Archive for the ‘Friends of the House’ Category
March 17, 2011
Jill: In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we’re continuing our Asheville Brewery Tour series with Green Man Brewery. (Get it? GREEN?) Located in town, but with an industrial feel (including a garage door that opened to allow the late afternoon light to brighten the bar), Green Man was the brewery that felt the most like a pub, complete with regulars saddled up the bar and a bartender who seemed to know everyone. Timing, of course, was on our side. At this point in our trip, we’d moved to our urban bed and breakfast, allowing us to actually enjoy time in a brewery without having to worry about the long drive home.
Jill: With a warm and comfortable atmosphere, Green Man was definitely the most difficult of the breweries to leave. There’s no question about it; if this place was in my neighborhood, I’d be a regular. If they’re exceptionally good at keeping butts in seats, it’s because they’ve been at it a long time. Green Man first started gracing Asheville with their beers in 1997. (They were the third brewery to open there, preceded only by Highland Brewing Company and Asheville Pizza and Brewing.)
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Tags:Asheville, asheville brewery tour, beer, Green Man
Posted in Asheville, Destination: Appetite, Friends of the House, North Carolina, The Fifty | Leave a Comment »
March 3, 2011
Ben: Oysterhouse Brewing Company was the smallest brewery we visited, as it was basically a side project for the Lobster Trap restaurant and oyster bar. As I waited for what was to become the most delicious shrimp and grits I’ve ever tasted, I was able to see the three or four barrels behind the bar, next to the kitchen, comprising the entirety of the brewery, which opened in 2009.
Jill: Just as one wouldn’t expect a seaside-themed restaurant in western North Carolina, no passerby would suspect that this place would house a brewery. With decor and menus appealing to a high-end palate (and wallet), the Lobster Trap conceals its little pearl well. Luckily, my travelling companion had thoroughly scoured the entire internet for information about Asheville and her beers, so pursual of Oysterhouse (and the lovely meal the search produced) was always on our list. The story of how Oysterhouse came to be is very Ashevillian in nature. Someone said, “I’d like to do this,” and someone else said, “Go for it,” and as a result, I got to eat a tray full of oysters on a trip that was supposed to be primarily about beer.
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Tags:asheville breweries, asheville brewery tour, beer, beer city usa, Oysterhouse
Posted in Asheville, Destination: Appetite, Friends of the House, North Carolina, Table Service, The Fifty | Leave a Comment »
February 24, 2011
Jill: We knocked on Craggie Brewing Company’s door about fifteen minutes before they opened. We’d been in Asheville long enough to know that we wouldn’t be turned away. As we wandered back into their brew room — as always, camera in tow — we noticed a group of people talking together in the tasting portion of the brewery. I remember thinking that it was some sort of staff meeting, and moved on. We later discovered that those folks were part of a a Brews Cruise tour. For $40, beer enthusiasts can get one of several different tours of Asheville’s breweries, gaining them similar access to what we got, but with transportation and better knowledge of the brewery hours.
Ben: I’ve often referred to as the “Dogfish Head” of Asheville; this brewery sported perhaps the most unusual array of beers that we sampled during the entire trip.
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Tags:Asheville, asheville breweries, beer, beer city usa, Breweries
Posted in Asheville, Destination: Appetite, Friends of the House, North Carolina, The Fifty | Leave a Comment »
February 21, 2011
Jill: One of the first breweries to break soil in Asheville, Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company, which opened in 1995, is clearly an institution.
Jill: After spending seven minutes within the confines of the northern branch of the two-restaurant chain, I knew that I’d walked inside the mind and heart of a 14-year-old boy. “Leave no space uncovered” seemed to be the motto for the design team in this carnivalesque brewery with its own movie theater, arcade and pizza bar.
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Tags:Asheville, beer, beer city usa, Breweries
Posted in Asheville, Destination: Appetite, Friends of the House, North Carolina, The Fifty | 4 Comments »
February 19, 2011
Ben: Located below street level in the basement of a warehouse-turned-artist colony, Wedge Brewing Co. was perhaps the most off-beat of any of the breweries we visited as far as location and interior vibe.
Jill: Per usual for this trip, we arrived prior to the brewery opening. The tasting room was miniscule, and I found myself feeling a little sad for this out-of-the-way, tiny, unappreciated brewery. I felt this way until people started pouring in and ordering beers. The place went from empty to instant happy hour in about 12 minutes. Wedge did not need my pity; if anything, it needed me to move my ass so more people could sit down. Lucky for Ashevillians, if there’s not room to cozy up to the bar, Wedge’s brews are available at close to ten area restaurants.
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Tags:Asheville, beer, beer city usa, brewery
Posted in Asheville, Destination: Appetite, Friends of the House, North Carolina, The Fifty | Leave a Comment »
February 17, 2011
Jill: The newest of Asheville’s breweries (opening in 2010), Lexington Avenue Brewery was our first stop on our week-long tour.
Jill: With decor resembling that of an upscale martini bar or nightclub, LAB features an array of tempting bar foods to go alongside their beers, which are only available at the bar or to-go in growlers. To create a trifecta of entertainment—just in case beer and food aren’t enough—behind the bar is a second bar and music venue.
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Tags:Asheville, beer, Breweries
Posted in Asheville, Destination: Appetite, Friends of the House, North Carolina, The Fifty | 2 Comments »
October 6, 2009
Shortly after Jill and I started this little venture, I got an email from my uncle. “Hi Maya,” it said. “Please see my recipe below and photographs attached. I hope I can make it onto your blog.” I scrolled down, skimmed through his notes and pictures, and wrote back, promising I’d try it out soon. I think my exact words were “stay tuned.”
Well, folks, that was back in March, and I’m proud to report that I’ve finally, finally gotten around to keeping my word.
Let me be perfectly frank: If you wait six months to try these mussels, you’re as much of an idiot as I am. They could truly be, as my uncle proclaims, fit for the king of Brussels.
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Tags:cheap, easy, mussels
Posted in Bargain Bin, Friends of the House, Home Cooking | 2 Comments »
July 13, 2009
Housekeeping Note: This is the inaugural edition of Friends of the House, a series of guest posts penned by our nearest and dearest. First up is Matt; read on for details of his jealousy-inducing trip to Kauai.
Living in Portland, Oregon, during the winter can be brutal. Despite a few sporadic sightings of sunshine, the overwhelming abundance of grey is just too much to deal with by April, so when a friend offered up a trip to Kauai, the answer was obvious. [Ed. note: Yes, this post has been in the works since April. We've been busy, OK?] My only requirements were that we ate good food and that he held off on eating it until I took some pictures.
One of our first stops was at a roadside stand outside of Lihue, on the eastern shore of the island. Luckily, my companion didn’t tell me his marketplace rule—never let them put anything in your hands—until after I’d been given the rambutan.
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Tags:jealousy, kauai, travel, vacation
Posted in Destination: Appetite, Friends of the House, Hawaii | 2 Comments »
