Q: Rustic Grape Wine Bar: respite from the madness

Asheville – Visiting or working in Asheville, when you need a break there’s a sweet little spot tucked away on a corner in the heart of downtown. You’ll find it one block off Biltmore Ave. at the intersection of S Lexington Ave and Aston St, behind the Aloft Hotel. It’s Rustic Grape Wine Bar (https://www.rusticgrapeavl.com/). It’s trendy, leans toward industrial, with a sprinkling of soft touch to cozy it up. Nicely arranged fresh flowers are always part of the decor. There’s high and low seating, including a little nook area set back between the wall of wine and the wall of windows. It’s a great place for groups to gather for conversation. Or on Mondays for the weekly board game night and $2 off all glasses of wine. There are specials on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, also. A charming patio is out front, facing Aston St. There’s not much of a view, but there’s some people watching and not much traffic. At night, light spilling onto the patio and sidewalk gives the corner a glowing, warm look. I was walking down Aston St when the thought of a nice cool glass of wine felt decidedly appropriate. It was warm outside, but not too warm for patio sitting. Note to singles – men or women – you will not feel uncomfortable in the least enjoying a drink by yourself, whether you’re waiting for friends or flying solo. Rustic Grape (https://www.rusticgrapeavl.com/) 14 Aston St Asheville, NC 28801 Phone: (828) 424-7707

Q: Catawba Brewing Releases Small Batch ESB

Asheville – Catawba Brewing (http://catawbabrewing.com/) is now pouring a Small Batch ESB (5.1 percent ABV). This traditional English-style pub ale is brewed with Maris Otter and Crystal malts and hopped with Simcoe and Fuggle. Copper in color, it has flavor notes of sweet caramel and bread crust, balanced by earthy, floral hop bitterness. Small Batch ESB is Passport Beer #17 in Catawba’s 2018 Small Batch rewards program. Brewed in their Asheville South Slope brewhouse, the beer is available exclusively in Catawba’s four tasting rooms. About Catawba Brewing Company Founded in 1999 by the Pyatt family, natives of Western North Carolina, Catawba Brewing operates a main production facility in downtown Morganton, NC at 212 S. Green St; a boutique brewery/tasting room in downtown Asheville, NC at 32 Banks Ave; a tasting room in Asheville’s Biltmore Village at 63 Brook St.; and a new Catawba brewery/tasting room in Charlotte’s Plaza Midwood neighborhood at 933 Louise Ave. Catawba beers can be found in NC, SC, TN, AL, GA, and coming soon to VA. Learn more at www.catawbabrewing.com

Question 1

Green Man Brewery Releases Grateful Dead Tribute Beer

Accepted Answer

Green Man Brewery (https://www.greenmanbrewery.com/) has released the 11th edition of their Hazy Homage series- The Grateful Haze. This Grateful Dead inspired tangerine and grapefruit forward hazy IPA comes from a specialty line of hazy IPAs launched quarterly, each dedicated to a particular band or artist. Previous features include Nine Inch Nails-inspired Pretty Haze Machine, David Bowie-inspired Hazy Cosmic Jive, and the original Van Helen-inspired Van Hazy IPA.
The Grateful Haze features layers of citrus, creamy coconut from the Sabro hops, mango, dried apricot and candied pineapple. It is lactose-free, 6.8% alc./vol. and comes in a four-pack of 16 oz. cans. Its packaging stands out because of its four unique can designs per pack, a first for Green Man and a rarity in the beer business.
Green Man also just debuted their new slim cans for their Green Man Cider made in partnership with Urban Orchard, an Asheville-based cider company just down the street from Green Man. The cider itself will remain the same- all natural, gluten-free, sugar-free, 5.5% alc./vol. and will come in a four-pack.
Beer + cider lovers can enjoy both offerings on tap at either of Green Man&#8217;s taprooms- the Green Mansion (27 Buxton Ave. Asheville, NC 28801) + Dirty Jack&#8217;s (23 Buxton Ave. Asheville, NC 28801), or purchase four-packs at the Green Mansion. Both are also available for purchase through Green Man&#8217;s online beer store GetGreenMan.com, which ships to 13 states.

Question 2

Zen Hen Cafe Now Open in Hendersonville

Accepted Answer

Zen Hen Cafe (https://www.zenhencafe.com/) is now open in Hendersonville bringing healthy, honest food to the new quick, counter-service concept.
“This is an idea that has been near and dear to my heart for many years,” said Randy Dunn, executive chef and Zen Hen founder. “We are so excited to finally open and offer something for the entire family that is honest, healthy, quick and incredibly tasty.”
Located at 1794 Asheville Highway, Zen Hen Cafe features scratch-made build your own Buddha bowls and in-house non &#8211; GMO rotisserie chicken.
“I wanted to go back to my roots, go back to the farm,” Dunn said of his new venture. “I wanted my food to speak for itself and to be comfortable, approachable and affordable for anyone looking for flavor-forward, healthy meals.”
Dunn, a staple in Asheville’s restaurant scene, was part of the opening team for Roux in Biltmore Park in 2009. He continued to serve the community as the executive chef for both the independent restaurant and the 4-diamond Hilton hotel for over a decade.
“I’m excited to let my feathers back out, per se, and really focus on a menu that fills the need for so many people in our community right now,” Dunn said.
The “Zen” menu features build your own Buddha Bowls with fresh vegetables, house-roasted chicken, and scratch made sauces – or choose from an array of signature bowls like the Chimichurri Chicken – a Buddha Bowl featuring brown rice, rotisserie chicken, red cabbage, cherry tomatoes, chili-lime corn, jalapenos and a house-made chimichurri sauce.
The “Hen” menu features whole, half, and quarter hormone and antibiotic-free, non- GMO rotisserie chickens and family dinners with health-conscious homemade side dishes.
The menu is by design, is gluten-free and health-centric transparency is one of the overarching missions of the café. All nutrition information is available and tracked for each protein, fat and carb.
“I think one of the most unique parts of Zen Hen is in our transparency,” Dunn said. “I’ve tried all the meal prepping, Keto, Paleo, and they all worked to a degree, but I am so busy that it was hard to take the time to meal prep every day and I needed options that were quicker and more budget friendly.”
As a classically trained chef, Dunn draws much of his culinary inspiration from his childhood. His father, a dairy farmer, raised the family on their 10-acre farm in Tennessee where they grew and harvested the majority of their own meals.
Dunn went on to graduate from the prestigious Johnson & Wales Culinary School and to open national 4-diamond hotels, including MIT Cambridge where he once cooked for the ever-amazing, culinary icon Julia Childs.
“I feel like I bring a piece with me from all of my past culinary experiences, but I always want my food to speak for itself,” Dunn said.
Dunn said that he hopes Zen Hen Café will fill the need for health-conscious families in the area looking for every day meals, that are not so “everyday.”
“Someone once told me that how you live today, is how you live your life,” said Dunn. “It’s those choices that you make every day and hopefully this restaurant is going to make it easier to make those choices that matter.”
It’s good food, to put you in a better mood &#8211; or as Dunn would jokingly say – “you would cross the road for this.” For more information on Zen Hen Café, visit www.zenhencafe.com

Question 3

Asheville Restaurants, their Humans, and COVID-19

Accepted Answer

Watching Asheville restaurant owners and employees speak about handling the COVID-19 crisis, you can feel their search for reason and a way forward as they speak about how they&#8217;ve been affected, what they&#8217;ve done so far, and what they&#8217;re thinking about doing to survive going forward.
&#8220;It&#8217;s all about Community&#8221;
Shannon McGaughey, Co-Owner, Vivian, Bill Tanner, Co-Owner, PennyCup Coffee Co., and Tony Walker, YouthBuild Case Manager, Green Opportunities
 
Adam Thome, Owner, 67 Biltmore
 
Gerry Mahon, Owner, Mellow Mushroom Asheville

Claire Brooks, Taproom Manager, Noble Taproom & Cidery, Chris Cogswell, Owner Appalachian Chic Food Truck

Videos by Amplified Media. Follow their Vimeo Channel and look for #AshevilleStrong.

Question 4

Salvage Station Teams Up With with Root Down Food Truck

Accepted Answer

An exciting new partnership between Salvage Station (https://www.salvagestation.com/) and the Root Down Food Truck (http://www.rootdownfoodtruck.com/) will allow the sprawling entertainment venue along the French Broad River to feature some delicious new food options while giving award-winning food truck co-owner Dano Holcomb the chance to branch into a brick-and-mortar space.
Dano’s new role at Salvage Station is going to allow him to expand on his classic training in country French and New Orleans cuisine. While the menu of many locally sourced ingredients will fluctuate with the seasons some, a variety of NOLA-inspired mains, sandwiches, and sides are in store. Standouts include a 12-hour, pecan wood-smoked and pulled pork sandwich with grilled pepper cheese; a catfish po’boy with jalapeno-avocado tartar; classic boudin balls with Creole mustard sauce as well as gumbo; hog jowl chicharrones with pepper jelly; crawfish poutine; and an alligator pie stuffed in a mini pie shell from Geraldine’s Bakery.
“Now I’ll be able to do more things that I learned in New Orleans that I haven’t necessarily been able to do with the food truck simply because our capacity was more limited, like broiled and sautéed items,” says Dano.
The menu will include vegetarian-friendly options too, including a vegan sausage sandwich with grilled seitan and a loaded black bean burger. A catering menu offered through Salvage Station’s special events will present even more options, including a slew of sides from collards and black-eyed peas to fresh seasonal salads to Creole deviled eggs.
Owned by Dano Holcomb and his wife, Julie, Root Down Food Truck launched in 2012 (in Statesville), serving Creole, Southern, and soul-influenced comfort food. Since moving to Asheville in 2014, Dano has received multiple accolades for his food, including being recognized among the South’s Best Food Trucks in both Southern Living magazine (2016) and on CNN’s Wander Musts (2019). A graduate of Delgado Culinary Arts Program in New Orleans, Dano trained in some of NOLA’s finest kitchens and worked briefly for farm-to-table pioneer Cassie Parsons at Harvest Moon Grille in Charlotte.
The Root Down Kitchen at Salvage Station will be open Tuesday through Sunday, during Salvage Station’s regular business hours. “In addition to bringing even more great music to our lineup this year, we are equally excited to offer this new menu to our food loving patrons.” says Danny McClinton, founder and owner of Salvage Station. The kick-off event on Fat Tuesday, February 25 starts at 7pm and is free to the public. Patrons can expect a special Mardi Gras-inspired menu and musical entertainment by Zydeco Yaya and Unihorn.
About Salvage Station
Founded by Danny McClinton in 2016, Salvage Station is a riverfront bar, restaurant, concert hall, and award winning special events venue located along the French Broad River in Asheville, NC. Indoor and outdoor stages are in store for many big acts in 2020, including Stephen Marley, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Big Gigantic, JRAD, Steep Canyon Rangers, and more. salvagestation.com
About Root Down
Owned by Dano and Julie Holcomb, Root Down Food Truck launched in Statesville in 2012. Hailing from an Italian household where food was a centerpiece, Dano is a Chicago area native and graduate of UNC Asheville, who spent 14 years as a NCAA Division I soccer coach before moving to New Orleans in 2009 to pursue his dream of cooking. He trained at Delgado Culinary Arts Program and in the kitchens of some of NOLA’s finest chefs, where he learned the nuances of classic Creole, French, and Southern cuisine as well as the farm-to-table ethos. In search of a city with a supportive and creative local food community, Dano found himself in Charlotte, working for farm-to-table pioneer Cassie Parsons at Harvest Moon Grille, before launching Root Down Food Truck. He and his family moved to Asheville in 2014. In addition to being recognized among the South’s Best Food Trucks in both Southern Living magazine (2016) and on CNN’s Wander Musts (2019), Root Down took top honors for four years at the Asheville Food Truck Showdown (2014, ’15, ’16, and ’18) and won People’s Choice award for the showdown in 2016, ’17, and ’19. He was also invited as a guest chef on the 2020 Jam Cruise. rootdownfoodtruck.com

Question 5

Biscuits, Beer, and BBQ - NEW in South Asheville

Accepted Answer

Asheville businesses are prospering, and they&#8217;re looking to surrounding communities for additional location sites. Biscuit Head and 12 Bones Smokehouse owners are both opening new locations in South Asheville (aka Skyland). They and the new 12 Bones Brewery Brew Master filled me in on their plans as I took a peek behind the curtains.
Biscuit Head
Tagline: &#8220;Put Some South in Your Mouth&#8221;
Website: http://www.biscuitheads.com/
Address: 1994 Hendersonville Rd, Asheville, NC 28803
The sign&#8217;s been up long enough to have folks asking if the latest Biscuit Head location will ever open. Partners Jason Roy, Michael Wester, and their wives have hung tough through almost a year of site/building upgrades at the old Dunlop Tire location and do indeed hope to open in January. As anyone familiar with construction knows, &#8220;hope&#8221; is a safer word to use than &#8220;plan&#8221;.
Businesses supporting other local businesses and artists is a way of life here. Jason mentioned that approximately 15 local artisans have worked on this project, including custom-built benches and tables. The fun wall art below is by Jenny Fares of Asheville&#8217;s Sound Mind Creative.
 
Power was scheduled to be turned on this same day, so it was just a little dark inside, even with lots of windows on the front wall. I&#8217;ll just tell you that restrooms sport very cool tile floors and cat head wallpaper.
Biscuit Head is known for biscuits the size of a cat&#8217;s head and their Jam Bar. If you&#8217;ve been to one of their other locations, you&#8217;ve probably never seen empty jam bar, right? Well, here&#8217;s your chance. Jason was pretty happy it was in and ready to be filled with butters, jams, jellies, and honey.

The decor made me smile: a little Industrial; a little Artsy; with just a smidge of Millennial. Two things I especially like are the shelving and the lampshades that make me think of old-timey bee hives. Biscuits and Honey. Get it? And don&#8217;t miss the nod to history in the form of the original Dunlop sign mounted up high on a wall in the dining area.

Parking could have been nightmarish with just a few spots, but go around back and you&#8217;ll see more parking space created by digging in to a hillside. It could have been strictly asphalt, but a mixture of asphalt and paving stones makes for a nice look and I&#8217;m guessing they&#8217;re environmentally friendly via drainage.
Looking toward the right side of the building, you can see where the enclosed patio with  will be. There will be garage doors (think tire shop) that&#8217;ll be open in nice weather, large heaters for cooler weather, and a fun mural by well known local artist, Gus Cutty, in the works for the side of the building.

Yes, they are now hiring. Give &#8217;em a call if you&#8217;re interested.

For a little taste of what you can expect in the way of food and decor, take a look at this July, 2014 article I wrote about the very first Biscuit Head in West Asheville: &#8220;Why yes, I AM a Biscuit Head&#8221;
12 Bones Brewery & 12 Bones Smokehouse
Tagline: &#8220;Tender Butts & Sweet Racks&#8221;
Website: https://www.12bones.com/
Address: 2350 Hendersonville Rd, Arden, NC 28704
Take a look at the VERY cool building that now houses the latest 12 Bones Smokehouse location, as well as a new concept for owners Bryan and Angela King, 12 Bones Brewery.
Image: Bing Maps
Looking at the front of the building, the Brewery is on the left and the Smokehouse is to the right. Don&#8217;t panic, you&#8217;ll be able to get a beer with your food and vice versa. Seating areas include a long narrow space between the two concepts, in the Taproom, and outside on a narrow patio behind the building. If you&#8217;re lucky, you&#8217;ll get a close up &#8211; very close up &#8211; look at slow-moving trains as they go by the patio out back. It doesn&#8217;t happen too often, but does happen. I love trains, so I&#8217;d be good with that.
Not sure how the pad outside the double doors will be used. Possibly another small patio so you can eat, sip, and watch the traffic go by?
There&#8217;s plenty of parking in lots at either end of the building, so no worries there.

As far as tank rooms go, this one&#8217;s a pip. On the other side of a wall to the right &#8211; out of camera view &#8211; is the Taproom with bar service. I&#8217;m holding back images of the bar so it&#8217;ll be a surprise.
Brew Master, Scott Hettig, comes to 12 Bones Brewery from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, via a one year stint doing &#8220;production brewing&#8221; in Greenville, Mississippi. The return to &#8220;brew pub&#8221; brewing brought Scott back to the creative side he missed: collaborations with a restaurant, beer dinners, and beer pairings. As soon as he and his wife arrived in Asheville, they fell in love. Mountains, four seasons, and all. Sounds familiar, right?
Scott explained that the goal is to have the brewery up and running at the same time the Smokehouse opens, but it&#8217;s looking unlikely as of this writing due to various issues and delays. He also mentioned that as of now, the Taproom will have different (longer) hours than the Smokehouse.

So back to the double door entry. Right inside the door is where you&#8217;ll be ordering your Smokehouse fare. I do love their BBQ, so I&#8217;m pretty darned happy about this. Watch for your order to be placed by fast moving hands and arms flinging the paper it&#8217;s written on along a wire to the kitchen.

Speaking of the kitchen, the 12 Bones South location on Sweeten Creek Rd will be closing permanently on Saturday, January 5th. The upcoming widening of Sweeten Creek Rd played a part in this decision.
Almost the second it closes, all kitchen equipment will be moved to this new location, including the condiment station in an upright piano. Same menu and same employees, too.
Another piece of information of note is that the buildout includes a good-sized private event room with a small bar, access to the rear patio, brewery, and smokehouse.
On a design note, I was happy to learn that what looks like reclaimed wood is actually reclaimed wood.

As soon as they&#8217;re up and running, I&#8217;ll be popping in for some biscuits, beer, and BBQ.

Question 6

The Foundry Hotel opens in Asheville

Accepted Answer

After years of construction, a piece of Asheville’s history comes back to life on Tuesday. Housed within the city’s former steel foundry, The Foundry Hotel (https://foundryasheville.com/) officially opens its doors on November 20th, just in time for Thanksgiving. Visitors and locals alike can enjoy hyper-localized experiences in The Block, a historic neighborhood largely untouched by Asheville’s recent tourism boom.
For those hosting family in the area, here are some recommendations for things to do around town with loved ones over the holiday week:

Dine Over Authentic Southern Appalachian Cuisine – Enjoy a regionally-inspired meal at Benne on Eagle, the hotel’s 100-seat upscale restaurant led by acclaimed chef John Fleer. The menu will feature long cultivated Southern Appalachian dishes crafted with seasonal bounty and hyper-local ingredients.
Imbibe on Seasonal Cocktails and Brews – Guests can kick back and relax at the hotel’s elevated cocktail bar, Workshop Lounge, and sip on a handcrafted cocktail or one of three local BearWaters Brewing beers that were custom-made for the property.
Take a Historic Asheville Tour – While staying at the hotel, guests can embark on a private, immersive Hood Huggers International tour of The Block with local historian DeWayne Barton, which tells the story of the vivid African-American culture and history that took place in the area for centuries.
Fall Hike in the Blue Ridges – Those who book a room can add on the Indulgent Preparation package for a great outdoor adventure in the Blue Ridge Mountains, including a hearty pre-hike breakfast, hiking gear and a guided tour from premier outdoor outfitter Hunter Banks and late check out the next day.

Epicurean Note: See more images and renderings on The Foundry Hotel Facebook Page
Press Release

Question 7

En la Calle announces new Dia de Los Muertos and Fall Menu Items

Accepted Answer

En La Calle, the Asheville, North Carolina-based restaurant and bar serving Mexican street food riffs and creative craft cocktails, announces new food and drink items for fall and a special Dia de los Muertos menu available Thursday, October 25 through Sunday, November 4.
A celebration of Mexican heritage and culture, En La Calle’s Dia de los Muertos menu will honor the international holiday by offering traditional food and drink items alongside the restaurant’s signature twist on classic dishes. Available for a limited time, the holiday-inspired menu will feature:
Roasted quail, with mole negro & tejocotes
Chiles en nogada, with housemade walnut sauce & fresh pomegranate
Banana leaf tamales, with Hoja Santa & Oaxaca cheese
Roasted membrillo, featuring piloncillo, canela & mezcal
Pan de muerto, served with masa atole
Café de Olla, Mexican coffee brewed in clay pots with canella, piloncillo & tequila Añejo
Alongside the Dia de los Muertos menu, guests can also enjoy En La Calle’s new menu of fall dishes and drinks, including Cochinita Pibil Pork Tacos Duros, with housemade salsa quemada, chapulines crema and kimchi; Croquetas de Jaiba, featuring fresh lump crab, pickled radishes, roasted tomato-aji limo salsa; and Black Angus Ribeye Chicharrones, served with guacamole, chiles toreados and tortillas. En La Calle has also debuted Maria Sabina, a refreshing new cocktail featuring Creyente Mezcal, Ancho Verde, avocado, clove, vanilla, agave, cinnamon, Licor 43 and Palo Santo Bitters. Please click here to view full food and drink menus.
About En La Calle
En La Calle is a lively eatery and bar serving Mexican street food and craft cocktails, located in the heart of downtown Asheville. The name, which translates to “in the street,” is inspired by the restaurant’s elevated, yet approachable take on classic Mexican street food bites served in a casual and buzzing atmosphere. En La Calle is the adjoining sister spot to Limones, the well-revered Asheville mainstay serving modern Mexican and Californian-inspired cuisine for over a decade.
Location
15 Eagle Street
Asheville, NC 28801
Hours
Monday–Thursday: 5–11pm
Friday–Saturday: 5pm–12am
Sunday: 5-10pm
Press Release

Question 8

Photolog: Is the Cambria Hotel and restaurant, Hemingway's Cuba, for you?

Accepted Answer

Asheville &#8211; Antonio O. “Tony” Fraga, Sr., President and founder of FIRC Group, along with his son, Alexander W. Fraga FIRC Group Vice President, and extended family hosted the Grand Opening event for their newest property in Asheville, the Cambria Hotel Asheville (http://www.cambriadowntownasheville.com/) two weeks ago.
A note about Tony Fraga; I was impressed with his sincerity when he spoke to all gathered for the Grand Opening, he stressed legacy and the importance, for him personally, of &#8220;leaving the world better than you found it&#8221;. He also talked about heritage and leaving something for future generations.
The FIRC team put together a lively, Cuban-influenced, oh-so-Asheville celebration I found to be completely refreshing! Three well known buskers were on hand, entertaining folks in the lobby, Silver Drummer Girl, Abby the Spoon Lady & Chris Rodrigues, as well as, The Buskits (amazingly talented 9 & 11 year old brothers), in the 4th floor restaurant and rooftop bar, Hemingway&#8217;s Cuba.
THE GRAND OPENING

I was fortunate enough to spend the night as the Fraga&#8217;s guest. This meant I could give the room and amenities the once over with a critical eye.
Conclusion? The Cambria features architectural design that impacts perception and emotion in a most positive way. For instance, the hotel rooms feel open and welcoming, even though they&#8217;re not especially large, due to angled walls, frosted bathroom glass doors and walls, and special touches like a table-top welcome tableau of local chocolate and complimentary bottled water.
Special touches abound. On check-in, you are offered a glass of champagne. On check-out, you are presented with a gift jar of local honey. Asheville is &#8220;Bee City&#8221; after all. Bedside lights are well placed and switches are easily reached. There are more than enough outlets and USB charge locations in the rooms and the mirror in the bathroom features Bluetooth speakers. Just touch the red button on the mirror and pair your device to listen to your favorite playlists!
In addition to standard rooms, there are 1 and 2 bedroom view suites with sitting/living areas and balconies furnished with very nice seating. The one we gathered in before the ribbon cutting had a great view of the 4th floor rooftop bar as well as long range views of the city and surrounding mountains.
THE ROOM & VIEW

Hemingway&#8217;s Cuba, overseen by Chef Duane Fernandas, has overcome initial concerns of locals regarding menu items and pricing nicely. Definitely go for a meal and/or drinks. A small group of us had &#8220;dinner&#8221; &#8211; really, we shared a variety of dishes delivered to our table and described in detail by Chef Duane. Look through the gallery below for descriptions of each dish.
I really can&#8217;t say enough about the rooftop bar. You MUST not miss it. There are fire rings with cozy, comfortable seating, umbrellas for especially warm days, and fabulous lighting at night. It&#8217;s modern, sleek, and welcoming without &#8220;attitude&#8221;. A comfortable place to hang out with friends over drinks and appetizers.
Epicurean Notes:

Not in the Hemingway&#8217;s Cuba gallery, but Tres Leches Cake, a delicious dessert I&#8217;d highly recommend!
Cambria is a higher end property of Choice Hotels
This Cambria has many custom features and details. It&#8217;s not a typical Cambria Hotel.

THE FOOD AT HEMINGWAY&#8217;S CUBA

Cambria Hotel (http://www.cambriadowntownasheville.com/en-us)&#8217;s
Hemingway&#8217;s Cuba (http://www.hemingwayscubaasheville.com/)
15 Page Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801
Phone: (623) 432-0198

Question 9

Rustic Grape Wine Bar: respite from the madness

Accepted Answer

Asheville &#8211; Visiting or working in Asheville, when you need a break there&#8217;s a sweet little spot tucked away on a corner in the heart of downtown. You&#8217;ll find it one block off Biltmore Ave. at the intersection of S Lexington Ave and Aston St, behind the Aloft Hotel.

It&#8217;s Rustic Grape Wine Bar (https://www.rusticgrapeavl.com/). It&#8217;s trendy, leans toward industrial, with a sprinkling of soft touch to cozy it up.

Nicely arranged fresh flowers are always part of the decor.

There&#8217;s high and low seating, including a little nook area set back between the wall of wine and the wall of windows. It&#8217;s a great place for groups to gather for conversation. Or on Mondays for the weekly board game night and $2 off all glasses of wine. There are specials on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, also.

A charming patio is out front, facing Aston St. There&#8217;s not much of a view, but there&#8217;s some people watching and not much traffic.

At night, light spilling onto the patio and sidewalk gives the corner a glowing, warm look.

I was walking down Aston St when the thought of a nice cool glass of wine felt decidedly appropriate. It was warm outside, but not too warm for patio sitting.

Note to singles &#8211; men or women &#8211; you will not feel uncomfortable in the least enjoying a drink by yourself, whether you&#8217;re waiting for friends or flying solo.
Rustic Grape (https://www.rusticgrapeavl.com/)
14 Aston St
Asheville, NC 28801
Phone: (828) 424-7707

Question 10

Casual Dinner at Bone and Broth

Accepted Answer

(North) Asheville &#8211; Bone & Broth (http://boneandbrothasheville.com/) is the kind of place you&#8217;d expect to find in an out of the way Boston neighborhood. A place the locals go for a drink or easy meal. Easy, but good.
The place was about two thirds full when we got there at 7pm this past Saturday. They were still busy when we left at 8:15pm or so.
Dark wood-paneled and warm, the bar is pretty prominent. We each chose a wine we thought we&#8217;d like, not based on any particular pairing. He &#8211; a 2016 Freelander Cabernet Sauvignon (Freelander District &#8211; Central CA Valley) ($8) and Me &#8211; a 2015 Peirano Zinfandel (Lodi) ($9). I am now going to search out that Peirano Zin. Just loved it!
While we waited for our entrees, we shared an order of Bourbon Caramelized Onion Dip ($8) with fresh house-made potato chips. The chips were fresh and crispy and that dip was definitely addictive. So good!

Didn&#8217;t get a picture of the Hubs&#8217; 6oz Dry-Aged Bavette ($19). On the menu as &#8220;a cut where flank meets sirloin&#8221;, it&#8217;s served with two sides and choice of sauce: Demi, Tallow Butter, Au Poivre, or B&B Steak Sauce. Ordered medium-rare, it&#8217;s tender. We agreed cooked longer than that and you might end up with a slightly tough steak.
For me, the B&B Cheeseburger ($11). It was disappointing that they only offered American Cheese. I&#8217;d have preferred Cheddar. It&#8217;s topped with Dijonaise, lettuce, tomato, onion, and Dill pickles in addition to the cheese. I paid $1 extra to sub asparagus as my one side instead of fries. Especially since we&#8217;d already had some chips.

I was very happy with this burger, even with the American on top. It arrived on a bun firm enough to hold it all together in my hands and cooked as ordered. The asparagus was flavorful and still al dente, the way I like it.
Bone & Broth should be sticking around for a while if they continue the excellent service and good menu choices. They offer steaks, chops, a few burgers, a few pasta dishes, and specialties that include quail, roast and fried chicken, shrimp, and salmon. See their menu here.
Pricing, in my opinion, is that most of the menu is approachable, but one or two of their items are high (8oz Dry-Aged &#8211; an expensive process, but still &#8211; Filet Mignon $45).
Definitely go for a meal, or just pop in for drinks if you want to check it out first.
Bone & Broth (http://boneandbrothasheville.com/)
94 Charlotte St
Asheville, NC 28801
Phone: (828) 505-2849

Question 11

"Vivian" - Say it out loud. Feel it. Go. Savor.

Accepted Answer

Asheville &#8211; Looking for adventures in European, Nordic, and Southern cuisine explored with both classic (historic/vintage) and contemporary approaches. Look no further than Vivian (https://vivianavl.com/)!
We were four for Brunch last Sunday. Hubs and I were the newbies, wanting to go after hearing friends in the know rave about Vivian, newly opened in Asheville&#8217;s River Arts District (RAD).
When you&#8217;re in Paris the first time, you have to go to the Eiffel Tower, right? Develop a baseline and go from there, branching out to the smaller neighborhoods and beyond the city. That&#8217;s what I do when it comes to food. New ice cream place? I always order Vanilla first. If they get that right, I explore other flavors. Cocktails? Try a basic first, then explore the more creative.
That&#8217;s why I ordered a Mimosa ($6). It was right on, and not only did the champagne tickle my taste buds, the flute tickled my love of serveware design. At some point I&#8217;m going to ask co-owners Josiah and Shannon McGaughey if these were purchased as is, or if they painted them.

Here&#8217;s where it gets really interesting. Leah ordered Nordic Deviled Eggs ($8). Why is that interesting? Because it&#8217;s the first time I&#8217;ve seen &#8220;Nordic&#8221; on an Asheville menu. There might be others out there, but I haven&#8217;t seen them.
I&#8217;ve been following the New Nordic Food movement since it&#8217;s early days. It was initiated in 2004 by Danish chefs René Redzepi and Claus Meyer soon after they opened noma (combo of two Danish words &#8220;nordisk&#8221; (Nordic) and &#8220;mad&#8221; (food)), the #1 ranked restaurant in the world multiple years. Read this detailed article in Eater about the closing of the original noma and their re-opening in February, 2018. Side note &#8211; Asheville Chef Katie Button did a stage (unpaid internship) at noma for 3 weeks in 2012.
The movement has been growing steadily since its inception: a New Nordic Food Manifesto  was conceived in 2004, the Nordic Council of Ministers (food ministers from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and dependent territories) got on board in 2005, the Nordic Food Lab was founded in 2008, and the annual MAD Symposium was founded in 2011 by Chef René Redzepi. Shameless self promotion &#8211; I was invited to the first MAD Symposium, but wasn&#8217;t able to go. Talk about disappointed!
Back to the Nordic Deviled Eggs. They were stuffed with a mixture of smoked mackerel, potatoes, cornichon, and topped with caviar. Different for WNC.

Leah rounded out her Brunch with Lobster Salad ($15). First let&#8217;s talk about the thick slice of toasted Sally Lunn Bread under the lobster salad. There are a few versions of this bread&#8217;s history, but the one I&#8217;m going with is that this sweet, brioche-like bread was invented by 18th-century baker Sally Lunn in England, then brought over to the Southern colonies.
This dish is one example of Chef&#8217;s &#8220;clean, with limited elements to a plate, but with each one promising big, robust flavors&#8221; approach to food. Creme Fraiche, radishes, & spring peas and their tendrils top the Sally Lunn Bread. None of us had seen greens presented this way, so there was tendril tasting and discussion going on.

Tim and Leah had been to Vivian for Brunch previously. Telling us about that meal, Tim said the salmon on the Salmon Tournedos dish was some of the best he&#8217;d had. This time he opted for the Irish Country Salmon Toast ($12). Soft scrambled eggs, capers and cured salmon were topped with caper cream, and plated with toasted Soda Bread.
We didn&#8217;t ask about the green garnish, but it did strike me as a succulent. My taste yielded a moist, neutral flavor. Not something I&#8217;d pursue.

I&#8217;m going to admit to owning six different egg coddlers that haven&#8217;t seen much use. When pressed, I refer to them as displayed &#8220;works of art&#8221;. Know that I&#8217;m on a new mission to use the coddlers more often after having Vivian&#8217;s Coddled Egg ($9) made with cream, sherry, sautéed mushrooms, Gruyere cheese, and served with toast.
Mild and delicious, early bites taken with my spoon required dipping through the Gruyere on top and then releasing it from from cheesy strands unwilling to let go. Mmm. Mmm. Dipping the toast worked, too. Last, but not least, Corned Beef Hash ($13) for the Hubs. It&#8217;s one of his favorites and this version did not disappoint! The potato, onion, carrot, cabbage, and corned beef were topped with two fried eggs and a mustard creme sauce. He pointed out the large cubes of corned beef pretty quickly, saying they were delicious. He suggested I take a taste, and boy am I glad I did. That was some excellent corned beef.

Oddly enough, I didn&#8217;t taste either Leah&#8217;s or Tim&#8217;s dishes (we normally taste all around) so can&#8217;t give an opinion, but there were no complaints. In fact, we were all decidedly happy with our meals. I&#8217;m predicting it won&#8217;t be long before I&#8217;m back at Vivian for another meal.
Epicurean Notes:

Service was excellent.
Make a reservation. Vivian is &#8220;trending&#8221;.
Seats at the bar cannot be reserved. They are first come, first served.
Want to be on the cutting edge, knowing about food trends before your friends? Learn about the rise of Nordic Cuisine in the US and beyond in these 2018 OpenTable and the Opinionator articles.
New Nordic Food is about eating seasonally, local, foraging, pickling, and fermenting, so in a way, Asheville is totally on board. Think Alan Muskat and No Taste Like Home, Chef Steve Goff (fermenting king) Aux Bar and BrineHaus Meat & Provisions Food Truck, and many more.
Sound dampening panels have been added to the ceiling, but it&#8217;s still very loud when busy. Hopefully, they&#8217;ll figure out how to dampen it down a little more.

Vivian (https://vivianavl.com/)
348 Depot St Ste 190
Asheville, NC 28801
Phone: (828) 225-3497

Question 12

Thirsty Monk Introduces Food Flights

Accepted Answer

Asheville &#8211; Thirsty Monk, brewer of Belgian-Rooted Modern Ales and operator of world-recognized craft beer bars, introduced its Food Flights program at its flagship downtown Asheville location earlier this month.
Food Flights are selections of small, snack-sized portions expertly curated by Certified Cicerones® to pair perfectly with your chosen beer style. Thirsty Monk offers six Food Flights— Belgian, Light, Medium, Dark, Sour/Fruity, and Hoppy— in an elevated box lunch-style presentation that includes four food items (a protein, a cheese, a grain, and a preserve). This new offering debuted in Denver with the opening of Thirsty Monk’s newest location last month and will be available at Thirsty Monk’s Downtown location going forward. Food Flights will be added to the menu at Thirsty Monk’s Biltmore Park location and Thirsty Monk’s newest Portland, Oregon location later this spring.
All of the proteins, preserves, and grains in Thirsty Monk’s Food Flights in Asheville are made in house, including the six different house-baked crackers.

“Thirsty Monk has never been accused of being a follow the pack kind of brewery, and we continue our leadership role by bypassing the food truck and creating an entirely new way of brewery snacking,” says Barry Bialik, Thirsty Monk CEO. “We’ve been crafting our Food Flights for the past year and are so excited to now share these expertly beer-paired snack packs with our Thirsty Monk guests.The intent of our Food Flights are to elevate the beer tasting and Old World pub experience with an affordable tasty bite of education. All of the individual Food Flights are crafted to enhance the taste of the paired beer style and pass on some food and beer pairing knowledge. Our new coasters suggest beer style-specific food pairings and cooking styles that our patrons can experiment with at home. And most importantly, Food Flights are meant to be fun and encourage friends to share a unique snacking and beer sipping adventure.”
About Thirsty Monk
Founded in 2008 Thirsty Monk currently operates four locations in Asheville, North Carolina including Thirsty Monk Downtown, Thirsty Monk Biltmore Park, Top of the Monk Craft Cocktail Bar, and Brother Joe’s Coffee Pub, as well as Bazi Bierbrasserie in Portland, OR and now its Denver brewery and tasting room. Find the company online at monkpub.com.

Question 13

Asheville's Waterbird: Coffee, Cocktails, Community

Accepted Answer

Asheville &#8211; Hey guys! Quick one here about a new Asheville find you&#8217;ll want to know about: The Waterbird (https://www.thewaterbirdasheville.com/), located at 197 Charlotte Street, sharing a building with Ultimate Ice Cream.

Coffee Shop by day, Cocktail/Wine Bar by night, it&#8217;s a place for community to gather, work, and/or relax.
It&#8217;s light, airy, and beautiful inside! Just look at this bar set up. Note the fresh fruit stacked under the left-hand hanging shelves. Those are used for zesting and juicing.

&#8220;We thoughtfully create all syrups, tonics, sodas, teas, & mixers in house. All juices are squeezed & pressed in house. Taste the love.&#8221;

And don&#8217;t even get me started on the loungy seating area. The only problem is that there aren&#8217;t more seats. Blue can be considered &#8220;cool&#8221; or &#8220;warm&#8221;, depending on the hue. This back corner seating area definitely feels warm and welcoming.

Small-scale, but with enough variety Breakfast, Lunch, and Late Night menus are available. See all menus here.
My friend Marilyn and I met up at Waterbird for lunch last week. We&#8217;re both suckers for deviled eggs, so couldn&#8217;t pass up sharing this Deviled Egg Flight ($5) of Traditional, Pickled Beet, Wasabi, and Smoked Trout. And of course, I had to do my latte test. Passed!

Our favorites were the Traditional, Pickled Beet, Wasabi, and Smoked Trout. Never mind.

Marilyn had the Cheese Board ($14). SO understated on the menu: &#8220;Rotating Cheeses, Roots & Branches Crackers, Accouterments. Really people. Look at that spread! By the way, that&#8217;s house-made, beautifully reduced fruit jam front left.

What better to have with that Cheese Board than a Vodka Highball ($10) made with Vodka, Yellow Chartreuse, and Rosemary Thyme Shrub. Not sure how I feel about describing a cocktail as having a shrub in it, but it was pretty tasty.

My Roast Beef Sandwich ($10.50) was delicious. I paid attention to the meat, in particular. The flavor and doneness were perfect, but was it hard to bite through easily? Was there any gristle? No to both. Without opening the sandwich up to actually check, the meat seemed semi-chipped.
Beyond the Roast Beef, spreading the Multigrain toast with Whipped Horseradish Goat Cheese was inspired. Especially when you consider the layers of pickle slices and lettuce. I chose their flavorful (with a slight kick) Mac & Cheese for my side.

I already told you about the Cheese Board, so focus on the Pear, Ginger, Cardamom Soda ($6). It&#8217;s non-alcoholic and listed under &#8220;Elixers&#8221; on the menu. Really good! Pace yourself. It was all I could do to not down this baby in one go.

There&#8217;s a fairly good-sized parking lot which had plenty of space when we were there, but might get crowed once word really gets out about Waterbird.
The Waterbird is definitely Epicurean recommended. Get yourself there as soon as you can!
P.S. Their Grand Opening is Saturday, May 26th. They&#8217;re offering &#8220;drink & food specials in addition to some fun activities.&#8221;
The Waterbird (https://www.thewaterbirdasheville.com/)
197 Charlotte St
Asheville, NC 28801
Phone: (828) 552-3662

Question 14

Catawba Brewing Releases Small Batch ESB

Accepted Answer

Asheville &#8211; Catawba Brewing (http://catawbabrewing.com/) is now pouring a Small Batch ESB (5.1 percent ABV). This traditional English-style pub ale is brewed with Maris Otter and Crystal malts and hopped with Simcoe and Fuggle. Copper in color, it has flavor notes of sweet caramel and bread crust, balanced by earthy, floral hop bitterness.

Small Batch ESB is Passport Beer #17 in Catawba’s 2018 Small Batch rewards program. Brewed in their Asheville South Slope brewhouse, the beer is available exclusively in Catawba’s four tasting rooms.
About Catawba Brewing Company
Founded in 1999 by the Pyatt family, natives of Western North Carolina, Catawba Brewing operates a main production facility in downtown Morganton, NC at 212 S. Green St; a boutique brewery/tasting room in downtown Asheville, NC at 32 Banks Ave; a tasting room in Asheville’s Biltmore Village at 63 Brook St.; and a new Catawba brewery/tasting room in Charlotte&#8217;s Plaza Midwood neighborhood at 933 Louise Ave. Catawba beers can be found in NC, SC, TN, AL, GA, and coming soon to VA. Learn more at www.catawbabrewing.com

Question 15

Sink your teeth into this!

Accepted Answer

West Asheville &#8211; Have you been to Foothills Butcher Bar and Kitchen (https://www.foothillslocalmeats.com/) yet? It&#8217;s one of my go-to spots for an in-house butcher and what they call &#8220;honest meats&#8221;.
Open for a while now, but easy to miss if you don&#8217;t know where to find them, look for Foothills tucked away at the back of a small, L-shaped mall right next to the West Asheville Ingles Market. See satellite MAP here: https://goo.gl/maps/GwLFRsmJ8ET2
But wait! Not only can you get fresh cuts of meat, you can also order from their kitchen menu (eat-in or to-go), and full bar!

&#8220;Our West Asheville Butcher Bar and Kitchen is a family-friendly destination for eat-in or take-out, grabbing a pint of local beer or a casual cocktail after work, or swinging by to pick up fresh grocery staples or your weekly Meat CSA package from our butcher counter.&#8221;
Yes, I took a picture of their glassware. Can&#8217;t you just imagine an Old Fashioned or other whiskey drink in that tumbler, served with an awesome grilled steak?

I went for a &#8220;classic&#8221; and ordered the Foothills Burger ($13). Take two luscious ground beef patties, top with lettuce, tomato, onion, house pickles, ketchup, mustard, Dukes (mayo, for the uninitiated), and american cheese, on a sesame seed bun from Annie&#8217;s Bakery.
Rarely [?] do I eat an entire burger in one sitting, let alone a double-patty burger. But yes I did! So delicious, with a perfect char. And the fries held their own, too.

If memory serves, the sandwich pictured next was on the &#8220;specials board&#8221;. According to the lunch pal that placed the order, it was completely tasty! Very tender, easy-to-bite meat, pickles, mustard, mayo, and melty cheese.

I&#8217;m a huge fan of Charcuterie Boards, but feel Foothill&#8217;s Butcher’s Tray ($14) is a little out of the ordinary. Perhaps more of a purist&#8217;s take. The assorted house made deli meats and Charcuterie are on the &#8220;heavier&#8221; side, encouraging savoring the meat for the meat&#8217;s sake rather than putting it on a cracker and topping it with relish or chutney &#8211; which I also love.
Take sink-your-teeth-in bites and savor what it is your&#8217;re eating. Also on the tray are local mustard and &#8220;fixin’s&#8221; like pickles and pickled onions. You can add local cheese selection for $3, which is what happened here.

A good Reuben ($13) is always one of my top lunch choices. Foothills makes theirs with thin sliced, house cured pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, thousand island dressing, served on Annie’s Bakery marble rye bread. And, boy, was it delicious! Portioned generously with just the right amounts of pastrami, sauerkraut, and cheese. This is what I&#8217;ll be getting the next time.

They have a cold case toward the back of the shop that keeps a nice selection of fresh products chilled. I didn&#8217;t check with them, but I&#8217;m betting you could order ahead if you wanted special cuts or a large quantity of something specific.

And for a special treat for the pups! Nice.

There&#8217;s just one caveat: seating is of the metal type and slightly narrow with side supports for the seat back. Interpret that as seating may not be the most comfortable for some folks.
Epicurean Notes:

Sunday Brunch with full bar and specialty cocktails is offered from 11am to 3pm. See the menu here.
They park their Food Truck at Hi Wire Brewing’s Big Top Taproom at 2 Huntsman Place, Asheville NC 28803. Visit this page for days/hours and a link to order and pay online for dine-in or take out.
Their Catering menu and details are here.
Foothills offers two types of CSAs:

Meet Share CSA &#8211; &#8220;&#8216;Heat and eat” dishes, seasoned meats for easy cooking, and Foothills house deli meats all created by Chef Dave Kane&#8221;
Butcher Shop CSA &#8211; &#8220;Fresh, uncooked, unseasoned beef, pork, and chicken for your fridge or freezer. For folks who love to buy in bulk!&#8221;

Foothills Butcher Bar & Kitchen (https://www.foothillslocalmeats.com/)
697 Haywood Rd Unit E
Asheville, NC 28806
Phone: (828) 417-7081

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