Stu Helm: Food Fan

THE PODCAST

The podcast above was originally recorded on 02/19/2025 with my usual co-host Chef Tom LaFauci from Twisted Laurel Downtown Asheville…

00:00 - 04:10 INTRO: Chef Doesn’t Want His Name On A Label04:11 - 12:08 IN THE MOUNTAIN FLOOD PLAIN: Corner Kitchen & Fig12:09 - 13:29 CORRECTIONS: Many Mistakes, One Correction13:30 - 14:10 MANNA SPOT: Please Donate to MANNA Foodbank14:11 - 23:39 THE PRICE OF EGGS: The WEMO Brings No Hearts Or Flowers23:40 - 43:50 GAME TIME! Jolly Green Joe, Ketchup Pills & Charlie Tuna43:51 - 46:10 GONE TOO SOON: Mentioning Chef Joshua Moore46:11 - 49:25 BYE! Thanks To Deb & All The Listeners and WPVM 103.7fm!

THE NEWSLETTER

THE WEMO SPEAKS: Eggs. They keep going up up up in price, and every week Chef Tom and I take a look at the Weekly Egg Markets Overview, aka The WEMO, and we report on the price of eggs in several different categories. Prices are affected mainly by bird flu outbreaks these days, which can result in the slaughter and destruction of millions of egg-laying birds. Even healthy birds must be destroyed, and the entire farm disinfected, and then new birds raised and brought in. It’s gruesome to think about and very time-consuming to execute.

Prices are affected by other things besides bird flu too, such as consumer demand of course, which fluctuates depending on several factors, including national egg promotions at major chain stores, and per-customer limitations set at the retail level. Those are also covered to some extent in the WEMO.

Reading the WEMO is like eating a dozen of the driest most over-cooked eggs you’ve ever had to choke down in your life, but if you want to dive into the econo-speak and industry jargon, peppered heavily with numbing repetition and repetitive numbers, you can read the WEMO and many other documents relating to eggs HERE.

DOUGH WITH A HOLE IN IT: My mom and I went to Joey's Bagels on Merrimon Ave again. It's kind of her new fave place. She got her usual, everything bagel with lox, lox cream cheese, and capers.

I went for the jalapeño bagel with jalapeño cream cheese. We enjoyed both very much!

Thanks for coming to Asheville, Joey's! 🙏❤️

REALLY GOOD FOOD: I stopped into Chai Pani on my way home from my mom's house the other day, and when I got home, I was so hungry, and it was so good, that I literally just stood over it and ate every bit right out of the container. F yes. I was stufffffffed afterward. It's butter chicken & dahl with rice, slaw and hot peppers. Not one grain of rice or drop of sauce escaped my leps. Recommend.

I also got a lamb skewer from Botiwalla restaurant on Battery Park Ave in downtown Asheville and it was very flavorful and juicy! It's made fresh ground Australian lamb with Indian spices and green dipping sauce.

Super high recommends.

ANDALE WAY: My mom and I went to Andale WAY Mexican Grill for simple but delicious brunch not long ago. I got eggs with rice and beans and salsa verde, and my mom got a chicken wrap.

We crushed both! Thanks, Andale! You never let us down! ❤️

RECOMMENDED BY… Just in case you didn't hear, the 12th annual Stoobie Awards were the FINAL Stoobies. I've decided that 12 years is long enough, so I'm putting them to bed. Instead, from now on, you might see another sticker turn up in the windows of my favorite shops & vendors in WNC and beyond.

My brand new "Recommended by Stu Helm The Food Fan" stickers were inspired by the story of Duncan Hines, America's first food and travel blogger! He was a fiercely dedicated eater and widely respected recommender of foods long before he became a name on a box of cake. You can read more about Duncan Hines HERE.

PIZZA WEEK IS COMING!

Check StuHelmFoodFan.com MARCH 10 - 16 to see & order the specialty pizzas!

And as a compliment to WNC PIZZA WEEK 2025, Explore Asheville is inviting travel and hospitality partners in Buncombe County to a special Industry Afternoon at Highland Brewing Rooftop on Tuesday, March 11 from 2–6 p.m. This event is a dedicated thank you to those travel and hospitality frontline workers who deliver spectacular experiences and service to customers every day.

Enjoy two complimentary drink tokens, free pizza, and access to Highland Brewing’s disc golf and volleyball courts. We hope you join us and your industry friends and colleagues for an afternoon of good food, local beverages, and a lot of fun!

RSVP: HERE

This event is hosted by Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority in partnership with Highland Brewing, Stu Helm, and Horizon Food Brokers.

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Get full access to Stu Helm: Food Fan at stuhelmfoodfan.substack.com/subscribe

THE PODCAST

The podcast above was originally recorded on 02/10/2025 with my usual co-host Chef Tom LaFauci from Twisted Laurel Downtown Asheville…

00:00 - 04:55 INTRO: Super Bowl Sunday, Kendrick Lamar & Other Topics04:56 - 09:24 GONE TOO SOON: Remembering Chef Brian Canipelli09:25 - 12:36 CRUDE LANGUAGE: Effing This and Effing That 12:37 - 19:40 CRUDE FOODS: From Puttanesca To Coglioni Di Mulo19:41 - 20:23 MANNA SPOT: Please Donate to MANNA Foodbank20:24 - 26:32 THE PRICE OF EGGS: Weekly Egg Market Overview (WEMO)26:24 - 37:43 IS IT VEGAN? Chef Tom Takes The Test37:44 - 40:50 WHERE’D YA EAT: Leo’s House of Thirst, Chestnut, Twisted Laurel Downtown Asheville40:51 - 42:22 SAUCE TALK: Local Mushrooms A La King42:23 - 43:51 BYE! Thanks Deb and WPVM 103.7fm!43:52 - 00:00 DING DONG! The Pizza Guy is Here! My Mom & I Eat Pizza and Talk With Chef Drew Peterson from Asheville Pizza South.

THE NEWSLETTER

JAMES BEARD KNOWS THINGS: The James Beard Foundation hands out the most prestigious awards for food in America, and they always have their eye focused on Asheville. Right now, four of our local chefs and venues are up for JBF awards, one of them being Leo’s House of Thirst in West Asheville. It’s one of my faves for sure, so dawn and I went the other day for an impromptu little dinner, and it was fabulous. We started with a 1/2 dozen raw oysters, which were very fresh and delicious with just a dash of mignonette. If you like raw oysters you will love these. If you don't, you won't. (But maybe give them a try anyways!) 🙂

We also devoured an excellent beet dish with citrus, mint and whipped goat cheese. It was bright and flavorful with just the right amount of sweetness vs tanginess, and the texture was very pleasant and satisfying, with soft but firm beets and the pop of juice from the citrus. Truly one of the best beet dishes I've ever had! 💛

We also ordered some roasted carrots with farro and fromage blanc. Sooooper delicious and cooked perfectly. The carrots were tender, the fromage was creamy, and the flavors were warm and comforting. It was just right.

The final dish from our spontaneous meal at Leo's House of Thirst we got a lovely Caesar salad with radicchio, croutons and real Caesar dressing made with anchovies. We enjoyed this salad and our whole meal very much!

There was also some orange vermouth and white wine involved, and of course they did a great job of suggesting pours that would pair well with the food. There's a reason they're currently up for a James Beard Award in the category of outstanding wine/beverage! ❤️ Congrats to them, as well as Chefs William Dissen, Ashleigh Shanti, and Silver Iocovozzi, and every chef or venue in Asheville and beyond who has been recognized for their hard work and excellent product!

LIBERTY & LUNCH: After gathering at the Federal Building last week to rally in support of the VA, NOAA and other crucial federal programs, my friend Scott and I went to see Chef Tommy at Twisted Laurel Downtown Asheville for lunch. Scott got cauliflower curry, and was super impressed, especially when Chef Tom told him it was only the third time he'd ever made it!

I got a meatball sub. It was yummy. I have a feeling that Chef LaFauci might have made more than three meatball subs in his 30+ year long career! 😂

THAT SLAPS! Daaaaaang, Y'all! I recently had the chance to eat another one of my favorite things ever and that makes me my belly happy! The Happy Belly Food Truck Company makes my "2024 Smash Burger of the Year," winner, and they are also super nice people who are my long-time friends who have been working hard to get their own food truck and run their own business, so not only do I love the food, but I love supporting this local, family-run business!

I'm a big fan of their slap burgers, and I went for the Deluxe Slap this time and CRUSHED IT! It’s juicy, crispy on the edges, packed with tons of flavor, and it has some greens and a little house-made dressing on their, so it’s like a salad! I always feel super lucky any time I get to eat from them, and I’m grateful to Hatch CoWorking & The United Way on South French Broad Ave for bringing them and other food trucks to our neighborhood! ❤️🍔

BRUNCH JUNKET: Paddy and I went on an Asheville Food Tours lunch junket the other day with our fellow tour guide Sarah, who just got back from almost two months abroad, traveling all over Peru with her partner, eating all kinds of delicious and unusual foods! The thing she wanted most for her first meal at a restaurant in Asheville since getting home was good ol' biscuits 'n' gravy! She's a true southerner through and through!

So we went to Chestnut on Biltmore Ave, who are now open for lunch/brunch every day from 10am-2:30pm, where Paddy got shrimp 'n' grits, I got corned beef hash with two poached eggs, and Sarah got exactly what she was looking for! We all cleaned our dishes and enjoyed every bite! Thanks, Chestnut, and welcome home, Sarah!

WNC PIZZA WEEK 2025: HOW DOES IT WORK?

Any Pizza Maker in WNC can participate for free!

1. Participants come up with a specialty pie and price.2. Participants fill out this online FORM & upload a picture of their specialty pie.3. Participants will be listed on the interactive WNC Pizza Map. * **4. Participants will receive promotional digital graphics via email.5. Participants will be promoted on StuHelmFoodFan.com, newsletter/podcast & social media platforms.6. WNC PIZZA WEEK 2025 BEGINS ON MARCH 10!7. Web page goes live with Interactive listings, pictures & descriptions of pies, with ordering information!8. WNC Pizza Week 2025 continues for one week.9. Pizza Fans eat a lot of pizza!10. WNC Pizza Week 2025 ends on March 16th. 🙁

*The WNC Pizza Map will stay live year-round!

**Not every pizza maker listed on our map is participating in WNC Pizza Week 2025.

If you notice that your favorite spot isn’t on the map, or you’re hoping they’ll participate, please encourage them to reach out to me at [email protected].

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Get full access to Stu Helm: Food Fan at stuhelmfoodfan.substack.com/subscribe

THE PODCAST

The podcast above was originally recorded on 02/03/2025 with my usual co-host Chef Tom LaFauci from Twisted Laurel Downtown Asheville. To listen live every Friday at 5pm, tune in to WPVM 103.7fm!

00:00 - 04:39 INTRO: Chef Had A Day & A Sign Of Neighborliness04:40 - 10:06 THE PRICE OF EGGS: And Other Bad Things10:07 - 12:22 DOES IT HAVE EGGS? If It Has An Egg On Top, It Has Eggs12:23 - 14:34 AVIAN FLU: 145 Million Dead Birds & Counting14:35 - 15:15 MANNA SPOT: Please Donate to MANNA Foodbank14:16 - 18:17 NOT WHERE’D YA EAT: Buncha Bad Meals18:18 - 44:38 YDGBADAI: Why The F*ck Are People So Mean?44:39 - 48:45 GOOD GRUB: If You Love Mother, You Might Be A Foodie48:46 - 52:32 STOOBIE AWARDS: Chef Tom Did Not Get One 52:33 - 54:48 BYE! Thank You To Deb and All The Listeners!

THE NEWSLETTER

GOOD NEWS! The people of Asheville & WNC sure could use some good news, and it came recently in the form of round fried dough with a hole in the middle when Vortex Doughnuts on the South Slope reopened! Woohoo! I know that y'all were very sad when they closed after the hurricane, so I hope that you'll go say howdy to the new owners, Joe and Molly, and welcome them to town! I'm just a simple minded fool from up north, so on my first trip back I got an old-fashioned cake doughnut, and a cup of drip coffee.

I know I know, I'm boring, and y'all are all about your yeast donuts here in the south, and believe me, I like those too! But nothing warms me up on a cold rainy day like a good old fashion cake donut, and a hot cup of coffee! 🍩 ☕️

BEST DAY EVER! I had a three Danish day on Saturday. First I had A peach cobbler danish from Back Porch Baking at Summit Coffee…

…then I had a mini apple Danish and cappuccino at Sweets and Seats Cafe and brought a regular sized Danish home for the next morning, but ended up eating it that night! 😂😂😂

I have a serious weakness for baked goods. 😬

MONDAY MONDAY: I was wandering around looking for somewhere to eat lunch on a random Monday at 3pm, and didn't have a lot of choices. I had been hoping to grab a quick bite on the South Slope, but ended up in the middle of downtown, hungry, getting frustrated, bordering on hangry, when I saw the spark of human life outside on the patio of the Rankin Vault Lounge! Yay! I decided to get drunk. Drunk on sliders!

All three of the sliders on their menu are the best in Asheville in my opinion. They offer a Vault Burger slider based on their famous award winning house burger, and they’ve added a smash burger slider and a bahn mi slider to the mix! I got a bahn mi & smash burger, and both were insanely good! Juicy, meaty, crunchy, crispy and packed with a ton of flavor. These are two of the best things I've eaten all year! Thanks, Vault! For the sliders and for being open all day every day, even Mondays! You rule and always have.

WINES BY THE VINES: Last week I was fortunate enough to be invited to attend a "Wines by the Vines" dinner at Gemelli Restaurant, and it was great! Of course, since I don't drink alcohol, I wasn't able to enjoy the very thoughtful and delicious sounding wine pairings, but the food was awesome! Sorry the pictures aren't better, it was appropriately dark in the restaurant, which always makes for pleasant dining, but terrible pictures. The two cheeses that we started with were exquisite! The creamy one was super buttery and mild, don't let the rind scare you. The hard cheese was sharp, but complex and had nutty notes, both cheeses went very well with the honey on the plate. Perfect start!

Next the escargot were tender, tasty, salty and garlicky. Super delish! Escargot are either going to awesome or awful, and these were the former. The palate cleanser sorbet from Asheville Chocolate was a nice little transitional bite before the Boeuf Bourguignon with grits, which I devoured!!! The meat just fell apart, the veggies were tender but not mushy and the grits were pure comfort.

The macarons from Old Europe Pastries are the best in town in my humble opinion, so I was happy to see them come out for dessert! They were a wonderful end to a very enjoyable, satisfying and delicious meal!

Thank you, Gemelli! I highly recommend these Wines by the Vines dinners, especially for wine lovers… obvs!

DEAR PIZZA MAKERS, I'm still soliciting participants in the upcoming WNC PIZZA WEEK 2025, happening all over Western North Carolina March 10 - 16!

It's FREE to participate, all you have to do is come up with a specialty pie (or pies) and price, fill out the online FORM, and then from March 10 - 16, sell the hell out of some special pies for the people!

Your venue is probably already listed on the interactive WNC Pizza Map that I created, because I tried to list every pizza maker I could find in WNC on the Map, but you still need to fill out the form in order to officially be part of WNC Pizza Week.

If you fill out the form, you'll get an interactive listing on the WNC Pizza Week 2025 webpage, which will go live on March 10th, as well as promotional digital graphics!

I'll be promoting your pizza as part of WNC Pizza Week on social media, as well as my website, newsletter and podcast, so over 20,000 followers!

I tried to design WNC Pizza Week to be super easy for ALL the pizza makers to be part of, and I hope that it will be fun and profitable for everyone involved.

Please jump on board if you haven't already, and thanks for all you do!

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Get full access to Stu Helm: Food Fan at stuhelmfoodfan.substack.com/subscribe

THE PODCAST

The podcast above was originally recorded on 01/27/2025 with my usual co-host Chef Tom LaFauci from Twisted Laurel Downtown Asheville…

00:00 - 01:50 INTRO: Historic, Hopefully In A Good Way01:51 - 10:45 HAIL MARY: A Great Burger In A Familiar Place10:46 - 15:56 TASTEE NO MORE: The Many Phases Of Tastee Diner15:57 - 26:43 NAME THAT PASTA GAME: Tom Chef Knows Things26:44 - 35:41 ASHEVILLE RESTAURANT WEEK: It’s Two Weeks35:42 - 47:45 WNC PIZZA WEEK: What It Is When It Is 47:46 - 50:53 BYE! Thanks Deb and All The Listeners and WPVM 103.7fm!50:54 - 58:17 DING DONG! The Pizza Guy Is Here!

THE NEWSLETTER

GONE TOO SOON: On Feb 6th, 2025, our tight knit food community was rocked by a tragedy, when Chef Brian Canipelli from Cucina 24 suffered a medical emergency and passed away during dinner service.

Brian was one of the pillars of Asheville's culinary world, and a superstar among chefs, recognized repeatedly by The James Beard Foundation and others for his skills and talents. He was widely respected locally, as well as nationally. His calm demeanor and even-handed professionalism earned him a solid reputation with employees, both past and present, and of course his amazing food made him a favorite with the eaters of WNC. Chef Canipelli will be greatly missed by his friends, his family, his colleagues and his community.

Dawn and I loved Brian's food very much, I gave him a Stoobie Award for a small plate of snap peas just a week ago, and we also enjoyed his personality, finding him to have a low key, extra-dry sense of humor, and, especially when it came to his city and his people, a kind and generous soul. He once printed a menu, laced with eff-bombs and other swears just for to make me laugh. The entire food community are heartbroken for his family and wish them the best in these extremely trying times. 💛💛💛

MOTHER MOTHER MOTHER: I went to Mother bakery on the South Slope with Vicky from 828newsnow the other day. It was her first time and she raved about the quiche. I could tell from her enthusiasm that she's a TRUE foodie! I got my ol' favorite, The Croque Madame, plus I got a side of sautéed local mushrooms, and we shared them. So frickin' goooood!!! Thank you, Mother! ❤️

Aaand the food at Mother is so nice, I ate there twice… well, three times… kinda… you’ll see. Anyhoo, a couple days after I ate the epic croque madame, I went back for lunch and got the lamb burger with a side salad (instead of fries) and as usual, I ate every frickin' atomic particle of this food. Gahhhhhhh... The sound of my plate being scraped could be heard for miles. The burger was big and juicy and cooked just right. Yes it was on the rare side, but that was perfect. The whipped feta added creaminess and tang while the pickled fennel was subtly delicious. The cute little cornichons were the exact crunchy accompaniment that rounded it all out.

Five stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Super high recommends. Oh, and they brought me a wee little sample of one of their sweet offerings, and it was excellent! Next time I go, umma get a bigger piece. 🙂

Finally, I got a cappuccino and a beautiful piece of focaccia at Rowan Coffee the other day. Turns out the focaccia was from… Mother!

BIG DEAL OATMEAL: The nice folks at Big Deal Oatmeal brought me some of there awesome, locally made honey peanut butter granola bites, oatmeal cookies, and top shelf oatmeal, and all of it was great! The granola bites were crunchy on the edges, sweet but not too sweet, with a hint of salt every once in a while, hardy and substantial and loaded with nuts (including pistachios, my favorite!) and dried fruit and I've been enjoying them as a treat in morning... or anytime after that! 😂

The cookies are sweeter, flatter, and softer than of the bites, but equally hardy and satisfying. I like oatmeal cookies and these are great versions! The top shelf oatmeal was also some of the best I've ever had! For real. It was so hardy and tasty and full of nutty fruity superfoody goodness that I could feel my health meter riding as I was eating. Somewhere out there my nurse practitioner felt a disturbance in the force, a giant flock of crows took off from a leafless tree, a crack developed in the time-space continuum, and the fat globs of cholesterol that live rent free in my arteries were like, "Whaaaaa?" Anyhoo, super yummy health food. High recommends. 👍👍

Big Deal Oatmeal can be found at West Village Market & Deli and weekly at the Weaverville Tailgate Market (Wednesdays 3-6) and Asheville City Market (Saturdays 10- 1) Recipes are on the website.

PIZZA OF THE MONTH: Y'all... there are not enough "gahs" in this world for me to describe how insanely delicious the pizza of the month from Chef Drew and the crew at Asheville Pizza South is. I mean, I eat one of his special pies every month, I'm obviously a huge fan, and I think this one is his BEST YET! My wife and mother also LOVED it, and they're both a little harder to please than I am. As always, I'll let Drew describe it...

“Pizza of the Month: Sexual Chocolate!

Graham Cracker Crust. Garlic Olive Oil Base. Cocoa Chipotle Rubbed Steak. Raspberry Mascarpone Dollops. Feta. Cayenne Candied Bacon. After the oven, Chocolate and Cherry Balsamic Glaze. Basil.”

It was sweet and savory and spicy and thicc and dank AF! The flavors were lighting up my mouth in the best, most exciting way possible, and the crust was soooo crispy and tasty, that even my mom, a well-known crust leaver, chowed it down and raved about it. I thought last month's pizza was the best ever, and it was... until now! I highly recommend this pie! It's the kind of food that makes us feel lucky to live in Asheville. ❤️🍕

WNC PIZZA WEEK 2025: Get ready, Y’all! WNC Pizza Week 2025 is coming March 10 - 16, and to get ready I've already created an interactive map of EVERY pizza maker I could find in Western North Carolina. You can click HERE or on the image below to open the map and find your old favorites, plus some new favorites in WNC!

If you notice that your favorite spot isn't on the map, let me know, and if you want to make sure that your favorite pizza place is participating in WNC PIZZA WEEK 2025 please encourage them to reach out to me at [email protected] Thanks!

ASHEVILLE FOOD TOURS: Y'all, please consider signing up for a romantic two person food tour with me! Last week, I took J&J out to celebrate their first Valentine's Day together! Jai had reached out to me a few weeks ago, and wanted to book a surprise tour for Justin, who is a foodie by nature! We had a blast and I fed them a ton of delicious food! Of course, I gave them plenty of together-time without me hovering over them, so that they could enjoy each other's company, and it didn't feel like I was their chaperone! 😂

We visited 8 places and they had food and drinks and good times for sure! We ended at Botanist & Barrel Tasting Bar + Bottle Shop Asheville, where we took this picture, I gave them some parting gifts (more food!) and left them sitting at the bar, in the capable hands of Amanda and Jim. Now... at every stop, they pulled out a tripod for their phone and made cute little "couples" videos for social media! Squeeee! I wanted to die from adorableness! For real, this was one of the most fun-filled tours I've ever led. The people I take on tours are always a lot of fun, and J&J were exceptionally so! You can follow them on Instagram HERE. And if you want to take a two person private tour with me, just email me at [email protected]!

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Get full access to Stu Helm: Food Fan at stuhelmfoodfan.substack.com/subscribe

THE PODCAST

The podcast above was originally recorded on 01/22 & 1/23 2025 without my usual co-host Chef Tom LaFauci from Twisted Laurel Downtown Asheville, so once again, it’s just me doin’ the best that I can… with the tools that I have…

00:00 - 01:34 INTRO: Shout Out to My Co-Host01:35 - 06:44 RAMBLIN’ ON: Michigan, Snow, Snow, Snow & Airport Hotels06:45 - 19:55 WHERE’D YA EAT: U.P. EDITION! Birdseye Outfitters, Superior Coffee, Zorba’s Greek American Restaurant and Home Cookin’ 19:56 - 20:35 MANNA SPOT: Please Donate to MANNA Foodbank20:36 - 28:23 PLEASE COME TO ASHEVILLE: Restaurant Week Part 128:24 - 37:27 A LESSON FOR THE KIDS: The Bad Tooth Fairy Came To Visit37:28 - 42:32 I KNOW NOTHING: ¿Qué Es Un Café Cubano?42:33 - 49:05 JBF NOMS: Congrats to Leo’s House of Thirst, and Chefs Dissen, Shanti and Iocovozzi49:06 - 55:17 QUICK FOOD SHOUT-OUTS: Bee Thai Kitchen, Rhubarb, Maguro, Chef Warren, Elevated Kava, Mission Pizza55:18 - 58:22 BYE! Putting The Stoobies To Bed, Thanks Deb and WPVM 103.7fm!

THE NEWSLETTER

TRAVELOGUE: Dawn Roe and I flew up to see our family in the City of Sault Ste Marie, MI in January, where we hoped to experience the snow and cold and general wintery-ness, as well as eating some of our fave food and catching some live small-town hockey, and boy howdy, we got lots and lots of all that!

First leg: Airplane food. I'm telling you what, the short ribs with taters, gravy and veg wasn't half bad! Dawn got chicken and said the same: pretty good! Thanks, Delta! Soo, Michigan here we come!

Of course while in The Soo, we went to two of our favorite cafes several times. We got fancy espresso drinks and avocado toast at Bird's Eye Outfitters, and we got coffee to go, plus a pasty and donuts at Superior Coffee Roasting Company, Inc. I always enjoy hitting up these two joints when we're in The Soo!

We only ate out for dinner once while we were there, and it was Greek food at Zorbas Greek American Restaurant where we got spanicopita, dolmas (served warm!!!), and I had the moussaka. All very filling and satisfying in a real homey restaurant with great service and a super friendly small town vibe. It didn't hurt that my brother-in-law Bob seems to know literally everyone in The Soo! ❤️

Of course the BEST food we had on our visit up North was prepared by my in-laws, Bob and Jan, who ran an Italian restaurant in Sault Ste Marie for many years. They fed us several times, and Dawn took this picture of one particularly fantastic meal we had of handmade cavatelli with meatballs, braciole, super dank red sauce, bread and broccolini. Gahhhhhh... I died and went heaven.

Thanks, Bob & Jan, love youuuuu! ❤️❤️❤️

BEE THAI KITCHEN: One day, after working for Asheville Food Tours, I stopped into Bee Thai Kitchen on my walk home for take out, and got my new fave dish from them, the crab fried rice! It's simple, and somewhat subtle, but very satisfying and delicious, and goes great with other dishes and sauces on their menu.

I also got some tofu curry with egg noodles, and steamed dumplings. I enjoyed everything very much, and I'm really grateful to have this independently owned restaurant right in my neighborhood! I recommend it!

What's your favorite neighborhood joint?

MAGURO ASHEVILLE: Lately I've been eating a lot of cooked oysters, and trying them at various places. I enjoy raw oysters, but these days, maybe because it's cold outside, I've been craving them smoked, baked, deep fried, what have you. These are from Maguro Asheville and they were very tasty!

The sauces were a little on the sweet side, the greens were fresh & added some crunch and temperature contrast, and both were excellent accouterments to the deep fried oysters. I cleaned my plate.

MISSION PIZZA: Y'all, this is Geoff. He's one of the owners of Mission Pizza at Terra Nova Beer Co. on the South Slope. Geoff is super stoked about their Romana style pizza, and after trying some, so am I! It's like a Sicilian, but the dough or bread is lighter, and a little crispier.

I ordered the "Diavola" and Geoff brought me a sample of his "Pizzaiola's choice," which was very fresh, simple, and delicious. This is some of the best pizza, and best food, I've had so far in 2025! Here's their regular menu and their Restaurant Week menu. Recommend.

ASHEVILLE FOOD TOURS: You get all kinds of food when you sign-up for Asheville Food Tours, and plenty of it! These are just a few samples. We typically visit 6 or 7 stops,a nd there are drinks along the way as well. It’s a walking tour of Downtown Asheville and super fun and filling for locals as well visitors. Sign up now with me, Stu Helm the Food Fan, or my fellow tour guide “Fruitcake Sarah” now!

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Get full access to Stu Helm: Food Fan at stuhelmfoodfan.substack.com/subscribe

THE PODCAST

The podcast above was originally recorded on 01/01/2025 without my usual co-host Chef Tom LaFauci from Twisted Laurel Downtown Asheville, so it’s just little old me doin’ the best that I can…

00:00 - 03:23 INTRO: Tom’s Not Here, But Hockey Is!03:24 - 08:19 LOOKING BACK AT 2024 Prt 1: Boy Howdy, Did I Eat A Lot8:20 - 14:35 WHERE’D YA EAT? Neng Jr’s, Good Hot fish, The Market Place, Zambra, The Rankin Vault Lounge14:46 - 16:13 I APOLOGIZE: Sorry I Didn’t Get To Your Restaurant Or Food Truck16:14 - 17:48 WHY I DON’T DRINK OR DRIVE: I Was Just Responsible Enough17:49 - 18:28 MANNA SPOT: Please Donate to MANNA Foodbank18:29 - 19:43 THANK YOU WPVM: Please Make A Donation To WPVM 103.7fm!19:49 - 27:55 LOOKING BACK AT 2024 Prt 2: It Kinda Sucked & Then It Really Sucked27:56 - 30:23 HAPPINESS: In The Form of Holiday Lights & Figurines Of Santa30:30 - 34:43 GOOD THINGS STILL HAPPEN: Togetherness Matters34:44 - 38:23 MOVING FORWARD - Everything Changes Every Day38:24 - 52:00 LOOKING FORWARD - WNC Pizza Week, Stoobies, Fancy Dinners, Food Tours & Cannabis Tours52:01 - 54:04 BYE! Thanks Deb, and All The Listeners!

THE NEWSLETTER

STOOBIES STOOBIES STOOBIES! The 12th annual Food fan Awards, aka The Stoobies have been published! The best of the best of what & where I ate in 2024. Chef of the Year, Restaurant of the Year, Person of the Year, Pizza of the Year, and twenty other categories with pictures & descriptions. You can read them all HERE!

IN THE NEWS: Just in case you missed it, there was an article in the NYT by Pete Wells recently about Asheville's restaurants. I met and spoke with Pete, he was very nice, and I hope that his article will help with our recovery! You can read it HERE.

TRIGGER WARNING: The article brought up some very fresh memories for me and might be upsetting for some local folks to read.

It's a little weird for me to be mentioned in the same paragraph as Donald Trump in an article in the New York Times, but... that's... uhhh… the crazy world we live in. Fuck that guy.

IN THE LOCAL NEWS: I Got a very nice write-up by Pruett Norris from 828NewsNow, mostly about the Stoobie Awards. I hope his piece introduces my content and the restaurants I post about to a bunch of new folks who live & work here in Western North Carolina! #wncstrong

Food Mogul, though? Huh. Yeah, sure! I’ll mogul the fuck out of some food! You can read the article HERE.

LOCAL RECOMMENDATION: Y'all... Paddy & I went to one of the opening nights at the brand new Hail Mary restaurant on Haywood Rd in West Asheville and wow! The burgers we frickin' great! Like, really really great. It's a double patty smash burger topped with American 🇺🇸 cheese, caramelized onions, pickles & the house made "Kween" sauce, served on a soft potato bun. It was perfectly seasoned and perfectly cooked. It was savory AF and had umami out the wahzoo. I loved it. Paddy loved it. We were very happy eaters afterwards.

As we ate, I spied Chef Chris Cox AKA "Burger Boi" running back and forth with an apron on, so the next day I wrote to the owner, Kelly Gable, as well Chef Chris and got the infos: The menu was created by Chef Mallory Foster who is currently also the pastry chef at Rhubarb and will be going back to that full time as soon as she can. Chef Chris was there at the soft openings, and will be taking over the Hail Mary kitchen. That's great news for burger fans, and for food fans everywhere! Go check out Hail Mary for yourselves, I highly recommend the burger! Also, the atmosphere was fun and lively.

The music was moderate, the room was bright and clean, and the pictures on the wall that I was facing during dinner were all of female icons of rock and soul and I enjoyed the experience very much. Congrats to Kelly, I think she's got a real winner on her hands. Also, this is my favorite photo of Paddy and Whitney together.

ASHEVILLE FOOD TOURS: I went into Chestnut with my group from Asheville Food Tours for brunch one recent Saturday and they served my patrons and myself some of their super delicious pimento cheese hush puppies with greens and chow chow. My patrons got a tour-sized cocktail, I got a full-sized n/a drink that was verrrry tasty and refreshing!

The atmosphere was elegant but lively, the service was friendly and professional, and the whole experience was spot on, all around! I absolutely recommend Chestnut for brunch!

Please sign up for a food tour with me or Fruitcake Sarah through Asheville Food Tours!

— end —

Get full access to Stu Helm: Food Fan at stuhelmfoodfan.substack.com/subscribe

THE PODCAST

The podcast above was originally recorded on 12/15/2024 with my usual co-host Chef Tom LaFauci from Twisted Laurel Downtown Asheville as well as special guest Chef Maureen LaFauci from Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ…

00:00 - 04:10 INTRO: Chef Maureen In The House & Otto In The Trash04:11 - 16:38 BEAR’S BBQ & WCK: Chef Maureen Was Boots On The Ground16:39 - 20:05 LOOKING FORWARD: And Hoping For Better Weather20:06 - 20:46 MANNA SPOT: Please Donate to MANNA Foodbank20:47 - 23:48 CHEF JOSE ANDRES: And Maureen’s Memorable Ride 23:49 - 39:12 TO TAX OR NOT TO TAX? F&B People Weigh In On Taxing Tips39:13 - 41:58 BYE! Thanks To Maureen & Tom & Deb WPVM 103.7fm!56:09 - 57:47 DING DONG! The Pizza Guy is Here! It’s That Time of Year!

THE NEWSLETTER

Happy New Year, Y’all!

Let’s do some end-of-year type of stuff…

2024 RESTAURANT ROUND-UP: In 2024 I ate food at or from 211 different restaurants, cafes, bars, food trucks, food carts, caterers, ghost kitchens, market places, food events and food makers of all sorts. Here they are…

12 Bones River, 12 Bones South, 4D’s Sweet Dreams Ice Cream On The Go, 5 Points Restaurant, 67 Biltmore, Abeja’s House, All Day Darling, All Souls Pizza, Aloha Cafe, Altmont Deli & Grill, Andale Way, Apotheca, Appalachan Chic Food Truck, Arturo Ristorante, Asheville Airport, Asheville Club, Asheville Pizza South, Baabals Ice Cream, Baba Nahm, Back Porch Baking Co., Bargello, Batter & Whisk Baked Delights, Bear’s BBQ, Bee Thai Kitchen, Ben’s Backdraft BBQ, Bier Garden, Bird’s Eye Oufitters Cafe (Sault Ste Marie, MI), Bite Me Chef’s Cook-Off, Black Bird, Bodega, Bold Rock, Botanist & Barrel, Botiwalla, Bouchon, Bridge & Tunnel, Bun Intended, Burger Bliss, Burgerworx, Burial Beer, Buttermilk Bakery (Winter Park, FL), Buxton Chicken Palace, Capella on 9, Carmel’s, Centreville Luncheonette, El Centro, Chai Pani, The Chemist, Chestnut, Crater City Coffee Co., CFA Cafe, Clean Street Food (truck), Clyde’s Drine-In, Contrada, Coriander Farm & Kitchen, Corner Kitchen, Corto y Lima, Cúrate, Dancing Crane Coffee House (Sault Ste Marie, MI), Delish Food Truck, Delta Sky Club, Dilbar, Dizzy’s Glizzies, Domu (Winter Park), Don Juan Caffe (Winter Park , FL), Dos Gatos, Double D’s Coffee Bus, Early Girl, El Mariachi Restaurant, Farewell Coffee, Farm Burger, Farm Dogs, Fitzgerald’s, Fletcher Village Bakery & Cafe, Flour, Folk Method Kitchen, Frank’s Place (Sault Ste Marie), French Broad Chocolate Lounge, The Giddy Chick, Goodale’s Bakery & Deli, Good Hot Fish, Grateful Roots Deli, Grayling Coffee & Tea Company, The Grayling Restaurant, Green Sage Cafe, The Grind, Happy Belly Food Truck, Hemmingway’s Cuba, High Climate Tea Room, High Five Broadway, High Five Coffee Rankin, High Five River, The Hop Ice Creamery, The Hound, Huli Sue’s Hawaiian BBQ, Huli Sue’s Hawaiian BBQ Food Truck, Hygge Market, Infuso Dinner at The Green Room, Insomnia Cookies, Izzy’s Coffee Den, Jack of the Wood, Jam Hot Chicken (Winter Park), JD’s Meals To Go, Jettie Rae’s, Jimmy, Josie’s Restaurant, Juicy Lucy’s, La Bodega, Laila Indian Restaurant, Laughing Seed, Le Supreme, Lineage Coffee Roasting (Orlando, FL), Little Amsterdam Cafe & Smoke Lounge, Little Bee Thai, Little D’s, Loott House, Lost Flamingo, Lothrop & Sons Fishery, Luminosa, The Madness, Mamacitas, Mane Street Bar & Cafe, Manicomio, Maguro, The Market Place, Marriott-Bonvoy Hotel ATL, Mary’s Mountain Cookies, The Med, Mëhfil, Mela, Mera Brother Oyster Co., Mikasa Criola, Milltown Brick Oven Pizza, Mission Pizza / Terra Nova Beer, Miyako House, Modesto, Moofinfries, morE mod•diSh, Mother Bakery South Slope, MRE (Meals Ready to Eat), The Mule, New Stock Pantry, Nightcrawler, Nisu Bakery & Cafe, Noodle Shop, Old Europe, The Original Conella’s, Palate Coffee Roasters (Sandford, FL), PennyCup RAD, PennyCup YMI, Penny’s Cafe (Sault Ste Marie), Peterson’s Fish Market, Pierre’s Marketplace, PlantBar, Pollen Flowers & Cafe, Pon’s Thai Cuisine, Posana, Provisions MQT (Marquette, MI), Pupuseria Paty, Quench, Rabbit Hole, The Rankin Vault, Red Ginger, Red Hook Cafe, The Rhu, Rite Rite cafe, Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack, Roman’s Deli, The Roof at The Radical, Rowan Coffee, Sabora Food Truck, Sage & Spice, Sakshi’s Roasted Chestnuts, Sedo’s Premium Ice Cream, Session Cafe @ Citizen Vinyl, Sinbad’s, Shanghai Dumpling House, The Soda Fountain at Woolworth Walk, Soprana Rooftop Cucina, Sovereign Remedies, Spike’s Keg o’ Nails, St. John’s River Seafood & Steak (Sandford, FL), Static Age Records, Storm, Sugar (Sault Ste Mari, Canada), Summit Coffee, Sunshine Sammies, Suomi Home Bakery & Restaurant, Superior Coffee Cafe (Sault Ste Marie, MI), Sweets & Seats, Table, Tall John’s, Taste of Asheville, Thirsty Monk, Tienda Los Nenes, Times Bar, Trenary Toast Cafe, Tupelo Honey, Twisted Laurel Downtown Asheville, Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse, Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse Hot Box, Velodrome Coffee Co., The Vierling Restaurant, Vivian, Wafu, White Duck Taco, Winter Park Biscuit Co. (FL), World Central Kitchen, The Worthy Baker, Yamaneko Bento, Yalla Food Truck, Zambra, Zephyr Wine Bar (Marquette, MI)

I enjoyed (almost) everything I ate in 2024, and had very few bad bites, lame dishes, or meals I didn’t like along the way. Thank you to all the food growers, makers, providers, and servers. I appreciate you, and I’ll see ya in 2025!

12th ANNUAL STOOBIE AWARDS! It’s time for parts 1 & 2 of the 12th Annual Asheville Food Fan Awards AKA The Stoobies! Out of allllllll the food I ate last year, the nominees below represent my top picks, my highest recommendations, my most favorite. If you made the list, congrats! Competition has never been tighter than it was in 2024! Click HERE to read about all the nominees all 24 categories, from Smash Burger to Person of the Year!

PACK’S TAVERN: To close out the year in 2024 we went on a triple dipple Asheville Food Tours lunch junket with the boss Paddy treating myself and our fellow food tour guide Sarah to a great meal at Pack’s Tavern in Downtown Asheville. Pack’s is an old school, family friendly, pub-style favorite of mine (and past Stoobie Award winner!) and we enjoyed three of their standard dishes: The Bison meatloaf, the fried chicken sandwich, and the double smash burger. There were also a lot of very crispy and delicious French fries involved, as well as mashed taters with mushroom gravy, and Brussels sprouts.

We did the mathematically challenging job of dividing it all into thirds, and sharing the shit out of everything! Oof. We ate a lot, and left feeling very full, and very satisfied. Thanks, Packs! You're a local staple, and we appreciate you!

SUMMT COFFEE ASHEVILLE: I always go a little sugar-crazy during the Holidays, with all the home made cookies that Dawn churns out, as well as all the other sweets and cookies that I get from local bakeries, plus that cookie contest I judged??? Gah. It’s a lot, and I may have gone slightly to the dark side when I ordered a large “sugar cookie latte” at Summit Coffee Asheville, and asked for it breve (that means made with half & half, not whole milk)... and topped with whipped cream... and rainbow fucking sprinkles. O - O

I’m still high.

MODESTO: My mom, my wife and I had something very special to celebrate at the end of last year, so we wanted to go someplace local for lunch that's high end, sophisticated, super delicious, and worthy of such an occasion. My mom picked Modesto Asheville, and that was more than okay with me and Dawn! Modesto is incredible, and I am a big fan. We entered and were greeted warmly and enthusiastically by Chef Hector who was very pleased to see me and meet my family. We were seated, and we got started with the warm dolmas (aka stuffed grape leaves) and they were fantastically flavorful and comforting.

My mom ordered the swordfish steak, and loved it! She ate about half and took the rest home for later, which is really nice for her.

Dawn got the grilled Romain salad, which was as beautiful to look at as it was to eat. She did about half and took the rest ho…

Get full access to Stu Helm: Food Fan at stuhelmfoodfan.substack.com/subscribe

THE PODCAST

The podcast above was originally recorded on 12/01/2024 with my usual co-host Chef Tom LaFauci from Twisted Laurel Downtown Asheville…

00:00 - 02:12 INTRO: Chef Tom Is Dropping No Balls02:13 - 14:52 TG FEAST: Dressing Over Stuffing From Now On14:53 - 16:59 ALMOST TOTAL BLACKNESS: We’re Not Out Of The Woods Yet17:00 - 32:28 WHERE’D YA EAT? Twisted Laurel, Happy Belly Food Truck, Cúrate, Mother Bakery, Jettie Rae’s Oyster Bar, Sweets & Seats, Chef Shane’s Magic Brownies 32:29 - 33:09 MANNA SPOT: Please Donate to MANNA Foodbank33:10 - 53:39 DISASTER PREPAREDNESS Prt 2 With Councilperson Kim Roney 53:40 - 56:08 EATS ON THE STREETS: A Sidewalk Scoop From The Hop56:09 - 57:47 BYE! Congrats To WPVM 103.7fm For Turning 10!

THE NEWSLETTER

HAPPY BELLY FOOD TRUCK CO. Paddy and I had a chance to get lunch from The Happy Belly Food Truck Company recently, and daaaaang, Y'all! That's good grub!

Our friends Dave & Shannon are the owners and Dave gave us a small sample of their Jerk Samurai Chicken with mango slaw to snack on while we waited for our slap burgers. It was GREAT! Very flavorful, with a tiny bit of kick, and a nice crunch to the slaw. Really good.

The slap burgers are INSANELY good! Like, some of the craziest good super-smashed down burgers that are incredibly savory and decadent! Gah. It became an instant Burger of the Year contender when I first tried one back in August, and this one solidified their standing!

Follow Happy Belly on social to see where they will be next, and stay tuned right here to read my Best of 2024 Stoobie Awards coming up soon! Thanks, Dave & Shannon for all your hard work and for these incredible burgers! 🍔❤️⚡️

CURATE: Dawn and I went to Cúrate the other night, where we sat at the bar (best seats in the house in our opinion) and ordered the roasted squash soup and the Trucha al Horno, aka the whole charcoal grilled Sunburst Trout Farms trout, with parsley and hazelnut picada. We'd had the soup before and loved it, but had only seen the trout (one of the perks of sitting at the bar) and had been wanting to try it, so we did, and it was fantastic! Mild, but flavorful, meaty but light, and a real local treat for sure.

The soup is just one of the most warm and comforting Fall/Winter dishes that I've ever had. Thanks, Cúrate! 🙏

JETTIE RAE’S OYSTER BAR: Dawn and I stopped into Jettie Rae’s Oyster House last night before getting our Xmas tree. We shared some raw, as well as cooked oysters and the were great, as always! The cooked oysters were called Oysters Bieneville (Good City Oysters!) and are a traditional NOLA preparation topped béchamel with sauce with sautéed chopped shrimp, shallots, and garlic. They were frickin’ delicious! I love cooked oysters, and I feel like these days they get over shadowed by everyone’s love of raw oysters (which I also love). That being said, I didn’t get a good picture of the Oyster Bienville, sorry! I highly recommend it, though!

Dawn also got a very nice glass of champagne, and we were able to say hi to a couple of folks we know who work there, and meet a few more nice people too. The staff is equal to the food in quality and excellence! Thanks, Jettie Rae's! 🙏🦪

MUNCHIE MEETUPS! Asheville Cannabis Tours’ next scheduled Munchie Meetup is on Monday, December 30th at 5:30pm at Plant Bar in West Asheville, where we will enjoy some smoke provided by Asheville Dispensary - Asheville and delicious popped water lily seed snacks from Karma Wellness Kitchen!

I have to confess that popped water lily seeds are something totally new to me, so I'll be trying them for the very first time, and they sound delicious! According to the company, they "make the perfect crunchy & healthy savory munchie! Gluten-Free, Plant-Based. Airy & Light & full of nutrition. There are a variety of delicious flavors."

If you wanna join us, you can reserve your spot at ashevillefoodtours.com where it is listed among our other tours! The Munchie Meetups include smoke, snack and beverage! I hope to see you there! ❤

THE STOOBIES ARE A’COMIN’! It's almost time for the 12th annual Stoobie Awards, and I'm working on all the graphics right now.

So far in 2024 I've eaten at or from 204 different venues & food makers, and I'll be announcing nominees for my personal favorites of the year in retrospect starting on January first, and I'll announce the winners during the final week of January 2025! Please stay tuned! 🙂

COOKIES FOR A CAUSE: REMINDER: I’ll be a judge, alongside the famous and awesome Chef J. Chong, for the upcoming Cookies for a Cause event at Lexington Glassworks on Friday December 20th!

It’s not too late to get a ticket for this sweet event!

Buy a ticket online or at the door! See link.in bio.

🍪 Live Music by The Wilder Flower Music

🍪 Raffles! Raffles! Raffles! Feat. Local Art and experiences

🍪 Complimentary refreshments, good company, meet the bakers!

🍪 Bake-off! See who will wear the cookie crown, Chef J Chong and Food Blogger Stu Helm with join us and pick their favorite cookie!

🍪Last minute holiday shopping, take home some beautiful glass art!

— end —

Get full access to Stu Helm: Food Fan at stuhelmfoodfan.substack.com/subscribe

THE PODCAST

The podcast above was originally recorded on 11/18/2024 and my usual co-host Chef Tom LaFauci from Twisted Laurel Downtown Asheville.

00:00 - 01:20 INTRO: I Almost Didn’t Make A Mistake01:21 - 20:14 WATER: And What You Can Do With It20:15 - 20:55 MANNA SPOT: Please Donate to MANNA Foodbank20:56 - 39:25 WHERE’D YA EAT? Munchie Meetup, The Pickled Herring, The Ivy Inn, Twisted Laurel39:26 - 42:40 BYE! Thanks, Deb!42:41 - 57:41 EXTRA SAUCE: Disaster Planning With Council Person Kim Roney

THE NEWSLETTER

MAGURO: My friend and podcast cohost Chef Tom and I went to Maguro, the brand new sushi restaurant on Biltmore Ave in downtown Asheville for lunch yesterday and we really enjoyed it! We started with bang bang shrimps, which were delicious, and pretty unique in that they had a lot of thick almost creamy sauce on them that I particularly liked, because I'm a sauce fan.

Since it was so cold out, Tom had a hankering for soup, and specifically ramen, so that's what we both got! He got pork belly, I got ground pork. He gave his high grades and he crushed it.

You might notice that mine is "brothless." I mentioned that I like sauce? Well, the brothless ramen has a thiCk reduction of the broth under all that noodly goodness that you dig up and mix in and boy howdy that's tasty!!!

I've only had a brothless ramen at one other place, Broth Lab, which closed in 2020. It was called "dry ramen" there and was one of my all time fave things ever. I gave it a Stoobie Award in 2019! I was so sad when they closed, so I'm especially psyched that Maguro has this on their menu!

I'll go back to try more of their food, but for now I recommend the bang bang shrimps and the brothless ramen, and Chef Tom liked the regular... (brothed?) ...ramen. The decor and service were also excellent. Our server was fun and spoke several languages to us! 🙂👍

SECRET QUICHE: NOV. 24, 2024 - I got a secret quiche on the south slope yesterday. It was super yummy, but the venue isn't ready to announce just yet. 🙂 Stay tuned.

ANTIDOTE ASHEVILLE: December 3, 2024 - Remember last week when I posted pictures of some "secret quiche" I got on the south slope? Well, I can now reveal that I got it from Antidote Asheville, who are now open early and selling super high quality pastries from French Broad Pantry and some of the best locally roasted coffee in Asheville from Cooperative Coffee Roasters. They also have their usual spirits and cocktails available, and they even made me a delicious faux Bloody Mary that I enjoyed very much.

The atmosphere and decor are soooo nice inside and the people who work there are top notch. I'm psyched to have another cafe option on the South Slope, especially one so unique! ❤️

MARY’S MOUNTAIN COOKIES: I stopped into Mary's Mountain Cookies - Downtown Asheville the other day and a couple of their giant sized cookies.

Red Velvet with cream cheese frosting and a Santa shaped sugar cookie. Both were insanely good. I love their cookies!!!

I love cookies that are shaped like things, especially if those things are Christmas themed!

COOKIES FOR A CAUSE: I’ll be a judge, alongside the famous and awesome Chef J. Chong, for the upcoming Cookies for a Cause event at Lexington Glassworks on December 20th!

It’s not too late to get a ticket for this sweet event!

Buy a ticket online or at the door! See link.in bio.

🍪 Live Music by The Wilder Flower Music

🍪 Raffles! Raffles! Raffles! Feat. Local Art and experiences

🍪 Complimentary refreshments, good company, meet the bakers!

🍪 Bake-off! See who will wear the cookie crown, Chef J Chong and Food Blogger Stu Helm with join us and pick their favorite cookie!

🍪Last minute holiday shopping, take home some beautiful glass art!

BROWNIE MAN: My friend Chef Shane Casto has perfected a super dank, double chocolate, shelf stable, THC brownie! He gave me one, I shared it with two people on my Cannabis Tour on Friday, and we all agreed that it had great flavor and texture!

Anyhoo, congrats to this local chef for dialing in this very tasty product, which is available at an Apotheca - Asheville somewhere near you! 🙂

— end —

Get full access to Stu Helm: Food Fan at stuhelmfoodfan.substack.com/subscribe

THE PODCAST

The podcast above was originally recorded on 11/14/2024 and features me, flying solo once again, without my usual co-host Chef Tom LaFauci from Twisted Laurel Downtown Asheville. I am joined however, by…

00:00 - 02:10 INTRO: Tommy Pinkman Is Chained Up In The Kitchen02:11 - 011:20 STAFFING: Where’d Everybody Go?11:21 - 24:47 WHERE’D YA EAT? Green Sage Cafe, Jeremiah's Italian Ice, Farm Burger, Starview Coffee Catering, White Duck Taco, and Flour24: 48 - 24:28 MANNA SPOT: Please Donate to MANNA Foodbank24:29 - 34:50 COOKIES!!! Chef Amber Cate Gave Me Permission To Eat Them All34:51 - 42:41 MODA: Live From Wall Street! (Not That Wall Street)42:41 - 44:00 BYE! Thanks, Deb!44:01 - 54:35 THE PIZZA GUY IS HERE! The MuZZaka by Asheville Pizza South

THE NEWSLETTER

GREEN SAGE CAFE: The other day I got a very delicious and filling "Blue Magic" smoothie at Green Sage Cafe. It had blueberries, almond butter, and of course, bananas. I'm not a smoothie expert, but I t seems like most smoothies have bananas. I like bananas, and I really liked this smoothie a lot. I will definitely go back for another!

JEREMIAH’S ITALIAN ICE: My mom and I went to Jeremiah's Italian Ice on Merrimon Ave and I got a "medium" soft serve! 😳 It was the size of my forearm. Not kidding! 😂😂😂

FLOUR: Y'all, there is only one word to describe the biscuits they make at Flour inside the S&W Building on Patton Ave in Downtown Asheville: "GAH!" Salty buttery crispy flaky. Add more butter. And jam. Gah.

DISASTER PREPPING: I personally think we should all be prepared for the next disaster to hit. I never wanna be in the same position that I was in during the days and weeks following the storm. I've been storing non-potable water and now that the good stuff is coming out of our faucets again, I am refilling all of my drinking water bottles. I'm also stockpiling the things that give me my quality of life, such as coffee and creamer! And just in case things get really bad, I'm going to start stockpiling a small amount of shelf stable ready to eat meals. With that in mind, I stopped into Asheville's own Diamond Brand Outdoors on Biltmore Ave right downtown to see what they might have.

I found a small selection of tasty sounding food, and I bought a package of Pad Thai to try at home. It was great! I'm going to go back and buy four more. They have a shelf life of five years, and only require boiling water, poured directly into the package, to heat and eat.

Diamond Brand also had solar charging pads, and solar powered lanterns if you need either of those things.

GIDDY CHICK: I stopped into Hatchworks Coworking Asheville today to see my friend Chef Cheryl Brookhouzen aka Giddy Chick and have some of her awesome food! I got a grilled chicken sandwich with bacon & ranch on a grilled hoagie roll and a fresh salad. Both were excellent, of course!

Chef Cheryl makes great food, I even gave her a Stoobie award for her breakfast sandwich m, and she'll be at Hatchworks three days a week! 🧑‍🍳🎉

SWEETS & SEATS: Have you ever ordered some food based on the fact that it looks really tasty and then discovered that it's actually really really REALLY tasty?

Yeah, that happens a lot at Sweets and Seats Cafe, and the Pistachio Paris Brest, which was insanely tasty and delicious. ❤️❤️❤️

COOKIES FOR A CAUSE: Y'all... I frickin' lerv Xmas cookies, and my friends know this about me. That's why my friend, Chef Amber Cate brought me a bunch of her delicious and creative holiday offerings, which she is selling to raise money to help all the critters living their last days with comfort, love and care at Montgomery Sky Farm in conjunction with Final Run Rescue. It's a totally worthy cause for animal lovers who also happen to be cookie lovers! You can see the names of all the cookies written on the boxes. And you can order them for yourself from HERE.

Not gonna lie, the Italian rainbow 🌈 cookies were a runaway superstar hit with me, and maybe the best rainbow cookies I've ever had, although the pieces were so big, it's more like rainbow cake. Which is NOT a complaint! 😂😂😂

GIVE THE GIFT OF FOOD TOURS! Gift certificates from Asheville Food Tours and Asheville Cannabis Tours make a great holiday gift! They are available at Asheville Food Tours , in fixed amounts or any amount you want!

Taking a tour with us not only supports our small local business, but it supports all of the local businesses that we visit! And you have a great time!

— end —

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