Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
I heard some great reviews of the food at Caffe Rel recently and went looking for some online advice. Most rave about the place, which it appears serves a French country type of cuisine.
I guess I’m going to have to get out to Franklin sometime soon. Just goes to show you that Asheville hasn’t cornered the market on superb, quirky dining.
Review here. Much more mixed reviews at Trip Advisor here.
One surprising gem we found in Franklin NC, a dry town known for it’s tourist gem minining, wasn’t a ruby or a sapphire, but a French fusion bistro called Caffe REL, tucked into the same building as a gas station. We had to park out back since there was a fuel truck blocking the spots in front, we walked through the door to this upscale french country restaurant with 20 tables. They had a bunch of gourmet sandwiches, but the entree pages were filled with more french fusion fare.
I had braised pork loin in puff pastry with carmelized apples in a swedish ligonberry reduction. Mr Man had crab bisque and a plate of soft shelled crab over rice and other fancy stuff. Just amazing. We were in shock. How does a place like this end up tucked in the same building as a gas station convenience store? Mr Man who didn’t eant to go thinking it was only a sandwich shop, kept asking that during dinner.
We got to find out. We were finishing and a guy in those funky chef clogs comes out with a drink and a smoke. I ask him if he is the chef, and he was. I promptly asked him if he was hiding from the mob or something to end up in the middle of tourist dirt country with this fancy place in a gas station. He laughed and said he for twenty something years has been a corporate chef and twelve of that working in the area in the high priced country clubs and resorts in the area then decided he wanted his own place. Three years he’s been in the gas station and he said when tourist season is in full swing he’s usually packed. Of that I’m glad.
So if you go to Franklin, NC, go to Caffe REL, in the Hotspot gas station. You will NOT regret it! They have an page in the Phonebook’s menu section if you forget the name.
