Au contraire, that’s just not true! Contrary to what the carnivores would have you believe, vegetarian food offers equally delightful pairings and can even stand up against bolder red wines than many meat-based dishes. Since this is considered one of the biggest challenges with pairing vegetarian or vegan foods, we’ll tackle this head on and give you some inspiring new ideas for pairing bold red wines with vegetarian or vegan foods.

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start thinking of wine as an ingredient

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When you break down wine into its structural taste components (sweet, sour, bitter, etc.), it’s easier to treat wine as an ingredient that actively interacts with a dish rather than something you sip on the side. The goal of a great wine pairing is to balance these taste components with a dish so that, together, the pairing highlights key flavors.

epicurean charlotte food & wine

deconstructing the taste profile of red wines

So, since we’re attempting to pair a full-bodied red wine with vegetarian food, let’s identify the fundamental taste components of a bold red wine.

Acid: All wines lie on the acid side of the spectrum (with pH levels between approximately 2.7 and 4).

Full-bodied red wines are typically somewhere around 3.6 pH, so fundamentally speaking, they are sour.

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wine pairing concepts

Now that we understand full-bodied red wines by their fundamental tastes, let’s identify the core components that a dish must have in order to create balance.

Complement sourness in wine with fat and salt.

When you make a simple salad dressing, you’re essentially adding oil (fat) and salt to vinegar to create balance.

This is the concept behind balancing sourness in wine.

You need some element of fat in the dish to counteract the acidity of the wine.

TIP: Dishes that are more acidic (sour) than wine will make the wine taste less sour (sometimes even making wines taste flabby). If you try a pairing with a food item that’s more acidic than the wine, just make sure you have enough fat in the dish to counterbalance the sourness of both the dish and the wine (otherwise, the wine will create an unbalanced taste). An example of a sour dish that has enough fat for both the wine and the dish would be lemon risotto.

Complement bitterness in wine with protein, umami, and fat.

The tannins and other polyphenols in red wine act as scrapers on your tongue to proteins and fat, which is why you’ll want a fair amount of proteins and fat in your dish to complement the wine. Additionally, if you have other bitter components in your dish (such as quinoa, kale, etc.), you might add a little sugar to counteract these tastes so that the primary flavors of your dish are protein, umami, and fat.

A note about bitter and sweet: While sweetness technically reduces our perception of bitterness, it’s usually not advised when flavor pairing with high tannin (bitter) wines. This is because it usually makes the wine come across as bitter and sour! That said, it’s possible to complement a bitter wine with some sweetness in a dish (for example, tangy BBQ sauce pairs really well with fruit-forward and smoky Lodi Zinfandel).

choosing ingredients

Now that we know what bold red wines need for balance, the challenge is finding vegetarian ingredients with enough protein, umami, and fat to create a balanced pairing.

Proteins: The base proteins in vegetarian food are packed with quality proteins but often lack the intensity of flavor for bolder red wines. So, you’ll want to modify these a bit to reach the desired level meatiness.

• Tofu/Tempeh • Quinoa • Beans: White Beans, Pinto Beans, Black Beans, etc.

• Alternative Meats: Soy Curls, TVP, and pre-made brands like Quorn and Gardein

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You can use this sourness to your advantage by letting the wine act as a balancing force in the food and wine pairing.

Bitterness: The pigment and tannin in red wine add bitterness and astringency to wine, which has been shown to have a palate cleansing effect (it literally “scrapes” proteins off of your tongue, which is why some people describe red wines as having a “drying” sensation). The features of bitterness and astringency are important to note when pairing, because you’ll need to counterbalance them with the food.

Intensity Level: Yep, full-bodied red wines are bold.

In order to complement bold wines, you’ll need to match them with foods that have the same or similar intensity, which is why roasted meats have been the go-to pairing choice thus far.

Base Flavors: Since wines are made with grapes, they usually have fruity flavors. Bolder reds typically range in the dark fruit side of the spectrum with plum, blackberry, blueberry, and black currant flavors. There are a few exceptions with more red fruit (raspberry, cherry, etc.) flavors, but for the most part, full-bodied red wines deliver dark fruit. These flavors will come in handy later when you’re thinking about flavor pairing with highlight ingredients, spices, and herbs.

Examples: Not all full-bodied red wines taste the same (um ... duh!). Here are a few examples of fullbodied red wines alongside some of their principle aromas and flavors: • Syrah: Blackberry, Plum, Black Pepper, Black Olive, Sweet Tobacco, Chocolate • Cabernet Sauvignon: Black Currant, Black Cherry, Green Peppercorn, Bell Pepper, Mint • Nebbiolo: Cherry, Rose, Licorice, Anise, Tobacco, Cocoa Powder

Fat and Umami Ingredients: Once you have your protein figured out, you’ll need to increase its intensity by adding fat, salt, and umami. Here are some popular vegan ingredients that will do the trick: • Mushrooms, Mushroom Broth, or Bouillon • Dried Shiitake Mushrooms • Molasses • Soy Sauce/Tamari/Bragg’s • Nut butters and creams including Cashew Cream, Peanut Butter, and Coconut Milk • Nuts including Pepitas, Pine Nuts, Cashews, Peanuts, Blanched Almonds • Oils including Coconut Oil, Canola Oil, Refined Grapeseed Oil Necessary Seasoning: Finally, in order to get your vegan or vegetarian meal to the same intensity, seasoning is your best friend. Here are some seasonings that will bode well with full-bodied red wines as well as deliver the taste intensity you’ll need: • Roasted Shallots or Onion Powder • Black Pepper & White Pepper • Cumin • Mustard seed and powder • Fennel seed • Vinegar • Smoked Paprika • Cinnamon or Allspice • Brewer’s Yeast (adds umami)

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an example: napa cabernet

Ready for a red wine-vegetarian-dish practice pairing?

Let’s say I’m going to make a vegan food and wine pairing specifically for a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. In my made-up example, the Napa Cabernet has high tannin, high intensity, and flavors of black cherry, cocoa powder, red pepper, and cedar.

For pairing this dish, I really want a protein base with enough textural richness to cut through the smokiness in the wine. To do this, I’d look into creating a BBQ burger patty with pinto beans, crushed dried shiitake mushrooms, soy sauce, oil, black pepper, and molasses (and the other ingredients needed to make it stick together). I’d definitely want to get this on the grill and give it some burn marks to give it more roasted notes. Then, to highlight the red pepper-y spice in the wine, I’d place a roasted red pepper on top of my patty, along with some melted cheddar cheese to give the dish more fat. Finally, put the whole thing on a charred bun with a piece of butter lettuce and some ketchup.

Take a bite and a sip of wine, and go to hedonism heaven.

last word: creating meatiness without meat

One of the biggest complaints to becoming a vegetarian or vegan is simply described as a “lack of meatiness” in a your diet. If you’re cooking in a traditional manner, this would be quite true. However, if you figure out how to create meatiness in vegetarian foods (both texturally and with umami), you can create some compelling pairings for full-bodied red wines. This is the secret!E

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flat rock cider works

sky top orchard

raise a glass to spring in hendersonville by zenda douglas images by sam dean photography

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he freshness of spring will soon fall over North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains—and its towns—and will return the landscape, once more, to green. Flowers will begin to blossom and townspeople will respond by tumbling out of doors to welcome the new season.

Hendersonville, one of the country’s prettiest mountain towns, welcomes visitors to experience nature at its best and to enjoy their first taste of spring in a place that has much to offer.

jump off rock hubba hubba smokehouse

bold rock hard cider

An exciting getaway to Hendersonville renders sweet surprises—a vibrant mix of arts and culture, entertainment, agri-tourism, and locally-brewed spirits. Its downtown is welcoming and offers a variety of shops, boutiques, and more than 30 dining establishments—impressive given the town’s size. Also impressive are the thousands of tulips that bloom around mid-April along the wide sidewalks downtown. The town typically celebrates this annual show of color with a month-long Tulip Extravaganza. More color comes to Main Street on Memorial Day weekend during the Garden Jubilee Festival. Garden Jubilee takes up eight blocks with more than 250 vendors, including 40 nurseries selling plants and flowers.

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Hendersonville sits just 22 miles south of Asheville and is easily accessed by major highways and area airports.

One of the area’s most important claims to fame is its apple production. Henderson County is the largest apple-producing county in North Carolina and the seventh largest in the nation. The most widely grown apples are Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Rome Beauty, Honey Crisp, Granny Smith, Stayman, Fuji, and Gala.

While the apples won’t be ready for picking and eating for a while (the North Carolina apple harvest season is celebrated from early September through mid-October), there’s one apple product that is enjoyed all the rest of the year—cold, crisp hard cider. Henderson County’s abundance of orchards makes the area a natural home for the emerging hard cider market. Plus, the beauty of budding orchards scattered across mountain vistas is a sight to see and, alone, is worth the trip.

Three cideries have taken up residence in Henderson County: Flat Rock Ciderworks began producing hard cider in 2014. Its flagship ciders are Wicked Peel and Blackberry Gold. Its tasting room is on Main Street in downtown Hendersonville. Bold Rock Hard Cider boasts two production facilities and a state-ofthe-art tasting room. There are nine Bold Rock ciders on tap. Live music and food trucks make the tap room a popular spot. Appalachian Ridge Artisan Ciders sits across the road from Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards and is located inside a renovated 1940s-era barn.

The cideries are part of the Cheers! Trail, which also features five breweries and two wineries. Beer lovers will be blown away by the brewery facilities at the East Coast headquarters for Sierra Nevada, complete with an outdoor amphitheatre with a regular schedule of live music. Wine enthusiasts will be happy relaxing on the beautiful grounds and tasting room at Burntshirt Vineyards.

While you’re outdoors, enjoy full access to nature at DuPont State Recreational Forest, which encompasses 10,600 acres in Henderson and Transylvania counties. Its multi-use trails offer a special place for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and fishing. Waterfall seekers won’t be disappointed here. Hooker Falls drops 12 feet into Cascade Lake, which has become a popular swimming hole. Triple Falls has three distinct cascades totaling about 120 feet. Scenes from the movies The Hunger Games and Last of the Mohicans were filmed here. Bridal Veil is quite unique, dropping eight feet off an overhanging ledge before the water rushes down a long inclined plane of granite. High Falls is the tallest of the falls.

For a moving sunset, head over to Jump Off Rock, a scenic overlook that provides panoramic views of rolling pastures and the Blue Ridge and Pisgah mountain ranges, as well as Indian legend. Three hiking trails can be experienced at Jump Off Rock, varying in length and difficulty.

Join thousands of visitors each year who come to the Flat Rock Playhouse, officially designated the State Theatre of North Carolina, for a professional play or musical.

For more than 60 years, Flat Rock Playhouse has been offering Broadway-quality entertainment at a fraction of Broadway prices. Flat Rock Playhouse has now opened a second location on Main Street in Hendersonville, bringing shows and concerts to the center city. Its main, and original theater, is located in the historic neighboring Village of Flat Rock. More than a hundred years ago, Flat Rock gained population by the arrival of affluent Charlestonians who wished to escape the summer heat and associated diseases of the Lowcountry. So many families from the Charleston area came to Flat Rock that it became known as “The Little Charleston of the Mountains.”

Save an entire day to appreciate Hendersonville’s history through its numerous historic sites and museums. Step into the Historic Henderson County Courthouse and the Henderson County Heritage Museum. Roam about the Historic Johnson Farm. Take a reflective stroll through the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site to get a glimpse of how this treasured writer, journalist, folk singer, social activist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet lived his final 22 years. The estate, which houses Sandburg’s furnishings and his collection of 12,000 books, was called Connemara. Visitors may tour the house and barn and see the descendants of Mrs. Sandburg’s champion dairy goatherd.

To assure visitors’ overnight comfort, Hendersonville has a wide array of lodging and accommodations ranging from hotels to bed-and-breakfast inns to cottages. Enjoy the warm hospitality of the Queen Anne Style, 1898 Waverly Inn located in the heart of Hendersonville. With its beckoning wraparound porch, guests will want to take advantage of the rocking chairs as soon as they are settled in. The Historic Charleston Inn, with its newly appointed rooms, sits next door. Formerly known as The Claddagh Inn, it is within easy walking distance to all that downtown has to offer. Each of these establishments has provided rest and relaxation to travelers for over 100 years. At Mountain Inn & Suites, locally-owned and operated, guests enjoy a comfortable bed and all of the amenities they need to refresh themselves from a full day of seeing the sights, all delivered with sincere Southern hospitality.

The beauty of budding orchards scattered across mountain vistas is a sight to see and, alone, is worth the trip.

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a tourist has to eat! don't despair—hendersonville is a dependable match for the hungry traveler

Those who are hungry for meat won’t go lacking at Hubba Hubba Smokehouse, an authentic wood-fired smokehouse. What you won’t find here are any electric smokers. Honoring the Carolina craft of low-and-slow barbecue, the meats have been slow smoked for hours over a special selection of native hardwoods, including red and white oak, and hickory. Sides and sauces are made from scratch on site. Hubba Hubba’s casual environment and picnic-table outdoors dining make for a great gathering place for friends, families, and groups.

When the mood calls for more sophisticated dining with an Italian flair, there’s no better place than Mezzaluna Brick Oven and Tap House. The cuisine here is prepared in an open kitchen at the foot of a magnificent mural of A Starry Night by Van Gogh. The menu is built upon the simple elegance of the finest Italian cuisine. Make a beverage selection from the extensive wine list, draft beer list, or hard cider list to accompany your meal. To start, try the stuffed banana peppers with Italian sausage, Parmesan, and marinara.

A mezzaluna salad of field greens, gorgonzola, tomato, red onion, and balsamic vinaigrette will inch you closer to your chosen entrée, perhaps the spicy Tuscan stew with seared scallops, shrimp, mussels, chili, tomato, and pancetta. If pasta’s on your mind, go for the delightful housemade fettuccine with asparagus, pine nuts, crisp pancetta, and Parmesan cream. hubba hubba hubba hubba smokehouse smokehouse

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Check out Sierra Nevada’s Taproom and Restaurant for artful, chef-driven fare. You’ll find an abundance of incredible food and great craft beer—there are 23 beers on tap, many produced just a few feet from the restaurant. Cuisine here is focused on small plate, sharable, whole animal, and farm-to-table dishes sourced mainly from local suppliers.

Tucked into the Charleston Inn and spilling over onto the side porch is The Lantern Restaurant & Bar, with its innovative Lowcountry menu of small and large plates and signature cocktails, it’s fine dining at its best. Guests will find a host of enticing appetizers and entrées as well as thoughtfully-crafted desserts.

Start your meal with a handcrafted cocktail or a glass of wine from the restaurant’s impressive wine list.

A great way to inspire your appetite is with the Charleston Cheese Dip, made from Wyke Farms vintage white cheddar cheese, smoked jalapeño, and crispy black pepper bacon, served with housemade grilled focaccia points. Continue with a bowl of Louisiana gumbo, made from a rich dark roux, fresh gulf shrimp, and smoked andouille sausage from Louisiana’s own Cochon Butchery. Expect the housemade crab cakes to be made from South Carolina blue crab and jumbo lump crab meat. Guests rave about the shrimp and grits, prepared from local stone ground Geechie Boy Grits and fresh Gulf shrimp swimming in a roasted red pepper, brown butter, and unoaked Chardonnay reduction.

Finally, a message to those lucky enough to dine at Etowah Valley Golf & Resort or neighboring Old Etowah Smokehouse just outside of Hendersonville: don’t skip dessert. Hendersonville native and culinary guru Robert Hammond, whose work has been featured on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” Food Network’s “Best Of,” and “Roker On The Road,” as well as in The New York Times and Bon Appétit, has recently come home to Western North Carolina after working as a chef, pastry chef, and culinary instructor for 47 years in some of the top kitchens across the country. Hammond now heads the pastry program at the Etowah properties.

These days, Hammond turns out some of the best desserts in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Food aficionados rave about his decadent cheesecakes in creative flavors such as caramel-apple-bourbon, and they also delight in such Southern specialties as fresh coconut cake.E volume 9 • issue 2

sierra nevada

the lantern

sierra nevada

CHEERS! Trail

its orchards, the Long known for locallyarea is now turning Hendersonville s hard grapes into deliciou craft grown apples and A Guide To Add to that five ciders and wines. creations, up their local beer breweries serving palate on Ah, the bounty of natureBeer at local something for every nd fi you’ll and trail. farmers markets! Grab your basket this new tasting and fill it with bright red, green & Wine and orange peppers, fresh herbs, ed Tour! berries and fruit - all available at the Take a Guid peak of .1343 freshness. ce: 828.216 Cider

The Brewery Experien explore Henderson nce.com – thebreweryexperie with a Certified Sample homemade baked goods, brewery scene tours .828.4244 County’s craft 1.800 and individual artisan cheeses and jams & jellies. villenc .org guide – group visithen derson Cicerone as your Gather a feast for dinner or find a y: 828.606.8606 tasty treat to take home to remind The Trolley Compan of local .com – add a tour you of your visit to Henderson thetrolleycompany your group s and cideries to County. Follow the Trail and visit wineries, brewerie a variety of ced local guides, local experien farmers market, it’s guaranteed event; transportation options

to make your mouth water!

BENVENUTI!

Portofino’s Ristorante Italiano e Pizzeria, where a passion for great food and a love for quality pay homage to the glories of the Italian kitchen.

“Best Italian Restaurant in Charlotte”!

Farm Market Trail

A Guide To Farm Fresh: Vegetables Fruits Herbs 1.800.828.4244

visithenderson villenc.org

Hendersonville calls out to all to seek out and explore new experiences year-round.

Belly up to a cold Enhance your brew at Sierra Nevada experience Brewery, indulge in with easy to use guides to regional wine tastings, the beer, wine or savor all the fresh that Henderson and farm fresh County has to offer! — available in it’s all up to you! our region!

1.800.828.4244

visithendersonvillenc.org

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places to go, people to see

through the grapevine

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Longstanding local eatery Lupie’s Cafe— known for some of the best home cookin’ in Charlotte—has closed its Huntersville restaurant with plans to focus on changes at their original location on Monroe Road. www.lupiescafe.net

DeSano Pizza Bakery plans to open their first Charlotte location in March.

Located on East 3rd Street in Midtown, the pizza chain imports all of their ingredients from Italy, makes all of the dough in-house, squeezes their own tomatoes and shreds their own cheese. desanopizza.com

After nearly six years in the food truck business, OooWee BBQ is opening a permanent restaurant in Pineville. Located just a few steps from the main drag of downtown Pineville in the former Maestro’s Bar and Bistro building, there’s no official word on the official menu, but we sure hope they have the BBQ Sundaes! www.eatoooweebbq.com

ECFW would like to give a big shout out to Matthew Matinata as he finalizes the details of his new whiskey and cigar bar, The Jailhouse. Opening this spring in the old Belmont jailhouse, expect to find a full-service bar, walk-in humidor and bar bites from sister business Old Stone Steakhouse. www.thejailhousebelmont.com

Living Kitchen (formerly Luna’s Living Kitchen) is expanding into SouthPark in the former Zebra space on Sharon Road.

The popular South End restaurant boasts an organic, plant-based, and mostly raw menu and plans to open the new location in late spring. livingkitchen.com

Suki Akor is set to serve up prime cuts of steak, hand selected seafood, and vegetables with unique Japanese inspired marinades and sauces, along with sushi and sashimi in Uptown starting this spring.

Located at the bottom of the Embassy Suites Hotel, expect radiating warmth, energy, and a touch of Japanese tradition. sukirestaurant.com

Smashburger is planning to open their third Charlotte location across Park Road from Duckworth’s. Smashburger will join Viva Chicken and soon-to-open Jimmy John’s on the other side of Park Road from the main Montford area. smashburger.com

Check out our website! Get up-to-date information on events and news around town, view past issues and more. While you’re there, become our friend on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter. www.epicureancharlotte.com

South End staple Phat Burrito has closed. Owner Stephen Justice cites increased construction and development in the area and a decreasing amount of available parking for their closure. You will be missed!

Potbelly Sandwich Shop’s first Charlotte location has opened Uptown.

Occupying the former Salsarita’s space in Latta Arcade, the menu features toasted sub sandwiches, fresh-made salads, breakfast sandwiches, milkshakes, smoothies, cookies, and more. www.potbelly.com

South End bar and eatery Helles & Dunkel has unveiled a reworked interior and a “greatly expanded” new menu with unexpected items like a pork belly sandwich, fresh fish tacos, traditional barbacoa and breakfast-style empanadas in addition to standard bar fare and a surprising sushi menu. hellesdunkel.com

Gastonia is getting their first brewery!

Cavendish Brewing Company will open this spring at 207 N. Chester Street.

Featuring 16 taps, five of those will pour the brewery’s flagship beers, and the rest will pour seasonal and experimental beers. Flagship beers include a Dampfbier, a robust Porter, an IPA, and an IPL. cavendishbrewing.com

Specialty coffee shop Undercurrent Coffee will be opening this spring on Commonwealth Avenue across from the The Common Market. In addition to fueling your mornings with caffeine, they’ll also be satiating your appetite with a unique take on the typical coffee shop grub. undercurrentcoffee.com

Modernly rustic Zeppelin plans to bring seasonal small plates, local charcuterie and cheeses, craft cocktails, fine wines, and more to South End late this spring.

Located next to the new Common Market on W. Tremont Avenue, expect an upscale neighborhood bar experience.

Health-focused fast casual franchise Grabbagreen has opened their first Charlotte location in the EpiCentre Uptown.

Boasting gluten-, preservative-, horomoneand GMO-free ingredients that are 70 percent organic, a second location is planned to open in Ballantyne this spring. grabbagreen.com

Sabor Latin Street Food is set to open in SouthPark in the former Firehouse Subs spot in Morrison Shopping Center. This will be the popular fast-casual concept’s sixth location with a menu consisting of chef-driven, from scratch recipes prepared using authentic techniques. saborcharlotte.com

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03 Spring Home & Garden Show 31 Charlotte Craft Beer Week

eighth annual Charlotte Craft Beer Week will -05 -09 The

feature tastings and showcases of rare and exotic

Usher in spring and experience gardens filled with flowers, chic designer rooms and exhibits focusing on the best in landscaping, building, remodeling and decorating, all located under one roof.

southernshows.com/sss

11 -12

mar.

The Bottle Cap Group (owners of area restaurants like Brazwell’s and Whiskey Warehouse) is launching a new Asian Cajun restaurant and bar this spring.

Wu’s Cajun Sea Food will occupy the former Nan & Byron’s location in South End and is targeted to open in early spring. wusclt.com

Latta Celtic Festival

brews and regional breweries, food and beer pairing events, brewery tours, and more. charlottecraftbeerweek.org

Enjoy authentic cuisine and brews including the one and only Olde Mecklenburg Brewery. Listen to an array of Celtic music, shop with Celtic vendors, learn of Celtic history, meet the farm animals and see exhibits and demonstrations throughout the weekend! www.lattaplantation.org

18 Charlotte Goes Green St. Patrick’s Day Parade

The 21st annual parade and festival is an exciting all-day outdoor event featuring a music stage, crafts, food, beer and area vendors for the whole family. www.charlottestpatsday.com PEN KA PAT/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

BAKU, the stylish SouthPark Japanese eatery, has been acquired by industry veterans Birdie Yang and wife Janine Lu of Yama Asian Fusion. Yang and Lu have already put their mark on BAKU by refining menu options, enhancing customer service, elevating food quality, and updating the restaurant’s interior. baku-restaurant.com

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Cooking Classes with Heidi Billotto

Start the spring season with a class full of traditional favorites—‘Food and Wine from the Land of Down Under.’ Each dish will be paired with one of a line up of great wines from either Australia or New Zealand.

Combined, the menu makes a fun dinner for four. heidibillottofood.com volume 9 • issue 2

21 Tuck Fest -23

This three-day festival celebrates the outdoor lifestyle through competitions, exhibitions, demonstrations and live music at the U.S. National Whitewater Center. The festival features a variety of outdoor sport competitions, live bands, vendors and food, and athletes, spectators, and musicians alike are invited to celebrate the active lifestyle. tuckfest.org

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Charlotte Moo and Brew Festival

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Queen’s Cup Steeplechase

Now in its third year, taste unlimited samplings from local breweries in addition to several regional and national ones, plus try some of Charlotte’s best restaurants serving up unique spins on burgers alongside popular musical act Blues Traveler. mooandbrewfest.com

Spend a wonderful afternoon with your family, friends and colleagues celebrating an annual Charlotte Rite of Spring in the beautiful countryside. www.queenscup.org w w w.epi cu rea n ch a r l otte.com

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volume 9 • issue 2

enjoying drinks at dogwood southern table l to r: Fidel Montaya, Keith Alyea, Andi Scalia, Whitney Adkins Hamlin

epicurean charlotte food & wine

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relaxing with wine at reid's fine foods southpark l to r: Lisa Dale, Kandace Sholter, Meg Callahan

escaping to bimini, bahamas l to r: (sitting) Paul Talbot, Maureen Talbot, (standing) Paula Thomas, Kathy Mullis, Tommy Mullis

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www.e p icu re an c h ar l o t te .co m

unwinding at foxcroft wine co. l to r: Larry Hyatt, Sylvia Hyatt, Angie Cauble, Bo Cauble, Boyd Cauble

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vinho verde tasting at corkbuzz l to r: Taylor Kastl, Jacob Horner, Paige Sellers, Austin Farina, Celine Demaesschalck

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scene around town

birthday celebration at portofino’s l to r: John Rosenblatt, Denise Shinn, Giosue Coppola, Linda Seligman, Jack Rosenblatt

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local flavor

spring into fresh flavors breakfast casserole courtesy borden® cheese

ingredients: 1 lb bulk pork sausage 1 bag (32 oz.) frozen potato rounds • 10 eggs • 1 c milk • •

•

2 c Borden® shreds colby & monterey jack cheese • 8 slices bacon, cooked crisp, drained

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9”x13” baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the sausage to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned; drain and set aside. Place the potato rounds in the prepared baking dish. Arrange the cooked sausage evenly over the potatoes. Beat the eggs with the milk in a medium bowl or a 1-quart glass measure. Pour egg mixture over potatoes and sausage. Sprinkle cheese over eggs. Crumble bacon over cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes or until eggs are set and the dish has cooked through. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes.

chicken curry chef jairo santos • sir edmond halley’s restaurant & freehouse

ingredients: • 1 lb chicken breast, cubed • 4 oz carrots, sliced • 4 oz cauliflower, • 4 oz onions, sliced • 4 oz garbanzo beans

• • • • •

4 tsp curry powder 3 oz unsalted butter 1 c chicken stock 1 c basmati rice 1 green onion, diced

Prepare basmati rice according to package directions and set aside.

Heat a sauté pan with 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil. Add the raw chicken and heat for several minutes. Add the vegetables and curry; cook until tender. Add the butter, chicken stock, salt, and pepper to taste. Heat until melted. Serve over rice and garnish with green onions.

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epicurean charlotte food & wine

words to live by

the juice

Dominate Dinner

$11.59 • www.fiftyshadesofchicken.com

Tea Like You've Never Tasted Before

Dripping Thighs, Chicken with a Lardon, Bacon-Bound Wings, Spatchcock Chicken, Learning-to-Truss-You Chicken, Mustard-Spanked Chicken, and more, more, more ... Fifty chicken recipes, each more seductive than the last, fill this book, making every dinner a turn-on. Follow the adventures of Miss Chicken, a young freerange, from raw innocence to golden brown ecstasy, in this spoof-in-a-cookbook that simmers in the afterglow of the hit Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. A parody in three acts—“The Novice Bird” (easy recipes for roasters), “Falling to Pieces” (parts perfect for weeknight meals), and “Advanced Techniques” (the climax of cooking)—it’s a cookbook of fifty irresistible, repertoireboosting chicken dishes that will leave you hungry for more.

$1,499.00 • shop.teforia.com

The Teforia infuser combines the knowledge of a tea master with the best in modern technology. It knows the exact time, temperature, and water needed to brew the perfect cup.

For every kind of tea—every time. A machine as elegant as it is capable, the Teforia Infuser combines the expertise of generations of tea masters with a design that will be the centerpiece of any kitchen counter.

$149.95 • www.omegajuicers.com

The Omega Mega Mouth OMG500S Juicer is a continuous, pulp-ejection style juicer with one huge advantage.

Its extra-large feed chute accommodates larger portions and even whole fruits! This results in less cutting and a greatly reduced preparation time, allowing you to concentrate more on the juicing itself. Simply flip the switch and watch as the Mega Mouth makes quick work of fruits and vegetables, extracting the maximum amount of juice in minimal time.

Impress Your Friends by Making Your Own Butter $39.99 • www.amazon.com

Even if you swear you’re not handy in the kitchen, this homemade butter churner will allow you to make your own butter in just 10 minutes. It’s as easy as turning the handle! The Kilner butter churner follows the original design but with a few modern tweaks. All you need is heavy cream and a little effort. When the butter takes shape, you’ll also have buttermilk—a tasty byproduct— to cook and bake with, too.

Make Your Fridge Smarter $100.00 • smarter.am

We’ve all been there. You open the fridge and reach into the back to discover a lost container of leftovers from two weeks ago. Or you open the drawer and discover rotten vegetables and fruit you forgot you bought. Never again! The new FridgeCamtm attaches to the door of any fridge—old or new—so you can see inside from anywhere and can have a smart refrigerator without spending thousands. Not only will it remind you when you’re out of milk, it’ll tell you how long items have been in the fridge so you don’t lose food to rot or expiration.

Make Any Time Baking Time $29.99 • www.personalcreations.com

Let the good times roll! These solid maple rolling pins are beautiful enough to keep it on display while perfect for those homemade pies you love so much. A full-length steel axle and lubricated nylon bearings guarantee a lifetime of smooth rolling, plus, they can be personalized with any one-line message up to 20 characters.

UBER IMAGES/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Squeeze Out Every Last Drop

“you can't buy happiness, but you can buy wine and that's kind of the same thing.” unknown

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volume 9 • issue 2