THE PODCAST
The podcast above was originally recorded on 04/09/2025 with my occasional co-host Paddy Riels from Asheville Food Tours…
00:00 - 07:48 INTRO: What’s A Junket? Featuring Modesto and Black Bear BBQ
07:49 - 13:08 TASTE ‘25 WRAP-UP Prt 1: AFT Representing at The Taste of Asheville
13:09 - 15:53 AB TECH STUDENTS: And The Story Of North Meats South
14:53 - 23:38 TASTE ‘25 WRAP-UP Prt 2: Seeing Old Friends & Making New Ones
23:39 - 29:08 MEETING ANNIE: Annie’s Bakery
20:09 - 29:49 MANNA SPOT: Please Donate to MANNA Foodbank
29:50 - 32:55 WHERE’S CHEF? Tom Has The Day An Hour Off
32:56 - 37:39 WEMO: Atsa Lotta Chickens
37:40 - 51:25 FOODIE GAMES: Racking Up Some Easy Points
51:26 - 53:56 BYE! Thanks To Deb & All The Listeners and WPVM 103.7fm!
THE NEWSLETTER
TASTE: Y'all, I'm a little late in sharing these pictures, but you still have almost an entire year to get ready for the next Taste of Asheville event!
Paddy, Sarah and I were there, representing Asheville Food Tours, and we had a blast! There were tons of people there, most of them friends and associates, and the food was amazing!
We grazed and talked and grazed and networked and grazed and laughed and hugged and even cried a tear or two, as this was the very first Taste of Asheville since the hurricane hit and emotions we flowing freely. Year after year, The Taste of Asheville is the BEST food event of the year, and has been my favorite food event since I attended my first one about a decade ago.
Thank you, Asheville Independent Restaurant Association for putting on this great annual party/reunion for the eaters & makers! Thank you, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, A-B Tech staff and students for hosting and working this important gathering of like minded people. And of course, thank you a million times over to alllll of the fabulous people who make up our amazing community of Food, Beverage & Hospitality in our wonderful city! ❤️❤️❤️
MOW ABC: Y’all, I want to talk to you about Meals on Wheels of Asheville & Buncombe Co., who are currently serving over 600 seniors every weekday of every week of every year. The need for the services that Meals on Wheels Asheville Buncombe provides has grown exponentially since the pandemic, followed by inflation, and now hurricane recovery. Three new delivery routes have been added to our area just since the hurricane to bring more seniors a healthy meal, some human kindness, and a little friendly interaction every day.
Food insecurity continues to grow, and any federal cuts will only make this situation worse for our seniors. The federal government currently provides Meals On Wheel Asheville Buncombe with around $200,000 annually, which is about 20% of their overall budget. Meals on Wheels ABC will be affected by federal cuts, and they don’t know what the future holds.
Every golf junket that President Trump takes literally costs the tax-payers over 1,000 times more than our federal government provides to Meals on Wheels of Asheville & Buncombe for their entire fiscal year. Yet, the richest people in America would deny us funding to feed and bring comfort to our senior population. Trump is a cruel and heartless person, and we live in a very sick society. This is the richest country in the world, yet we struggle to meet the basic daily needs of our all of our citizens. It doesn't have to be this way. We need to elect compassionate representatives, who care about the people who have the fewest resources, not just those who literally have the most. I'm thankful that here in WNC we have an active & empathetic community who will do our very best to fill in the gaps, but it won't be easy. As the T-shirts say, "We tired." But LFG.
Meals On Wheels ABC needs volunteers to deliver meals, as well as donors, of money and goods. If you have time, money or other resources, please go HERE.
There’s an event coming up on National World Hunger Day, which is Wednesday, May 28. And it will be at The Hi Wire Event Center, which is located at 2B Huntsman Place in Biltmore Village. The event is to celebrate the spirit of giving and community, share updates, and to recognize the incredible contributions of the people who support Meals On Wheels Asheville Buncombe. There will be light refreshments and libations served. To find out more you can contact Nikki Harris emailing nikki.harris@mowabc.org
The event is free to attend, and people will have the opportunity to donate if they would like.
Also, our good friends at Botiwalla Downtown are hosting a “give-back” night for Meals On Wheels on June 17th, when all orders, whether dine in, takeout, or delivery, will result in a donation back to Meals On Wheels, and Nikki Harris herself will be on site to answer questions and engage with customers.
As mentioned, Meals On Wheel Asheville Buncombe County needs volunteers to deliver meals, and there are two categories of volunteer drivers: Drivers who can commit to driving the same route one weekday per week, and substitute drivers who are "on call" in case a regular driver is unable to volunteer. Anyone who is interested in driving for Meals on Wheels can fill out an application HERE.
Folks, the people I talk to who work for organizations that are fighting hunger every day tell me it's a battle that can be won. Hunger is not inevitable. There is more than enough food in this world to feed everyone, but hunger isn’t about food. It’s about money. And access. And right now, some of the richest people in America are threatening to cut off the relatively tiny amount of federal funding that our area receives to help feed our seniors. Please step up, volunteer and donate, but also speak up, and let our elected officials know that Western North Carolina cares about our senior population, and it’s the least we can do as a society to provide them with Meals on Wheels.
ASHEVILLE FOOD TOURS: Y'all, if you're looking for something super fun to do with friends and family, whether you live in Asheville and WNC, or you're visiting from elsewhere, please consider taking a food tour with me! I do private tours for two to four people on Mondays and Thursdays, and I lead tours of up to 14 people for Asheville Food Tours on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays!
The food is always awesome, and there are alcoholic beverages for those who drink, and N/A beverages for those who don't! You can DM me about private tours, or book tickets for a tour with other folks through www.ashevillefoodtours.com! Look for the "Food Fan" tours on the calendar, those are mine!
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