Asheville - Beer and Food mecca

Asheville. The small town with the most breweries per capita in the US. Our Uber driver said there were 25 in the city limits. That doesn't even count the huge, regional ones just outside of town. So I'm really not sure how many there are, but there are tons. And all apparently really good.

Then there's the food. My god, the food. Elevated Appalachian cuisine at every turn, and several other excellent restaurants.

Finally, there is the culture. Rustic, authentic Appalachian culture all over town. From the bluegrass street performers, complete with spoons and washboards; to the bluegrass bars scattered about town. Asheville doesn't just stay true to its roots - it embraces them.

Street musicians performing incredible bluegrass. Although apparently the kid in front of me isn't a fan lol.

Unfortunately, my travels have only taken me there a handful of times. Most recently for my birthday. This is how it went down:

Breakfast - Biscuit Head. If there's a better breakfast spot anywhere, I've yet to find it. Humongous Appalachian style "cathead" biscuits with an ever-changing rotation of house made bacon, sausage, gravies, honeys, butters, and hot sauces. If you visit Asheville - DO NOT MISS THIS.

When we arrived, barely after opening, there was already a healthy line formed. Luckily we could get in fairly quickly, unlike the unlucky folks standing in an epic line when we left.

Before.....

After. Who knows how long these unlucky souls had to wait. However long, it was still worth it.

We ordered a full breakfast (2 eggs, 2 sides) added 2 more sides, and added a gravy flight (3 gravies of your choice). Our 3 gravies were 1) fried chicken, 2) coconut, and 3) spicy pork chorizo (gravy of the day). In the past, I also tried regular sausage, mushroom, pulled pork, and and a tomato based. 

Fried chicken is the clear winner. Chorizo, sausage, and pulled pork were excellent in their own right. Coconut is really good, and unique. Mushroom and the tomato gravies were good, but didn't really fit for me, at least not for breakfast.

Our eggs were poached, of course. We added mango sriracha bacon and maple sriracha sausage; both incredible. Jalapeno pimento cheese was good, but a tad underwhelming considering the other offerings. And the moon cheese home fries were incredible.

We tried orange rosemary jelly - really good. The honeys were chocolate/strawberry, strawberry/jalapeno, and bananas foster - all excellent.

Next up were breweries. You can't visit Asheville without enjoying its incredible beer scene. That scene starts with the incredibly popular Wicked Weed. Even at noon on a random Saturday, the brewery was already completely at capacity. We grabbed what was certainly one of the last 2 spots in a very large complex. 

With so many to visit, I tried to limit myself to 2 offerings at each brewery. Here I chose April Showers, a berry based saison, which was excellent. Next I chose the Old Fashioned, which was a dark barrel aged ale, brewed with cherry. Incredible. One of my all time favorite beers.

Completely packed at noon on a random Saturday. That's a town excited about its beer scene.

Feeling the need for a late lunch, we took the advice of some natives and visited White Duck Taco. A taco spot, with several eclectic offerings. 

The food was good, but very underwhelming considering the level of excellency one gets used to in Asheville. We tried shrimp, jerk chicken, Korean bulgogi beef, and another that I cannot even recall. They were all forgettable, regrettably. The bulgogi beef woefully disappointed - it was basically plain ground beef, with kimchi.

After a big breakfast, beer, then lunch; I needed caffeine before browsing some shops. Double D's is a unique coffee shop that sits inside an old double decker bus. How unique is that? Plus they serve excellent coffee. 

Then off to Green Man Brewing. I've never been a fan of hops. Mostly because i don't like beer that tastes/feels like a pine cone sinus grenade. But that's just me. Tons of people love it.

Unfortunately, Green Man loads up on hops. I tried a saison, which was of course well hopped. It was still enjoyable, but too hoppy for my taste. They had an incredible space though, including a 3 story tap room. Plus tons of room to grow.

On to Burial Beer Co. Certainly the most unique of the venues, with a focus on the morbid. They also had some interesting food offerings, including deviled chicken hearts. We chose to forego food, as dinner was approaching. 

My first choice was Pantalones Flacos - a sour, with sea salt and lime. Nearly a margarita, but a beer. An interesting, creative, and excellent beer. 

With several other offerings catching my eye, i went with a flight of 4: 1) The Ocean Swallows the Sun - a sour/gose. Good, but not outstanding. 2) Thresher - a coffee saison. If I were blindfolded, Id sworn I was drinking coffee. Good if you like coffee, terrible if you dont. 3) Butchered Hook - a good porter. 4) Hacksaw Jim Dunkel - a very bland dunkel, unfortunately. Even more disappointing considering some of the other edgy and creative offerings.

Deviled chicken hearts? Ill pass. 10/10 for creativity. 

Finally, dinner. Reservations at Curate, a spanish tapas restaurant headed by the 2015 Beard award winner Katie Button. As with Biscuit Head - Curate is an absolute must if you visit Asheville. 

We started with the best sangria I've had; and Potatoes Bravos, an incredibly smokey and perfectly spicy fried potato dish. Then spanish olives, which were all great (if you're an olive fan). Next was house chorizo wrapped in potato chips - really good. We ended with rossejat negro, which is this paella noodles with squid and their ink. Interesting, to say the least. It really had an excellent flavor, but the texture was such that I'd never feel compelled to order it again.

Potatoes Bravos. Possibly the best thing your taste buds will ever experience. 

Pasta of squid and its ink. Great flavor, just not a texture I care to experience again.

Day 2 - After having so much great food the day before, we skipped breakfast and opted for an early lunch at Buxton Hal BBQ. This BBQ joint serves great whole hog BBQ in an incredible space. We also ordered chicken bog (a sort of chicken jambalaya) and spicy collards. Both good.

Knowing the pig's name I was about to eat was a new experience. I think I could do without it. 

For dessert we visited the French Broad Chocolate Lounge. This is another absolute must do for an Asheville visit. We ordered a liquid truffle, of maple and smoked sea salt. And a pack of 6 pieces of chocolate: 1) Chocolate Martini 2) Peanut Butter 3) Horchata 4) Strawberry Balsamic 5) Honey/caramel 6) Caramel cluster, with pistachio. All incredible.

Unfortunately, it was only a weekend trip. But anytime you can fit in Biscuit Head, Curate, French Broad Chocolate Lounge, epic beer, and incredible Appalachian culture into one weekend - that's a weekend well spent in my book.

Forecastle 2015

Forecastle 2015 has once again come and gone.

First, the bad:

The lineup was initially underwhelming.

The giant Hunter S. Thompson was noticeably absent, as was his impersonator.

And the weather was unusually torturous, including a vicious storm that cut short Sam Smith's set and forced immediate evacuation.

Now, the good:

There were some really good sets, by both local on the cusp talent and under the radar performers. 

Friday:

Parker Milsap is pretty much as unconventional as it gets. An old time bluegrass style, he performed some strange songs, including one about "what if the characters in nursery rhymes were suddenly unemployed, and starting cooking meth". So ya. A really good sound, and some good songs, but a little out there for even me.

Milo Greene put on a good performance. They were one of the surprises for me early on.

Cold War Kids were excellent. Probably my favorite show of the day.

BIG K.R.I.T. and Gaslight Anthem were only OK to me, but both were entertaining.

Sam Smith - In all honesty, I was skeptical how hed translate to a music festival. But that skepticism proved unfounded. A great set until it was cut short by the severe storm that noone warned us about until 30 seconds prior to hell breaking loose.

Saturday, the Mast Stage was the place to be. 

The Revivalists were incredible. Probably my 2nd favorite set of the entire weekend. Oddly wonderful blend of alt folk, blues, and funk. Imagine if Dave Mathews Band and Counting Crows had a love child - that would be The Revivalists. 

Then some Eastern Kentucky flavor, with the on the cusp performers of Chris Stapleton and Sturgill Simpson. Stapleton, from Johnson County has an all time great voice and sounds the same live as on his album. Simpson, from Breathitt County, is poised to really breakout this summer following the festival tours and after signing his big record deal. Both put on great sets, especially Sturgill. 

Shovels and Rope were incredibly boring, to me. Their songs all sound the same, and it seemed as if they played for 5 hours. Not a ringing endorsement.

The crowd for My Morning Jacket was just insane. The hometown headliners are loved by their city, no doubt. Ive never quite understood the hype. But their set was entertaining, from what I could see from my vantage point (pictured).

Sunday:

Noah Gundersen was incredible. His haunting cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit sent chills up my spine, even though the heat index was 106.

The Steeldrivers were fine. But they haven't been the same since Stapleton left. Understandable, but a tough truth. 

Diarrhea Planet was terrific. So was Modest Mouse.

But the real standout of the day, and the weekend, was Robert DeLong. Its hard to explain exactly what DeLong does, so Ill just link a YouTube video here. Its really incredible to watch him play the keys, sing, and play the drums; all while electronically tweeking everything into a hypnotic dance/rave sound. The crowd was sparse in the beginning, but quickly became enormous; reaching from the Ocean Stage all the way to the marlboro tent. An incredibly unique performer and experience; and someone who no doubt is on the way to stardom on the international dance scene.

80's/90's Wrestling Meets Today's Cocktails

Ever wondered: If my favorite wrestling memories from the 80s/90s were a cocktail - what kind of cocktail would they be? Well thanks to the mixologists at Rye, wonder no more!

Disclaimer: this pic is a few months old, and their cocktail menu changes often. Oh, also the picture is fairly awful. But the concept is so cool, I still thought Id post it. Even if it is a few months late.

Anselmo's Bistro and Bar (Louisville, KY)

After striking out on a few attempts to find a good Italian restaurant, in a few different cities, we decided to try Anselmo's. Anselmo's is a small, intimate authentic Italian bistro that has really good food, really good wine, excellent service; all at a really reasonable price. The ONLY negative is that space is small, and the vast majority of patrons are regulars - so much so the server instantly recognized us as new. This means seating is limited, and reservations nearly a must.

For an appetizer, we ordered the deep fried ravioli. It was excellent. We also heard really good remarks about the bruschetta. Either/both are winners.

For entrees, we order rattlesnake pasta and lasagna. The rattle snake pasta is tossed in a creamy, spicy sauce, and topped with grilled chicken and jalapenos. Really, really good; especially if you like an extra bite to your dish. The lasagna was extraordinary. Maybe the best lasagna Ive tried. This is what you should order.

For dessert, we had the cannoli. Don't leave without ordering this dessert. Its cream filled, covered in powdered sugar, and drizzled in raspberry sauce. Although I normally avoid desserts, this is not to be missed.

Why go? Perfect date night, with either a long term partner/spouse; or a first date. But definitely get reservations. Not really much of a guys night out spot, but I'm guessing you could already tell that. They do have a very small bar area, but definitely don't expect many single ladies parked there. Almost exclusively either a date destination; or a large family dinner.

Oodles Uncorked (Knoxville, TN)

Oodles Uncorked bills itself as an Italian American restaurant, with a menu that focuses on pasta and wine. Oodles is located in Market Square, an ever popular portion of Knoxville known for dining and upscale nightlife. Based on its location and menu, we decided on reservations a few weeks in advance knowing we would be in Knoxville. Unfortunately, everything about the experience was underwhelming.

First the service was slow, and surprisingly unfriendly. It took an unusually long time t seat a party of two, considering reservations a few weeks in advance. Then we were seated in basically in the corner of an inside hallway, at a wire outdoor table, directly next to the mailboxes (who's mailboxes, remains to be known). Both food and drink came out excruciatingly slow, especially given the quality of preparation; which leads to my next point.

The quality of food was just subpar, no other way to put it. For an appetizer we ordered smoked crawfish dip, which was pretty good; except that it tasted nothing like crawfish at all. It was basically a cheesy dip, which is fine, but not what was expected.

For entrée, we ordered a duck club panini and chicken fettuccini served with 3 cheese alfredo. The duck Panini was mediocre at best. The chicken fettuccini was largely tasteless, with the chicken obviously a piece of frozen, processed chicken that would be found at your local discount grocery. Frankly, it tasted like something you would expect at Pizza Hut, Gatti's, etc. Just subpar altogether, but especially for a market square restaurant where most locations tout local sourcing. The only saving grace was the decent wine list. Yet even that was subpar, at least for a restaurant touting itself as a wine bar.

Why go? Tough call, because there are a multitude much, much better food options within a stone's throw of Oodles. Maybe if your date wants a glass of wine. Maybe. Even so, there are a couple options in the square with a comparable wine list; and much better food. The only other conceivable reason would be for a cheap first date. But if that's your line of thinking, you may as well just show up in pajamas while you're at it.

The Perfect Mint Julep

The mint julep is almost certainly the most iconic drink of the Kentucky Derby. With the Derby being 2 days away, what better time to explore how to make the iconic drink?

A explanation of the drink and the process can be found here.

The only modification I'd recommend is substituting Old Forester (if you're on a budget) or Basil Hayden (if you're not) as the bourbon.

I'm just not a fan of Angel's Envy "Bourbon" for a few different reasons; although I love their Rye.

So there you have it: the iconic, enigmatic Mint Julep. The drink that noone likes, but everyone drinks; at least this time of year.

Stock and Barrel (Knoxville, TN)

Focusing on burgers, Bourbon, and beer, this Knoxville restaurant is practically a mecca for masculinity. In fact, the only more manly substances on the planet would be Chuck Norris' beard/chest hair or Mike Ditka's mustache. I'm pretty sure my chest hair instantly started growing soon as i walked through the door. You get the idea.

We started with the white cheddar pimiento cheese dip, which also includes tomato jam and goat cheese; served with house made pita chips. Mind blowing. Maybe the best appetizer I've tried; which is quite the endorsement. 

Also heard the opa (flash fried feta, local honey, and a baguette) is incredible; but I was already getting full after practically dumping the whole serving of pimiento cheese directly into my face.

Then came the burger. All beef is locally sourced, which is usually a good sign your burger will be amazing. I ordered a special that came with pimiento cheese (there can never be too much pimiento cheese) and Bentons bacon (which is a treat all its own). Almost too much goodness. ALMOST.

I didn't have a drink, but they sport a nice tap list and Bourbon selection.

Why go?

Better question: why would you NOT? Food and drink are incredible. Atmosphere is great. Like almost every restaurant in Market Square, its extremely busy after dark. You really can't go wrong. Make sure to not miss a pilgrimage to this manly mecca. Just go.