Competitive eaters know training the belly is the key to overindulgence. So if you’d like to gear up for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving feast, consider heading over to the Charlotte Street Grill & Pub today for its 30th anniversary celebration, where original menu items will be available at 1976 prices. When Steven Brady opened “The Pub” at 157 Charlotte Street, the former home of Gordon’s Fine Foods, it was a small, dark college bar. A series of renovations has added space and a European flair to the watering hole, but the family-run pub continues to attract the same loyal customers. Call 252-2948.
If you’re thinking of applying for a food-service job in Asheville, you may have to beat your fear of needles. Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria and The Lobster Trap are among the local restaurants that now require all new employees be vaccinated for Hepatitis A. Barley’s floor manager Reagan Kornegay said the restaurant adopted its policy in November 2003, two months after 10 cases of the disease were linked to food handlers at downtown restaurants: “The owners put it into effect so we would have more coverage in a case like that.” But the pizza parlor didn’t advertise the policy until a few weeks ago, when an explanatory sign was placed in the window, apparently to attract customers fearful of eating out after last year’s restaurant-linked Hepatitis A outbreak.
Many local restaurants are shifting to winter hours: The StickHouse Grille at 640 Merrimon Ave. will start shutting its doors at 3 p.m. most days, staying open til 7 p.m. only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. To make sure folks still get their stick fix, they’re simultaneously rolling out a meal deal that includes beef, chicken or vegetable; sides; a soft drink and a homemade brownie. Call 254-2100.
