Stephens Couple Brings Cajun Flavors to Blue Ridge Bakery

By Joel Frady

Jeffrey Stephens and his wife, Myra, had two goals when they moved to Jefferson from Lafayette, La.: to live

in the mountains and open their own restaurant.

Simply moving to the mountains solved one goal, and the Stephens achieved the other when they purchased the Blue Ridge Bakery Café in Glendale Springs.

"It's something I've been wanting to do for years," said Jeffrey Stephens, who also does most of the cooking for the restaurant. "I always wanted to do it, and I wanted to do it without anyone telling me what to do."

Myra Stephens does most of the baking for the restaurant, which offers freshly baked breads, cookies, cobblers and New Orleans-style pralines.

And while the restaurant also serves a variety of normal dishes such as pizza, sub sandwiches, burgers, smoothies and salads, Stephens also wanted to do something different with the menu.

"My goal is to bring the Cajun food to this area," he said. "They didn't have any kind of Cajun food in this area," and he saw an opportunity to bring "the flavor of the food" to the High Country. The restaurant claims to be "the only place in Ashe County to get true Cajun cooking." The menu offers such items as Louisiana-style Poboys with shrimp or oysters, catfish platters and spicy gumbo. The sauce for the Poboys is made at the restaurant with mayonnaise and "a variety of family secret spices," and Stephens said that "a lot of people love it."

Stephens added that they are "still not finished at what we're trying to do with this place," and that he would like to have crawfish on the menu by this summer.

The Blue Ridge Bakery Café is also a family-oriented business. Stephens said that his daughter and in-laws help run the restaurant.

"It's really almost family-run," said Stephens, who noted that they do hire three waitresses for the busy summer months. But having family around helps Jeffrey Stephens, who said he "enjoys working with the family and getting to spend more time with my daughter."

The Café, which opened in April of 2007, is the first restaurant for the Stephens. In addition to the menu, Stephens also feels that the restaurant has other elements that will appeal to the community.

"We have a good atmosphere and a friendly staff," he said. "We get our food out pretty quick, and our prices are pretty reasonable compared to the area."

Blue Ridge Bakery Café is located at 246 J.W. Luke Road in Glendale Springs. The restaurant is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, but is open during the winter months from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays through Saturdays and from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the weekends. They will extend their hours of operation as the season gets busier.

To find out more about the Blue Ridge Bakery Café, call (336) 982-4811.