Neighbors in #thenoke: Joseph Decuis

The Eshelman family has built an empire - a delicious and charming empire - in the heart of our dear town. Their renowned Joseph Decuis (pronounced day-QUEEZ, FYI) restaurant has become a culinary destination. What started as entertaining visiting sports insurance clients around their dining room table has become a fine dining experience, enjoyed by residents as well as many visitors from far flung places.

Joseph Decuis is now a multifaceted business with a few different dining and entertaining venues and experiences, as well as two stylishly appointed inns. We love walking down the street for lunch at the Emporium, and getting dressed up for an evening of fine dining on date night. We've been lucky to spend time on the Wagyu farm, located just six miles from Roanoke, and have seen the beauty of the compound first hand during special events. 

Our town is bustling these days, with shops of all varieties and a handful of dining choices for all palettes and price points. Joseph Decuis has brought such magic to #thenoke and we're happy to share a small stretch of road with them.

Come spend a day with us in Roanoke, and be sure to include Joseph Decuis in your plans!

Chilewich, Why We Obsess

Used by some of the finest restaurants in the world, Chilewich is an obsession-worthy brand and here's why:

Chilewich offers fashionable placemats and runners in every texture, size, weave and color under the sun, so you'll have no problem finding a style to perfectly complement your decor. While we're fans of neutrals (shocking, we know), the saturated spectrum of colors is dizzying and we want. them. all.

Chilewich placemats and runners are so thin, place settings and stemware sit evenly on the surface so they make setting a beautiful table an absolute dream. Let's take a moment of silence to mourn the loss of previously shattered glasses and goblets...

Chilewich's floor mats are also low-profile, so your door will never catch on the pile, and they won't cause furniture and lighting to tip or teeter.

Perhaps the best part, all Chilewich placemats, runners and floor mats can be easily rinsed or hosed off, rather than laundered, making these pieces a practical, durable and good looking home textile option. 

You simply must come in to see and feel these gems for yourself. Come obsess with us... 

Chin Chin

We Trovesters appreciate a great drink at the end of the day (or lunch, if conditions are favorable). Therefore, you'll always find cool and chic barware in store. 

While gathering images for this blog post, we started thinking about our treasured and oft used toasts, lovingly gathered during our many travels and friendly fêtes. Pour yourself a glass and cheers with us, won't you?

“I say “Cheers, Big Ears” for nearly every clink of a wine glass. My Kiwi sister in law says it’s a New Zealand thing, so I adopted it to make myself feel more international. ”
— Trovester Leslie
“In my family, we always say ‘Salud, Dinero y Amor’, which translates to Health, Money & Love in Spanish.

Sometimes, just to switch things up a bit, I go with Áspro Páto, which is Greek for ‘Bottoms Up!’”
— Trovester Melani
“We always use a quote from the classic film, All About Eve:

”Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy night!””
— Trovester Mark
“We learned in Belgium to say ‘Prost!’ and that when you raise a glass, you must make eye contact with your fellow revelers, to avoid bad sex. Is that TMI for the blog?”
— Trovester Kate

Salut! Chin chin! Sláinte! 

No matter what your favorite toast is, freshen up your bar game at home and do it with style!

Deck the Halls

At The Trove, we LIVE for the festive holidays of Winter. There's nothing that warms the home quite like the scent of fresh evergreens, twinkle lights, shimmering ornaments and special tableware. Because we're so passionate about these wonderful things, we make sure to stock the store with all kinds of holiday goodies. From luxurious candles to cozy plaid blankets, swing by the shop and feather your nest for the holidays and the long Winter stretching before us... 

Local honeys from Second Chance Farm

Trovester Kate Tomkinson, in addition to gracing the shop with amazing inventory you all know and love, is an experienced and accomplished backyard beekeeper, having started her career in 2009. Kate was the winning bidder on a package that provided her with all the accoutrement needed to get started, including a hive and beekeeper's suit. She took to it beautifully and has been producing sweet, golden honey ever since. Beekeeping is an involved and intricate business but one that Kate finds so rewarding. Every year she learns something new, encounters a new parasite or virus and has had varying degrees of success with her yield.

Kate's concern for the plight of our nation's bees was the driving force behind her winning bid. Between pesticides used in agriculture as well as ever increasing viruses, a greater focus and concern for the well being of the bee population is vital for our crops, thus our food supply. Bees are extremely important to our ecosystem and without them our fruits and vegetables would be in grave danger.

Due to the increasing availability of local and organic honeys at grocery stores, farmer's markets and farm stands, Kate decided to get inventive with her Second Chance Farm honeys. She combined her honey with cinnamon and balsamic vinegar, creating a delicious Balsamic Glaze that's thick and slightly sweet, great for Caprese salads, fish, meat and even ice cream! Kate's latest concoctions involve blending some of her husband's most treasured fine liquors to create Scotch Infused and Bourbon Infused honeys that have become wildly popular. Spread these honeys on toast or biscuits or drizzle into your tea. Don't worry --- the alcohol content in these amazing honeys is minimal. 

All of Kate's Second Chance Farm honeys are sold at The Trove and are delicious treats for your own kitchen and make wonderful hostess gifts.