van's chocolate, a little wine and some wisdom

What up peeps?  It's happy hour in the valley and I'm just sitting here on the back porch basking in the greatness of the outdoors.  Ah, to be back at home this afternoon and in my comfy clothes. (Why yes, I am drinking wine out of a Mason jar.  And no, you are not allowed to judge me.)  Got some things to share.  Yea!  

I was in Hendersonville yesterday picking up doggie meds for our old girl Sable:

and decided to finally swing by and try Van's Chocolates. The chocolate shop is on Chadwick Avenue just off the windy drag before you get to the Fresh Market area of Hendersonville and luckily, not too far off my route.  I will say I was blown away by their Wine Truffles which were almost on the savory side and the Orange and Pepper Truffle had a good zing in the aftertaste.  The Scotch Truffle, was a little under-scotched, but nice anyway... I got some little key lime dark chocolate melt-away thingys too, but they were WAY too sugary and not up my alley... probably not yours either...I'd stay away from the little jokers. I actually said "akkk!" and wished I had water in the car with me. Not worth it, but definitely get some of Van's Wine Truffles. They'd be the hit of a party or make a stupendous gift with a bottle of wine. You can place internet orders.

Heard through the grapevine (aka Facebook) today that King of Pops provided some of his awesomeness on a stick to the guests at the BIG Charleston wedding last weekend .  If your next question was "What wedding?" then go here. Check out the Popsicle sticks on his Facebook page.

I'm playing around with a new slogan for Gap Creek Gourmet business marketing stuff: i bite. What do you think? Yes? No?

I went to a FemCity Greenville luncheon today - professional women getting together to network and chat.  PR girl extraordinaire, Taryn Scher, is the president so I thought I would give it a whirl.  Taryn has AMAZING taste in footwear. Always.

I met some crazy cool people including Starr Hammond from Rely Local Greenville. She coordinates the local cash mobs.  Super nice to meet cha girl!  And I met Lindsey Holder, a fellow blogger and "the savvy assistant".  She used to be a celebrity assistant.  I'll be picking her brain one day over coffee. You know that's coming! Think I found a new buddy.  Just sayin'.  And the "ista" t-shirt woman was in the house.  Yours truly was a featured blogger on the "What's your ista?" site this week as a Baconista!  That was WAY cool so it was nice to meet her in person.  (Still holding out hope she'll toss a Baconista T my way.)

Kim Petrie, author a little modern fairy tale for grown-up girls called The Enchanged Truth (coming out this week) was the guest speaker today.  She said some amazing things I wanted to share with the class.

"There is value in failure.  It refines you."
Sister! Ain't that the truth.  I can't tell you how many times I have failed at something...something even so small and it has given me clarity.  I HATE to fail at something, but if we didn't fail sometimes we wouldn't get the lesson.

On finding yourself, she said,"If you found her in college, she isn't around anymore." How powerful right?  How many women and men do you know who were totally the shit in college or even their twenties but walk around as a thirty, forty-something and beyond looking like they need a map or something?   Figuring out who we are and what we need to make us happy is a life long journey.  You can't hang up the keys and coast!

Ms. Petrie is a rock star in my book.

This is what I had for dinner.

Trader Joe's has this great Toscano Cheese with Black Pepper.  I spread a little mayo on an English muffin, topped it with sliced pear and then the Toscano cheese... broil... forget about it until the kitchen gets all smokey (don't try that at home). Yum. 

Night all!

Asheville Small Plate Crawl: Feb 21-23, 2012

So tomorrow evening I'm headed up the mountain for Asheville Small Plate Crawl put on by the ever so fabulous Carolina Epicurean and Asheville Independent Restaurant Association (AIR). You'll remember in November, my bff and I ate our way around downtown for Hendersonville's small plate extravaganza until we were drunk on food.   (The next day I had a serious food hangover and craved old school white bread toast.)

My task tonight is to narrow 31 restaurants down to something more manageable for one evening.  I'm flipping through dishes like Smoked Duck with Wild Cherry Confit & Tarragon Flan, Bacon Wrapped Smoked Pork Shoulder: Collard green pudding & Carolina bbq fluid gel, Scallop & Sweet Breads: Arugula, pan fried sweetbreads, seared jumbo scallop, duck demi, crispy salsify...how is a foodie to choose?  My stomach is only so big and I only have so much time. The answer is in sharing and to-go containers.  I learned this at the Hendersonville crawl as a lady beside me opened her cooler bag which was full of small ziplock containers.  Smart, eh?

So my plan starts with a sunset dinner at Grove Park Inn, and then heading downtown to crawl our way to another food hangover.  I'll share with the class on Wednesday.  Are you missing the Asheville crawl?  Hendersonville Small Plate Crawl returns April 17th and 18th.

Taqueria on wheels and satiating the wine beast.

We often shop in Hendersonville, North Carolina, because frankly, it's a lot closer than heading down the mountain the other direction.  Daniel (the hubs) and I have passed this taco truck thousands of times, and finally decided to give it a go this past weekend.  It's on Spartanburg Hwy just off Highway 25 headed toward Hendersonville. It sits just off the road on the left behind a run down second-hand store.

The guy at the window was the owner and very helpful.  He said they had tacos and burritos.  We asked what kind.  He said steak and chicken.  Really?  That's it?  He said they had tongue and cheek tacos too, but people like us don't usually order that.  Oh, really?   We ordered one of everything they had on corn tortillas packed to go.

The beef and chicken tacos were amazing.  The cheek taco was a little fatty, but incredibly flavorful.  The meat had been marinated and was tender and well seasoned. The tacos were topped with chopped onions and cilantro.  There was a lime on the side and a smokey sauce which we squeezed poured over them.   I wasn't to stoked about the tortillas. I'm still wondering if they were homemade or bought from a store.  Kinda dry, but it didn't take away from the flavor of the tacos.

I haven't had tongue before.  Guess what?  It looks like sliced tongue. If I hadn't seen the actual taste buds on the meat, I could have tackled it with more of an open mind, but as much of a foodie as I am, I often have problems eating things that look like they were once alive. This falls in that category. I think if the tongue meat were seasoned a bit more, it would have been better.  Like I said, the taste buds had me distracted.

When someone tells me about a new food/wine they've tried and love, it awakens the gatherer inside me and I am singularly focused on getting that one thing.  A blessing and a curse. So, a friend of mine Facebooked me (wow.  Facebook now has a verb tense) about a new wine she saw called Entwine.  It is put out by Food Network and Wente Vineyards (Wine Enthusiast Magazine named them American Winery of the Year for 2011). She had made her way through three bottles and said they were all stupendous.  So of course I had to get my hands on a bottle and try some too.  Problem: I have something resembling whiplash in my leg (no, I don't know why) so running out to the store was an issue.  About five days later, my husband fetched me a bottle of Chardonnay and Cabernet.

Last night, as I cooked sweet potato curry, I nursed a glass of the Chardonnay.  I was surprised at the apple notes in the wine.  Possibly because I had just cut an apple to add to the curry... but the first thing that hit my nose as I popped the cork was a fresh cut apple. The flavor was light and fresh and smooth with just a tiny bit of bite at the end.  I don't think I've ever tried a Chardonnay like this before.  If you're looking for some of your own, note that it's not that easy to find (at least here, anyway).  The only grocery store carrying it in our area, that we have found is Publix, or check your local wine store. (This wine definitely goes in the 5 under $15 file! I'm still compiling a list of Chardonnay's.)

Let me know about exciting products you have tried so I can try them too and share them with the class.

Enjoy!  Happy hump day!

friday fun

Happy sunny day friends and foodies!  This has been some kind of week for me.  It's been pretty dang rainy here in mountainland and I have a crazy delayed leg/hip injury (think whiplash but in your thigh), so I haven’t been able to get in the kitchen all week...or go anywhere.  Forced laziness is not relaxing. Not at all. I have been online a lot and the stack of to-try recipes is piling up fast.

I found this goodie in Bon Appetit: Gnocchi Gratin with Gorgonzola Dolce (a recipe by Victoria Granof), and this one in February's Southern Living: Pimiento Cheese Cookies with jam filling 

And I found this great article in Southern Living about The Fine Art of Piddling.  When I was a kid, the men in my life were piddlers.  My dad would piddle in the basement, outside or with the stack of things beside his recliner. My Papa would piddle in the yard. My step-dad would disappear for hours in his garage to piddle.  I'm a piddler, too.  I can spend hours messing around with no particular goal.  It's time not wasted.  It's thoroughly enjoyed!  It's a kind of living people don't enjoy too much anymore.  So read away. Learn to piddle (just not on the carpet). 

I found some pretty cool things while web-window-shopping, and I’ve watched a few flicks.  

I need this from King Arthur Flour:

and I'm ordering this from American Spoon:

I watched 50/50. I have to say that because Seth Rogen was in the flick, and because it's been compared to Superbad (one of my all time favorite movies) I thought I'd laugh my ass off, but no... I think I cried more than laughed. Way more serious than I anticipated.  A few funny scene's but not what I expected.  A good movie, but it won't go in my repertoire.

I've got Ides of March on tap today.  

I've been stalking David Lebovitz this week via his blog. I really want this book:

David is an award winning Chef turned full time book author who now lives in Paris.  I dream of Paris.  My aunt is going AGAIN in March (I'm being a hater). One day I'll get there.  Maybe someone will send me on a writing assignment.  I am learning French, just in case.  YouTube is amazing. This week I'm working on numbers.  It's amazing how hard it is to make a new sound!  Number 4 is killing me.  Thank goodness I have friends who are fluent.  I can practice!

One more thing.  With the right amount of muscle relaxers (or alcohol) and Alieve I might be able to get in the kitchen to make these later today.  If I don't get in the kitchen soon, I'm going to go NUTS!  Cooking is my life.  

See, even stuck inside, I can find a little excitement!   Have a great weekend!  I'm hoping to get out to Van's Chocolates next week (or on Saturday if my husband will drive me). I hear they have the best chocolate ever.  I'm on a mission to find out!     

I'm also on a mission to try this wine. 

Stay tuned....

I had brussel sprouts on my pizza.

Last night nine of us loudly filled a table at Flat Rock Wood Room in Flat Rock. I was on a mission to try their pizza after an amazing experience with their BBQ ribs during Small Plate Crawl Hendersonville, and I thought I'd drag a few friends (and children) along for the ride. (Don't worry. They were willing.)

We started out with crunchy fried Green Beans... not soggy green beans, but crisp, fresh green beans encased in a crispy, salty seasoned outer shell of tastiness with a side of creamy, spicy dippy sauce.

The men feasted on ribs, chicken, brisket and pulled pork and the women ordered pizzas.  How stereotypical was that? But they were REALLY GOOD PIZZAS!  Hand tossed, 12" wood fired pizzas in this magnificent tiled oven.  Thin crusted white pizzas with garlic, motz cheese, salty ham and buttery thin sliced brussel sprouts.  I had a pizza with tomato sauce, rich melty cheese, spicy italian sausage, savory onions and brussel sprouts.   Let me just say brussel sprouts again, because who would think they would be good on pizza?  But table wide thumbs up for this interesting turn in fare.

And CAKE FOR EVERYONE! Seriously.  I could not pass up the opportunity to try their Italian Rum Cake again and a couple of slices of Red Velvet Cake got passed around the table (moist, but not my fav).

Good selection of craft beer.  Good wine list. (Try the Kaiken Reserve Malbec.)  Amazing, friendly staff that didn't mind the fact that we were loud and our kids made a mess. This place is worth the trip across the border!

The conclusion of Small Plate Crawl...

1.Mushroom Stroganoff, 2.Reuben Egg Roll, 3.Cajun Shrimp and Grits
4.Foie Gras, 5.Tomatillo Tamale with Lobster, 6.Flourless Torte, 7.Fried Green Tomatoes
with Gorgonzola and Honey (Square One), 8.Sweet Potato Coconut Bisque

I'm a little sad Hendersonville's Small Plate Crawl is over.  Hats off to Carolina Epicurean and her little elves for a fantastic event. What an exciting week of food!  I wanted to take you through some of my highlights and let you know who made the top of the Gap Creek Gourmet list.

During the two days, I sampled plates from ten of the best restaurants from Hendersonville and Flat Rock. (I had four more on the list, but due to a family issue had to cancel night number 2.  Boooo. Please share your experiences with me from Blue Water, Sinbad, and Season's!)

My favorite menu, by leaps and bounds, was from Black Rose Public House.  The chef pulled out all stops and really showed off.  We ate our way through Roasted Garlic and Tomatillo Tamale with Lobster and Smoked Corn Cream, Pan Seared Foie Gras with Dried Cherry Gastrique, Grilled Crostini and Micro Greens, Red Wine Braised Ox Tail with Goat Cheese Polenta and Parsley Gremolata, and Flourless Torte with Raspberry Creme Anglaise and Chocolate Sauce and Chantilly Cream.

The Tomatillo Tamale with Lobster was tangy and moist with enough chunks of lobster for the dish to have some heft to it, but not enough to seafood overpower the smokiness of the corn. A+.  Kim (my dinner date) and I have had Foie Gras before, (The Admiral) but the first time, it was not good.  We sent it back.  This time, it was thinly sliced, the outside was perfectly seared and the silky fattiness of the Foie Gras was perfectly paired with sour cherries and crusty bread.  Really wonderfully balanced.  I have to add, though, that I think I'm done with Foie Gras for a long time. This is twice I've tried it in one year.  It's not a dish I would normally order out, but is something I have an appreciation for on a technical level.  

Chef Emile Dupree (super nice guy) brought out the Red Wine Braised Ox Tail with Goat Cheese Polenta and Parsley Gremolata (on the house...since it was the last thing on the menu we hadn't tried). The first bite of the wine braised ox along with the creamy, cheesy polenta was heavenly.  I was unsure of the goat cheese in there... we tried the Autumn Harvest Stuffed Shell with Acorn and Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato, Sundried Tomato Sage and Saffron Bechamel at Mezzaluna Brick Oven-Tap House (both owned by Rob Conroy) and the goat cheese in that dish was too much for me, leaving an aftertaste that I find really off-putting.  But in the Ox Tail, it added a creaminess and complexity to the dish instead of overpowering it!  Hats off Chef!  Best experience from crawl week! And I can't wait to try your regular menu.

I also enjoyed meeting Chef Gina Marie at Claddagh Inn.  She was trained at Greenville Tech's Culinary School (yea techies! Got my massage degree from there. That school desperately needs a mascot...).  Gina's Cajun Style Shrimp with her special seasoning and cheesy yellow stoned ground grits were fantastic.  I usually don't order Shrimp and Grits, but I'm glad I did because they were different: a nice mild spiciness  with an almost red-eye gravy type sauce... someone is going to shoot me on that comment... but to me, it was salty and more on the side of a clear gravy than a creamy sauce.

Hannah Flanagan's served a tasty crispy egg roll version of their Reuben sandwich, though the presentation was off because they forgot to serve it with Thousand Island.

I also enjoyed the Mushroom Stroganoff at Mrs. G and Me. Though I felt it needed a little more salt, I could have eaten those noodles with that sauce straight out of the pot with a fork... It's been that kind of week folks. Mrs. Carolina Epicurean herself was dining at Mrs. G's at the same time and was kind enough to introduce me to the ladies of SavorNC Magazine.  Exciting!

The big disappointment of the first day's dining experience was Never Blue.  After eating at Black Rose Public House, we were really, really disappointed to see the menu at Never Blue. Pimento Cheese Dip?  Hotdogs?  Really guys?  Your menu is fantastic! Not your best showing.  I expected GREATNESS! We actually sat down, pondered ordering the specialty drinks and then just decided to go to Square One to finish off our night instead. Sorry.

Wednesday I checked out the new Flat Rock Wood Room for lunch.  Wayne, one of the owners was manning the bar, so I bent his ear about the restaurant, the food, and his life history while I noshed on the Rib Teaser: slow smoked ribs over a bed of delicate and flaky onion straws. (I dipped in their three sauces including house, sweet and bold.  Bold was the best.) Wayne is a Clemson Grad! Before opening the restaurant with his business partner in the newly renovated 154 year old building, he made the BBQ Competition circuit racking up trophies and "getting an idea of the judges tastes."  These guys are shipping in and their meat and having their Italian Rum Cake brought in from New York (he wouldn't give up his top secret supplier, but the cake was DAMN good!).  My favorite part of lunch was the Sweet Potato Coconut Bisque with Maple Honey Drizzle.  They could have stopped at just the soup and I would have been pleased, but dropped right in the middle of the bowl was a scoop of cinnamon baked apples...there were some pecan pieces in there too!  I swear I could have eaten this stuff all week and it wouldn't have been often enough.  Perfect.

Stay tuned for details on Small Plate Crawl Asheville coming in February!

PS: today I had a chicken and broccoli Hot Pocket for lunch.  (My husband says you never hear about the box mac and cheese he is occasionally fed for dinner, so there ya go.)

Hendersonville Small Plate Crawl... and puppies. (Seriously.)

I am too full to even drink my coffee this morning after yesterday. Hendersonville's Small Plate Crawl began yesterday morning at 11:30 and I ate all day long!  First thing, I traveled up the mountain to the beautiful little town of Flat Rock for stop number one in my food crawl, Flat Rock Village Bakery.  This little bakery sits behind the Wrinkled Egg and it is AMAZING.  

The pastry chef has mastered crispy, lovely crusts and with that... she can do anything.  I ordered the Savory Tartlette (not so little) with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola, Bacon and Potato and a you know I had to try the Pumpkin Spice Cupcake topped with a Pumpkin seed brittle.  The Tartlette was rich and heavy, flavorful... and well, savory.  The cupcake icing was perfect, the brittle was sweet and nutty, and the cake was perfectly moist and flaky.  I have also had the Cinnamon Rolls and Turnovers here.   Best I've had anywhere. Hands down.  My only complaint?  I didn't have someone to share them with!  

As I stood in line at the bakery, this woman walked up to me and asked if I was me.  (It was me.) It was the Carolina Epicurean, the premier food blogger in Western North Carolina. She is the mastermind behind the Crawl and works her fanny off organizing the thing! I was so excited to meet her. She was incredibly gracious and invited me to join her table and chat for a while. We took a pic, but kept her disguise intact with a strategically placed magazine.  

So I was stuffed already (even though I didn't finish all of either dish) and quickly realized that having a food buddy for the crawl was a good idea. (Carolina Epicurean's sister had a bag full of tupperware and a cooler in the car... also a good idea for next year because cleaning your plate at 9 restaurants in one day is painful, even if the food is extraordinary.) But I had to make one more stop to stay on schedule!

Last stop of the morning: Dean's Market and Deli for their signature Frito Pie. 

Then time to walk off all this food with some shopping before returning later in the afternoon with my buddy, neighbor, fellow foodie and poet, Kimberly Gibbs Simms.  

Puppies... I almost forgot the puppies.  I have passed this pet store by The Fresh Market in Hendersonville for years but have never stopped!  I was so excited to get some good puppy sniff therapy. I was tempted to bring one of the little boogers home with me.  Thank God they didn't have a Corgi or I would have been toast! I can't wait to take Sierra back. (Hey Griet: check out the little Dachshund. She was precious!)

So the dogs weren't exactly on the official crawl, but I couldn't help myself... and I thought I'd share the cuteness.

Don't miss out!  Restaurants open today at 11:30 for the last day of crawling!  I'm headed back out out with my friend Wanda for lunch.  If you see me out and about today, say hi!

Hendersonville Small Plate Crawl Schedule

Part 2 of Day 1 coming soon!

Open studios, the big cheese, and Small Plate Crawl

This past weekend was Metropolitan Arts Council's Open Studios in Greenville.  Friday night I gathered the troops and we stopped into the Cafe @ William's Hardware for a meet and greet with the Northern Greenville County Open Studios Artists (Barbara Green, Tom Flowers, Bev Peebles, JoAnn Taylor)... then we made a whoopie pie delivery to Leslie Garren Hart (a local indie craft artist) whose house is off the chain!  Seriously.  Straight out of Mad Men. I've never seen a house decorated in period.  My grandparents could have lived there in their sassy years. Way too cool!  Her studio was even a trip back in time! Collections of old suitcases, retro furniture, dolls, cloth... 

Then we went to David Young's.  David and I must have some bad ju-ju.  I broke a pot.  And funny enough, the second piece of David's I've broken in my life.  How is that possible?  Luckily it was already damaged and only in the green stage, but still, totally mortifying. He was gracious and kind, as he always is, and didn't rip me a new one.  I owe him baked goods. Many baked goods. (His work is awesome, by the way... and the sculpture garden of sorts outside his studio is crazy cool!) Sorry David!  Baked goods on their way in the next week or so and still, much groveling.

Saturday morning, I drug myself out to Susan Sorrell's little white studio in Taylors.... still under a dark shroud of embarrassment from the night before.   Being the supportive friend I am, I supplied her with many whoopie pies for her big weekend and then turned around and bought art too.  Love you Sus! I commissioned a painting of my corgi, Stump.  Want to see your dog in one of her creation's?  Give her a shout. 

The big cheese: I love trying new stuff and wander the isle of grocery stores in search of something that will wow me.  I found this cheese in the deli selections at Publix and it is amazing!  A cheese much like a smooth, sharp cheddar coated in espresso powder.  I've eaten it on crackers, on a chicken sandwich... and on mashed potatoes.  I'm putting it on basically anything I can imagine at this point.  It is decadent and a must for Holiday parties this season! ($5.99 at Publix)

SMALL PLATE CRAWL HENDERSONVILLE STARTS TODAY!!!!! I am shouting it from the rooftops in hopes you'll make the trip up the mountain (over the hills and through the woods) to check it out for yourself.  Over 20 restaurants in Hendersonville and Flat Rock are posting special menus with items fom $2-$8 available for the next two days. Local chefs are showing off their talent, and I plan on stuffing myself silly.  Restaurant times vary (click here for schedule). Be sure to print your passport before you go and stay posted for news on my big adventure. 

Date Night Dining: Square One in Hendersonville, NC

A sidewalk view into the kitchen of Square One
 in downtown Hendersonville, NC

Last night my husband and I ate our work week stress away at Square One, a downtown Hendersonville, NC restaurant.  I would like to say upfront, that we love eating out in Hendersonville because it's so dang laid back!  People are wearing jeans, hiking boots, and hoodie sweatshirts... as opposed to eating dinner out in downtown Greenville, where even in jeans, a nice shirt and clogs I feel out of place some nights.  It's a different vibe.  Very cool.

So dinner... we ordered a Malbec and Mojito. Simple, but nice wine list and $5 Mojitos! We started with baked brie in puff pastry with blackberry jam, served with spiced nuts on a bed of baby greens with toast.  Delish.  The puff pastry could have been left in the oven a few more minutes, but tasty all the same. When we unwrapped said pastry, gooey jam pooled out in the plate and made a nice dressing for the greens.  I think there was some honey involved too.  Who's complaining? Not I.



I want to say, I'm just now a brie fan.  I apparently had some sort of stinky, smelly cheese (not a fan) that I was told was brie when I was younger, so up until the past couple of weeks (no, I'm not exaggerating) I avoided it.

But YUM! It took my daughter's Whole Foods cheese mission on our last shopping adventure to try it again. I had to set an example, after all. I love that she gets all into the foodie thing when she sees the baskets around the cheese section with little remnants of odd and end cheeses (all for $1 or so).

Back to Square One (couldn't resist) main course: I had duck breast, grilled and paired with dried cherry gastrique (def: caramelized sugar, deglazed with vinegar), bacon and Gorgonzola cheese, all on a bed of white rice.  It was absolutely delicious.  The duck was juicy and rich... cooked medium well, with a salty, sweet outer crust. The cherries were swollen with sweet sauce.  I ate until I was way too stuffed for dessert.  Someone posted on Urban Spoon that the portions were too small and the food quality had gone down under new management.  They lied. For $19, I got way more than I usually could handle for dinner, but because it was so good. I gobbled it all up.

Daniel ordered fried chicken.  At $14, he was curious as to what their take would be on the Southern staple.  His eyes rolled back in his head with the first bite.  It was honestly some of the best chicken I've had: juicy, and well seasoned all throughout.  The sides of mac and cheese and thick slices of heirloom tomato were good, but the chicken definitely stole the show on his plate.

We both ate, with Drinks for $55 (plus tip... our waitress was super helpful and nice).  You can't beat that on a Friday night. Especially for the quality and quantity of food we consumed.  I heard there's a Groupon coupon floating around out there for this place. Be sure to jump on that! We are going back soon for the bread pudding topped with Nutella and pineapple (too full to try).

Happy eating!

Social scene and be seen!

I love this time of year.  The trees are changing. The apples are in season. The air is cooler… and the social scene is alive and hoppin'.  So exciting!!! (I have yet to buy a standby black dress.) I thought I'd pass along a rundown of some of the coolest events on my calendar for October and November.  From arts events to parties, my friends, we've got it going on in the Fall!

Imbibe Magazine Founder/Publisher @ American Grocery Restaurant Tomorrow night!

Karen Foley will be at AGR tomorrow night (Thursday, Oct. 13 from 5-7pm) signing her new book, “The American Cocktail,” featuring AGR’s signature Pig on the Porch cocktail recipe.  Hors d'ouerves and samples of the cocktail will be served with the purchase of the book ($19.95).  AGR Sommelier, Darlene Mann-Clarke, and Chef Joe Clarke will both be around for sign-and-shake as well.




We’re also hitting an English Beer Tasting at The Greenville Beer Exchange.  It’s girls' night out, so who knows what other trouble we’ll find!  I’ll post details when the damage is done.

One of the "guests" at H.O.G. Piggy Bank Auction.
Designed by my friend and funky fiber artist, Susan Sorrell.

Hands on Greenville 2011 Piggy Bank Auction

Thursday, November 3rd from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM at HuguenotMill at the Peace Center

Bill Davis (Thomas Creek Brewery) hand creates 50 piggy banks and then passes them out to local artists for elegant defacing.  The pigs are auctioned of to raise money for United Way Hands on Greenville.  Did I mention there's food and beverage?  Tickets are $25 at the door or online, and so worth it!  I love Rebecca and the other guys at H.O.G.  They are the volunteer backbone of Greenville, so come join me for this year's party and support these guys!

Greenville’s Open Studios

Saturday and Sunday, November 5^th-6^th.  Ever want to see the inside of an artist’s actual studio?  Now’s your chance!  124 artists open their studio doors for your viewing (and shopping) pleasure.    Download a map from Metropolitan Arts Council (here) and go studio hopping! Some have snacks and beverage and all have loads of art.  Not too early to get Christmas gifts!  Some of my favs participating this year are: Susan Sorrell, Kyle Buttram (so cool fiber artist), Emily Clarke, Janina Turkarski Ellis, Leslie Hart (very cool blogger), Cham Little...so many people and so little time...

Small Plate Crawl Hendersonville

Tuesday and Wednesday, November 8^th and 9^th.

Hendersonville and Flat Rock, North Carolina Restaurant Chef’s create special Small Plate Menus, priced from $2 to $8. From lunch to dinner, crawl from restaurant to restaurant sampling the best of the culinary scene.   There’s a passport involved.  Print your passport on the Small Plate Crawl site, take it with you when you dine, get it stamped and win prizes! This will be my first year participating in this event and I absolutely can not wait!  I hope to meet The Carolina Epicurean, herself.  Some of the participating restaurants are: Never Blue (my fav in town!!!), Black Rose Public House, Mezzaluna Brick Oven Tap Room, Blue Water Seafood Co., Champa Sushi and Thai, Flat Rock Village Bakery, Mrs G & Me, Season's at Highland Lake Inn, Square One...click here for menus and complete list of restaurants.

So mark your calendars!  I hope to see you all out there.

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