Specialty Shops

The local fiddler holds a release party for “The Singularity” at Pisgah Brewing on Saturday, Feb. 15. Click through for a video interview and exclusive performance.

Subjects of past TED talks have covered all manner of business, art, technology and philosophy. CEOs, inventors, brainy fashion models and precocious kids have all presented unique thinking. Taking it…

You probably have to kiss a lot of princes to find a frog like this. FROGZ, really. The production of Portland, Ore.'s Imago Theatre combines dance, mime and acrobatics with…

All events take place on Friday, Feb. 14, and are in Asheville unless otherwise noted. Find more Valentine’s Day happenings in Clubland and Calendar. Three times makes it annual, so…

Yes, 2014 marks the 30th anniversary of David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Glengarry Glen Ross. But Daniel Clancy, the co-producer and actor of local theater company DJCIII Productions, doesn’t count…

Shopping means different things to different people. For some, it's retail therapy. For others, it's something to check off the to-do list. But as long as we have to shop,…

"Get off the Internet and go see a rock show," says the Facebook bio of Athens-by-way-of-Nashville trio The Whigs. It's especially good advice if the show in question is a…

"It may be cold outside, but the show is hot, hot, hot," says a press release for Asheville Vaudeville. The local variety show brings an array of new and original…

You visit an independently owned, locally based store where you meet the proprietor and purchase a scarf. The scarf was made by a local knitter with wool sourced from sheep…

Gift cards, once a social taboo, are now not only acceptable but welcome. But before you take that easy out, why not browse Asheville’s specialty shops for one-of-a-kind presents? It…

Asheville’s love affair with Craftsman-style bungalows dates to the early 1900s. The modest, affordable homes could be built entirely from materials ordered from a catalog and were popular with working-class…

If wine doesn’t make the world go ’round, it’s certainly a major player when it comes to extravagant fêtes and special events like weddings, graduations and retirement parties. And we…

Food and love have long been linked in the popular imagination, but actually running a restaurant with your beloved partner seriously raises the bar. With the spirit of Valentine’s Day…

As one man sits down at the bar, Judi Murphy greets him with a smile. “Hey, happy 2014,” she says. “I haven’t seen you in a while.” He smiles back…

Andy Favilla, who owns Favilla’s New York Pizza in West Asheville, is headed to the 2014 Pizza Expo in Las Vegas in March to compete against contestants from all over…

John Garcia, owner and brewer of Lookout Brewery in Black Mountain, was used to a certain type of Black Mountain tourist before he switched careers. He’d see people in town…

The nondairy, frozen-dessert virtuosity of Plant Chef Jason Sellers is no longer accessible only to those who are lucky enough to be able to swing by his Merrimon Avenue restaurant…

Local herbalists to share their go-to herbs for winter wellness. Photo by Emily Nichols

For more than a decade, Phil Mechanic Studios has been a pillar of the River Arts District and a key player in the greater Asheville arts scene. But while that…

Much attention has been paid to Asheville’s long, rich history, yet there are huge gaps in the story that’s usually told. On the city’s streets and in outlying areas, African-American…

By the time Saturday morning rolled around and lobbyist Jack Cozort stood before local officials, Asheville City Council members were well into their annual retreat. Along with city staff, they’d…

Take Back the Nightbell

The “Fracking and Electric Vehicles in NC” letter in your Feb. 5 issue is another example of the black-and-white thinking that gets us nowhere as we face the daunting challenge…

Mr. Smith rhapsodizes about making affordable housing “a top strategic priority” in his opinion piece in last week’s Xpress [“These Three Things,” Feb. 5, Xpress]. Yet in 2010, after listening…

It seems to me that an awful lot of folks I know in service industries have to work two jobs to just make ends meet. When you’re working 40 hours…

In his letter to the editor referring to the controversy over the proposed development of the Coggins’ property in Riceville [“There is No ‘Light’ Development,” Feb. 5, Xpress], Troy Amastar…