North Hickory Market — Restaurant in Hickory

Good afternoon!

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of breakfasting with Tim and Penny Peeler at Calvin Reyes’ new restaurant North Hickory Market.

The restaurant itself is beautiful. Calvin has turned the old Hattie’s store into a comfy, clean restaurant, retaining the roll down doors of the garage in the bar section.

It’s a spare and uncluttered and bright environment. I could see, hear, and sit comfortably. It smells of fresh bagels and focaccia bread.

Ann and I had the $9 breakfast plate with a $3 bagel w/ cream cheese upgrade. We chose livermush and grits with two eggs over medium.

We also tried the tater wedges (only cause I’d seen so many images online of them) with the special sauce.

We had coffee. I snuck a Pepsi zero after the coffee ran out. Shh. The fountain set is great, a good mix of C02 and syrup.

The meal was delicious and of great quality.

The grits are real stone ground grits—not cheap, quick grits—full of cheese and butter. Good lord, y’all!

The livermush was fried just right, flavorful and worth a Tim Early award.

Eggs were correct in temperature.

The bagels: OFF THE HOOK great. Nice and tight and chewy on the outside and soft and flavorful inside. Ann had a cinnamon one and I a sesame. Both were perfect in creation and taste.

The tater wedges are large, well breaded, and hot, tender, and tasty. A tie with Mountain Fried Chicken wedges, IMHO.

Now listen: the food costs a little more than Bojangles or Biscuitville.

But the quality, ingredients, and thought put into it are worth it. The proteins are top quality as are the spreads, cheeses, and presentation.

Btw, ask them to leave the piece of sandwich wrap paper off your plate. My hot eggs made the paper come apart and I found myself chewing on the paper. Lol!

Also, don’t feel bad to remind them when a coffee carafe is empty.

I know it’s arrogant to say, but Calvin Reyes reminds me of myself at his age; his business isn’t built on luck but hard work, tenacity, and professionalism. He’s the real thing. No BS. He can take criticism, but he adores advice couched with solutions. I used to love when a customer would make a suggestion to make his or her visit to my store a better experience.

I can’t wait to go for lunch. Once my fixed income account fills up, I’m at North Hickory Market for a Market Melt!

And look at that dinner menu! Calvin worked as a chef at several restaurants in the area to learn to plan a menu, and thus food looks fantastic.

The restaurant is a fascinating hybrid: Classic cafe diner with gourmet style food at affordable prices (based on the ingredients and item creation) during the first part of the day and true gourmet style meals in the evening. All locally sourced, fresh, and delicious.

Good food is science. Flavors, ingredients, and consistency are the outcomes food scientists strive for. Calvin has it within reach.

Try it. Be patient, kind, and joyous, and try it. Don’t complain online, but contact Calvin and make suggestions with solutions. If you love it, bring friends. They have a bar too with mixed drinks and beer! Plenty of parking! Reservations for supper!

Let’s prove that we deserve a restaurant like Calvin Reyes...

My friends wanted to check out this place, after hearing some good reviews, so we decided to give it a shot. Let’s start with the cashier. You know that moment when you walk into a new place hoping for a friendly smile or at least a “Hey, how can I help you?” Yeah… that didn’t happen. I wouldn’t say she was rude, she just didn’t seem to want to be there. Now, to be fair, the food actually tasted good… especially the bagels. But honestly, the prices didn’t match the vibe. It felt more “downtown brunch spot” than Hickory café, and the portions and presentation didn’t quite justify the cost. The dining area was another surprise. For those prices, I expected something a little more polished. Instead, I found myself sitting next to open shelves full of napkins, silverware, and plates like I’d accidentally wandered into the restaurant’s storage area. Not exactly the aesthetic you want while eating breakfast. They also forgot the cream cheese on my friend’s bagel, and the wait was kind of long. And the overall vibe? Kinda odd. It seemed like everyone there already knew each other, which made the place feel more awkward than inviting. Not bad energy, just… weirdly exclusive. North Hickory Market definitely has potential. The food’s got promise… but for now, it’s just too pricey for what it is. If they improved the atmosphere, I’d give it...

Upon entering, you place your order at the counter. The menu has some interesting choices. Lunch items are an average $15 and comes with a bag of chips as your side. If you want a different t side, there is an up charge of $3-$5 for macaroni salad, potato wedges, etc. After you order and pay, they provide you a number and you find a seat.You grab your chips and fountain drink before sitting The tables and chairs are metal. It’s an industrial looking decor. The large room is white with high ceilings and difficult to carry on a conversation because it’s quite loud in there. The food is delivered to you in a basket covered with paper. The dish I had was quite tasty. It was a turkey pita. It had an ample amount of freshly shaved turkey meat and included maple bacon, lettuce, and other flavorful toppings. Environment and dress code are very casual. For me personally, I would grab takeout next time. The food is very good but the atmosphere was too loud when dining...