Great thanks to the Mountain Xpress and writer Jon Elliston for the recent feature about my new book, Twelve Notables in Western North Carolina [“Mountain Standouts,” Aug. 1 Xpress]. Since the article appeared, the book has been nominated for The North Carolina Literary and Historical Association's 2012 Ragan Old North State Award for Non-Fiction. The … Read more
You cheddar believe it Western North Carolina will soon have a cheese trail, ushering us into the ranks of regions such as the state of Vermont and California’s Sonoma and Marin counties. The project has been in the works since last winter, but the Gouda gurus recently became incorporated and launched a website. The WNC … Read more
There are lots of special beer releases and fun festivals coming up in late August and September, as always. Some of my favorite beers are released this time of year — Oktoberfest lagers, pumpkin beers, wet hopped ales and more. I’m salivating just thinking about the crisp carbonation and warm spices of fall. Oktoberfest beers … Read more
Farm Burger coming to town Grass-fed, dry-aged, fresh ground-burgers have not given up on downtown Asheville. After a year and a half of scouting locations, the owners of the Atlanta-based Farm Burger confirm that they are doing their darndest to come north. “We are negotiating a space and want to come to Asheville,” said owner … Read more
You will not be able to get a delicious caprese sandwich from Viva Deli tomorrow. Or the next day. It’s probably not a good sign for an establishment when its Haywood Road marquee — which typically shouts out daily specials and funny sayings — says that one of the coowners is an “A-Hole.” That sign … Read more
How arrogant can the Asheville City Council be? Not only do they not own the regional water system, but they want to tell everyone else in Buncombe and Henderson counties that their votes are the only ones that matter? The truth is, all the water comes from outside Asheville city limits and involves six legal … Read more
The band bios reflect the LAAFF schedule at press time. According to LAAFF organizers, “Anything else will just have to be a surprise!” Aaron Wood & The Ends — North Carolina-native singer-songwriter-roots-rocker Aaron “Woody” Wood has been a staple of the local scene since his days with the Blue Rags and his contributions to the … Read more
It’s official: the title of Best Chef in WNC goes to David Ryba of Inn on Biltmore. He earned the honor in the Aug. 23 finals, after six months of battles in the WNC Chefs Challenge competition. It wasn’t easy — chef Jason Roy of The LAB was a worthy competitor. The chefs serve very … Read more
Rep. Patrick McHenry opposes Wall Street reform. He exploits his position as chair of a House subcommittee to castigate the Washington financial police charged with enforcing that law for failure to consider the costs and benefits of implementing rules. He’s succeeding. More than half the rules required from the 2010 Wall Street law remain unwritten, … Read more
How long will it take for the Asheville City Council and officials of the Water Department to take off their blinders with regard to the poisoning of the public water supply with fluoride? There is now available a vast amount of independent research from all over the globe concluding that the fluoridation of water supplies … Read more
