Rural Seed

As its name suggests, the Rural Seed celebrates farm food. Produce is locally sourced and breads are locally baked. Recipes reflect tradition, but often with a unique creative twist.

For instance, you can get typical eggs Benedict; but you also can get Southern Benedict, which is a freshly baked buttermilk biscuit topped with from-scratch sausage gravy, pulled pork, and a couple of eggs. A grilled cheese sandwich isn’t just grilled cheese. It is Swiss, Provolone, and Parmesan with a dash of white truffle oil on hearty peasant bread. At dinner, shrimp & grits includes tasso ham, spinach, and tomato; North Carolina pork tenderloin is flavored with Tryon Mountain Lavender Farms Beer Thyme salt.

Three meals a day are served, from 9am to 9pm. Breakfast is an enjoyable time when many regular customers linger over coffee and conversation and the menu is replete with interesting options. Beyond Southern Benedict, I love house cured salmon flavored with fennel and lemon, served on honey wheat toast spread with chive/caper cream cheese. A biscuit topped with sausage gravy is a tender classic; pancakes are extra thick but relatively lightweight, served with warm maple syrup.

I’ve categorized The Rural Seed as a small town cafe, which it is; but there is nothing typical about it. It’s a delightful one-of-a-kind eating experience.