Seasonal Food - Regional Focus
Remember the day in large cities, when it was fashionable to lunch at downtown hotels? Good food, see and be seen? I was thinking about that earlier this week and decided to stop for lunch at 151 Boutique Bar & Kitchen at Hotel Indigo. Parking is something you'll need to know about. First park in the small lot by the front door, go in to the desk and tell them you're there for their restaurant. They'll give you a pass to the garage below the hotel where parking is free and … [Read more...]
Beginning late last year, owners began morphing Scully's into something a little different. Their logo went from "Scully's Signature Dine & Drink" to "Scully's Bar & Grille" They've also got a ". . . new menu and now some new windows on the street." You can see their menu here, but keep in mind it might be a little different at the restaurant. Built on the Walnut Street incline, Scully's has three distinct dining areas. Two are at a lower level: a room full of cozy red … [Read more...]
I'm probably going a bit over-breadboard with that title, but if Books and Breadboard isn't the best place to get lunch in Asheville, it's certainly one of the best. A bookstore, gift shop, cafe and historic (built in 1895 by George Vanderbilt) building all rolled into one, Books and Breadboard has a main dining area and four more tucked away in various rooms. Some tables are situated perfectly for a private conversation over lunch. Breadboard owners say: "At the Breadboard we … [Read more...]
Breakfast and gift shopping in Asheville yesterday couldn’t have been better! I’ve had my eye on some very cool cheese boards at Bloomin’ Art, just two doors down from Cafe Ello at 64 Haywood St. Owners have tagged the Cafe as an “Urban Eatery and Tea House”. With the current local “Bongo” artwork on the walls, Ello’s interior hints of a 1960′s beatnic coffee house – in a good way. I almost started snapping my fingers, but thought better of it since there were people … [Read more...]
What's in a (nick)name? For husband and wife team, Laura Reuss and Ben Mixson, Laura's translated to the name of their first restaurant: White Duck Taco Shop. She was tagged at a previous Chef gig with "La Pata Blanca"  by coworkers when she "frequently got excited and talked too much to the kitchen staff" White Duck opened this past May in the north end of Asheville's River Arts District (RAD). They share a building with Hatchery Studios, a collection of artist galleries and … [Read more...]
Far from Petticoat Junction - The Junction, in Asheville's River Arts District. The bar area has a great feel. Love the underlit counter and touches of red. I've heard they make great drinks, too, but haven't had the chance to try any yet. In addition to seating in the bar, there's a dining area that opens to the patio via garage door. Really nice in the warmer weather. Patio dining has its pros and cons. I absolutely love it out there because I can watch (and hear) … [Read more...]
Sunday Brunch. I really need to put together a list of favorite places for Sunday Brunch as well as places that serve both breakfast and lunch on Sundays. We wanted to try something new, so we headed over to Boca at 10:00am this past Sunday. One of Asheville's newer restaurants, it's located on N Lexington Ave., next door to Mela (Indian Restaurant). Convenient since Anoop Krishnan, co-owner with Markus Procida, is also the owner of Mela. Interesting to note is that someone who … [Read more...]
Brioso Fresh Pasta first opened in Clemson, SC and has quickly spread with the addition of corporate as well as franchise stores. Their second franchise opened earlier this month in South Asheville's Biltmore Town Square. An interesting concept in "Fast Casual", Brioso makes fresh pasta throughout the day using machines that are in plain sight. They also have an open kitchen. Place your order right inside the front door, where menus are posted and available in print. Then take your … [Read more...]
Dog Fight Round Three had an obvious winner as did rounds one and two. Keep reading to see who it was; Papa's Dog House or Celebrity's Hot Dogs. First up - Papa's Dog House. If these dogs hadn't been so good, I would have said it was because they'd only been open for two weeks. They really had only been open for two weeks. While we were there, the health inspector stopped in for a surprise visit. This and plenty of customers kept the one woman running the place hopping! Wonder where "Papa" … [Read more...]
KK got me with that smile the minute we walked in to Mountain Java! It just got better from there. Both he and Robert were non-stop smilers as they answered question after question - I hadn't been to Mountain Java before. Do you use a concentrate to make smoothies? No. Do you bake everything in-house? Yes. What's the difference between a Grande and Primo smoothie, besides .50 cents? Ounces. How much is this delicious looking bread pudding? $2.24, but I'll cut one up and put it out so you … [Read more...]
