They come in the night with tanks, hoses and pumps through back alleys and parking lots: In a matter of minutes, they've sucked the place dry. They take what they came for; their victims don't resist. And sometimes, it's days before anyone discovers what they've done. Their object is atypical. They deal in grease, used […]

A group of local tempeh reuben enthusiasts plan to give new meaning to the word “epic”: From now on, the term connotes a gathering of 11 of Asheville's most ambitious sandwiches in one venue for an afternoon of reuben tasting. On Sunday, Sept. 30, reuben artists from City Bakery, Green Light, Nine Mile, Green Sage, […]

This weekend marks ASAP’s 2012 Family Farm Tour, a self-guided trip to as many of the 35 participating farms as you’d like to see. For one $25 pass, you can load up a car full of folks and tour around to the different farms. Meet the farmers, see the animals and try some fresh treats. […]

Help MANNA FoodBank fight hunger with bowls and spoons. On Monday, Sept. 24, the nonprofit will host its annual Empty Bowls event. Local artists, chefs and bakers will collaborate to produce a simple meal served in handmade bowls. When the meal is over, diners take their bowl home with them to serve as a symbol […]

Dynamite Roasting Company is laying a new fuse. Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 25, their beans will be the only ones brewed at City Bakery's three café. Dynamite co-owner Josh Gibbs says the collaboration with City Bakery is one of several opportunities the four-year-old, Black Mountain-based company has had to expand recently. “ Over the past month, […]

The eggs are still frying and the toast is still toasting, but Café Ello is no more. Earlier this week, former owners Lorne Richman and Ellie Bluestone sold the Haywood Street breakfast and lunch spot to Gary Taylor, a former advertising executive. Although the restaurant still looks, feels and smells like Café Ello, it now […]

The Wine Studio on Charlotte Street bases its reputation on providing straightforward talk about wine. Now, in characteristically upfront fashion, the Wine Studio is holding a wake. They're going out of business after almost three years. Carah Roberts, operations director, confirmed the closure. She says the wake will be the business' final way of showing […]

Pineapple Jack's will not re-open, according to owner Maggie Radford. Xpress reported in July that the 643 Haywood Road restaurant had closed its doors, citing a state of “transition.” Radford says challenges in her personal life meant she didn't have enough time to focus on the restaurant. However, she hopes to create a food truck […]

Taco fillings are tantalizing, no doubt, but sometimes, keeping track of what's what is challenging. Consider this a cheat sheet. Quoted material comes from Planet Taco: A Global History of Mexican Food by Jeffrey M. Pilcher. Barbacoa – “Pit-roasted meat. Barbacoa de cabeza de vaca, the entire head of a cow, was a festival dish […]

Is it possible to live on tacos alone? Yes, yes it is. And what a life that would be. Here is a list of taco-serving establishments, for those willing to take on the Taco-a-Day challenge. Bandidos Burritos (get the salsa) Boca Café (fish tacos!) Casa Torres Mexican Restaurant (South side) Rosetta's Kitchen (vegan tacos!) El […]

Local restaurants are collaborating with the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation to raise money for the iconic roadway that connects 469 miles of mountain landscapes and communities. More than a dozen local restaurants will donate at least 10 percent of their sales on Tuesday, Sept. 18 to support the Parkway. Loretta’s Cafe in Asheville and City […]

Professional eater Dale Boone, known in competitive eating circles as the “Mouth of the South,” will compete in the Burgerworx Burger Bender Contest on Friday, Sept. 14, for the $500 prize. Among Boone’s gluttonous accomplishments, he has swallowed 21 hotdogs in 12 minutes; 100 oysters in two minutes and 28.5 reindeer sausages in 10 minutes. […]

Waking Life is moving downtown — for four hours, at least. On Saturday, Sept. 15, the West Asheville coffee brewer will be at Urban Outfitters on the corner of Haywood and College streets serving pour-overs of an exclusive Ethiopian coffee called Mora Mora. Jared Rutledge, owner of Waking Life, says the pop-up, which will consist […]

Inventors and innovators, take note: Blue Ridge Food Ventures is looking for a new idea, and they're offering cash to ensure the success of their search. The contest, dubbed The Big Tasty, looks for a food product or service fresh from the noggin of a North Carolina entrepreneur. The winner will receive $2,500 in prize […]

The proposed restaurant — to be called Addissae after Kebede’s mother — will be both a culinary and a cultural venture. Kebede politely says that he is trying to do something “a little different” than Desoto Lounge. In addition to serving traditional Ethiopian dishes — thick stews called wat; savory, marinated meats, or tibs; injera; […]

The concept of global cuisine in America is slippery by nature. Sometimes, a foreign food becomes an “American” staple — pizza, anyone? Other times, international chefs perfectly reconstruct the dishes of their native lands. So what do consumers really want when they ask for a global restaurant? “In terms of authenticity, if you don't know […]

Downtown Asheville's monastic contingent is about to get a little boozier. On the third floor of 92 Patton Ave., nuns will mount the Thirsty Monk, and they will bring the hard stuff. Owner Barry Bialik plans to call the new liquor bar “Nuns on Top,” and it will fill out the three-story building where Thirsty […]

Chow down, bug out and celebrate National Organic Harvest Month at Organicfest this Saturday, Sept. 8, in Pack Square. The festival features organic eats and family-friendly events, including an educational, insect-themed parade, live music and a presentation by 13-year-old environmentalist and TEDNext star Birke Baehr. Organicfest celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. The festival encompasses […]

The owners of the Wedge building confirm that the iconic River Arts District space will house a restaurant next year. The group of investors, who purchased the building in June, plan to convert the studio formerly occupied by artist Ben Betsalel on the loading-dock side of the building into a small eatery (about 1,700 square […]