GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS

Today’s Podcast is episode 22/09/16 of the Food Fans Radio Show which originally aired on WPVM 103.7fm, on Friday September 16th, 2022, and features Asheville’s favorite restaurant (literally), a conversation w/ one of my favorite Chefs about smash burgers vs bar burgers, eating Indian street food with Lucho from Asheville Multicultural, and a review of a perfect egg sandwich.

Today’s Newsletter (below) is all about some awesome comfort foods for Fall, as well as the kick-off of my annual fundraiser for MANNA Foodbank, and dessert. I’m going to try to always include dessert at the end of my newsletter from now on. I’m also going to try to put out the newsletter more often, so that it can catch up to, and keep up with the weekly radio show, and eventually the content synch. Thanks for supporting this newsletter, and the independent Asheville food scene, I appreciate you!

THE MATZO MAN IS BACK!

May be an image of food and text that says 'time! soup'

Good news, Everyone! Just in time for Fall, the Matzo Man is baaack!!! If you don’t know about the matzo man, then you don’t know about some of the best soup you’re ever gonna have in your life! I got hip to the matzo man, about two years ago, and now he’s back, selling quarts of his insanely delicious matzo ball soup, and he recently delivered one straight to my door.

The soup is a basic chicken vegetable soup, exactly what it should be, and the matzo balls themselves are the lightest, fluffiest, most perfectly constructed and cooked dumplings of any kind I’ve ever had! I love all forms of dumplings, but not all dumplings are equally awesome! This is true. These giant matzo balls, however, are divine. If you want some of this matzo ball soup for yourself, you’ll have to contact Adam Anson, a.k.a. the matzo man through his Facebook page, but you’d better order it fast, because he runs out really quickly!

CONTACT THE MATZO MAN

TUESDAY TABLE

I recently had the feast of all feasts at Rhubarb. They have moved their traditional Sunday supper, to Tuesday, and it is now called Tuesday Table. It’s a fixed price menu, that changes from week to week, and what you see in these pictures is everything that was part of that menu for the particular Tuesday that I went.

I started with an excellent cup of coffee, from a PennyCup Coffee Co., and then I had a very tasty cheese grit fritter, a unique & refreshing “copper penny carrot” salad, a very enjoyable pickle plate, and a perfect crab cake. All before the entree even hit the table! The entrée is the only part of the menu that you choose (meat or vegetarian), and I chose the meat, which was fried chicken with mashed taters, collards, and green beans, and unbelievably, it came out in a big ol’ casserole dish! Holy moly! This was an absolute ton of food! I couldn’t finish it all of course, so I brought a lot of it home, and continued the feast for days.

This food was pure comfort with that special Rhubarb flare. It ended with the apple pie a la mode, and good lort, after that I was stoofed! Gah. So much food. So much yum factor. For local Ashevillians, this is a good deal all around. It’s a really great price for all you get, it happens on Tuesdays which are less busy downtown, so there’s plenty of space, plenty of parking, and believe me, the restaurants are psyched to see locals! Take advantage, and get on downtown to enjoy things like this! Downtown Asheville is ours, folks, let’s have at it while we can! ❤️❤️❤️🔥🔥🔥

MAKE YOUR RESERVATION FOR TUESDAY TABLE

ANNUAL MANNA FOODBANK FUNDRAISER

Y'all! IT'S TIME!!! For my annual holiday fundraiser for MANNA FoodBank! We're off to a great start with $355 in donations on the very first day! I've set a really high goal for us this year, but I have confidence that we can do it! If you're able to donate. please do! There is truly no more effective way to fight hunger and food insecurity here in WNC than through the good works of MANNA!

So, please donate if you can, and help us reach our very ambitious goal of $5,000 by December 31st! You can use this button to donate however much you're able to & you're comfortable with. TOGETHER WE CAN DO IT!

DONATE TO MANNA NOW!

DESSERT

After lunch, I went to Session Café at Citizen Vinyl the other day, and I got a very delicious rum-banana & brown butter coffee cake, served here with house made peach jam and strawberry coulis*, plus a cappuccino. Both were perfection.

*Coulis - a thin fruit or vegetable puree, used as a sauce.

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Stu Helm: Food Fan

Good Morning, Friends...