What’s new in food: Quench! Wine Bistro opens in Woodfin

The inspiration for Quench! Wine Bistro and Provisions, which will open Wednesday, Aug. 21 in Woodfin, began with a conversation about soup.

Earlier this year, Gina Trippi, co-owner with John Kerr of Metro Wines, and chef Sam Etheridge were winding down after one of the wine dinners they frequently partner on. “We have a fantasy football league at Metro, and the season had ended,” Trippi recalls. “We were looking for something simple to do, and the idea of soup to go came up. Sam said soups were easy. But really, it started as a joke!”

Etheridge owned Ambrozia Bar and Bistro on Merrimon Avenue from 2013 until he sold it in 2019 intending to trade life as a restaurateur for the private chef and events business. The soup joke, he says, gradually became more serious and the concept more complex.

“It kept expanding,” he says with a laugh.  “It was like, well, if we do soup, we need bread. If we have bread, we should have cheese. If we have bread and cheese, we can do grilled cheese. And we need wine for all that.”

Conveniently, Trippi and Kerr — who have operated their busy but compact retail store on Charlotte Street since 2013 — had an underutilized storefront in Reynolds Village. They had been using the space in the commercial section of the mixed-used development for storage and to meet with wedding clients.

“It was big for just those two things,” Trippi explains. “At first, we thought we’d just do takeout. Then we thought, maybe four tables, then it was eight tables, then 12 tables and two bars.”

They built a wall to separate front of house from back and added a simple but efficient kitchen. A large bar with a half-dozen stools faces a chalkboard built into the wall to list daily wines by the glass and other specials. A smaller bar set against the window looks out on the sidewalk; between the two are about a half-dozen tables for four.

Free-standing shelving on one wall stocks specialty food items and bottles of wine. A cold case will hold cheeses and other perishables.

Quench’s menu leads with snacks, such as smoked olives, Sam’s deviled eggs, pimento beer cheese with Blunt pretzels, fresh burrata and beef tartare. There are also five types of grilled cheese sandwiches; several boards featuring cheeses, charcuterie, seafood and crudités; a couple of salads and, of course, soups — seasonal options as well as entrée soups like gumbo. A quartet of sweets compose the dessert menu, and there is a large selection of wines by the glass and bottle plus some beer and nonalcoholic drink options.

“We really feel like we’re filling a need here,” Trippi says. “Between Asheville and Weaverville, it’s kind of a restaurant desert, and John has been working with the Woodfin [Town] Council and mayor to support business in this area while also being thoughtful about growth.”

Etheridge shakes his head when asked about his return to the restaurant industry. “When I closed Ambrozia, I said I was done with the restaurant business,” he says. “I have kids and needed the independence to make my own schedule with private events. But this was the right opportunity with the right schedule, and I don’t have to haul around my own kitchen anymore.”

Quench! is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday at 60 N. Merrimon Ave., Suite 105. For more information, visit avl.mx/wordcapk.

Closing time for Mayfel’s

Sherrye and Anthony Coggiola were not newbies to the restaurant business when they bought Mayfel’s in September 2022 from Loretta Woolley, who opened the downtown Cajun and Creole spot in 2003. The couple had successfully owned and operated The Cantina in Biltmore Village since 2009. “We were like parents who thought, ‘One kid wasn’t that hard; we should have another,’” says Anthony. But the couple made the hard decision to permanently close the eatery in July.

After buying Mayfel’s, the Coggiolas kept the status quo through the end of 2022, then closed in January 2023 for a refurbishment and refresh. They reopened at the end of February 2023 fully committed to serving the Louisiana cuisine Anthony grew up with.

The menu was well-received, Anthony says, but the industry as a whole was still struggling to regain its footing post-COVID-19, and costs for food, labor and products continued to rise. Even so, he began to see an upswing this spring, thanks in part to special events like crawfish boils and Mayfel’s Mini Jazz Fest held in April.

Ultimately though, it was a summer heat wave and simultaneous catastrophic failure of Mayfel’s HVAC system that led the Coggiolas to shutter permanently in July. “The cost of replacing it and length of time we would have to be closed to do that was not something we could recover from,” Anthony explains. “It was a very tough decision, and we’ve done our best to help our staff to a soft landing.”

The Coggiolas, who own the building, say they plan to eventually lease out the space, which includes a large prep kitchen and bakery one level below the dining room. 

Sweet treats at La Bodega by Cúrate

“Can I interest you in dessert?” asks the server as you swallow the last forkful of steak at dinner. You shake your head and sadly admit that you can’t eat another bite.

Cúrate pastry chef Andrew Buie feels your pain and has an idea — prioritize the sweet stuff. Buie and Katie Button, the restaurant’s founder and chef, have created Summer of Sweets, a four-course dessert prix fixe pop-up concept with optional wine pairings by wine director Jessica Salyer, taking place Wednesday, Aug. 21-Sunday, Aug. 25 at La Bodega by Cúrate.

Buie will be in the café’s kitchen during the event and invites guests for a behind-the-curtain look. Button will join him on Friday and Saturday. The menu wasn’t available at press time, but Buie expects to offer something chocolatey, something fruity and something frozen.

Reservations are required for the four-course tasting experience, which costs $35 per person with an additional $25 for wine pairings. Desserts will also be available a la carte and to go.

Summer of Sweets happens 5-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, Aug. 21, 22 and 25, and 5-9:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Aug. 23-24. For tasting reservations, visit avl.mx/e1k. La Bodega by Cúrate is at 32 S. Lexington Ave.

Dripolator coffee expands to East Asheville

Dripolator, which debuted on the local java scene 25 years ago in a little stone cottage on State Street in Black Mountain, is four for four with the opening of its newest shop on Tunnel Road in East Asheville. Amy Vermillion launched the original shop — fondly referred to as The Mothership — in 1999. The Candler location opened in 2022 followed by the South Asheville Gerber Village store in 2023. Vermillion now has two partners, Josh Valdez and Chris Bolick.

Dripolator has been roasting its own coffee since 2008. It’s also known for its stylish, artsy interiors and seasonal beverage menus that supplement hall of famers like the Cubano, the Hazed & Confused Mocha and Golden Milk Latte. Among the summer sippers are three iced specials and a Dirty Earl hot tea with dark chocolate.

The beverage menus are the same at all stores with fall seasonal offerings landing Sunday, Sept. 1.

All Dripolator locations are open daily 6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. The East Asheville store is at 811 Tunnel Road. Suite B. For more information, visit avl.mx/e19.

Session Fest at Zillicoah Beer Co.

Go down to the river on Saturday, Aug. 24, for Zillicoah Beer Co.’s Session Fest 2024, a venture dedicated to showcasing full-flavored, full-bodied, low-ABV beers. More than 20 breweries will participate, including Human Robot of Philadelphia, Living Haus of Portland, Ore., TRVE Brewing of Denver, and from closer to home, Fonta Flora, Whaley Farm, Burning Blush and Zillicoah.

Attendees must be 21 or older. Tickets are $48.49. Quantities are limited, so advance purchase is recommended. Beer-friendly fare, including Filipino barbecue, hot dogs and burgers, will be available from Master BBQ, Bigfoot Long’s and Smashville.

Session Fest runs 2-8 p.m. at 870 Riverside Drive, Woodfin. For more information and tickets, visit avl.mx/e1a.

Omni Grove Park Inn gingerbread contest

Gingerbread house builders, it’s time to enroll for the 32nd annual National Gingerbread House Competition, presented by the Omni Grove Park Inn. Through Monday, Nov. 11, registration is open for opportunities to showcase gingerbread design talent and win a piece of over $40,000 in cash and prizes. This year, the Omni Grove Park Inn — where the display, judging and awards ceremony will take place — has revised and reorganized the competition’s rules to make it more accessible to more participants.

Returning category favorites for the 2024 season are the Chef Nicholas Lodge Awards for Best Use of Sprinkles, Most Unique Ingredient, Longest Standing Competitor, Best Use of Color, Pop Culture Star and Most Innovative Structure. New this year are Community Spirit and the Rising Star awards.

Judges include celebrity cake artist Yolanda Gampp, Mark Seaman of Barry Callebaut Chocolate and Good Hot Fish chef and owner Ashleigh Shanti.

This year’s competition judging (not open to the public) will be held Monday, Nov. 18, followed by an invitation-only awards ceremony. The hotel’s official gingerbread house display kicks off Tuesday, Nov. 19, and continues through Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025.

For rules and information on how to enter, visit avl.mx/dzk.