



Noshin' at the Tupelo Honey Cafe | Plus, how to get great service in
busy restaurants

23 Mar., 2010 





By the time I got to Asheville, I was nearing the end of my journey and the
bottom of my wallet. The last thing on my mind was spending money: it was
beautiful outside, and there were free things to do everywhere.

But. When I'd posted on Facebook that I was coming to town, no fewer than three people told me
I just had to visit the Tupelo Honey Cafe . So I checked their website, and instantly fell in
love:


"Tupelo Honey Café opened in downtown Asheville in 2000, an early pioneer in
the farm to fork movement and an active advocate for the independent
restaurant landscape that pervades the city. Our food is fresh, made from
scratch, sassy and scrumptious. Our cuisine salutes our love of Southern
traditions at the table, but like the good people of Asheville, marches to
its own drum. The result is a unique riff on Southern favorites." tupelohoneycafe.com


I was convinced but I wasn't alone. On a sunny Sunday afternoon, the waiting list
was an hour long. After hemming and hawing and assessing my food stash
(contents: 10 saltines), I decided to go for it anyway.

By the time I finally got a seat at the counter, I was starved. It took me about
thirty seconds to pick out the Charleston Chicken Sandwich: "grilled
marinated free-range chicken breast on sourdough with melted havarti, romaine
lettuce and cranberry mayonnaise". Free range? Cranberry? Havarti? Yes, I
could dig it.

While I waited for the food, I checked out the back of the store where Tupelo
Honey Cafe hawks their homestyle wares: preserves, pickles, salsa, honey,
t-shirts, aprons and all sorts of mini-advertisements for the restaurant.

I've visited plenty of farm-to-fork restaurants, and this one may be the best
I've seen at self-marketing. There's nothing wrong with it: the food in those
jars is probably delicious, though I question whether the $10 tupelo honey had
to come from Florida or if it's produced locally.

Either way, it's nice to see a restaurant built on ethics that also happens to be
incredibly busy. Some of that is surely due to good marketing, but the real
reason for its popularity is this:

That sandwich was so good, I found myself eating slower and slower with each bite
to savor it more completely. The potatoes were light and un-greasy; the flavors
were perfectly balanced; the chicken was juicy and rich; and let's be honest
here, I'm always happier eating dead animals when I know they've lived a good
life. I found myself silently thanking the chicken for its delicious
contribution. Thank you, chicken. I will never forget you.

I stopped eating halfway through, not because I was full. I stopped so I could
take the rest home and taste it again later.


On another topic, I made a discovery there in the Tupelo Honey Cafe, one which
I'd like to share with you now.

If you're going to a busy restaurant and want great service, bring a camera. Take
a few photos of the menu, the kitchen, the food.

No sooner had I taken the above photo, when a server (not even my server)
appeared at my elbow. Later when I stopped eating and lifted my napkin from my
lap, it took approximately three seconds for someone to take my food away to be
boxed up.

Now, I'm not saying the service before my camera-flash was bad, because it was
awesome. But wow, it sure improved once I appeared to be some sort of food
critic or travel writer.

Which, it just so happens, I am. But even if you're not, try this out sometime. I
can't guarantee it'll work, but I personally will do it againand probably back
it up with a stellar review, just like the one I've given the Tupelo Honey
Cafe.

Everybody wins.

Okay, that's it! I could talk about Asheville for weeks, but it's time to move
on. Next stop: sunny Tennessee, where I get down on The Farm.



