THE PODCAST
The podcast above features me and my co-host Chef Tom LaFauci from Twisted Laurel Downtown Asheville mostly talkin’ about food. He knows how to cook it. I know how to eat it. It’s magic.
I also spoke with Chef’s Katherine & Griffin Riffe from Infuso, who are innovators in the realm of infusing food with various cannabinoids!
00:00 - 03:13 INTRO: Almost Feels Like Fall
03:15 - 17:56 COOK OFF! Mystery Basket Battle at Bite Me
17:57 - 18:38 MANNA SPOT: Please Donate to MANNA Foodbank.
18:39 - 39:53 INTERVIEW: Chefs Griffin & Katherine Riffe from Infuso
39:54 - 52:42 WHERE’D YA EAT: Happy Belly Food Truck, Miyako House, Grateful Roots Deli, Bomba, Table and Tall John’s
52:43 - 53:13 COFFEE COFFEE COFFEE: Pennycup YMI, Farewell, Old Europe, High Five River, and Bridge & Tunnel
53:14 - 54:28 OUTRO: Chef Ate a Little Debbie’s, We Say Goodbye
THE NEWSLETTER
INFUSO: One Saturday evening I was offered a very unique opportunity to attend a small, private, classic 8-course dinner, with a twist. By classic I mean it started with soup, salad, entree, then had a palate cleansing sorbet course in the middle, followed by a cheese plate, then the main, a small plate, and finally dessert. The twist was that some part of every course was infused with THC, and / or CBD. The menu listed exactly how many mgs of each was in each dish. By the end of the night, I had consumed 13 mgs of THC and 22 of CBD.
The evening was hosted by, and the food was prepared by Infuso, aka local husband and wife team Chefs Griffin & Katherine Riffe, the venue was The Green Room - Asheville, and the whole experience was unique, mellow AF, and super delicious. Each dish came out one at a time, so that the hot food was still hot when we ate it, which made a really big difference in terms of enjoyment! My respect for the two young chefs for that! Every course was really tasty, but the standout dishes for me were: The braised short rib which was meaty & tender, cooked perfectly, very dank in flavor & served with taters and root veg; The chilled soba which was soft, silky, tasty, & refreshing!
Also the pot du crème which was rich, creamy, plentiful, and super delicious, and a shout out to the pineberry sorbet which was resting in a small pool of sweet cream. It was perfect. This meal was a lot of food and by the end I was as full as could be, and feeling pretty good! Sure I had pre-gamed before dinner, and I may have taken a puff or two during and after dinner, but all that THC & CBD infused food definitely didn't make me feel *less* high! 😂😂😂
Thanks for inviting me, Infuso! And FYI - They are doing an overnight glamping Camp Infuso soon! Tickets are available HERE.
GRATEFUL ROOTS: Dawn and I took a drive out to Grateful Roots Market & Deli on New Leicester Hwy, Leicester, NC to meet her sister.
I didn't know what to expect and I was really happy to find that it's a really cute, hippy-style market place with a deli counter offering sandwiches and other prepared foods and a couple of small tables. The selection of groceries was excellent in my opinion, and I bought some pickled eggs, cookies, bread, and a very odd little 3-D printed sculpture. I ordered and enjoyed a turkey and ham club sandwich.
I'm so glad we went out there! I wish there was something just like it on my street!
BOMBA: The other day, on one of the cooler days, I was fortunate enough to get a seat on the patio at Bomba, one of my all-time favorite places in Asheville, and holy moly did I ever feast! I got the "Mexique Tostadas" thinking it might be a little smaller than some of the other dishes. Nope. Same giant pile of awesome that Bomba puts on every plate. Well... don't threaten me with a good time!
With the exception of a few black beans that I left in the bowl for Jenny Craig, I consumed every effing molecule of food in front of me. Then I waddled to a hotel lobby, sat in a chair, and nearly fell asleep before my food tour. 😂 Thanks, Bomba! The quality of your food is only exceeded by the quality of the people who make and serve it! 🙏💛⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
TABLE: Dawn & I had an epic meal and excellent all-around experience at Table on Sunday. We started with melon & ham, which is one of our favorite dishes in general, and this one using country ham was perfect! Next we had some delicious raw oysters, with house mignonette.
The kitchen sent out two dishes, both incredibly tasty and fresh! The tomato tartine was like the world's greatest tomato sandwich a d Dawn particularly loved the spicy shrimp and peanuts. For our main, we got the half chicken, and gah... it was really frickin' good, Y'all. The chicken was cooked perfectly and cut into manageable parts, and the gravy was to die for. Gimme a bucket full please. Service was super professional, but friendly and Dawn got great advice about which drinks to order with the food. It was a perfect downtown Asheville eating experience, and an instant contender for Meal of the Year!
TALL JOHN’S: Dawn and I popped into Tall John's not long ago, where she got a cocktail and we shared the shrimp scampi & eggplant. Both were divine. The shrimps were meaty, perfectly cooked, and slightly sweet the way good shellfish can be. The sauce they were in was oily in the best possible way, garlicky, salty & savory, and deeply satisfying. The eggplant were nothing short of outstanding. They were a superstar dish, in the sense that neither of us had ever had anything quite like it, and could not believe how dang good it tasted. I've been thinking about it ever since.
The eggplants were small and tender and cooked until they were almost a custard-like texture. The sauce they came with had a "gah" factor of 11. That's one higher than 10. Service was great, the vibe was lively, we saw friends like we always do, and over-all it was a complete and lovely respite at the beginning of our evening. Afterward we went All Souls Pizza and got soft serve. I ❤️ Asheville!
ASHEVILLE FOOD TOURS: Two Ticketed Dinners are coming up, and you can purchase tickets through AshevilleFoodTours.com!
Sunday, September 15 at 6pm - Robert Sinskey Vineyards Dinner At Rhunbarb! A progressive dinner with pioneers of sustainable agriculture in California, Robert Sinskey Vineyards. Maria Sinskey herself will be onsite, pairing 4 savory courses, with four pours of very special wine, plus dessert, right alongside Rhubarb’s award winning culinary team! $120 per person
Saturday, September 21 at 6:30pm – Bourbon Dinner at Twisted Laurel Downtown Asheville! Celebrate Twisted Laurel’s 10th Anniversary with Chef Tom Lafauci’s carefully curated 5-course menu paired with their exquisite bourbon collection, sure to please any “bourbon snob!” $120 per person
To reserve your seats at either of these special events, just click the button above, find them listed on our booking calendar, and follow the simple prompts!
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