Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Some of what’s going around:
-It’s Monday, the day after Super Bowl 50, the big game the Carolina Panthers lost to the Denver Broncos 24-10. That means that it’s time for those who made Super Bowl bets to pay up. In Asheville, that means the director of the WNC Nature Center has to proudly sport a Broncos jersey and greet visitors. Aand at New Belgium Brewing in Asheville, employees have to send out some local barbecue sauce to their colleagues at New Belgium’s home office in Fort Collins, Colo.
-There’s a new apartment complex planned just off Long Shoals Road in south Asheville. The city’s Technical Review Committee will hear plans for “the development of 290 unit multi-family development contained within 4
buildings totaling 294,812 square feet on 11.39 Acres known as 55 Miami Circle and 70 Allen Avenue” at its Feb. 15 meeting.
-Construction has started on the Garage Apartments along South Lexington Avenue behind the Aloft hotel.
-Last Monday it rained cats and dogs. This week looks to start with a shot of snow showers, according to Ray’s Weather.
-Fresh off filming a movie in Western North Carolina, actor Josh Brolin talked with the New York Times.
-Sherwood’s Music has changed locations, ownership and its name, according to Mountain Xpress. The shop that sells and repairs music instruments is know Heyday Musical Instruments & Repair, located at 108 N. Lexington Ave. Charles Gately and Brian Landrum bought the business from Matthew Sherwood, who had his shop located on Patton Avenue, Xpress reports.
-The Asheville Wine and Food Festival has announced plans to expand its celebration of spirits and mixology to a dedicated week-long event called Asheville Cocktail Week, according to a press release. More:
In partnership with Spirit Savvy Events and sponsor support by Beam Suntory, makers of Jim Beam, Makers Mark and Knob Creek, among others. Festivities include national book authors and mixology gurus, an expanded “ELIXIR” event highlighting an ever expanding pool of local talent, as well the largest industry-only Distilling Expo in the Southeast.
Now in its eighth year, The Asheville Wine and Food Festival (August 19th-20th, 2016) has positioned Cocktail Week as the featured element in a series kick-off that starts with specially curated pairing dinners. One such example is a winter warmer/ apres-ski style dinner dubbed “Fair Game Lodge” held at MG Road February 11th in conjunction with Fair Game Beverage Company. A craft spirit distillery, Fair Game is known for various fortified wines, rums and brandies and recently introduced the unique “No’Lasses”, a rum developed with sorghum rather than the traditional blackstrap molasses.
Pairing dinners leading to Cocktail Week will run from February to late April. For a full listing of pairing dinners, Cocktail Week events and ticket sales information, please visit: http://ashevillewineandfood.com/asheville-cocktail-week
–Valet Gourmet in Asheville is changing its name to Takeout Central. Here’s the press release:
VALET GOURMET, an industry leading restaurant marketing and delivery company in Asheville, recently combined its Asheville and Tennessee operations with another industry leader, TAKEOUT CENTRAL, located in Chapel Hill, NC. The partnership is well underway and once complete, the company will operate in seven major markets across North Carolina and Tennessee.
In the coming months, Valet Gourmet will rebrand as Takeout Central. Content found on Valet Gourmet’s website, social media accounts, and other marketing sources will transition to Takeout Central, but nothing within the daily operations of the Asheville and Knoxville, TN markets will otherwise change. Remaining under the leadership of Asheville local Parker Spears, co-owner and company manager, the business will continue to facilitate deliveries from over 100 local restaurant partners to residential and corporate customers by using marketing software and advanced technologies along with the local partnerships of over 60 independent delivery professionals.
Additionally, Takeout Central will adopt the 6 Core Values upon which Valet Gourmet is operated. Takeout Central will perpetuate these Core Values throughout its business with a focused effort on employee engagement and various marketing campaigns in their five North Carolina markets.
Megan Bre Watts, will remain in Asheville, and will serve at the Director of Sales and Marketing for the entire company. Ms. Watts says of the partnership “the opportunities that we are being given to improve our customer service experience are incredibly exciting, and I cannot wait for our customers, restaurant partners, and driving partners to see the difference!”.
Once fully integrated, the company will serve over 325 strategic restaurant partners by incorporating advanced technologies and a network of 220 independent delivery professionals to extend the restaurant partners’ marketing efforts and facilitate over 225,000 annual deliveries of their cuisine to both residential and corporate customers.
To learn more about the new partnership, or to schedule an interview, please contact Megan Bre Watts, Director of Sales and Marketing for Valet Gourmet, at [email protected] or visit valetgourmet.com
Who won the dang motorized cooler?