Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Here’s some of what’s going around on the Asheville food scene:
-Outstanding in the field: The Local Palate has a nice feature on Chef William Dissen of The Market Place restaurant and his participation in Outstanding in the Field, which he will host again this September for the fourth year. A snippet:
It’s a mild autumn afternoon. You are seated at an enormous table—Alice in Wonderland, tea-time-with-the-Mad Hatter enormous—in the middle of a field. The foothills of the Smokey Mountains blaze blue and orange in the distance. You smell something delicious, and an irresistible leg of lamb is set before you. Just as you are about to take a bite, a wave of excitement runs through the crowd. A herd of sheep is changing pastures and the field is flooding with lambs. They trot past, bleating jubilantly. Watching them, you glance down at your meal, and something new passes through you: a sense of unity, of appreciation.
This is the kind of moment Outstanding in the Field was created for.
Click here for more info on this year’s Outstanding in the Field dinner.
-King James Public House: The folks at King James posted the following on their FB page:
So we’ve been tossing around the idea of doing weekend brunch and maybe eventually transitioning into doing weekday lunches…what do you guys think? Thanks
After a positive response, they followed up by posting that they plan to start brunch in mid-July. Stay tuned.
-Nightbell expands menu: Stu Helm, food critic, broke the news a couple weeks back. Here’s the official press release:
On July 9, 2014 Nightbell expands – Nightbell Restaurant & Lounge!
From the family that brought the flavors of Spain to the South comes Nightbell, a whimsical restaurant & lounge with imaginative food, sensational sweets, creative cocktails, and mesmerizing music that make any evening special.
Here you’ll find Chef Button’s modern interpretation of traditional American food served small-plate style, sophisticated craft cocktails with hand-carved ice, unique wines from all over the world, and innovative music from across the Atlantic and around the corner.
Nightbell Restaurant & Lounge is the newest member of the Heirloom Hospitality Group, a family-owned business that also owns and manages Cúrate bar de tapas, the nationally-acclaimed Spanish restaurant located in downtown Asheville.
The Experience
At Nightbell Restaurant & Lounge, expect the unexpected, and that’s what you’ll find in Chef Katie Button’s innovative menu. Whether you’re out-on-the-town to enjoy a full-dining experience, or stopping by for a quick bite before or after one of Asheville’s cultural events; you
can decide from a full array of creative small-plates. From brown-butter poached Lobster Rolls to Chilled Corn Soup with sea urchin, a Warm Vegetable Salad with green goddess mousse to a Canadian Waffle covered with duck confit, foie gras poutine and cheddar cheese mousse. Build “Your Ultimate Burger” and scrape your plate clean over Goats Milk Ricotta Ravioli, there is nothing ordinary about the savory nuances this nationally-acclaimed chef and her team weave into their dishes. That includes desserts. Be sure to save room for delights like classic petit fours, salty praline peanut butter cake, a dense tobacco-infused chocolate cake and a bourbon-spiked root beer float.
In Felix Meana’s beverage menu, there’s something for everyone. Try one of the “strictly ours” cocktails or twists on “old classics” or a wide variety of wines served by the glass from all over the world, an impressive list of fine craft beers including large format bottles, or choose something to sip from our choice liquor selection.
Late night, you’ll hear the beat wafting through our historic downtown warehouse building. Seductive Indie-tronic music that invites guests to dance.
Let Nightbell awaken your muse with the best of American cuisine and spirits. Dining, desserts and bar snacks available all night long. We are conveniently located in downtown Asheville at 32 South Lexington Avenue, and open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 5 p.m. until Midnight, Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. until 1 a.m. Walk-ins welcome or visit us at www.theNightbell.com to make a reservation.
-Thirsty Monk hot dog eating contest: This promises to be fun. Press release:
Thirsty Monk to Hold The World’s Largest* Hot Dog Eating Competition on July 4th!
How many dogs can you eat? Wiener Champion at both Reynolds Village and Biltmore Park takes home $100 cash!
We’re pitting North versus South in a hot dog eating battle of big proportions.
To register for the competition, fill out a registration wiener at Biltmore Park or Reynolds Village, or email [email protected] with your name, which Monk you will be attending, and if you require veggie or regular dogs. Also, bring a donation the day-of to benefit the Asheville Humane Society.
Join the competition at Thirsty Monk Reynolds Village or Biltmore Park, and you could be our Weiner Champion! Prizes will include some cool Monk stuff, and a framed gold Wiener Winner certificate….oh, and $100 cold hard cash. The competition will be for 5 minutes. Hot dogs and buns.
The competition will be fun-spirited, and there will be several side competitions, such as Pin the Wiener on the Bun, The Hot Dog Toss, and Find the Condiments.
Thirsty Monk Biltmore Park
2 Town Square Blvd. #170
Thirsty Monk Reynolds Village
51 N. Merrimon Ave #113
Let the most expandable stomach win! Cheers!
Link to Facebook invite: https://www.facebook.com/events/1436534693284410/
*World’s largest by a bar owned by a Vegetarian….we’re almost certain. Vegetarian option also available.
Hot Dog eating contest on July 4th. How original.