THE PODCAST
The podcast above was originally recorded on 03/17/2025 with my usual co-host Chef Tom LaFauci from Twisted Laurel Downtown Asheville…
00:00 - 05:29 INTRO: Bold New Moves
05:30 - 09:03 PIZZA WEEK RECAP: How Was It? You Tell Me!
09:04 - 09:58 CORRECTIONS: The Official Number Was Sixteen
09:59 - 14:29 THE TOMFATHER: And His Inner Circle Of Favorites
14:30 - 17:50 116 SQUARE INCHES: The Life & Death Of A Cali Chicken
17:51 - 31:57 THE TASTE OF ASHEVILLE: From Two Points of View
31:58 - 32:37 MANNA SPOT: Please Donate to MANNA Foodbank
32:38 - 34:02 ARE VEGETABLES VEGAN? Or Am I Stupid?
34:03 - 41:02 THE PRICE OF EGGS: The WEMO Is Always A Week Ahead
41:03 - 52:27 FUNNY GAMES: Why Do We Always Talk About Testicles?
52:38 - 54:27 MUSIC BUFFS: Two Old Men Talk About Vinyl
54:48 - 57:15 BYE! Thanks To Deb & All The Listeners and WPVM 103.7fm!
THE NEWSLETTER
MY 1/2 WAY CAFE: It was such a nice day the other, and there were seats on the patio, that I made an unplanned stop at All Day Darling Cafe on my walk to my mom’s house, and got a nice cup of coffee and a very tasty piece of blueberry lemon pound cake . Perfect. ❤️
Then, because that pound cake situation worked out so well, I stopped into All Day Darling again a few days later on my way to my mom's house, and absolutely destroyed this delicious plate of food! I didn't realize how hungry I was until I was already on my walk, and fortunately, ADD is about 1/2 way in between my mom's house and my house. By the time I got my food and started to eat I was famished!
When ordering, I had kept it pretty basic, with a couple of over-medium eggs, some toast, some ham, and a nice bright salad. It was just what my body was crying out for! Grains, greens, and proteins. The addition of a small salad to any breakfast is always a good thing in my book. Thanks All Day Darling! You provided me with exactly what I needed, exactly when I needed it!
NOT SAD ABOUT LUNCH: On another day, my mom and I took a small road trip to Abeja's House Cafe, which is one of her favorites! She introduced me to it a few years ago, and it has become one of my favorites as well. I gave them one of my Food Fan awards for their amazing NOLA Chicken and Shrimp, and it's hard for me not to order that dish every time we go, but that day they had one of my all-time favorite dishes on their list of specials: Steak and Eggs! (I like foods with an "and" in the middle) So I ordered it up and believe me I was not the least bit sad that I did not have my usual chicken and shrimps!
The steak was tender and delicious, the eggs were cooked exactly to my specifications, the toast was toasty, and the grits were cheesy, creamy, and done just right. I was very happy with my decisions that day. My mom got the breakfast quesadilla. She ate half and loved it, then took the rest home for dinner that night. Thank you, Abeja's! Also, a shout out to our server, who did a great job, and had a good sense of humor! 🙂
I CHOOSE BLUE: I got a beautiful and delicious peanut butter chocolate truffle at French Broad Chocolates recently, just to give me a little sugar bump before one of my Asheville Food Tours.
I was attracted by the color, then I was a little "meh" on the description, but the person working behind the counter assured me that it is delicious, and they were not wrong. Sometimes it's wise to just put your faith in the experts! 🙂
THIS JUST IN: From the Chefs Griffin & Catherine Riffe from Infuso, who are really onto something unique and special with their infused foods, which they’ve combined with their love of JRR Tolkien (something else we have in common!) to The Second Breakfast Club! Their first one is happening on April 20 (4/20), which also happens to be Easter Sunday!
Here’s a recent Facebook post…
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Coming up on 4/20/2025In collaboration with our good friends at Hygge Markets , join us for SECOND BREAKFAST CLUB!
An immersive, gently infused brunch buffet experience featuring recipes inspired by the world of Tolkien’s Middle-Earth.
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FANCY LUNCH: So... we've had a little extra time on our hands due to the slowdown in tourism, so Paddy, Sarah and I have been doing a few more Asheville Food Tours lunch junkets than usual lately, partly to stay in touch with our restaurant partners, partly because we enjoy each others company, and partly because we just love walking around downtown and visiting all our fave places. We basically can't stop ourselves. Anyhoo, we recently went to Modesto Asheville for some of the fanciest and most delicious food available at lunchtime in downtown. I was still kinda full from the day before, so I thought I'd go with something light and just order a salad with shrimps on it... yeah... no... it was frickin' huge.
When looking at the picture above, keep in mind that the plate itself was probably at least 12 or 13 inches in diameter, and had ten big shrimps, and a heaping pile of greens and such. It was epic and awesome. The salad dressings (plural) were light and tangy but not too tangy with just a touch of sweetness. They went great with each other, and with the salad, as well as with the shrimps, which were grilled nicely and had a pleasant SC flavor & texture, that I find to be a little sweeter and more fibrous than shrimp from other regions. Almost like a tiny lobster. 🦞 It was a lot more food than I had anticipated, but I put on my seatbelt and stepped on the gas. When the dust settled, I had eaten all the shrimp and most of the greens, and was stuffed to the max. I don't know what's happening to me... but lately I've been really enjoying... salads. 😜
TAKE A TOUR WITH US: Locals, now is the time to act like a tourist on our own town with Asheville Food Tours! Tourism is light, parking isn’t a nightmare, the views are amazing, and the restaurants would love to see you! Since Helene, businesses have been struggling, including our little ol’ food tour company, and all of our amazing restaurant partners, but things are looking up! When I do have tours, something that has been really awesome, is that I’ve been getting a lot of locals, as well visitors, and many repeat customers, who all love Asheville are here to support our city!
I’d love to see you on a tour, and so would our other tour guide, Sarah and the boss, Paddy!
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