Take Dining to a New Level

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While there are many delightful places to wine and dine in Highlands, the Center for Life Enrichment urges you to take your dining experience to a new level and participate in one of our many culinary classes offered this season.
These events are much more satisfying than just going into a restaurant and ordering from the menu. The distance between the chef and the diner is disregarded, making this a memorable culinary experience as the chef engages with participants in the course of the food preparation. For more information or to register for any of these classes, please call the Center for Life Enrichment office at (828) 526-8811 or visit clehighlands.com.
“A Dining Extravaganza with Chef Johannes” is set for 6:00 P.M. Wednesday, June 7. Cost is $95 for CLE members and $110 for non-members. Experience a culinary feast at the new Library Kitchen and Bar as Chef Johannes turns on the “Wow” factor like only he can. The four-course menu will also include a selection of beer and wine.
“Lakeside Cooking Demonstration and Lunch” will be held from 11:30 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. Wednesday, June 14. Cost is $65/$75. Enjoy an early summer lunch with hosts Laura Huerta and Travis Brooks at Lakeside Restaurant. A delicious menu served with wine will leave your taste buds completely satisfied.
Experience a “Flavorful Taste of Portugal,” at 4:00 P.M. Monday, July 17. Cost is $90/$100. Chef M (Melissa Pelkey-Hass) will entertain with her humor and vast culinary skills as she prepares an authentic Portuguese meal blended with Old World wines. It’ll be a meal that’s not only delicious but unlike any other.
“The Edible Foraging Guided Tour” will be held from 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M., Saturday, August 12. Cost is $30/$40. Take a guided hike with self-taught forager Ross Pearman to identify native plant species and mushrooms. This will be a moderate hike with frequent stops as your guide shares with you those morsels you can safely eat and those things you should stay away from. Ross provides many of the local restaurants with wild edible plants
and mushrooms.
“Cook & Tell: Recipes and Stories from Savannah’s Renowned Chef Johnathon Scott Barrett” is set for 11:00: A.M. to 1:00 P.M. Tuesday, August 22. Cost is $45/$55. In this program, Johnathon will talk about his newest release, which highlights the South’s love of food and storytelling. Following the lecture there’ll be a reception on the porch and Johnathon will serve a few of his best hors d’oeuvres.
“Sausage Academy,” 10:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. Saturday, September 16, is a hands-on class with Warren Dawkins who spent 53 years in the sausage industry. This unique seminar will provide you with the opportunity to make several different types of sausage, and you’ll leave with samples to enjoy at home. Cost is $45/$55.
“All Time Favorites of On the Verandah” will be held from noon to 2:00 P.M., Wednesday, September 20. Cost is $50/$60.Participants will enjoy a smorgasbord of the Verandah’s favorite dishes. Demonstrations by Chef Andrew Figel, recipes and wine pairing make this an annual event not to miss.
“Brewing and Brewery Tour in Beer City, USA,” will be held from 9:00 A.M. until later afternoon Saturday, September 23. Cost is $125/$140. Love Beer? This trip is for you as we explore craft brewing and breweries in Asheville, the city named in a USA Today poll as being the finest beer town in America. The program will be led by Dr. Sean O’Connell, Western Carolina University Biology Department Chair and leader of the Tuckaseegee Brewing Cooperative.
“Tasting the Difference Between Old World and New World Wine,” is set for 3:30 P.M. Thursday, September 28. Cost is $45/$55 Explore and celebrate the world of wines with Davis and Tina Picklesimer, owners of the Highlands Wine Shoppe.