A train, laden with coal, pulls slowly past Knife & Fork restaurant in Spruce Pine, N.C., following the banks of the glistening Toe River. It’s early Sunday morning and, in the kitchen, Nate Allen is punching a biscuit cutter into the dimpled surface of a thick sheet of dough with one hand while answering the […]
After much planning and an epic amount of hard work, the Carolina Ground mill is operational. The mill, located at Annie's Naturally bakery in West Asheville, enables the production of flour made from regionally grown hard and soft wheat and other local grains. An Asheville-based mill, processing North Carolina hard wheat, finally means truly local […]
Urban hydroponics is a growing field. New York City boasts the nation’s first commercial urban greenhouse, Gotham Greens. Covering just 15,000 square feet in an area where space is at a premium, the greenhouse efficiently cranks out produce, providing local grocers and chefs with fresh goods year-round. Asheville has its own hydroponic grower, Fresh, located […]
(serves four) 4 whole, small fresh trout, de-boned 2 tbsp bacon fat or olive oil 1 good handful of fresh ramps, cleaned, cut into 1-inch pieces (reserve some of the green tops for cooking with potatoes) 4 handfuls dandelion greens, stems picked, cleaned 2 cups of cooked corn grits, fairly soft salt, pepper 2 more […]
(serves two) 1 boneless breast of chicken, about 7 oz. 1 tbsp of bacon fat 1 oz of finely cut country ham, such as Hickory Nut Gap or Benton’s small handful of ramps, cleaned 1/2 cups chicken stock 1 cup finely shredded cabbage salt and pepper In a heavy skillet with a lid, heat the […]
Ramp-mania is alive and well, but we caution you to — how do we put this? — chill the heck out. Ramps are victims of their own deliciousness, and Appalachian old-timers report that wild patches that have remained intact for eons (ramps are a perennial species) have been massively depleted. For wild eating without the […]
To Ed "the Pitmaster" Mitchell, the barbecue debates are meaningless. While the rest of the country squabbles over the merits of flavor injections and whether mustard or vinegar-based sauce is best, Mitchell remains a purist. "I've seen all kinds of little gimmicks," he says. "I'm not a stickler for injections, shooting some sort of flavor […]
Asheville's eateries are making big news these days. You know the usual suspects — Tupelo Honey often garners nods from big-name media including Southern Living and the Chicago Tribune. Well-known writer John T. Edge (a contributing editor for Garden & Gun Magazine, among other things) was recently found eating at both The Admiral and White […]
Hidden inside of Cintom's Custard, Mirch Masala is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it location for solidly good kebabs, tikkas and parathas. The home-style Punjabi menu is honest fare, made from scratch in a tiny kitchen behind the custard machines. Owners Naila and Ayaz Malik hail from Pakistan and originally wanted to open an Indian grocery store, but when […]
On Depot Street in the River Arts District is a studio called Nourish and Flourish, a center for healthy living that features Nia workshops, spinal care, massage — and also a juice bar that’s open to the public. Drinks include purifying tonics like the manzanita with apple, celery, fennel, kale and lemon. And if you’re […]
Sure, short-order eateries can be found in various other chain retail shops — Target has one for example. But none that we're aware of can boast the anachronistic charm of the lunch counter in the Merrimon Avenue Rite-Aid. It’s equipped with not much more than a tiny deep-fryer, a griddle, a microwave, a hot plate […]
The Grey Eagle Tavern and Music Hall is no stranger to hosting restaurants in the belly of its bar. It’s housed the ill-fated Yamamma’s Snaqueria (back in the day), the excellent Twin Cousin’s Kitchen (oh, how we miss your springtime crawdad boils) and Roots, which has recently closed its cafe (though it continues to do […]
Don't eat here. Well, you should eat here, but in many ways, we kind of wish you wouldn't. Getting fed at this tiny restaurant is a notoriously long and arduous process, thus we're rather conflicted about offering this disclosure in the first place: Little Bee's offers easily the best Thai food in WNC. Located inside […]
After almost a decade in business, Rosetta's Kitchen on Lexington Avenue is expanding in a big way. While business booms, Rosetta Star remains grounded in community. The restaurant owner and mother of four says that community involvement has been instrumental to her success. You may already know that Star is launching a packaged-food line called […]
In 1903, Auguste Escoffier, the oft-called "chef of kings and king of chefs," released Le Guide Culinaire, considered by some to be the French culinary Bible. To the average modern eater, the menus in the 5,000-recipe tome may seem downright bizarre; the book is now regarded as more of a recorded history of food than […]
After focusing on Italian, German and Indian food in his many years as a chef, Vijay Shastri is turning to the cuisine of the American South. This spring, Shastri will open Mr. Frog's Soul and Creole Kitchen on Market Street in downtown Asheville, along with co-owner and partner Holly McFarling. Mr. Frog's takes over the […]
Fiore's Ristorante Toscana abruptly closed on Tuesday, Feb. 28 after a family dispute over chef and co-owner Anthony Cerrato's announced departure from the restaurant. The building, owned by Cerrato's father, is now up for rent. Cerrato, already at work on his new restaurant, Strada, is looking ahead. The closure of Fiore's, says Cerrato, allows him […]
Xpress received this email back in November from Radix Faruq, an aspiring food reviewer: “Hey, my kids and I consider ourselves to be pizza connoisseurs of sorts, and since there appears to be a plethora of slice options here in town, we thought it would be fun and informative to do a slice survey. I've […]
It's difficult to pinpoint what makes truffles so sought after. No description does them justice. They can best be described as having a deliciously pungent and musky flavor, but beyond that, truffles are mysterious. In nature, their spores are sown in nature — by way of the digestive process of animals that eat fungus. And […]
Wine-and-truffle pairing dinners, hosted by executive chefs and winemakers, will take place in several area restaurants at 7 p.m. on Friday, February 24 as part of the National Truffle Fest. "It's going to be a wellspring of great food as well as fabulous information," says Lenora Evans, chairman of the Frankie Lemmon Foundation. To buy […]
The National Truffle Fest draws an incredible pool of talented regional chefs and other truffle experts: Shannon M. Berch is a research scientist for the BC Ministry of Environment, has co-authored six published works and serves as an adjunct professor with the University of British Columbia and with Royal Roads University. She is a consultant […]
