The Famous Toastery, Blowing Rock, North Carolina

The morning after our arrival and delightful dinner at the Speckled Trout, we all went to the Tweetsie Railroad for the day. It was great fun for all, especially watching Ella and Lily pan for gold and gems,

riding one more daring amusement park ride, seeing the sheriff fend off the bad guys attacking our train, and watching saloon angels dance the can-can. Sorry, no dancing girl photos, but I do have one of some lovelies.

We went back and convened at Jim and Cantey’s aerie where we joined my other brother, David, and his three sons, who’d come up from Birmingham and Oxford to play golf. For those keeping track, from left to right you see Chris, Jim, me, David, Griffin, and Dave the Younger.

We had a great dinner on the deck with a glorious view of Grandfather Mountain at sunset.

The next morning, the guys all went to breakfast together at the Famous Toastery at 3439 Sunset Drive.

The Blowing Rock Famous Toastery is a new link in a chain that started in Huntersville, North Carolina, in 2005. Since then it has expanded with franchises around the Carolinas and Virginia.

It has a nice homey feel with the Craftsman theme that marks Blowing Rock and, as it was a beautiful morning, we all sat in the shaded seats outside and proceeded to coffee and food. I didn’t get up and walk around to photograph everyone’s food, just mine and the people next to me. Blogging is way less important than family.

I ordered eggs over easy and corned beef hash.

This was excellent corned beef hash, with exceptional quality corned beef, and the eggs were beautiful. I’d ordered them “over very easy,” and they were so perfectly done that the yolks actually jiggled a little when the server set the plate down. I don’t recall ever seeing that before. The hash had been tossed a bit, but you can see that there was a stellar crust. And the sourdough toast actually was real sourdough, with that distinctive flavor that so many seek and so many lack. This was a superb breakfast.

Griffin had eggs and biscuits with sausage gravy.

Who had this? Michael? Chris? It looks good, doesn’t it?

My brother David had French toast, and nephew Dave the Younger had pancakes with more good looking bacon. We all were pleased with our orders. I deduce that the Famous Toastery is expanding because they do such a good job.

The service was a little ragged at times, as you expect with a recently opened place, but very friendly, and no one was in a hurry until tee time approached. It was a good conversation, the sort you hate to stop. It was wonderful to get together with them, and good — no, excellent food helps when everyone get together. You really should try the Famous Toastery.

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