What’s new in food: Openings and events in and around Asheville

WELCOME BACK: From left, Kidist Bishaw, Elizabeth Zewdneh amd Tebebe Workneh have fired up the injera griddle and reopened Addissae Ethiopian restaurant. Photo courtesy of Addissae

Halloween, Day of the Dead and Election 2020 are all on the calendar this week, and that’s a little scary. Not scary? Injera, waffle cones, bags ‘o candy, cocktails and Sunday supper.

Teff love

Ethiopian food fans who mourned the closing of downtown’s Addissae restaurant rejoiced at the news of its recent resurrection by new owners Tebebe Workneh, Elizabeth Zewdneh and Kidist Bishaw, friends of original owners Vicki Schomer and chef Neeraj Kebede. Currently offering takeout-only service daily 11 a.m-9 p.m., Workneh, Zewdneh and Bishaw intend to open the dining room for indoor seating soon.   48 Commerce St., avl.mx/8lf

Election Day scoop

Scream if you must, but no ice cream will be scooped at the Asheville Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop on Tuesday, Nov. 3 — aka Election Day — to allow employees time to vote. Until then, customers can get election information and check their voter registration status in the shop, and with a pledge to vote, they can get a free upgrade to a freshly baked waffle cone just in time to fill it with the timely return of Justice ReMix’d, a mashup of cinnamon and chocolate ice creams, cinnamon bun dough and fudge brownie. A winning platform to be sure.  19 Haywood St.

Cúrate and La Bodega by Cúrate will also be closed on Election Day so employees can get to the polls and cast their votes.

In the spirits

Cultivated Cocktails is scaring up a Halloween-themed, all-ages event at its production facility. Spooks & Spirits will take place noon-10 p.m. Sat., Oct. 31, with distillery tours, pumpkin carving, candy bags for the kids and cocktails for the 21-and-older kids. Costumes are encouraged. 204 U.S. 74-Alt., avl.mx/8lt

What’s sup?

Avenue M executive chef Andrew McLeod continues to stir things up at the 10-year-old restaurant with the Sunday Supper Series, launched Oct. 25 and running through Nov. 15. He is joined by friend and former Husk Greenville chef Jon Buck in creating five-course, locally sourced dinners with beverages chosen by Avenue M co-owner and sommelier Ralph Lonow. But wait, there’s more: On Nov. 1, Gan Shan West chef Ray Hui joins in, and on Nov. 8, Rhubarb chef/owner John Fleer will be on deck. Tickets are $85 per person for limited, safely distanced seating. 828-350-81818 or avl.mx/8le

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Kay West
Kay West began her writing career in NYC, then was a freelance journalist in Nashville for more than 30 years, including contributing writer for the Nashville Scene, Nashville correspondent for People magazine, author of five books and mother of two happily launched grown-up kids. In 2019 she moved to Asheville and continued writing (minus Red Carpet coverage) with a focus on food, farming and hospitality. She is a die-hard NY Yankees fan.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.