Summer starter: Earth Fare at the Westgate Shopping Center will dish out the dogs in a pre-summertime grilling celebration. The health-food market will offer free samples of Wellshire Farms beef and Applegate Farms chicken hot dogs. Wash down your dogs with some cold organic lemonade, enjoy homemade desserts, and kick off your Memorial Day weekend […]

Flavor: New Orleans, with subtle outside influencesAmbiance: In the Grey Eagle Tavern, a casual, nonsmoking pub and concert hallService: Highly entertaining The crawfish with the biggest claws may make good eating, but they can’t race worth a damn. I learned that firsthand at the Twin Cousins Kitchen at the Grey Eagle Tavern, where the Picky […]

Taste of Asheville: This weekend, May 21 and 22, the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association hosts its second annual “A Taste of Asheville” food festival. More than 20 local restaurants will offer up their morsels at City/County Plaza, where attendees will also take in live entertainment, cooking demonstrations, kids activities and more. For more information, see […]

Flavor: Continental with regional American influences Ambiance: Appalachian elegance Service: Attentive but unobtrusive On a recent foray to Flat Rock, my Picky Companion and I checked in for dinner at the Woodfield Inn. Driving into the place made for a good first impression, because the property is lovely. The grounds encompass 23 acres some wooded, […]

Taste test: Rezaz in Biltmore Village is serving an appetizer that some diners might shy away from at first: grilled octopus tentacle. But when I recently sampled the mollusk appendage, I was thrilled by how the dish graced the plate and palate. The texture is not unlike that of — if you’ll pardon the cliche […]

I admit it. I’ve lived in Asheville for almost seven years, and I’ve yet to spend any substantial time in Hendersonville. The same goes for my Picky Companion. So, with the feeling of mild excitement that comes from exploring new, albeit local, territories, we recently headed south to Hendersonville, armed only with our 7 o’clock […]

Bayou boil: The Twin Cousins Kitchen, the infant child of two native New Orleans chefs, recently opened in the Grey Eagle Tavern at 185 Clingman Ave. in Asheville. The menu includes bayou specialties like Crawfish Etoufee, Alligator with Sauce Piquant, File Gumbo, Corn Macque Choux and a variety of side dishes and desserts. The restaurant […]

Flavor: Bayou barbecueAmbiance: Lively and comfortableService: Friendly and knowledgeable Having been in Asheville for what may pass as a decent amount of time, I’m always excited to discover great new spots where I can while away the time doing nothing in particular. Ruby’s Tap House is one of those places. Tucked away in East Asheville’s […]

Chocolate festival: Cafe Soleil will present a deliciously decadent celebration on Saturday, April 30, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Billed as “Asheville’s first-ever Chocolate Festival,” the event will feature a cornucopia of chocolate confections made by local bakers and, you guessed it, include chocolate martinis. There will also be plenty of music and local […]

Sometimes, strange forces drive a food critic. Terry Ruscin, a former advertising executive, now makes his living from what he calls “gastro-snobbery” – and he blames what he calls his “persnickety, overly critical and downright ruthless” outlook regarding culinary matters on the position of the stars. “You see,” Ruscin recently told Xpress, “I am a […]

Celebrity waiters: CarePartners Mountain Area Hospice is holding its annual fundraising gala this Thursday, April 21, at Crest Pavilion. It’s a most special occasion — the organization’s silver anniversary — and to celebrate, the organizers are pulling out all the stops. For $100, guests will be feted with an evening of fine food and dancing, […]

Flavor: World cuisine with seasonal produceAmbiance: Sophisticated but unpretentiousService: Efficient and warm Watching Kathy Taylor at work, it’s easy to see why, time and time again, Mountain Xpress readers have voted her the best bartender in Asheville. Many locals will recognize Taylor from her years of slinging drinks at the Charlotte Street Pub. Today, she’s […]

Chili goddess: Cynthia Lynn Stacy says to just call her “Thea.” It’s her “Goddess name” and the one she uses for Thea’s Kitchen — her online recipe book, of sorts. A Highlands-based cook, writer, musician and grandmother, Thea features her latest concoctions on her Web site (www.theaskitchen.com), where the recipes are also archived when new […]

Flavor: Vegetarian, internationalAmbiance: Peaceful and vibrantService: Pleasant Just about anywhere you go out to eat, Easter brunch is a glimpse of controlled chaos, at best. This Easter, I groggily began my brunch foray at about half-past noon, with a dull feeling of trepidation about the specter of post-church hordes – and a slight pang of […]

Chef Michael’s Bistro: Chef Michael’s Catering, a popular local food and beverage provider, has new digs. The company, formerly based at the High Vista Country Club, recently set up shop at the Holiday Inn Biltmore East at 1450 Tunnel Road. And not only will they continue their catering operation, they’re taking on a new role […]

My Picky Companion and I both cook for a living, so many people assume that our home life must revolve around baking soufflés, whisking our own mayonnaise and preparing elaborate meals for each other. Nothing could be further from the truth. When the invariable question pops up – “So, who cooks at home?” – the […]

The bee’s knees: The wildly successful Burt’s Bees, the Durham-based maker of Earth-friendly personal care products, is coming to town. On Thursday, March 31, Asheville’s Greenlife Grocery will host a “Burt’s Bees Seminar” featuring a look at the company’s history, conservation work and socially conscious products. The free presentation starts at 6:30 p.m. For more […]

Flavor: World-influenced, with a focus on regional, seasonal ingredientsAmbiance: Lovely and intimateService: Generally professional and well-informed “One of the joys of life is that special marriage between food and wine,” proclaims the Web site of the Market Place, the Asheville fixture that chef Mark Rosenstein has operated since 1979 – and I couldn’t agree more. […]

Let’s do lunch: The Greenery Restaurant at 148 Tunnel Road, which specializes in “casual fine-dining,” will host three-course luncheons on three upcoming Wednesdays: March 30, April 13 and April 27. The luncheons run from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and cost $13.50. The restaurant will also host a special Easter Sunday lunch on March 27 beginning at […]

Flavor: German, Northern Italian and otherAmbiance: Nice, like an upscale, German-themed Cracker BarrelService: Professional and charming Stepping inside the Black Forest Restaurant in Skyland, I sensed that this establishment is burdened with a bit of an identity crisis. My Picky Companion and I were greeted warmly by a casually dressed hostess, while waitresses bustled about […]

WestFest calling: WestFest, the annual festival that takes over Haywood Road in West Asheville with merriment, music and good eats, is seeking food and craft vendors for this year’s celebration, which will run from noon-7 p.m. on Saturday, April 3. For a registration form, visit www.ashevillewestfest.org or www.onhaywood.com, or stop by one of two Haywood […]