Flavor: French comfort foodAmbiance: Cozy and casually refinedService: Knowledgeable and friendly, with occasional attention lapses A framed print on the wall across from my table read, “Redécouvrez l’ambience de brasserie authentique” (Rediscover the ambience of authentic pubs). Below this phrase was a wistful picture of a few friends presumably enjoying the ambience of their outdoor … Read more
Got pork?: For four years running, Warren Wilson College has helped Western North Carolina bring home the bacon. According to a news release from the college, the students raise hogs in a “humane outdoor environment without the use of any hormones or antibiotics” and feed them with grains that the students grow themselves. While raising … Read more
If you stand on top of Shuckstack Tower along the Appalachian Trail in the Smokies, you can see the whole world — 360 degrees of wilderness, set within the largest unbroken tract of mountain land in the eastern United States. Now, however, this priceless resource is threatened by the proposed North Shore Road. The controversy … Read more
Which Asheville am I in? Hello, fellow residents of Asheville. As a longtime member of our community, one comes to appreciate the friendly, engaging and socially conscious dynamic of our fine Southern city. These were things I was considering on the afternoon of Feb. 21 as I was immersed in the glow of a beautiful … Read more
Buncombe’s Bookmobile In 1939, before public libraries had branched out of Asheville into the county, books came to the people on wheels. For 60 years, Katherine Case piloted the Bookmobile along rutted dirt roads to make sure that books were available to people in outlying rural locations. “For many people, this was their first contact … Read more
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners took advantage of their Feb. 21 retreat (continued from the Feb. 7 regular session) to hear reports, weigh proposals and even dream a little. Seated at a U-shaped table and picking at box lunches, commissioners and staff discussed their druthers for the fiscal year 2006-07 budget, ranging from fundamental … Read more
The Asheville City Council’s new majority bared its teeth during the Feb. 21 work session, relieving former Council member Joe Dunn of his duties on a sharply divided 4-3 vote less than halfway through his four-year term on the Asheville Regional Airport Authority. Taking his place will be Council newcomer Bryan Freeborn — the very … Read more
Hamlet was right, that really is the question, and it is far more crucial than most average folks realize. Honeybees are on the wane in North America, and that’s extremely bad news for those of us who depend on food as a regular part of our diet. Honeybees are crucial pollinators for a wide range … Read more
Bohemian Rhapsody • Who she is: Julia Robinson • What she’s wearing: Rust-colored embroidered vintage coat from Untidy Museum in Durham, N.C., oversized shades from “some discount store for like $3,” and teal satin sequin-appliqued shoes from another Durham shop. • Why we love it: Julia’s eclectic style has it all — hippie sensibility, layered … Read more
“Yellow Faced Jar Woman” Joyce J. Scott is a woman of substance, one who spills her perceived shortcomings in a few short strokes. “I’m not always fearless in my personal life,” she admitted in a recent interview with Xpress. “I might be willing to march a little, or protest a little, but I’m not willing … Read more
