Breakfast is ready

By JOSH MCDONALD

Staff Reporter

PINEHURST — A new breakfast spot has popped up in Pinehurst and if early success is any indication, it’s here to stay for a long time.

The Goose ‘N the Tree Cafe was opened recently by Meredith Lugiai and Derek Tombleson inside the former laundromat building. The space also doubles as an area for Tombleson to bake specialty bread items.

The first thing that jumps out to most patrons is the unique name; and while the entire restaurant is outdoor themed, the name comes from the owners’ children.

“Our 3-year-old son’s name is Augustus,” Lugiai said. “And you know in ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,’ the kid Augustus (pronounced like Ah-Goost-Us),” Tombleson said smiling.

“That’s one of my favorite movies, so the nickname Goose stuck,” Lugiai said. “And our daughter’s name is Sequoia, named after Sequoia Trees. So we had the Goose ‘N the Tree.”

“Denny’s was already taken,” Tombleson said jokingly.

The next thing folks notice is the unique menu, where the items are named things like The Miner, The Lookout or The Mountain Biker.

“We wanted our menu to represent things from the area,” Lugiai said.

Tombleson handles the cooking and brings with him 20 years of experience from all over the world.

Having cooked in places ranging from Alaska to Costa Rica, Tombleson’s food is a terrific fusion of flavor that manifests itself in some fantastic dishes.

Classic dishes like biscuits and gravy dot the menu, but one will also find smoked salmon lox bagels and specialty omelettes.

But he doesn’t just stop at breakfast, Tombleson is an accomplished baker whose baked goods accompany almost every dish.

“We bake everything in house except for the English muffins,” Tombleson said.

Tombleson’s pride and joy has to be his sourdough though. Using an old-school method of preparation, the sourdough has become synonymous with the restaurant.

“We just want to give folks here another option and to serve them as best as we can,” Tombleson said. “We want to see this area grow and be a part of that growth.”

The Goose ‘N the Tree Cafe is located at 608 Division St. in Pinehurst, and is open Thursday through Monday from 7 a.m. to noon (closed Tuesday and Wednesday).

For more information, call 208-784-3311.