A few weeks ago I had a fabulous dinner with a group of friends at Thirteen Moons Restaurant at The Nantahala Village Resort and Spa in Nantahala Gorge outside of Bryson City, North Carolina. While dining we sat on the veranda overlooking a lovely valley and the surrounding Nantahala Mountains listening to a guitarist play and sing. The new Feather Stone Lounge at The Village is a fantastic spot for drinks before dining. The full course meal and service were outstanding.
The following from the Village website tells about the chef at Thirteen Moons, Chef James Reaux: "Personal commitment to the procurement of the best ingredients available has brought chef James Reaux to the tables of six Presidents, both President Bushes, Clinton, Reagan, Ford and Carter and is now, along with Executive Chef Karl Engelmann, and Thirteen Moons Restaurant manager Jeff Kemp creating your dining experience in the Thirteen Moons Restaurant at the Nantahala Village Resort & Spa. Chef Reaux is truly regarded as one of the nation’s most highly acclaimed chefs and has lead culinary operation at 19 resort kitchens, restaurants, private dining and all banquet operations for The Boca Raton Resort. He has also cheffed at The Los Angels-Century Plaza Hotel & Towers, Hawaii’s exotic Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, famed Westin Resort in Hilton Head, SC, the distinguished New York landmark and incomparable Plaza Hotel, the famous Victoria Jun-Frau of Interlaken, Switzerland and West Virginia’s own, historic since 1776, pride of the south, Greenbrier Resort. Chef Reaux has also entertained "The Today Show" featuring interpretive dishes he created for The Movie Academy’s famous Oscar Awards."
I find it amazing that a chef of that caliber finds his way to a small area such as ours. Thirteen Moons is offering Sushi night every Wednesday from 5 to 9, has an early bird menu from 5 to 6 nightly and a fantastic Sunday Brunch at a reasonable price. They're now open for lunch in addition to breakfast and dinner on certain days of the week. Nantahala Village is a lovely location with a beautiful lodge, cabins, a fantastic spa, horseback riding, pool and tennis courts. And now, with the addition of Thirteen Moons, Nantahala Village is truly a full service resort.
