By Molly Spero, 2016
Established in 2012, The Phoenix is Brevard’s premier farm to table restaurant, promoting food from local sustainable farms. Its motto is “Live Music ~ Local Food ~ Lovin’ Life ~ Livin’ Good.” The purple front door immediately sets the tone, giving off a unique, hipster-like vibe, and you won’t be disappointed when you walk in. On the right, a comfy lounge area invited guests to sit and enjoy the live music up close. New artists and seasoned musicians alike played live music 7 days a week. The lounge reminded me of a ‘70s living room with bright orange sofas and olive green recliners arranged with a few wooden tables in the center. Beside it, a bunch of high tables were placed around the room as normal seating, and a bar was in the back. Chalk boards hung over the bar, displaying the daily specials and the musician’s name. Although it was dark inside, the paintings and drawings of local artists showed up vibrantly on the purple walls.
By the time we ordered our food, every table was seated in time for the live music to start at 9pm. As I looked at the menu, I peaked at other customers’ dishes. There was poached pear salad made with mixed greens, poached pears, Gorgonzola, and pecans. My mouth watered for an appetizer of fried green tomatoes made of cornmeal encrusted tomatoes, blackened NC shrimp, and Cajun cream sauce. I decided on shrimp quesadillas that were stuffed with grilled onions, green peppers, mushrooms, and blackened shrimp. The quesadilla was worth the long wait time. It was overloaded with all the items and knowing that the ingredients were procured locally made it extra tasty.
There was a mix up in the kitchen, so everyone got their meal before me and I had to wait an extra ten minutes until mine was ready. Since it was crowded and it looked like the servers were understaffed, we were not assigned one specific waitress, but had several waitresses who seemed to bounced between tables. One of the waitresses apologized to me for the extra wait and explained, “Oh honey, I’m so sorry. This place is crazy right now, so I think your plate was given to another table instead. Everyday there is some mix up, and I guess you are the lucky one today.” She was very nice, which I appreciated. I really didn’t mind getting my food after everyone; I was enjoying the live music, anyway.
The female duo was called Blown Glass. One woman sang lead vocals and the other harmonized and played the guitar. They performed indie/singer-songwriter original music that had a melodic and organic sound. The music complimented the atmosphere of the restaurant and enhanced the dining experience. Surprisingly, the music and mood was interrupted when a bunch of men in ridiculous, matching outfits called Pisgah Thunder randomly enter the restaurant and start to dance around the diners (*hyperlink to travelogue).
After a marathon day of sightseeing Brevard and all the other Mountain towns along Highway 64, we were happy with our choice to eat at The Phoenix. If you are in Brevard looking for local, sustainable food, live music, and a retro, fun vibe I highly recommend stopping at this purple restaurant.