There’s a new food truck in town, and it looks noticeably different from the others. A shipping container with an entire wall of glass siding stacked atop the bed of a 17-ton Freightliner, 900 Degreez Artisan Pizza serves 12-inch personal pies from a wood-fired brick oven.
Previously based in Orlando, Fla., owners Drew and Anne Soifer first launched the company in 2013. But over the last two years, following the birth of their son and amid the onset of the pandemic, the husband-and-wife team put the business on hold. Asheville’s food culture, however, inspired the culinary couple to reignite the oven and haul the shipping container to the mountains.
The business’s unique setup, notes Drew, was no accident. “When we first opened around nine years ago, food trucks were just starting to take off,” he explains. “We wanted to design something unique where nothing was hidden from view. I had seen some homes that were made out of shipping containers, so I thought why not put a kitchen in one?”
Though his background is in bread, Drew pivoted to pizza once he discovered just how fast wood-fired ovens could crank out a pie. “I started making pizza while waiting for a new bread-making position to open up and I remember thinking, ‘You mean to tell me I can make a pizza in 90 seconds?’ Bread takes two days. It was a no-brainer,” he says.
And fortunately, Drew continues, the community response has been positive. “Asheville really seems to get behind their local businesses,” he says. “I could feel that even after just our first week. To feed others and see that they’re happy and appreciative … it’s a real sense of satisfaction.”
900 Degreez Artisan Pizza is parked at 20 Stoner Road, near Biltmore Village. Hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 4-8 p.m. For information on menu items, including weekly specials, visit avl.mx/b44.
Oyster roast
Echo Mountain Inn is at 2849 Laurel Park Highway, Laurel Park. To purchase tickets, visit avl.mx/b48.
DIY food dehydration
Dehydrated backpack meals are a perfect way to restore all those calories burned amid a hike, but the price of these tasty trail treats is continuously on the rise. For those interested in cutting costs and trying a hand at their own dehydration experimentation, the Blue Ridge Hiking Co. and instructor Nancy East, a Southern Appalachian Naturalist, will host a special two-hour workshop exploring do-it-yourself food dehydration on Sunday, Jan. 30, at 1 p.m. East will be diving deeply into the kitchen tools participants will need to get started, the foods most suitable for dehydration and proper storing techniques. She’ll even be bringing a few of her favorite homemade samples for participants to enjoy as well.
The workshop takes place at Blue Ridge Hiking Co., 70 College St. Tickets are $70 per person. For more details, visit avl.mx/b49.
Blue 42, set, hike!
On Thursday, Jan. 27, at 5:30 p.m., Metro Wines will present Hope Chest for Women, a local nonprofit organization providing financial assistance to women battling breast cancer, with a check for nearly $8,000 as part of the Metro Wines Fantasy Football for Charity fundraiser, co-sponsored by Ken Nelson of Blue Delta Energy. Valeri Eidson, a team manager for the nonprofit, represented the organization in this year’s fantasy football competition.
“Hope Chest for Women is humbled and honored to be the recipient of this generous donation,” says Debby Burchfield, the organization’s director.
The check presentation will take place at Metro Wines, 169 Charlotte St. For more information about Hope Chest for Women, visit avl.mx/b46.
Lucky N0. 3
Itto Ramen Bar & Tapas owner Tony Lin recently opened his business’s third location at 335 Airport Road in Arden, joining the original space at 630 Haywood Road in West Asheville and the 3 Biltmore Ave. extension, which opened downtown in 2020.
“I’ve been here for over 16 years and have always felt a sense of community,” Lin says. “I’m excited to continue providing traditional ramen and tapas dishes to even more of our community with our new location.”
For more information, including hours and menu options, visit avl.mx/b45.
Forestry Camp reopens
Burial Beer’s Forestry Camp location will reopen Friday, Feb. 4, after taking much of January off to “pause with a renewed vision,” the bar and restaurant announced earlier this month on its website and social media platforms. Diners can expect new seasonal menu items, new cocktails and the launch of its latest offerings from Visuals — the brewery’s wine, cider and vermouth line. Continued conversation with customers and internal feedback from Burial’s management and crew helped pave way for this decision to “fully embrace a new Burial Beer experience at our Forestry Camp property,” the announcement states.
For more information, visit avl.mx/5sc.
Zadie’s Market Supper Club
Zadie’s Market will host its inaugural supper club Thursday, Feb. 3, 6:30 p.m. The gathering adds a new facet to Zadie’s vision of connecting shoppers with local farmers. “This showcase really combines everything Zadie’s Market and the Old Marshall Jail have to offer,” says co-owner Emily Copus in a press release. “It’s history, craftsmanship, and culinary vision coming together to create something new in this destination on the banks of the French Broad River.”
Tickets are $150 per person and include a Normandy Farmhouse-themed five-course meal prepared by award-winning chef Ronnie Collins. The evening also includes wine pairings as well as an intimate tour of the recently renovated Old Marshall Jail.
Zadie’s Market is at 62 S. Main St., Marshall. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test within 48 hours before the event is required to attend. For more, visit avl.mx/8jh.
Where the cookie crumbles
Crumbl Cookies lands in Asheville on Friday, Jan. 28. With over 170 original cookie recipes, Crumbl has opened over 300 new bakeries across 42 states since the family-owned business’s founding in 2017. Sweet-tooth fanatics will find the sugary treats at 5 Westgate Parkway in the Westgate Shopping Center.
For store hours and the latest cookie offerings, visit avl.mx/b4a.
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