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

Q: New Coffee Shop opened by Pisgah Roasters

Pisgah Forest – Pisgah Coffee Roasters (https://www.pisgahroasters.com/) pretty much went all out at their new coffee shop Grand Opening this past Friday. Coffee tastes, beer, delicious grilled meats, live music, and a bounce house for kids – all free. I wasn’t the only one taking advantage of multiple roast tastes. Friday was a pretty warm day, so after doing some tasting I ordered a 16oz iced latte. It was good enough that I drank every drop of that puppy in an embarrassingly short amount of time. Prices are in line with other area coffee shops. They offer teas, fresh fruit, and snacks, including baked goods by local bakery Lotsa Loaves of Brevard. You can buy coffee – beans or ground – from the retail area inside the shop, along with T-shirts, hats, and other items. It’s a family affair at Pisgah Coffee Roasters and it was on full display on Friday. Two generations were on hand, grilling, serving food & drinks, and answering questions. Read about the family and their history in the coffee business here. One thing I’m especially excited about is that they have a drive-through window that’s open during their business hours, currently M-F 7am-5pm and Saturdays 10am-2pm. If you go: Watch for the large metal building with their sign prominently mounted on the front as you drive down Asheville Hwy (280) between Mills River and Brevard. If you miss the first entrance, don’t worry, there’s another one toward the other end of the building. Enter the coffee shop on the left side of the building. Pisgah Coffee Roasters (https://www.pisgahroasters.com) 6283 Asheville Hwy Pisgah Forest, NC 28768) Phone: (828) 309-0707

Question 1

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 2

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 3

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 4

"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 5

Dinner at Chimney Rock Gem, The Esmeralda Inn & Restaurant

Accepted Answer

Chimney Rock &#8211; Carpe diem! Dinner at The Esmeralda Inn (https://theesmeralda.com/) with fellow food writer and friend, Cecilia Moreno (Food Diary of a City Girl)? A no-brainer if ever there was one.
Since my re-introduction to The Esmeralda during Hendersonville Restaurant Week this past March, I&#8217;ve been wanting to go for a meal. Their dining room is cozy. It could even be called romantic. But I was hoping the weather would be nice enough for dining al fresco on their wonderful deck.
What better way to peruse the menu than over cocktails! In honor of one of my sisters, a complete lemon freak, I ordered a Lavender Lemon Drop (left). You can choose vodka or gin (I went with vodka), with lavender syrup and fresh squeezed lemon juice. I do lean toward sweeter cocktails, as opposed to tart, and this one was right up my alley.
Cecilia decided this was as good a time as any to try her very first Classic Old Fashioned. It&#8217;s described on the menu as made with Jim Beam, Angostura Bitters, Regans#6 (orange bitters), Simple Syrup, Orange, and Lemon Peel.

I was a little concerned about having to shoo insect annoyers away. No need. It might not be this way all the time, but we were essentially insect-free throughout our meal.
There&#8217;s a beautifully subtle waterfall with a stream effect on one side of the deck and the view from pretty much every table just can&#8217;t be beat!
View of Chimney Rock from The Esmeralda Inn&#8217;s deck!
My Caesar Salad ($7), topped with a Parmesan Crisp, was as good as any I&#8217;ve had.
But the most photogenic salad award goes to Cecilia&#8217;s Chimney Rock Iceberg ($8) salad. Not only beautiful, the flavor and texture combinations of crisp baby iceberg lettuce, heirloom grape tomatoes, red onion confit, Applewood smoked bacon, house-made buttermilk blue cheese dressing, and croutons were lovely.

Talk about seriously good entrées. Really. Regular readers know I&#8217;m a sucker for a good Filet Mignon. It&#8217;s my go to, especially when I have confidence in the kitchen. This 7oz beauty (Angus Filet Mignon $32) was cooked just as requested &#8211; medium rare &#8211; with a perfect sear. Crispy horseradish potato rosti and perfectly grilled asparagus framed the steak that was resting on a scrumptious Dijon-shallot cream sauce and had been topped with bacon-onion jam.

One of this evening&#8217;s specials was a Surf and Turf ($40) that added a luscious crab cake made with NC-sourced crab to the Filet entrée. If you&#8217;re a crab lover like me, you&#8217;ll be happy that this cake has very little filler.

Dessert? Why yes we will. We ordered both desserts offered this evening with sharing in mind: a Chocolate and Pecan Torte and . . .

. . . a classic Crème Brûlée. I can&#8217;t think of one negative thing to say about either. Both were portioned nicely. Not too little. Not too much. Especially after a big meal. The Torte structure happily surprised us both with the crunchy layer of pecans and caramel. It was nice to have the whipped creme quenelle on top to cut some of the very rich chocolate every few bites.
As for the Crème Brûlée, do not hesitate. Order it. It&#8217;s the perfect way to end a meal. We both thought the flavor was exceptional. Cecilia followed up with Chef Keith Chinn, asking what ingredients were used. And what do you know? When it&#8217;s good, vanilla is very good!

I&#8217;d like to give a shout out to our server, Chris. He was exceptional, anticipating our needs, attentive without hovering. Kudos to you, Chris!
Epicurean Notes:

None of the tables we observed were rushed through their meal. This is a relaxed dining experience to savor as you enjoy your dinner companions and the view.
As I write this review, The Esmeralda Inn is under mandatory evacuation due to road closures and outages. A large tree came down, along with a mud slide just beyond their driveway during recent WNC heavy rains and flooding. My heart goes out to everyone in our area affected by terrible weather and flooding.
Although I fully expected to pay for my meal, the folks at The Esmeralda generously covered it. Thank you very much!

The Esmeralda Inn & Restaurant (https://theesmeralda.com/)
910 Main Street
Chimney Rock, NC 28720
Phone: (828) 625-2999
Toll-Free: (888) 897-2999

Question 6

Bold Rock Hard Cider announces new Summer Seasonal: Blackberry

Accepted Answer

Mills River &#8211; Bold Rock Hard Cider (https://boldrock.com/visit/mills-river-cidery/) has announced the release of their newest seasonal style, Blackberry Cider. Available on shelves June 2nd, Blackberry Cider is a fruit-forward blend featuring a tart, semi-dry finish.
Blackberry Cider originated with a challenge to Bold Rock cider makers: create the perfect Summer beverage, refreshing but not overly sweet. The result is a hard apple cider underpinned by the beloved Summer berry, allowing for a fruit-forward cider bursting with rich notes of blackberry on the nose paired with a distinctive tartness and touch of sweetness on the finish. This enjoyable union of flavors will undoubtedly keep consumers going back for that next sip on hot Summer days.
Epicurean Note: I had the chance to sample Bold Rock&#8217;s Blackberry Seasonal and tour the Mills River tank room and line. Browse the gallery below for a look at awesome improvements outside the Mills River Cidery and inside at the tank room and packaging line.

“After the success of our Spring Seasonal in the Bold Rock Rosé, we knew that our loyal customers were expecting an exciting and creative seasonal release for the Summer,” says Head Cider Maker Ward Beveridge. “We chose the blackberry because of its distinctive aromas and clean, tart finish that perfectly balances the natural sweetness of apples.”
Founded in 2012, Bold Rock produces a variety of hard cider styles from apples harvested in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and North Carolina. The award-winning craft cider company now has over 100 full-time employees and operates two cideries &#8211; the original Bold Rock Cider Barn in Nellysford, Va., which features an innovative production facility and tasting room overlooking the Rockfish River, and a recently expanded second production facility and tap room located in the bucolic pastures of Mills River, N.C.
Bold Rock features 12 styles of hard cider, including the popular originals, Apple and Draft, a rotating mix of seasonal selections, and IPA (India Pressed Apple), the best-selling hopped cider in the country. These innovative varieties of cider have found favor with a wide range of customers and critical acclaim throughout the industry, as Bold Rock has won over 100 awards in hard cider and wine competitions since first launching.
Blackberry Cider will be available on shelves throughout Bold Rock’s distribution footprint, which includes 10 states between Eastern Pennsylvania and Georgia.
Bold Rock Mills River (https://boldrock.com/visit/mills-river-cidery/)
72 School House Rd
Mills River, NC 28759
Phone: (828) 595-9940
Release

Question 7

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 8

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 9

Asheville's latest AUXymoron

Accepted Answer

Asheville &#8211; &#8220;Easygoing edgy&#8221; is how I think about AUX Bar  (https://www.auxbar.com/), Asheville&#8217;s latest food & drink joint. Why? Because in my head that oxymoron goes to the heart of Aux Bar and its ownership.
Chefs Mike Moore and Steven Goff are both pretty chill guys. At the same time, they&#8217;re guys who lean toward edgy and pushing creative boundaries. Wives Darlene Moore and Samantha Goff are co-owners. I don&#8217;t know too much about &#8220;Sam&#8221;, but Darlene is an incredibly gifted graphic artist. She designed this AUX Bar logo:
Logo Design: Darlene Moore Image Credit: Sabrina Kolton Photography
Moore and Goff are well known in Asheville and beyond. They both have a history of successes and are loved and embraced by locals. A partnership between the two of them and their wives sure seems like the perfect storm.
Moore previously owned Seven Sows Bourbon and Larder. The food was amazing, but not &#8220;safe&#8221; enough for the average diner, IMO. He, along with Darlene, also founded Blind Pig Supper Club, tag-lined &#8220;creative cuisine &#8211; bridging community&#8221;. Each dinner benefits a local or national charity.

&#8220;We produce events which impact local community in more ways than one. We are also a unique fundraising organization and community building catalyst established through a network of chefs and volunteers. The Blind Pig Supper Club offers personalized catering services, pop ups and concept driven charity fundraising events working with local and national charitable organizations.&#8221; ~ Blind Pig Supper Club

Goff has led a pretty edgy life, so it&#8217;s impressive that he&#8217;s as chill as he is. I think fate played a part in his landing in Asheville Buncombe Technical College&#8217;s (AB Tech) culinary program. It&#8217;s where he met his wife, Sam, and eventually did a stint as an instructor. My take is that he was born to work with food. He&#8217;s best known in Asheville as co-owner/chef of King James Public House.
When King James closed (there&#8217;s a story there, but I won&#8217;t go into it here), he and Sam headed to Raleigh where he worked as a butcher at Standard Foods with well known executive chef Scott Crawford. When Standard Foods closed, the Goffs launched Brine Haus Meat + Provisions Food Truck after totally tricking it out.
Now the Goffs are back in Asheville with their truck and partnered with the Moores at AUX Bar. Here&#8217;s hoping they&#8217;ll both be creating wonderful food together for a long time!
The Food
AUX is billed as Modern-American. Think of it as taking Southern, as good or better than you&#8217;ve had (Fried Chicken, Country Ham, Vinegar Pie), throw in a few not-so-Southern (Baba Ganoush, Smoked Pork Curry Poutine, Tempeh) and you get creative, yet constructed with purpose dishes.
Not sure where Goff got the fermentation bug, but it&#8217;s his thing. He might have some other &#8220;things&#8221;, but when I think of Steven, I think &#8220;king of fermentation&#8221;. Watch for his creations on AUX&#8217;s menu like Pickled Bar Eggs in three flavors and California Frites. And he&#8217;s known for adding his pickled garlic juice to whatever he can.
AUX also does their share of smoking, pickling and preserving.
The Drinks
The bar program at AUX is pretty killer. Of course they have all the usual suspects: beer (local and others), wine, and well drinks. BUT their Bar Manager, Jennifer Gordon, who is also Event Beverage Specialist and Sommelier at The Blind Pig Supper Club, does a fantastic job creating specialty cocktails. Keep reading to see which one I chose.
AUX Bar Asheville
The Space
Not a huge space inside, the bar area draws your eye the minute you walk in. I love the red lighting! The picture above just doesn&#8217;t do it justice.
That said, there is the almost obligatory glass garage door that opens in good weather onto one of the best patios in Asheville. It&#8217;s covered, has plenty of seating, it&#8217;s pretty, it&#8217;s great for people-watching as they pass on Lexington, AND coming this summer &#8211; a wood-fired grill and special Wood Fired Patio Menu! I can&#8217;t wait! There&#8217;s a peek at the patio in the gallery at the end of this article.
Our Dinner
The boys each had local brew. Love that they&#8217;re using Blind Pig glasses. Not a bad way to advertise, either.

I went for one of their specialty cocktails. Fairytale in the Supermarket ($10) is made with Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka, Frangelico, Carrot Juice, Peppered Honey, Lemon, Devil&#8217;s Food Fuego, and Ginger Beer. You all know I love Ginger Beer, right? Well this was a delicious way to incorporate it into a cocktail! The name&#8217;s a bit silly, but creative!

Again, the boys stuck together, both ordereding Buttermilk Fried Chicken ($18). A classic served a little differently &#8211; in a bowl with Brown Gravy on (very) Whipped Taters and Fried Herbs under the superb fried chicken.

I wasn&#8217;t too hungry, so ordered a &#8220;single&#8221; Animal House Burger ($8, Double $12). Take a patty of Fresh Brasstown Ground Beef and top it with American Cheese (Cheddar not available this evening) lettuce, onion, tomato, pickles, and special sauce. It&#8217;s cooked to order and served with Hand Cut Fries.

Next time I&#8217;m going to get the Smoked Pork Shoulder ($15) with Carolina Rice Porridge, Wild Mushrooms, Smoked Jus, Soft Egg, and Cracklings. OMG, I really wanted to get this Small Plate, but opted for the Burger from &#8220;The Hits&#8221; menu.
All images below are credited to Sabrina Kolton Photography.

When you go, plan some time for street parking, or opt for one of the nearby city garages. I usually go right to the Rankin Garage and walk the two blocks.
*This is a long post, but I wanted to express fully how special these folks are.
AUX Bar (https://www.auxbar.com/)
68 N Lexington Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
Phone: (828) 575-2723

Question 10

Henderson County Career Academy ProStart teacher named 2018 Educator of Excellence

Accepted Answer

Hendersonville &#8211; The North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association&#8217;s philanthropic arm, the North Carolina Hospitality Education Foundation (NC HEF), recently awarded Christine Mukosiej of Henderson County Career Academy in Flat Rock, North Carolina, with its 2018 Educator of Excellence award. The award is presented annually to an educator who has made significant contributions toward advancing the future of the hospitality industry through culinary instruction.
Under Mukosiej’s leadership, the school’s former cooking courses transitioned to follow the ProStart curriculum, opening pathways for students to pursue careers in hospitality. ProStart is a national two-year high school program that develops future restaurant industry leaders.
2018 Educator of Excellence award recipient Christine Mukosiej (middle) is congratulated by Lynn Minges (right), president and CEO of NCRLA and NC HEF, and NC HEF’s Mandy Hines (left)
“Christine has opened the eyes of her students to future opportunities by offering field trips, guest chef visits in the classroom and upscale catering jobs for her students to participate in,” said Lynn Minges, president and CEO of NCRLA and NC HEF. “She is the utmost example of excellence in the classroom and will go above and beyond to serve her students through acting as a resource both in education and in life. We are proud to honor her with this award.”
From culinary techniques to management skills, ProStart’s industry-driven curriculum provides real-world educational opportunities and builds practical skills and a foundation that will last a lifetime. By bringing industry and classroom together, ProStart gives students a platform to discover new interests and talents and opens doors for fulfilling hospitality-oriented careers.
“Henderson County Career Academy’s mission is to provide a quality educational experience to students that have not found success in a traditional classroom setting,” said Mukosiej. “ProStart’s curriculum, overseen by the North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association’s foundation, has helped me provide my students with a unique set of skills and opportunities to advance their future that they would unlikely find somewhere else.”
Mukosiej was recognized at the 2018 North Carolina ProStart Invitational (NCPI) presented by Golden Corral, a high-stakes culinary arts and restaurant management competition organized by NC HEF. Her team placed first in the state in the culinary category at NCPI and represented North Carolina at the National ProStart Invitational, April 27-29, in Providence, Rhode Island.
Mukosiej will join other top ProStart educators in Chicago, Illinois, for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s (NRAEF) ProStart Educator Excellence Awards, May 17.
About NCRLA
Established in 1947, the North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association (NCRLA) works to advance and protect North Carolina’s $23.5 billion restaurant, foodservice and lodging industry. The association provides access to the resources and support restaurant and lodging professionals need to lead thriving businesses, while serving as conscientious, contributing members of an unparalleled industry. To learn more information about NCRLA or its membership opportunities and cost-saving benefits, please visit www.ncrla.org.
About NC HEF
The North Carolina Hospitality Education Foundation (NC HEF) is the philanthropic foundation of the North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association, helping to enhance the hospitality industry’s service to the public through education, community engagement and promotion of career opportunities. NC HEF works to attract, develop and retain a career-oriented professional workforce for the hospitality industry. For more information, please visit https://www.ncrla.org/foundation/.
Release

Question 11

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 12

New Coffee Shop opened by Pisgah Roasters

Accepted Answer

Pisgah Forest &#8211; Pisgah Coffee Roasters (https://www.pisgahroasters.com/) pretty much went all out at their new coffee shop Grand Opening this past Friday. Coffee tastes, beer, delicious grilled meats, live music, and a bounce house for kids &#8211; all free.
I wasn&#8217;t the only one taking advantage of multiple roast tastes.

Friday was a pretty warm day, so after doing some tasting I ordered a 16oz iced latte. It was good enough that I drank every drop of that puppy in an embarrassingly short amount of time. Prices are in line with other area coffee shops.

They offer teas, fresh fruit, and snacks, including baked goods by local bakery Lotsa Loaves of Brevard.

You can buy coffee &#8211; beans or ground &#8211; from the retail area inside the shop, along with T-shirts, hats, and other items.

It&#8217;s a family affair at Pisgah Coffee Roasters and it was on full display on Friday. Two generations were on hand, grilling, serving food & drinks, and answering questions. Read about the family and their history in the coffee business here.

One thing I&#8217;m especially excited about is that they have a drive-through window that&#8217;s open during their business hours, currently M-F 7am-5pm and Saturdays 10am-2pm.
If you go:
Watch for the large metal building with their sign prominently mounted on the front as you drive down Asheville Hwy (280) between Mills River and Brevard. If you miss the first entrance, don&#8217;t worry, there&#8217;s another one toward the other end of the building.
Enter the coffee shop on the left side of the building.

Pisgah Coffee Roasters (https://www.pisgahroasters.com)
6283 Asheville Hwy
Pisgah Forest, NC 28768)
Phone: (828) 309-0707

Question 13

Hungry Ghost, Thirsty Ghost, Blue Ghost Brewing Co

Accepted Answer

Fletcher (Arden) &#8211; Have you been to Blue Ghost Brewing Company (https://www.blueghostbrewing.com/)? They&#8217;re tucked away at 125 Underwood Rd, Fletcher, NC. Even though their address is in Fletcher, I think of their location more as Arden. It&#8217;s not too far off Airport Road, down behind/past the Apple Tree Honda dealership.
Image: Hungry Ghost Kitchen &#8211; https://www.facebook.com/hungryghostkitchen/
I&#8217;m talking rectangular metal building that&#8217;s been tricked out with a nice, no frills bar and seating that screams, &#8220;grab a brew, some food from the food trailer (The Hungry Ghost), and come on over and hang out with your buddies for a while.&#8221;
There&#8217;s lots of table seating and plenty of parking, too.

A good selection of board games are on shelves by the back door. That&#8217;s the same door that will take you to outdoor picnic tables and play area for the kids, and the food trailer.
Head back to your crew with a &#8220;beeper&#8221; after ordering. It&#8217;ll go off when your food&#8217;s ready for pick up.
I&#8217;m not sure which beer our second had, but our third ordered the seasonal Honey Lavender Kolsch &#8211; &#8220;4.7% ABV, 25 IBUs. This beer starts with the Blue Ghost Kolsch and adds a secondary addition of fresh lavender tea and clover honey to create a beer that has a sweet flavor with a refreshing, palate cleansing finish. BACK 4/20.&#8221; He was pretty happy with his choice. See their Brews here.
It might seem a little lame not to order beer, but I was intrigued by house-made Root Beer. It was tasty, but could have used a bit more carbonation. Next time I&#8217;ll go for a beer.
Silly me. I thought the Fried Brussels ($6) were a &#8220;side&#8221;! This was a huge portion of very good sprouts served with garlic-basil aioli. Half went home with me for later, when they tasted just as good reheated.

In a way, it was good I didn&#8217;t know how many sprouts were coming my way, because I wouldn&#8217;t have ordered these terrific Pulled Pork Tacos ($7). They&#8217;re on the menu as &#8220;pulled pork, BBQ sauce, sweet vinegar slaw, cilantro, and queso fresco, served on your choice of 2 corn or flour tortillas.&#8221;
They were excellent! One of the best pulled pork tacos I&#8217;ve had. Only thing I&#8217;d change is swapping out the corn tortillas for flour. The corn tortillas came apart under the weight and moisture of the filling. See their full menu here.

Blue Ghost is the quintessential local, small-scale brewing company made accessible to all. No hype. No pretense. Just honest, good beer and a welcoming place to enjoy it.
Epicurean Note:

Hungry Ghost Kitchen (the food trailer) has a monthly Sunday Brunch. The next one is on April 29th from 12-3pm. See the Facebook event details here.

Blue Ghost Brewing Company (https://www.blueghostbrewing.com/)
125 Underwood Rd
Fletcher, NC 28732
Phone: (828) 376-0159

Question 14

Find your Passion for Pinot at Season's

Accepted Answer

Flat Rock &#8211; Last week my husband and I were lucky enough to attend the Season&#8217;s at Highland Lake (http://hlinn.com/seasons) Passion for Pinot Wine Dinner.
I was really looking forward to a meal prepared by Executive Chef Nate Sargent. He&#8217;d put together such great menus for Hendersonville Restaurant Week, so I had high expectations. And watching him interact with a WSPA reporter filming him cook for a Restaurant Week news story, I knew he had a fun, approachable personality.
Before the sold out dinner for 50 began, Chef Nate gave us an overview of the evening to come. He also introduced Tom Leiner, Grapevine Distributors wine expert, who had worked with Chef to pair the perfect Pinot with each course.
Left: Tom Leiner, from Grapevine Distributors Right: Executive Chef Nate Sargent
There was an unintentional theme that ran through the evening. It was actually pretty humorous. Chef Nate would describe each course before it was served and he just couldn&#8217;t help himself. As his enthusiasm got the better of him, he&#8217;d invariably mention &#8211; BUTTER. Rich, buttery flavor, texture, etc. By the dessert course description, the room waited with bated breath . . . and there it was, butter! The room chuckled along with a grinning Chef.
First Course: AMUSE-BOUCHE
Paired with: 2016 Underwood Pinot Noir, Oregon, USA
A lightly Mesquite-Smoked Verlasso Salmon with Capers, Green Apple Slaw on Crostini. Some approached the crostini as a hand-held appetizer, while others used knife and fork. Either way, it was a delicious mix of smoked, salty, and sweet flavors.

Second Course: FROM THE SEA
Paired with: 2016 Kurtatsch Pinot Bianco, Alto Adige, Italy
This dish was a wonderful dance between flavor and texture of Seared Sea Scallops cooked just shy of loosing their most flavorful, soft texture, smooth Fire-Roasted Artichoke Hearts, and crispy Coriander Pickled Radish & Serrano Ham Chip, drizzled with a buttery Smoked Tomato Beurre Blanc sauce.

Third Course: SALADE
Paired with: 2017 Elk Cove Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, USA
I concede this dish looks a little like a beached ship&#8217;s hull. Normally I&#8217;m not big on wedges of lettuce, no matter what kind, but this Romaine Heart topped with Spring Pea Mousse, and served with Truffled Shiitake, Fennel Fronds, crumbled Chèvre and Candy Spiced Sunflower Seeds was surprisingly good stem to stern.

Fourth course: DECONSTRUCTED DUCK WELLINGTON
Paired with: 2014 Rock Wall Pinot Noir, Russian River, USA
There are deconstructions and then there are deconstructions. This one struck me as a minimalist inside out Wellington, with fork-tender Duck, Mushroom Mélange, and Fingerling Potato-Horseradish Puree placed gently on buttery, flaky Puff Pastry that had been drizzled with Duck-Sassafras Demi-Glace. Small-scale hearty and light at the same time, it was full-flavored and was perfectly portioned for a multi-course dinner like this.

Dessert course: SALTED CARAMEL & PEAR PASSION
Dessert was fabulous! I really hope Season&#8217;s keeps this on the menu so I can go back and have it again. Chef Nate baked buttery Dacquoise Biscuits with Hazelnuts and topped them with a mixture of William Pears in a Caramel Bavarian Cream. It was light with a brulee-like texture. Oh. My. Goodness.

Season&#8217;s hosts a variety of wine dinners through the year, two of which are Passion for Pinot themed. Watch their Facebook Page for event announcements and get your tickets quickly, before these popular dinners sell out.
Season&#8217;s at Highland Lake (http://hlinn.com/seasons)
86 Lily Pad Ln
Flat Rock, NC 28731
Phone: (828) 696-9094
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Question 15

A fresh look at Rezaz

Accepted Answer

Asheville (Biltmore Village) &#8211; Considering all the new, sparkly openings in Asheville, it seems like Rezaz (http://rezaz.com/) &#8211; beloved by locals &#8211; has been around forever.
&#8220;The menu is also changing, with the addition of fare from North Africa, Spain and Greece. New dishes include Tunisian ahi tuna, fragrant Israeli chicken soup, Sicilian burrata cheese and grilled Delmonico steak.&#8221; ~ The Laurel of Asheville
Co-owners since 2015, Laura and Brian Smith, reopened Rezaz last month after a major remodel. The place was basically gutted and totally reconfigured. As an aside, Laura&#8217;s smile is completely infectious. You just can&#8217;t help but smile in response.
They also shook up the menu, re-focusing from Middle Eastern to Mediterranean. Not to worry, though. Some favorites like Grilled Octopus and Bento Box lunches are still available.
I&#8217;d been wanting to go for quite awhile and this remodel was the perfect motivator. The prospect of great food? Well, yeah, that too.
22&#8242; Custom Wine Wall
Complimentary house-made Banana and Focaccia Bread that arrived at our table were so good, none of us bothered dipping.

Okay. Here&#8217;s a little story for you. My sister ordered this cocktail while I was looking at the wine list, so I didn&#8217;t pay attention to ingredients. I was distracted by the three page wine folder, that when opened, was completely blank.

We all tasted the drink and agreed it was light and refreshing, perfect for warmer weather. And just look at that color!
As soon as our server stopped back to take my wine order, I said, &#8220;Nothing on your list spoke to me. Perhaps you could choose something for me?&#8221; It was fun watching her reaction when she opened it up to pick the perfect match for my meal.
Although the food pictured in the Moroccan Tagine ($22) below isn&#8217;t in focus, I wanted to show you the lovely serving piece (Tagine) they&#8217;re using.

Here&#8217;s a better shot of the sweet & savory tagine mixture of lemon pickle, apricot, fregola, cashews, olive and chicken. You have a choice of protein: tofu, chicken, or shrimp.
What a wonderful symphony of flavors, cooked to tender perfection. This is a dish you must order when you go.

My choice was the Parisian Beef Bourguingon ($26). Imagine a boneless Short Rib resting in a shallow bowl of Red Wine Jus topped with Potato Beignets (herbed mashed potatoes, deep fried), Grilled Asparagus, and bread crumbs.
I would have been happy stopping at the short rib in red wine jus, to tell you the truth, but asparagus and potatoes completed the meal beautifully. Meat &#8211; fall-apart tender; Asparagus &#8211; al dente and bursting with a lightly smoked flavor; Potatoes &#8211; subtly seasoned and an interesting concept.

Three of us shared this large slice of Coconut Cake layered with lemon curd. Absolutely fantastic flavor and great texture! You must order this, too &#8211; even if you&#8217;re full. Take it home for later if you have to.

Actually, you really should try everything in this post. All our meals were generously portioned. So much so, we all went home with enough for a hearty snack or mid-day meal.
Rezaz has a small lot next to their building, but it&#8217;s frequently full. We parked in the free Village lots across the street and walked the block or so.
If you&#8217;ve never been, or haven&#8217;t been since Laura and Brian remodeled, you must go.
People frequently ask me that impossible to answer question &#8211; &#8220;What&#8217;s your favorite restaurant in Asheville?&#8221; My answer is always, &#8220;There are so many fabulous restaurants in Asheville. It depends on the cuisine you&#8217;re in the mood for, your preferred price range, and ambiance.&#8221; And then I list off three or four favorites. Rezaz in now on the top tier of that list.
Rezaz (http://rezaz.com/)
28 Hendersonville Rd
Asheville, NC 28803
Phone: (828) 277-1510

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