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.

Rancho Viejo, Cherokee, NC - October 17, 2013



There's not much to be said about Rancho Viejo that hasn't already been said about the other Tex Mex restaurants we blogged earlier. This one is located in Cherokee, and one of  many that have come and gone over the years. Mexican restaurants don't seem to last long in Cherokee, for some reason.

Guayabitos actually started in Cherokee. They were located in the old El Camino restaurant on Soco. Then they closed and moved to Bryson. Rancho Viejo is located in the Food Lion shopping center near the Casino Crossing. At the intersection of 441 and Casino Road. 

They seem to do a brisk business so maybe they will stay. They do have a large roomy interior with plenty of seating consisting of both booths and tables. If you have a large party, there will still be room. The decor is minimal, and not crowded, cluttered like Guayabitos. The booths are roomy with high backs so privacy is afforded.
They also serve lunch and dinner, with no change in the menus, except the price. 

Pollo Fundido 

The menu consists of everything similar and no variances from the other Mexican restaurants in the area (Sazone excepted). The signs that all tout stating "Authentic" is not really true. The food on the menus is all Tex Mex and obviously altered to the demands of the American palate. I personally find them bland,  boring and really nothing to get excited about. But, then you all know my favorite Mexican - Sazone- and it is authentic, fresh, and cooked to order. 

Cowboy Fajitas 

Fajitas sides, beans, rice, lettuce/tomato/guac/sour cream

Pork Verde 

The food at these Tex Mex clones is not really awful, but its just plain and the same ole, same old. It's almost as if they all order their food from the same place  and cook it with the same recipes. It is filling, but that is all that can really be said about it. The beans are OK, the rice is OK, but if you choose to not eat it.. I can truthfully say... you won't miss it.

On another note.. only three of us were in attendance tonite. So, the meal was short. We did run into folks we knew, so we stopped to say "Howdy."

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

Fryemont Inn, Bryson City, NC - July 18, 2013

The Fryemont Inn is one of the most famous historic landmarks in Bryson City. It was built in the 1920's by Amos Frye who made his money from timber. It remained in the same family for decades and was bought by the current owners in the 1980's. It is situated on a hill above the town of Bryson and is accessed by a tiny one lane, one way road. It looks quite unimpressive when you first round the curve that leads directly into the parking lot. It's not until you actually walk into the building that you have a chance to take in the ambiance and just plain coolness of the Inn. AND! I bet it's haunted... what you think?

The dining room is toward the right as you walk in the main door. It is a dark, dimly light room that is based around a massive rock fireplace. that could easily hold a whole 40" log. The tables are all covered with white tablecloths, with enough room between them to afford every table privacy. There is one wall of windows that overlooks the parking lot. These appear to be the original windows as they have the wavy glass you often see in antique windows. The room is done completely in the original wood. The floors are wavy and uneven, the walls are knotty pine and the ceiling is exposed massive log beams.

Lisa & Rosemary already checking out the bar scene

As you walk into the dining room, if you turn to the left inside the door, you will find a bar. Again, outfitted in the original wood walls. It does have a pool table as well as tables if you don't want to sit at the bar.

When you walk it the front door, there is a hallway where you can go left or right As stated above, the right leads to the dining room. The left leads to the guest rooms, lobby and upstairs. Framing both sides of the hallway are displays of historic significance. There are photos, letters, and documents pertaining to the history of the Inn and its owners and guests.

The hallway leading to the first floor of guest rooms and the Inn lobby are to the left of the main door. Stairs leading to the second floor are down the hallways. The rooms are nice with different sizes for different needs. I didn't see any without a bathroom in the room. They were basic, simple furnishings, but quite adequate for an old Inn. The doors all look alike, so you better remember where your room is. The hallways are quiet, and I have to say..... a bit spooky. We only saw one person the entire time we were walking the halls. 

The menu is also quite simple. Not a tons of selections, but some very good Trout choices.  I absolutely love the Trout Hugo. Greg ordered the Vegetarian Plate, which came with a fruit place. You can see the fruit plate included oranges, cantaloupe, and strawberries. 

Several of us ordered dinners that came with a salad. The garden salad is shown with a nice mixture of greens and veggies. The Inn makes their own dressings, which is a nice touch. 

They also make their own soups, which Greg ordered. The soup that night was Broccoli Cheese. There are a couple of choices each night. The soup was very tasty, creamy without being too stiff or too runny. Plenty of broccoli in the soup and not too salty. 

Pecan encrusted trout

Almond encrusted Trout

Cajun New York Strip

Trout Hugo - White Wine & Mushroom Sauce

Vegetarian Plate - Tomato braised White Beans, served over Cheddar Polenta with Walnuts

All of the meals at the Inn are served "Family Style," which means you order your main dish, and all the side dishes are served in big bowls. You just help yourself and if  you need more, they will bring more and refill your bowls. The sides vary each day, so you never know what you will be served. 

You may get Green Beans, Shrimp and Grits, Stewed Tomatoes, Potatoes, Etc. They are all served in enough quantity and are quite delish. Just good Southern cooking. 

There are a number of desserts to choose from to end your meal. A dessert comes with your meal, so do take advantage of this. There could be Bread Pudding, Pecan Pie, Blueberry Cake, and always Chocolate. They all look scrumptious, don't they! 

 After our meal, we took advantage of the Inn and walked the halls, entertaining ourselves with made up ghost stories. There are stories that this place is haunted, and if it is.. it would not surprise me. The Inn is supposed to have a resident ghost. She is a young lady, Eugenia, who happens to be Amos Fryes'  niece. Apparently, she was a sad, morose young artist, who was often found crying inconsolably by the housekeeping staff. There are paintings of Eugenia's hanging down the second floor hallway. Apparently, Eugenia is still around and often one can see her books fall to the floor, doors slam with great force. The staff do not pay much attention when these things do happen as they just feel Eugenia is going through another one of her depressed phases. 

The Inn is full of rustic charm. There are no TV's in the rooms. You will find one in the large lobby. But more then likely, you will not find anyone watching it. What you will see are folks sitting around reading, playing checkers, knitting, or just talking. There are probably going to be some rocking on the front porch enjoying the view. If you really want to relax on vacation or just need a nice weekend away, this is the place to go. You will get a great meal, good Southern hospitality, and good old fashioned charm. 

http://www.fryemontinn.com/theinn.htm