WAXHAW, NC – We are at a culinary crossroads this time of year.  Summer barbecue and backyard grilling still abound, while rich and savory Fall dishes are knocking at our doors.  Provisions in Waxhaw, owned by Ken Posko and Lisa Vigil, stocks the essentials you’ll need to create distinctive dishes for your family and friends to enjoy.

Chef Posko’s Seasonings

The menu at Provisions in Waxhaw is a labor of love.  The dishes are diverse – the best of Southern hospitality and beyond – and many, like the iconic Ruben Sandwich, have a loyal following.  Ken Posko, renowned chef at Provisions in Waxhaw, has made Chef Posko’s Seasonings, available exclusively in-store. The seasonings, which come in a variety of distinctive flavors, offer customers the option of creating the down-home, flavor-filled dishes they’ve come to love at home.  Chef Posko’s Seasonings include the Pork Butt Rub, Tater Seasoning, Cuban Seasoning, Blackening Seasoning for Seafood, Chicken and Seafood Salt, and Rotisserie Seasoning.  Each boasts a blend of high-quality spices hand-picked by Chef Posko and used in many of his eclectic dishes.  Customers of all ages love his savory blends, many noting that their children will only eat potatoes seasoned with Tater Seasoning, the same spice blend used in his addictive home-fried breakfast potatoes.

Still There Shine Sauce   

After cooking professionally for over 30 years, owner Dave Bettendorf set out to offer a different perspective on a crowd favorite when he created Still There Shine Sauce, and he has accomplished that and more.  Using his knowledge of regional Southern cuisines and flavors, Dave began mixing and testing until he created the current sauces of his Still There Shine Sauce line.  Still There Original Shine BBQ Sauce is a rich classic that has that special ‘shine twist with caramelized vegetables and dark brown sugar, the perfect sweet and smoky pairing to everything from eggs to Bloody Marys to pork chops.  Other top “Still There Shine Sauce” sellers include the buttery Barnyard Base with a hint of sweet apple, perfect for all of your grilling meats; the versatile NC Moonshine Mop Sauce with its hint of sweetness that compliments everything from vegetables and salads to pickled shrimp and raw oysters; and the robust Mustard Sauce with a hint of yellow and brown mustard seed that creates that coveted glaze on your grilled foods and adds a savory note to mac and cheese, pork ribs, smoked chicken and seafood.  Dave “Billie-Bob” Bettendorf is set to release a new finger-licking barbecue sauce, Pig Polish, with a hint of blackberry ‘shine, in October.  For more information on all of Still There Shine Sauce’s flavors and sauces please visit stillthereshinesauce.com and follow them on Facebook @shine1920 and on Instagram @shinesauce1920

Brown Creek Creamery

Our dreams carry us through life with hope, faith, and possibility.  Brown Creek Creamery was a long-held dream for owner Jeff Poplin, who opened the farm after retiring from his job at the electric company.  Once the dairy farm was up and running, Mr. Poplin brought in his son-in-law, Robert Stovall, to be “the cheese guy” and help turn the fresh milk into delicious cheese products. Today, Brown Creek Creamery proudly produces high-quality cheeses.  Their products include Fromage, mild and aged cheddar, Ole Buddy Blue, pepper cheddar, pimento cheese, and queso fresco.  Their delicious cheese curds are available in ranch, red pepper, chipotle, Italian, and plain.  

Mr. Stovall recommends eating cheese curds as a tasty snack by themselves or deep-fried as an appetizer.  The creamy texture is similar to mozzarella and is also superb melted on a cheeseburger or as a complement to any salad. Brown Creek Creamery’s full line of products can be purchased through their website, browncreekcreamery.com. 

Michael’s Exotic Peppers

For owner Michael Flint of Michael’s Exotic Peppers, peppers are his passion.  He started with growing super-hot and unique peppers from around the world in his apartment.  Once the peppers started popping, Michael turned his passion into potential and began creating gourmet crafted hot sauces.  His goal is to change the inherent fear many people have that hot sauces are painful and scary by adding versatile ingredients that create unique blends that are more palatable to the public.  His sauces range from mild, which are appealing to most hot sauce connoisseurs, to amplified, which are very hot and spicy.  

Michael’s Exotic Peppers hot sauces come in a variety of flavors and heat levels.  Most hot sauces are rated on a 5-point scale.  Grilled Banana and Trinidad Scorpion, Watermelon and Ghost Pepper, and Grilled Pineapple and Mango with Carolina Reaper, come in two heat levels, one a milder version within the 1-5 heat range and then an amplified version of 10 and above.  Black Garlic and Ghost Pepper and Watermelon and Red Scotch Bonnet are all within the 1-5 heat range for a milder experience.

Michael’s goal is for his hot sauces to be your go-to condiment for your favorite dishes.  Grilled Banana and Trinidad Scorpion pairs well with pizza.  Grilled Pineapple and Mango with Carolina Reaper is superb on beef or chicken tacos.  Watermelon and Scotch Bonnet complements seared seafood dishes and has been featured in dishes at The Black Chicken/Cork and Ale in Waxhaw.  Black Garlic and Ghost Pepper adds a kick to scrambled eggs and fried chicken and is featured in the panko-crusted crispy deviled eggs appetizer at Black Finn Ameripub in Charlotte.

Michael’s Exotic Peppers hot sauces have been recognized by Bill Moore, a YouTube Channel hot sauce reviewer, on “Bill Moore’s Hot and Spicy.”  His Watermelon and Ghost Pepper amplified sauce won third place in a contest for the hottest sauce in North Carolina.  Michael’s Exotic Peppers hot sauces are available via his website michaelsexoticpeppers.com.  You can follow Michael’s Exotic Peppers on Facebook @michaelspeppers and on Instagram @michaelsexoticpeppers. 

Bruce Julian Heritage Foods

Many know the iconic Julian Family from their combined 75 years of service and design focusing on exceptional men’s lifestyle and clothing items at Bruce Julian Clothier in Charlotte.  Bruce Julian, a connoisseur of antique toys and renowned music aficionado, has an English Pub in-store where customers can experience fine Southern hospitality along with high-quality wine and spirits.  Julian began his Heritage Food line after crafting his own unique Bloody Mary mix, concocted with exquisite ingredients collected from his travels around the world.  He started serving the Bloody Mary cocktail in-store in the English Pub to rave reviews.  After several requests to provide his Bloody Mary mix for events,  Julian decided to brand and sell it to customers everywhere.

Today, Bruce Julian Heritage Foods boasts a full line of elegant cocktails, gourmet bites, savory seasonings, southern-style preserves with a twist, and other distinctive essentials for fine Southern living.  Their top sellers include their superior Bloody Mary Mix, the exclusive Couch Mix made with real North Carolina peanuts and seasoned with their signature Southern Mojo seasoning, and their piquant Sassy Okra, a pickled version of a Southern favorite.  This October they will be adding a special craft brittle to their line of products, conceived from a classic recipe born in the 1890s, with a unique touch that truly represents the flavor of the South.  Bruce Julian Heritage Foods serves over 37 states in America to loyal customers, package stores, bars, and restaurants who believe in Bruce Julian’s philosophy that “Quality and taste are a given, not an option.”  Bruce Julian Heritage Foods products are available at brucejulianheritagefoods.com and you can follow them on Facebook and Instagram at @BruceJulianHeritageFoods.

To purchase these products and more, please visit Provisions in Waxhaw located at 107 W. South Main Street.