ABOVE: On the Podcast - I spoke with Chef Ben Dunbar from the North Asheville favorite, Rye Knot!
BELOW: In the Newsletter (may contain adult language) - GMF, This Just In, The Recommend, Pizza Fighters, & Nine Years of Stoobie Awards!
GOOD MORNING FRIENDS
I hope you’ve all had time now to listen to, look at, and /or read the 2021 Asheville Food Fan Awards (aka the Stoobies) for the best of the best in the Asheville food scene! Now it’s time to start my lists for Best of 2022! If you are a food maker, and you want me to try your food, please reach out to me. I can’t get to every restaurant in town, but I sure can try!
THIS JUST IN…
From our good friends at Chai Pani Group…
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SUPER BOWL 2/13
Nani's Piri Piri Chicken - Nani's is offering a variety of platters and sides by the quart for pick-up before the Big Game. Platters include a Piri Piri Party Platter, Chicken Meatballs Platter, Chicken Salad Platter, and a Chicken Wings Platter. Link to order here. Deadline to order: Thursday, February 10th at 8pm // Pickup: Sunday, February 13th between 2-6pm
Buxton Chicken Palace - In the S&W Market, Buxton Chicken Palace will be offering a Buffalo Buxton Chicken Sandwich as their sandwich of the month and in celebration of the Super Bowl. It's made with all-natural fried chicken breast, dill pickles, tangy black pepper buffalo sauce, and a ranch slaw topping. Sandwich only $8.99, Combo $12.99. Photo here.
VALENTINE'S 2/14
Chai Pani - Chai Pani will be offering four menu specials on Valentine's Day including heart-shaped Beetroot Poori, Chicken Reshmi Kebab, Malwani Fish Masala, and Shahi Tukra (an Indian-style bread pudding). Special cocktails and zero-proof drinks will also be available. Photo here.
Nani's Piri Piri Chicken - Nani's is selling a five-course Valentine's Dinner for Two for pick-up. The menu includes Roasted Joyce Farms Poussin Rouge with Cherry Glaze, Bitter Greens Salad, Roasted Beets and Citrus, Fingerling Potatoes Au Gratin, and a French Broad Chocolate's Love & Chocolate 6-piece Collection of Bonbons. $75. Link to order here. Deadline to order: Thursday, February 10th at 8pm // Pickup: Monday, February 14th between 2-6pm
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THE RECOMMEND
My friend Rachelle from Rocket Fizz Candy Asheville invited me in to try a regionally made soda called Dr. Enuf, and it was very enjoyable! Sweet and bubbly lemon lime, and cherry flavored sodas, manufactured in Johnson City, TN, they are “herbal,” “rich in vitamins,” and recommended for hangovers since 1949!
You can watch a video of me and Rachelle outside of Rocket Fizz on Facebook by clicking HERE.
Rachelle and I are planning to do a series of soda tastings featuring the close to 500 different brands & flavors they carry! Stay tuned, and recommend your favorite sodas in the comments!
PIZZA FIGHT: FEATURED FIGHTERS
The 2022 WNC Pizza Fight is less than three weeks away! Here are three more of the contestants…
🍕🤜 2022 WNC PIZZA FIGHT! FEATURED FIGHTER! 🤛🍕 Tin Can Pizzeria is a past Stoobie Award winner, an Asheville Favorite, and one of FOUR mobile pizza makers that will be throwing down at the 2022 WNC Pizza Fight on February 23rd! The make a great pie, of that there is no doubt, but will they take home gold? Only time, and a panel of 16 judges, will tell! STAY TUNED!
🍕🤜 2022 WNC PIZZA FIGHT! FEATURED FIGHTER! 🤛🍕 Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co. is a classic, an Asheville favorite, a multiple award winner, and a Hall of Famer with the Mountain Xpress readers! They've been around for a looong time, and they are ready to show the judges and the world exactly why the deserve those accolades and more from the judges at the 2022 WNC Pizza Fight!
🍕🤜 2022 WNC PIZZA FIGHT! FEATURED FIGHTER! 🤛🍕 Asheville Pizza South might look and sound a little familiar to y'all. "Aren't they just the South Asheville Location of Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co.?" You might ask, and if so, why are they both competing? Well, turns out, I learned something from the Pizza Fight already: Asheville Pizza South is an OFFSHOOT of APB, but it is it's own company, with separate ownership, and full blessing of the OG company. Which makes this a classic, almost epic story, of the child (so to speak), coming back to challenge the parent! I love it.
STOOBIE AWARDS ARCHIVE
Now you can see a comprehensive list of every Stoobie Award / Asheville Food Fan Award winner and nominee from 2013 - 2021 on one page! Click HERE to see all nine years of superlatives, plus the evolution of the hot-doggy graphics.
Thanks to Ashvegas for all the support over the years, and to Shay Brown Events for doing the live events with me. We’ll get back to doing those as soon as we can!
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Good Morning, Friends...