Cooking Channel features WNC restaurant Caffe REL, Oct. 17

From a press release:

Cooking Channel features WNC restaurant Caffe REL, Oct. 17

National food network “Cooking Channel” is featuring Western North Carolina restaurant Caffe REL , located in Franklin, N.C., in the national debut of its new reality television show “Offbeat Eats with Jim Stacy” this Friday, October 17 at 9 p.m. EST.

Caffe REL will be featured in the premiere episode, titled “Gas Station Gourmet.” The wildly popular cafe is owned and operated by Chef Richard E. Long, who has operated the restaurant beside a local Hot Spot gas station since its inception in 2004. At Caffe REL, their motto is “It’s About the Food!” Cafe REL did not advertise upon opening, or the years thereafter, yet it became a success by word of mouth amongst the locals.

The delicious french bistro cuisine has been a smash hit with travelers from Cashiers and Highlands, N.C., to Florida, New York, and European vacationers. Their loyal customer base also expands to hungry hikers coming off the Appalachian Trail, who’ve heard about Caffe REL’s  eats along the trail.

“Offbeat Eats with Jim Stacy” is described as a celebration of America’s roadside rebel chefs, the people who create quirky eateries that are off the beaten path and serve u deliciously offbeat foot and experiences. From hidden local gems to restaurants doing surprising new things where you least expect it. “Offbeat Eats with Jim Stacy” is positioned as a roadmap to restaurants that are small and hard to find – but always worth the journey.

Best described as a French restaurant with a New York deli flair, “Offbeat Eats with Jim Stacy” chose to feature Caffe REL to champion the chef and team as part of its mission to highlight “America’s roadside rebel chefs.”

“We are grateful for this honor and the opportunity to spread the word for our restaurant. We couldn’t have done it without the love and support of our customers,” said Chef Long.

About Chef Richard Long
Richard Long is an accomplished Chef, having graduated from the highly selective Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Long has held positions including, Executive Chef at Illinois State University and boasts a career of running elite restaurants in Pennsylvania and western North Carolina. Professionally, his first mentor was Swiss chef Otto Indemauer, under whom he worked for seven years at the Pocono Hershey Resort in Pennsylvania. It was Indemaur who recommended he apprentice at Greenbrier. Chef Long also had the unique opportunity to cook for the Iranian hostages upon their return to the U.S. in 1981.

Nearing retirement, Long now resides in Franklin, N.C., with his wife Rebecca Long. Together, the two keep Caffe REL running for its loyal base of customers and 10 employees.