Moondance Wine Bar, conveniently located and easy to find on US Highway 64 in Toxaway, may be one of the newer spots around, but Andrea Schmitt, the talent behind it, is anything but new to our local food scene.
After more than 30 years running beloved Highlands favorites like Wild Thyme and Meritage, she thought she was stepping away for good. But as it turns out, you can take the restaurateur out of the restaurant, but you just can’t take the restaurant out of the restaurateur. Lucky for us, she felt the pull back to food and wine and opened Moondance last summer, refreshed and ready to create something special again.
Moondance is the culmination of Andrea’s experience and vision as the perfect neighborhood gathering place where folks can enjoy excellent food, fine wine, and great ambience. With the help of her husband, Paul, who happens to be an architect, they transformed a former office building into a space you’ll want to linger in. From the dramatic entrance to the cozy Art Deco interior, Moondance feels equal parts glamorous and welcoming, the kind of place where date night, girls’ night, or a spontaneous glass of wine all feel just right.
Andrea Schmit
Andrea reunited with her Meritage chef, Justin Burns, and the two clearly haven’t missed a beat. The menu is packed with fresh, vibrant salads, perfectly pressed paninis, indulgent tapas, and plenty of shareable plates. And then there are the lobster rolls, generously stuffed with sweet Maine lobster. More than one guest has said they’d rival anything you’d find seaside. Not bad for the mountains. This season promises an expanded menu as Andrea and Justin continue to combine their skills to create items.
A carefully curated wine selection has always been a cornerstone of Moondance. New this year is the Wine Club, which offers members carefully chosen wines from boutique and small family producers. Andrea likes to call them “adventure collections” because they afford her customers a chance to try carefully selected new wines chosen for their incredible expression, broad appeal, and value pricing.
Weekday wine tastings with guest wine makers from Europe and California will be offered by reservation and accompanied by delicious small plates from their evening menu.
Andrea is always dreaming up something new, special tastings, creative pairings, or seasonal menu additions, so it’s worth checking their website, moondancewinebar.com, to see what’s coming up. Better yet, stop in and see for yourself. Chances are, you’ll find your new favorite gathering place.
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