Hendersonville Restaurant Week

Mark your calendars for the much anticipated Hendersonville Restaurant Week which starts March 15th – 24th.  North Carolina’s City of Hendersonville and Village of Flat Rock will both participate in their first restaurant week that will span ten full days.  Locals and visitors alike will have the opportunity to experience multi-course special prix fixe menus for lunch, brunch and dinner.  Lunch and brunch offerings will range between $10 – $15 and dinner features will range from $20 – $35. Please note that the special prix fixe menu prices exclude beverages, tax and gratuity.
If you neighbor Hendersonville or Flat Rock, you will want to experience restaurant week for a sneak peek of their burgeoning food scene.  If a weekend getaway to the mountains has been on your mind, wait no more and visit Hendersonville!  I have two wonderful lodging options to share with you, but first, let me tell you about some of the restaurants participating in Hendersonville Restaurant Week.

Hendersonville Restaurant Week in Village of Flat Rock

Flat Rock Wood Room

Flat Rock Wood Room features award winning barbecue meats and gourmet wood fired brick oven pizzas. As a gal that hails from Texas, where Brisket and BBQ are king, I am always a bit skeptical when sampling BBQ.  Though Texas and NC styles of BBQ differ, I can always appreciate good BBQ.  Chef Jamie Guay presented us with a sampling of his famous Frankenmuth Wings with Competition Style BBQ Sauce.  Note, these are a restaurant week menu feature and they will ruin you for all other wings to come – just sayin’. The jumbo wings are rubbed, smoked and tossed in a deglaze mixture then finished by flash frying and tossed in a competition bbq sauce.  Simply Fantastic! The sweet cake corn bread is unlike any other corn bread I have tasted. Warning – it’s addictive! Most desserts that come to mind when you think of BBQ are banana pudding or a cobbler, however, Flat Rock Wood Room surprises with an exceptional Crème Brûlée as a dessert feature on their restaurant week menu. Flat Rock Wood Room is located on 1501 Greenville Highway.  The Restaurant Week Menu can be viewed here in its entirety.

Season’s at Highland Lake Inn & Resort

Season’s at Highland Lake Inn & Resort sits atop 26 scenic acres on a private lake in the Village of Flat Rock.  Whether you lunch or dine at Season’s, take some time to stroll through the beautiful acreage.  In addition to its gorgeous pastoral views and lodging, Highland Lake Inn & Resort’s, Season’s, offers a casual fine dining experience led by Executive Chef Nate Sargent.  The Chef integrates hand-picked seasonal herbs, vegetables, and edible flowers from the on-site garden into the restaurants cuisine.  Some of my favorite culinary bites to be featured in Season’s Restaurant Week Menu include the Smoked BBQ Pork and the Forest Mushroom Ravioli. Dessert lovers will have a difficult time choosing between menu features like the Vanilla Bean Ice Cream & Berry Compote, Chocolate Mousse Layer Cake with Raspberry Coulis and Creamy Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce & Cinnamon Honey.  My favorite? All three, of course!

Hendersonville Restaurant Week in Downtown Hendersonville

Postero

Main Street in downtown Hendersonville spans 16 blocks and is the heart of the vibrant mountain city.  Seven of the 13 participating restaurants reside in this area, including Postero.  The restaurant features traditional recipes with a modern flare in an upscale dining setting.  Not only are Executive Chef Jason Reasoner’s dishes visually stunning, but the flavors are impressive.  Postero’s ambiance is modern, sexy and tops my list of restaurants for a date night in Hendersonville.  My favorite dishes that will be featured in Postero’s Restaurant Week Menu include the House Cut Waffle Potato Chips with Goat Cheese Mousse, Goat Cheese Crostini, Chicken Confit and Carolina Catfish & Grits, just to name a few. Their desserts are not only artistic, but they are a harmonious finish to Postero’s restaurant week experience. It is hard to pick a favorite, but I do love-love-love the Roasted Banana Ice Cream with Peanut Butter Mousse drizzled in Dark Chocolate Sauce and dusted with a Salted Pretzel Crumble.  Before leaving Postero, take a peek of their super sleek and fabulous vaulted dining room and wine cellar.

Never Blue

Walking into Never Blue, you can’t help but feel the vibrant energy of the restaurant. If you haven’t dined at Never Blue, you will want to add this restaurant to your foodie bucket list.  Owner and Executive Chef Jesse Roque, offers global cuisine, top-notch cocktails and gorgeous desserts with a fun twist. I highly recommend you bring a friend or two to join you at Never Blue’s Restaurant Week so you can each order a variety of the different prix fixe menu options to share.  Although cocktails are not included in the restaurant week menu, to visit Never Blue and not order one of the restaurant’s amazing cocktails will be a disservice to your entire dining experience. If you need a recommendation, try my favorite, The Mexican Mafia Sorbettini. It is really hard to pick a favorite among Never Blue’s Restaurant Week features, because I love EVERYTHING. However, Chef Roque’s Gnocchi with Granna Padano-Lemon Herb Cream, Feathered Parmesan and Lemon Zest are hands down my favorite Gnocchi in all of North Carolina. The Gypsy Cheese and Korean BBQ Nachos are awesome, too! One of Never Blue’s gorgeous and fun desserts, a classic Crème Brûlée, is a Restaurant Week Menu option and is served with a choice of mermaid or unicorn fudge.  If you have a sweet tooth, you are going to want to try it!  Never Blue is located 119 South Main Street and the full Restaurant Week Menu can be viewed here – Never Blue Restaurant Week Menu.   To read more about Never Blue, read about my 24 Hours in Hendersonville this past December.

The Dugout Taproom & Grill

The Dugout Taproom & Grill menu is guaranteed to hit a home run with your taste buds. The Dugout’s Restaurant Week Menu is likely to surprise guests with their gastro pub-esque dishes like Braised Wild Boar Ribs and Apple Bourbon Pork Chops.  Other restaurant week menu items that are sure to please the palate include the Fried Green Stacker and Warm Goat Cheese Salad. Ready for the kicker? The Dugout’s Chef Brooke Crider creates ALL of the Restaurant Week dessert features like the Lemon Raspberry Cake, Peanut Butter Magic Cake and Oreo Cheesecake. The Dugout’s desserts are classic down-home sweet treats with a modern twist. After savoring each sweet bite, don’t be surprised if you ask for a second slice to go!  If the menu isn’t tantalizing enough, the premier sports bar also has 30 rotating taps and 13 TV’s broadcasting sports and more.

Hendersonville Restaurant Week Outside of Downtown Hendersonville

Old Orchard Tavern

Inside Cascades Mountain Resort, on 201 Sugarloaf Road, sits the Old Orchard Tavern which features fine dining cuisine at it’s best with a Hendersonville-Twist in an intimate settting.  The locally owned and operated Old Orchard Tavern, is open to both hotel guests and visitors alike. The restaurant integrates grass-fed beef, fresh seafood and local ingredients into their cuisine, when possible.  Though many might shy away from hotel restaurant dining, Old Orchard Tavern’s cuisine rivals the cuisine of any fine dining establishment.  The Restaurant Week Menu will feature visually stunning dishes like the Braised Lamb Shank and Sunburst Farm Smoked Trout Pasta. For a full Restaurant Week Menu, visit Old Orchard Tavern Restaurant Week Menu.

Brooks Tavern

When I walk into Brooks Tavern, I can’t help but chuckle and think about the 1980’s sitcom Cheers.  It’s charming, low-key and everyone is having a Very-Good time.  Located on 142 Third Avenue West, the Tavern is perfect for casual eats and will offer both lunch and dinner options during Restaurant Week.  Big Bonus – they have an extensive beer list and delicious cocktails, like the lovely blue cocktail aptly named, Blue Ridge Parkway. To view their lunch and dinner features, visit Brooks Tavern Restaurant Week Menu.

Hendersonville Restaurant Week: Lodging Options

Cascades Mountain Resort

If you are thinking about an impromptu trip to the mountains for Restaurant Week, I have two great suggestions.  As mentioned previously, Hendersonville Restaurant Week is scheduled to last ten full days and as such, will fall on two Fridays and Saturdays – perfect for the weekend visitor. The Cascades Mountain Resort is a lovely hotel option for singles, couples and families.  For an in-depth review of the hotel, including their 12,000 square feet of water play, read about my stay in 24 Hours in Hendersonville, NC Part II.

 

Waverly Inn

Another beautiful and charming lodging option for your Restaurant Week stay is downtown Hendersonville’s Waverly Inn. Conveniently located on Main Street, the bed and breakfast is perfect for a girl’s weekend or a romantic getaway.  Although this was my first experience at a Bed & Breakfast, I could not have asked for more.  Each of the Waverly Inn’s rooms are uniquely-charming, comfortable and have full amenities.  The Inn also hosts an exceptional social hour and full breakfast that would put large hotels to shame. Coming soon is a more extensive post about my experience at Waverly Inn.  For now, here is a sneak peek of some of the delicious breakfast items created by Chef Lily Krupp at the Waverly Inn.

Most restaurants participating in Hendersonville Restaurant Week will take reservations, so plan ahead.

Be sure to check out other special events during restaurant week, like the Waverly Inn’s Greatest Hits Brunch, Bold Rock Pints for Dandelion and more.  If you do participate in Hendersonville Restaurant Week, I would love to know where you dined and what you thought about the experience. For more information about Hendersonville Restaurant Week, produced by Carolina Epicurean, LLC., including participating restaurants, menus and special events visit Hendersonville Restaurant Week.