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

Q: Ivory Road Cafe and Kitchen of Arden to begin Dinner Service

Arden – Beginning April 4, 2018, Ivory Road Cafe & Kitchen (https://ivoryroadavl.com/) of Arden began serving dinner three nights per week on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 5pm-9pm. Currently, the café, bakery and tea room serves all-day breakfast and lunch as well as Afternoon Tea, and owner Jill Wasilewski is excited to begin offering a dinner menu as well. The café opened August 1, 2016 and has had plans to open for dinner service since the start. While a beer and wine license is still in the works, they expect to be able to offer alcohol in the coming months. The menu will stay true to their current style of cuisine: homemade southern food with a few unexpected twists. It will feature items such as Corn Puddin’ Crab Cakes, Red Eye Gravy-Braised Short Ribs, and a Buttermilk Tomato Pie. Breakfast will continue to be served all day. The menu will also feature homemade desserts such as Chocolate Cake with Raspberry-Rosewater Buttercream, Earl Grey Crème Brulee, and Sweet Tea Cake with Lemon Ginger Mousse. According to owner Jill Wasilewski, “We are so grateful to have seen steady, continued support from our amazing local community. We feel lucky to be able to expand to dinner service and add some more creativity to our menu.” Ivory Road Café & Kitchen is located at 1854 Brevard Road in Arden. Hours of operation are Monday and Tuesday from 9am-4pm, Wednesday through Friday from 9am to 9pm, and Saturdays from 9am-1pm, with Afternoon Tea service at 2pm. Dinner menu is available to view on the website at www.ivoryroadAVL.com. Ivory Road Cafe & Kitchen (https://ivoryroadavl.com/) 1854 Brevard Rd Arden, NC 28704 Phone: (828) 676-3870 Release

Question 1

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 2

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 3

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 4

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 5

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 6

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 7

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 8

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
Sponsored

Question 9

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

Question 10

Ivory Road Cafe and Kitchen of Arden to begin Dinner Service

Accepted Answer

Arden &#8211; Beginning April 4, 2018, Ivory Road Cafe & Kitchen 
(https://ivoryroadavl.com/) of Arden began serving dinner three nights per week on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 5pm-9pm. Currently, the café, bakery and tea room serves all-day breakfast and lunch as well as Afternoon Tea, and owner Jill Wasilewski is excited to begin offering a dinner menu as well.
The café opened August 1, 2016 and has had plans to open for dinner service since the start. While a beer and wine license is still in the works, they expect to be able to offer alcohol in the coming months. The menu will stay true to their current style of cuisine: homemade southern food with a few unexpected twists. It will feature items such as Corn Puddin’ Crab Cakes, Red Eye Gravy-Braised Short Ribs, and a Buttermilk Tomato Pie. Breakfast will continue to be served all day. The menu will also feature homemade desserts such as Chocolate Cake with Raspberry-Rosewater Buttercream, Earl Grey Crème Brulee, and Sweet Tea Cake with Lemon Ginger Mousse.
According to owner Jill Wasilewski, “We are so grateful to have seen steady, continued support from our amazing local community. We feel lucky to be able to expand to dinner service and add some more creativity to our menu.”
Ivory Road Café & Kitchen is located at 1854 Brevard Road in Arden. Hours of operation are Monday and Tuesday from 9am-4pm, Wednesday through Friday from 9am to 9pm, and
Saturdays from 9am-1pm, with Afternoon Tea service at 2pm. Dinner menu is available to view on the website at www.ivoryroadAVL.com.
Ivory Road Cafe & Kitchen (https://ivoryroadavl.com/)
1854 Brevard Rd
Arden, NC 28704
Phone: (828) 676-3870
Release

Question 11

When a rectangle becomes a heart: Appalachian Coffee Company

Accepted Answer

Hendersonville/Laurel Park &#8211;  Laurel Park has a hit on its hands with Appalachian Coffee Company (https://www.appalachiancoffeecompany.com/)! It&#8217;s in an unassuming roadside building that&#8217;s been renovated into a wonderful space you&#8217;re going to love!

After completing carefully thought out renovations to the building at 1628 5th Ave. West, including an awesome deck out back, they celebrated their Grand Opening about 2 1/2 weeks ago, on March 17th and 18th.
The location is especially nice for a couple reasons: they have plenty of free parking in their lot, and they&#8217;re next door to Laurel Green Park.
The parking lot is self-explanatory, but let me tell you about the sweet park. It&#8217;s at the intersection of 5th Ave W and White Pine Drive. The park has paved walking trails perfect for toddlers on foot or wheels, Little Laurel Green Playground &#8211; including a playhouse, a gazebo, shaded park benches, a creek and pond with ducks. The park is open sunrise to sunset and is pet-friendly, as long as they&#8217;re leashed.
There are no bathrooms in the park, but you&#8217;re welcome to use Town Hall facilities across White Pine Dr. Monday &#8211; Friday, 9 am &#8211; 5 pm. If a police officer is in the office after hours or on weekends, the restrooms may also be available.
So what&#8217;s the big deal about Appalachian Coffee Company being next to a park? Moms and dads that hang out at parks with their kids know. Go-cups keep you sharp at the park.

Later, when the kids get a little hangry (&#8220;bad-tempered or irritable as a result of hunger&#8221;), you pop back over to Appalachian for a sandwich, salad, juice, or maybe a smoothie. They also have sweet treats like cookies for the deserving.
The coffee&#8217;s great. No question. They passed my latte test with flying colors.

Interior decor and finishes are awesome! There are plenty of tables for small and large parties. To the right just inside the front door is lux leather sofa/chair seating. The place is just so inviting, you&#8217;ll want to hang out every chance you get.

I&#8217;ve talked to a few people who&#8217;ve tried different sandwiches here and loved them. But Avocado Toast ($5.65) is one of my faves, so had to check it out. It&#8217;s described on the menu as &#8220;rustic sourdough toast, avocado, hard boiled egg, sprinkle of salt, pepper, and paprika.&#8221;
This was the strangest take on Avocado Toast I&#8217;ve had to date. It made for a beautiful presentation, but the egg mixture had a fluffy, &#8220;fuzzy&#8221; mouthfeel and was pretty tasteless, even though it was mixed with shredded cheese. Perhaps it needs more than a sprinkle of salt?
After speculating with my table-mate on how in the world they got that texture, I asked. Shredding the hard boiled eggs was the answer. The bread/toast was great. The avocado was fine. Try it if you think it&#8217;ll work for you.

Besides great coffee and sandwiches, a few things set them apart from many other coffee shops. They have a &#8220;extensive and exceptionally curated beer and wine retail market&#8221;, a good-sized event space in back (still being finished up), and great outdoor seating on their deck.

Epicurean Notes:

Free Wi-Fi is available
Appalachian currently has three locations:

Laurel Park
Hendersonville &#8211; Includes a drive through at 1314 Asheville Highway
Brevard &#8211; on the Brevard College campus in the old Brevard College boiler house, which was rechristened as &#8220;Bill&#8217;s Boiler House&#8221; in 2014.

Appalachian Coffee Company (https://www.appalachiancoffeecompany.com/)
1628 5th Ave West
Hendersonville, NC 28739

Question 12

Sunday Brunch at 1898 Waverly Inn: "puts you in a good temper"

Accepted Answer

Hendersonville &#8211; Only three years before the 1898 Waverly Inn  (https://www.waverlyinn.com ) was built in Hendersonville, the word &#8220;Brunch&#8220;, a portmanteau, was coined in Britain to sugest a new Sunday meal for &#8220;Saturday-night carousers&#8221; in the writer Guy Beringer&#8217;s Punch magazine article &#8220;Brunch: A Plea&#8221;.

&#8220;Brunch is cheerful, sociable and inciting. It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.&#8221; ~ Guy Beringer
Brunch happens at 1898 Waverly Inn every Sunday, and is indeed &#8220;cheerful and sociable&#8221;. Not so sure about &#8220;inciting&#8221;.
My sisters, son, husband, and I went for the $20 pix prixe Easter Sunday Brunch this past weekend. Drinks were not included in the price, but four very reasonably priced ($5 and $6) mimosas were on the menu: Orange, Cranberry, Creamsicle, and Caramel Apple. I had two. Don&#8217;t judge.
First up were THE most delicious Hot Cross Buns I&#8217;ve ever had. That seems a pretty strong statement, but it&#8217;s true. Not only were the buns delicious, the &#8220;honey butter&#8221; was more of a super light citrus (orange and lemon) oh so delicious frosting. It melted just enough to moisten the bun, but not fall off to the side.

My son really enjoyed the Spring Mix Salad with Grapes and Pistachio Crusted Goat Cheese. I didn&#8217;t take a taste, but according to him, everything was fresh and the balsamic dressing was very good.

Apparently it was too hard for my sisters to choose between the Soup and Salad options. They both ordered the Cream of Asparagus Soup (as did hubs and myself), AND a salad to go, intending to have it later with dinner at home.
Everything on the menu was house-made, including the balsamic dressing, soup from scratch, and dessert. Hats off to Chef Lily!
Oh, that soup! The mouthfeel was thick and luscious and bursting with flavor.

Co-owner Mike Burnette and wife Tracey were both on hand, helping with service. But, in addition, Mike had smoked the Honey Glazed Smoked Easter Ham himself. It was served with a cold Potato Green Bean Salad.
Know that I&#8217;d sign up for Mike&#8217;s honey glazed smoked ham any time! Every bite of this sweet, smoked ham was very good. Although we liked the potato, bean, and egg salad, the general consensus at our table was that we would have preferred a warm side.

Chef Lily&#8217;s Coconut Cream Pie was such a perfect finish! Light, refreshing, and just sweet enough. The jelly beans were cute, but I took a pass this time.

Mike also smokes pork for their BBQ dinners and events. Looks like they have live music by Nitrograss on the front lawn scheduled for April 12th. BBQ and refreshments will be for sale. They&#8217;re good about posting events on their Facebook Events page.
If you go, there&#8217;s a shared parking lot between 1898 Waverly Inn and The Charleston Inn. Enter from one-way N. Main St, just before it merges with N. King St.
1898 Waverly Inn (https://www.waverlyinn.com/)
783 N Main St
Hendersonville, NC 28792
Phone: (828) 693-9193

Question 13

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

Question 14

Jargon - the language of delicious in West Asheville

Accepted Answer

West Asheville &#8211; Looking for interesting food and killer ambiance? Jargon&#8217;s (https://jargonrestaurant.com/) the place!
Lights are set low and the intimate space is jam-packed with witty references to speech and communication &#8211; along with random things like lava lamps &#8211; throughout.

Notice the vintage printers type trays under the bar and on the wall? Don&#8217;t know about you, but for me, they invoked warm feelings for times gone by.
Wall of mirrors
One in our group of three ordered the Goat Cheese Fondue ($12). It&#8217;s served in a tall mug, the hollow bottom of which holds a lit votive candle that keeps things warm and melty.  Tempura vegetables, dried apricots, green apples, and herb bread arrive along with the mug on a nice board.
Good thing she offered to share &#8211; a little &#8211; or there might have been a problem.
Wasn&#8217;t sure what to expect when I ordered the Roasted Beet Salad ($9), but was pleasantly surprised with the plating. On the slate &#8211; roasted golden beets, Three Graces honey goat cheese, toasted pistachios, micros, and balsamic reduction.
It&#8217;s quite a bit of Goat Cheese, so if I were to order this again, I might ask for few crostini or pieces of bread for spreading.

If memory serves, the following is a photo of this night&#8217;s fish special. I didn&#8217;t take a bite, but reports were good.

Their Duo of Marrow ($15) got rave reviews! There wasn&#8217;t a spec left of the roasted garlic and thyme, and crème brûlée marrow mousse. It&#8217;s served with a pickled parsley and shallot salad, blackberry chutney, and herb bread.

Also offered as a special this night was Jargon&#8217;s take on Chicken and Waffle, served with a sweet potato mixture and 64 degree egg. It was savory and had a definite kick.

Of note: The Scrabble feature wall in the restroom is awesome! There are lots of names and words in there. Can&#8217;t even imagine gluing all those tiles on the wall! Well done, though. Well done.

Next time I go, I&#8217;ll be bringing my DSLR camera with macro lens so I can get some decent pictures.
Service was exceptional. Our orders came out of the kitchen quickly. Bar service was great.
Jargon
715 Haywood Rd
Asheville, NC 28806
(828) 785-1761

Question 15

Dainty Dishes set before us at The Blackbird

Accepted Answer

Asheville &#8211; This past Fall, I was lucky enough to attend a new-menu tasting at The Blackbird ( http://theblackbirdrestaurant.com/ ) These particular items may or may not be on the menu now, but they&#8217;ll give you an idea of what&#8217;s coming out of their kitchen.
I&#8217;d started this article just before the news came out that Blackbird owners Jesson and Cristina Gill had taken over ownership of a second Asheville restaurant, Early Girl Eatery. That confirmed that writing this now was fated because after spending an evening over an intimate dining experience that included Jesson and Cristina, not only did I come away with a new appreciation for Blackbird&#8217;s food, I also found myself liking the Gills very much.
I&#8217;m thrilled they&#8217;ve experienced enough success at Blackbird that they&#8217;re able to expand their holdings.
The Tasting
Executive Chef Michael Reppert and Bar Manager Rama Malinak walked our small group through multiple courses, some paired with wine expertly chosen by Rama.
We began with a light, delicious cocktail. It&#8217;s a variation of the classic &#8220;Blue Moon&#8221;. It&#8217;s made with lemon juice, Fords Gin,  Cointreau (triple sec), and Crème de violette. I didn&#8217;t catch an official name, but they should know what you&#8217;re talking about if you mention their Blue Moon variation.

Many of the ingredients used by Blackbird are sourced from local farms. The Peach Tomatoes in this delicious Caprese dish are sourced from Common Ground Farm. House-made Mozzarella tops the tomato slices.

Peach Tomatoes? You read that right. It&#8217;s hard to tell from the photo below, but these small tomatoes actually have soft, fuzzy skin, just like a peach! The left-on skin didn&#8217;t detract from the Caprese at all. Normally, these will be used in salads because they&#8217;re too small for regular sized Caprese dishes.
I love learning about new/different produce, don&#8217;t you?

A warm Peach and Brie Salad followed. The SC-sourced peaches are also considered local. Under the peach slices was a 1/4 wheel of Goat Lady Dairy&#8216;s Snow Camp Cheese (similar to Brie). Goat Lady Dairy is in Climax. According to Chef, the cheese is that good &#8211; wink. The chopped greens are from Serious Dog Farm (Asheville).
The peaches and cheese work well together as a tasty, refreshing, and somewhat filling dish.

House-made Brioche Toast topped with locally foraged mushrooms, dried cranberries, Romano, and Apple Cider Molasses followed. Interestingly, the molasses had been reduced 10 to 20 times, so it&#8217;s Apple Cider that&#8217;s been thickened and has a concentrated flavor.
Rama paired this mushroom dish with an Altos de Rioja Tempranillo. &#8220;It&#8217;s light enough that it won&#8217;t step on the mushrooms, but robust enough in its minerality to compliment earthy flavors.&#8221; It was perfect!

Time for a palate cleanser &#8211; Raspberry Sorbet made in-house by their Pastry Chef.

Corn and Goat Cheese Pie, a hearty vegetarian dish (also Gluten Free) inspired by the image of a cake layered with toppings. Normally there&#8217;d be a crust under the Corn Pie, but for the tasting, Chef used a crumble as a base.
Topped with a reduced warm tomato and mushroom salsa mixed with goat cheese, it was delicious!

As we were talking about various dietary restrictions and requests that come in to restaurant kitchens, Chef recalled an order for a Cheese Board with no cheese or hummus. They ended up with a lot of pickled vegetables. Cheese Board becomes Pickle Board.
Moving on, we come to a South Carolina low country specialty, Seafood Pilau. Chef&#8217;s take was absolutely fantastic. Not familiar? It&#8217;s a tomato-based sauce with clams, muscles, shrimp, crawfish, and Andouille sausage on top of a bed of rice. &#8220;South Carolina&#8217;s answer to a Paella&#8221; ~ Chef Michael

Rama chose the Chateau Montelena 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon to accompany the Seafood Pilau.
Interesting note: the movie Bottle Shock was about Chateau Montelena&#8217;s 1973 Chardonnay secretly entered and winner of the blind tasting at the first Judgement of Paris competition. At that time, the French wouldn&#8217;t even consider anything less than a French wine as worthy. See the movie if you haven&#8217;t had the chance. It&#8217;s a cute, feel good story.

Two more courses were served. A Sous Vide Beef Tenderloin and their famous Coconut Layer Cake. Unfortunately, I didn&#8217;t capture good photos, so you&#8217;ll have to use your imagination.
The Beef was fall-apart tender, served with house-made steak sauce, and absolutely delicious. It was served with whipped potatoes and succotash. Comfort food to be sure.
The Coconut Cake? It&#8217;s famous for a reason. I&#8217;m talkin&#8217; coconut custard between four layers of yellow cake &#8211; all from scratch. Don&#8217;t forget to order it for dessert and see for yourself what all the fuss is about.
Bar Manager, Rama Malinak focuses on small batch producers when stocking Blackbird&#8217;s cellars. He may or may not have mentioned a private stash, which I will attempt to investigate further at some point. 🙂
I wasn&#8217;t planning on documenting the paired wines, but photographed this Chablis label toward the beginning of the evening as a note to myself. I don&#8217;t want to name the paired dish for fear of getting it wrong. It was unexpectedly tasty.

The Blackbird is at the corner of Biltmore Ave and Aston St., across Aston from Double Deckers coffee and dessert bus.
When you go, if you can&#8217;t find street parking, park in the City Garage located under the Aloft Hotel (and Blackbird). Garage entrances can be found on both Biltmore and S. Lexington Avenues. The first hour is free. After that, it&#8217;s $1.25 per hour.
The Blackbird ( http://theblackbirdrestaurant.com/ )
47 Biltmore Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 254-2502

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