Blue Ridge/Smoky Mountain Report

[Varmint]

I'm on the last night of my vacation in the Cowee Valley of the North Carolina mountains, which is about 7 miles north of Franklin, NC and about 20 miles south of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. As much as I love eGullet, I'm going to spend tonight sitting on the porch, listening to the cicadas and bullfrogs, rather than give y'all a detailed report of the food happenings in this remote part of the world. However, I did want to give you some previews of what's to come. This will include. . .

A daily romp through blackberry bushes, gathering about a pint of wild berries each day (and what one can do with them!).

A visit to the historic Dillard House in Dillard, Georgia for a family style Southern lunch.

Mountain style barbecue (don't get your hopes up).

Having the L'il Varmints catch trout for dinner, and doing whatever it takes to get them to eat it.

The "Children's Menu" -- every parents' dream and nightmare.

A pimento cheese burger.

A super organic farm in the middle of nowhere (but fortunately, only 5 minutes from our rental house).

A mountain resort that has not changed since the 60s.

The tackiest town in North Carolina, if not the US.

A father's efforts to get his children to eat nothing but locally raised produce, eggs, and poultry.

Well, the porch is calling, along with our last bottle of wine. Until another day, signing off from somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

[beans]

Varmint:

That sounds like all of the makings of one lovely family vacation.

[Malawry]

Pimento cheese burger?

The Varsity is in Atlanta, pal. Not the mountains of NC.

Sounds like a great time. Your post made me remember the wild blueberries I picked up around Boone during those college summers.

[dscott]

Pimento cheese burger?

The Varsity is in Atlanta, pal.

Does the Varsity really have a pimento cheese burger? I'm heading to hotlanta this weekend. That burger with some Varsity onion rings and a frozen orange. That would make me one very happy boy.

[Lan4Dawg]

what'll ya have, what'll ya have, what'll ya have! have ya money in your hand and your order in your mouth!

check it out for yourself:

http://www.thevarsity.com/

[Malawry]

Sugar, I would not lie about something so important.

Go getcherself one and eat it in the Channel 2 room.

[jlewis8310]

Varmit---My family and I plan to leave in 2 weeks for a trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee and Asheville, NC. Have you by any chance written your report on the Blue Ridge/Great Smoky Mountain area? Needless to say, I am quite anxious to read it! I have also included an excursion on our trip--- to the Dillard House so would like to know your impressions about this restaurant as well. What meal did you eat there and if you ate more than one meal there, which was your favorite? Thanks in advance, I know I will enjoy reading it!

[Varmint]

J-lew-

I'll be putting together my thoughts about our trip in a piecemeal fashion as I get the photos worked out and when I've caught up somewhat from the work overload resulting from the vacation.

As far as the Dillard House is concerned, this is pure country cooking served family style. You'll end up with about 20 bowls on your plate, regardless of whether you're a couple or a big family. Ask for more of an item when you run out. You can sample lots of different items this way. By no means is this anywhere close to haute cuisine, but it's mighty fine Southern cooking. And the acorn squash souffle is a wonderful dessert-like side dish! A detailed report, with pictures, will be forthcoming.

If you have specific questions, don't hesitate to PM me.

[slkinsey]

If you're going to be in Asheville, why not check out nearby Black Mountain, also known as the Front Porch of Western North Carolina? OK, I admit I'm biased, because I have a house in the mountains outside Black Mountain... but it's a great place with some cool places to eat.

[Varmint]

If you're looking for high end dining, you may want to check out Gabrielle's, the restaurant of the Richmond Hill Inn in Asheville. Gabrielle's chef is Perry Hendrix, who posts on these boards from time to time. Their website can be found here: http://www.richmondhillinn.com/dining.html. Perry may be able to help you out with other options as well.

By the way, please stay far, far away from the downtown of Cherokee, NC. It goes so far beyond tacky and kitsch that it's downright depressing.

[Rosie]

One thing I remember about driving through that area is alot of dry counties.

[Varmint]

In the North Carolina mountains, many of the places are BYO. We couldn't get a beer or a glass of wine in a restaurant to save our lives, which was really a pain. The grocery stores sell the stuff, however.

[rozrapp]

Several years ago, on a trip through Tennessee, we spent a couple of days at Blackberry Farm, a member of the Relais & Chateaux group. It's located right near the Smokey Mts., in Walland, which is a dry area, so they could not offer wine with dinner. However, we were told that we could BYO. So, even though we live in NJ and would be making a number of stops in TN before reaching the inn, my husband decided to shlep along several bottles of wine. When he told the reservationist what he was planning to do, she informed the chef, John Fleer. He called my husband to provide him with menu information so that the wines would be a good match for the food that would be served. (At that time, the inn served a set menu each evening. I don't know if that's still the case.) Chef Fleer also spent time on the phone with me, discussing my more picky eating habits, so that he could plan on substitutions for a few items on the menu that I wouldn't eat.

What is really ironic is that the facilities of the famous Jack Daniels are located in a dry county. Since they are not permitted to serve liquor on their premises, after we took the interesting tour of the production process, we were served apple cider in the welcome center. We were, however, able to purchase bottles of Jack Daniels to take with us.

Btw, I recall Gatlinburg being something of a tourist trap-type town -- one souvenir and t-shirt shop after another, with not much else to recommend it. Please correct me if I'm wrong.