BLACK MOUNTAIN – A new food trailer specializing in Italian cuisine is bringing “a true pasta” to Black Mountain, according to chef and owner Nathaniel “Natty” Felder.
The food trailer, Che Fai, opened June 6, according to Felder. He said at first word of mouth brought in customers, and after he posted on the Facebook group Black Mountain Exchange, business “really took off.”
Felder said he has been cooking “pretty much” his entire life, having started with his Italian grandmother around the age of 3 or 4. His love for cooking took him around the country and world, having cooked in New York City for 15 years with stints in Italy, Las Vegas, Charleston, Charlotte and now Black Mountain.
Felder said he and his family made the decision to open the food trailer in August 2024, a month before Tropical Storm Helene devastated the region. He said Helene “catapulted everything forward” with the food trailer, giving Felder and his family a “nothing to lose” mentality.
After purchasing the food trailer from Foothills Grange, Felder set out to bring something new to Black Mountain.
He said in addition to providing “a true pasta,” he is also providing his knowledge and offering a late-night option, with hours of operation being 4 p.m.-midnight Thursday-Monday.
“I’ve been in the service industry for a very long time and wanted to be able to feed my friends, basically,” Felder said. “So knowing that Black Mountain closes everything by 10 p.m., I wanted to do something a little bit later so my friends working in restaurants can get our of work and come down here.”
The food Che Fai will offer will focus on central Italian cuisine, according to Felder. He described it as “a little more herbaceous and simpler.”
Menu items include a soup, salads, breads, lasagna, sandwiches and a variety of pastas. Felder said he is “most proud of” the bolognese, not only because it is one of his best sellers, but also because it takes the most time and energy to prepare.
“I like to think my food is from the heart. It’s all scratch-made,” Felder said. “I do all my own sauces from scratch, I do my own garlic butter, my own breadcrumbs. I just try to create the best product that I can.”
He said opening Che Fai is a good “foot in the door” to get his brand up and running. While the trailer is too big for him to move currently, he is thinking about a brick-and-mortar location or the possibility of multiple trailers or trucks. He’s also looking at providing take-and-bake options.
For now, Felder said he’s trying to stay consistent.
Che Fai is a family business, with Felder cooking, his wife in the window and his son washing dishes.
Felder said the idea of him being an “adrenaline junkie” keeps him in the food industry, something he described as “definitely a passion” and the “only thing” he’s known.
“Just the adrenaline of working the line and having people come and just really enjoy what I’m doing is one of the main kickers and main reasons,” Felder said. “I get a lot of gratification from people saying, ‘That was really good. Thank you.’ And seeing the same faces come back again and again is always good. That means they like it.”
Che Fai is located at 110 Black Mountain Ave. and is open from 4 p.m.-midnight Thursday-Monday.
Karrigan Monk is the Swannanoa Valley communities reporter for Black Mountain News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kmonk@blackmountainnews.com.
