Montano’s Peak
“Montano” means mountain in Spanish, but restaurateur Mauricio Montano never expected to wind up living in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where he now owns…
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“Cold” Grapes are Hot Topic
“When I’m in a vineyard with my hands on the vines, I feel like I’m communicating with nature,” says Chuck Blethen, proprietor of Jewel…
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Henderson County in a Bottle
The cider craze sweeping the nation has hit WNC, ahem, hard. Over the past year, four local hard cideries have emerged on — nay,…
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Core Strength
Apple names have gotten strange. Some read like a cross-cultivar between pet names and underdog sports leagues: Arlet, Jazz, Cripps Pink, Arkansas Black, Aurora…
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Da Beers
There’s something brewing this month in downtown Tryon. The town will host the first ever Tryon Beer Fest on November 10, an event its…
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Mad for Tomatoes
Maybe you can tell that farmer Jon Strom is about to get married by the way he talks about growing tomatoes. As Strom tells…
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Blasts from the Past
What is it that distinguishes a good diner from an ordinary restaurant? Well, first of all, you have to have some smarty- pants waitresses…
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Mumbo Gumbo: First Brew
On April 30th I quaffed my first (legally) commercially produced beer at the Southern Appalachian Brewery in Hendersonville. And it was sweet. Birthing Henderson…
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Good Food Cheap: Grandma’s Chicken Soup
When you think of El Paso Mexican Restaurant, tacos and quesadillas may immediately come to mind. And those are certainly solid choices, but you…
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Good Food Cheap: Sandwich Hero
Whatever you do, don’t tell Mike Cole that his sandwiches are too cheap. He might raise the prices…and that would be a tragedy. Mike…
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