Jay Gee's, Sylva, NC - August 15,  2013

This is a new restaurant in Sylva, that just opened in the last couple of months. It is a cousin to Jimmy Mac's in Bryson and is owned by the son (I think) of Jimmy Mac's owner. It is located on Main Street in the  old Merriweather's.
The decor doesn't seem to be changed much from the previous tenants,  except for the ginormous TV in the back of the room. You can see that in one of the pictures. Well, not only is the mother of all TV's in the room, but several offspring as well. You all know by now that is the biggest pet peeve of mine, as I think meals ought to be about conversing with your dinner company and not zoning out in front of the boob tube, while ignoring your company. Why go out to eat if all you're going to do is watch TV. You can do that at home.
I also hate it when people spend their entire time on the phone when you are eating with them. Just rude.

Note the big TV and its offspring

Juke Box

We had some extra guests at Supper Club tonite. Turner just happened to be available to eat with us tonite. I think she thought there was an agenda at these weekly suppers, but no.. we just let the conversation go as it will and let the good times roll. Unfortunately, Clayton was not able to come. 

Tonite, Turner and I went to the bathroom just as we walked in. The bathroom is located in the front as you start down the long hallway towards the main center of the restaurant. We were greeted with a huge surprise when we got in the bathroom. Something in the bathroom stunk horribly! I don't know if the sewer was not working correctly, or the toilets were malfunctioning, but it was all we could do to do our business and get out before we were gassed. We did report this to the waitress, but not sure if it was addressed that night. 

Fried Pickle Spears

Fried Mushroom Appetizer

We ordered two appetizers, which included the Fried Mushrooms and Fried Pickles. Now, you KNOW how much we love Fried Pickles. I still can't believe I have gone all my life and have never eaten them until recently. I am eternally indebted to Pam for their introduction. The mushrooms were fairly good. The pickles were a bit of a surprise, as they were not pickle chips, but pickle spears. That little alteration  created an entirely different taste and texture. I personally didn't like them, as they lost their crispness and the coating fell off. I tried to eat one, but after a couple of bites, I quit. No one else cared for the spears as much as the chips. So, the pickle spears remained uneaten. On a side note, they were really salty also. 

Sample Salad

The salads were OK. I did like them much more than at Jimmy Mac's. Jay Gee's has no cold green beans or olives. Tomatoes, onions, croutons, and cucumbers. Much more likable. 

Sweet Potato Fries

Jay Gee's offers Sweet Potato Fries, which are pretty good. You can choose from Honey Mustard dipping sauce or Ranch. The main menu here is pretty much the same as at Jimmy Mac's. Jay Gee's also offers seafood, pasta, sandwich's, steaks, and soups.  They offer a  homemade soup daily, which JM's does also. The soup is fairly consistent in its likability. Lots of variety and good taste. The soup is one of Lisa's favorite things to order. It does make a good fall and winter lunch. Warm, hearty, and tasty.

Ham & Cheese Sandwich with Sweet Potato Fries

For lunch, there is a nice selection of sandwiches to choose from. Ham and Cheese, Burgers, Cheese steaks, as well as some seafood selections such as Po' Boy's. All come with Fries or Homemade Chips. I prefer the chips. They are crispy, tasty and not soggy or too salty.

Steak and Potato

The steak's they offer include Sirloin, Ribeye and they come with a Baked Potato and Salad. The steaks are OK. Not fantastic, but adequate.

Philly Steak with Homemade Chips

I ordered the Cheese steak, and it was one of the best I've had. The bread was good, crusty and soft, with loads of filling. The meat had good flavor, was lean and the cheese perfectly melted.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Turner ordered the soup and she stated it was great. It did look good. This was just one of the varieties offered.

Vegetable Pasta

The veggie pasta didn't look too great. I can't testify as how it tasted. I can honestly say that the biscuits were horrible. We could not eat them as they were salty.Yes! salty... we could not figure out what happened in the making process, but we felt that someone must have mistaken the sugar for the salt or the salt for the Parmesan Cheese ( as they were supposed to have PC on top). Anyway, they were inedible. We did not report this to the waitress.

August 8, 2013 - Soul Infusion, Sylva, NC

Soul Infusion is located on Main Street in Sylva in a renovated early 1900's farm house. The proper name is Soul Infusion - Tea House and Bistro. They are open for lunch and dinner and have a nice, full menu. They offer vegan options and vegetarian options, which is a nice change. There is seating in the house, on the porch, and in the yard in a garden/patio type setting. 

The inside is done in a Joseph's coat "many colors" palette. Quite funkadelic. Lots of interesting decor on the walls, including local artwork. The bar is framed in galvanized metal sheeting. There is a lot of stuff surrounding the cash register and bar, to the point where it's a little hard to know where to do to order. 

The food is great. They offer fresh, natural homemade soups, wraps, salads and desserts. Huge selection of teas, local brews and wine. Something to offer everyone. 

Taco Salad

Cobb Salad

Black Bean Burger

Chicken Casserole Wrap

Tuna Salad Sandwich & Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

Vegan Chili

The food was really good. You could tell it was fresh, the ingredients natural and everything homemade. Because of this, you do have to wait a little bit for your order, but it is worth it. The prices are not high, everything is quite affordable. A great bargain for fresh, homemade food. 

Bar - notice the huge selection

Soul Infusion also has a $7.00 lunch special every day. If you don't want a huge meal, they also offer a half sandwich/soup or half sandwich & side. Just the perfect meal for lunch or a light dinner. SI is a nice, cozy place with a great, relaxed atmosphere for hanging out with your friends and making new ones. Come check out the live music which occurs most weekends.  Come on out and maybe you'll see the ASC there! Plenty of parking.

Live  music most weekends

http://www.soulinfusion.com/index.html

June 13, 2013 - The Jade Dragon, Sylva, NC

 The Jade Dragon is a fairly new restaurant located on Hwy 107 on the way to WCU, between Walmart and Lowes. It has been in existence about a year. It is located in a renovated diner/drive in that was a staple in Sylva. Not sure why it went out of business, as it seemed to be very popular with the locals,  but The Jade Dragon moved in. 

The Jade Dragon is not very big inside as the standard Chinese restaurant  buffet takes up one whole end of the restaurant. While the buffett looks big, it is actually small compared to most Chinese restaurants. There is a variety of booths and tables, large and small to accommodate everyone. 

 As most Chinese buffets have the same fare on the buffet, I decided to order off the menu to see how quickly orders were completed, and how the food tasted. The other folks ordered the buffet. We had everyone in attendance tonite too.

As you can see from the pictures, The Jade Dragon is no different from the other thousands of Chinese restaurants in any state. Same desserts, fruits, rice, soups and dishes. 

As you can see, Watermelon, Oranges, Cold Shrimp

The buffet was clean, did have some variety and the dishes were plentiful, and hot. This is interesting as we were about the  only folks in there. I think there were only about two or three other tables that night. Some of the supper club did report that a few of the dishes did appear as if they had been sitting out for awhile as they looked "old." 

I ordered Mongolian Beef and the dish was plentiful as you can see. It came with a side of rice. The dish was tasty, but really nothing to write home about. It was not memorable and really was no different than if I had ordered it from the restaurant in Bryson, Cherokee, or any other town.

Sample buffet plate

Fried Rice 

The Jade Dragon seems to be popular with locals as the parking lot is usually full. I'm not sure why, as they are no different from any other Chinese restaurant in Sylva or any other town. Just being new, I guess. When the new wears off, I guess folks will drift on to other places. 

June 6, 3013 - The Coffee Shop, Sylva, NC

The Coffee Shop is a typical small town diner. It has been in existence for numerous years, and commands quite a large following. 

"A diner is a prefabricated restaurant building characteristic of North America, especially in the Midwest, in New York City, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and in other areas of the Northeastern United States, although examples can be found throughout the United States, Canada and parts of Western Europe. Some people apply the term not only to the prefabricated structures, but also to restaurants that serve cuisine similar to traditional diner cuisine even if they are located in more traditional types of buildings. Diners are characterized by offering a wide range of foods, mostly American, a casual atmosphere, a counter, and late operating hours. "Classic American Diners" are often characterized by an exterior layer of stainless steel—a feature unique to diner architecture."

The first diner was created in 1872, by a man named Walter Scott. He worked at a printing press, and decided to sell food out of a horse-pulled wagon. He sold to night workers, and patrons of men's clubs.Scott then decided that his business was successful; he then quit his job and sold food full-time. Scott's diner can be considered the first diner with “walk up” windows that were located on each side of the wagon.The first recorded diner was a horse-drawn wagon equipped to serve hot food to employees of the Providence Journal, in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1872. Walter Scott, who ran the lunch wagon, had previously supplemented his income by selling sandwiches and coffee to his fellow pressmen at the Journal from baskets he prepared at home. Commercial production of lunch wagons began in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1887, by Thomas Buckley. Buckley was very successful and became known for his "White House Cafe" wagons. Charles Palmer received the first patent (1891) for the diner. He built his "fancy night cafes" and "night lunch wagons" in the Worcester area until 1901.

GREG TRYING TO ACT BASHFUL

It's hard to get in on the weekends, or in the evenings or mornings. The Coffee Shop is popular with the locals and the packed parking lot is testament to that. On this night, we had everyone in attendance. The Coffee Shop has tables and booths, both small and large. There is a large, round table in the far corner where we sat. This gave us plenty of elbow room. There is an extensive menu at The Coffee Shop. Everything from Burgers, Sandwiches, to dinner plates with Chicken Livers, Hamburger Steak, etc. We must have been in sync tonite as we all ordered Hamburger Steak with either onions, chili, or mushrooms. The sides everyone seemed to want was either Fried Okra, or Cornbread Salad.

FRIED CHICKEN LIVERS

The Cornbread Salad is a special dish here. I  make it at home, but mine does not have as much dressing in it. In other words, it is drier. The Fried Okra is of course frozen, but is OK. We ordered the Chicken Livers as a beginner, and they were OK also. Fried done for sure. How many folks out there prefer Chicken Livers vs. Chicken Gizzards? We had a lively discussion about our preferences.  Check in with us and give us your opinion.

HAMBURGER STEAK, CORNBREAD SALAD, FRIED OKRA

FRIED FISH, CORNBREAD SALAD, FRIED OKRA

HAMBURGER STEAK WITH CHILI, SLAW, FRIES

HAMBURGER STEAK, MASHED POTATOES, BEANS

HAMBURGER STEAK, BEANS, FRIED OKRA

We had a lively discussion tonite on a variety of topics. We had lots of laughs, giggles, and snorts. We stayed a very long time, but we were having so much fun, we engaged our waitress in our discussions too. It looks like it was Hamburger Steak night with us! How many ways can you have Hamburger Steak?

Add caption

We did find out some interesting information about The Coffee Shop tonite. Apparently it's haunted. According to the cashier and the waitress, there is an apparition in the restaurant that they have seen on occasion. They feel it is a man, and suspect it is a soldier.

SPECIALS

There is a large board behind the grill that spells out the specials, specialties, and local favorites. If you can't find something to eat here, then you just need to go home.

CASHIER

CASHIERS COOL SHOES

Small town diners are becoming a novelty like Drive In Theaters, Drive Ins, or other warm mementos of growing up in a time when folks knew their neighbors, went calling on Sunday's after church, and cooked casseroles for their ailing friends. There is a film devoted to small town diners (http://chicagofilmmakers.org/cf/content/american-diner). Check it out here. If  you love all things small town, then by all means, visit The Coffee Shop. Hang out awhile, meet some locals, and soak up some flavor of Sylva. And.. be sure to eat some good basic fare, and ask about the ghost.