"Are you looking for a home in the mountains . . . or in Blowing Rock?" a realtor asked when trying to find out exactly where a couple wanted to buy a second home.

It's a question that speaks volumes about the Victorian-style village perched on the Eastern Continental Divide at 3,579 feet, its famous "rock" overlooking the John's River Gorge with the lofty peaks of Grandfather in the distance. After the area was settled in the mid-1800s, those who had the means to travel escaped the sweltering heat of the flatland by spending summers in the town's fashionable inns. These well-heeled summer people and the year-round visitors who followed them brought wealth, fashion, style, class, and culture to the Blue Ridge town, and over the years Blowing Rock has acquired a sophistication that is today the envy of nearby High Country towns.

Land of Plenty

Many of the town's "grand old ladies" of the past have been replaced by upscale bed-and-breakfasts and lodgings like the Village Inns of Blowing Rock. Old estates with names like Chetola, Westglow, and Crestwood - even Yonahlossee, a former summer camp - have been transformed into luxury resorts offering accommodations, dining, recreation, and other services. The town is surrounded by million-dollar homes that cling to the mountainsides or hide beneath laurel and hemlock boughs, blending into the natural landscape. Even the smallest of Blowing Rock cottages exudes style and class.

One of the real draws to Blowing Rock, however, is the food.

A gourmand's nirvana

Diners are immediately blown away by the breathtaking views of Grandfather Mountain, Hound Ears, and other distant summits when they step into Dominic's Table Restaurant at Crestwood, the former private home of the Moberg family. Cocktails in The Dawg Star Bar or on the Terrace serve as a prelude to the "sophisticated Southern cuisine infused with modern flavors" that is offered by Executive Chef Dominic Geraghty, a native of Halifax in Yorkshire, England.

Geraghty recently participated in the Blue Ridge Wine Festival dinner, an annual event in which area chefs compete for top place in the "Fire on the Rock Chef's Challenge," an "Iron Chef" style cooking competition using North Carolina produce and wines.

Geraghty served his seven-course meal in the Library and featured wines from Lake James Cellars, named for the mountains near Glen Alpine where they are produced.

The evening began with an assortment of Passed Canapes, served with Luna Blanc and Short Off Red, followed by spring pea bisque with butter-poached lobster and crème fraiche, paired with Chardonnay and a salad of young asparagus, Serrano ham, shaved manchego, and romesco vinaigrette, served with Turkey Tail White. Key lime ginger granite, the Intermezzo course, was served with Symphony, a white wine. The entrée was roast tenderloin of North American Elk with wild mushroom potato rosti, served with Chambourein. The perfect meal ended with chocolate caramel tart with Grand Marnier crème anglaise, served with Turkey Tail Red. (Incidentally, the newly-formed Crestwood Martini Society Social meets every week at the resort, which also offers overnight accommodations, a spa, and an art gallery.)

Chef Geraghty and his wife Meryle moved to Blowing Rock from New England several months ago to open up the restaurant at Crestwood. It was a homecoming for Meryle, who worked in the Blowing Rock area several years ago, and a great business opportunity for both of them. "Opening the restaurant is a dream come true," says Geraghty. "This is an absolutely beautiful, wonderful place to be."

By :: Carol Timblin