Slow Season Supper Club

Picture yourself on the pavilion of a stunning mountain estate, a glass of champagne in your hand, lively conversation and laughter in the air. It’s the sleepy, slow season in your Appalachian resort town. The bustling energy of last year’s festivals and fairs is a pleasant memory. Tonight is about food and friendship, warm and comforting as a glowing fire. Slow Season Supper Club at Flat Mountain Farm provides the setting; the guests bring their unique personalities to share across the dinner table.

Inspiration for the dinners arose from the owners’ time living in Atlanta and Lisbon.  “Over the years, we'd attended quite a few pop-up dinners held in chefs' homes or other thoughtfully curated spaces, and we always loved the intimacy of those events,” Koble Delmer recalls. “Plus, it made even more sense when you factor in (husband and director of hospitality) Caleb's background in restaurants and the incredible network of talented chefs he's built over the years. It gave us the relationships and the experience to pull it off in a way that felt organic and authentic to us.”

As the sun sets, guests drift into the rustic Peregrine lodge to discover candlelit tables, gleaming wine glasses waiting to be filled, and flames crackling in the fireplace. The first course offers a preview of coming indulgence: Tuna crudo dances gracefully with strawberries, smoked date aioli, pink peppercorn, and bronze fennel.

On this evening, Chef Craig Richards of Atlanta’s Lyla Lila delivers his signature flair to the Highlands hideaway. His menu serves as evidence of his expertise, but also as a personal introduction to Elise, his newest restaurant.

“We explore the area between French and Italian, seafood-forward cuisine using Georgia and Southeastern ingredients. The menu reflects the season and one of our new spring dishes, the mushroom tortellini.” Arriving next, the tortellini is indeed exquisite; perfectly tender with a decadent dressing of porcini-chive butter and Comté fondue, the dish delivers late-winter comfort with a whisper of early spring.

Chef Craig’s combination of European methodology and Southern staples elicits delighted praise from guests. When platters of steelhead trout arrive, diners can be heard exclaiming at the surprising pairing of creamy, delicate blackeyed peas. It’s a dish authentically Southern in spirit, flawlessly elevated with ginger beurre blanc and caviar.

Of course, what would dinner be without the vino? There is no such thing as leftover wine here; Koble and Caleb circle the room, refilling glasses before they’re emptied, chatting congenially with guests. The couple who first bonded over their love of food display a mutual passion for entertaining. Koble lights up when she shares their vision: “We love the idea of bringing people together who might not otherwise cross paths: strangers sitting down, sharing a meal, and walking away as friends.”

It’s true; you never know whom you’ll run into at Slow Season Supper Club. On this night, a table is shared by a local business owner, his family, and two employees; a visiting couple from Atlanta with a passion for great music; and one voraciously hungry magazine editor. Other tables play host to Flat Mountain neighbors, off-season tourists, and a motley crew of community members; a dinner party of strangers who bond over the shared experience.

Even Chef Craig joins in the merriment. Not one to hide away in the kitchen; he works the room, sharing his enthusiasm for this smaller, more intimate setting. “I get to interact more with guests and there’s a closer, more personal connection between myself, the food and the diner.” For those who enjoy food as an art form, appreciating the dish means learning from the creator. Supper Club feels like a gallery event for epicureans.

And finally, dessert. Pillowy clouds of chocolate mousse deliver a satisfying grand finale. With spirits elevated by wine and good cheer, several guests jokingly lick their plates. It’s the type of thing you do when you feel perfectly at home among friends.

Julia Pistova of Atlanta offers her recollections. “It felt like all the stars aligned… Cozy space, delicious meal, interesting people, perfect wine pairing, and great tunes…One of those magical nights you wish could last a little longer!’

While the evening itself has ended, Slow Season Supper Club shall live on in the future. Koble shares that plans are in the works to continue the events later this year, and that the Club “definitely has the potential to expand even further.” As the slow season ends and the busy season begins, Flat Mountain Farm is only getting started. “We can't wait to share what's coming. The best is definitely still ahead!”