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The 4th and final installment of Stu Helm’s annual Food Fan Awards! See the 2020 WINNERS in all fifteen categories.


Hey, y’all. It’s finally here! I know I took an extra long time to get around to writing and publishing my awards this year, but what the fuck? Nothing matters. No one cares. The world no longer turns. The hands on the clock have stopped, and oh look, the fucking clock just melted. So, it’s February 2021 already, and I’m just now getting around to posting the winners for 2020.

As I mentioned, over and over again in the 3-part nomination series leading up to this final installment, it is always very difficult to make these “Best of” decisions every year, but it was especially tough for 2020. Anyone who’s doors were still open, and ovens were still firing on the end of that fantastically fucked-up year deserved an award of some kind. No doubt, every member of the Food and Beverage community, including myself, and most of my closest friends, was hugely impacted by COVID-19, and the subsequent shit-show that followed. Half-assed shut-downs, insane customers refusing to wear masks, protesters smashing shit, counter-protesters smashing shit, the police smashing shit, and the whole time, the federal government was all like “shrug,” but the county was all, like, “you fools, you mad fools, SHUT IT ALL DOWN!!!” The restaurants were left hangin’ stuck in the middle, like, “Are you fucking kidding me?” and, not for nothing, there was this fucking disease going around that people in F&B kept catching, and nobody seemed to give a shit!  Gahhhhd. It was as rough a year as it gets, (and it continues to be. I call it 202021), but the F & B Community is not made of weak stuff, so every day we rally ourselves to do what we can with the tools that we have, and we grow, we improve, and we keep on truckin’. What the fuck else we gonna do?

So, yes, if you are connected to the food scene in any way, YOU RULE, and you get an award from me! It’s invisible, but real. Aaaaaand here are the winners of the actual awards…


BURGER OF THE YEAR
The burger that stood out to me the most, and was the most delicious and surprising burger I ate all year.
The nominees in this category are…

Rosabee’s – Loco Moco Burger
Post 25 – Jalapeno Popper Burger
Curate / La Bodega – Hamburgeusa Iberico
And the Winner is…

POST 25 YOU ARE THE WINNER OF MY BURGER OF THE YEAR AWARD! 

This was a tough choice for real, but when I thought about all the things that I judge Burger of the Year on, this Jalapeño Popper Burger from Post 25 hit all the nails squarely on the heads: It was surprising, unique, and creative, it’s something I’d never had before, it was hella satisfying, very delicious, I would order it again, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. What made this burger so dang different was the inclusion of blackberry jam. Not a savory jam, mind you. Justreg’ler ol’ jam, like you’d put on a Ritz with some Jif. I was dubious, but I wanted everything else on the burger (whipped jalapeño cream cheese and bacon) so I took the plunge, and fuck yes, I’m so glad I did. I enjoyed every single bite and I was truly sad when it was all gone! Thank you Post 25, your Jalapeño Popper Burger was fucking great and is my 2020 Burger of the year!

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WHOLE CHICKEN DINNER OF THE YEAR
The chicken dinner that comforted me the most when I needed it most.
The nominees in this category are…
Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack
Pupuseria Patty’s Asheville
Nani’s Rotisserie Chicken
Vivian
And the Winner is…

ROCKY’S HOT CHICKEN SHACK YOU ARE THE WINNER OF MY WHOLE CHICKEN DINNER OF THE YEAR AWARD!

Although all of the nominees were truly outstanding, this category was a little easier than most to decide. I mean, holy shit with this shit, am I right? Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack’s whole chicken dinner with sides is, like, if all of your most favorite fat Aunties gave you a big hug all at the same time. Love, comfort, and down-homey goodness. Do you see all of the food in the picture below? It was all for me. Dawn ate a small amount, but she mostly eats salad for dinner, so 95% of this grub went directly inside of this person (me) and it was the best thing in the world, for many days. I ordered this exact combo more than once, and I always froze a bunch of portioned-out meals to have as “TV dinners,” which sustained me for weeks when I needed it most. Thank you, Rocky’s for making some of the best dang food ever, I’ve never had anything from you that I didn’t fucking love, and your “Mamas Lil Helper” whole chicken dinner with 4 sides and 4 biscuits is my 2020 Whole Chicken Dinner of the Year winner!

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BRISKET OF THE YEAR
The nominees in the category are…
Brinehaus
Black Bear BBQ
Doc Brown’s BBQ
Green House
And the Winner is…

BRINEHAUS FOOD TRUCK YOU ARE THE WINNER OF MY 2020 BRISKET OF THE YEAR AWARD!

Well, this one is kinda sad, actually, because Brinehaus ain’t around no more, but when I look back at the entire year, I can not deny that the brisket I had, straight out the smoker, from Chef Steven Goff‘s food truck was the best, most memorable brisket experience I had all year, hands-down. It was, of course, colored by the fact that we both knew at the time a pandemic was a’coming, and a shut-down was imminent, and that we would likely not see each other again for while. It’s been almost a year since I tasted this brisket, and I still haven’t seen Chef Steven, or most of my food industry friends. It does make me sad to think back to this day — we could feel a black cloud hangin over us at the time — but dang, that brisket was fucking good. Steven sent me home with a big thick slab of it, and I ate that brisket like a baby clutching a blanky. It made me feel better during the shittiest of days, but more importantly to this award than the emotional aspect, it was just fucking perfect. The fatty parts were melty, the meaty party were fall-aparty, the edges were all crispy and chewy, and the smoke was jehhhhhhst right. I loved it. Chef Steven, thanks for this experience, I will never forget it, and your brisket is my 2020 Brisket of the Year winner. <3

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SANDWICH OF THE YEAR
The nominees in the category are…
Sandwich Trio from Session Cafe at Citizen Vinyl
Brisket Philly from Little Louie’s Pop-up at Buxton Hall BBQ
Grilled Boloney from Sweet Southern Funk Food Truck
And the Winner is…

LITTLE LOUIE’S POP-UP AT BUXTON HALL BARBECUE YOU ARE THE WINNER OF MY 2020 SANDWICH OF THE YEAR AWARD!

The entire meal that I ordered that day from the Little Louie’s Pop-up at Buxton Hall Barbecue was all bangin’, but oh my, goodness, that brisket cheesesteak. I know I know, two briskety awards in a row, but I was on a brisket jag in 2020 (and still am in 202021) and so my awards reflect that. I have to admit that even I, the world’s biggest fan of Buxton Hall, can sometimes forget that Chef Elliott Moss is a fucking amazing cook, and for some reason I had set my expectations on, “whatever happens happens” for this sandwich. It took just one bite to remind me why I have always been a devoted follower of this chef, and I was all, like, “Ellll-eeeee-ooottttt.” (Like E.T., only with cheesesteak in my mouth.) The bread, the meat, the onions, the cheese sauce were all perfect, perfect, perfect, and perfect. There was no part of this sandwich I didn’t love. I ate the shit out of it, it was fucking great, thank you Buxton Hall, your Little Louie’s Pop-Up fucking rules, and the brisket cheesesteak is my 2020 Sandwich of the Year!

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DEEP FREID THING OF THE YEAR
The nominees in the category are…
Little Louies’ / Buxton Hall Barbecue – Saucy Chicken Strips / Kids Chicken Nuggets
Sweet Southern Funk – Chicken Tenders & House Made Sauces
Storm Rhum Bar – Gator Tail and Grits
And the Winner is…

STORM RHUM BAR AND BISTRO YOU ARE THE WINNER OF MY 2020 DEEP FRIED THING OF THE YEAR AWARD!

This amazing dish of deep fried gator tail ‘n’ grits from Storm Rhum Bar and Bistro, was kind of a no brainer to win this category this year, because it was fucking alligator. I had only ever eaten alligator once before in my life, and it fucking sucked, so this was kinda like my first time truly eating gator, and it was fucking great. Like, really great! Chef Jay Medford has a real deftness for taking ingredients that might be considered trashy by some folks, and transforming them into something elegant, intricate, creative, and… I’m gonna I say it… fancy. As far as being unique, this dish wins, and in the other areas I look at when I decide on these awards: Comfort, flavor, presentation, and just how dang goooood something tastes, this heapin’ helpin’ of Gator ‘n’ Grits wins a again and again! Thanks, Chef Jay, you outdid yourself, and your Gator ‘n’ Grits is my 2020 Deep Fried Thing of the Year winner!

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BEST BREAKFAST
The nominees in the category are…
Bomba Breakfast
Abeja’s House Cafe Breakfast All Day
Blue Collar Diner Food Truck Breakfast
The Worthy Baker Pie for Breakfast
And the Winner is…

BLUE COLLAR DINER FOOD TRUCK YOU ARE THE WINNER OF 2020 MY BEST BREAKFAST AWARD!

Just look at the picture below. LOOK AT IT!!! I have already told this story a couple of times so I’ll keep it short: I had never considered ordering breakfast for delivery, until I started working for Kickback and found out that it’s a very popular thing to do, and I had just signed-up a brand new start-up food truck called Blue Collar Diner that had a pretty tasty sounding breakfast menu, so I figured I’d take a chance and order their breakfast and… holy… wow. I am so glad I did that, because, not only was this food frickin’ DEEEElicious, hardy, satisfying, filling and made from high quality, local ingredient, but it got me addicted to breakfast via delivery! Over the course of several weeks, I gotta whole lotta “loaded” biscuits and gravy, as well as pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs (the only way to get eggs delivered IMHO), and always bacon AND sausage. Oh, and real butter, and real maple syrup. I was in heaven with every bite, and in a small way it was actually life changing. Thanks Blue Collar Diner food truck, y’all made my day more than once when I desperately needed my days made, I appreciate you greatly for it, and you are my the winner of my 2020 Best Breakfast Award! 

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BEST LUNCH
The nominees in the category are…
Pupuseria Paty’s Asheville
Thai Pearl
Manicomio
Broth Lab
And the Winner is…

PUPUSERIA PATTY ASHEVILLE YOU ARE THE WINNER OF MY 2020 BEST LUNCH AWARD

This food has a smiley face on it. (see below) That right there made it one of my all-time favorite meals ever… plus it was frickin’ delicious and surprising and satisfying beyond all of my expectations! I have already mentioned to you how lucky I feel to have met Chef Paty Saenz, of Pupuseria Patty Asheville, and this picture is definitely contributing to that feeling of good fortune. I’ll be honest and say that, at first glance, I was like… “huh, attsa a lotta deep fried… looks kinda dry and shit.” But no. I was wrong. It was not “dry and shit,” it was crispy and delicate on the outside, moist and tender on the inside. This plate of amazing food contained some of the most deft deep-frying technique I’ve ever seen or tasted in my life! No joke, What you’re seeing in the picture below includes chicken, steak, pork, shrimp, rice, beans, creme, salsa, fresh avocado, and a hot dog. Yes, a frickin’ HOT DOG. Are you kidding me? I love it. Everything had great flavor, perfect texture, and was surprising and new, while also being familiar and homey. This particular dish is called “Especial Patty,” and I recommend it 100% for lunch (and dinner and breakfast the next day, because it is huge) because it has a li’l bit o’ everything on it. I have eaten plenty of Chef Paty’s other food as well, and everything, EVERYTHING, has been wonderful. From the pupusas to her whole chicken dinners, it’s allll good. Thank you, Chef Paty Saenz, for introducing me to your food, and yourself, and for being responsible for several of the best lunches I had all year, you rule, and you are the winner of my 2020 Best Lunch Award! 

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BEST DINNER
The nominees in the category are…
Lean Times Meat Co.
Lola’s Fresh Foods
Asheville Pro Kitchen
Red Fiddle Vittles
And the Winner is…

RED FIDDLE VITTLES YOU ARE THE WINNER OF MY 2020 BEST DINNER AWARD!

At my house, we ate a variety of prepared meals, par-cooked meals, heat-n-eat meals, and “family kits” for dinner during 2020, and while they were all good, Red Fiddle Vittles was, like, super-gourmet-style and was very much like eating actual restaurant food. The one in the picture below consisted of giant-sized portions of confit duck and local mushrooms, heirloom grits, beet and citrus salad, and bread pudding for dessert. It came in a really nice reusable tote-bag, and included cooking instructions (basically heating and assembly), and it was dropped off to our house by Chef Erica Beneke’s husband Matt Farr himself, who was just as nice as could be. Together they do private cheffing, which made sense to me based on his charming personality and her high-end cooking skills. So, a private chef literally came to our house, with a shit-ton of kick-ass food, and it was one of the only “restaurant” experiences we had in 2020. WTF? How could I not recognize how unique and welcome this experience was. Everything was delicious, cooked just right, with deep flavors, bright colors, and a variety of textures, and temperatures. Thank you, Red fiddle Vittles for this wonderful, at-home experience, you are the winner of my 2020 Best Dinner Award! 

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BEST SWEETS
The nominees in the category are…
Sunshine Sammies
The Worthy Baker
Abeja’s House Cafe
Wild Ginger
And the Winner is…

THE WORTHY BAKER YOU ARE THE WINNER OF MY 2020 BEST SWEETS AWARD!

I can’t tell you how much I admire this baker! Yes, we’re friends, we dine together, she brings me pie, which we eat on my porch, so there is bias here, I will admit that, but also… just look at the fucking cheesecake (below)! It’s an orange creamsicle mini-cheesecake to be precise, and it is one of a dozen or more cheesecake flavors that Chef Jill Worthy aka The Worthy Baker developed in 2020, when the pandemic basically shut down her retail cookie business. With most of her cookie clients (hotels and restaurants) closed or crippled by state order, she was left wondering what her future might hold. Well, she turned to her strengths, and started building her private client base, and cranking out cheesecakes, bundt cakes, birthday cakes, what-ever-you-want cakes. Jill is a very humble person, who quietly took on the challenges presented by difficult times, and crushed it. Over the Summer my friends and family enjoyed more of Jill’s sweets than any other baker in Asheville. She made my Mom’s birthday cake. She provided my “Stoobie Snacks” club with at least a half dozen different treats, which helped raise thousands of dollars for MANNA Foodbank. She retooled and refocused her business to meet demand and stay viable during the most difficult days, and she did it all with very little public fuss or fanfare. She has inspired me at times when I needed inspiration, she’s a kick-ass baker, a creative thinker, a go-getter, and can-doer, and a really nice person! Thanks for being awesome, Chef Jill Worthy, you really are The Worthy Baker, and you are the winner of my Best Sweets 2020 award!

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MEAL OF THE YEAR
The nominees in the category are…
Anniversary Meal at Vue 1913
Vivian Marketplace – Trout Dinner
Avenue M – Take-Out Buffet
Buxton Hall – Brunch
Zambra – Unexpected Meal
And the Winner is…

VUE 1913 YOU ARE THE WINNER OF MY 2020 MEAL OF THE YEAR AWARD!

Back in January of 2020, I wrote a short but comprehensive review of the 16 year anniversary dinner that Dawn and I were treated to by Chef Brandon Gibson, the staff, and management at Vue 1913 inside the Grove Park Inn that you can read HERE. It was by far the fanciest meal we ate all year. It was the best looking meal we ate all year. The Chef came out of the kitchen and spoke with us several times. Our server was personable, professional, knowledgable, and adept. The atmosphere at Vue 1913 is so nice, so grand, so old-school, epic, yet cozy, dark, and comfortable, that it’s almost like a movie, a novel, or a dream. The chairs and tables ate in that classic, solid, elegant Arts and Crafts style that all of the furniture at Grove Park Inn is done in, and the view is the most sublime of any restaurant in town. We were served several courses, every one of them beautiful to look and delicious to eat. The was an amuse bouche at the start, and a palette cleanser in between courses, two things Dawn and I both appreciate very much. There was a satisfying, fulfilling amount of food without being ridiculous, and there was an excellent balance of fish, meat, and vegetables, so that we did not feel over loaded on any one thing. Dawn’s alcoholic beverages were excellent, and dessert was fabulous. It was, in every way, a perfect meal, and when I suggested to Dawn that I wanted to give them this award she said there was absolutely no doubt that I should do that. It was our first fancy meal of 2020, and the best all-around dining experience we had last year, Thanks, Vue 1913, for making our anniversary special, you’ve got an amazing team of talent, and this meal is the winner of my 2020 Meal of the Year award! 

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FOOD PERSON OF THE YEAR
The nominees in the category are…
Jane “AIR” Anderson
Flori Chastain Pate / Food Connection
MANNA Foodbank
Asheville Strong
Anonymous Donors
And the Winner is…

FLORI CHASTAIN-PATE YOU ARE THE WINNER OF MY 2020 FOOD PERSON OF THE YEAR AWARD!

I met Flori Chastain-Pate a buncha years back through Dig Local, and right away I could tell that she is a very kind-hearted and caring person. When she told me all about Food Connection, it was confirmed: She nice. I have even made the “Food Connection” myself, from both sides of the equation. I have donated hot, fresh food at the end of some of my big events for Flori’s team (often Flori herself!) to pick-up and delivery to folks who need it (Flori’s usual schtick), and I have also walked my ass down town to receive a free meal when the food scene first shut down last year. In 2020 Flori and Food Connection ramped-up their operation, and started feeding a lot more people, for the simple reason that a lot more people needed help! Flori and her organization have worked hard to feed people and reduce food waste for years, when our need was greater, they were there to meet it. With the help of an awesome team of dedicated volunteers, and the support of the community, including a particularly generous donation from an anonymous donor, Food Connection’s efforts have helped countless people put something on the table, and in their bellies during the gravest economic crisis the country has faced since the Great Depression! During uncertain times, Flori assured many of us that we were not forgotten. Plus, bonus: The food is always fuckn’ good! Thanks, Flori and Food Connection, for being there when we needed you most, you are the winner of my 2020 Food Person of the Year award!

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PIVOT MASTER
The nominees in the category are…
Manicomio
Biscuit Head
Twisted Laurel
Pachamama5
Sunny Point
And the Winner is…

PACHAMAMA5 YOU ARE THE WINNER OF MY 2020 PIVOT MASTERS AWARD!

I tried to keep in touch with as many of my restaurant scene friends as possible during the various degrees of mandatory shut downs in 2020, including Chef Santiago Vargas, and Tori & Chef Ricardo Carrasco. Chef Vargas ran the award winning food truck Out of the Blue Peruvian Fusion, and Chef Carrasco and his wife Victoria are the owners of Polanco restaurant, as well as Carrasco Catering. At the start of 2020, everything was normal, all good, for them and for everyone else, and then BAM, everything was not normal, and not good, for them or anyone else! Everyone was suddenly scramblin’ to figure out how to navigate the choppy waters. While I was doing so myself, I was watching what other people were doing, and I was a little surprised to see Chef Santiago sell his food truck right at the start of the shut downs. Then I saw online that he had formed an alliance with our mutual friends the Carrascos, and had branded themselves as Pachama5. I read their stated mission to feed people good food as cheaply as possible, and saw that they had developed a sliding scale in which you could sign up for free food, or pay cost, or even pay a little bit more than cost, so that someone else could get it for free. In addition to vending super-affordable and delicious “family meals” out of the front window of Polanco, they took on private chef gigs, together and separately, and also seemed to concentrate their combined efforts on Carrasco Catering, which was thriving before and during the crisis. I was impressed with their generosity, ingenuity, and ability to stay viable, achieve economic independence, and find what I consider to be an extraordinary amount of success during a fucked up time when others — including myself — were still struggling to find our way in this new world. One day, Chef Vargas looked at me and he said, “I’m doing better now than before.” And that was the sweetest music to my ears! I was so worried about all my friends, all the time, at least I knew that these three good people were doing well. Phew! I myself worked with them at a “Seated Dinner Tour” in the Fall of 2020 that would have won a “Fancy Meal of the Year” award, but since I organized it, that would not be kosher, but for real: It was exquisite. Ye,s I just used the word EXQUISITE!!! Anyhoo, thank you, Santi, Ricky, and Tori, you rule, you inspired me and gave me hope, you did what you had to in order to take care your own, while showing how much you care about other people, and you are my special one-time-only award winners for 2020 Pivot Masters! 

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NEW RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
The nominees in the category are…
Nani’s Rotisserie Chicken
Pie.Zaa
Thai Pearl
And the Winner is…

THAI PEARL YOU ARE THE WINNER OF MY 2020 NEW RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR AWARD!

I have written a lot about Thai Pearl, and Chef May Sujitra Chubthaisong recently, including several nominations for awards in various categories, as well as a bunch of “Food Feed” reviews, and facebook posts. In terms of the food, the reputation, the work ethic, the level of excellence, service, and just sheer impact on the food scene and eaters of Asheville, I don’t know if there’s any place that outdid Thai Pearl, let alone any place new. As you may have already read in a previous post, Chef May has quite an impressive culinary background, having cooked at the Thai Royal Palace for example, and so I feel like we are dang lucky to have her here in little ol’ Asheville, WNC! She opened her restaurant in West Asheville just as the pandemic hit, and didn’t let anything stop her from CRUSHING IT. I’m in a unique position to know things, and I know that Thai Pearl has achieved very impressive levels of popularity when it came to take out and delivery. In their first year of bring in business, DURING A PANDEMIC. When I say Tai Pearl is popular, you’ll hardly meet any serious eaters in Asheville, online in chat groups and local foodies pages, who are not familiar with it as a place where scrumptious piles of excellent food come from. My friend Jimmy is a Thai food snob. He lived there and shit. He’s also a great chef who has worked at some of the best restaurants in town. I told him to try Thai Pearl. He was skeptical. He tried it. Now he’s a fan. Thanks for not making me look like an ass in front of Jimmy, Thai Pearl, and thanks for being awesome, and doing it straight out of the gate, and doing it during these shit times, you rule and you are the winner of my 2020 New Restaurant of the Year award!

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CHEF OF THE YEAR
The nominees in the category are…
Chef Tom LaFauci
Chef Melissa Gray
Chef Paty Saenz
Chef Sujitra Chubthaisong aka Chef May
Chef Eric Morris
And the Winner is…

CHEF ERIC MORRIS YOU ARE THE WINNER OF MY 2020 CHEF OF THE YEAR AWARD!

This guy. Has there ever been a guy like this guy? I met Chef Eric Morris while he was the Executive Chef at The Nightbell. He personally cooked many of the best meals that Dawn and I ate in those years. He was there the year I gave Nightbell a Stoobie Award for “Restaurant of the Year,” and he was there when it closed the very next year. Next I found him at Cultura, where he was making food that was equally incredible, and in some ways, even more impressive than what he was doing at Nightbell. Over all of the years, no matter where he’s been, he became one of my all-time favorite chefs ever, and that is not just because of his skills in the kitchen. His personality, is like, I dunno, just the best fucking thing ever. He’s nice. He’s thoughtful as all get out. He’s whimsical, funny, and slightly mischievous. He’s genuinely humble. He’s politically savvy, and socially progressive. He smiles and laughs a lot. He’s a nerd, who gets all my obscure Tolkien jokes (which never hurts your chances to get an award from me), but what I love about Chef Eric Morris most of all, is that he has a heart the size of a Beorning. When the shit hit the fan in March 2020, he immediately started feeding his staff at Cultura and their sister company Wicked Weed, all the food in the kitchen for free until it was gone. Then he started working with various orgs around town that were helping to feed other people during the on-going crisis. Last I heard he was with working part-time with the Church of the Advocate to feed homeless members of our community, while also starting his own sandwich business called Little Red Fox, which has been showing up at local farmer’s markets. I saw Chef Eric go from heading-up kitchens at literally the best, fanciest restaurants in town, to feeding people for free at a Church, and it was one of the most beautiful, significant, and heartwarming transitions I witnessed all year. Thank you, Chef Eric Morris, for being an exemplary citizen of our food scene, taking care of other people’s needs, making amazing food, and being the person I wish I could be, you are the winner of my 2020 Chef of the Year award! 

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RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
The nominees in the category are…
Twisted Laurel
Vivian
And the Winner is…

TWISTED LAUREL ASHEVILLE YOU ARE THE WINNER OF MY 2020 RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR AWARD!

Y’know what? I don’t think I have ever been so proud or happy to give this award to any restaurant than I am this year to give it to the good folks at Twisted Laurel Asheville for their success in the face of hellfire and adversity in 2020. Every past recipient of this award has been worthy, no doubt, and they all remain in my highest regard, let that be said. Twisted Laurel, however, is a different kind of story from those other venues. The story-arc they have experienced, the journey they have been on, the changes they’ve made, and the punches they’ve had to roll with. Epic. EH. PIC. Let’s see if I can sum it up: Twisted Laurel, a very popular spot in Weaverville decided to open in the middle of downtown Asheville, taking over a giant space in which several other businesses had failed. They opened their doors, and… nobody really cared. Including me. I went there once with my mom, and we were both, like, “meh,” and I moved on, figuring maybe it ain’t for me, but it must be popular with other folks. Nahhht so much. Twisted Laurel Asheville struggled. The lunch crowd was okay, the dinner crowd was shit, and it seemed like the management at some point decided the menu wasn’t fancy enough for Asheville, so they re-branded as Daphne at Twisted Laurel, hired a truly amazing chef, and started going full-on-fancy. I’m here to tell you that the food was AMAZING, but, for some reason, although they had gotten my attention with this new tact, the general public was confused and still largely disinterested. Eventually, that chef — the fancy one — parted ways amicably with Twisted Laurel (and continues to do great things elsewhere) and that’s when they brought in Chef Tom LaFauci. To me, Chef Tom seemed to take measure of the situation, saw some nails sticking out the wall, and started whackin’ ’em on they heads one at a time, until he hit every single one of them squarely and made everythng just right. By January 2020, Twisted Laurel Asheville (they dropped the “Daphne”) had their act perfectly tuned-in, from menu, to staff, to use of space, level of service, the whole nine yards. Then the fucking COVID hit! WTF? I left downtown, and have been back only occasionally since, so I was largely left to wonder if this was going to be the final death-blow for Twisted Laurel. Even with everything just right, how could anyone survive this shit? Well, 12 months later, I’m happen to know they had their best year ever. Let me say that again: They had their best year ever. I had a talk with Chef Tom in December 2020, I hadn’t seen him since March, and he told me all the things they had gone through, how they had adapted, what good fortune & good luck they had in certain areas, and how he himself & individual members of his staff had fared during all of this. It was awesome to hear his story. After soooo much bad news, here was a good news story, about some people that I personally know, love, and care about. What a huge relief! I cried. I’m crying now. Shut up. Thank you, Tom, Vince, Anthony, and all the crew at Twisted Laurel for all the GREAT food you provided for me and my tours in the first two 1/2 months of 2020, and congrats on your unmatched success in the following 9 1/2 months of Hell that followed, you are the winner of my 2020 Restaurant of the Year Award!

One day we’ll be able to the ^^^THIS^^^ again.


And that’s that! Those are my 2020 Food Fan Awards, my friends. What a fucked-up year. There’s more to come, but I feel more hopeful now than I have in forever, so let’s just fuckin’ do this thing, Asheville, and get past the next whatever amount of fuckin’ time it takes to some better fuckin’ days. I love you, and I miss you, and I hope to see you soon.

END


Stu Helm is a writer, blogger, and social media personality living and working here in Asheville,NC.
Please follow him on FacebookInstagram, and his own blog, StuHelmFoodFan.com

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