Epicurious

As we evolve the food section here at Xpress, we'll introduce you to many of the passionate voices from our local food community. This week, we talked to Laura Huff, creator of the Hendersonville Epicurean blog, which she started in 2007. Huff is a devoted fan of local food: "Our area of the country is […]

A show of faith

Ducklings quack and mutter, picking through the dirt for slugs and weed seeds. In a thicket of cerulean love-in-a-mist, bumblebees hum a slow bass line against the staccato cries of the chickadees flitting from branch to branch amid the apple trees. Then THWACK! An arrow hits a low bridge spanning a drainage ditch, momentarily silencing […]

Black-eyed peas for the New Year

While the precise date of New Year’s Day may vary across cultures, the sentiment is the same everywhere. The beginning of a brand new year calls for a fresh start, typically ushered in with grand hoopla seasoned with old traditions and a heaping dose of superstition. Take the town of Stonehaven in Scotland, for example. […]

Small Bites

Edible ornaments aren’t just for occupational-therapy patients or bird-loving revelers anymore. The Food Network is readying to award $10,000 to the winner of its televised Edible Ornament Challenge at the Grove Park Inn today (Wednesday, Dec. 6). You better believe these competitors aren’t just thinking popcorn garlands and pinecones smeared with peanut butter. The public […]

Small Bites

It wasn’t long ago that eating out on Christmas Day meant settling for an overcooked burrito at the lone open convenience store. While a dash of packeted salsa could add a dab of holiday cheer to the meal, the finished product couldn’t hold a yuletide candle to the majestic savories now being churned out on […]

Small Bites

Competitive eaters know training the belly is the key to overindulgence. So if you’d like to gear up for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving feast, consider heading over to the Charlotte Street Grill & Pub today for its 30th anniversary celebration, where original menu items will be available at 1976 prices. When Steven Brady opened “The Pub” at […]

Grovewood Cafe

Flavor: Southern-flavored classicsAmbiance: Historic building with an upscale, relaxed feeling It’s basic human nature to want what’s out of reach. And the array of seemingly delicious dishes listed on the menu posted outside the Grovewood Cafe was very much out of reach one recent evening when we were apparently locked out of the restaurant. We […]

Small Bites

Why settle for the usual run-of-the-mill turkey? Today’s typical “Large White” variety, commonly found on the Thanksgiving table, is a far cry from the bird that gave the eagle a run for its money as our national emblem in the 1700s. The traditional noble turkey, with its gorgeous display of plumage, is becoming increasingly difficult […]

El Nuevo Atlacatl

Flavor: No-frills but authentic SalvadoranAmbiance: Spartan No slight intended against the folks who labored to pave Highway 70, but the ribbon of road that hooks Asheville to Black Mountain has acquired a reputation as a culinary wasteland. A survey of the small businesses that dot the highway confirms its inhabitants have snubbed the gastronomical in […]