If you have ever eaten a leisurely breakfast at Early Girl and reached across the table for a dash of sugar to sweeten your coffee, or tipped a spoonful of raspberry jam onto your biscuit, then you are already familiar with work made by two of our favorite local artists. Patty Bilbro and Becca Floyd are two potters whose clay creations have long made dining at at Early Girl a homier and more beautiful experience.
Patty Bilbro, creator of our jam pots has been throwing for over ten years. She was a resident at Odyssey and is now a full time potter in her studio, Foxfire Pottery which you can find at www.pattybilbrofoxfirepottery.com You may have seen her work at any number of local shows including the Big Crafty, and fallen in love with the clean elegant lines of her pieces, their delicate colors and the sweetly evocative drawings that so simply express such a range of emotions. Look for dreaming llamas, lovesick robots and flowers drinking rain.
Becca Floyd has been crafting our one-of-a-kind sugar containers for years, and it has been a delight to watch her continually perfect this signature Early Girl piece. Her interest in Japanese glazes and design is evident in the rich blue-greens and milky-whites she chooses, and in the elegant animal forms that sometimes top her pieces. Also a former Odyssey resident artist, she continues to teach the craft there and is the proprietor of Floyd Pottery. you can find her at www.floydpottery.com
We are grateful to both women for complimenting the hard work and love our cooks put into your meal. We hope you enjoy both food and pottery. You can check out their wares for sale at our host stand on your way in or out of the restaurant.
Local food tastes better in local pots
The second most asked question at Early Girl
Early Girl is comfort food and there are plenty of menu options that sound just like what your grandma made. Once folks trust us with a cheeseburger or the pan-fired chicken they often look to step out of that comfort zone.
Every day our hosts and our servers get asked, “What is tempeh?” So here goes…tempeh is a cultured bean patty or a fermented soy product. It is a great source of both protein and vitamin B12 for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. As a fermented food it is easily digestible so that you finish eating feeling energized.
We are lucky to get our tempeh directly from Brian Moe at Viable Cultures. He has an excellent website full of information on fermented foods and their value to your diet and our environment. Brian also makes the sauerkraut that we use with his tempeh on the tempeh reuben. Honestly I will eat the kraut alone it is so good. We use his tempeh in our vegan chili and it’s available with your eggs, grit and toast instead of bacon or on top of your salad. We cook the tempeh on the flat top grill after adding bbq style seasoning so it’s especially great on the sweet almond ginger salad. I hope this inspires you to not just ask about it next time, but to order it and enjoy it as well.
By the way I’m open for guesses on the most asked question.
It Only Takes 10%
Buying local has been part of our mission since day one. As the years have passed we find this easier and easier to do. There are more sustainable small farms and local food producers than ever in Western North Carolina. We were recently approached by an amazing group that makes the commitment to buying local even more compelling. The 10% Campaign is sponsored by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems(CEFS) with support from Golden LEAF and North Carolina Cooperative Extension. Their aim is to get you and I, our neighbors and our neighboring businesses to pledge 10% of our food dollars locally. The logic behind it is 10% of the 35 billion a year spent on food would be 3.5 billion staying in your own community. It’s a no-brainer. Go to www.nc10percent.com and make your pledge. The campaign will keep up with you and track your progress. Your $1.05 per day effects change and as the pledges add up CEFS can make sure our voices in support of local agriculture are heard. I am certain if you are reading this post you are already spending 10% on local food. This is an easy way to multiply our impact.
Hello world!
Welcome to Early Girl Eatery’s website. While nothing replaces face to face interaction we are really excited to have a better way to communicate with our guests between visits. Early Girl turns 9 years old October 13, 2010. We want to thank each and every one of you that have helped us get this far. Your support feeds our souls and clothes our children. We hope the site answers many of your questions about us, our menu, our philosophy, and the community we are so proud to be part of. We welcome your feedback. What do you want to know?
