THE PODCAST
The podcast above features me and my co-host Chef Tom LaFauci (and his dog, Otto) mostly talkin’ about food, coffee, and legal weed. There’s also a visit from Chef Drew from Asheville Pizza South! Our theme song, BTW, is called “Cheese Wagon” by the Derita Sisters, and our new Where’d Ya Eat theme song is an excerpt from the song “I Like Fruit” by Secret Agent 23 Skidoo.
00:00 - 05:52 INTRO: Happy Sunday & Doggy Menus (featuring Waggin’ Meals)
05:53 - 21:12 NATIONAL SANDWICH MONTH: Tom Takes a Sandwich Quiz
21:13 - 21:54 MANNA SPOT: Please Donate to MANNA Foodbank.
21:55 - 30:25 THE PIZZA GUY IS HERE!
30:26 - 49:43 WHERE’D YA EAT: Metro Diner, Dizzy’s Glizzys, 5 Points Restaurant, Modesto, Vivian, White Duck Taco, Asheville Pizza South
49:44 - 52:00 COFFEE COFFEE COFFEE: Little Amsterdam Smoke Lounge Cafe, Times Bar Cafe, Old Europe, and Farewell
52:01 - 54:28 OUTRO: Goodbye!
THE NEWSLETTER
MODESTO: Y'alllll... I had the most insanely delicious lunch at Modesto Asheville with my friend Scott recently. Chef/Owner Hector Diaz was in the house, and was very happy to see us. He and Scott go wayyy back. Chef VERY enthusiastically suggested we order the 1/2 lobster and angel hair pasta, for just $18, so you better believe I did, and Scott insisted on being twinsies and ordered the exact same thing. 😂 Chef was so psyched we were there, that he sent out a very delicious salad for each of us, as well as some small samples of his watermelon gazpacho. I'm not the biggest fan of gazpacho in general, but this was excellent! Deep, dank, and flavorful, with lots of punch and a little bit of sweetness. Chef said it was nothing but watermelon tomatoes and olive oil. Perfect. Next came our lobster, and the wow-factor on this dish was through the roof! Scott and I just kinda looked at each like, "are you serious?" And then we both tore in with unbridled food lust, and it was fabulous.
The angel hair was tender and silky, the sauce was pure comfort, with a high oil content, of the best kind. The lobster was sweet, tender, cooked just right, with both the roe and the tomalley (or green lobster "paste") baked on top. It all went great together. I pulled the lobster meat from the shell, and stirred everything into the angel hair. It was a giant glorious pile of superbly prepared, seasoned, cooked and presented food of the highest order. Scott and I put forth a heroic effort and crushed most of our main dishes, leaving only a little bit behind for Jenny Craig. We were stuffed to the max by then, and fit to pop! And that's when pastry genius Chef Andy Beard sent out a big ol' piece of extremely attractive peach roulade with house made ice cream.
Scott tapped out and left me to eat desert all by myself (I thought we were TWINSIES, Scott!) and I did my best, crushing all the ice cream & fresh fruit, and only leaving a forkful or two of cake for Jenny. Woooooooooo! What a meal. What an epic journey. And another wonderful experience, enjoyed outside, in beautiful Downtown Asheville, at the historic Grove Arcade! Thanks Chefs Diaz and Beard, and thanks to our servers as well. Everything was great!
5 POINTS RESTAURANT: My mom and I went to 5 Points Restaurant on Broadway, just outside of downtown. She got eggs Benedict and I got steak 'n' eggs and we both really enjoyed it! The ribeye was very tender and flavorful, seasoned with just salt and pepper as far as I could tell. The eggs were cooked perfectly for me, and the taters were very old school style and reminded me of the kind I used to eat at diners growing up in New England, and they also made my mom feel nostalgic too. The whole experience was very homey and our server was very friendly and nice to my mom and I.
My mom also got carrot cake for dessert, and crushed it. I skipped dessert due to fullness, because I devoured most of my breakfast, while my mom took half of hers home for later. Which prompted a brief discussion on how best to reheat a perfectly poached egg? We think we came up with a plan. She's gonna let me know how it goes. Anyhoo, thanks, 5 Points! It was a very enjoyable experience!
THE PIZZA GUY IS HERE! It's time once again, for Chef Drew Peterson's Pizza of the Month from Asheville Pizza South! This Jamaican influenced pie smelled so good that I tore into it, and had already eaten two pieces before I remembered to take pictures! 😂 It's hearty, savory, spicy and has awesome flavors & textures!
As always, I'm gonna let Drew describe it for you:
“Big Up South Asheville Crew. Happy August.
Pizza of the Month: Rude Bwoy Inna Asheville
Jerk Braised Black Beans Base. Jerk Seasoned Pork Belly and Fried Plantain. Green and Yellow Bell Peppers. Lawd A Mercy!!! Bad Bwoy a Bit Spicy
Give us a call (828) 277-5775 or check us out online www.ashevillepizzasouth.com”
VIVIAN: I took my nephew to Vivian for his birthday and we had a stupendous meal! It's always been one of my favorite restaurants and has won more than a couple Stoobie Awards from me over the years! The evening was perfect and is an instant contender for Meal of the Year, for all the reasons: Food, service, atmosphere, and the all around good timey feelings. First we shared the smoked oysters w/ house mignonette and they were divine. My nephew got outside his box to try them, and he loved 'em!
For our mains, he got the braised rabbit leg with risotto, and he crushed every scrap and dollop on his plate. I got the 16oz cast iron seared ribeye steak dinner, with grilled onions, sautéed mushrooms, mashed potatoes, and house made steak sauce. It was frickin' awesome!
I ate every single thing on my plate, except a little less than 1/2 the steak, which I ate the next day, when I enjoyed it again, just cut into pieces and grilled over an open flame. For dessert we got coffee, and shared the ice cream sundae and ate it alllll.
This was another incredible culinary experience in Asheville! Thanks, Vivian. You rule.
ASHEVILLE FOOD TOURS: If you ever want to meet Chef Tom in real life, you can find him at Twisted Laurel Downtown Asheville, Tuesday - Saturday, and if you wanna see me and Tom interacting in our natural environment, please sign up for one of my Tuesday or Wednesday tours!
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Episode 161: Epic Meals!