g Cuisine

Leo’s House of Thirst. Curaté.

Fresh from the farm

WNC CHEFS EMPHASIZE LOCAL INGREDIENTS

With the recent boom in demand for organic produce, meat, and farmto-table restaurants, Western North Carolina has become a hotbed for independent, natural food products.

Between handcrafted beer using local ingredients, fresh meat from grass-fed cattle, fine wines, fruits, and vegetables, the possibilities are as endless as they are available.

“Nearly every item on our menu will come out of the local market,” said executive chef/owner Kaighn Raymond of Frogs Leap Public House in downtown Waynesville. “We work with many local farmers and different purveyors, and we’ve always been here to help those purveyors grow. If you have those fresh, local ingredients for the level of fine dining use, then we’re willing to help support you.”

As a result of its cosmopolitan approach towards the menu and its commitment to using local ingredients, Frogs Leap is regarded as a cornerstone of fine dining in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

“It’s been a 30-year process in the culinary industry to get to this point in fine dining in America. There was a sentiment then that nothing made in America was at the level of European fine dining,” Raymond noted. “All of these chefs and fine dining restaurants have tried to bring back those great American ingredients because so many delicious things from our own country got lost along the way. Now, those ingredients are becoming part of the American culture again, and people are excited to try those things.”

Those sentiments are also closely held by Katie Moore, manager at the Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery in Fairview. Tucked against a mountainside in a deep holler, the small business has been creating some of the finest local cheese for almost a decade.

“Every cow we get milk from is unique. Everyone’s cheese is unique,” Moore said. “With these smaller farms, you’re getting milk

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from certain cows that are eating certain foods, breathing certain air, drinking certain water, walking in certain soil, so that milk has a certain flavor that then becomes part of the cheese.”

Aside from running the BRMC, Moore also is the executive director of the Western North Carolina Cheese Trail and the director of the Carolina Mountain Cheese Fest. Consisting of 11 cheese makers around the region — and dozens of farm stops and associate members (restaurants, breweries, cideries, cheese stores) — the trail came about in 2012.

“What I love about doing this is that it ties into a lot of things that are important to me — being in touch with the land, being in touch with the food, supporting artisanal methods, and working hard to preserve our farmland,” Moore said. “It’s this idea of upholding traditions that’s important, especially with food. I also think our farmland is incredibly important and these cheese makers actually help smaller farms stay in operation.”

While the culinary scene of the region expands, and palates become more sophisticated, the passion and love put into a meal comes from the mere fact that the restaurant chefs, owners, and servers all reside in Western North Carolina — a place they are proud to call home.

“Everything we serve is made in-house, with everything as fresh as possible,” said Eric Scheffer. “And it’s about creating an approachable and comfortable setting, where everybody knows each other, this environment of good food and great conversation.”

Owner and executive chef of Vinnie’s Fine Italian in North Asheville, Scheffer is at the helm of a restaurant that is regarded as the gold standard of Italian culinary delights in Western North Carolina. And since its opening over 10 years ago, it’s been voted the finest Italian spot in the city — every single year.

Scheffer remembers those iconic Italian restaurants of his native Brooklyn and Long Island. There, the sheer vibrancy of the people inside and the dishes served conjured a deep sense of love and connection, whether you were a loyal customer or first-time visitor — something he’s applied to Vinnie’s.

“You’re walking in, and you have the great smell of eggplant parmesan wafting through the room. And for a lot of people, walking in is like going home again,” Scheffer said. “It’s that sense of neighborhood and community that I remember as a kid in New York, which is something we have here in Asheville, too. You walk down the street, and out of the 10 people you passed, you knew at least three of them.”

Over the past decade, there has been a food revolution in the area. Along every downtown, you’ll find anything from Cajun to French, Asian to Italian, Mexican to Mediterranean. Whether it’s local establishments incorporating different dishes into the menus or the troves of culinary artisans relocating here, the desire to try something new and different is all around in this land of cosmopolitan country cuisines.

Featuring made-from-scratch pie crusts and fillings, the Baked Pie Company in Asheville aims to perpetuate the long-held traditions of baking, skills that used to be passed down between generations, but are rapidly disappearing in the modern era.

“These skills and foods will be gone soon if nobody keeps the traditions alive,” said owner/baker Kirsten Fuchs. “For people like myself, you have these vivid memories of being a kid and being in the kitchen. I remember being in my great aunt’s kitchen, just watching her and her sisters bake all these wonderful creations. And we’d be sitting there, learning how they did it and would help out when we could.”

Fired up over a decade ago, the wildly popular Luella’s in North Asheville specializes in North Carolina-style barbecue (vinegar based sauce, with a dash of honey, garlic, and tomatoes), Texas style brisket, a St. Louis dry rub for the smoked turkey breast, and their signature New Orleans/Creole andouille sauce.

Looking around at the growing culinary reputation of Asheville, it doesn’t surprise Luella’s owner/pitmaster Jeff Miller that the city has become a “foodie mecca” for the Southeast and beyond.

“The food scene has changed dramatically here, and I think the quality of food and the dining experience in this city has shifted greatly,” Miller said. “There’s always been a lot of variety and creativity in the Asheville food scene, but I feel that every place is hitting those standards found in other great food cities. More and more people are moving here and visiting here, and the expectations have been raised — and we’re meeting and exceeding those expectations.” n MORE AT BEVERLY-HANKS.COM Want to live near the best brunch spot in town? Map out your individual home buying needs and priorities in a journal! We have five prompts to help you get started at beverlyhanks.com/blog/ home-buyer-journal.

Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery.

Karen Howard-Goss and Gary Goss.

Small town charm | IRON HORSE STATION

Crossing the railroad tracks and entering the tiny mountain town of Hot Springs (population 600), one immediately notices the brightly-lit brick building to the left. There are several vehicles parked out front, with this swirling sense of joyful curiosity striking any and all who pass by.

“You are here to be loved on and feel comfortable,” said Karen Howard-Goss. “This is a laidback environment, one with homemade, delicious food and quality service. Whether it’s the ingredients or the care provided, we focus on consistency.”

Co-owner of the Iron Horse Station with her husband, Gary Goss, the couple have become ambassadors of real deal Southern hospitality for Hot Springs and greater Madison County.

Originally from South Carolina, Karen and Gary would stay in Hot Springs often, always thinking about someday taking the leap and calling the town home. They befriended the previous owner of the Iron Horse, telling him if the property ever was to be sold, they wanted first crack at taking over.

“We just fell in love with this place. Everybody is accepted here. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from — we’re all part of this community,” Howard-Goss said. “And, in 2018, the owner of the Iron Horse was looking to sell. He told us we were the only people he had in mind to take over and continue to uphold the high standards of this business.”

In terms of the menu, Goss will say “it’s a steak and seafood kind of place.” But, upon glancing at the numerous dish options, the culinary delights are purposely cultivated through creativity and a keen sense of what will provide nourishment — physical and emotional — for the hungry souls wandering in.

“We always get the best product we can — we don’t skimp on anything,” Goss noted. “And we’re always tweaking everything we put out, trying new and better ways to make a dish or present a certain type of meal. We like to experiment and hone our craft of what we’re trying to do, and ultimately be.”

Regarded as the oldest brick building in Madison County, the structure has been dated back to the 1860s. One part of the massive property is the restaurant, with the other being home to 15 rooms as part of the inn component of the Iron Horse.

“Back then, this building was a halfway house for the people who worked far from home on the railroad,” Goss said. “And today, we accommodate guests from across the country and around the world, which is something we really enjoy being able to offer.”

Aside from the loyal local following and vast amount of folks on vacation in the mountains of Western North Carolina, one of the sincerely cherished interactions comes from hikers popping off the nearby Appalachian Trail in search of a hot meal in the midst of an arduous trek.

“It’s an honor to hear the stories of every hiker that comes in, especially those who are thru-hiking the AT, each on their quest for a million of different reasons in doing so,” Goss said. “Some of the hikers are young and some have planned to do the AT for their entire life. The stories can be very emotional, where we’ll sit here for hours and listen to them. Just to have this spot where that connection occurs is something very special to all of us who work here.”

With the Iron Horse a continual beehive of friendly people, culinary treats, and unique lodging, there are already plans in the works by Karen and Gary to add another, much-desired business to Hot Springs — a brick-oven pizza establishment that’ll be located around the corner.

“A big priority for us will always be to give Hot Springs what it needs, with every business in town working together,” Howard-Goss said. “We want to be a positive catalyst for change here, and we are always looking for ways to do better. We’re not competitive here — we want to help each other grow and be proud of where we live.” n