I happened upon Dandelion –  a new to me restaurant last month in Hendersonville, NC.  My sister and brother in law were in town, I had a hair appointment in Hendersonville and offered to take them to lunch if they wanted to tag along and hang out downtown while I got my hair beautified.   They took  me up on the offer and I found a place to eat that sounded perfect.

Perfect it was and I now have a new favorite place to stop for a bite when I am in Hendersonville.

Dandelion is a job training program that is associated with Safelight – a nonprofit agency that provides support for survivors of interpersonal violence, sexual assault and child abuse.  According to their website Dandelion is described as follows:

 Our internship program provides job training for survivors of violence and provides an educational and supportive environment for those who may be at risk.

Participants gain experience and strengthen interpersonal skills while receiving additional services for themselves and their families.

These internships help create financial stability for trauma survivors while building workforce development within our community.

While we were in the restaurant it was busy.  There was a constant flow of customers, service was efficient and the food we ate was really tasty.  

I loved the set up and the atmosphere of the restaurant was upbeat and happy.  The servers and cooks all were gracious and had smiles on their faces.  Different areas of the restaurant had items for sale that reflected the mission of Dandelion and Safelight.

The menu featured a lot of great options and the fresh ingredients and innovative recipes made our platefuls of food a delight to eat.  I suspect that the place can get really busy at times and service might be slower but the day we visited we were served quickly and the food was wonderfully prepared.  The fact that we were actually in a training restaurant with a purpose of helping those in unsafe domestic situations was the icing on the cake so to speak.  How could I not be excited about supporting this place?

If you are even in the Hendersonville area this is a must stop for a meal.  The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm.  You can find Dandelion at 127 5th Ave W., Hendersonville, NC.  Not only do they serve meals at the restaurant but they also offer a catering service.  You can call directly for more information at  828.595.9365.

My favorite thing? Probably this dandelion sculpture made of cotton swabs. Cute idea, right?