Hibachi South · Southern-style hibachi at home
North Carolina,Mountains to Sea
From a cabin porch above Asheville to an oceanfront house in Duck, North Carolina gives us a little of everything, and we cook at all three ends of it.
Picture a road trip across the state, west to east. It starts with fog in the hollows near the Blue Ridge Parkway, passes through the Charlotte suburbs and Lake Norman, and ends in the Outer Banks, where the houses face the Atlantic on tall pilings. Every stop on that drive has its own kind of dinner party, and its own setup puzzle.
The mountains: Asheville and Parkway cabins
Asheville rentals run the gamut, from bungalows in West Asheville and Montford to cabins tucked up gravel roads toward Black Mountain, Weaverville and the hills above the Parkway. Groups come up for leaf season in October, for weddings at mountain venues, and for long weekends of hiking followed by an evening when nobody wants to go back into town. The cabin decks are often the problem: many are wooden and hang over a drop-off. We prefer a gravel pad, a level part of the driveway, or a stone patio, and if a deck is the only option, the owner has to approve it. Nights at elevation get chilly even in summer, so have a jacket handy for the people sitting outside.
The Piedmont: Charlotte and Lake Norman
Charlotte sits straight up I-85 from our Buford base. Suburban hosts in Ballantyne, Matthews, Huntersville and Waxhaw usually have a driveway or a patio that needs no special planning at all. Out on Lake Norman, around Cornelius, Davidson and Mooresville, it is lake homes with sloping lawns down to a dock, and the flat ground up near the house is where we set up. Graduation parties, retirement dinners and Panthers watch parties all fit here.
The coast: Outer Banks rentals
The Outer Banks is the long haul for us, and it is reached by road, over the Wright Memorial Bridge onto US-158. Most rentals in Corolla, Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head turn over on weekends, so Saturdays mean bridge traffic; a midweek dinner is easier on everyone. These big houses usually sit on pilings with a ground-level carport, and that shaded concrete is a perfect place for the grill. Wind off the ocean can be strong, so we look for the side of the house that blocks it.
Can you get to a cabin up a steep, unpaved mountain road?
Often, yes, but tell us about the road when you book. If a regular vehicle cannot make the climb, we will talk through a meeting point or another plan before the date.
How does travel work for an Outer Banks or Asheville dinner?
Travel is calculated from our Buford base or the nearest major city, whichever is closer, and it is listed in your quote before you pay anything.
Is October a hard month to book in the mountains?
Leaf season is the busiest stretch around Asheville, so October weekends go early. Reserve as soon as your cabin is booked.