Chai Pani’s buffet is back by very popular demand. Through Friday, March 6, you can get your fill of curries, chaats, and sweets.
The restaurant introduced the “hurricane hot bar” in the month following Helene to serve up comfort food to the community in a time of need — and it’s back to warm hearts and bellies for a limited time only.
Here’s what the hot bar will cost you:
Lunch: $16.99 ($21.99 on weekends)
Dinner: $21.99
Kids: $9.99
And just as the beloved buffet ends on Friday, March 6, the Holi celebrations begin with a lively street festival and night market with local vendors, a Bollywood DJ, and Bhangra dancers. Check out scenes from last year’s fest.
Events
Events
Friday, Jan. 9
Trolls: A Field Study | Friday, Jan. 9-Tuesday, Feb. 17 | 8 a.m.-5 p.m. | The North Carolina Arboretum | $20+
The Asheville Planning and Zoning Commission’s vote on the highly anticipated Costco in Enka was delayed at its Wednesday meeting. A representative from Costco’s development team told commissioners that more time is needed for additional studies and a design will be presented at next month’s meeting. (828 News Now)
Civic
Buncombe County is developing its first Pedestrian Plan to improve safe travel and connectivity in unincorporated areas, and you can have a say in the vision. Residents can provide input at a Thursday, Jan. 29 meeting at 4:30 p.m. at Enka-Candler Public Library or through an online survey.
Pets
The new Pet Supplies Plus on Haywood Rd. is celebrating its grand opening weekend with free self-serve pet washes, $5 dog nail trims, giveaways, pet portraits, special promos, and of course, plenty of treats for Fido.
Read
Woodfin author Terry Roberts returns readers to 1960s Madison County in his latest novel, “In the Fullness of Time,” following WWII veteran and sheriff Clinton Salter. The story blends crime and corruption with romance and reflection, and was short-listed for Southern Literary Review’s Books of the Year 2025. Pick it up at Malaprop’s. (Mountain Xpress)
Sports
The first round of the NFL playoffs takes place this weekend, with six Wild Card Round games on the schedule. Cheer for the Panthers from one of Asheville’s sports bars and see if our team makes it one step closer to Super Bowl LX.
Plan Ahead
According to The Knot, December is by far the most popular month to propose. If your better half popped the question last month, it’s time to start looking at local venues for anything from an intimate gathering to a large, all-out bash.
Finance
You’re smart — but your spending can still be dumb. Here are the 11 dumbest things smart people waste money on.*
Read
AI won’t take over the world — people who know how to use AI will. That’s why 1M+ pros working at Google, Meta, and OpenAI read Superhuman AI. Join now and learn AI skills, tools, and news in just three minutes a day. Subscribe for free.*
The folks at New Belgium are bringing an “ancient” tradition from their Fort Collins HQ to the Land of the Sky. Prepare for Jean Short January on Thursday, Jan. 15, where Asheville’s most stylish will cut jeans into shorts and get a head start on their summer wardrobe (or bravely rock a breezy winter look).
Just wear your old denim and the crew will “jort” them for you — then, go wild decorating them with craft supplies. Stop by between 3 and 7 p.m. to get in on the action.
Take the guesswork out of healthy eating with chef-cooked meals from Forkful. Instead of spending hours on Pinterest looking for recipes, opt for high-quality, nourishing meals delivered right to your door. Forkful’s meals boast only the finest ingredients, like grass-fed meats, wild-caught seafood, and organic produce. Think: protein-packed pastas and plant-based burrito bowls. Plus, Forkful meals are never frozen + only take 2-3 minutes to prepare.
Asheville’s dining scene is on a roll with recent openings, the return of Chai Pani’s buffet, and Asheville Restaurant Week. If you’re hungry for more info on the latter, make sure to read Monday’s newsletter.
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