Highlands Food and Wine 2017 Recap: Truckin

**This review took place in November of 2017. Many thanks to Ashley Brown, of Ashley Brown Strategy, and the Highlands Food and Wine Festival for having me. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own.**

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Usually held the second weekend in November, the Highlands Food and Wine Festival is 4118 feet above sea level in the beautiful town of Highlands, North Carolina. The festival celebrates simply scrumptious food, wicked good (for all my fellow northerns out there) wine, and music you either already loved or didn’t realize you did … over 4 days. That’s 4 days of 30+ super talented chefs, 1000+ bottles of amazing wine, 8-foot stomping bands, and countless plates of incredible food.

I was, actually, only able to attend a couple of events, but even with that being the case, it was quite the jam-packed weekend and I’m just now recovering from my wine and food coma.

Let’s jump right in, shall we:

What Is Highlands Food and Wine Trunkin’ Event?

If I described Truckin’ before I got there, I would have thought flannel shirts, the lumberjack kind, and a gathering of food trucks. What I actually walked into was more of a chic tree party filled with a mixture of millennial hipsters and an older, sophisticated crowd. There was something for everyone and the food trucks on location, combined with the wine and sounds of Dawes and Futurebird, certainly brought this crowd together.

There were 7 food trucks to choose from and, just like your local food truck gathering, they came from all around to include:

Automatic Taco, Greenville. SC

Backwoods Bakery, Whittier, North Carolina

Brined and Cured, Raleigh, North Carolina

Bun Intended, Asheville, NC

Buxton Hall Barbecue, Asheville, NC

Farm to Fender, Asheville, NC

The Velvet Cup Coffee Truck, Asheville, NC

The Velvet Cup

The Velvet Cup was the perfect first stop for this slightly chilly morning as they provided an array of lattes and while I don’t care for coffee (shocking, I know), I couldn’t help but try the Egg Nog Latte because I’m a sucker for all things egg nog this time of year (move over Pumpkin Spice).

They also had fresh-made mini doughnuts that were like little pockets of heaven. I tried both the cinnamon sugar and the salted caramel … I still can’t pick a favorite.

Buxton Hall

I was excited to try food from the James Beard-nominated Chef Elliott Moss restaurant, Buxton Hall, and it did not disappoint my taste buds.

I know the barbecue is supposed to be my favorite item on the plate, but those Chipotle Cheese Grits were everything and more.

I took a bit of a food and wine detour to stop at the Tito’s truck for a phone recharge and a cocktail.

I was too busy loving the Tito’s sweaters on the bottles that I missed getting the name of this cocktail; whatever it was, it was quite yummy … it looked like A LOT of alcohol going in, but I couldn’t really taste it, which is how I prefer my drinks … sweet and leaving me to think I can drink copious amounts before I realize I’m drunk.

Fork and Fender

I managed to snag one of everything at Fork and Fender and while I felt like a fatty, I was okay with that … “I choose my choice!!” (said in my Charlotte from Sex in the City voice).

I tried really hard to be healthy and go for the Tabasco Honey Cauliflower Wings first, hoping to love it and want to switch out all my meat for cauliflower instead, but I just did not care for it … at all. On the plus side, I loved everything else, including the Chicken and Waffles, which I was trying for the first time because I’ve never understood the concept of chicken with waffles … that and I hate waffles and their many squares, but I digress. The sweet smoked maple glaze that topped the chicken was by far my favorite part of this dish and brought the two together well. While the Shrimp and Grits were yummy, my favorite of the day would definitely be the Flying Goat BLT … smoked bacon, fried green tomato, and local goat cheese, what’s not to love?!

Backwoods Bakery

Try as I might, I didn’t get a chance to make it to all of the food trucks … my heart was sad, but my tummy was giving internal praise hands … so, my last stop was The Backwoods Bakery.

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Generally, I’m not a fan of Chicken on pizza, but this was a definite exception to the rule. While I couldn’t really taste the queso, the crema and lime were a nice touch atop this wood-fired, brick oven, (they use a portable oven and were sticking them in the fire on sight – something to see in itself) handmade crust pizza.

As you can imagine, it was slim pickings trying to find a seat, but there were an array of options to choose from if you weren’t shy and didn’t mind making a new friend to squeeze in with. I met the sweetest 2 ladies this way who were saying they usually attend the Grand Tasting on the first night (I missed that one) and that’s all, but decided to add something new into the mix this year and went to Truckin’ only to find themselves sad they’d been missing out all this time.

Back to the seating … my favorite had to be the large setup of blankets and pillows atop pallets leaving you to feel like you’re at a large group picnic, but one of the chicest picnics you’d ever attend.

Click here to read all about Day 3 of the Highlands Food and Wine Festival, The Main Event!