Andaaz and Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse debut, while Table and The Golden Pineapple get a post-pandemic reboot.
What’s new in food: Cider trails, barbecue book, beaucoup wine and burgers on the Broad
Turning lemons into lemonade is a tried-and-true solution to a challenging situation. Turning apples into hard cider is increasingly a formula for adult-beverage business success in North Carolina, the seventh-largest apple growing state in the country. With the recent creation of the NC Cider Trail at cidernc.com, the N.C. Cider Association aims to guide cider […]
Buncombe budget hikes taxes, funds rebate program
Buncombe County’s fiscal year 2021-22 budget — passed unanimously by the Board of Commissioners on June 15 — includes an effective property tax increase of 2 cents per $100 of valuation. It also includes $300,000 toward property tax relief grants.
What’s new in food: Queens on the stage, chefs on the move and cider meets cheese
Asheville Drag Brunch is back, Session Café & Bar gets a new chef de cuisine, Steve Goff takes over the kitchen at Jargon and more local food news.
Two downtown historic buildings emerge as dining destinations
As Asheville businesses begin to resurface from the crushing effects of COVID-19, the S&W Building and the Grove Arcade are being reimagined as vibrant, food-focused community gathering spots.
Edwards flips on Buncombe occupancy tax reform
At a June 10 meeting of the Council of Independent Business Owners, Republican Sen. Chuck Edwards said he had “come around to the way of thinking of the folks in the county” who want less of the tax to go toward tourism marketing.
Local food photographers and stylists have an eye for the perfect image
“Being a good photographer, in general, is being able to capture a good photograph under any conditions,” says photographer Tim Robison. “Being a food photographer also means finding and capturing the moment in a dish that makes someone want to eat it.”
Asheville Grown passes the baton
After 12 years helming the Asheville Grown Business Alliance, founder Franzi Charen is stepping aside. Her role will go to Sherree Lucas, who has served on the alliance’s steering committee for two years.
Cigar wrapper tobacco could revive disappearing tradition
The Asheville-based Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture project has found that the number of Western North Carolina tobacco farms declined by 97% between 1997 and 2012, largely due to the federal tobacco buyout. But Matthew Vann, extension specialist and assistant professor at N.C. State University, believes a different variety could make the crop more economically viable for local growers.
What’s new in food: An Odd kitchen, downtown ciderkins and betting on beer
The Odditorium adds a food menu, Botanist & Barrel opens an Asheville location in the old Over Easy Café space, Wicked Weed expands to Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee and more local food news.
Council returns to in-person meetings with June 8 budget hearing
Asheville City Council and the community will participate in city business face to face for the first time since April 2020. The meeting will take place in the Banquet Hall at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville at 5 p.m.
Local projects target carbon through agriculture
“What is emerging is the idea that we’re now able to quantify what’s happening,” says Jennifer Harrison, agriculture and land resource director for Buncombe County, about the ability of farmers to combat climate change through practices like cover cropping and rotational grazing.
Restaurant industry veterans reassess career choices post-pandemic
During their pandemic downtime, many jobless food and beverage workers, supported by robust unemployment benefits, re-examined their choice of profession. Long-acknowledged industry downsides exacerbated by the pandemic prompted some to research options and make new choices colored by the experience of 2020.
What’s new in food: Green acres, green students and a Baby Bull on the loose
The city of Asheville has farmland available in East Asheville for local growers, plus Growing Minds revamps its website, Baby Bull opens in the old Broth Lab space, Well-Bred Bakery heads downtown and more local food news.
Buncombe budget vote expected June 1
If the vote takes place as planned, it would mark the second consecutive year in which the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approved the budget immediately after the public hearing. Last year, Chair Brownie Newman noted that the board has historically allowed some time between the hearing and the vote to consider resident input.
Take me to the river: What’s next in the RAD?
Some predict high demand for residential and retail space, as illustrated by several development projects planned or under construction. There are also fears that rising real estate prices may eventually push out some of the artists who have helped make the RAD a magnet.
BCTDA plans $15M in marketing for 2021-22
The TDA would spend at least $10.6 million on advertising buys, an 8% increase over its last pre-pandemic fiscal year. Just over $3 million would go toward the production of new content, with the remainder of the marketing budget spent on research.
Restaurants can open at full capacity, but staffing is a challenge
In theory, Gov. Roy Cooper’s May 14 announcement lifting mandatory capacity and gathering limits and allowing fully vaccinated diners to leave their masks at home should allow North Carolina restaurants to get back to a pre-pandemic normal. But in practice, Cooper’s announcement doesn’t change much for many local restaurateurs. “What is driving restaurants’ decisions right now […]
What’s new in food
Darë Vegan Cheese receives a NC IDEA SEED grant for expansion, a new sourdough bread operation is on the rise, a new tailgate market launches in Weaverville and more local food news.
What’s new in food: Sunday Suppers, strawberries and SnoBalls spring into May
Chefs Andrew McLeod and Ashley Shanti kick off a new Sunday Supper Series, strawberry season is underway, New Orleans-style shaved ice arrives in Woodfin, Curate hosts an online cephalopod dinner, paid farm apprenticeships are cropping up and more local food news.
Buncombe plans $5M training partnership with Pratt & Whitney
The 20,000-square-foot facility, to be operated by A-B Tech, would “provide a pipeline of skilled workers prior to the plant opening, helping to recruit qualified candidates and pre-train and post-train employees.” The funding would come from future county bonds that would be repaid through local sales tax revenues.