Small Bites

Standard Pizza Co.: Jim Coleman, who recently opened a New York-style pizza joint on Haywood Road, insists there's "nothing too fancy" about his pies. But, if pressed, Coleman will talk about an available topping that's anything but standard.

"We do put bananas on pizza," Coleman says. "That's kind of weird."

Photo by Jonathan Welch

Coleman came up with the banana concept during an 11-year stint at an Atlanta pizzeria, where he decided that pineapple didn't deserve to be the only pizza-worthy fruit.

"I've always liked the idea of having something sweet on pizza," Coleman says. "I think it's pretty great."

Still, Coleman stresses the bananas are the only unusual item on a menu featuring salads, breadsticks, calzones and pizza. He purposely didn't stray into sandwiches or pastas, which he guessed would distract from the pizzeria's primary goal.

"We really wanted to keep the pizza outstanding," he explains.

Standard Pizza Co., 631 Haywood Road, is open Mon.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; and Sun.,  noon -11 p.m. For more information, call 255-8122

Curras Dom: According to a post on the AskAsheville blog earlier this month, the upscale pan-Latin eatery Curras Dom in North Asheville is set to close this week, barring "a miracle."

"Without an outside investor and an answered prayer, the doors will be closing on January 3, 2010, and a great Asheville business will be lost. Maybe you can help or support Curras?," the post pleads.

Owner Marco Garcia was not available for extensive comment at presstime — he'd been without power for four days when the Xpress reached him by e-mail — but he thanked customers for their concern.

Curras DOM opened in March 2008 in the Weaverville Highway spot that formerly housed HB's. It was locally renowned for its sizzling queso dip and avocado margaritas.

Downtown Market: If anything about the popular grocery liquidator Amazing Savings wasn't so amazing, it was the hours: Regular customers grumbled about not being able to shop on Sundays. But the store's newest location boasts a seven-day-a-week schedule. Amazing Savings at 45 S. French Broad Avenue, inside the Downtown Market, is open every day from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. For more information, call 277-0805.

PHI Bar: The bar and bistro at downtown's Hotel Indigo is positioning itself as the solution to late nights and holidays when every restaurant seems to be closed: Phi Bar is open "365 days a year, beginning each night at 5 p.m. and staying open until at least 10 p.m." food-and-beverage director Gabe Fore writes. Fore describes the restaurant's specialty as "New American/French-fusion cuisine," which — in practice — means warm goat cheese fondue, waffle-cut potatoes tossed with blue cheese, grilled pork sliders and chicken-bacon flatbreads. While the menu emphasizes small plate presentations, Phi also offers entrée specials that Fore calls "elegant and fun."

Phi is open to the public. To learn more, call 239-0239.

Send your food news to food@mountainx.com

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “Small Bites

  1. Jeff Fobes

    AskAsheville tweeted today: http://twitpic.com/wsiz4 – Yes! Curras Dom in N. Asheville is re-opening on Jan 18th via community help!

    The link is a photo of sign on the front door indicating Curras will reopen.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.