From small beginnings, Kathryn’s Cheese House became a much beloved landmark in western North Carolina. Starting in 1963, the Weaver family worked hard to establish the restaurant/deli/gift & wine shop into not only a local institution, but a name that begged for expansion.
In 1974, a second location in Asheville’s Biltmore Village opened, then one in downtown Asheville, followed by a spot in Blowing Rock. When local politicians voted in wine sales by the glass in Blowing Rock they refused to allow such on Main Street. Luckily, the building was on the corner, allowing Lorin Weaver to move the entrance to a side street and give his customers what they wanted, to enjoy a glass of wine with their meal.
The Weavers continued to add outlets. In Blowing Rock they also opened the Red Dog Saloon, which got its name from a mix of light and dark beers, a site with Belk’s in the newly opened Valley Hills Mall in 1978, a restaurant in Lexington, North Carolina, as well as Kathryn’s Garden Cafe in Viewmont, and three Hickory Smokehouse locations.
For many customers, they came for the tastes they couldn’t find elsewhere. On the menu, for example, was baklava, an exotic dessert of Turkish origin that included everything from honey to nuts. Kathryn’s son Lorin crafted the delicacy for the family restaurant every Sunday night. He followed a simple routine. At 8:00pm when the crime drama Kojak came on TV (which should tell you how long ago that was) he sat down in front of his set and spent the hour layering ingredients for the week’s offering. For many people, it was their first unforgettable bite.
Along with the food, folks came to enjoy the “relaxing and inviting” atmosphere, an irresistible draw. Renee Neal “loved this restaurant and they always made you feel like family.” Brenda Huffman called their subs “second to none” and Milly May “loved the smells of the Cheesehouse” which in her memory included “meats, cheese, vinegar.” As a kid, Diane McGee rode there on her bike for “cheesecake and a sub…yummy.”
After selling wines for years, Lorin and the family decided to get into the wine-making business. Through a partnership with Waldensian winery Bernard’s, which was in dry Burke County, Kathryn’s Longview location became their new home, which also included space for a museum dedicated to the process.
Over the years, Lorin Weaver has become involved in a number of food and wine businesses including the beginnings of Hickory Wine Shop, and Old Hickory Brewery. In fact, his work was formative and well ahead of the coming craft beer industry in America.
In 1994, Kathryn’s Cheese House closed, much to the sadness of the community that had enjoyed the food and the atmosphere for years. For 31 years, it had served the community well in ways the Weaver family might never have imagined. Phyllis Proctor remembers that “it was a great place for a date. If you ran out of things to talk about, every shelf and wall had something interesting to look at.”
All fans could do was remember how great the food once was. Until…
Next week.
Photo: Kathryn’s Cheese House in Blowing Rock, the one where Lorin changed the entrance, and Asheville.
