Some restaurants chase trends. Others create cravings. Village Pantry of Cashiers has mastered the latter, transforming a simple concept into the kind of place that makes locals rearrange their schedules around lunch plans.
When Village Pantry co-owner Elizabeth Dotson traded Louisiana’s steamy bayous for North Carolina’s mountain mists five years ago, she wasn’t exactly fleeing—she was following her motorcycle. She and her husband had fallen hard for the winding roads around Cashiers, the kind that make bike riders weep with joy.
But somewhere between the curves and the clean mountain air, Elizabeth realized she’d found more than just great riding territory. She’d discovered home.
Co-owner Ben DeMange arrived via Orlando’s restaurant trenches, where he’d perfected the delicate art of hospitality under pressure. After managing Mica’s in Sapphire Valley for two years, he was ready to trade corporate constraints for creative freedom.
As passionate home cooks who love hosting dinner parties, they hatched a plan to open a restaurant. “But, we didn’t want to work nights anymore,” Elizabeth explains, describing how their concept evolved into what seemed like a bold promise: feed guests beautifully at lunch, then send them home with dinner worthy of company.
That promise has become Village Pantry’s signature, with their 36-seat haven on Village Walk Way operating Tuesday through Saturday around this brilliant dual concept.
The real magic happens in those take-home coolers that have become local legend, generating forty percent of their business through this “cook once, eat twice” philosophy – beef tenderloin, house-made Bolognese, hearty meat loaf, comforting chicken rice casserole, and soul-warming soups waiting to transform any evening into something special.
Their menu is a model of what food writers love to call New American: that appealing high-low, global-pantry approach where enjoyable, creative preparations dance alongside moments of genuine culinary expertise.
Elizabeth’s Louisiana roots anchor the offerings with her legendary gumbo, shrimp po’ boys, and expertly crafted shrimp remoulade – dishes that taste like they’ve been perfected through generations of family kitchens. Yet she’s also the architect behind their surprise bestseller: a vegan Tom Kha soup that has converted even the most skeptical carnivores.
Ben DeMange and Elizabeth Dotson
The kitchen produces everything in-house, from breakfast quiches to those famous take-home selections that have elevated the very notion of convenience dining. Recently adding wine service and expanding their catering from intimate gatherings to major fundraisers, Village Pantry proves that great food transcends seasons when rooted in genuine hospitality.
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