A Shower of Spring Openings

Christin and Mike Jones of Roots. Photo by Rimas Zailskas

Christin and Mike Jones of Roots. Photo by Rimas Zailskas

Roots: An Appalachian Bistro

Chef Michael Jones, who grew up local — at Beehive Farms in Edneyville — and his wife Christin recently planted themselves in the former Green Room Café space on Main Street in Hendersonville. Their appropriately named venture, Roots: An Appalachian Bistro, is a farm-to-table affair that offers heirloom ingredients (locally sourced greens, herbs, and more) in contemporary fusion dishes.

“Roots will bring a contemporary style to many local favorite dishes and incorporate long-lost ingredients back onto our plates. Chef Mike is offering an experience of the true old South with elegance and handpicked, garden-fresh products only a resident from this area could recreate,” according to a mission statement on the restaurant’s website.

536 North Main St., Hendersonville, 828-692-6335; rootshvl.com.

Honey and Salt
Barbecue master Starr Teel, a local celebrity chef, has already proven himself with Flat Rock touchstone Hubba Hubba Smokehouse. And now, with fellow owner Erin Hill, he’s taking on breakfast. Consider their new operation, Honey and Salt, “the cousin of Hubba Hubba,” says Hill. “We make our own bread, biscuits, jams, etc.”

It’s not a Southern breakfast without a serving of savory smoked meat, so naturally some of Hubba’s specialties — pulled pork, brisket, and bacon — will be incorporated into the dishes, reports Hill. But lighter eaters need quality fare, too: besides traditional breakfast favorites and baked goods, Honey and Salt will also offer fresh-fruit smoothies.

2724 Greenville Hwy., Flat Rock; 828-694-3551.

Olive or Twist
A downtown-Asheville fixture for the better part of a decade, Olive or Twist found a new home in Hendersonville when owner Bill Devlin, along with wife Carri and daughter Kyndal, re-launched their endeavor last month in the former Two Guys Pizza & Ribs space. Devlin, who managed a chain steak house in Henderson County in the ’90s, will offer small plates and upscale-fusion dishes with an emphasis on local ingredients. He is committed to eventually hosting live music, dancing, and parties, in the new restaurant’s spacious back room.

121 W. Barnwell St., Hendersonville; Oliveortwist.net.

The Month in Wine
It seems more like a Christmas thing, but National Mulled Wine Day actually happens March 3, leaving a cozy winter aftertaste just before the weather warms up. Heated, fruit-infused, spiced red wine — cinnamon and clove are the top flavors — goes back to the days of gladiators and aqueducts, though it’s perhaps more commonly associated with visions of fireplaces and oak-paneled libraries than with ancient Roman excess. Local Burntshirt Vineyards celebrates the festive beverage from 12-6pm on the appointed day — a Friday this year — with 10% off a glass of mulled wine in the tasting room.

130 Sugar Loaf Road, Hendersonville, 828-692-7914; burntshirtvineyards.com.

American Vintage
Among the dispiriting number of entertainment icons who passed away last year was beloved British actor Alan Rickman. His roles included Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility, Hans Gruber in Die Hard, and Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series. With his trademark droopy eyes and sepulchral voice, he also made the perfect snobby sommelier in the 2008 comedy Bottle Shock, based on a real event: the Judgment of Paris blind tasting contest. Wine-shop owner Steven Spurrier, an expatriate living in Paris, organizes the famous showdown, where, in an unprecedented coup, California wines win out over cherished French vintages. As part of its culinary-themed Film Series 2016-2017 — “exploring the pleasures of food and drink,” including tastings from local restaurants — Tryon Fine Arts Center presents Bottle Shock on Tuesday, March 7.

7pm. $6. 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon, 828-859-8322; tryonarts.org.

Food as Medicine: Doses Two and Three
Carol Shimberg’s series of plant-based nutrition classes (subtitled “Food as Medicine”) continues this month and next at the Hendersonville Community Co-op. “Power Up with Whole Grains and Legumes” happens March 12, and “Explore the Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts, Seeds, and Healthy Fats” concludes the program on April 2. Shimberg, a registered dietitian and licensed nutritionist, flavors her lectures with culinary demonstrations, tastings, and recipe sharing.

She will reveal the specific nutritional components of beans and grains that make them “super foods,” and also talk about probiotics and other valuable benefits of plant-based foods. The preparation part is down to earth, though. “All the recipes are geared for busy people,” says Shimberg, who’s planning a black-bean-and-quinoa dish for the March class. “They’re for anyone who wants to easily incorporate these foods in their lives.”

March 12, 3-4pm. 60 South Charleston Lane, Hendersonville, 828-693-0505.

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