X-AwardsOn Sunday, March 1, nearly 20 local restaurants battled it out at the 2015 Asheville Wing Wars. In the end, a few managed to fly home with awards for specialty and traditional wings. Story by Jonathan Ammons. Photos by Cindy Kunst
Faces in the crowd: WNC crowdfunding campaigns
Crowdfunding platforms make it possible for individuals and organizations of any size to harness social networks and raise startup capital for projects that might otherwise fail due to lack of funding. This week: self-reliance through chickens, new adventures at Firestorm Books and a re-published Tarot classic.
Web bites: Aphrodisiac tea with Marc Williams
Asheville ethnobiologist, herbalist and educator Marc Williams recently joined Xpress in the test kitchen at Selina Naturally in Arden to discuss herbal teas and ways certain herbs can help us nurture love in our lives.
Order up! Asheville Food Truck Showdown approaches
Asheville’s second Food Truck Showdown is rolling into downtown. About a dozen mobile eateries will compete for the title of “Best Truck in Asheville” on Saturday, March 14. In addition to food, the family-friendly event offers face painting, a live DJ set and free puppy snuggles.
A cheesy affair: Movie and tasting event raises funds for Carolina Mountain Cheese Fest
With nearly a dozen local creameries in the area, quality, craft-made cheeses are in abundance in Asheville — something both the Cheese Store of Asheville and the WNC Cheese Trail are hoping to educate eaters about through the Carolina Mountain Cheese Fest on April 26. As a fundraiser for the festival, the Cheese Store of Asheville will host a cheese tasting and movie night this week at Metro Wines.
The waiting game: Asheville servers dish about life on the job
Working for tips and dealing with the hungry masses, the life of a restaurant server has its ups and downs. And Asheville’s waiters and waitresses have a lot to say — both good and bad — about the profession.
Life in her boots: Asheville’s women brewers
Breweries continue to pop up around Asheville faster than the temperature changes this winter, and more and more often, women pull on their brewing boots and help make it happen.
Southern culture: Getting down-to-earth with home mushroom farming
“Growing mushrooms at home is extremely rewarding,” says Tyler De Francisco, a hog and sheep farmer and owner of Sugar Creek Meats in Leicester. He keeps around 200 mushroom-growing logs on his property just for fun. “The quality is phenomenal, compared to anything that you can buy in the store.”
Chef William Dissen champions food aid reform on Capitol Hill
Known nationally for his activism in food-related issues, the chef and owner of Asheville landmark restaurant The Market Place today joins 10 other chefs from around the country to meet with legislators in Washington, D.C., to discuss international food aid.
Tupelo Honey reinvents its menu
. Earlier this month, the Asheville-based regional chain introduced a new menu with a focus on small plates, seasonal specialty entries and customizable supper plates.
Behold, the Thunderfork: Elliott Moss, Nate Allen team up for pop-up event
By now, no one is surprised to see MG Road hosting another pop-up event or dinner party. The crew there have been treating the Wall Street bar like a concert venue for over a year now, but instead of bands, the chefs are the show. From Punk Wok to Girls on Deck, MG Roadhouse and, currently, Elliot Moss’ […]
In photos: Asheville Truffle Experience
The Asheville Truffle Experience is underway this weekend, Feb. 20-22, giving local foodies a chance to taste and learn about the celebrated Tuber melanosporum. The three-day festival includes a truffle growers’ forum with experts from as far away as France and Oregon, a culinary demonstration by A-B Tech chef instructors, a wine-paired, five-course truffle dinner at […]
**RESCHEDULED** Soumu highlights West African comfort food
UPDATE: Due to inclement weather the Soumu has been rescheduled for Friday, March 20, at New Mountain. Doors at 5 p.m., show at 6 p.m. Tickets are $12 advance/$15 at the door/half-price for children under 12/free for children under 5. African food is available for purchase.
Trio of Asheville chefs make semifinals for ‘Best Chef in the Southeast’
Founded in honor of cookbook author, educator and American cuisine enthusiast James Beard, the James Beard Foundation’s mission is “to celebrate, nurture, and honor America’s diverse culinary heritage…” And three Asheville chefs — John Fleer of Rhubarb, Meherwan Irani of Chai Pani and MG Road and Katie Button of Nightbell and Curate — also have […]
Season of change: An interview with Katie Button
Asheville has no shortage of local culinary celebrities. Everyone from food truck owners to tailgate market vendors — and, of course, award-winning chefs — could claim to be a part of that group of notables. But even in the midst of Asheville’s constellation of food luminaries, Katie Button is a brightly shining star. Several years […]
Small Bites: **UPDATE: CONFERENCE CANCELED** 2015 Grape Growers Conference
The 2015 Grape Growers Conference, a community dinner and music event for Black History Month, Asheville Wing War and Asheville Small Plate Crawl.
Beer Scout: Boojum Brewing debuts new pub
According to Waynesville legend, there’s a Bigfoot-like mountain man that roams the hills. Not often seen, he collects precious gems from around the mountains and stores them in empty growler-like jugs. They call him the Boojum. Kelsie Baker, co-owner of Waynesville’s new Boojum Brewing, says you couldn’t ask for a better icon to revive. “My […]
Faces in the crowd: WNC crowdfunding initiatives
Each week, Xpress highlights notable WNC crowdsourcing initiatives that may inspire readers to become new faces in the crowd. This week features one musician’s quest to harness crystals’ healing powers in instruments and a concerned mother’s healthy chocolate company launch.
Preserving food security: Canning foods for donation
For many of us, when we think of preserved foods, we picture our grandparents carefully canning tomatoes from their garden, or the menu at a trendy restaurant featuring sauerkraut or pickled quail eggs. But imagine what food preservation means to someone experiencing food insecurity or to a donation grower faced with excess produce rotting in the field, and the image becomes something quite different.
Heart of the matter: Fabulous feasts for Valentine’s Day
Asheville often expresses its ardor on a plate — especially around Valentine’s Day. This year, local restaurants are dishing up everything from farm-to-table to flamenco for the occasion.
Beer Scout: HiveMind Brew House
HiveMind Brew House is coming to the South Slope, Twin Leaf celebrates its first anniversary, Catawba Brewing is hiring, Oskar Blues is expanding its taproom and some crazy Valentine’s Day love at Asheville Brewing Co.