Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Here’s some of what’s going around:
-Mama’s and Beer: Saw an ad for a new Mama’s and Beer restaurant coming to East Tunnel Road. The ad noted that the restaurant is by the owners of the hugely popular Mexican restaurant Papa’s and Beer in Asheville, but I don’t have any more detail. I’ll update as soon as I do.
-Beer guide: The 2014 version of the WNC Craft Beer Guide is hitting shelves now. It’s a darn good guide. From the press release:
The WNC Craft Beer Guide is the “go to” guide for locals and tourists looking to visit the breweries in Asheville and the surrounding areas. It includes 37 Western North Carolina brewers with maps to their location, as well as pubs that carry local beer, beer tours and beer retailers. The guide is a well-established informative resource for those seeking to get a “taste” of Beer City.
60,000 guidebooks are distributed annually and are available for free at area chambers, hotels, retailers, restaurants and pubs in Asheville, Hendersonville, Black Mountain, Waynesville and Bryson City. Another several thousand view the online version at www.goodlifepubs.com. The guide is printed twice a year to keep up with the ever changing market.
View the digital version of the WNC Craft Beer Guide here. Post any and all beer related events in the guide’s online beer community calendar here.
-English breakfast: That’s what Hi-Wire Brewing will be serving on Saturdays and Sundays, they days they show European soccer games, live. From the press release:
Starting Saturday, February 1st, Hi-Wire will feature a full English breakfast to compliment live soccer! For only $6.95, feast upon a freshly made meal of eggs, bacon, sausage, grilled tomatoes, baked beans, and toast! There’ll be a veggie option or two, as well, in addition to hot coffee and tea. For only a few bucks more, at $9.95, get any Hi-Wire year-round or seasonal pint to help wash down breakfast!
-West Asheville coffee shop: I recently wrote a quick update about the new Odd’s Cafe. Now I’ve got more information from owner Audrie Blomquist. Audrie, whose nickname has always been Aud (which sounds like “Odd,” and thus perfect for Asheville) is the former marketing director for Earth Fare. She told me Tuesday that as a college art student, she found her home-away-from-home in a coffee shop, and it’s an atmosphere she’s always wanted to recreate.
So that’s what Audrie and her crew will be doing at 800 Haywood Road. The location is a renovated building right next to the former Digable Pizza, which is also being renovated.
“Our goal is to create something that has more of a coffee bar atmosphere, so you can hang out at night. We might have a couple of beers, but it will be an after-dinner place. We just want the best coffee and the best food,” she said.
Audrie said that a new deck will be built on the back of the building, a space that will afford great mountain views. She also said she’s looking for a mural artist to paint the side of the building that faces a shared alleyway.
-Mother Earth News Fair: From AdvantageWest: April 12-13: Mother Earth News Fair – WNC Ag Center, Fletcher. Mother Earth News, originally founded more than four decades ago in Henderson County, has selected the AdvantageWest region for the Southeast edition of its annual sustainable lifestyle event. The fair offers sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities for area businesses focused on renewable energy, green building, small-scale agriculture, natural products, and more.
-Music of note: I think this show looks great. From the press release:
Akira Satake, composer and master banjo player, joins forces with multi-genre violinist Duncan Wickel on Saturday, Jan. 25, 8 p.m. at the White Horse Black Mountain for a category-defying evening of original music combining World, Jazz, Celtic and Appalachian traditions.
