About Asheville

My husband and I have to have good snacks on hand if we’re going to watch the “Great British Baking Show,” a lightly competitive baking show featuring truly scrumptious and delicate treats. One of the categories that is easiest to understand by watching seasons and seasons of this show is patisserie.  It refers to things that would probably get the umbrella term “desserts” in the United States, but are specifically a variety of delicate, constructed pastries and cakes that are popular all over Europe but maybe most famously so in France. When we think patisserie, we think desserts with layers, with perhaps some puff pastry but also a layer of…

I’ve heard people view the ways that people’s allergies, dietary preferences, and other restrictions have changed the cuisine landscape depicted as a challenge, the old “what can we possibly serve at dinner that avoids all the allergies while respecting vegan, vegetarian, and other needs?” question.  What I’ve found, instead, is that any kind of constraint on my cooking and eating helps me delve deeper into novelty and discover combinations I’d never try without it. I wouldn’t have discovered some of my now-favorite foods if I didn’t have vegan family members.  Similarly, the desire to choose hangout places that don’t require my gluten-free friends to drink gluten-y beer has helped me…

In the middle of a very residential area in Woodfin is a little vegan oasis known as Gallivant Coffee. I went here early on in my move to Asheville, partially because it was so close to my home and partially because the name is just so fun – it sounds like the coffee you get at their shop is going to fuel you for a big adventure. With so many lovely hikes in the area, it only makes sense to have some adventure juice handy.  If you haven’t been, you’re in for a treat – the coffee is selected by the owner himself and roasted in small batches, meaning that…

Cat cafes satisfy two of the most basic human needs: coffee and cat cuddles. Originating in Asia, they are now spread worldwide. They are an excellent opportunity to share the love with kitties while having a cozy beverage. They are also purrfect places to bring your computer and work (playful interruptions are guaranteed!). Hanging out with cats has many health benefits: it’s relaxing, lowers your stress and anxiety, and, according to scientific research, cat owners tend to be at a lower risk of suffering heart disease. It’s a fact: the company of cats makes us happier and healthier! Cats are mysterious, fascinating creatures and were considered sacred by many ancient…

Work as a remote, flexible-schedule worker for long enough while parenting a toddler, and you’re simply going to have favorite coffee shops. While I think most of them want to be known for their flavorful drinks, tasty snacks, and soulful ambiance, many of us simply need somewhere that serves up caffeine while not kicking us out for tapping out a few emails while we sip.  I have reviewed a few places in Asheville that don’t offer public Wi-Fi, and I can’t blame them at all – there is something really lovely about a space that is entirely focused on connection and food and drink.  However, when I can find a…

We’ve seen what a craft beer scene can do for a city, and at its heart is a tourism rooted in what you cannot get anywhere else. After decades of finding reliable chains for everything from hotels to restaurants, many tourists are now craving the hyper-local, the well-thought-out, and the totally unique. For craft breweries, making their own product on-site gives them this assurance, but it turns out, you can do something similar for wine. The owner and team of plēb urban winery have set out on a frankly audacious mission: in an area that doesn’t have hundreds of years of winemaking history, they are working with all the growers…

In the “Harry Potter” books, there’s a magical element to the wizard school called the Room of Requirement. If you run down a particular hall while really needing something quite badly, you’ll find yourself face to face with a door that wasn’t there before.  When you open it, the room provides what you need: a broom closet if you need to hide, a training room if you’re trying to defeat a dark wizard’s long-term plot for world domination, etc. I like to think that PennyCup in Asheville is my Coffee Shop of Requirement. It seems to always be located right where I need it. They have a shop located right…