After 17 years of owning and operating Never Blue restaurant in downtown Hendersonville, Jesse Roque is ready to turn the page and explore the next chapter of her life. A next chapter that could be less demanding of her time and more accommodating of her passion for creating in the kitchen. When Our Recipe Roots in Flat Rock came up for sale in late 2022, Jesse walked through the space and quickly realized she’d found a place to launch her newest venture.

At the same time Jesse was exploring how to scale back, Never Blue’s general manager, Lesley Milhas, was ready to take the next step in her career. After enjoying eight years at Never Blue while working her way up from server, to floor manager, to event planner, and eventually general manager of one of Henderson County’s most popular restaurants, Lesley was ready to become a partner/owner in her own enterprise.

When Jesse talked to Lesley about her plans to sell Never Blue and move on to a new restaurant concept, Lesley was fully on board with the idea. Together they formed a partnership and after several months of planning, renovations, and experimenting with menu options, Jesse and Lesley recently opened Blue Ruby Bistro and Bakery in Flat Rock Square.

They couldn’t be happier about that partnership. “Out of all the people I've ever worked with in my restaurant,” says Jesse. “Lesley’s the only one that I would go into business with.” And Lesley is quick to reciprocate the praise. “I have an amazing mentor in Jesse. Partnering with her was an easy choice to make.”

And it does seem a perfect match. Jesse wants to dial it back and Lesley is ready to take the next step – and they are both heading in the same direction with Blue Ruby.

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Although they share a passion for serving great food, Jesse and Lesley are very different personalities – personalities that complement each other in important ways. Jesse much prefers to work the back of the house – in the kitchen - fully absorbed in the creative process of blending flavors, textures, and seasonings in ways that will surprise and delight her customers. Lesley, by contrast, loves the front of the house where she can interact with the customers and hear from them firsthand their impressions of their experience. Lesley laughs and adds, “I like to be out here talking to everybody and bragging on the food that I did not cook.”

And, if the first month of Blue Ruby’s operations is any indication of the future, Jesse will have ample freedom to create and delight, and Lesley will have plenty of opportunity to brag about the delicious fare served by their new bistro.

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Jesse Roque (pronounced Row-Kay) arrived in Henderson County in 2006. Growing up in Florida, Jesse’s career in the food service industry started with a waitressing job in Boca Raton and really took off when she was told she could not work in the kitchen without a culinary degree. She learned later that the head chef didn’t believe women were capable of running a kitchen.

Not a person to shy away from a challenge, Jesse ended up at Johnson & Wales University in Charleston and earned her culinary degree as a classically trained French pastry chef. She returned to the restaurant in Boca Raton, took over the kitchen, and promptly fired the man who doubted her ability to succeed in a commercial kitchen years before.

She eventually followed her mother to Henderson County, with a stop in St. Louis, and it was her mom who suggested she open a coffee shop and art gallery. That sounded fun to Jesse, and she leased space in downtown Hendersonville. Within a couple of years, the coffee shop morphed into Never Blue Restaurant. With her flair for unique culinary creations offered in a funky, fun atmosphere, Jesse’s restaurant soon established itself as a go-to destination for area diners. “It turned into this monster of a restaurant,” says Jesse. “We employed as many as 50 people before the pandemic.”

She is particularly proud that Never Blue has always been a place that supported and empowered women. “I have a deep appreciation for women doing any job in the food service industry. We are a girl-power sort of team at Never Blue.”

Never Blue survived the pandemic, but it took its toll. Jesse, now 52, resolved that it was time to slow down and redirect her energies to what she loves most – creating in the kitchen – while stepping back from the relentless pressure of managing a large restaurant. She has put Never Blue on the market and is currently looking for a buyer. “It's not that I don't love Never Blue,” Jesse explains, “But we've had it for 17 years. It's an extremely successful restaurant. It's just a lot. I'm ready to slow down.”

Blue Ruby will be the landing spot Jesse is seeking and Lesley is the perfect partner to help her as she transitions in her career. “I've always liked working with Lesley. She can shoulder more of the day-to-day responsibilities and I can concentrate on baking and cooking.” Then she adds with a laugh, “Here at Blue Ruby, I can come in, go right in the kitchen, and stay there .”

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Lesley Milhas grew up outside of New Orleans and never intended to leave. When her in-laws retired to Hendersonville, she and her husband visited on occasion and her husband suggested the idea of moving to the mountains as well. Lesley demurred. “I was like, ‘Absolutely not. I'm never leaving my family!’” The young couple eventually struck a bargain to try out western North Carolina for just one year. To her surprise, Lesley loved it and admits now that, “I would never go back.”

Lesley’s father had a gourmet alligator-jerky business in New Orleans and she and her brother helped operate the food truck that sold her father’s creations. “Actually, it was a boat,” she points out. When she landed in Hendersonville, she resolved to find a waitressing job as a way to integrate into her new hometown. “I'd always made really good friends in the food service industry and I needed some friends.”

Lesley eventually found her way to Never Blue in 2015 and knew immediately she’d found a work home. “When I started working with Jesse it was love at first sight. I knew that was the place I needed to be.” Eight years later, she and Jesse are still fast friends and the chance to partner together came at the perfect time. “I was ready to do something on my own, but I wasn't quite ready to jump off the ledge by myself.”

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One month into its existence, Blue Ruby continues to be a (very successful) work in progress. They offer breakfast and lunch Thursday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and describe their menu as a fusion between Jesse’s training as a classical French pastry chef and Lesley’s deep roots in the Cajun cuisine of her Louisiana home. “I call it a Cajun-leaning French bistro,” says Lesley with a smile.

Bakery menu items feature a dazzling assortment of baked items including scones, cookies, cinnamon buns, and croissants. The bistro menu includes gourmet sandwiches, salads, and saucisse en croute (which Jesse translates as “fancy-ass pigs in a blanket”). They also offer specialty items like jambalaya, gumbo, and a quiche du jour – with more innovations to the menu on the horizon. The delightful breakfast menu includes French Toast with a bananas Foster twist, homemade biscuits with sausage gravy, and a Conchella breakfast sandwich with fried egg, chorizo sausage, hashbrowns, tomato, and cheese served on a colorfully sweet Mexican breakfast bun.

Although the menu is mostly settled at this point, Jesse’s creative and experimental nature ensures that the menu will never get stale and customers can anticipate frequent additions and modifications. “You have to be prepared to go where the restaurant takes you. You can't plan out every detail. It doesn't work that way,” explains Jesse. Indeed, Lesley is prepared for changes with a large magnetic menu board that will more easily accommodate updates and new additions to the Blue Ruby menu.

Jesse is especially excited about the freedom of expression she’ll have at Blue Ruby. “I love spinning things, to add flavor profiles to old standbys.” Lesley thinks that the dynamic nature of the Blue Ruby menu will be appealing to customers. “People like traditional, authentic foods - and they like creativity as well. We’re able to do both of those things.”

Going forward, look for Blue Ruby to continue to broaden their offerings as well as their space. They anticipate opening additional seating this July and are contemplating extending their hours somewhat. They will also have an online ordering platform launching soon, and they plan on offering “grab and go” meal options for customers wanting to take something home for an easy lunch or dinner.

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Spend just a few moments chatting with this amiable pair and you will soon realize that Jesse and Lesley are happy to have found a new home in Flat Rock. They are gratified by the warm reception they’ve already received from their local customers. “This community has been wonderful and we're very happy to be a part of it now,” says Lesley. Jesse chimes in. “The sense of community here is so different than being on Main Street (at Never Blue). I’ve found the people here to be wonderful.”

Given the expertise and passion that Jesse Roque and Lesley Milhas are bringing with them to their new Flat Rock restaurant, first-time visitors to Blue Ruby are very apt to experience love at first bite.

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The Blue Ruby Bakery & Bistro,

2702 Suite C, Greenville Hwy., Flat Rock
9 am-3 pm Thursday through Sunday
Thebluerubuy.com
828-595-9353
@bluerubybakery on Facebook and Instagram