June 23, 1974, was supposed to be a day of civic pride and an auspicious beginning for the just-completed Asheville Civic Center. After years of rancorous debate and political foot-dragging, the last brick was finally in place, the paint was dry — and the house was packed for the much-anticipated first show. The headliner was … Read more
Flavor: Modern American, global Ambiance: Bright and cheerful Service: Pleasant and welcoming West Asheville’s Sunny Point Café and Bakery has been praised many times over for its breakfast. For its culinary genre, it’s about as top-notch as any in Asheville; the prices are excellent, the food is wonderfully consistent (I’ve had nary a complaint in … Read more
An art-car contest returns to LAAFF this year as one of the festival’s most popular attractions. The arts community on Lexington Avenue is nearly a victim of its own success. Having shaken off a long-standing reputation as one of downtown’s seedier neighborhoods, the area is rapidly being developed into a more upscale, if still largely … Read more
It’s not uncommon for teens to love rock, join bands and dream of ditching school to go on tour, all the while wishing their parents were cool enough to relate. However, those family-fortified musical fantasies are likely to languish in the land of make-believe — unless said teens happen to play with the Partridges (see … Read more
Skeletons in the jukebox “Skeletons” provides a forum for local musicians, artists, record-store owners, etc., to erase cool points by expressing their unseemly affection for an unhip album from their past. Hall and Oates’ Voices, by singer/songwriter Joel Underwood “The early ’80s in the urban South were a confusing time for a young man. How … Read more
Fork and cork: Small bites, half portions and tapas seem to be gaining in popularity, and Black Mountain’s newest fine dining restaurant, the Cellar Door, has taken note. The restaurant has introduced a new bar menu, “Fork and Cork,” to satisfy the desire of diners looking for a light meal or those who prefer the … Read more
Seeds, thorns, thickets, bugs and all the people and bears who got to the crop first give blackberry lovers a lot to complain about. But for some of us, summer just isn’t summer if we haven’t picked enough of the juicy, too-tender fruits to make a pie or a couple of pints of jam. With … Read more
“Evidence of Yesterday” is the theme for this year’s North Carolina Apple Festival, an almost too-telling label for the 59th celebration of the annual event. In some ways, apple culture itself is a relic of the region’s past — a relic with an uncertain future. Textile and heavy manufacturing aren’t the only jobs leaving North … Read more
A major retirement complex proposed for a site atop Beaucatcher Mountain has stirred skepticism on the part of city staff and mobilized neighborhood opposition. Kenilworth residents filled the chamber for the Asheville City Council’s Aug. 23 formal session, spilling over into a separate viewing room. The turnout seemed to promise a lengthy public-comment session, but … Read more
