Honest Food Tales – Pastry Chef Online

Saxapahaw General Store

Many people spend years of their lives traveling around the globe in search of the perfect meal. That experience that will stand out among all other culinary experiences. That perfect bite. Entire television shows are devoted to this idea, and they stir up wanderlust in their viewers.

While I do enjoy traveling and trying new foods, and while sometimes food has tasted so amazing it has brought tears to my eyes, I am fortunate in that I do not have to travel far from home to find my perfect bite.

Sleepy little mill town

Just over an hour from us is a magical place called Saxapahaw. It’s a seemingly sleepy little mill town that almost died when the mill was damaged by a tornado in 1994 and was shut down. Even now, it doesn’t seem all that special when you drive up to the mill, until you take a closer look and discover that Saxapahaw is experiencing a true renaissance and is reinventing itself as a culinary and cultural destination.

Abundant and Seasonal

Wander into the general store and you’ll be met with shelves of the expected items: pantry staples, motor oil, dish detergent. But look again, and you’ll see local products, both packaged and fresh, lining the shelves and piled into chiller units. Abundant and seasonal organic produce, baked goods, meats, cheeses, beer and wine. The folks at Saxapahaw General Store strive to source as much from within their home county, Alamance, as they can. When they have to, they source from other places in North Carolina, and only if there is no other option, they source from outside the state. It’s a bustling place that does a bustling business.

Most gas stations sell bright red hot dogs, endlessly twirling on their racks, or maybe nachos drenched in neon orange plastic cheese sauce. But in Saxapahaw, expect to see local chorizo, grass-fed beef, pasture raised and free range lamb, duck, goat, pork. Farm fresh eggs, young and aged cheeses, soups and stews, braises and sandwiches. It might not be the kind of food you’d expect from a gas station, but it is certainly what you get in Saxapahaw.

Nothing is genetically modified

Each of the farmers who sell meat, cheese and produce to the folks at the general store raise their animals and produce their crops with love and attention. Nothing is genetically modified. Everything is organic and all the animals are raised in as natural a state as possible. When all of these elements meet on one plate, you can taste the life. The food fairy sparkles with it.

My most recent perfect bite at Saxapahaw came just last weekend. I ordered the braised short rib sandwich with caramelized onions, roasted tomatoes and cheese on homemade focaccia. Perfect. It was a perfect sandwich. Every sandwich I’ve ever had there has been perfect, because when food is intentionally and lovingly prepared, you can taste it and feel it.

If you’re going:

• Saxapahaw General Store, your local 5-star gas station
• The Eddy Pub, gastro-pub featuring all NC beer on tap and elevated traditional pub fare made with local ingredients
• The Haw River Ballroom, very cool music venue attracting great bands from around the area and the country.
• Cup 22 Coffee House

 

Jenni Field is a teacher turned pastry chef turned blogger who marries her passions for teaching and baking on her website Pastry Chef Online and her YouTube channel. She can be found teaching baking and pastry classes at a local kitchen store, Whisk Carolina, and all over social media. She is usually either talking about food or cats.