[jazz music] The home now called River House majestically sits on 160 acres overlooking the New River where it's been since the 1870s.

The Inn's founder is Gayle Winston.

- When I bought the property, which was in 1988, we're now going on 35 years.

I have scars to show for every year.

- [Deborah] Spend five minutes talking with Gayle and you'll quickly learn the secret to River House.

- She is part of the charm of what makes this place so awesome - And she's got all the energy in the world and she's got stories and she loves to see everyone that walks through the door.

- [Deborah] In 2009, Gayle was awarded The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina's highest civilian honor, for her contributions to the hospitality industry.

- I'm 10th generation Ash County and I've lived in New York for 20 years.

I worked for Time Magazine and I produced plays.

- And of course it started out everybody loves Gayle.

and then it just flows out from there.

- [Deborah] That's Julie Milunic.

She and her husband Matt were frequent guests until Gayle persuaded them to become co-owners in 2016 - They were getting ready to downsize.

So I said, "Well, why didn't you come and live here?"

And they did.

I mean, no, I mean, and they did, like almost immediately.

Their house sold in about an hour and a half.

- I called Gayle first and said, "Were you really serious 'cause we're about to be homeless now?"

- [Deborah] She was serious all right.

Together they're continuing the traditions of River House starting with the bar and restaurant located inside the main house.

- The food is incredible.

I have never had a more soul food here that isn't.

She is the best.

- Well, of course we use a lot of local ingredients, but the food is very good.

Breakfast is one of the best breakfasts you can have anywhere, I promise.

- [Deborah] Dinner is served Wednesday through Saturday evenings, with two seatings, one at 6:00 PM and the next at 7:30.

- There will be five or six appetizers, five or six entrees.

The same with desserts.

- [Deborah] Gayle's passion for the arts, in this case music, comes alive on Sunday.

- [laughs] It is wonderful.

And we have music often and when possible musicians are on the front porch, people sit down below on the lawn to hear music.

- [Deborah] Dinner is slightly different on that day too.

- On Sundays, we do fork or set menus that the chef decides.

- It's a fun thing in the sense that we have the entertainment and then we have our dinner, but we don't really know what the chef's gonna create for us - [Deborah] On this night, the first course is fresh butternut squash soup - And it's just magnificent.

Second course is black grouper.

- It was amazing.

Yes.

- Third course will be beef tenderloin.

Always, he gets it just right.

Whatever temperature you want it.

- [Deborah] And you can always count on a delicious dessert.

After dinner, it's a short walk or drive up to the guest rooms, which have been renovated from the property's original outbuildings that meander up the hillside from the restaurant.

- [Gayle] We have altogether 13.

- The existing buildings pretty much look like they did back then, but inside they're renovated.

- They're king sized beds and whirlpool tubs and and gas log fireplaces.

And you know, it's rather elegant, you know, in a country way.

- [Deborah] The same can be said for the inn's owners, as well as every square inch of River House.

- We want people to get away from their busy lives and come here, be pampered with our good food, relax, sit on the porch.

- We had a review was said about River House, "It's elegant without a trace of pretension."

[jazz music] - The River House Inn and Restaurant is at 1896 Old Field Creek Road in Grassy Creek.

That's in Ash County.

To book your room or make dinner reservations, give them a call at 336-982-2109 or visit them online at riverhousenc.com.