21st Amendment Brewery is coming to Asheville NC!

And the beer doesn't stop coming to Asheville and Western North Carolina. 21st Amendment Brewery has just announced on Twitter about an hour ago that they will be opening up a new production brewing facility in Asheville NC. This will most likely include a bar and restaurant as they have at their home base in San Francisco California.

Update: 5/7/12 Tony Kiss from the Asheville Citizen Times just tweeted "21st Ammendment Brewing in San Fran denies that is coming to Asheville after tweeting that they were. #avlbeer #ncbeer"

Read more about it on AskAsheville

Rise ‘n Shine Café: Living Local

As an Asheville newcomer, I’m always scouting the local restaurant scene. Recently, I had the opportunity to check out Rise ‘n Shine Café, located just north of downtown on Merrimon Avenue. I’m glad I did.

The vibe at Rise ‘n Shine is welcoming. With a signature laid-back Asheville touch, there’s a definite bright and sunny feel inside the restaurant, as well as outside, where patrons can enjoy Spring weather while relaxing with breakfast and a cup of local coffee. The eased atmosphere makes Rise ‘n Shine a perfect stop for families with kids, UNC-Asheville college students looking for a real homemade breakfast, or for anyone in the mood for a relaxing brunch.

What attracted me to Rise ‘n Shine are its fresh, local offerings. On my particular visit, I had the ‘Fresh Greek’ omelet. Beautifully done, the omelet was fluffy and cooked to perfection. Complementing the omelet was a side of fresh homemade jam, which Rise ‘n Shine makes on a rotating basis. In addition to this amazing-ness, Rise ‘n Shine also offers eggs benedict with daily-made hollandaise, and scratch pancakes that are still made from the owner’s grandmother’s recipe. I’ll definitely be back for those.

What’s doubly impressive is the fact that Rise ‘n Shine truly lives Asheville’s commitment to supporting the local community. The menu is packed with local ingredients. Just a few of the many, many local seasonal
offerings include fresh spinach, carrots, tomatoes and June apples. Rise ‘n Shine also offers local goat cheese, local honey, free range eggs, and coffee from Asheville Coffee Traders.

I had a chance to meet Rise ‘n Shine’s owner, Peggy, who reiterated the restaurant’s commitment to Asheville, the environment, and the community. So committed is Rise ‘n Shine, that even the to-go ware is environmentally conscious and bought from a local company. How awesome is that? Also, all of Rise ‘n Shine’s extras are composted with a local farm in Weaverville.

The local commitment doesn’t end there. Rise ‘n Shine is an active community participant working with the Animal Compassion Network, and with WNCAP (Western North Carolina Aids Project) through WNCAP’s Dining out For Life fundraising project.

Rise ‘n Shine is truly living local, and its food reflects it. Anyone looking to support Asheville while enjoying an amazingly fresh breakfast should not pass up Rise ‘n Shine. Good people, amazingly fresh food, and a
commitment to the community make this one a must try.

Credits: article written by @JayFinePrint of Sociable Influence

April Pickens is Missing in Asheville - Can you help find her?

A mother of 5 children, April Michelle Pickens has been missing from West Asheville since December 26, 2011. Please watch this video to hear from her family. Also see blog post & video post.

1st Annual Asheville Tattoo Fest March 15-18, 2012

The 1st ever Asheville Tattoo Fest is scheduled for March 15-18, 2012 and is has an incredibly packed weekend of events scheduled including custom Motorcycle and Car shows and contests, Pin-Up Girl feature,  and tattooing going on everywhere you look. Make plans to be there.

Spending the day in Bryson City NC

We recently went away for the day, a rainy day, and our destination of choice was Bryson City NC. Upon arrival at the Fryemont Inn, we entered through the porch area, started the fireplace, put some groceries away and got ready to go out for a night on the town. Lots of room at this place, a small kitchen, nice living room and a giant bed in the loft area. And... a beautiful red bathtub.

Our first stop of the evening was Nantahala Brewing Company to test out some of the many great boutique beers they have on tap. My favorite being the Belgian Dirty Girl Golden Ale 8.5% abv. 

Greg took us in the back and gave us a quick tour of the Brewery, including the kegs for their new Russian Imperial Stout that is about to release in bottles. Casey was the bartender and was extremely helpful with the brew choices. Here is Greg, the brewer, next to the equipment.

After a few beers, we headed over to Pasqualino's Italian Restaurant in downtown Bryson City NC. Our server was great, we got to meet the Owner, and the kitchen staff was hard at work.

And the food was delicious. Had the best Calamari and biggest, tastiest NY Strip I have had in a long time. Great time here, perfect dinner!

The next morning, we too the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad from Bryson City NC to Dillsboro NC and back.

They served us a great Prime Rib plate for lunch and I had a Railroad Relaxer cocktails to go along with it for the ride.

The Conductor was very cool as well. He has been working this position for 20 years now!

And for an early dinner after getting off the train, we stopped by The Filling Station in Bryson City NC. This may be the best deli & sandwich shop I have been to in Western North Carolina. So delicious!

All of these great places and experiences contributed to a wonderful time in Bryson City NC in Western North Carolina. Special thanks to AsianAsheville who brought me out there :)

On February 21, 2012 - Ignite is coming to Asheville NC

Ignite gives people in the local community 5 minutes and 20 slides to share a personal or professional passion in front of an audience. The sub-title is "Enlighten Us, but make it quick" and so it will be a night of rapid fire presentations and inspiration. You can find out more about the event on the IgniteAsheville website and also on the IgniteAsheville FB event page.

WNC Beer: Nantahala Brewing's 2012 Trail Magic Ale Release Event

On Saturday, March 10th, 2012 Nantahala Brewing will offer their first of 3 limited bottle release Trail Magic Ale ales exclusively at their Tap Room in Bryson City. The event will begin at noon with the tapping of the first keg of Trail Magic at 4 pm. A limited number of 750 ml bottles will be available for purchase beginning at 6 pm via a lottery system (see more details below).

ABOUT THE BREW: Our first Trail Magic Ale release is an Oak barrel aged Russian Imperial Stout brewed with some special ingredients native to the Great Smoky Mountains. The final ABV is yet to be determined however, we can tell you that it's currently north of 10% and uniquely tasty.

As we get closer to the release date more details about this exciting ale will be made available.

PURCHASING BOTTLES: We've chosen to offer the Trail Magic series in corked 750 ml bottles. Beginning at noon guests will be given numbered tickets for an opportunity to purchase bottles at 6 pm. When your number is called you will have the option to purchase up to four bottles of Trail Magic. There is a limited number of bottles available and we encourage everyone to arrive early for a chance to purchase bottles.

PORTION OF PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT APP TRAIL: A portion of proceeds of the bottle sales will be donated to the Appalachian Trail Ridgerunner Program via the Friends of the Smokies organization.

ABOUT THE RIDGERUNNER PROGRAM: Each year the Park recruits a series of individuals who provide a presence on the Appalachian Trail from March through October. They provide visitor information, do trail maintenance, pack out litter, keep up composting privies, report on the condition of the trail and the shelters, report emergencies and advise hikers on food storage and other regulations, and relay real-time information regarding possible problem bears. Their presence on the AT for over 15 years has made a huge difference in the Park’s ability to manage the AT.