A dose of wellness

Painter Pat Passlof had what’s known as an artistic temperament. Those who knew her called her honest and funny, but her "refreshingly non-PC humor" (according to Alice Sebrell, program director…

Baltimore-by-way-of-Greenville, N.C. trio Future Islands is darkly romantic and dreamy, both heart-on-sleeve and somehow adrift from emotion on a cool, untroubled sea. But, for all the swelling melodies and echoey…

A Fine Peduncle show is many things: A venture into experimental music, loop pedals and some especially impressive falsetto; a science lesson on insect anatomy; a trust exercise in which…

Palomino’s figurative artwork is something like visual jazz combining hyper-controlled and improvised elements. A series of faces in the lower level of The Coop Gallery are comprised of goopy swirls…

The low lighting of Izzy’s Coffee Den on Lexington Avenue might not present an ideal environment for viewing art, but thankfully Armbruster’s illustrative work is bright enough to illuminate the…

Local artists Melissa Terrezza, Sean Pace and Jeremy Russell were recently awarded a residency through the City of Asheville, granting them round-the-clock access to the ground level space of The…

In recent years Asheville has become a hub for bookbinders, thanks in part to Asheville BookWorks. Through Wednesday, Feb. 29, BookWorks hosts an exhibition of contemporary handcrafted books inspired by…

It’s got a weird name, it draws out crowds of artists, architects and designers, and it happened in more than 463 cities last year. And it’s about to enter its…

Polaroids. They’re around for a while, then it seems like they’re gone again, maybe. But who doesn’t love them? An upcoming show is set to feature a small instant-shot arsenal…

The Suspect: Jimbo Mathus & The Tri-State Coalition Jimbo Mathus spent the early part of his career as the ringleader of the Squirrel Nut Zippers. These days he’s gone country,…

Not that you thought that theater was boring, but for those of you who prefer to be entertained from the edge of your seat there's Fight Girl Battle World, set…

Local pop-noir act Sunshine & The Bad Things joins a lineup of bands all performing to benefit Trips For Kids WNC. The organization, founded in 2010, provides "mountain bike outings…

After a lifetime as a professional musician, Patrick Littlejohn found himself homeless, hungry and alone. One night Patrick says a song he'd never heard came to him in a dream.…

Shape up your recipe box on Wednesday, Jan. 25 from 4-6 p.m. with healthy eating demonstrations, sponsored by Greenlife Grocery, 70 Merrimon Ave. Additional programs held Wednesdays through Feb. 1.…

Some parents (me) like to joke about using alcohol to get through “hell” hour — that time before dinner when both kids and adults (me) often are hungry and cranky.…

Listen, we know. The food world is rife with clichés that sometimes reek of snobbery. One year’s star protein (pork belly, anyone?) is suddenly passé before you can say “bacon…

Damien Cavicchi is the new executive chef of all of the Biltmore restaurants — no small task. But Cavicchi, former chef and owner of Sugo, a modern Italian restaurant on…

Jacob Sessoms, chef and owner of Table, thinks that avant garde cuisine/molecular gastronomy (or whatever you’d prefer to call it) is becoming a has-been trend. “As I begin to see…

Denny Trantham, executive chef at the Grove Park Inn, was raised in Haywood County, so it should really come as no surprise that when Xpress asks him if he thinks…

Here’s something that all chefs should know: judicious use of bacon is powerful kitchen magic. This humble staple is built on four simple pillars: pork, salt, smoke and patience. It…

Susi Séguret is the director of the Seasonal School of Culinary Arts, a program that offers weeklong hands-on culinary experiences in Asheville, Sonoma, Calif., Ithaca, NY and Paris. The upcoming…

The chocolate beetroot cake recipe, culled from last year's SSCA cookbook, is provided courtesy of Jennifer Thomas, owner of the Montford Walk-In Bakery. A fresh take on incorporating vegetables in…

If you're the type that enjoys visiting bigger cities for the variety of international restaurants (beyond sushi or enchiladas), we have great news for you: Stonebowl Korean Restaurant has opened…

Here’s Green Man Brewery’s head brewer John Stuart in Xpress’ ongoing “know your local brewers” interview series. Green Man Brewery was established in 1997 as the in-house brewery for Jack…

Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, Jan. 17, 2012 meeting County seeks $900,000 in Mountain Mobility grants Nine appointed to Planning Board More stars may begin to be visible over Buncombe…

In this first of two parts: Health seekers have been drawn to the Asheville area for centuries

The story of how the Asheville area became a 21st-century wellness hub begins with a natural phenomenon.

There are few things more essential to human life than food. And in a city with a dizzying array of options and philosophies, opinions are diverse — and sometimes vehemently…

Becky, an exuberant 7-year-old black Labrador, is on duty.

Lack of health insurance changes the very meaning of wellness. To address this growing problem, the Buncombe County Medical Society created Project Access in 1996. The award-winning, volunteer network offers…

A coalition of local and national environmental groups announced plans Jan. 19 to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to force the release of long-awaited rules regulating coal ash as…

• 2012 April Fool’s Day spoiler: Matt Mittan, Agnes Cheek plotting ‘permanent replacement by new WWNC radio show’ gag • Police arrest Alabama fan seen in video ‘teabagging’ unconscious LSU…

The Jan. 4 “Green Scene” contained an error concerning the economics of recycling tires. The Buncombe County landfill pays a recycling facility $78 per ton to cover processing and shipping…

We must never forget that the South is composed chiefly of Bible-thumping, Confederate-flag-waving, potato-salad-eating, lazy-tongued, illiterate bigots [”Page 46 of the Jan. 4 Xpress Literally Made Me Cry,” Jan. 18…

I’d like to call your attention to another Big Idea in the works for 2012, The Success Equation: a movement to reduce the incidence and impact of child poverty and…

A recent article about places to have breakfast missed Café Ello on Haywood Street, across from the library [“Breakfast Off the Beaten Path,” Dec. 21 Xpress]. It is an excellent…

Sometime ago I wrote a letter highlighting how light pollution was beginning to affect the night sky here in the mountains [“Let's Do Something About Leicester's Growing Light-Pollution Problem,” Oct.…

In a recent meeting with city staff, I was disappointed to learn that, ignoring their own studies, they are seriously considering converting Charlotte Street to three lanes on a trial…

Recently I had the misfortune to accompany a friend to a cat breeder in North Carolina. In my complete ignorance, I was shocked and dismayed to see cats confined in…

Peacetown Asheville and Local 099 Veterans for Peace are asking Asheville City Council to pass a resolution stressing the importance of “bringing our war dollars home,” where they are needed…