Small bites: Thursday Night Throwdown

In 2008, Atlanta’s Octane Coffee introduced the Thursday Night Throwdown (often referred to as TNT). The latte art competition pits barista against barista in a series of elimination rounds where judges evaluate the clarity, milk texture, level of difficulty and contrast of each beverage made until a champion is crowned. On Thursday, July 28, Vortex Doughtnuts will […]

Cultural arts: Japanese miso is alive and thriving in Western North Carolina

For decades, the American Miso Co. has been quietly crafting top-quality miso, a Japanese fermented food product, from its home in the mountains of Rutherford County. With its distribution arm, Great Eastern Sun, based in Asheville, the little homegrown company has gradually grown to be the largest organic miso manufacturer in the world.