Flavor: Fresh MexicaliAmbiance: Bright, funky and livelyService: Friendly and prompt The smiling face that more often than not greets customers from behind the counter of Mamacita’s, the lively little burrito joint on Biltmore Avenue, belongs to a man named James Hurt. James knows about all sorts of food, but it’s his knack for cooking meat … Read more
Still got rhythm: Crazy for You has proved to be a musical with nine lives. Just because a musical is corny doesn’t mean it shouldn’t get a second chance. “They do that a lot, take an old musical and rewrite the book, then go to the composer’s catalogue to refresh it,” points out Joey McKneely, … Read more
“It’s important to learn the principles Nathaniel teaches,” explains a character in Dr. Michael Mamas’ new book, The Golden Frog (1st World Publishing, 2004). “But what’s most important about Nathaniel’s teachings can’t be boiled down to a handful of facts or concepts,” the rationale continues. “It’s more about the effect those teachings have on you.” … Read more
Storytelling goes way back in these mountains, as an oral tradition common to both the indigenous population and the sometimes equally non-literate Europeans who evicted them. The Europeans, of course, brought along the notion of front porches and rocking chairs, which contributed immeasurably to the ambiance of the storytelling milieu. Songwriter and tale-spinner Michael Reno … Read more
“I’ve heard a lot of crap from different towns and record labels …,” says Aaron Price. The failure of these places to offer up solid compilation CDs is what he’s lamenting. It’s a test the local multi-instrumentalist thinks he’s aced with Peaks & Curves: Music from Asheville, produced by Price and Bill Reynolds at Price’s … Read more
Open sesame: Ali Baba, a new Middle Eastern buffet-style restaurant, is now open at Suite 113 inside the Grove Arcade. The restaurant offers stuffed grape leaves, kebobs, baba ganoush and more for $4.75 a pound. Also available are made-to-order sandwiches and house-made desserts such as baklava. The owner is a native of Alexandria, Egypt, as … Read more
Like many other WNC residents, Carl Mott and Roberta Jordan dreamed of starting a small, home-based business that would enable them to live and work in the same beautiful place. After scoping it out, the would-be entrepreneurs settled on the idea of building a Japanese-style “rotenburo” (open-air bath) spa featuring outdoor hot tubs, a cold … Read more
The Asheville Aces, the city’s professional hockey team, make their home at the Asheville Civic Center; their landlord is the city of Asheville. And as anyone familiar with the downtown entertainment venue knows, the Aces’ home is best described as a fixer-upper. Apparently, however, this particular tenant is antsy for the landlord to make the … Read more
Less than three years after North Carolina passed the groundbreaking Clean Smokestacks Act, the state now appears to be moving in the opposite direction when it comes to regulating air pollution from old, grandfathered power plants. But a grassroots environmental group based in Sylva is determined to hold North Carolina’s feet to the fire. State … Read more
