Tribal Grounds (Cherokee)

This is just a nice place to get away if you find yourself in Cherokee.

Decided to go in on a whim while heading out of town after our Museum of the Cherokee visit.  We almost drove by, but I pulled a quick turn into the new stripmall.  I figured I would just pop in and buy a pound of beans for my arriving houseguests, so I left sis and baby in the parking lot to wait.

Too bad I didn't drag them in with me.  The ambiance of the shop is clean with a woodsy, natural feel.  The aroma of fresh roasted bean draws you in, rather than overwhelming the senses.  I didn't get to kick back in the cosy back room, but browsed the one pound bag selection.  They seem to keep just a few fresh bags out and let you know to ask if you don't see something you want.  There is a very informative key to their roasting types and the baristas were friendly and fun to talk to.

Best of all, the coffee is excellent!  I got a Deep Woods Roast (Darker) from the Bolivia Yungas.  So it came down the most dangerous road in the world...

Dynamite Roasting Company (Black Mountain)

Yay! Our first adventure! Emma and I were on our way back from the new house to our rental today when I decided to stop at the local coffee roaster in Black Mountain.

It’s on the highway just as you enter town coming from Swannanoa, so I pass it almost every day and almost crash trying to sniff the incredible aroma. Housed in a cute little red trimmed cottage, it sits between a mobile chef trailer (run by a former local executive restaurant chef) and a seasonal hot dog stand (looks promising for those who eat them...I don't), all connected by a gravel drive.  Lots of tables and chairs on the back porch for warmer weather.

As you enter the cottage, you see the six foot roaster, looming right in front of you.  Tables and chairs are littered around the monster.  We must have hit the 'un-coffee' hour, because Em and I were the only customers.  A few minutes later an older lady came in to "find out what was going on here" (coffee?) and a man came in to get a refill in his own coffee mug (he was pretty excited about the Sumatra).

So the menu has about 10 selections of beans by the pound, mostly free trade and organic certified.  After one sniff in the jar, I chose the Suplicar Clemencia Dark Roast; their most popular, I was told.  This coffee seriously smells so good, I think I'll buy some just to scent my house! I'm sniffing the bag as I write.  I want some now, but I decided to get beans and wait for the moving truck to bring my grinder on Friday...  So, Emma and I will be visiting tomorrow morning for a cup.  My plan is to work my way down the list and never buy coffee from the grocery store again.  If you visit, I will be taking you here!

Chatting up one of the owners' wives, Margaret, I found out that her husband and his friend are Old Fort locals who decided they couldn't find a local cup of coffee to their liking and decided to roast their own.  And thank goodness for them!

You can order by the pound from their online store.  Or wait for Christmas 2010.