Staff of life: On Saturday, March 5, Greenlife Grocery will host the Asheville Artisan Bread Festival from 2-6 p.m. The event will showcase local, mostly organic artisan breads, along with locally made accompaniments such as jams and cheeses. A panel of experts, including nationally known baker and author Peter Reinhart, will be on hand to answer questions and discuss the art and science of bread making. “Asheville has the wonderful gift of a vibrant artisan baking community,” Reinhart says. “I don’t know of another small American city with so much commitment to the spirit of artisan baking.” For more information, contact Steve Bardwell at 683-2902, or wakerobinfarmbreads@main.nc.us.
Bigger beers: On Feb. 20, Pop the Cap, an organization devoted to eliminating the state-imposed 6 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) cap on beer, held a fundraiser and beer tasting at The Bier Garden in downtown Asheville. The group points out that North Carolina is one of only five states with such stringent restrictions, and that, as a result, Tar Heel beer fans are missing out on some of the world’s finest brews. Several local brewers were present, including Green Man Brewery, which offered a delicious Belgian Abbey Ale that was delightfully floral and reminiscent of Chimay, a Trappist ale that is unavailable here, due to the ABV law. The event also featured a screening of “American Beer,” a “bockumentary” about cross-country brewery hopping, and a silent auction offering such wares as T-shirts and “big beers” (with more than 6 percent alcohol content) to take home. For more information about Pop the Cap and upcoming events, visit www.popthecap.org.
Mediterranean feast: Asheville restaurant La Caterina Trattoria will team up with the Winehaus to present a showcase of Mediterranean wines and flavors on Wednesday, March 9, at 7 p.m. A six-course menu by chef Joseph Lewis (who was praised in a recent issue of Pinnacle Living magazine as “a 26-year-old maestro”), with accompanying wines, will be offered for $55 a person, which includes tax and gratuity. Seating is limited. For reservations and further information, call 254-1148.
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