The "1861 Farmhouse" is now "Over Yonder" • The restaurant formerly known as The 1861 Farmhouse has new ownership and management as of April 2014. "Over Yonder" is a new destination restaurant in Valle Crucis, near Blowing Rock, Boone, Banner Elk, and Linville in The Western North Carolina High Country mountains. Now designed, owned and managed by the award-winning Mast Farm Inn, "Over Yonder" restaurant tells the story of historic Appalachian cuisine in a picturesque setting atop the rolling hills and peaks of Valle Crucis, North Carolina. Located across from the Original Mast General Store, a few hundred yards from The Mast Farm Inn.
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Over Yonder opened on Tuesday, June 3rd, 2014, and serves lunch & dinner Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday from 11:00AM to 8:00PM, and Sunday from Noon to 8:00PM. Closed on Tuesday. While reservations are not required and most times seating is immediate, wait times can vary by day, season or holidays. If your party is on a tight schedule or averse to waiting call (828) 963-6301 for reservations or use the online reservation form available by clicking here.

PRESS RELEASE | Valle Crucis, North Carolina, May 25th, 2014 | OVER YONDER: A NEW RESTAURANT BY THE MAST FARM INN AND CHEF ANDREW LONG | "Over Yonder" is the latest initiative by the owners of the award-winning historic Mast Farm Inn and Chef Andrew Long, now also a partner at The Mast Farm Inn. Chef Andrew Long has for years created a following of enthusiastic diners in The High Country, Over Yonder is a new restaurant that tells the story of historic Appalachian cuisine in a picturesque setting atop the rolling hills and peaks of Valle Crucis, North Carolina at 3608 North Carolina Highway 194, across from the Original Mast General Store, formerly the location of the restaurant 1861 Farmhouse.

Valle Crucis is North Carolina’s first rural historic district and the entire community is officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors and locals alike enjoy taking in cool mountain air at the community park, hiking the sacred grounds of the old Episcopal Mission, and fishing for trout in the Watauga River. Over Yonder offers a relaxing break from the recreational activities of the valley, whether sharing a skillet of stone ground gouda grits or just sipping on a frosty mason jar of beer on the porch. No visit to The High Country is complete until you visit The Original Mast General Store, which has been serving Valle Crucis since 1883 and continues to be a daily stop for locals looking to restock the pantry or mail a letter. Over Yonder, just up the hill overlooking the store, continues the theme of authentic rural Appalachian living.

Over Yonder resides in the "Hard" Taylor house, built by Henry Taylor in 1861 with hickory and hemlock milled directly from his own land. On entering the building, the two rooms on the left showcase the brick that Henry crafted by hand from his own brickyard. Henry’s son Thomas Hardester "Hard" Taylor expanded the house around 1895 adding amenities such as indoor plumbing and a closet in every bedroom, otherwise unheard of in Valle Crucis at that time. The Hard Taylor house also played an important role in the community, serving as the Post Office, until it later moved across the street, to the Original Mast General Store, where it resides today. Hard Taylor and his wife Vicki served as postmasters until 1928, and their original certificates naming them to their positions are still hanging on the wall near the entryway.

A new chapter begins in the Hard Taylor house as it is transformed into Over Yonder by The Mast Farm Inn and Chef Andrew Long. Long welcomes the opportunity to expand his culinary vision with the new outlet, but faithful fans of The Mast Farm Inn need not worry, he remains the executive chef and in the kitchen of the Inn’s restaurant Simplicity.

Says Long, "We are ecstatic about the potential of Over Yonder as the perfect setting to really pay homage to the Southern traditions of our little pocket of Appalachia. We will continue the theme that we present at Simplicity: local, ingredient-driven cuisine and garden-based cooking, it will just be on a more casual level. Think grits and soup beans, potlikker and chow chow."

Luke Taylor, a veteran of local establishments Bistro Roca and Crippen’s Restaurant as well as Long’s sous-chef at Simplicity at The Mast Farm Inn, will helm the kitchen at Over Yonder. "You won’t find a chef around here that has the respect for traditional Southern Food that Luke has", states Long. "He’s a true student of our craft, always preserving the past with techniques of the present".

Over Yonder features a large, wrap-around porch with stunning views of the valley, and a large back porch where diners can relax near the pond and the large organic garden, designed and managed by Long’s wife Megan, who also manages the micro farm at The Mast Farm Inn. "We’ve always had great relationships with our local farmers", says Long, "and now we have two amazing gardens from which we can pull fresh home-grown foods". In keeping with the theme of historic Appalachian dining, the garden at Over Yonder will produce fresh vegetables that will be used for pickling and chow chow, featured on the restaurant’s burger and pimento cheese dish, respectively. "It surprises some folks when I tell them a lifelong dream of mine has been to have a restaurant with a seriously amazing cheeseburger", says Long. "But details matter in cooking as they do in all things, and it’s the details that make a great burger". The "Valle" cheeseburger features dry aged pastured beef, local hoop cheese, house made pickles and mayo, and fresh cut ribbon fries tossed in pork fat, rosemary, and sea salt.

Asked if there are any other concepts developing for The Mast Farm Inn Long chuckles, "Definitely. But we think baby steps are best when it comes to opening restaurants. For now we just want to focus on amazing casual lunches at Over Yonder and exceptional fine dining at The Mast Farm Inn."

Click here or on the graphic above to see, print or download the "Over Yonder" menu

Media Contact & For More Information
Chef Andrew Long
The Mast Farm Inn
2543 Broadstone Road
Historic Valle Crucis
Banner Elk, North Carolina 28604
Phone: 828.963.5857
E-Mail: andrew.long@themastfarminn.com

The Information below is included for reference and as a historical archive.

The 1861 Farmhouse • Lovingly restored by Alison & Steve Garrett, the 1861 Farmhouse is a one-of-a-kind experience! This 150-year-old house has beautiful views of the valley. Sip a glass of wine from a rocking chair on the front porch or in our beautiful wine room, which is actually the two original brick rooms of the house.

One of the earliest homes built in the Valle, the original structure of this magnificent house was completed in 1861 ~ the year The Civil War began ~ as a two-room brick house. It was built by hand by Henry Taylor, the patriarch of one of the four founding families of Valle Crucis. These two original rooms are located to the left as you enter the front door.  The brick for the house was made personally by Henry at his own brickyard. Henry created walls for his home that are more than a foot thick.  The lumber for the house came directly from the land and was hand-sawn at the Mission House.  Primarily hickory and hemlock, it has stood the test of time and is still impressively sound.

For More Information
1861 Farmhouse • FaceBook
Highly Recommended. A one-of-a-kind experience! This 150-year-old house has beautiful views of the valley. Sip a glass of wine from a rocking chair on the front porch or in our beautiful wine room, which is actually the two original brick rooms of the house. You will feel like you have truly stepped into the "old world" when you cross the threshold to the wine room. Participate in a tasting – just $5 which includes your gift of our beautiful 1861 Farmhouse etched wine glass. Enjoy a wonderful selection of 1861 Farmhouse Private Label wines, from Chardonnay to Pinot Noir.

1861 Farmhouse Market • FaceBook
Highly Recommended. This terrific stop in the heart of the North Carolina mountains features the best sandwiches you will ever taste. Fresh baked break daily, local fresh produce, the highest quality meats and special mustards and sauces create a taste that has had people coming back to this location for 19 years. Homemade fudge blended upstairs and a bakery written up in Southern Living for the desserts makes this a must stop when visiting the Banner Elk, Boone or Blowing Rock, North Carolina area

For Immediate Release, April 5th, 2014, From The 1861 Farmhouse, Valle Crucis, North Carolina

The 1861 Farmhouse Restaurant and Winery Announces New Ownership
Alison and Steve Garrett, owners of The 1861 Farmhouse Restaurant and Winery, are pleased to announce that they have signed an agreement to sell The 1861 Farmhouse to the owners of The Mast Farm Inn. Mast Farm Inn General Manager and Innkeeper, Danielle Deschamps Stabler, along with Executive Chef Andrew Long, will also be partners in the new venture, a casual dining restaurant to be known as "Over Yonder."

Alison Garrett noted: "Steve and I feel very fortunate to have reached this agreement, because The 1861 Farmhouse was not actually for sale! We enjoyed three wonderful years of operating the business, and we were blessed with success beyond anything we ever imagined this business could do. It was immensely gratifying for us to not only be able to completely restore such a beautiful, historic home that was so important to the history of the Valle, but to see it come to life as a place people loved coming to with family and friends to share wonderful times and memories. Some of my own best memories will be of walking through the dining rooms, meeting and chatting with our guests, and hearing them laughing and having fun. The success of the business also enabled us to generously support more than two dozen local charities and non-profits, for which we will always feel grateful and proud.

The offer to purchase The 1861 was unexpected, but the timing was perfect and we decided that it is a great one for our family’s future. Steve and I are very excited about this next chapter in our lives. While enjoyable, the restaurant business is also extremely demanding, and truly does require what feels like a 25-hour-a-day, 8-day-a-week schedule. We are very happy to be able to look forward to more time for our family and friends, lots of travel, and more fun in general. We are keeping The 1861 Market-Deli-Bakery (The old Ham Shoppe) and, best of all, the wine operation – the part of the business we most enjoy! Look forward to more award-winning wines from The 1861 Winery!"

Garrett continues: "We are confident in the new owners’ commitment as the new caretakers of this very special, 153-year-old property. The Deschamps family has demonstrated their love and appreciation for our lovely Valle, as evidenced by the beautiful job they have done in caring for and operating The Mast Farm Inn. We are excited about the wonderful synergy that will exist between their two businesses, and feel at peace in leaving The 1861 Farmhouse in their capable hands."

Alison & Steve Garrett
1861 Farmhouse
Contact: Alison Garrett
Alison@1861Farmhouse.com

To Our Loyal Customers, April 5th, 2014, From The 1861 Farmhouse, Valle Crucis, North Carolina

We want to share with you some very big news from The 1861! As of yesterday, April 2nd, we are pleased to announce that we have sold The 1861 Farmhouse to the owners of The Mast Farm Inn, who will be running a very similar business. Steve and I feel very fortunate to have had this happen, because The 1861 Farmhouse was not actually for sale!

We enjoyed three wonderful years of operating the business, and we were blessed with success beyond anything we ever imagined the business could do. It was immensely gratifying for us to not only be able to completely restore such a beautiful, historic home that was so important to the history of the Valle, but to see it come to life as a place people love coming to with friends and family to share wonderful times and memories. Some of my own best memories will be of walking through the dining rooms, meeting and chatting with our guests, and hearing them laughing and having fun. The success of the business also enabled us to generously support more than two dozen local charities and non-profits, for which we will always feel proud.

The offer to purchase The 1861 was unexpected, and we decided that it is a great one for our family’s future. Steve and I are very excited about the next chapter in our lives. While also enjoyable, the restaurant business is extremely demanding, and truly does require what feels like a 25-hour-a-day, 8-day-a- week schedule. We are very happy to be able to look forward to more time for our family, lots of travel, and more fun in general!

We are not getting out of the business completely, though! We are keeping The 1861 Market-Deli-Bakery and, best of all, the entire wine operation – the part of the business we most enjoy!

We are confident in the new owners’ commitment as the new caretakers of this very special, 153-year-old property. The Deschamps family has demonstrated their love and appreciation for our beautiful Valle, as evidenced by the beautiful job they have done in caring for and operating The Mast Farm Inn. We are excited about the wonderful synergy that will exist between their two businesses, and feel comforted in leaving The 1861 Farmhouse in their capable hands.

Thank you for your friendship and support. We appreciate you!

Cheers!

Alison & Steve Garrett
1861 Farmhouse

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The Mast Farm Inn is an award-winning historic country inn & restaurant in the Valle Crucis Historical District of North Carolina, which has been welcoming guests since the 1800s. The Mast Farm Inn is a Historic Hotels of America hotel, a Select Registry Inn, and is on The National Register of Historic Places.

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