Our latest field trip found us in Blowing Rock, NC for the weekend. First of all, the lower temperature had me longing to be there during the summer. It was cold and windy, and this graceful girl had a boot on her ankle. I don’t mean the cute kind of boot either. This slowed us down a bit, but the bright side was that my foot was super warm.
We stayed in a charming little Airbnb condo that was close to everything. We could’ve walked to everything on Main Street, but the boot… We started our day on Friday just checking out the quaint little town. It reminded us of our trip to Maine and we loved driving around and exploring.
It was almost time for dinner, so we decided to try a place that had been recommended to us by some friends - Storie Street Grille. What a charming restaurant. We were seated quickly and enjoyed cocktails while we perused the menu. Let me tell you, it was a tough decision. Everything on the menu looked amazing. After much discussion with the waitress (if you ever go out with me you know this is a thing I do, and Jeff has learned to embrace it) we made our decisions. I decided on the Fig and Balsamic flatbread featuring roasted red pepper chèvre, smoked provolone, mission figs, crumbled bacon, arugula and a fig balsamic glaze. I’m a sucker for anything with figs. My grandparents used to have a fig tree in their yard, and I loved picking and eating fresh figs. Figs bring back sweet memories for me and I love finding new ways to eat them. I was super excited about my choice. Jeff even knew as soon as he saw that on that on the menu that it would be my choice. He knows me well after 25 years.
Jeff, however, shocked me with his choice. In 25 years, he has always proclaimed that meatloaf is a vile meal that was not for him. Well, I’ll be damned if he didn’t get the meatloaf! What?? Who is this man I’m dining with? I was excited though because I find meatloaf delightful and I couldn’t wait to try it. I cheered on his meatloaf choice to the fullest. Listen to this description and dare your mouth not to water. Local ground beef and pork, signature Cheerwine BBQ sauce, smashed red bliss potatoes, haricot verts. Now, I’m not extremely cultured so I had to google that last one. How about you? I’m not even gonna lie, I just had to google it again to write this. Green beans. They are green beans. Both meals were amazingly delicious. The flatbread flavors worked so well together. It was a flavor explosion! I know you are waiting with bated breath for the meatloaf reaction. He loved it! The Cheerwine BBQ sauce was outstanding and the blend of beef and pork was delicious. We didn’t have room for dessert, but our meals were excellent, and I would highly recommend Storie Street Grille. The building was as beautiful as the food was delicious.
The next day we hit Main Street to do some shopping. So many cute little shops but I will highlight our favorites. Bolick & Traditions Pottery was one of our favorites. It is owned by a local family who are all potters and each one has a specialty. Have you ever seen bright red handmade pottery? I had not and it is stunning! It does contain lead so it can’t be used for food or drinks, but it is gorgeous.
Another fun shop was Windwood Antiques. Who doesn’t love to browse in a cool antique shop? They had a huge collection of copper pots, old crocks, crystal decanters and beautiful furniture pieces. A must if you are an antique lover.
A final favorite was The Brass Exchange. I have the worst brown thumb ever. Like ever, ever. Plus, I’m lazy and taking care of plants isn’t on my hot list of things I enjoy so I love a good fake plant. This cute store did not disappoint. Rows of artificial greenery, flowers, succulents, wreaths filled this shop and I was hooked. The wreaths were gorgeous, and the prices were really incredible. Skip Michael’s and Hobby Lobby and check them out! Shop local, right?
For lunch we chose Blowing Rock Brewing Company Ale House and Inn. What?? An inn at a brewery?? Jeff’s dream. We started with an appetizer aptly named the Southerner. Can you guess what it was? Fried green tomatoes and fried pickles served with ranch and lemon dill aioli. They were very lightly battered and fried so the flavor was still bright and crisp. So, so good. Next up, I got the fish and chips and Jeff chose the Bison burger. The fish was flounder which isn’t the norm for fish and chips, and it was amazing!! If you haven’t had a bison burger, you haven’t lived. The meat is so tender and flavorful. It was absolutely heavenly. I dare say that next up was a bit of day drinking and our waiter was very gracious about all the wine I consumed. I always explain that big boned girls can drink more. It gets a chuckle every time.
After our day drinking it was back to the condo to nap until our 8:30 dinner reservation that we were lucky to snag. We dined at the highly acclaimed Bistro Roca. They feature New American comfort foods and pizzas from a wood burning oven. The atmosphere was delightful featuring a bar full of pet portraits that they rotate annually. This was enough for me to fall in love, but the food really was to die for. We started with Roasted Figs (I told you, I’m a sucker). They were wrapped in local prosciutto with manchego cheese and sourwood honey. Shut the front door!!! A flavor explosion. How could our entrees beat that? I chose the NC Buffalo Oxtail Ragout with Foggy Mountain pasta, foie gras espuma, grilled broccolini & citrus gremolata. These flavors were like nothing I have ever had. Outstanding. Now, I still don’t know what foie gras espuma is and I’m fine with that. This meal was rich and decadent, and I enjoyed every bite I was able to stuff in. Jeff chose the NC Mountain Trout with fingerling potatoes, grilled broccolini, Benton’s bacon jus, apple relish and candied walnuts. Another home run. I’m talking out of the ballpark, hitting a windshield home run! This dish was light and delicate and full of flavor. The broccolini had a bit of a smoky taste and was the perfect complement to both entrees. We had a great waitress who tricked me into ordering my favorite dessert of all time. Wait. Did she actually trick me?? I’m sure she did. Bread pudding is my weakness. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. It is comfort dessert for me and this one is one of the best I’ve had. This meal knocked our socks off and we just fell in love with the atmosphere. A MUST if you are in Blowing Rock. Make reservations early so you aren’t eating at bed time like we did. I’m so glad we did though.
After a full day Saturday, we were ready for a good breakfast before we hit the road home. There is the cutest place, Famous Toastery, within walking distance of where we stayed but alas, the boot. We decided to drive and knew it must be great from the lack of empty spaces in the parking lot. It was a gorgeous day, so we decided to dine in the sunshine on the outdoor patio. I started with one of the best Bloody Mary’s I’ve ever had. They prepare their mix in house every day and it was so fresh and delicious. I followed that with Classic Eggs Benedict and breakfast potatoes. Eggs Benedict is a favorite for me and this one was perfection. Jeff enjoyed scramble eggs, breakfast potatoes, toast, country ham and grits. A man-sized breakfast indeed, cooked just the way he likes it. A great way to start our day.
Before hitting the road, I had one last stop to make. I had seen the most adorable tea shop and wanted a tea for the road. Marmalade Tea Shop is the sweetest shop ever. The owner is so knowledgeable about teas and flavors and just a joy to chat with. They serve both hot and cold teas along with scrumptious baked goods prepared daily. I knew I wanted the Daffodil that I had seen on their Instagram page. It is a French lemon creme rooibos steeped and pulled with sweetened cream. It is topped with almond milk froth and turmeric colored sugar crystals. I did the hot latte and it was so amazing. Like nothing I’ve ever had before. I love that this shop is heavily involved with an Elephant conversation program and focuses on supporting small family tea farms.
If you’re still reading this long-winded blog, kudos to you. Sorry for the length but there is just so much to say about a fabulous weekend in Blowing Rock, NC. I just didn’t feel like I could leave out one detail! I hope you agree. Our next Southern Field Trips awaits!