- This program is made possible in part by generous support from Dogwood Health Trust, a private foundation based in Asheville, North Carolina, focused on dramatically improving the health and well-being of all people and communities in the 18 counties and the Qualla Boundary of Western North Carolina.

(piano intro) - Next on North Carolina Weekend, join us as we celebrate fall flavors.

We'll visit the Corner Kitchen in Asheville, savor Italian style sandwiches at Toast in Durham, and I'll sample wines at Seven Springs Farm and Vineyard.

Coming up next.

- Funding for North Carolina Weekend is provided in part by Visit NC, dedicated to highlighting our state's natural scenic beauty, unique history, and diverse cultural attractions.

From the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains across the Piedmont to 300 miles of Barrier Island beaches, you're invited to experience all the adventure and charm our state has to offer.

(upbeat music) ♪ - Welcome to North Carolina Weekend.

I'm Deborah Holt-Noel, and this week we are celebrating fall flavors around the state.

Our first stop takes us to a farm to table restaurant in Asheville, where I visited shortly after Hurricane Helene struck in the mountains.

The Corner Kitchen in Biltmore Village was practically destroyed by the storm, but we are delighted to report this popular dining spot is up again and running.

- When we opened Corner Kitchen in 2004, we wanted to be different.

What we do is we handcraft the food.

So when you came in, you wanted a burger, but you wanted it just set up on a salad.

Not a problem.

You wanted us to do things that are gluten free, and we created an entire protocol around Celiac in this restaurant that had handcrafted food done properly for these folks.

So we have no problem with special orders, and that creates a sense of welcome.

We want to make it easy for the guests to really enjoy themselves and then be surprised by how good everything is.

- I ordered the boozy French toast, which has a little bit of booze slipped into the sauce there.

It's rich, but the bread's not actually that filling.

Like, you can really dive into it, eat a great meal, and not walk out feeling like you're crazy full.

- So here I have the chicken salted boulter.

Gorgeous dish, and it's really good.

It's not dry at all.

Very moist.

Amazing combination of flavors.

Yeah, I'm still processing how good this is, honestly.

- So this neighborhood is Biltmore Village.

Well, Biltmore Village is one of the lowest points topographically in Asheville.

And what happened during Helene is that the water was up to the ceilings in the ground floor of this restaurant.

I think I came in three days after the water went down.

I don't think either one of us thought we would walk away from this.

We felt like we would rebuild.

This is our community.

Joe and I both feel really strongly about the village and its place in Asheville.

It's really a place that we love, and we didn't want to just walk away from it.

- The last 11 months looked like starting somewhere, and that somewhere was digging out.

And then we started the rebuilding process.

Yeah, it was quite difficult.

But the payoff and the silver lining is that we really enjoyed what we ended up with.

- It really felt good.

The first day, I smelled food cooking in the kitchen.

I smelled them-- smelled bacon.

Our bacon is the greatest bacon.

And then when we started serving people, it was such a great feeling to do that again.

And we had such a great response from the neighborhood and the community.

So it was heartening.

- I mean, it's been emotional, for sure.

You know, I think it's been a roller coaster, for sure.

But I think it's been just good to get back in the kitchen and cooking with my chefs.

And, you know, the owners have been awesome with giving us the autonomy to set us up for success.

And it's just great to serve the community again.

I think that's the most important thing.

I think everyone's shown a lot of love.

- The changes that they made were probably really difficult, but they were beautiful improvements after so much disaster.

It kind of is a testament to resiliency and the community overall.

And I feel like Corner Kitchen expresses that so naturally as well.

We do have a physical representation and just seeing how they brought it back to so much life.

- It's just the most wonderful place.

Of course, the food's amazing, and the staff is second to none.

But it's just got a feeling when you walk in.

It's happy.

It's joyful.

It's welcoming.

It's comfortable.

Especially now, having gotten through the last year, you drive up to it, and it just looks like a beacon of hope.

- This place absolutely went through hell, and it was wonderful before, but it's even better now.

Everything is beautiful.

The crowds are coming back.

It totally captures what Asheville is going to be on the other side.

And you just can't get away from the symbolic power of what's going on here at Corner Kitchen right now.

- The fact that they understand the amount of work it took and the time it took to rebuild, and we're the first restaurant in the village, independent restaurant in the village, to reopen.

I think people really love seeing something that looks normal.

- Just to see the village coming back, I think it'll be fun for people.

You'll be excited to see the growth, but also you'll be able to see, hey, these people have been through something.

And I think that's OK.

Yeah, people are excited about it, and it's great to be sort of leading the way, but also part of.

- The Corner Kitchen is at 3 Boston Way in Asheville.

And they're open from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM and 5 PM to 9 PM daily.

For more information, give them a call at 828-274-2439, or go online to thecornerkitchen.com.

- Darlene Gabbard is a member of the Lumbee tribe and needed to find use for the abundant fruit that grew on her property in Lexington.

After years of making pies and jellies, she tried her hand at making wine.

It was a hit and resulted in the country's first American Indian-owned winery.

Let's join Teresa Litschke at Native Vines.

[music playing] - So Native Vines is a hobby that kind of blossomed into a business, a family business.

- I was just looking for something to use large amounts of fruit and came across a homemade wine book at the library and started making homemade wine.

- From there, it just grew into what it is today for over the last 20 years.

- That was 2006, and we've been rocking and rolling ever since.

- The name Native Vines initially came from all the blackberry bushes on their 40-acre property.

But Darlene soon found out the wine she was making in a barn converted into a winery and tasting room would give the name a whole new meaning.

- I started trying to research what other Native Americans were doing with the industry.

I thought there would be some information that I could pull from and found out that there weren't any.

- That catapulted Native Vines into rare territory.

And together with Darlene's daughter Victoria and her granddaughter Ava, they continue to use the traditions of the Lumbee to help guide the way.

- So without a lot of chemicals, without changing a lot of things and just keep it simple, really the natural flavors of the fruit, I think that kind of pulls that Native American aspect into it of just keeping everything as natural as possible.

- That goes for the tasting room as well.

- I couldn't think of any better place to come have a nice lunch with a little bit of wine and enjoy the rainy day outside.

- I would say it's very different than a lot of other wineries around here.

And a lot of the ones we have here, I know have never been done before.

- They are so tasteful, every single bottle.

- I love it.

I mean, it made a wine drinker out of me.

And I'm not really big on wine.

So I'm sold.

- We have dry whites and reds, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir.

- And the Native Red is without a doubt my favorite.

- I really can't pick a favorite.

They're all so good.

- But we enjoy fruit wines.

- Over the years, Blackberry and Apple were the first two, just to use up the fruit.

- And I tasted several, but I really like the Blackberry.

- And then we do our green tea wines.

- My favorite is the Raspberry Tea.

- Which actually came to Darlene in a dream.

- It did.

I literally made it in a dream.

And so everybody thought I had lost my freaking mind.

- Like, who is going to drink green tea wine?

This does not sound appealing at all.

And we had to eat our words because she developed the recipe.

And it was not easy because green tea naturally doesn't want to ferment.

It doesn't want to turn into alcohol.

She made it dry, then she made it sweet, and she landed on this off-dry green tea wine.

And she has the patent and trademark on it.

It was the first ever to be developed.

It's floral and light and refreshing and absolutely delicious.

- I think you're really going to enjoy this.

- Darlene may have been Native Vines' first winemaker, but she won't be its last.

Victoria is now at the helm, using her talent as an artist to design some of the labels.

She's also putting her own spin on their particular brand of wine, making it obvious this apple didn't fall far from the tree.

- Her palate is good.

Her palate is selling a lot of wine and winning a lot of medals.

So I leave her alone.

[laughs] ♪ - Native Vines Winery is at 1336 North NC Hwy 150 in Lexington.

And they're open every day except Monday.

For more information, give them a call at 336-787-3688 or go online to nativevineswinery.com.

- If you get a craving for Italian-style sandwiches and you're in the Durham area, we found a place that serves paninis, tramezzini, and crostini, all at a warm, cozy sandwich shop called Toast.

♪ - We both had come from kind of more of a fine dining setting and we wanted to not be in fine dining anymore.

We wanted to have more of an everyday spot for all people and not necessarily a special occasion.

So we thought of all these ideas that we could do.

Also, we were on a budget.

- Had no money.

[laughs] - So we did a lot of research.

And we narrowed it down from maybe like 12 possible ideas down to Italian sandwiches.

We opened Toast on February 8, 2008.

- I more or less grew up in Durham.

When I was a kid, my dad, who is an attorney in Durham downtown, this was like the mid '70s.

This was still, right, it was bustling.

It was before, like, everybody kind of left to the suburbs.

- We both ended up working at a restaurant in the mid '90s, '94, '95, called Pop's Trattoria.

And that's where we met.

Less than a year later, we were moving to Vermont for Billy to go to culinary school at New England Culinary Institute.

And then we missed home.

We missed Durham.

We were ready to open our own place.

So we're an Italian sandwich shop.

And that was the basis of our menu, which we've since branched kind of all over the place.

Our main part of the menu is panini, the pressed sandwich.

And then we also have tramezzini, which are full-size tea sandwiches.

They're the soft white bread, crust removed, with cool fillings inside.

And then crostinis.

We also have a really good green salad with homemade vinaigrette.

- So simple, and people go crazy.

- They go crazy for it.

And homemade soups.

So a giant part of our clientele, like our regulars, don't even get sandwiches here.

They just get soup and salad.

- We decided that since we both worked at restaurants with a very big emphasis on local farmers and local vegetables, that we would try to incorporate that into our menu in a way that it would be affordable for people.

- So the salsa marinade.

Just watch out.

Don't let your napkins blow away on you.

- Our team is everything to us.

We wouldn't be Toast without the team that we have now.

- So Johnny, you worked with Johnny at-- - At Lantern.

- At Lantern.

- Years ago.

- We needed to find a replacement for the number two in the kitchen, or the sous chef in the kitchen.

He's been with us for 16 of our 17 and a half years.

- So when we drop, he's just going to-- this is his.

(laughs) - I've been here so long because the people are awesome.

The chicken panini is one of my favorites, and definitely one of the most popular on the menu.

Salsa verde is very fresh.

Got a lot of parsley, but some basil, oregano, fresh shallots, garlic, chili flake, capers.

And our chicken, we brine it, so it prevents it from drying out.

Fresh roasted red and yellow peppers with fresh thyme, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.

Fresh mozzarella.

Put that on the grill.

A crostini is a sliced baguette that we toast with olive oil and salt.

Heat until they're GBD, gold brown delicious.

It's our two most popular flavors.

It's warm goat cheese with local honey and black pepper.

And our house-made pesto with roasted tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.

[speaking spanish] - They have a different soup every day, and I love soup.

And the people here are just really friendly.

- The food is delicious.

Everything's made from scratch.

And you can't take for granted how great it's going to be.

It's always spot on.

- Before even you bring the food into play, we want everyone to feel like they belong here.

♪ - Toast is at 345 West Main Street in Durham.

And they're open for lunch every day from 11 AM to 2:15.

They're closed on Sundays.

For more information, give them a call at 919-683-2188.

Or go online to toast-fivepoints.com.

- You might be surprised to find a good Cuban restaurant in a little town like Black Mountain.

But sure enough, Cousin's Cuban Cafe is delighting customers with its authentic flavors and strong Cuban coffee.

(latin music) - Cousin's Cuban Cafe is a labor of love.

We are an authentic Cuban restaurant.

It's family owned.

And we serve breakfast and lunch.

We're a slice of authentic Cuban food here in beautiful downtown Black Mountain.

One of my cousins was an artist.

And she always wanted to have a store and an art shop and a gift store.

And I had a restaurant in Miami with my mom.

So that's where my background comes from.

And we wanted to put both together.

- Betty brings real home style Cuban food from the islands of Cuba.

I lived in Key West half of my life.

And coming up here and meeting Betty was like almost like coming back home.

Everything tastes wonderful.

And the people that come here and just like over and over to say, oh, that's unbelievable, the taste.

And when I walk out of the kitchen, like these people, they clap.

And they say, thank you very much.

It's just a marvelous place just to represent Betty and a little bit of Cuba up here in the mountains.

- So we offer the most typical foods, which is the Cuban sandwich that everybody knows, all our pastries, guava pastries, empanadas.

We have coffee, which is so important as a Cuban culture, rice and beans.

So they're recipes that I grew up and dishes that I grew up having with my family.

And I gave them my own little twist and special ingredients, I would say.

- We come over here from Tennessee once to twice a week to have our Cuban food because we originally come from Florida.

Lots of Cuban food in Florida, not so much in Tennessee.

- We come down here usually twice a week for breakfast.

If we miss breakfast because of traffic or we get a late start, we'll have lunch here.

So even if you miss breakfast, you still get it later on.

- The Cafe Cubano is absolutely delicious.

And I have some vegan empanadas here.

They're vegan and gluten-free.

And it's wonderful to have that option.

And they're made with lentils.

And they have this wonderful vegan aioli sauce that comes with it.

- And I'm getting ready to have the Cubano sandwich that's vegan.

And this is my first time here.

I'm really excited to see how they put the sandwich together, how the protein is.

And I heard it's jackfruit.

So I'm super excited to see how they get the flavor in there.

- We're in an area that there's a lot of vegetarian, vegan.

And that's traditionally not Cuban food.

You wouldn't think of it that way.

And that's brought a whole set of other customers that otherwise wouldn't be able to be trying.

Everybody wants to try a different cuisine.

So we've been really very well accepted.

And we're celebrating our five years this October.

- Cuban coffee is really a dark roast.

But what really makes it is not-- it's not a bitter coffee, but it's a strong, dark roast.

It comes out very frothy, very thick.

And it's strong.

It's sweet.

It's just delicious.

And everybody knows it just like they know the Cuban sandwich.

- The famous Cuban sandwich, which people come from all over.

Usually, it's the number one seller other than the Cuban coffee.

Amazing.

- A lot of customers that come here, they want to hear my story.

When my parents left Cuba in 1961, they couldn't take anything with them except a suitcase and photos.

So all the photos that I have in that, what I call the family wall, are pictures of my parents' wedding, my grandparents living there, my sister's birthday.

So just a lot of memories.

And I have that wall in that room.

And I look at it all the time.

And it just reminds me of the sacrifice they all made to come here.

- Everybody comes up here and sits in this place.

And they enjoy the music.

They enjoy the food.

And for just a brief moment, they're captured in the island of Cuba for a while.

- You got to try Cuban food.

Cuban food, in and of itself, to try to explain it, it's got a lot of history to it.

It's got a lot of different spices that you won't find in American food, and certainly in any of the franchises.

So there's enough diversity that somebody is going to find something that they like.

And it's fantastic.

- There's something for everybody.

And once you've tasted it, you're hooked for life.

♪ - Cousins Cuban Cafe is at 108 Broadway Avenue in Black Mountain.

And they're open from 9 AM to 3 PM every day, except Wednesday.

For more information, give them a call at 828-357-5513.

Or go online to cousinscubancafe.com.

- Not far from the Virginia line, Preston and Clara Williams offer a small family-run oasis with acres of green vineyards, sweet wine, and plenty of quiet, except when it's not quiet, because they're having a party and everyone is invited.

Come along with me and my friend Kenia Thompson for a visit to Seven Springs Farm and Vineyard in Norlina.

♪ - The first thing I would say is, it is a peaceful place.

And the Williams family own it.

Preston, Clara, Preston III, Cornelius, and Jamal Williams.

We are the proud owners.

- We have Seven Springs actually on the property.

And we also know what seven means biblically.

It means completion.

We have water sourced from those springs to help with the vines and also with our pond that we have.

So it's very tranquil.

- Preston, this is fabulous.

So how many acres and what kinds of grapes?

- Well, the farm has 140 acres.

We have about five acres of muscadine grapes.

We have 13 different varietals.

And four we use for our wine production.

The primary function was to have a vineyard.

And as you can see, the vineyard and the wine, the tasting room go hand in hand.

- Hey, ladies, how are you all?

Welcome to Seven Springs Farm and Vineyard.

This is our tasting room.

And my name is Jamal.

And I'll be serving your wine this afternoon.

So you're going to taste a total of eight wines.

You're going to start off with four dries and then four sweets.

- With a flight of eight wines, the tasting at Seven Springs is definitely a journey.

- So the first one you're going to have is going to be our chardonnay.

Ready for your pour?

- I am.

- Right there.

- OK.

- I think generosity is important.

- It is.

So this is our chardonnay.

As you see here, it has a golden white color there.

- It's beautiful.

- Chardonnay here, it's Asian steel.

It has an apple.

- So you've done this before.

- Yeah, she's swirling already.

- I know.

So what does the swirling do?

- It opens up the wine, where you can smell all the aromas of the wine.

You really appreciate it more to your palate and your senses.

So that one's Asian steel.

- At Seven Springs, they've created some 14 different wines, from white chardonnays and red cabernets to fruit varietals like apple and peach.

Right in the tasting room, you'll find the range of wines available, as well as other goodies from the farm and merchandise.

- This is one of our shirts we make here.

It has our Seven Springs logo on it.

- Who's responsible for the logo?

- Oh, well, actually, my wife and I, we make the merchandise.

- I love it.

So everything you see here, we actually make ourselves.

So we've got some magnets here, hats.

We've got some tumblers right here.

- Fresh from the Seven Springs vineyard, you'll find items like their bourbon blueberry jam, hot and mild chow chow, peach salsa, moonshine pickles, and more.

For those who may want to stay overnight on the vineyard, Seven Springs offers on-site vacation rentals to accommodate single guests and families.

- What we realized, too, the competitive nature of wine.

So what we did, we decided to do entertainment.

- The vineyard is perfect for these outdoor events.

And they also have an indoor event center.

Works great for celebrations and gatherings.

- It's just a good vibe.

It's adult.

Everybody's mature.

The owners are really nice.

They pretty much-- the space just kind of keeps evolving.

And it's just always a good time.

- I like the different types of events that they have.

I like that it's just people mixing and mingling.

I like the food trucks.

We've purchased their wines.

We've always had a good time here.

And we hope to come back again after today, too.

- One of my favorite sayings is a good time all the time.

- And for me and Kenia, Seven Springs Farm and Vineyard was indeed a good time.

- Seven Springs Farm and Vineyard is at 332 Axtell Ridgeway Road in Norlina.

And their tasting room and guided tours are open daily except Tuesdays.

For more information, give them a call at 252-529-9002.

Or go online to sevenspringsvineyards.com.

- Well, that's it for tonight's show.

We've had a great time bringing these fall flavors to you.

And remember, if you've missed anything in tonight's show, you can always watch it again online at pbsnc.org.

And you can find all of our stories on our YouTube channel.

Have a great North Carolina weekend, everyone.

(upbeat music) ♪ - Funding for North Carolina Weekend is provided in part by Visit NC, dedicated to highlighting our state's natural scenic beauty, unique history, and diverse cultural attractions.

From the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains across the Piedmont to 300 miles of Barrier Island beaches, you're invited to experience all the adventure and charm our state has to offer.

- This program is made possible in part by generous support from Dogwood Health Trust, a private foundation based in Asheville, North Carolina, focused on dramatically improving the health and well-being of all people and communities in the 18 counties and the Qualla Boundary of Western North Carolina.