Flavor: ItalianAmbiance: Dark but somehow cheerfulService: Very good In Asheville’s restaurant scene, the award-winning, consistently busy Trevi is one of the big boys. What is it, exactly, that makes this restaurant so successful? Is it the classic, accessible and familiar menu? The unpretentious atmosphere that walks the line between family-style and date night? Certainly, a […]

Wingin’ it: Get ready for a finger-licking good time at the first annual Wings and Strings Festival, a two-day affair in Maggie Valley, the weekend of August 6-7. Two stages will feature bunches of bands, but the real highlight may be the WNC Buffalo Chicken Wing Cook Off — the winner will go to the […]

Flavor: Authentic IndianAmbiance: Pleasant, fairly quietService: Very nice For me, at least, Indian food in Asheville is making something of a comeback. Frightened away by some questionable meals at a now-defunct local Indian restaurant, I had decided to reserve any of my admittedly infrequent forays into the world of Indian cuisine for visits to larger […]

Pizza! Pizza!: It seems that West Asheville is now in less need of what had seemed glaringly sparse — pizza. The second independent pizza company to open there in 2005, Digable Pizza offers artisan pizzas, salads with Annie’s Dressings, wings and even empanadas with freshly made salsa. Digable has a beer and wine license, too, […]

Flavor: Seasonal Modern American/Nouvelle Ambiance: Classically elegant Service: Excellent Following a steep ascent from Riverside Drive in north Asheville, the Richmond Hill Inn seems to appear out of nowhere, like an anachronistic apparition. Built as a private residence in 1889, the Inn is surrounded by 40 wooded acres with trails, lush Victorian gardens and beautiful […]

Dinner and a show: Looking for a great date idea? Head to Burnsville and try the Dinner and Theatre Package, available for the remainder of the Parkway Playhouse’s Summer Theatre Festival performance dates. First, wine and dine her (or him) at the oldest bed and breakfast in the North Carolina mountains, the New Wray Inn. […]

Flavor: American/Continental Ambiance: Elegant, with great views Service: Friendly and prompt The foundations of the Grove Park Inn are built from boulders weighing up to 10,000 pounds each, and the hotel’s 9,600-square-foot main lobby has fireplaces large enough to roast a mini-van. Suffice it to say that the GPI does nothing on a small scale. […]

Gold Hill’s new face: Traci Taylor, co-owner of the restaurant Fig and Everyday Gourmet catering company, is at it again. She recently opened a second location for Everyday Gourmet in the space formally occupied solely by Gold Hill Espresso and Fine Teas. Customers will still recognize the friendly faces behind the counter and be able […]

Flavor: Asian fusion Ambiance: Far Eastern chic Service: Knowledgeable and relaxed In 1933, James Hilton penned Lost Horizon, a novel about an idyllic land of harmony in the Tibetan mountains called Shangri-La, where the people were governed by spirituality and principles of refined moderation. There the High Lama spoke of the philosophic nature of his […]

Pick up a picnic: Looking for a delicious and convenient treat for yourself, your office or your family? Want to support your community in the process? Meals on Wheels will provide the chance to do just that — without lifting a finger — with the organization’s Third Annual Picnic Pickup on Thursday, July 21. Anyone […]

Flavor: Middle EasternAmbiance: Homey and smallService: Pleasant Amro, Fathi, and Reda Ali want you to eat like they do. The family, which hails from Alexandria, Egypt, operates Ali Baba Middle Eastern Restaurant, a buffet tucked away in the Grove Arcade. For some, the word “buffet” conjures up images of congealed casseroles and limp lettuce, so […]

Pre-Fourth cookout: Earth Fare grocery at Asheville’s Westgate Shopping Center will dish out bison burgers, potato salad and limeade at a pre-Independence Day “All-American Cookout.” The event, which will be held under a tent to shade revelers from the midsummer sun, runs from 4 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 2. For more information, call […]

That’s not to say that this town of 7,500 residents is resting on its laurels. In fact, Black Mountain appears to be experiencing a bit of a boom in dining options. With some 35 restaurants in town and new ones in the works, Black Mountain has become a “destination for people to come to and […]

Lobstermania: Though Michael Scharf, owner of Lobstermania Inc., lives on the side of a Fairview mountain, he’s quite in touch with far-away coastal Maine. A devotee of lobster, Scharf has shipments of the live critters delivered to him via air mail, and fortunately for the rest of us, he isn’t stingy. The Lobsterman keeps his […]

Flavor: “Caro-american,” or regionally influenced Pan-AmericanAmbiance: Lovingly restored late 19th century Tudor cottageService: Charming and unabashedly honest A doting Corner Kitchen regular recently e-mailed me a recommendation with a menu attached. From that, I learned that Chef Joe Scully’s cuisine is mostly – but not rigidly – Southern. I noticed some familiar Carolina flourishes, such […]

Tantalizing take-out: West Asheville welcomes newcomer Bella Pizza, a Italian take-out restaurant equipped with a brick oven. Bella is the brainchild of Mesh Mesh Gohar, a chef who spent eight years in Italy baking bread and perfecting the art of true Italian pizza. Thankfully, Gohar brought his culinary knowledge to the mountains of Asheville, offering […]

Flavor: Japanese and Pacific RimAmbiance: Asian-themed decorService: Congenial and earnest To me, the Asian Grill is sort of like an old, out-of-touch friend. We used to spend a lot of time together, but now, because of scheduling conflicts, distance and life in general, we see little of each other. And so, with a feeling of […]

Blue Moon blues:After more than a decade of providing sweet treats, heavenly breads and savory sandwiches to the Asheville community, the Blue Moon Bakery at 60 Biltmore Ave. has closed its doors for good. “We just didn’t have the sales to keep it going,” Marin Mitchell, one of the establishment’s six co-owners, told Xpress. “When […]

Flavor: Creperie/bistro with international flairAmbiance: Ranges from relaxing to livelyService: Friendly but sometimes spotty There’s something truly special about the atmosphere at Café Soleil, a cozy creperie on Lexington Avenue. Some evenings, the bar is packed with customers, including a lot of food-industry folks, and laughter and music seem to overflow the restaurant and spill […]

The return of Mr. Gene: Much to the delight of his fans, former downtown restaurateur Otis “Mr. Gene” Keaton has reopened Mr. Gene’s Family Restaurant at a new location, 1500 Tunnel Road. From 2001 to 2003, he ran the establishment on Eagle Street; since then, he’s taken a bit of a sabbatical. Now, Mr. Gene’s […]

Flavor: Traditional Jalisco, Mexico cuisineAmbiance: Understated and comfortableService: Patient Chances are, if you’re a devotee of the real-deal south-of-the-border flavors of the authentic taqueria, you’ve heard of Taqueria Fast. This little family-owned eatery has been drawing folks up Weaverville Highway for more than four years with its authentic Central Mexican cuisine, and for good reason. […]