Small Bites

Viva West Asheville!

Sandwich aficionados that have been around town for a bit will likely recall Viva Europa. The convenience store and deli turned out awesome sandwiches from the little building on the corner of Montford and Pearson that now houses Tod's Tasties and To-Gos. When Viva Europa closed, many lamented the loss of the turkey-brie sandwiches, among others. Take heart: Viva Europa is now open at 625 Haywood Road, re-christened “Viva Deli” and boasting new digs with expanded seating, hours and overall space.

According to Stacy Kropp, who’s opening Viva Deli with partner Peter Callahan and Glenn Goldberg (her brother), the kitchen will now be large enough to allow the Culinary Institute-trained Goldberg to expand his menu. Goldberg plans to roast many of the eatery's meats, including corned beef, beef brisket, chopped liver, roasted turkey and hot, medium and mild Italian sausages. A number of house-made cheeses will also be featured. Expect to find house-made ricotta, various flavored cream cheese schmears and a from-scratch mozzarella. Additionally, Viva Deli plans to feature house-baked breads and sandwich rolls, as well as pastries, bagels and desserts.

Kropp tells Xpress that fans of the original Viva Europa will find plenty on the menu that they recall — and plenty of new options to try. "All of the sandwiches that Viva Europa had, we will be carrying and adding more to the menu as well," she says. Viva Deli will be open 7 days a week, staying open until 11 p.m. on weekdays and 1 a.m. on weekends. Kropp adds that she and her partners will still carry a limited number of convenience items like toilet paper and paper towels.

Beer and wine will be available once the eatery is obtains a license, which (by law) will be after the venture has opened, says Kropp. So be patient, West Asheville. It’s coming.

For more information, call 575-2055. The website is not yet live, but will be vivadeli.biz.

Field of … bowls?

The Magnetic Field Café, Bar and Performance House recently opened in the brand-new 372 Depot Street building in the River District. Owner Chall Gray’s new establishment offers dinner (and lunch, too) and a show with style. The Magnetic Field stage opened with the 27th Annual Bernstein Family Christmas Spectacular — a hit by most accounts.

Over in the café and bar, however, a different kind of show is taking place. For one, Ken Klehm, former owner of the Rocket Club, is mixing up drinks.

The dinner and lunch menus also showcase some fairly interesting offerings, including a sticky rice, fried egg and lardon bowl with seaweed. There’s also a twist on a Monte Cristo sandwich featuring blackberry preserves.

Liam Roland and Jason Roland — who are unrelated — are heading up the culinary team at the new venture. Though the duo will turn out a number of dishes served on plates, their hearts lie in what they call "bowl food." Think a pulled-pork and coleslaw bowl or a spicy chicken gumbo bowl.

"This idea of having a lot of flavor in one bowl is obtainable," says Liam. "I think that Jason and I really want to work with the idea of what someone would want to eat at home, but at the same time, how can I add that extra kick, that extra notch up that makes it special?"

Taking it up a notch is the aforementioned egg and rice bowl with its toppings that read like a Korean hangover cure via the Southeast.

"Something about that egg yolk rolling in there with seaweed, lardon, sushi rice and kimchi — you don't really expect it, but it's awesome. It's a really great dish," says Jason.

And awesome it is. As far as soul in a bowl, this dish has it. And at a good price, too, at only $8.75.

"I'm all about bowl food. Boys love bowl food. Everything in a bowl," says Jason.

Girls love bowl food, too, I remind him.

For more about the Magnetic Field, visit themagneticfield.com

Boca en mi boca

In November, Xpress reported that Boca was opening on Lexington Avenue. At the time, owners Anoop Krishnan of Mela and business partner Markus Procida had little to tell us about the menu, which was still very much a work in process by chef Stewart Lyons, formerly of Curras Dom and Nuevo.

Boca recently threw its doors open, and has been, for the most part, well-received. There have been a few early complaints of a certain light-handedness with the heat. It's true that my enfrijoladas — a dish of tortillas, queso fresco, beans, smoked peppers and rice — could have been spicier, but that's what the hot sauce is for. If you want something with more kick than Texas Pete, ask for it. Boca's hiding some sort of crazy-hot sauce bearing a warning for people with heart conditions.

Here's the skinny on Boca: if you're the kind of breakfast-eater that likes huevos rancheros, chilaquiles and all other manner of south-of-the-border-flavored cheesy, runny, tortilla-studded egg dishes with dollops of crema and pico de gallo, get yourself to Boca.

Should you dig smoothies or granola and fruit, though, Boca's got them. Also? There's a French toast dish made with jalapeño cornbread that's served with jalapeño jelly that’s definitely on my radar.

Boca serves lunch and dinner, too. Dinner dishes look promising, with grilled lamb T-bones and a kobe beef torta. A New Year’s dinner dinner revealed some fine-tuning is in order, but Boca is still getting its sea legs and heading in the right direction.

Boca is located at 68 North Lexington Avenue. Call 285-8828 or visit Boca's Facebook page for more information.

Quick Bites

•  Both the south Asheville and the Riverside locations of 12 Bones Smokehouse have closed for the restaurants’ annual winter break. Those addictive ribs will be available again on Wednesday, Jan. 19. 12bones.com.
•  Chai Pani will offer daily $5.99 lunch specials, Monday through Friday, all winter long, as well as free chai with meals and free delivery to downtown Asheville (Monday through Friday, lunch only). Also, says owner Meherwan Irani, the restaurant will feature an expanded special menu that will showcase some of the more creative Indian/world fusion items the kitchen has been toying with lately. Tandoori pork chops, anyone? chaipani.net.

— Send your food news and story ideas to Mackensy Lunsford at food@mountainx.com.