by Michelle Moran | May 8, 2024 | #BestofBlueRidge, #ChefDannyMellman, #dannyandmichelle, #Homestead, #litlpond, The Chef, Uncategorized
Spring in the Appalachian Mountains is a time of renewal and transformation. The Blue Ridge landscape turns into a colorful canvas; the air is filled with the sweet melodies of birds, and the meadows come alive with the gentle hum of bees. This transition, unique...
by Michelle Moran | Sep 10, 2023 | #BestofBlueRidge, #ChefDannyMellman, #dannyandmichelle, #Homestead, #litlpond, The Writer
My husband Danny and I were in the jungle of Belize having breakfast, bird-watching, and being entertained by an acrobatic group of Howler Monkeys. We began chatting with a couple at a nearby table. They were raised in the Midwest and living in Texas. As always with...
by Michelle Moran | Feb 21, 2021 | #BestofBlueRidge, #ChefDannyMellman, #dannyandmichelle, #litlpond, The Writer
We planned to set out early in our usual organized chaos but missed the first three ferries. I wanted to catch the first boat to the mainland and begin our discovery tour. But Danny wasn’t stirring, even with my five alarms. He’d been pretty wiped out since coming to...
by The Chef And The Writer | May 19, 2020 | #BestofBlueRidge, #ChefDannyMellman, #dannyandmichelle, #litlpond, #MasseriaKitchen, #saverestaurants, CovidChronicle, Uncategorized
There are so many ups and downs in this quarantine. This began as one of those down weeks. Struggling with the idea of opening, something that 65 days ago, when we were submerged by the knowledge that we would have to close our restaurants, we were buoyed only by the...
by The Chef And The Writer | Jan 8, 2017 | #BestofBlueRidge, #ChefDannyMellman, #MasseriaKitchen, #SustainableFarming
This New Year brings us exciting news. We worked to create a vision for the next 10 years for our company and part of that was building our restaurant properties to a place where we could own the land beneath our business. Along with that goal, comes many other...
by The Chef And The Writer | Mar 14, 2015 | #BestofBlueRidge, #ChefDannyMellman, #Homestead, #MasseriaKitchen, #SustainableFarming
I sit, watching the sky darken, and contemplate the task of mucking out our sow’s stall. I need to dispose of the straw she’s kept so warm for her litter this winter, the lice have not died off despite bone-chilling weather. I’ve finished my basic daily chores. I...
