Fish and finger-pickin’: The Monte Vista Hotel, a Black Mountain family enterprise founded in 1919, presents a seafood buffet every Friday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. After the Friday, Oct. 21, buffet, the hotel will feature some after-dinner entertainment: an old-fashioned guitar pull featuring music by Billy Edd Wheeler, Doug and Darcy Orr, and Richard Bellando. The music begins at 7:30 p.m., and there is no cover charge. The Monte Vista Hotel is located at 308 W. State St. For reservations, call 669-2119.
Earth Fare events: October’s a busy month for Earth Fare, the grocery at Westgate Shopping Center. On Sunday, Oct. 23, at 12:30 p.m., the store will feature a vegetarian chili-dog cookout on the patio. On Saturday, Oct. 29, there will be a free kids’ culinary class to teach the little ghouls and goblins how to prepare Halloween treats “without all the stuff you don’t need.” The class begins at noon in Earth Fare’s community room and will be followed by trick or treating in the middle of the store — so bring your costumes! For more information, call 253-7656.
French comfort food: Downtown Asheville restaurant Cafe Soleil has closed, and in its place is a new eatery, Bouchon, run by the owner of what was until recently the Grape Escape. Michel Baudouin tells Xpress that his restaurant serves “French comfort food,” with items such as Croque Monsieur Frites, crudite plates, quiches and crepes. Bouchon is located at 62 N. Lexington Ave., and is open for lunch Mon-Sat, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Evening hours are Mon-Thu, 5-10 p.m., and Fri-Sat, 5-11 p.m. The Grape Escape, by the way, is now open only for private events and has a new name: Windows on the Park.
