Blue Ridge Country - November/December 2016 - 55

bread with fried green tomatoes.
All the food is beautifully plated,
and the brothers have applied that
same artistic sensibility to the design
and décor of the restaurant, from the
plush Red Room to the Mediterranean Room, filled with Renaissancestyle art, icons and relics. The Virgin
Mary Statue in the Blue Room once
graced a convent in Louisiana. A canvas print of the Last Supper shares
space in the restaurant with a velvet
Elvis on the ceiling. "Funky urban
chic" is one diner's description.
Remarkably, this fascinating restaurant in the mountains manages
to honor the classic Southern diner
and the timeless Greek café while offering the ultimate in modern-day
culinary creativity.

version of her given name, Ismini.
"My brother and I were fortunate
to have two very dedicated parents,"
says John. "They were 'hands-on' every day." Minnie died in September
of 2015. Gus continues on, running
errands to the local farmers market and maintaining the grounds
around the restaurant.
"He's like a billy goat with that
weedeater," adds John.
John and Yotty bought the diner
from their parents in 1992 and began adding Greek dishes-gyros,
feta-laden Greek salads, spanakopita
and a lamb shank with fresh herbs,
tomatoes, and spices.
In the summer of 2000, they
closed down for two weeks, gutted
the diner, and revamped the menu.
John says they kept about 60 percent
of the old dishes. Their father's beloved hamburger steak remains, but

not quite as he would have originally
served it. The brothers wrap it in bacon, add demi-glace and caramelized
onions, and serve it alongside roasted
Brussels sprouts.
Posted at the entrance of the restaurant is a sign, in Italian, promoting Pesce del Dia-the fish of the
day. The evening of our visit, it was
a char-grilled Florida red snapper filet
with lump crab meat, South Carolina stone-ground grits, a blackened
garden tomato, baby spinach, Cajun
cream sauce, pickled onions and a
local radish salad. That one dish is
emblematic of the eclectic approach
to food that the brothers have embraced. "Cuisine from Near & Far"
reads the sign out front.
That might mean Thai pork lettuce wraps, chicken pot pie, polenta
and eggplant Napoleon, or a pimento cheese sandwich on sourdough

Fred Sauceman

Weaverville's Stoney Knob has been in the same location since 1962,
and has been under the management of brothers John and Yotty
Dermas since 1992, when they took over operations from their parents,
who had run the place since its opening.

The Stoney Knob Café,
337 Merrimon Avenue,
Weaverville, North Carolina
828-645-3309
stoneyknobcafe.com

Farmhouse Flavors

You can find Himalayan eggplant in
Asheville, North Carolina. You can
find Indian street food. You can find
Korean seafood pancakes. But can
you still find mountain-style soup
beans and cornbread?
The answer is yes, if you visit The
Moose Café. Its fare is simple, inexpensive, and hearty.
The Moose Café sits atop a hill
adjacent to the Western North Carolina Farmers Market, near where Interstates 26 and 40 come together.
The market, one of the region's best,
is open year-round. In the summer,
it's a great source for Greasy Beans,
Cherokee Purple Tomatoes, and Silver Queen Corn. Any time of year,
you can choose from a large selection of local chow-chow varieties,
country ham, honey, sorghum syrup, jams and preserves.
Across the road from the market is Jesse Israel and Sons, a wellstocked garden center that has been
doing business in Asheville for over
45 years.
Sit down for a meal at The Moose
November/December 2016 55

http://www.stoneyknobcafe.com

Blue Ridge Country - November/December 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country - November/December 2016