10.17.2023

Today’s Forecast

60º | Partly cloudy | 10% chance of precipitation | Sunrise 7:38 a.m. | Sunset 6:52 p.m.

Explore the pasta-bilities

Answered: Readers’ favorite spots for pasta in Asheville

pasta in a red sauce on a stovetop at strada italian for pasta in asheville nc

Buon appetito. | Photo via @stradaasheville

Today, Tuesday, Oct. 17 is National Pasta Day. Now, we take our food-related holidays pretty seriously — so last week we asked our newsletter readers and social media followers where they go for pasta in Asheville.

Boy, did y’all have some serious pasta opinions. We’re dishing on the spots that our readers recommended, including a few of the pasta plates that you can’t resist and a few dish picks from us.

Note: Since many local restaurants change offerings with the seasons, some of the reader-recommended dishes aren’t currently on the restaurants’ menus. Keep an eye out for them to return, and in the meantime, another pasta selection from that spot is always worth a try.

The Admiral | 400 Haywood Rd., Asheville
Readers recommend: Sweet Potato Gnocchi, Fettucine

Cucina 24 | 24 Wall St., Asheville
Readers recommend: Short Rib Fettuccine, Cacio e Pepe (This menu changes daily, but all dishes are worthy of ordering.)

Del Vecchios | 333 Merrimon Ave., Ste. B + 1854 Hendersonville Rd., Ste. D, Asheville
Readers recommend: Prosciutto and Peas Fettuccine, Baked Ziti Parm

Gemelli | 70 Westgate Pkwy., Asheville
Readers recommend: Mafalda Ragu, Cacio e Pepe

spaghetti and meatballs on a wooden table at vinnie's asheville — Can’t go wrong with the classics.
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Photo via @vinnies_avl

Modesto | 1 Page Ave., #138, Asheville
Readers recommend: Bistro Filet Carbonara

Strada Italiano | 27 Broadway St., Asheville
Readers recommend: Short Rib Bolognese, Grilled Florentine Ravioli, Chicken Marsala

Tastee Diner | 575 Haywood Rd., Asheville
Readers recommend: Haus Pappardelle + Smoked Mullet Roe

Twisted Laurel | 130 College St., Asheville + 10A S. Main St., Weaverville
Readers recommend: Firecracker Fettuccine Alfredo (Weaverville)

Vinnie’s Neighborhood Italian | 641 Merrimon Ave. + 1981 Hendersonville Rd., Asheville
Readers recommend: Fettuccine Alfredo, Linguini & Clams, Penne al Funghi, Spaghetti With Meatballs, Spaghetti Carbonara, Linguini Pescatore, Penne alla Vodka

17 more reader recs

Events

Tuesday, Oct. 17

Poetry Night | Tuesday, Oct. 17 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St., Asheville | Free | Join fellow artists and step on the stage for an evening of poetry + expression.
Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel + Cordovas | Tuesday, Oct. 17 | 8 p.m. | Salvage Station, 468 Riverside Dr., Asheville | $25 | Southern rock and blues will sound on the indoor stage.

Wednesday, Oct. 18

Identity Theft and Fraud: Who’s Got Your Number? | Wednesday, Oct. 18 | 10:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. | Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St., Asheville | Free | Let the experts teach you how to minimize your risk of identity theft + what to do if you’re a victim.
Intro to Rhythm and Drumming | Wednesday, Oct. 18 | 4-5 p.m. | Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St., Asheville | Free | Explore + experiment with the foundations of rhythm during this guided session.

Thursday, Oct. 19

LEAF Global Arts Festival | Thursday, Oct. 19-Sunday, Oct. 22 | Times vary | Lake Eden, 377 Lake Eden Rd., Black Mountain | $164-$239 | Explore indigenous art and culture through music, dance, and performance during this celebration of Legends of Americas.
World Trails Film Fest | Thursday, Oct. 19 | 7-9:30 p.m. | UNC Asheville Lipinsky Hall, 300 Library Ln., Asheville | $0-$15 | This showcase will highlight the best short + feature films of trail stories from around the world.

Friday, Oct. 20

Southeastern Animal and Fiber Festival | Friday, Oct. 20-Sunday, Oct. 22 | Times vary | WNC Agriculture Center, 765 Boylston Hwy., Fletcher | $5 | More than 100 vendors, workshops, and demonstrations will showcase the fiber arts.

Saturday, Oct. 21

Asheville Symphony Presents Masterworks 2: The Great Gate | Saturday, Oct. 21 | Times vary | First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St., Asheville | $25-$75 | Experience Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, inspired by Viktor Hartmann’s work. Mussorgsky’s ten movements, originally written for piano, depict subjects like the legendary Baba Yaga.*

Sunday, Oct. 22

Pumpkin Patch Pizza Party! | Sunday, Oct. 22 | 1-3 p.m. | White Labs Asheville, 172 S. Charlotte St., Asheville | $35 | Decorate pumpkins with your child while sharing a cheese pizza, enjoying adult sips + watching a Halloween movie.*

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Festival

Locally-made: 76th annual craft fair happens this weekend

SouthernHighlandCraftGuild_AVL_10.17.23.gif

Today, the bi-yearly Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands brings together hundreds of makers and offers attendees the opportunity to connect with the artists by purchasing directly from them. | Photos provided by Southern Highland Craft Guild

Downtown Asheville’s longest-running craft celebration is back.

This Thursday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., shop traditional and contemporary works of clay, wood, glass, and more from 100+ Southeast artisans during the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands at Harrah’s Cherokee Center.

Hosted by the Southern Highland Craft Guild and presented by the artists themselves, this year’s fair highlights include:

Craft demonstrations
Live music all day Saturday + Sunday
Jewelry competition
Educational booths
Thousands of locally-made items

Get your $10 tickets

News Notes

Cause

Hosted by the Parent Teacher Student Association, a free community suicide awareness + prevention walk will be held at A.C. Reynolds High School tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 18. Opening remarks from clinical psychologist Dr. Rhonda Karg begin at 5:30 p.m. Local mental health professionals will provide info, support + connection.

Opening

Starting in early November, Chef Hannah Kirschner of Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse will be serving up dishes inspired by izakayas, Japanese bars that serve snacks and small plates, at The Hound Lounge five days a week. The other two days will feature a pop-up food format from other local chefs.

Civic

Code Purple season, an initiative started in 2009 to provide emergency shelter beds when temperatures drop below freezing, began on Sunday, Oct. 15 and includes new improvements. More beds and a phone line will be available, and Code Purple will now trigger when it’s 33-40 degrees with precipitation. (Asheville Citizen-Times)

Environment

Looking to learn more about our local chimney-dwelling avians? Blue Ridge Audubon will host Dr. Andrew Laughlin for “Rules of the Roost: Into the Chimneys with Swifts!,” a talk on the natural urban phenomenon of these birds. Join on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. at UNC Asheville’s Reuter Center.

Talk

Help disrupt food waste in our community at the Food Waste Solutions Summit on Thursday, Nov. 9, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center. Programs focus on public policy solutions, food access and equity, food waste and climate change, and business opportunities. Registration is on a sliding scale.

Biz

Calling all kidtrepreneurs + budding business owners — the Buncombe County Children’s Business Fair is accepting applications for vendors. On Saturday, Nov. 25, your kids can show off their product or service to potential customers and win cash prizes. Products must be self-created, and vendors must be ages 7-17.

Plan Ahead

The WNC chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals is celebrating National Philanthropy Day on Wednesday, Nov. 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel. The luncheon will honor and present awards to local leaders, activists, and philanthropists. Get your tickets.

Health

It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month — which is a great annual reminder to schedule a mammogram. Mission Breast Center at 534 Biltmore Ave. recently expanded into a comforting, state-of-the-art suite with six 3D mammography units, plus additional ultrasound and ABUS (Automated Breast Ultrasound System). Schedule your appointment.*

Wellness

You’ve heard of collagen — but have you heard of collagen loading? Here’s how to use NativePath’s Grass-Fed Collagen to do it while it’s over 50% off.*

Drink

Food

Sweet sipping at Carolina CiderFest

a flight from noble cider for carolina ciderfest

Drink it all in. | Photo via Noble Cider Production Facility

The chilly temps and vibrant autumn colors always put us in the mood for apples — but picking and pies aren’t the only products of the region’s favorite fruit. This is also the season for cider. So Carolina CiderFest is setting up at McCormick Field on Saturday, Oct. 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. to serve up and celebrate the work of local cideries + makers.

The 21+ festival will feature extensive samplings of hard cider as well as mead, apple wine, and seltzer. You’ll also find food vendors with offerings like cheeses + ice cream and food from McCormick Field. In between sips and bites, settle in for live music, arts and crafts, and workshops.

General admission tickets get you unlimited cider samples and a souvenir glass, and if you’re a designated driver who’s avoiding the hard stuff, there’s a ticket for you too. Get yours online now.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Molly

From the editor

I’m certainly guilty of an occasional desire to escape reality (usually coinciding with bill due dates or pre-coffee morning meetings), and Pack Memorial Library is offering up a chance to step outside the real world. On Thursday, Nov. 9, you can try out a free foray into virtual reality. Register for the VR experience.

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