My destination is a 600-acre retreat in the foothills of the Uwharrie Mountains — just outside Norwood in Stanly County, about 45 miles east of Charlotte. Most vehicles on the highway are log trucks. The rolling hills are thick with pine and hardwoods. Cattle loll by hayricks, and calves frisk and butt in roadside pastures.
Cotton’s still grown in the North Carolina Piedmont, along with crops for livestock. But essential topsoil is eroding away. Conservationists now say this area has some of the poorest soil in North Carolina.
By Ross Howell Jr. • Photographs By Amy Freeman
As a lover of gardening and the great outdoors, Kris naturally felt at home here. And having created his own farm-to-table dining concept (at his Asheville, NC restaurant, Cafe Azalea), his vision for how food is sourced, prepared and served aligned perfectly with our own. Today, his artful cuisine represents that shared vision: using the freshest seasonal ingredients either grown here or locally sourced; creating themed menus that both educate and satiate; and crafting an experience that not only feeds your appetite, but feeds your mind—inspiring new ways of thinking about what you eat.