Grand Olde Station

The Toxaway Community has always been close. From its earliest days when swells like Thomas Edison and Henry Ford would plan their getaways so they could “rough it” together (for clarity, their version of roughing it wasn’t the same as Mark Twain’s – let’s call it by its 21st century name, glamping).

My grandfather, who was the teacher at Toxaway School after he came home from World War I, said that people would gather at Po and Missa Galloway’s for a community meal and music (with some dancing, but not for the Baptists).

And of course, the homes that have sprung up all along the lake since the 1960s – from modest getaways to sprawling estates that are barely glimpsed from the road – they constitute a thriving, egalitarian community, where eventually everyone knows your name.

This helps to explain why Grand Olde Station, just 15 yards from the lake, is such good fit for this lively community.

Housed in the old Toxaway Train Depot, with a venerable Toxaway Fire Department American LaFrance Engine and a couple of vintage motorboats out front, this place is steeped in mountain heritage.

Inside it’s jammed with mountain ephemera, including a slinky stuffed fox and a ghostly mountain lion (perhaps in tribute to the “painter” that my grandfather said haunted the deep woods surrounding Toxaway in 1920-21).

But the clear callback to olde Toxaway’s social calendar was the crowd that built with our arrival at 6:00 P.M. on a Sunday evening. People poured in, and they were in a happy, celebratory mood.

Our server Gregory reflected the spirit of the dining room – he moved with confidence and a good-natured humor. Between the kitchen and bar and dining room, he was in perpetual motion, yet he never seemed stressed, let alone overwhelmed.

This comfy mountain décor and overwhelmingly positive atmosphere still doesn’t explain the filled-to-capacity dining room, though.

Let’s turn our attention to the menu and the confident kitchen that delivers on its promises.

We started with tapas-style Fried Green Tomatoes and Smoked Trout Dip served with pita triangles. Here’s an unimpeachable reference to Southern classics that were on the menu of the venerable Toxaway Inn.

Our main courses weren’t culled from an old mountain cookbook – Barbecued Chicken Pizza, Almond Salmon, and the thick and juicy Station Burger – but they’re in the running for modern classics.

They were all created with care, and my Station Burger was reminiscent of the backyard burgers that used to punctuate my summers. Somehow, I’ve lost the time and inclination to drag the old grill out, so Grand Olde Station’s version filled something precious in my emotional equilibrium.

Well, I’ve squandered a healthy chunk of my word count, so let me jump directly to dessert – the rare and wonderful Cookie Skillet. Whatever else you’ve ordered and whatever drinks you’ve consumed over the course of your meal, you owe it to yourself to make sure this ends up in front of you.

Will a Cookie Skillet change the course of your life?

Of course not. But it will make you a better person – 37 percent better.

With its dining room filled with friends and neighbors, and its wise kitchen and its gracious serving staff, it’s clear that Grand Olde Station is a beautiful manifestation of what’s kept Toxaway such a tight-knit community.

Though Po and Missa Galloway are long gone, you’ll get the impression that they’re still around, and they’re smiling. Reservations are a must – call (828) 966-4242.

by Luke Osteen