Nesting

Walking into duck Hawk Provisions, Cashiers' newest market café, one can't help but feel a hint of familiarity and comfort. Maybe it is the entrance lined with stacked firewood, patiently waiting its turn to stoke the outdoor fire pit. It could be the comfortably arranged al fresco seating, offering an opportunity to catch up with an old friend. Or, perhaps it is a feeling of nostalgia, a distant memory of a day when you walked into the country general store so your grandfather could buy you a fishing pole. Whatever the case, there is an undeniable presence, a sort of intrigue, that draws you in.

Once inside, a heightened awareness of gourmet luxury fills your senses. While Duck Hawk Provisions does sell fishing poles, this isn't your grandpa's general store. "It's a fishing or hunting lodge feel, everything that a general store has, but taking food and drink to the next level, appropriate for the area," explains owner Jason Dauble.

Dauble grew up in the food and beverage industry; his first job was washing dishes; soon, he was cooking at Van Gogh's in Roswell, GA. "It was a great place to learn to cook," he grins, hinting at the popularity of the now-closed Atlanta suburb's fine-dining establishment. With degrees in hospitality management from Georgia Southern and in culinary arts from The Art Institute of Atlanta, Dauble has opened several hospitality venues, including Canoe, South City Kitchen, Eleven50, SALT Kitchen and Bar, and the Gerber Group's Whiskey Blue at W Hotels.

In 2020, he relocated to the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau to take advantage of an opportunity to open a lodge. Eventually, he parlayed years of experience managing the construction of restaurants and bars to overseeing home building in the area. "I've worked on over 50 homes in four years, ranging from renovations to new construction," Dauble shares.

When the opportunity arose to re-imagine the closed Cashiers Valley Smokehouse location, Dauble jumped at the chance. "I wanted to build something that was ‘me’." Jason named the location Duck Hawk after a nickname given to the peregrine falcon. "I'm fascinated with falconry." Epicureans can find merchandise with the Duck Hawk Provisions moniker throughout the mercantile in signature camo and blaze orange colorways. The merchandising mix includes gifts, coolers, home goods, and barware, along with freshly prepared warm and cold cuisine, packaged provisions, non-alcoholic drinks, and wine. "It's not a restaurant, but it is a place where you can sit and eat. We are a year-round gathering location where you can purchase gourmet food to go. Come for coffee and stay for champagne.”

For breakfast, pop in and enjoy bagels shipped from Brooklyn, sold by the sleeve or individually, biscuits, burritos, or grit bowls, and pastries from Sarah's Sweets, including apple cider donuts. Lunch staples that will keep you coming back for more? Pulled pork or fried chicken sandwiches, turkey reubens, cold salads, and dips: The Dirty Bird (a smoked chicken dip), Augusta (a pimento cheese dip), and 30-A Smoked Tuna. " I fell in love with the tuna dip from Bud and Alley's in Seaside, FL," Jason recalls, "so I decided to recreate that, but we smoke our Tuna.”

Tuna isn't the only protein smoking at Duck Hawk. "The building came with twin smokers, and while not a smokehouse, we're smoking about 800 pounds of meat a week." Duck Hawk Provisions smokes ribs for two hours, whole chickens for four, and pork butts for twelve hours overnight. "We smoke with pecan, apple, and cherry wood, use our signature five spice rub, and sell pints of our Duck Hawk Provisions BBQ sauce," says Dauble. For dinner, pick up a rack of ribs, a whole smoked chicken, or lasagna. "It's all comfort food; things you crave and want to bring home.”

In addition to shopping Duck Hawk's selection of wine, consider joining the Peregrine Club, an exclusive club of wine enthusiasts who enjoy first purchase of tickets at Duck Hawk's limited-seating monthly wine events, and discounted pricing on select wines. The first event, dubbed "Birds & Bubbles," was themed around sparkling wine and included a small-bites menu of creamy she-crab soup, cheesy grit cakes with bacon jam, fried chicken on toast, caviar, corn succotash with crisped collards, and chocolate raspberry mousse.

Rounding out the adult-oriented space, enjoy WiFi access for remote working, a 60-seat dog-friendly outdoor area with a fire pit and bocce ball, TVs located inside and outside, where sports enthusiasts can enjoy football and wings, and "The Nest," a sitting room oriented around an indoor fireplace that is available for private rentals. Duck Hawk's friendly staff, store manager Colin Bard, and kitchen manager Jesse Coffeen, complete Jason Dauble's winning equation.

While Duck Hawk is a provisions store, they supply Cashiers with so much more than elevated food and supplies: A comfortable atmosphere where patrons can bring a laptop, stop while taking the dog for a walk on the Cashiers Greenway Ramble, or plan a visit with friends over wine. It’s a place for adults to meet and gather, equal parts nostalgic country general store and upscale hospitality venue, offering both convenience and comfort.

The peregrine falcon's name originates from the Latin word peregrinus, meaning "to wander," referring to its wide-ranging migrations. Perhaps what is most captivating about Duck Hawk Provisions is that Jason Dauble has created a nesting ground, a place where we can all sit and stay a while.