The old saying goes: If you want something done right, do it yourself. With this philosophy in mind, Amber Arthur, co-owner of PennyCup Coffee, launches her latest business, Olde London Road. The English-style soccer bar is set to open in downtown Asheville on Monday, April 1.
Arthur, a longtime resident of the city, says the concept has been in the back of her mind for years. “There’s just never been a proper place in town for football fans to go,” she asserts. “So my friends and I always joked that we were just going to have to do it ourselves.”
The bar will be equipped with a 110-inch screen for main matches, with sound broadcast throughout the space (including the loo, Arthur notes proudly). Meanwhile, seven additional televisions will air games from all over the world. In between matches, patrons can play pool or throw darts in the venue’s back section.
The bar’s beer menu will focus primarily on European pours. Guinness, Old Speckled Hen, Delirium, Samuel Smith and Ayinger are among the 16 brews to be featured on tap. Local options will include Hi-Wire Brewing and New Belgium Brewing Co.
Along with beer, bar manager Catie Conroy is currently designing the venue’s cocktail menu. Gin will be the featured liquor. “We’ll have English classics with some modern twists,” she says.
English dishes, including meat-and-cheese platters, sausage rolls and biscuits, will also be available. Coffee and tea will be served during early morning games as well.
“We really want to stress that if there is a match on, we will be playing it,” says Arthur. “We’ll be open and we’ll have the sound on. … We are 100 percent football-focused here.”
Olde London Road is scheduled to open Monday, April 1, on the lower floor at 5 Biltmore Ave. Hours are Monday-Friday, 1 p.m.-midnight, and Saturday-Sunday, 7:30 a.m.-2 a.m. For more, visit avl.mx/5ts.
All things cauliflower
On Thursday, March 28, the YMCA of WNC Nutrition will host a cooking workshop focused on cauliflower dishes. The evening course will also discuss the nutritional benefits of the vegetable.
The class runs 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 28, at YMCA of WNC Nutrition, 30 Woodfin St., Room 2. Cost is $10 for YMCA members/$15 for nonmembers. Participants must be at least 16 years old. For more information or to register, call 828-575-2939 or email lfurgiuele@ymcawnc.org.
Crawfish boil at One World Brewing West
The fifth annual Crawfish Hottub Party will take place at One World Brewing West on Sunday, March 31. Boilmaster Matthew Bambarger of Bebettes Beignets & Coffee will prepare the day’s feast. Preorders, which include 3 pounds of crawfish with corn and potatoes, can be made online.
The crawfish boil runs noon-7 p.m. Sunday, March 31, at One World Brewing West, 520 Haywood Road. Orders are $35. For more information, visit avl.mx/5tn.
The Grazing Camel
Michael Harlove, sous chef at Table, will debut a monthly pop-up dinner series Sunday, March 31, inside the restaurant’s downtown location. The Grazing Camel will take place the last Sunday of each month, March-August. According to a press release, the ever-changing menu will explore international food trends through the lens of Mediterranean cuisine with heavy influences from the Middle East. The pop-up will also feature wines with both bottle and glass offerings. Prices on the a la carte menu will range from $2-$20. Family-style options, which can feed three to four people, will also be available for $65. All dietary restrictions can be accommodated.
The inaugural pop-up runs 5-10 p.m. Sunday, March 31, at Table, 48 College St. For more information, visit avl.mx/5tp.
Chefs in Action
For a second straight year, local chefs will come together to raise funds for Food Connection, an organization that works to reduce waste and ease hunger. Participating restaurants and culinary programs include Pack’s Tavern, Deerfield, The Omni Grove Park Inn, My Event Solutions & Catering, Sierra Nevada and Ultimate Ice Cream. Along with food, the evening will feature live music by Abby the Spoon Lady and Chris Rodrigues and a Dig Local raffle. The fundraiser will conclude with dancing with Jr. James & The Late Guitar and the Rhythm Grill. The event’s leftover food will be retrieved by Asheville Taxi and delivered to community partners. Since 2014, Food Connection has recovered over 100,000 meals in Asheville.
Chefs in Action runs 6-9 p.m. Thursday, April 4, at Celine & Company Catering, 49 Broadway. Tickets are $75 per person or $125 per couple. To purchase, visit avl.mx/5to.
Bomba launches new menu
Chicken is the main feature of Bomba’s latest menu overhaul. The restaurant, which is back up and running after closing for several weeks in preparation for the reboot, will offer both dark and white local organic poultry al carbon. Diners can order birds in quarters, halves or whole. Prices range from $10-$26 and include two to four sides.
Bomba is at 1 S.W. Pack Square. The restaurant is open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. For more, visit avl.mx/5tq.
Buxton Hall tops the list
Southern Living recently named Buxton Hall Barbecue Best BBQ Joint in North Carolina. The lifestyle magazine encourages travelers to try pitmaster Elliot Moss’ “Carolina-style whole-hog barbecue.” The write-up also notes Buxton’s James Beard Award-nominated pastry chef Ashely Capps.
For the complete list, visit avl.mx/5tr.
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