Uber Accident Injury Attorneys in Boone, NC

When the cozy comforts of a ski town call, skip the trip out west — you’ll find what you need in Boone, North Carolina. Just a couple hours northeast of Asheville, and home to Appalachian State University, the mountain town emanates a quirky, hippie vibe. Situated in the Blue Ridge mountains at an elevation of 3,300 feet, a sense of place comes through the menus at local restaurants, often featuring locally sourced ingredients. There’s also a strong coffee scene (gotta keep those students and professors fueled) with local roasters and skilled baristas.

Some of Boone’s best restaurants are found in its downtown district, where historic buildings offer charm and vibrant folk art lines the walls. The town’s main drag, Blowing Rock Road, also hosts several eateries. It isn’t as walkable, but it is easy to drive around. Rhodes Motor Lodge, a revamped motel with a Scandinavian-meets-Appalachian vibe, welcomes family and pets, while the boutique Horton Hotel sits in a prime spot downtown. For the skiers, Appalachian Ski Co. is a 15-minute drive from downtown, and Beech Mountain is about a 40-minute drive. In the warmer months, hiking nearby trails, like Grandfather Mountain and the Boone Greenway, becomes the thing to do.

Whether planning to enjoy the great outdoors or exploring the cute mountain town, here’s how to spend a day eating in Boone.

A hearty breakfast at Melanie’s sets the right tone for the day. The windows give way to views of King Street (downtown’s main thoroughfare), and sunlight fills the petite, yet bustling, dining room. In the warmer months, the patio allows for alfresco, pet-friendly dining. Standout dishes here include the grits and greens with pickled onions, goat cheese, and eggs; and the French toast made with batard from nearby Stick Boy Bread Company.

Breakfast alternatives: If there’s a biscuit craving (it is the South after all), Betty’s Biscuits on King Street quells it. The chefs work sweet and savory wonders with options like the Tobacco Road (a bacon and tomato biscuit sandwich) and the French toast biscuit. Stick Boy Bread Co. sells pastries for grab-and-go.

An outdoor adventure after breakfast sounds appealing, but downtown also invites exploration. A caffeine fix may be in order after visiting shops like Common Good Company for home decor and Footsloggers for outdoor gear. Espresso News sits a block off the main drag in a nearly 100-year-old building that once housed an automotive shop. It’s a high-energy spot with a whirring espresso machine, upbeat music, and young folks chatting at tables. The coffee is made in-house (the roaster sits in the dining room), and snacks, like scones, are on standby if needed.

Coffee alternative:

On King Street, Drip Coffee Bar also roasts coffee for its drinks and sells tasty baked goods by Oh Dang Desserts. A window counter seat makes an ideal people-watching spot.

Wildwood Community Market sells grocery items ranging from house cleaning supplies to locally grown produce. The best part, however, may be its deli counter, where customers order salads, sandwiches, and soups. Lunch combos help the indecisive diner, but the dill and pasta salad stands out among the options with its creamy, zesty flavor. There are plenty of tables in the dining room and a kids’ play area for the littlest guests.

Lunch alternative:

A quick drive from downtown, Taqueria El Paso makes its masa in-house, resulting in tender sopes and gorditas. The customer chooses among proteins like pork al pastor and grilled chicken to top or fill the masa treats.

A busy day of running around town calls for a little afternoon treat. Fortunately, Local Lion is the rare doughnut shop that stays open well into the evening, consistently well-stocked with yeast and cake doughnuts (and vegan ones for our plant-based friends). The maple glazed doughnut with its not-to-sweet profile hits just right, but all of the treats delight. Local Lion also roasts its own coffee right with ample seating in the dining room. Pottery made by local ceramicists adds a unique layer to its merch selection.

It doesn’t get more mountainy than the Cardinal with its wood beams and stone fireplace. The family-friendly bar specializes in indulgent pub grub like the “Hot Damn” ham dip, a creamy, piping hot blend of Watauga County country ham, cream cheese, and toasted pecans (and fried saltines for dunking), hearty burgers with fun toppings like the gringo, a bison burger with avocado and salsa verde, and clever cocktails like the Surface Tension with coconut washed rye, pandan, and orange honey.

Dinner alternative: If an evening of bar crawling on King Street is in the cards, consider kicking things off at Black Cat Burrito. The fast-casual joint appeals to college kids and fully realized grown-ups with its laidback atmosphere, over-stuffed burritos, and perfectly made margaritas. Feeling swanky? CoBu’s known for stellar sushi rolls in a refined setting.

Appalachian Cookie Company isn’t a usual cookie shop. The cookies are hefty but not flavorless sugar bombs, and strike the right balance of chewy and gooey. Flavor-wise, it offers classics like chocolate chip and peanut butter, but it’s the creative varieties like Biscoff butter and chocolate peanut butter porter that shine. It recently relocated to a charming new space outfitted with cloud-shaped lighting fixtures, beautiful tile work, and a handful of tables. Plan on staying a few minutes, the cookies are baked fresh to order (yes, there’s coffee, too).

After-dinner alternative: Venture Chocolate + Wine’s downstairs wine cellar makes a great spot to post up in the evening with a nightcap and dessert.

By Sherrie Norris

Since the late December closing of the Big Lots discount store at New Market Center in Boone, speculation has run rampant related to the store’s successor.

Social media posts — and perhaps wishful thinking — have predicted everything from Aldi, Trader Joe’s, Sam’s Club, Target and several others as possible replacements.

In recent days, the conjectures were put to rest as the banner for Ollie’s Bargain Outlet was raised at the vacant shopping center site near Lowe’s Foods.

High Country Press confirmed the news with Ollie’s corporate headquarters in Harrisburg, Pa. on Thursday, at which time we learned that the Boone store is scheduled to open in late June of this year.

A spokesperson shared that more details will be available in late April or early May regarding the store’s soft opening, as well as its grand opening and job fairs, etc.”HCP also learned that career opportunities will begin four to six weeks prior to opening for the management team, with store-level staff applications available three-five weeks prior.

The Boone store is just one of several Ollie’s slated to open in the coming weeks and months.

According to its website, Ollie’s is America’s largest retailer of closeout merchandise and excess inventory with a current roster of 558 stores selling a wide variety of merchandise, many name brands at prices —from housewares to sporting goods to flooring and to food. It’s advertising logo, familiar to many — “Good Stuff Cheap” — is as familiar as the caricature depicting the likeness of one of its co-founders.

Searching the world over for closeouts, overstocks, package changes, manufacturer refurbished goods, and irregulars, Ollie’s obtains much of its merchandise direct from manufacturers in locally and abroad.

Ollie’s also works closely with financial institutions and stays informed of business foreclosures, liquidations, etc., often buying remaining goods and passing savings on their customer.

Furthermore, all items purchased at Ollie’s are covered by a 30-day “No Hard Time Guarantee.” If for any reason customers are not completely satisfied with their purchase, they may return it within 30 days for a full refund —with sales receipt.

Included in its business model, Ollie’s promotions tout the “thrill of the find,” with new inventory hitting the shelves almost daily, up to 70-percent savings on name brand products, and with a mission to support organizations that work to improve the lives of families with children in the communities it serves. The store also offers customers the opportunity to join “Ollie’s Army,” a loyalty and rewards program.

The closest Ollie’s stores to the High Country currently include those in Hickory and Marion, as well as Bristol, Va., and Johnson City, Tenn.

Interested applicants will be able to learn more as the time draws nearer by visiting www.ollies.com/careers.