Merry Christmas!
Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed, joyous, Spirit-filled Christmas! We’ll be back next week with our regular scheduled Excited about Eating post. Enjoy your holiday, friends. Happy eating. 🙂
This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to The Tavern in Old Salem in Winston-Salem, NC. This 1816 historical two-story building still has the design of years past with the kitchen in the basement and intimate dining rooms on the first and second floor.
Dora here. Such a cool building! Food is cooked and prepared in the basement and transported to the dining areas on dumbwaiters. We discovered that tidbit from our fountain-of-information server. Ya’ll, I snapped several pictures of the crowd hanging around the porch outside and our server dressed in historical costume, but unfortunately, none of them turned out. I’m blaming it on my new phone. 🙂 If you’d like to see photos of the restaurant, click on the link above. Here’s the view from our second story table.
We chose the Snowflake Biscuits and Pumpkin Muffins appetizers served with warm apple butter. Now I really do not know why they call the biscuits “snowflake” because they were huge and did not look anything like snowflakes. They were light and fluffy and tasted great and did I say they were huge. Dora here. YUM! And this whole basket was less than $3!
Snowflake Biscuits and Pumpkin Muffins appetizer under $3. Fabulous!
Ginormous biscuits!
For my meal, I chose the Local Beer Boiled & Grilled Bratwurst served with house made sauerkraut, green beans, mustard glaze, and a side of hot German potato salad. The bratwurst was great, and the sauerkraut was surprisingly not vinegary because I learned they use mineral water in the cooking process. The hot potato salad was some of the best that I have ever tasted, with bacon and sliced red skin potatoes, just a touch of sweet.
Dora here. The Chicken Pie is just as the name implies. I half expected a pot pie –and, truthfully, I’m not a fan of pot pies unless it’s cold outside. And it was cold. lol. So, I was surprised and more than a bit intrigued with this plate. The pie crust was handmade, not too thick and not too thin. Just right. I read a review that said the chicken pie was a bit dry. Mine wasn’t, not at all! I’ll admit to carb overload, but every once in a while, it’s okay to indulge, right? This is one of those comfort dishes perfect for a wintry day. When I finished, this plate was clean!
Chicken Pie…just like the name implies. Delicious!
Folks, when we arrived roughly ten minutes after they opened for a Saturday lunch, already a crowd loitered on the front porch. The hostess couldn’t/wouldn’t give us a timeframe, and some frustrated people left. But, it wasn’t ten minutes and they escorted us to our table, so don’t give up! Also, you’ll find a parking lot behind the restaurant, but if that’s full, there’s another lot directly behind it. No worries. 🙂
What’s the last dish that surprised you?
We rate this restaurant 5 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving outstanding food.
This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to a restaurant located in the heart of downtown Boone, just one block off King Street. Proper, a restaurant serving “homestyle southern cooking with a modern, seasonal slant” offers ingredients sourced locally from the community.
Dora here. The exterior looks like you’re walking up to somebody’s house. Good thing their sign is big. lol.
Outside…looks like you’re walking up to somebody’s house, lol
Inside was jammed shortly after they opened on Sunday, but we found a nice, quiet spot on the heated porch. Even on the porch, we could still hear the faint strains of the guitar from the live music. Subtle and soft, not in your face like some restaurants, and invited you to sit and linger over your meal.
Heated porch
Inside was jammed shortly after they opened for Sunday Brunch.
We shared a Brunch Biscuit Baby, like a cinnamon roll without the cinnamon, with strawberries and figs topped with a lemon glaze. Not being a fig type of guy, I was not sure how I was going to like this, but it was outstanding, with just the right amount of sweet and the figs were great. Dora here. OH MY! What a fabulous start, but it almost could’ve been an ending. Sweet, almost dessert-ish, but not so much that we had trouble eating our meal. Of course not, lol.
Brunch Biscuit Baby…Biscuit dough rolled up, strawberries, figs and lemon glaze. Oh yeah!
Since we visited on Sunday at lunch, we were offered the Brunch menu. I chose the Chicken and Waffles. The chicken was crispy (just the way I like it), juicy and very flavorable. The waffle was light and fluffy and complemented the fried chicken well. Outstanding choice!
Chicken & Waffle, outstanding choice!
Dora here. The Breakfast Tacos came heaping with delicious, tender brisket, sour cream and salsa. Not sure why they were called Breakfast Tacos other than they were on the Brunch Menu. The selection of fresh fruit (pears, apples and grapes) was right up my foodie alley. This meal, this place, definitely warrants a repeat several times over. 🙂
Breakfast Tacos with a side of fresh fruit. The brisket was so tender and DELISH!
Just an FYI. Close parking is virtually non-existent. Any spots right next to the building were all taken. Parking on Water St is prohibited and the nearby lots are private, so you might have to hike from King St, just a block away. Trust us, it’s worth it. 🙂
Does music play a role in how long you hang out after a meal?
We rate this restaurant 5 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving outstanding food.
Weaving a Legacy of Grace 