THE PODCAST
The podcast above was originally recorded on 12/01/2024 with my usual co-host Chef Tom LaFauci from Twisted Laurel Downtown Asheville…
00:00 - 02:12 INTRO: Chef Tom Is Dropping No Balls
02:13 - 14:52 TG FEAST: Dressing Over Stuffing From Now On
14:53 - 16:59 ALMOST TOTAL BLACKNESS: We’re Not Out Of The Woods Yet
17:00 - 32:28 WHERE’D YA EAT? Twisted Laurel, Happy Belly Food Truck, Cúrate, Mother Bakery, Jettie Rae’s Oyster Bar, Sweets & Seats, Chef Shane’s Magic Brownies
32:29 - 33:09 MANNA SPOT: Please Donate to MANNA Foodbank
33:10 - 53:39 DISASTER PREPAREDNESS Prt 2 With Councilperson Kim Roney
53:40 - 56:08 EATS ON THE STREETS: A Sidewalk Scoop From The Hop
56:09 - 57:47 BYE! Congrats To WPVM 103.7fm For Turning 10!
THE NEWSLETTER
HAPPY BELLY FOOD TRUCK CO. Paddy and I had a chance to get lunch from The Happy Belly Food Truck Company recently, and daaaaang, Y'all! That's good grub!
Our friends Dave & Shannon are the owners and Dave gave us a small sample of their Jerk Samurai Chicken with mango slaw to snack on while we waited for our slap burgers. It was GREAT! Very flavorful, with a tiny bit of kick, and a nice crunch to the slaw. Really good.
The slap burgers are INSANELY good! Like, some of the craziest good super-smashed down burgers that are incredibly savory and decadent! Gah. It became an instant Burger of the Year contender when I first tried one back in August, and this one solidified their standing!
Follow Happy Belly on social to see where they will be next, and stay tuned right here to read my Best of 2024 Stoobie Awards coming up soon! Thanks, Dave & Shannon for all your hard work and for these incredible burgers! 🍔❤️⚡️
CURATE: Dawn and I went to Cúrate the other night, where we sat at the bar (best seats in the house in our opinion) and ordered the roasted squash soup and the Trucha al Horno, aka the whole charcoal grilled Sunburst Trout Farms trout, with parsley and hazelnut picada. We'd had the soup before and loved it, but had only seen the trout (one of the perks of sitting at the bar) and had been wanting to try it, so we did, and it was fantastic! Mild, but flavorful, meaty but light, and a real local treat for sure.
The soup is just one of the most warm and comforting Fall/Winter dishes that I've ever had. Thanks, Cúrate! 🙏
JETTIE RAE’S OYSTER BAR: Dawn and I stopped into Jettie Rae’s Oyster House last night before getting our Xmas tree. We shared some raw, as well as cooked oysters and the were great, as always! The cooked oysters were called Oysters Bieneville (Good City Oysters!) and are a traditional NOLA preparation topped béchamel with sauce with sautéed chopped shrimp, shallots, and garlic. They were frickin’ delicious! I love cooked oysters, and I feel like these days they get over shadowed by everyone’s love of raw oysters (which I also love). That being said, I didn’t get a good picture of the Oyster Bienville, sorry! I highly recommend it, though!
Dawn also got a very nice glass of champagne, and we were able to say hi to a couple of folks we know who work there, and meet a few more nice people too. The staff is equal to the food in quality and excellence! Thanks, Jettie Rae's! 🙏🦪
MUNCHIE MEETUPS! Asheville Cannabis Tours’ next scheduled Munchie Meetup is on Monday, December 30th at 5:30pm at Plant Bar in West Asheville, where we will enjoy some smoke provided by Asheville Dispensary - Asheville and delicious popped water lily seed snacks from Karma Wellness Kitchen!
I have to confess that popped water lily seeds are something totally new to me, so I'll be trying them for the very first time, and they sound delicious! According to the company, they "make the perfect crunchy & healthy savory munchie! Gluten-Free, Plant-Based. Airy & Light & full of nutrition. There are a variety of delicious flavors."
If you wanna join us, you can reserve your spot at ashevillefoodtours.com where it is listed among our other tours! The Munchie Meetups include smoke, snack and beverage! I hope to see you there! ❤
THE STOOBIES ARE A’COMIN’! It's almost time for the 12th annual Stoobie Awards, and I'm working on all the graphics right now.
So far in 2024 I've eaten at or from 204 different venues & food makers, and I'll be announcing nominees for my personal favorites of the year in retrospect starting on January first, and I'll announce the winners during the final week of January 2025! Please stay tuned! 🙂
COOKIES FOR A CAUSE: REMINDER: I’ll be a judge, alongside the famous and awesome Chef J. Chong, for the upcoming Cookies for a Cause event at Lexington Glassworks on Friday December 20th!
It’s not too late to get a ticket for this sweet event!
Buy a ticket online or at the door! See link.in bio.
🍪 Live Music by The Wilder Flower Music
🍪 Raffles! Raffles! Raffles! Feat. Local Art and experiences
🍪 Complimentary refreshments, good company, meet the bakers!
🍪 Bake-off! See who will wear the cookie crown, Chef J Chong and Food Blogger Stu Helm with join us and pick their favorite cookie!
🍪Last minute holiday shopping, take home some beautiful glass art!
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