Day: June 3, 2014
Smoky, smoky mountains: The changing face of North Carolina barbecue
“Write about the succulent glories of Tar Heel barbecue at one’s own peril,” advised Rosemary Roberts of the Greensboro News & Record, adding, “It’s much safer to take on the National Rifle Association.” Barbecue is North Carolina’s love, lust and food of choice. Heck, it might as well be our state religion. And if love, religion and food are the three most common causes of rifts, rivalries and wars, barbecue is also a battleground.
Tasting the past: Michael Twitty teaches history, equality and grace through food
For most chefs, a two-hour microburst rainstorm at 8 a.m. does not create any significant hurdles in the workday, but for Michael Twitty, it really does. Twitty is not just a chef of pre-Civil War slave foods; he is an historian and an author, and when he cooks, he does everything as it would have been done by his ancestors
Brine and brews: Green River Picklers plans to expand in Weaverville
“Nobody would be alive without pickles and beer,” says Beau Martin, co-owner of Green River Picklers. Alcoholic beverages saved people from water-borne illnesses, and pickled and fermented foods got people through the winter long before water filters and grocery stores provided year-round produce, he explains. Bringing brine and beer together in the form of pickle-and-beer tastings is one of the first things Martin and co-owner Brandi Morrow want to do after their planned expansion to a new space in Weaverville.
Beer Scout: The best of Asheville Beer Week
Having just celebrated its third birthday, Asheville Beer Week is still a collective experiment: It’s a week-long series of events that will continue to evolve based on what we choose to attend. So perhaps it’s no surprise that in a town as creative as Asheville, we’re starting to see a slew of more creative offerings, where each year has topped the last.
Jonathan Scales Fourchestra explores long-form
After what he calls “years and years” of Roy “Futureman” Wooten preaching to him about pushing the art form to new compositional heights, Jonathan Scales at last decided to heed those words with “Mixtape Symphony,” his latest album with bassist Cody Wright and percussionist Phill Bronson. A record release show, slated for Friday, June 6, at Isis Restaurant & Music Hall celebrates the dense, 33-minute work.
State of the Arts: Catacombs
Death and taxes — they’re life’s only two constants. Or so they’ve been called by the likes of Ben Franklin, Daniel Defoe and Dorothy Parker. But while you can avoid your taxes (at risk of a hefty prison sentence) the former is still, and always will be, wholly inescapable. It’s a cold fact that can either … Read more
All Go West returns with new faces and long-awaited reunions
Past and present collide in the best way at this year’s All Go West Music Festival, set for Saturday, June 7 in West Asheville. The free, day-long event features a lineup that aligns some of the area’s current favorite bands (jazz-exotica collective Hank West & the Smokin’ Hots, hip-hop act Free Radio and indie-rockers The Hermit Kings) with some of the most popular groups of the past decade, including GFE, Strut, tHE POLES and Delicious.
Signature events: Scales, Knight mount petition drives in DA race
In the wake of Todd Williams’ historic victory over District Attorney Ron Moore in the May 6 Democratic primary, two unaffiliated candidates are mounting petition campaigns to get their names on the November ballot. Ben Scales, a local attorney in private practice, and Rebecca Knight, a former Buncombe County District Court judge, are each seeking … Read more
