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THE FUN~
is in the doing
for Pine Crest Head Chef
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Return to
Great Carolina Chefs
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this is an evolving section
of our
web site and
information on
more chefs
and their restaurants
are on the way.
until then, happy and
adventurous eating ...
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aura Huntsinger believes in fun. As head chef at the Pine Crest Inn in Tryon, North Carolina,
she's dreaming up recipes all hours of the day.
"Blackberry and Sambuca came to me one day when I was getting ready for work,"
she recalled of an unusual party concoction served in cordial cups. Same with the orange soup,
served chilled on a hot day, and garnished with melons, strawberries and raspberries.
"I don't know that it hasn't been done before, but we jazz it up our own way.
We throw mint in it."
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Hands-on is preferable to supervising, testing and organizing, despite her "Head Chef" title.
"I want to get in there and cook, because that's what's fun about it."
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Ms. Huntsinger's playful spirit is paying off, earning the Pine Crest a four
diamond rating from AAA. Add Wine Spectator's nod for its wine list,
and you've got a foothills haven for people who appreciate food. Ms. Huntsinger is one of them.
"I don't want it to just be dinner. I want it to be an experience."
When student teaching killed her desire to become a history teacher, Ms. Huntsinger took up
a career at the Pine Crest, where she'd worked in different jobs since she was 21.
Cooking under Parisian-trained chefs ignited her interest, and today, she still "works the line."
Hands-on is preferable to supervising, testing and organizing, despite her "Head Chef" title. "I want
to get in there and cook, because that's what's fun about it."
Patrons can experience her creativity in the regional, French-influenced fare. The menu changes
seasonally, but you can count on a Black Angus filet, crabcakes, and the local favorite - trout.
Ms. Huntsinger sautés hers in cornmeal, herbs and pepper, and serves it with corn relish and
yellow stoneground grits. "It is so popular, it just blows out of here," she says.
Ms. Huntsinger's twin sister, Cathy Neal, prepares the desserts. A summer favorite
is the peach almond strudel. Like the regular menu, the dessert menu changes with the seasons.
But change is to be expected. "Cooking is like fashion,"
Ms. Huntsinger observes. "You have to really be on the ball."
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Established in 1917, the Pine Crest Inn is a 35-room inn in Tryon, North Carolina. Breakfast and
dinner are open to the public; overnight guests receive complimentary breakfast.
Reservations are recommended for dinner, which is served 6-9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday.
Breakfast is served daily. Monday evening's "Grill Night" features more casual entrees,
including shrimp and grits and prime rib. The Fox and Hounds bar serves cocktails and
after-dinner drinks. In the spring and fall, drinks and hors d'oeuvres are served on the veranda.
The dining room, with its English tavern décor, is relaxed. Blue jeans aren't appropriate,
but ties aren't necessary. Smoking isn't allowed in the dining room. Most credit cards accepted.
For more information, call 828.859.9135 or 800.633.3001, visit
www.pinecrestinn.com,
or write The Pine Crest Inn, 200 Pine Crest Lane, Tryon, NC 28782.
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Aida Rogers has worked in newspapers, magazines, legal newsletters
and television. USC graduate and Lexington, SC native currently is
managing editor of Sandlapper, The Magazine of South Carolina, for which she
writes a column about the most popular restaurants in The Palmetto State.
Call her with your favorites at (803) 808-1664
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