Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country | Founded 05-05-05

Reid’s Gourmet Take-Out and Bakery To Open in Boone By End of March

Story by Sam Calhoun

Nothing like Reid’s Gourmet Take-Out and Bakery has ever existed in the High Country, making it hard to categorize the new establishment that will open by the end of the month at 142 South Water Street in Boone in the former location of Moon Shine Café.

“Basically, if you are hungry, come here,” said Tina Houston, co-owner of Reid’s Gourmet Take-Out and Bakery and former owner of The Old Jailhouse Restaurant that inhabited the same location before Moon Shine Café opened. Houston shares ownership of Reid’s with Angela Kelly, a friend and former Old Jailhouse cook. “We’ll be able to serve anywhere between 2 [people] and 200 [people],” she added.

Reid’s Gourmet Take-Out and Bakery is named after Houston’s daughter, and shares its name with Houston’s 10-year-old catering company.

Reid’s Gourmet Take-Out and Bakery will serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, beer, wine, Sunday brunch and dinners to go. The business will open at 9:00 a.m. seven days a week and will remain open into the evening hours. Reid’s will not offer table service, but tables are available inside the establishment for patrons to use.

Described by Houston as a “chalkboard menu,” the culinary offerings at Reid’s will change every day based on what ingredients are available. Houston and Kelly will make all the meals and are the only employees of the business except for a catering staff and a counter person.

“The daily menu is dependent on what we can get locally and fresh; it’s whatever we can get our hands on,” said Houston. “The menu will change with the seasons, as well.”

In the mornings, coffee from Espresso News and homemade Danishes will greet customers. During lunch, patrons will enjoy two soups and two sandwiches of the day, a variety of salads, food by the pound, artisanal cheeses, tamales and empanadas. For dinner, customers can order complete dinners to go, Indian dinner specials, salads and food by the pound. Throughout the day, Houston and Kelly will make homemade desserts including chocolate truffles, pies and cakes.

At night, the Reid’s Gourmet Take-Out and Bakery bar will be open, serving beer and wine. Reid’s is also offering free Internet access to its customers, free in-town delivery and discounts for people who walk or bike to the establishment—affectionately called the 10-toe and 2-wheel discounts.

Houston and Kelly also plan to sell their homemade chutneys, vinaigrettes, spice rubs and ice cream at Reid’s.

In addition to all the offerings inside Reid’s, Houston and Kelly are offering large take-out orders for dinner parties, including delivery and setup. The co-owners also are offering catering for weddings and cocktail parties, from casual to high end.

Currently, Houston and Kelly are finishing up indoor and outdoor improvements to the building, unfitting the interior and painting the roof.

“The jailhouse is already an incredible space,” said Houston. “We are just making it our own space; we’re modernizing it.”

“We’re putting our personality to it,” added Kelly.

Houston and Kelly added parking spaces on the side of the building and are excited about restoring the property’s garden once spring arrives.

“It’s going to be the best garden space to eat around in town,” said Kelly.

For more information, call Reid’s Gourmet Take-Out and Bakery at 828-268-9600.