Small bites: The Bier Garden celebrates 25 years

QUARTER OF A CENTURY: The Bier Garden invites the community to celebrate its silver anniversary as a downtown business with a seafood boil. “We were part of the resurrection of downtown,” says general manager Nathan Wardell, pictured. Photo by Thomas Calder

Oysters, shrimp, crawfish and plenty of cayenne pepper will be in the mix during The Bier Garden’s inaugural seafood boil. The event, which runs 5-10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16, is part of the downtown restaurant’s 25-year anniversary celebration.

“We were part of the resurrection of downtown,” says general manager Nathan Wardell. “We were one of the original businesses down here. But a lot of times, that gets lost in translation with the influx of new people and residents. So we’re just trying to highlight and celebrate and give back to the people that helped us survive this long.”

Tickets for the event are $25 per person and include access to the oyster bar, a plate of seafood and a pint of beer. The evening will also feature live music by Dirty Bird.

Wardell encourages the community to come celebrate The Bier Garden’s last 25 years. Despite downtown’s growth and inundation of tourists, he adds, “We’re still a fun, local social pub.” And during the seafood boil, he continues, “We want to remember all the good times that we’ve had here.”

The seafood boil runs 5-10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16. at The Bier Garden, 46 Haywood St. To learn more, visit avl.mx/6ee.

Parrillada Inca supper

Descubre Asheville and Out of the Blue Peruvian Fusion Cuisine will host a dinner event at The Bywater Thursday, Aug. 15, featuring South American-inspired fare. The menu will include boneless ribeye, Peruvian wood-fired chicken, pork tenderloin, cholo fries and salad. Tickets are $35.

The dinner runs 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, at The Bywater, 796 Riverside Drive. To learn more, visit avl.mx/6e8.

Sliders and ciders

TreeRock Social Cider House and Appalachian Chic Food Truck will team up for an evening of sliders and ciders on Thursday, Aug. 15. The event will include three pairings: pork belly sliders with Blake’s Hard Cider Co.’s Traffic Jam, jerk chicken sliders with Flat Rock Cider Co.’s Tropical Pineapple and jackfruit sliders with Urban Orchard Cider Co.’s Sidra del Diablo. Tickets are $14.

The pairing happens 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, at TreeRock Social Cider House, 760 Biltmore Ave. For details, visit avl.mx/6e9.

Witt’s Sweet Southern Funk pop-up series

On Sunday, Aug. 18, chef Witt Pinkerton will host a pop-up event at Doc Brown’s BBQ featuring a menu inspired by the chef’s Southern roots. Highlights include smoked whole wings, pork belly burnt ends and grilled cheese with a roasted heirloom tomato butter wine sauce. Sides will include mashed sweet potatoes, pork belly half-runners, skillet mushrooms and onions, a roasted fennel slaw and pasta salad. Desserts include a tropical doughnut casserole and smoked peach cornbread cupcake. Beer, peach tea and Mexican Coca-Cola will also be available. Pinkerton, a Candler native, says the pop-up is a way to celebrate and pay homage to his community. “I feel like this blue-collar town I grew up in will really enjoy my menu, and I can’t wait to fill Doc Brown’s up with a diverse and foodie crowd,” the chef says. All plates are $10 or less; sides are $3.

The pop-up starts at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18, at Doc Brown’s BBQ, 1320 Smokey Park Highway, Candler. For more information, visit avl.mx/6ea.

Wine and tea pairing

Asheville Tea Co. and plēb urban winery will collaborate for a local craft beverage pairing on Sunday, Aug. 18. “Taste the sensations of this artfully paired wine and tea series featuring wines made from local grapes alongside teas blended with Asheville’s local botanicals,” reads a press release about the event. The event will also feature small plates provided by Ivory Road Café & Kitchen. Tickets are $20.

The pairing runs 1-2:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18, at plēb urban winery, 289 Lyman St. To purchase tickets call 828-774-5062 or visit avl.mx/6eb.

From the Farm

The Princess Anne Hotel will partner with Hickory Nut Gap Farm for its latest dinner, From the Farm, on Thursday, Aug. 22. In a press release, the hotel’s executive chef, Amber Whitt, says the menu “was written with the late days of summer in mind.” Highlights from the menu include sweet corn gazpacho, beef short ribs, pork belly and berry sorbet. Main dishes will be paired with wines. Tickets are $95 per person, including tax but not gratuity.

The dinner runs 6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, at Princess Anne Hotel, 301 E. Chestnut St. For more information, visit avl.mx/6ed.

Ole #4

For a limited time, AC Hotel Asheville Downtown’s Capella on 9 will offer an exclusive Maker’s Mark Private Select barrel, designed by members of the restaurant and bar team. According to a press release, bartenders Colin Dennis and Megan King, along with beverage director Brandon Maynard, visited the distillery’s Loretto, Ky., site, where they worked to create “a spirit specifically for the purpose of mixing the best — and most exclusive — Old Fashioned in the city.” After five attempts, the group settled on their fourth barrel, which they named Ole #4, available now.

Capella on 9 is at 10 Broadway. For restaurant hours, visit avl.mx/4v7

The Lord’s Acre rebrands

After 11 years, The Lord’s Acre has rebranded as Root Cause Farm. The nonprofit will continue to grow and give away organic food to individuals and communities in need. According to a statement on the nonprofit’s website, the decision to rebrand was based on feedback from several nonreligious people who said the organization’s former name made them feel unwelcome to the garden. “Our mission has always been to be a safe, inclusive space for people of all walks of life to come together,” the statement reads. “We have always wanted everyone — whatever their faith, political beliefs, race, gender orientation or age — to feel invited to be a part of the garden. In honest commitment to this, receiving feedback that people felt alienated from us was heartbreaking. We realized we were not fulfilling our mission to its fullest potential.” Individuals with questions or concerns are invited to contact the organization at info@rootcausefarm.org or reach out to Pat Stone, the nonprofit’s board chair, at Pat@greenprints.com.

Root Cause Farm is at 26 Joe Jenkins Road, Fairview. To read Root Cause Farm’s complete statement, visit avl.mx/6ec.

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About Thomas Calder
Thomas Calder received his MFA in Fiction from the University of Houston's Creative Writing Program. His writing has appeared in Gulf Coast, the Miracle Monocle, Juked and elsewhere. His debut novel, The Wind Under the Door, is now available.

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