At Shelton Vineyards, savor a crab cake at Harvest Grill (right) and toast to a beautiful Foothills day with sparkling rosé and Cabernet Sauvignon. photograph by Joey Seawell
In the early days after Shelton Vineyards opened in the rolling hills of the Yadkin Valley in 1999, visitors paired Shelton’s wines with the humble offerings from an on-site cheese shop. Palates were expanded when in 2005, the winery’s full-service restaurant, Harvest Grill, opened. Just as winemakers are guided by terroir — or how weather conditions, topography, and soil may impact a wine’s flavor — Harvest Grill chefs prioritize using local, seasonal ingredients and preparing dishes that hold cultural importance to North Carolinians. Sourcing ingredients from 10 local farms, they cultivate a menu that shares stories of the western part of the state on a plate — and complements the wines in diners’ glasses. Stop in for a bite of seasonal fruit-and-wine sonker — a take on Surry County’s native dessert — or dig into a jumbo lump crab cake with creole aioli, Swiss chard, rice pilaf, and chard brittle paired with the vineyard’s Bin17 Chardonnay.
230 Cabernet Lane
(336) 366-3590
sheltonvineyards.com/harvest-grill
Before you order your meal, will you choose a Hazyum IPA, People’s Porter, or a Carolina Blonde Ale? photograph by Jay Sinclair/Visit Winston-Salem
For many, Winston-Salem is the first stop on a journey west, the place where the mountains begin to rise on the horizon. In 2005, there were no breweries in the city, and only 18 in the whole state — a gap that Jamie Bartholomaus and three business partners wanted to fill. Together, they opened Foothills Brewing, eventually crafting everything from light lagers to imperial stouts and helping spearhead a downtown revival. The brewpub has become an anchor of downtown, and Executive Chef Shane Moore tries to incorporate its beers into as many dishes as possible. Grab a bowl of Foothills’ award-winning chili, made with People’s Porter. Or try what Bartholomaus calls “the best chicken tenders you’ll find in North Carolina” — they’re coated in Carolina Blonde Ale batter. Today, Foothills is one of more than 400 breweries in North Carolina, and community support is stronger than ever. In March, the family-owned business will celebrate 20 years — another good excuse to gather in the Foothills. “Life needs beer,” Bartholomaus says, because it brings communities together.
638 West Fourth Street
(336) 777-3348
foothillsbrewing.com
At Brushy Mountain Smokehouse, slow-cooked ribs, smoked chicken, beef brisket, and pulled pork pair well with fries, slaw, and a cold glass of sweet tea. photograph by Jon Eckard
Daniel Harrison started working at Brushy Mountain Smokehouse and Creamery at 14 years old, busing tables the year the restaurant opened in 2002. Now, he and his wife, Jamie, are the owners. The restaurant got its start when brothers Carl and Jim Swofford decided to buy an old supermarket building in downtown North Wilkesboro and trust Carl’s son Jeff — and his barbecue recipe — to take care of the rest. Diners still come from near and far for that hickory-smoked pulled pork — plus homemade ice cream. Daniel revamped and renovated the restaurant when he took over, drawing on western North Carolina heritage and NASCAR for decor inspiration, but the heart of the space is the same — especially because he still works alongside Jeff, now Brushy Mountain’s procurement specialist. Daniel is proud to serve the children and grandchildren of the customers he once greeted as a busboy. “[The restaurant is] bigger than any one person — myself or my wife or any of the individual employees,” he says. “It kind of has its own heartbeat.”
201 Wilkesboro Boulevard
(336) 667-9464
brushymountain-smokehouse.com
Rosanna Bray Jarvis’s parents, Sam and Louise Bray, loved hosting musical get-togethers at their home in Stokes County. Growing up, Rosanna remembers their backyard filled with friends as her dad, a guitar player and singer, performed bluegrass music, and her mom cooked classic dishes, including huge pots of vegetable beef soup. Eventually, Louise decided that if they were going to continue feeding and entertaining so many folks, then they should start a business, and in 1978, Hillbilly Hideaway was born in Walnut Cove. “I truly feel in my heart that when the doors open and the customers come in, they’re coming to my house for dinner,” says Jarvis, who took over the restaurant in 2014. Diners feel at home, too, as they spot family portraits of Sam and Louise on the log walls and antique knickknacks strewn across tables. Sometimes, competitive siblings even fight for the best Corelle plate among the charmingly mismatched settings. Not only does the restaurant look like Grandma’s, but the food tastes like it, too: Everything, Jarvis says, is the favorite dish. When Hillbilly Hideaway opens each weekend, the tables fill up with a family-style Southern spread, from fried chicken, country ham, and barbecued ribs to hoecake biscuits, veggies, and homemade bread. In keeping with Bray family tradition, the music hall plays live bluegrass after the meal from March through August, but diners can fill their plates year-round.
4365 Pine Hall Road
(336) 591-4861
thehillbillyhideaway.com
North Carolinians need not depend on the luck of the Irish to see green. With our islands and parks, greenways and fairways, mosses and ferns, all we have to do is look around.
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Before a chef served elegant charcuterie, she was a young girl discovering refined flavors at the local Hickory Farms shop.
In the North Carolina Foothills, a music program — and its talented host — celebrates the diverse genres that have shaped our musical landscape.
