Archive for the ‘Dining and Entertainment’ Category

What a magnificent time it is to come and visit the North Georgia Mountains! Springtime is here, and much like the flowers that bloom during this magical season, Blue Ridge is blooming as well with a slew of activities, events and adventures for the whole family to enjoy.

When March ends and April begins, people from around the state know that it is officially time for The Taste of Blue Ridge. Back for a sixth consecutive year, the Taste of Blue Ridge is bigger and better than ever! Last year this important event brought in over $35,000 for the Humane Society of Blue Ridge and was a gathering place for hungry attendees to experience the true talent that local restaurants, caterers, and chefs have to offer in our beautiful city.

Make sure to cleanse your pallet, because this year’s Taste of Blue Ridge features over 30 participants that will take your taste buds on a culinary journey that you will never forget. Add to that a repeat performance by the one-and-only Buckner Brothers Band, and you will be telling your friends about this event for years to come!

Of course The Taste of Blue Ridge would not be complete without auctions! This year will feature both a live and a silent auction, with all proceeds going to the Humane Society of Blue Ridge.

Southern Comfort Cabin Rentals and its adventure partners is proud to announce that for the third year running we will be offering a fantastic “Blue Ridge Vacation Package” for attendees to bid on during the live auction. Package items include: A cabin rental package for two nights and two guests at the prestigious Choctaw Mountain Lodge, a thrilling adventure for two  Zipping and White Water Rafting with the awesome guides of RaftOne, a $50 gift certificate to the always happening microbrew pub (an event sponsor) Blue Ridge Brewery, and a ‘Gold Package’ scenic helicopter ride with Blue Ridge Helicopters above our lovely city of Blue Ridge gem of North Georgia! and the surrounding area.

The Taste of Blue Ridge will be held at Willow Creek Falls, which can be found at 13 Trackside Court next to the Cohutta Country Store. Tickets can be ordered online for $40 at http://humanesocietyofblueridge.org/taste-of-blue-ridge-2/, or for $45 at the gate. Last year tickets sold out fast, so make sure you secure yours for you and your family today!

Enjoy food, drinks, good times for a good cause and BID it up!

Is this the Southern Comfort Secret ingredient?

Blue Ridge Fire & Ice – Chili Cook Off is February 16

Southern Comfort Cabin Rentals will be at it again this year! This time the “Chicks”…  Heather Stam and former Cooking Chick Kathryn Harris will be preparing  a Top Secret chili. This recipe is so Top Secret that we will feature it in the SoCo Cabins March newsletter! This annual event is sure to be a hit so show up early and taste your way down Main street. Fire and Ice Chili Cook Off will feature Interactive Professional Ice carvers as well as demonstrations. Chili Cook off, Live music, Ice skating rink set up in the City of Blue Ridge Park. Lots of fun for the whole family!

Blue Ridge Fire and Ice event information – 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Live Music from 1 to 4pm. All located in the Downtown Shopping district. Entry fee is $35, tasting tickets $5. Activities for Kids too!

Make it a weekend and book a Luxury or Cozy cabin rental near Blue Ridge or tucked away in the forest near a mountain stream. Visit the SCCR website to learn more and check availablity.

The Blue Ridge Fire and Ice Chili Cook Off is sponsored by the Blue Ridge Business Association

Carve your name in ice and check out the hottest winter attraction in Blue Ridge, GA!

What a great time of year to visit Blue Ridge, Georgia! The leaves around the Trout Capital of Georgia are in all of their fiery glory, and the holidays are right around the corner. This is the time of year that Blue Ridge truly turns into a winter wonderland.

We’re happy to announce that a brand new attraction, the Blue Ice of Blue Ridge ice skating rink, will be open for business! Visitors to North Georgia and locals all agree there’s nothing quite like ice skating during the Late fall and winter months in  such a beautiful and convenient location. Blue Ice of Blue Ridge is located in the Blue Ridge City park across from the Blue Ridge Arts Center (same location as the Blue Ridge Blues and BBQ). The Blue Ice of Blue Ridge ice skating rink will be conducting a soft opening on November 17^th for all to enjoy, and will celebrate its Grand Opening on November 24^th during the annual Light Up Blue Ridge festivities in Downtown Blue Ridge and will stay open through  February 18^th, 2013.  Plan a trip for the Grand Opening and experience what it’s like to ice skate in the beautiful North Georgia Mountains alongside pro ice skater and Olympian Kimberly Dewolf!

If you’re looking for a romantic way to spend Valentine’s Day, make sure to plan a trip and visit the Blue Ice of Blue Ridge skating rink for an evening on the ice that you and that special someone in your life will remember for years to come.

Want a great way to burn a little bit of that turkey and dressing off? The Blue Ice of Blue Ridge is a great option, and will be open on Thanksgiving Day for a fun post-meal adventure. And don’t forget Christmas Day and New Year’s Day too! Families will love to skate around this state of the art mobile 49x82ft ice skating rink in Blue Ridge. Visitors at Blue Ice can enjoy food and drinks at the concession stand conveniently located near the rink, sponsored by Dairy Queen and Coca-Cola. If February fits better with your schedule, make sure to come out the weekend of February 18^th and enjoy the finest chili in Blue Ridge at the annual Fire and Ice Chili cook-off.

The Blue Ice of Blue Ridge is open Monday and Thursday from 2:30pm until dark, 10am-8pm Friday and Saturday, and 12pm-7pm on Sunday. Rent your skates at the skating rink and skate for $10, or bring a pair of your own and skate for $8!

Make this holiday season one that you and your family will never forget in Blue Ridge, Georgia with Southern Comfort Cabin Rentals and the brand new Blue Ice of Blue Ridge skating rink!

Chef Danny Mellman and his partner Michelle Moran recently opened The Cook’s Farm, a sustainable lifestyle project featuring vegetable and herb gardens, chickens, apiaries, heritage geese, and a rustic cooking school.

“Our goal is to showcase how self-sustaining people can be on a small one-acre parcel,” Mellman said. “We collect rainwater for irrigation and use a lot of the product in the restaurant and in our classes. Plus Michelle is always handing things out in the neighborhood for families in need.”

To date, they’ve hosted monthly farm-to-table dinner, kids cooking camps, chefs from Atlanta and sommeliers from Seattle. This fall they’re cooking up classes with guest chef Bill The Spice Guy showcasing the perfect spice blend on Oct. 27; kids cooking classes Oct. 5, 8 and 15; as well as a farm-to-table dinner, featuring Chef Mellman on Nov. 28.

Over at the restaurant, the new fall menu debuted this month, with new items including vegetarian and gluten-free options using as many local purveyors as possible – something Harvest celebrates and has become known for through the years. Some of the new items include Duck Two-Ways, All-Spice, Cinnamon and Coriander, Seared Moulard Duck Breast and Spice Cured Confit Duck Leg, Red Cabbage Slaw and House Bacon, Sweet Potato Mash, and Cider Syrup; Shrimp & Grits, Sautéed with House-Made Tasso Ham and Logan Turnpike’s Grits; Local Trout, Lemon and Thyme Seared, Mashed Chick Peas, Lemon Arugula Salad and Topped with a Smoke Tomato-Feta Tapenade; and Oven Roasted Seasonal Vegetables, Tossed with Parisian Gnocchi, Sage Butter, Maple Syrup and Almonds.

Other new menu items were inspired by the owner’s post-summer vacation to Andros Island in the Bahamas including Bahamian Jonnycakes which comes with the Southern-style Shrimp & Grits; and Shrimp Scorch, our version of a classic Bahamian Salad with Hot Peppers, Orange, Lime and Onion.

“We took our first break since opening three years ago this fall, traveling to the Bahamas for some bonefishing,” Mellman said. “So there are a few new items inspired by the trip. Our Shrimp Scorch, for example, was based on a really citrusy-spiced raw conch salad our host made for us from some conch we brought back from a day of fishing. It was a great trip, we even met a fishing guide who just took a vacation in our neck of the woods for his fish trout fishing experience.”

Dinner isn’t the only reason to stop in; Harvest’s new lunch menu includes locally raised, grass-fed beef featured in a Build-You-Own burger menu offering the option to add house-smoked pulled pork, The Cook’s Farm fresh fried egg, pimento cheese and more!

Harvest is also growing some fund-raisers this year, working with the Humane Society on a Farm-to-Table dinner at the Lake in October. On Nov. 7th, the restaurant will host a local ‘celebrity’ guest server night giving local dignitaries, police and special guest servers the opportunity to raise funds for local children’s charities. All the “servers’ tips for the night will be pooled together and divided among several local charities, including nutritional goals within the county’s school district.

Harvest on Main Restaurant in Blue Ridge, GA  is a great choice for lunch or dinner and the Cooks Farm is a wonderful addition for anyone visiting the area who is renting a North Georgia cabin or if you’re just passing through. Be sure to add Harvest and the Cooks Farm to your Blue Ridge Experience!

Harvest on Main | (706) 946-6164| 576 East Main Street | Blue Ridge, GA 30513

Right when you thought things at the iconic Blue Ridge Brewery were perfect, business at 187 Depot Street is about to pick up!

Set to open September 1, 2012, the all new and recently expanded Brew Room offers thirsty patrons a place to come and enjoy everything that the Brewery already offers plus some! The recent upgrades include; another full bar, increased seating capacity, and an intimate live music stage. These additions promise to add an enhanced flavor to the already diverse menu that visitors to the North Georgia Mountains swear by as their favorite fine dining establishment.

The new Brew Room is an extension of the existing bar, which offers a truly unique atmosphere in and of itself with shelves housing custom made mugs, walls with metal and wood accents and an incredibly deep selection of domestic and foreign craft beers and liquors. This expanded space also allows the brewer to create a wide variety of in-house brews to complement the impressive collection of current beers. Innovative and thoughtfully designed, the Brew Room boasts three custom built walk-in refrigerated coolers, laagering tanks, brewers kitchen and dry storage to support the all the brewers receipts.

If you have never been there before, the Blue Ridge Brewery isn’t your typical watering hole. For all of the high quality beverages and fine dining that the Brewery offers, the clientele that the Brewery attracts is most certainly not of the snooty variety, but rather a mish mash of all types. On any given day you’ll find everyone from bikers to local business owners, Blue Ridge cabin owners to local professionals and everyone in between. You can easily strike up a conversation with someone at the bar sitting next to you about local trout fishing or politics, and moments later find yourself talking to owner Patrick Walker about what his favorite German beer is and why.

Relaxing and entertainment are fantastic! It seems as if there is always something happening at the Blue Ridge Brewery. The sound system is great, often times spinning a cornucopia of different tunes off of an iPod. What’s better, soon customers will be able to enjoy their music totally live, starting with the soft opening from Danny Rhea on September 1^st! Other events like the Blue Ridge Blues Crawl on September 22^nd will feature musical talents of Roger “Hurricane” Wilson. This will be a welcome and well accepted addition to this growing music scene in the North Georgia Mountains.

So next time you plan to rent a cabin in Blue Ridge, GA or if you’re just passing through be sure to stop by the Blue Ridge Brewery. Because you never know who you might meet or what they might say, but we can guarantee it will be cool.

The Brew Ridge Brewery would like to thank Joe Placher of Cabin Watch for the swift and quality craftsmanship of the demolition and overall renovation of both bars. Also special thanks to Innovative Spray Solutions, a residential and commercial spray foam insulation company who aided in the completion of the custom built walk-ins. Be sure to stop by the Blue Ridge Brewery and check it out first hand.  Learn more or preview the menu at http://www.blueridgebrewery.com/

Blue Ridge Brewery | 187 Depot Street Blue Ridge, GA 30513 | 706-632-6611

Looking for FREE Tickets to the Blue Ridge Blues and BBQ?!

Everybody Loves Good Music, Good Food and Good Beer!

September is approaching fast, and as the air gets just a little cooler and the leaves begin their yearly transformation from green, to orange and to red, the 2^nd annual Blue Ridge Blues and BBQ Festival is back for another year of the best BBQ and Blues North Georgia has to offer!

Thousands came last year, and this year we expect an even better turn out for what promises to be a memorable weekend in gorgeous Blue Ridge, Georgia. Start booking your vacation cabin rental early this year and stay for the weekend, because the fun starts on September 21^st, the day before this year’s Blues and BBQ Festival with the first annual Blue Ridge Blues Crawl!

Brought to you by the Blue Ridge Lodging Association, the Blues Crawl takes place from 6pm-10pm and allows Blues and BBQ enthusiasts from all parts of the Southeast to make their way through Downtown Blue Ridge, where local restaurants Blue Orleans Bistro, Blue Ridge Brewery, Christy Lee’s Courtyard Grill, The Vine Wine & Bistro, and The Whistle Stop Grill will all put a distinctive, exciting twist on their versions of BBQ!

Stay the night in the beautiful North Georgia Mountains and have ease of access to the Blue Ridge Blues and BBQ Festival the day after the Blues Crawl. Gates open at 12pm, and the festivities last until 9pm. Attendees will sample the tasty culinary treats of local vendors like Merciers Orchards and the Blue Ridge Inn Bed and Breakfast, and also the regionally recognized BBQ  of cookers such as Sam’s BBQ 1 and Grillin Gangsters BBQ, just to name a few.

And what would a Blues and BBQ Festival be without Blues? Wash that BBQ down with a Sweetwater Brew, and listen to some of the most talented Blues musicians in the nation all in Downtown Blue Ridge. Rolling Bones, Roger “Hurricane” Wilson, Frankie’s Blues Mission and Revenge will provide soulful, energizing blues tunes throughout the afternoon and evening. And fresh off this year’s tour with legendary artist BB King, E.G Kight will make her presence known at this year’s festival, as she delights fans with her powerful, moving voice and blues rhythms.

Last year we were at capacity before the Blues and BBQ Festival took place, and this year properties will go even faster! So make sure to book soon and make your getaway vacation on September 21^st and 22^nd into an exciting weekend that you’ll remember for years to come! If you rent a blue ridge cabin two nights or more before September 1, 2012 Southern Comfort Cabin Rentals will buy up to 6 tickets to the Blue Ridge Blues and BBQ festival. Tickets to the Blue Ridge Blues and BBQ Festival will be included in your arrival package!

It was a beautiful 59 degrees on Saturday over presidents day weekend for the annual Fire and Ice Chili Cook-off. This annual event took place in historic Downtown Blue Ridge right across the tracks from Southern Comfort Cabin Rentals and Blue Ridge Adventure Center and behind the main street businesses. Hungry chili-eaters of all ages lined up in anticipation, waiting for the 12 o’clock hour to hit and the chili sampling to begin.

It was a jubilees event, with classic “golden oldies” playing over the sound system and happy event-goers dancing unabashedly in the streets, often times with pets and children.  Vendors from around Blue Ridge flocked to the Chili Cook-off to show off their wares, and more importantly, give away their one-of-a kind chili samples.

Some recognizable names included Harvest on Main, who prepared a savory concoction of different cuts of meat in what they called a “classic style chili”, or one without any beans. Christy Lee’s Courtyard Grill, and Mercier Orchards came prepared with strong showings, with both chili’s containing unique spices and ingredients that had people asking for more. Southern Comfort Cabin Rentals made a huge impression on the crowd, showcasing their people-friendly approach with their own sound system and what was perhaps the most original chili blend of the day, which included several secret ingredients that provided chili lovers with “sweet heat”. People swarmed for the innovative chili batch, using sample cups and utensils faster than SoCo could keep up with them.

And the winners, you ask? Christy Lee’s won People’s Choice, Trout Unlimited won best organization, and Mercier Orchard the coveted judges award for best tasting chili.

In the end the event was a huge success, bringing great attention to Blue Ridge with a crowd three times the size of last year’s event, 1/3 of which was local and the rest reportedly from Atlanta and Florida. The night was capped off with the soulful sounds of Francene Reed, veteran of the Blue Ridge Blues & BBQ Event and master of Blues music.

Plan on attending next year and make it a weekend… Southern Comfort Cabin Rentals will provide the setting, you make the memories!

View a private collection of framed prints featuring the works of Bev Doolittle in Blue Ridge, Ga…

“Many people call me a ‘camouflage artist,’ but that doesn’t really fit. If I have to categorize at all, I prefer to think of myself as a ‘concept painter.’ I am an artist who uses camouflage to get my story across, to slow the viewing process so you can discover it for yourself. Everything I do is intended to enhance the idea of each piece. For me, camouflage is a means to an end, not an end in itself. My meaning and message are never hidden.” – Bev Doolittle

Bev Doolittle ~ The Forest Has Eyes

Join SoCo Cabins in celebrating 9 treasured works of art in the beautiful reception lobby of the Southern Comfort Cabin Rentals office & Blue Ridge Adventure Center. October 15, 2011 – 4pm to 7 pm 240 West Main Street, Blue Ridge Georgia 30513

These exquisite pieces are being offered for sale by the collector. Persons interested in the entire collection may view the prints prior to the event. Contact heather@sococabins.com to set private appointment

Learn More about Bev Doolittle at: www.bevdoolittle.net

Special thanks to YOU… The Fans, Volunteers, City of Blue Ridge, Fannin County Chamber of Commerce & The Humane Society of Blue Ridge.

Click here to see more pictures - Justin Rush Photography

September 10th, 2011 was an exciting day as several thousand locals and tourists flocked to Downtown Blue Ridge, Georgia for the first annual Blue Ridge Blues & BBQ Festival.  The sun was shining, the temperature was mild, and the smell BBQ filled the air.

The event was hosted by the Blue Ridge Lodging Association, and was run like a well-oiled machine thanks to Beverly Seckinger of Seckinger Productions and Sue Ann Morgan, president of ideaLand. Gate entry was quick and efficient, volunteers were helpful, and there were plenty of bathrooms and trash receptacles on the festival grounds.

Vendors were positioned along East Main Street and West Main Street, and featured Blue Ridge’s finest foods and products.

“Have you tried the alligator ribs yet?” asked one enthused festival attendee in between sips of Sweetwater beer. “I just had a fish taco too, and it was amazing. You’ve got to stop by Blue Orleans’ spot and some of the other food tents and check out the food.”

Such was the sentiment of all those who came to the North Georgia mountains for the event. With everything from brisket sliders courtesy of Harvest on Main to delectable fried pies from Mercier Orchards, it was hard to save room for the award-winning BBQ from Sam’s BBQ-1 and the plethora of other BBQ vendors. Enthusiasts were abound, as wait times for the ‘cue ran up to 20 minutes.

But the food wasn’t the only reason that so many came out to partake in the festivities. One couldn’t forget the authentic, soul-soothing Blues provided by Frankie’s Blues Mission, Blacktop Blues Band and The King Bees who played throughout the day, creating an almost palpable character and flavor that added to everyone’s enjoyment.

“I just can’t wait for Francine Reed to take the stage,” said Professor Phil Unger from Reinhardt University. “She’s a really big deal in the Blues community. I was at another BBQ event on Labor Day, and even there they mentioned her coming to Blue Ridge today.”

As the sun went down and night time came, the moon shone brightly on those that gathered and danced to the soulful styling of the Blues legend. It was the perfect scene to end a great day.

As the people of our great nation remember those who lost their lives in the tragic attacks on September 11, 2001 we are reminded that it is events like the Blue Ridge Blues and BBQ festival that truly pay homage to our American culture. It is proof that the American spirit lives on defiantly in the face of adversity and threat. Through distinctly American food and song, that spirit was honored as all who came out gathered together as one, celebrating those things that truly define the Southeast and American culture as a whole.

Add your thoughts and comments here or on the official Downtown Blue Ridge Blues and BBQ facebook page

If there is such a thing as reincarnation, and I did have a past life, I believe I was an Egyptian queen.  I’m not the only one who thinks this, I’ll have you know.  Some very sane, logical, non-reincarnation believing people I know completely agree with me.  I have what my mother likes to refer to as “expensive tastes”, and that’s a bit of an understatement.  Why am I bringing up reincarnation and my possible past life?  Because I want to give you an idea of my perspective when it comes to the Blue Ridge Suite.

I have standards, people.  When I go on vacation, I like to be pampered; whisked away from my everyday  life and placed gently in the lap of a luxury that I don’t get from my day-to-day routine.  From the pictures I’d seen of the Blue Ridge Suite (I mean, it does have it’s own website!), I knew this wish would be fulfilled, yet I was still amazed at how luxurious it was.  From the parking pass that allowed me to pull my car right up in front of the Mustard Seed building where the Suite is located, to the delectable aromas wafting from the various fine-dining  restaurants snuggled comfortably below and beside the building, I was transported to vacation land immediately.

Delicate summer dresses presented themselves shamelessly from the store fronts, and promises of relaxing massages and facials caught my eye on the chalkboard sign outside of TeaTrees Boutique Spa.  As I walked down the stairs to the private elevator that would take me to the 3rd floor suite, I felt like a foreign dignitary ducking into her secret lair.  I know, I have a very active imagination, and I read a lot of mystery and suspense novels.

Alighting on the top floor, I stepped out into the hallway that led me to the front door, and experienced a rush of excitement.  I had 5 days of rest and relaxation ahead of me.  I took a deep breath as I opened the door…and, voila!  I was home.  The pictures didn’t do it justice.  From the sparkling granite counter tops, to the glossy wooden floor, I stood in awe of its grandeur. (Please note, these pictures were taken after I’d unpacked and thoroughly settled in… to see pictures of it’s pristine wonderfulness without all of my junk, please see the website!)

I toted my rolling suitcase around to the bedroom, passing the cozy red love seat and wall mounted flat screen TV, only to take in the glory of the queen sized bed covered in dreamy, cloudy white pillows and duvet.

Is this heaven? And don’t even get me started on the bathroom; hold on, I’m trying not to get misty.

The bathroom is large and roomy with two sinks, and a shower with two shower heads.  And the walls… oh, how I loved the walls.  They were painted in a golden sponge-paint-like pattern with, are you ready for this?  Gold glitter!  It was faint, but when the light hit it just right, it shimmered.  I was absolutely entranced with this bathroom.

I could live in this bathroom.  Give me a mini fridge and a coffee pot and I’m good to go.

This is my attempt to get a picture of the "shimmer". Don't judge.

Once I was able to tear myself away from the bathroom, I walked outside to breathe in some fresh mountain air.  The porch is open air, and winds all the way around the suite.  There was a fan, and I’m a sucker for outdoor porch fans.  I flopped down on the over-sized padded wicker couch and threw my legs up on the matching ottoman.  I even ate dinner on the glass topped patio table.  There’s a wall around the porch that’s tall enough for privacy, but not so tall that I couldn’t enjoy the majestic sunset and the beautiful sky in the mornings.  I spent most of my time outside lounging on the couch, reading and generally enjoying the solitude.

I did, however, walk around downtown for a few hours and stumble into a few of the adorable boutiques, furniture stores, and art galleries on Main Street.  I spent most of my time in Wrapsody in Blue, where I remembered how much I love furniture and shiny trinkets to display around the house.  And big, red, leather chairs.  I must have one.  I’ll take this one, as a matter of fact!

My friend Alison joined me Friday evening, and was equally as impressed with the suite.  She didn’t even complain about me making her sleep on the twin sized pullout sofa.  According to her, it was the most comfortable pullout bed she’s ever slept in!  We had dinner at Harvest on Main.  I wasn’t very hungry, so I ordered a side salad and a side order of macaroni and cheese.  I have never had such delectable macaroni and cheese in my life.  Alison ordered a rib-eye, and admitted she was jealous of my macaroni cheese from the gasp of delight after I took my first bite, and my obvious desire to make this culinary experience last as long as I could.  I highly recommend it.

The next day I took Alison out and showed her the town.  We ducked into Glitzy Chix, and realized we were in paradise.  We were surrounded by shiny, sparkly necklaces and matching earrings, t-shirts with rhinestones (my favorite kind), and the cutest rubber rain boots I have ever seen.

It’s times like this I wish I had the income of an Egyptian queen.  I wanted to buy everything.  I took Alison into Wrapsody in Blue, and walked her through the store pointing out how I would furnish each room of my house with lamps, tables, and chairs.  This is also where I met my new best friend, the feather wreath. I had no idea these existed.  I have since seen many of them, and I am so happy they are making their way into homes across the south.  They are the coolest thing I have ever seen.

After spending some time and money at Mercier Orchards (I had to get my Pink Ladies.  Alison needed some fudge.)  we moseyed back to the Blue Ridge Suite and spent the evening watching one of my favorite movies, “View From The Top”, and then catching some “Empty Nest” re-runs before drifting happily off to sleep.

What a blissful 5 days that was.  Nothing could have been better.  Except maybe a Divine Intervention.  But I’ll get to that.

So, in conclusion, I love, love, love the Blue Ridge Suite.  If you’re looking for a vacation with some swagger, this is the place to be.