Sprig Mountain Dinner

It was one of those astonishingly beautiful days in the north Georgia mountains- brilliant sunshine, blue sky, slight breeze, and the scent of wild flowers blooming. I stood under the low branches of a tree listening to the rushing Toccoa river, thinking how this day could inspire a thank you poem from e.e. cummings. I was so grateful to be included on the list of guests for this coming evening.

Bottles were already being opened to celebrate this inaugural seasonal dinner by Sprig Restaurant. I grabbed a glass of Albarino (a good day drinking wine) and joined designer Kim Smith Fong of Studio Song for a hike to find table scape materials. She has such a discerning eye for natural beauty.

Kim spotted things most of us walked past. She collected curled roots that resembled driftwood, spongy moss, and rhododendron growing along the banks of the river to mingle with the slate rocks she pulled from the water.

river rocks

scenery on our walk

White table cloths were placed on the rustic tables in the gazebo by the water and then magic was created.

Leftover Mason jars from put-ups from country put-ups were filled with candles and strung from the rafters.

twinkling lights

 Serious prep work was going on inside with Executive Chef, Britt Cloud, as well as periodic cork popping sounds. The freshness of the Georgia mountain trout really had me anticipating dinner.

Thank goodness our chef came prepared with the trout from Inland Seafood because our fly fisherman came in empty-handed. In their defense, it is difficult to fish with a cocktail in your hand.

Peeling the free range, local eggs which were soaked in a colorful natural tea

Cutting lardons from the smoked Riverview Farms  grass fed Berkshire pork belly

salad plating

Guests began to arrive. We nibbled on Georgia pecans from a family farm of Kim's, roasted both sweet and savory. We tried cheese from Udderly Cool Dairy- a smooth and creamy Cool Creek cheddar and a velvety, mild blue. I loved the spicy pickled carrots and beets from Hillcrest orchards. Sourwood honey from Wally's Bees was the perfect local accompaniment to the cheese but also very good with our homemade biscuits in the morning. 

The group sauntered down to the gorgeous tables and settled in for a memorable meal. The temperature was perfect, the company was a mix of people from Atlanta and north Georgia. We had much to talk about and many bottles of wine to share. Anthony Tiberia, co-owner of Sprig with Jennifer Tiberia, welcomed us to dinner and toasted the night.

 First course: Soft boiled egg (see the lovely crackle finish?), local pea shoots & radishes, smoked pork belly, and red wine reduction. Every egg on every plate was cooked perfectly. I watched as each guest cut into it and the creamy yolk poured around the crispy pork belly. It was a dish both decadent and light, creamy and crunchy.

Darkness was falling and the evening became ever so convivial. We were laughing, sharing stories, and appreciating the company of new found friends. We talked a lot about local, sustainable food and how this was important in our lives. Everyone had a story and a favorite. French Broad Chocolates, Spotted Trotter charcuterie, Emily G's Jams, Phickles Pickles, The Turnip Truck, Spinning Spider Creamery, Highland Brewery, Farm Mobile, Mercier Orchards, Burge Farm... I could go on and on

2nd Course: Seared mountain trout with Anson Mills Carolina Gold rice grits cooked with saffron threads and braised baby artichokes. It was really a tremendous experience to taste this trout next to the water it once may have swam in. It was so fresh and delicate that a guest near me, who swore she did not like fish, commented on its tastiness. The aromatic saffron grits were hearty and homey seeming but actually quite light in preparation. Carolina Gold has such a great mouthfeel.

Dessert Course: Rustic Georgia peach tart with lavender scented cream. I am having difficulty writing about it because I miss it so much. It was warm and flaky with gooey, hot, fresh, Georgia peaches. I ate the lavender cream separately because lavender is one of my favorite flavors. My seatmate and I finished the bowl leftover cream.

40 year Taylor Fladgate Tawny port--so mellow. What a treat to enjoy such an aged port. It was rich in color, mellow and hazelnutty. The night had cooled down quite a bit and this really warmed me from the inside.

There was much applause for chef Britt Cloud and he was finally able to settle in with us and enjoy the night. We talked for hours about how important the heritage of southern food is to him. He loves to present the authentic flavors of food to his diners. Simple, fresh, seasonal, and local are words that echoed all evening. I am so looking forward to another dinner like this. Perhaps this fall we can also forage on site for a few ingredients. 

Atlanta Food And Wine 2012

I had so much fun at Atlanta Food and Wine Festival in 2011. Since the moment it ended, I have been waiting to go back.  Today Dominique Love gave a preview of what is in store for May 10-13 2012. Here is what I learned from a smattering of tweets on twitter (from @savoryexposure, @katiebell3, @360Media, @ATLFoodandWine, @vlalife, @ATL_Events and @doveatl) while they were enjoying a media lunch.

• There will be four categories of ticket experiences: tasting tent passes, day passes, 3 day passes and connoisseur passes. I was thankful had a connoisseur pass last year and was able to attend Julian Van Winkle's bourbon session. I learned so much about bourbon in such a short amount of time.  I must have taken three pages of notes. The tasting of Pappy mid morning was quite a treat too!

• Tasting tables will be open for 3 hours instead of 2. My favorite tasting table experience would have to be hanging out with my Asheville favorites like French Broad Chocolates.

• Some of the learning sessions will be on sustainability and origination.  This is right in my wheelhouse. One of my favorite sessions last year was the Whole Animal session with Tyler Brown, Sean Brock and Linton Hopkins. Never had breaking down an animal been sop much fun or so informative. I know how much these three are invested in heirloom ingredients, so I am sure they will be involved somehow.

• There will be a pop up restaurant. Good because I have yet to score a table at Next.

• There will be a southern cocktail hour with celebrated cocktails from each region. I will have a sazarac, please.

• Love these session: Wines for Day Drinking, B is for Italy, Very Van Winkle, Fellowship of Country Ham.

• There will be a cast iron cook off among the Food and Wine's best new chefs.

• The festival will include 14 tasting trails including farm fresh goods, tamales, seafood and beef. (And like last year, lots of BBQ).

• No food trucks this year. This is sad because my single favorite moment of AF&W 2011 occurred at the food trucks. I can still taste the lamb meatballs from gastroPOD . Best bite hands down.

• Craft beers and chocolates will be showcased. Love this. The sessions by Cacao and the beer tasting with Steve Hayes of Terrapin were so fun.

• Fun facts: $150,000 worth of tickets were donated to charitable organizations; the festival had 5872 attendees; there were 104 exhibitors and 124 cooking and cocktail classes.

• I am excited to see how the festival will be better this year. I didn't have a single complaint last year. It was three days of fun.  I learned a bunch, met fantastic people and tasted the best of what the south has to offer. Tickets go on sale Feb. 14th. Best Valentines Day present ever.

Foodtopia for the People

Asheville has a strong history of living off the land and celebrating it. "Asheville" evokes images of the mountains, arts and crafts, natural beauty and folk music. Set at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers and resting in the central area of a high plateau bordered by the Blue Ridge, Craggy and Black Mountains on the east and the Great Smokies on the west, it is no wonder that Asheville's first permanent settlement in 1785 was known as Eden Land. Foodtopia is a movement that celebrates food, drink and traditions, showcasing the pleasure of food with a respect for community and the environment.

At the Taste of Asheville: Meet the Foodtopians dinner on April 27th I fully embraced the localism, authenticity and conviviality that is Foodtopia. With 135 independent restaurants, natural beauty, farmers markets, breweries, artisans and organic farmers, Asheville can center tourism on their iconic foodstuffs. The Foodtopians are great ambassadors for this culinary scene. Their dedication to fresh, sustainable and locally sourced ingredients combined with the geographic distinctness of Asheville puts the city on the map as a gastronomic destination.

I was greeted with huge smiles when I entered Bradford's on Bishop. I slipped in with the crowd and wanted to make them my friends and neighbors. I have been to a lot of these events but never has the vibe been so joyful and full of genuine warmth and festivity. I met the chefs, the farmers, the cheesemakers, the brewers. Each one brimming with lively enthusiasm for their craft.

First stop, Craggie Brewing Company for a glass of Burning Barrel, a bourbon chipotle porter that was smoky, spicy to the nose and a finish smooth as a sip of Pappy. In other words, yum. I tried another that was really hoppy (I like hoppy. I believe it was the Antebellum Ale. Brew master Bill Drew was nice as can be. I was lucky enough to clink glasses with Ale Sharpton and he seemed to like the brews too. I also tried the signature drink of the evening, a jalapeño mojito. Loved the comingling of hot peppers mixed with cool mint.

Laughing Seed Cafe presented a spring green pesto bechamel lasagna accompanied by tasty kale with pine nuts. Here I met owner Joan Cliney-Eckert who owns a 3 acre farm where she sources much of her cafe's produce.

The charming Michel Bandouin of Bouchon made me a plate of French comfort food Asheville style. I swooned over the plate of Lapin a la Moutard with creamed turnips and a salad of roasted beets and goat cheese. Michel spoke of the local rabbits, the mustard he seasoned with and the goat cheese from a local creamery. It was at this moment that I began to latch on as a Foodtopian.

At The Corner Kitchen station I met owner Joe Scully and snacked on his hangar steak with molasses and mustard infused olive oil. Standing next to him was Jamie Agar of Hickory Nut Gap Farms. Scully sources from this local farm that raises grass fed beef and goat, pastured pigs, chicken and turkeys.

Lucia of Ultimate Ice Cream Company was close by to cleanse my palate. I had such a difficult time choosing from the listing of flavors but settled on one of the star ingredients of the evening with roasted ramp and goat cheese sourced from Spinning Spider Creamery. What a great flavor and interesting combination! Throughout the evening I came back to try Brown Sugar Bacon and maple, Blueberry Honey (yum, the local honey) and my favorite, Rielsling Sorbet.

My next taste dazzled all my senses. Zambra put forth one of my favorites of the evening, local trout cakes with micro greens, trout roe and a topping of crispy trout skin. Gorgeous, creative and so inspired. I also sampled a spread of spinning spider goat cheese with leeks on toast.

Jason and Peter of Posana handed me this oh so tender and delicious braised pork with celeriac puree. They explained how it was rubbed with local grainy mustard first. I ate each composed bite with the puree an wanted more.

I spent much of the evening around the cooking station of The Red Stag Grill. Chef Adam Hayes and crew had so many mouth watering local offerings. The pork pate paired with Lusty Monk mustards was a great start. I moved on to a braised bison short rib that had been encased in caul fat and then to goat sausage. Knowing the ingredients were fresh and locally sourced only added to the intense flavors.

Drunken pork livers were intense with the infusion of bourbon. I loved the rabbit rillette on a piece of crusty toast and topped with chef Hayes' pickled rhubarb. This was such an authentic local dish that I didn't think it could be topped. I inquired about other seasonal offerings since I had seen ramps in abundance. Fiddleheads? No. Morels? This illicited a big grin on chef Hayes' face as he handed me a slice of toast with a smear of chicken liver mousse blended with morels. Hands down my favorite taste of the evening--delicate, smooth and composed umami. Seconds later he plated for me a dish of strawberries, Looking Glass chevre, local honey (sourwood) and shave truffles. Yowza. The Red stag is my first stop this summer when I visit Asheville.

French Broad Chocolate Lounge had the most beautiful spread of chocolate truffles and cakes. When I visit I want to try them all, especially the lavender and honey. Dan and Jael Rattigan, look for me.

Bistro Restaurant on Biltmore Estate served up a pork belly cooked in bacon fat then cooked in duck fat. The first bite melted in my mouth. The second I dipped in their ancho cherry sauce. Wow, just wow. A friend saw my food daze and brought by a Mongolian braised bison taco from Lexington Avenue Brewery. So tender and delicious wrapped in a super flavorful corn tortilla. As I walked away from the table Jeff from Luella's Bar B Q handed me a cup of mac and cheese with bacon and offered me pulled pork slider. A friend nearby tried the sliders and proclaimed them delicious.

Last stop was the Blue Ridge Dining Room at the Grove Park Inn where chef Jack Melson was cooking up Anson Mill blue corn meal encrusted Sorrell Creek trout topped with manque choux. Perfect!

I couldn't get out the door without more good coming at me. The Foodtopians told me to make sure I collected a parting gift. I chose a bar of Black Mountain Chocolate but it was a difficult choice with the gorgeous jars of Imladris Farm jams. I did not want to leave such conviviality.

Foodtopia, I get you and I embrace you. I have made my plans to take a foodie trip to Asheville and I already know it is going to be a good time. Hope the Foodtopians come back for The Atlanta Food and Wine Festival so we can return the comity of a shared love of food, libations and gathering.

*Thank you to Spravka Imaging for the photos!