New Belgium’s Tour de Fats, vegan eatery, Zia Taqueria
A nationwide brewery will deliver its annual occasion again to Asheville, a neighborhood meals truck finds a everlasting dwelling and a taco eatery reopens after a full redesign.
Rolling on
An Asheville brewery is rolling ahead with one among its annual, standard occasions after being canceled throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
New Belgium Brewing will revive Tour de Fats Asheville on Oct. 8.
The main points for this 12 months’s pageant of wheels are nonetheless being deliberate, in keeping with a spokesperson, however it should keep true to its basis.
Tour de Fats is a community-driven celebration centered round bicycles and beer. In 1999, New Belgium launched the occasion and have introduced it yearly in Asheville and Fort Collins, Colorado. Historically, Tour de Fats includes a pedal-powered bicycle parade with costumed riders of all ages among the many fold. Plus, music, video games, leisure and loads of New Belgium beer pouring from the faucets.
The occasion advantages bicycle advocacy and nonprofit organizations within the cities. Greater than $5 million has been raised to assist bike advocacy, schooling and trails.
New Belgium is at 21 Craven St. in Asheville. For updates, go to newbelgium.com/occasions/tour-de-fat/.
Placing down roots
The Trashy Vegan meals truck is making huge strikes this 12 months.
The Trashy Vegan homeowners, Joel Boggs and Michelle Edwards, have claimed a everlasting handle at 697 Haywood Highway in West Asheville, in Foothills Butcher Bar’s former west location.
The neighborhood is the place the companions obtained their begin and the place a lot of their buyer base resides, Boggs mentioned.
“West Asheville nonetheless has the native vibe to it. We love West Asheville. It solely appeared proper,” Boggs mentioned. “It’s a superb location and it simply so occurs to be a previous butcher store so it’s ironic and serendipitous on the identical time.”
Boggs and Edwards are aiming for a late-March to early-April opening. Tentatively, the hours shall be 2-8 p.m. Friday via Tuesday.
In 2020, the enterprise companions launched the meals truck. The quick menu options soy-based “rooster” sandwiches and nuggets, fries and varied sorts of burgers, akin to a pineapple pepper jack jalapeno burger.
“We attempt to take issues which are usually not seen as vegan in any respect or related to veganism — like a burger — and do these vegan. And (we) attempt to do them in addition to attainable … so individuals understand that there are vegan choices just about for something on the market and also you’re not likely compromising on style or taste.”
The restaurant’s menu will function the objects clients are used to and lots of new additions, he mentioned. Beer and wine shall be provided, too.
The identical laid-back vibe of the meals truck will carry over to the brick and mortar eatery.
“We’ll attempt to hold it nonetheless ‘trashy’ and nonetheless 100% vegan,” Boggs mentioned. “What precisely that appears like, we’re not fully positive but.”
The identify The Trashy Vegan is in reference to the menu providing objects some might take into account being junk meals, he mentioned.
“We additionally didn’t need it to look stuffy. We wished it to be extra approachable,” Boggs mentioned.
Additionally cease by the sister enterprise, Dough Home Vegan Donuts in Black Mountain, that the companions opened in January. The store provides vegan and gluten-free doughnuts and low at 601 West State St.
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Taco elevation
Zia Taqueria has reopened after a renovation challenge wrapped that closed the West Asheville restaurant for a number of weeks. Prospects can count on a full overhaul of the house and menu.
“Each single of our outdated recipes we’ve taken the time to evolve and, in our opinion, improved,” mentioned Robert Tipsword, co-owner and operator. “Even the expertise contained in the constructing is an excellent stress-free and pleasant surroundings and I believe individuals are going to note that straight away after they stroll in as a result of it’s only a completely totally different really feel in there and we’re loving it.”
Zia Taqueria closed from Jan. 3 till Feb. 17.
The restaurant is open from 4-9 p.m. Thursday-Sunday at 521 Haywood Highway. The restricted hours are to permit the crew to ease into the brand new idea and clean out operations. Over time, hours shall be prolonged. Tipsword initiatives longer, common hours to return by mid-to-late spring, he mentioned.
Supply and carryout service has been suspended till the restaurant returns to fuller hours, he mentioned.
“Whereas we’re doing these new processes and creating that we’re making an attempt to remain targeted on our clients which are within the constructing to ensure we give them the expertise that we’re aiming for,” he mentioned.
Returning clients will discover many adjustments from what they order to how they order.
The restaurant is not working as a fast-casual idea with counter service. It has adopted a conventional full desk service format full with hosts and servers.
The notion is to make the enterprise extra worthwhile so it might account for value inflations and better pay for employees.
“Having an a la carte functioning restaurant the place individuals are available and get one single taco, chips and salsa and get water didn’t work out anymore to a worthwhile idea,” Tipsword mentioned. “We would have liked to make it extra about getting entrées, particularly since we’re turning into a full-service restaurant and repair would inevitably decelerate somewhat bit comparably to the earlier idea.”
Tipsword’s determination to run a extra conventional hospitality-driven enterprise is also to assist a mannequin conducive to workers retention and on-the-job expertise.
“I believe that it derives extra satisfaction with the workers and the cooks,” he mentioned. “If you’re simply making an attempt to get stuff out the window since you’re feeding 400 individuals a day, that may be a tougher achievement this point in time than it’s to have somebody come on and be utilizing their expertise and really feel like they’re studying expertise.”
That is the primary time the constructing has obtained a full improve because it opened in March 2013, he mentioned.
The entrance of the constructing was redone, and the eating room was gutted to make room for a brand new seating format and bigger bar.
“I don’t suppose there’s something that hasn’t been renovated or touched within the eating room in any respect,” he mentioned.
The bar dimension was elevated from 23 toes to 31 toes. The kitchen obtained a radical deep clear and upkeep service.
The menu has drastically advanced with some basic, reimagined and new dishes provided.
Just a few “nostalgic” objects nonetheless on the menu however with enhancements are the Beef Barbacoa and Purple Chili Pork.
A brand new addition, two dishes will function meat sourced from native farm Hickory Nut Hole. The Carne Adovada is made with pink chili braised pork. The Birria taco is made with oxtail and quick rib.
The Baja and grilled fish recipes have been longtime bestsellers and are nonetheless precisely the identical, he mentioned.
There are extra full-service model entrées, together with one that includes New Mexico pink chili dry rub skirt steak and one other starring a hatch inexperienced chili cheeseburger. He additionally recommends the vegan double-stacked tostada.
Pull up a seat on the spacious bar full with a brand new drink menu. A cocktail to attempt is the Prickly Pear frozen margarita made with actual, natural prickly pear cactus fruit.
For extra about Zia Taqueria, go to ziataco.com/avl.
Tiana Kennell is the meals and eating reporter for the Asheville Citizen Occasions, a part of the USA At the moment Community. Electronic mail her at [email protected] or observe her on Twitter/Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please assist assist the sort of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Occasions.
