Thank You Papas and Beer!

Frustrated at not being able to find just the right footwear for PIC at the Asheville Mall, we decided the only thing to do was to find a place for lunch and decompress.

Thank you, Papas and Beer, for locating just North of the mall! Your fresh-faced facade shone like a homing beacon.

Right inside the door is a great bar - love the tile roof effect, simulating an outdoor bar.


The end of the bar closest to the door has something a little extra: a glass-topped case filled with metal objects and shavings. Magnetic wands are provided so you can create at will.

Pictured below are kids thoroughly engrossed in this activity. Yes, it's at the bar, but Papas is a family restaurant and this was mid-day, so I don't see a problem with it. I'm guessing after a certain hour, kids would not be allowed at the bar.


A few steps into Papas, turn right and go up a couple of steps into the dining area. There's a little bit of an outdoor cantina feel to the large space.


Now, before I tell you about our lunch choices, I have to tell you about a couple at a nearby table. This was at 1:30PM and these people insisted on ordering from the dinner menu (menus switch at 4:00PM).

First, the server prepared Fresh Table-side Guacamole with fresh avocados, spicy Serrano chile's and a special blend of herbs and spices ($6.99). After this wonderful presentation was placed on the table, the male half of this couple told the server it wasn't stirred enough and to stir it some more!

Then two luscious looking dishes were delivered to their table. After a few minutes, the woman calls the server over and starts railing at him that there's no sour cream in her entree - "Haven't you read the menu?!?"). For good measure, she complained about the Pico de Gallo (rhyming with "follow").

After an apology from the manager and the server delivering sour cream, she spent the rest of her meal poking through her dish.

We were so embarrassed by their behavior, I called the server over to apologize for them! He was very gracious, saying it happens with about 1 in every 100 customers and it wasn't a big deal. It was a big deal to me - I practically slid under the table after they were so publicly rude!

If the sour cream should have been in the dish, fine, but there are ways to talk to servers and ways NOT to talk to servers.

PIC had #16 - 1 Enchilada - filled with cheese and pico de gallo, served with rice and beans. Choice of chicken, steak, beef, spinach, mushrooms and cheese. ($4.99). His filling choice was beef (shredded).


And I chose #28 - Quesadilla - served with sour cream and guacamole. One choice of chicken, steak, beef, spinach or mushrooms ($5.95). This time, my choice was chicken.

Even clicking on the photo below to enlarge it won't give you enough perspective to show how over-filled this quesadilla was! Maybe they should call it a flat burrito! Half of this thing went home to the fridge for dinner!!


We normally go to the Hendersonville Papas and Beer as one of our favorite Mexican spots and are happy to report that the Tunnel Road location was equivalent in food quality (delicious), service (perfect) and overall ambiance (relaxing, welcoming, clean). The Hendersonville location does have more of a local-neighborhood-regulars feel, though.

Papas and Beer
17 Tunnel Rd
Asheville, NC
(828) 255-2204





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Local Homebrew Beer Judging @ Sunny Point Cafe Sunday, July 19th

Local Homebrew Beer Judging
and great brews from Local Breweries

Sponsored by Slow Food Asheville

Sunday July 19, 6:00PM till 8:00PM
Tickets: $10.00 - Buy your ticket

Join the folks from Slow Food Asheville as they solicit local home brewers to show us their brews! With the help of the local members of M.A.L.T. (Mountain Ale & Lager Tasters) we will feature a home brewing competition at the Sunny Point Cafe in West Asheville. To make this even better please join us on the Sunny Point Cafe patio as we sample the beers from the Wedge, Pisgah Brewing, Highland Brewing and Asheville Brewing while we hear what the judges have to say and maybe we'll even get to sample some local entries!

They'll feature hot dogs from Hickory Nut Gap Farm and wonderful local mustards from the Lusty Monk. West End Bakery is providing their locally baked Hot Dog Buns and the Ultimate Ice Cream Company is providing something to cool you down!

If you are a "Home Brewer" and would like to enter your brew ( Mead and Hard Ciders are welcome too) bring it the day of the competition (be on time!) or drop it by the Sunny Point Cafe along with your name, contact information and a description of the brewing information and characteristics of the beer that you are submitting. There is no charge to enter other than the attendance ticket!

The funds raised from this event will go to go to Slow Food's Pisgah View Garden Cooking classes.

Sunny Point Cafe

626 Haywood Rd.
Asheville NC, 28806

(828)252-0055

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New Produce Stands on Hendersonville Rd - Arden/Fletcher

Three new produce stands have opened recently on Hendersonville Rd (Hwy 25) in the Fletcher/Arden area. The same people own all three markets, one of which was open last year. They get their produce from the Asheville Farmers Market.

If you have trouble seeing the slide show below, you can see it here.

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Asheville Summer Nights

We all agreed - bar-hopping (by foot) would be the perfect way to spend a summer night in Asheville, but where to begin?

The bar upstairs at S & W (Steak & Wine) was the winner. There are two arched windows that, if you're lucky enough to get a seat in front of, overlook the confluence of Patton Ave, Haywood St and College St at Pritchard Park. I was especially interested in checking out the interior of this incredible deco landmark.

Ordering from the bar menu, one of us had a Caesar Salad and a Shrimp Cocktail that he shared with his wife. The Caesar was interesting, served as a Romaine version of an Iceberg Wedge - what looked like three or four leaves of heart of Romaine topped with traditional Caesar ingredients. The shrimp were huge and came with a very generous amount of cocktail sauce.


Window entertainment was in rare form: Pritchard Park was teaming with people, a man dressed as a nun, on a five or six foot high bicycle, rode by on Haywood a few times - habit flying - and the LaZoom Comedy Tour Bus drove by.

From S & W, we walked toward Pack Square on Patton Ave. As we approached South Lexington Ave, we knew there was a Lounge that had to be included in the hop - the French Broad Chocolate Lounge. Lounge . . . Bar, same thing, right?


Here we sampled a macaroon with a lovely chocolate dollop on top and a nice, big slice of Maple Butter Cake ($5.50) - three layers of lush vanilla cake, maple syrup buttercream & alder smoked sea salt. This was billed as "a unique sweet and salty experience" and it was - a delicious one!


Back on Patton Ave to Pack Square, we passed who we refer to as "the white guy":


took some time to watch an amazing street artist:


listened to a drummer:


and took in the beautiful urban scene:


So, there we were on the corner of Patton and Biltmore. Obviously a Whoopie Pie from Sisters McMullen Cupcake Corner was in order. The purchaser of the pie below was nice enough to share.


Time to get back on track bar-hopping! We headed back down Patton and up Haywood on our way to the Frog Bar at The Flying Frog Cafe. We spotted "silver lady" where Battery Park Ave dead-ends at Haywood. She stays completely motionless (how does she do that?), but add a little contribution to her basket and she plays the drum.


We were planning on drinks outside on the Frog's patio, but it was packed. Inside was packed, also. We might have found a place to squeeze in, but it was too smoky.

Back outside, we crossed the street to the intersection of Wall St and Battery Park where this Flat Iron Sculpture commemorates the adjacent Flat Iron building. A magician was entertaining the crowd.


Okay, this was getting serious. Our bar-hopping adventure amounted to one drink each so far. The beer aficionado among us suggested the Thirsty Monk. Great idea! We walked down Wall Street, left on Otis, left on Patton over to the Belgian basement at the Monk's place at the intersection of Patton and Coxe Ave.

PIC chose Delirium Tremens Strong Ale ($6.50): 9% "Golden Ale with a fruity aroma reminiscent of plums or gooseberries, a sweetish palate, and a lot of warming alcohol in a rather abrupt finish."


Ordered by our buddy: Leffe Blonde Golden Ale ($5.00): 6.6% "A dry, fruity, lightly spiced beer. Full and creamy with a perfect balance of strength and subtlety. This brew has a delicate, malty aroma and a subtle, sweet finish."


You can also get wine and some pretty terrific food at the Monk. We shared an order from "The Hungry Monk" menu of Baked Brie and Fig ($8.00) - imported baked brie topped with Dalmatia Fig jam and served with a baguette and fresh fruit - completely delicious!


Later at the Monk, a server came by and offered us a complimentary order of Scottish Salmon Sliders - two mini salmon cakes served burger style topped with a caper aioli and diced onions, served with Pommes Frites & Parmesan aioli. He hadn't been able to find whoever had ordered them - oh darn. Those cakes were terrific.

We had a pretty full (pun intended) evening, but barely scratched the surface of what Asheville has to offer. The next summer evening you're looking for something to do, head to downtown Asheville, park the car and enjoy.

Click here for a map of our route.



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