The Local Best. Chosen By You. From best restaurant to best veterinarian and everything in between - we asked, you nominated and voted your 2026 Best of SEI. Want your voice to be heard and business to be in the running? Best of SEI voting will return in July 2027! Did your business win? CLICK HERE to download the Winner's Badge to use! ★ Best Local Restaurant Janet's Diner facebook.com/janetsdiner Janet's Diner has anchored downtown Dillsboro for years, and it is the kind of

As told to SEI Times by Tami Sallee-Thomas Some businesses are built on a plan. This one was built on a lifetime of hobbies, a family farm, and a hundred-year-old recipe box. Tami Sallee-Thomas, a retired special education teacher, opened the Split Oak Farm Store in Guilford almost by accident. For years, friends and coworkers had been asking to buy her farm-fresh eggs. Then came requests for her jams, her salsa, her preserves. She started delivering to them. By the time she

It's official: Best of SEI is open, and the polls are live now through July 10th. This is your chance to crown the best our corner of the state has to offer. Best floral shop. Best coffee. Best place to grab a bite to eat on a Saturday. Best shop, best stylist, best spot to grab a cold drink on a hot day. You know who deserves it. Now go say so. Voting is quick, easy, and kind of addictive. Pick your favorites, hit submit, done. Then text the group chat and tell everybody to

Nearly 30 years after 120 residents packed a town hall to fight for it, the Dillsboro Public Library is celebrating a major renovation with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.